A sensation of longing and satisfaction and the deepest most solid desire fills me up to overflowing, and I can’t wait to get to tomorrow to begin our future together—mine, Josh and Charlie’s!
“Hey! Ground control to Major Tom. Sophie, you in there?” Kate’s laugh is so bubbly.
“Yeah, I’m in here.” I know the smile on my face is ear-to-ear; I can feel it stretching over my cheekbones.
“Are you ready to get ready?” She starts dragging me to the showers and I notice Sam is nowhere in sight. “We have a hen party to rock!”
“The bachelorette party!” I almost forgot!
“Jules and Livie would not be very happy with me if we were late.” Before we go our separate ways to get cleaned up, she asks, “So, what did the note say anyway?”
The smile is still painted on my face. “Balance.”
Chapter Ten
Josh
I tap on the guest bedroom door at the vacation home my parents are renting out for the wedding. “Knock, knock.”
I hear her giggle and it makes me smile throughout my entire body. God, I love that little kid!
“Who’s there?”
“A cow.”
“A cow says who?”
“No, silly, a cow says moo!”
“JOSHY-DADDY!”
I poke my head in and smile. “Hi, jellybean.”
She wiggles to sit up in the big bed. “Sit here.” She pats the mattress next to her.
“You need to get a good night’s sleep tonight.”
“Because you’re gonna marry me and Mommy! Right?”
“Right, chickadee—I’m going to marry you and Mommy.” I tuck a stray golden colored curl behind her ear.
“And then you’ll really be my daddy forever!” Charlie leaps over at me and throws her soft little arms around my neck. “I love you, Joshy-Daddy.”
My nose stings and I blink back the wetness that begins to pool in my eyes.
“Do I get to wear my pretty princess gown?” She squeezes harder. “And throw the flower petals?”
“You get to do all of those things, but first you have to go to sleep so morning can come.”
“Okay! I’m going to sleep.” She kisses my cheek. “You’re scratchy!” she complains.
“I need to shave,” I apologize, rubbing a hand over the offending beard growth.
“Hurry up! Or you’ll scratch Mommy when you kiss her tomorrow,” Charlie warns woefully.
“Good thinking. I’ll fix that right away!” I carefully kiss her cherubic cheek.
“Tomorrow, can I name you Daddy?”
I want to tell her yes as I swallow hard and fight to keep the tears back. “I think so. If Mommy says it’s okay.”
The meaning of tomorrow’s ceremony and the lifelong commitment and responsibility I will vow to honor with my life is very real to me at this moment.
“I love you, Charlie,” I say, caught in a riptide of emotions.
“I love you … Daddy.”
Sophie
“OH MY GOD!” I exclaim. “What have you done?!”
My sister-in-laws, Jules and Livie, are full of smiles and laughter! I thought Kate and I were just dressing up and coming down to the hotel bar for a drink; instead I have a gathering of friends surprising me for the ultimate bachelorette party!
The three of them fist bump, and soon enough Quinn and Britt are with us and high-fives go all around.
“I knew we’d get her!” Livie cries.
“It was not easy to keep all of this a surprise!” Jules waves her hand towards the luxuriously decorated ballroom.
Gold and black balloons float everywhere. The walls and ceiling are adorned with sparkling twinkle lights and gold and black ribbon-like streamers and banners. Over on the right is a huge banquet table filled with food and goodies. On the left is another banquet table—both are draped with beautiful tablecloths of black and gold—and on top is a mountain of gifts about as high as Everest!
“It’s … INCREDIBLE!” I just about shout, completely taken off guard!
Friends from all of the places Josh and I have traveled together are here to celebrate.
“And damn it, my eyeliner and mascara are going to run!” I whine and wipe my moist eyes carefully with the flat of my finger.
They all rush at me, and I’m hugged by everyone. Then someone shoves a strong-smelling alcoholic drink in a phallic shaped glass into my hand.
“Oh my God!” I laugh. “I’m supposed to drink out of the head of a penis!?!”
“Oh, just you wait!!” Jules grabs my free hand and pulls me to a gold velvet high-backed chair on a pedestal that’s at the head of a circle of folding chairs at the front of the room. “Sit. You are the guest of honor!”
Livie puts a sparkling tiara on my head.
Britt, who I think is already half in the bag, wraps a gold feathered boa around my neck and leans in toward my ear. “We’ve been decorating for a while.”
My first suspicion is confirmed.
“You’re going to love this!” She clinks her penis glass against mine.
We both bust up laughing!