Page 3 of A Very Miller-Cooper Life

“I think I’m still a bit messed up,” I said honestly. Reagan knew me inside and out, so there was no need to lie about it.

“Aren’t we all?” Reagan asked with a laugh. She pointed her thumb toward the back of the car. “How much do you think we’re going to mess these three up?”

I cringed at the thought. So many of my friends had one thing or another from their childhood that still had an effect on them as an adult, but no one who has kids expects to give them lifelong trauma that can only be worked out with years of therapy. At least, I hope not. “Hopefully just enough to give them character.”

Reagan smiled over at me before moving her eyes back to the road. “I’m sure we’ll do a great job. One step at a time. Let’s start by trying to survive this wedding weekend with themandyour mother.”

***

On the morning of the wedding, I was barely awake when there was a soft knock at our hotel room door. I breathed a sigh of relief when I opened the door to find Reagan’s mom and dad standing there.

“We’re here to take care of your little angels so you two can get ready with the rest of the group,” Reagan’s mom said as she brought me into a tight hug.

I was so thankful Jamie had invited Reagan’s parents to the wedding. I wasn’t sure whether he had done it because he knew they would help us or because they were the parents of hisbest friend, but either way, I was very appreciative to have them there.

Reagan and I gave each of the kids a tight squeeze and grabbed our clothes for the wedding before sprinting out of the room.

Reagan looked at me and wiggled her eyebrows as we walked down the hallway toward the elevators. “Wanna sneak off and have sex somewhere?”

My body heated up at the thought. It had been way too long since Reagan and I had sex and just imagining her touch had me turned on. Except, unfortunately, that wasn’t what today was about, and I clearly needed to be the mature one. “You know there’s nothing I want more, but my brother would kill us if we did that, especially you, Miss Best Woman.”

Reagan smirked at me in a way that made me want to say screw it and push her into the nearest dark corner. “That’sMrs. Best Woman. Don’t forget that I’m married to a super hot groom’s woman.”

Since Jamie and Ethan decided to only have three grooms-people each, Reagan and I were two-thirds of Jamie’s party, so we couldn’t skimp out on our responsibilities, especially since I doubted my parents would be much help. They came just in time for the rehearsal last night and disappeared as soon as they finished their last bite at the dinner that followed.

“You’re thinking about your parents, aren’t you?” Reagan asked, her voice more serious now.

I sighed. “How can you tell?”

Reagan ran her finger between my eyebrows. “You always get the cutest little worry line right here whenever you’re thinking about them. I hate that they stress you out, but I have to admit, I also find that little line adorable.”

“Lucky for you, it doesn’t look like they’ll stop stressing me out anytime soon, so that line is probably there to stay.”

Reagan leaned in and gave me a quick kiss on the lips that had my body buzzing. “I think everything about you is adorable, so I’d rather you be happy.”

I didn’t have any time to reply, because the elevator door opened at that moment, and much to my surprise, my brother was pacing in front of it.

“Oh, thank God,” he said as we got off. “I was just coming up to find you two. I love Benson, but he is very heterosexual and no help at all. His solution for everything is that we should take shots.”

I couldn’t help but laugh, because I told my brother that would be the case when he said he was going to ask his oldest friend, a guy he played football with since middle school, to be in his wedding party. Benson was nice, but he was probably going to be a bachelor forever because he didn’t have a romantic bone in his body.

As if reading my mind, Jamie pointed a finger at me. “I don’t want to hear it. Just help me out please. I’m kind of freaking out.”

Now that he mentioned it, his face was extremely pale, which was in stark contrast to his neck that had red blotches all over it

Reagan put a hand on Jamie’s shoulder and squeezed it. “First of all, just breathe. This is your wedding day. You’re walking down the aisle, not walking the plank.”

“I know. I’m just…” Jamie closed his eyes and blew out a breath. “I just want everything to be perfect.”

Reagan laughed as she pulled her hand away. “Then you might be talking to the wrong girls. Nothing we do ever goes perfectly,butwe are here to help in any way we can.”

Reagan’s words seemed to calm some of Jamie’s nerves and we were able to keep him fairly calm throughout the day as he got ready for the wedding, did his first look with Ethan,and took pictures. My parents were absent for almost everything except for the pictures, but after seeing Ethan in his tuxedo, I could tell nothing was going to ruin Jamie’s mood.

By the time the wedding started, his smile was bigger than I had ever seen it before. The same was true for Ethan, except he also had tears running down his cheeks.

I couldn’t blame him. As soon as they started reading their vows to each other, my tears started to fall as well. I smiled through my tears as my brother used a shaky hand to grab a piece of paper from Reagan.

He took a deep breath and blew it out before he started to read. “Ethan, for years, I thought you were the one that got away. I don’t know what crazy fate brought us back together or why you accepted me with open arms, but I’m so thankful you gave me another chance to do things right this time. You were too good for me in high school and you’re still too good for me now. I’m also thankful that you don’t seem to realize that.” Everyone laughed as my brother chuckled and wiped his eyes. “Not only are you the greatest person I’ve ever met, but you also make me a better person. You give me a confidence I never thought I would have. The fact that someone like you loves me helps me to love myself. I mean, I must have done something right if I get to spend my whole life loving you. Thank you for choosing me. Thank you for accepting me. Thank you for believing in me. Most of all, thank you for loving me. I can’t wait to start the rest of our lives together today. I love you.”

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