After Tonight

I dug my toes in the sand as we waited for the ceremony to start. It was a simple ceremony; neither of us wanted a big to-do. Ella danced around beside me, spinning the purple Lei around her neck as fast as humanly possible.
“Ellie.” I whispered, reaching over to steady her shoulders. The last thing we needed was our daughter to strangle herself. “Ellie, love, take it easy on that thing.”
She straightened up immediately and nodded. I looked up into the sky, thankful that the sun was out and sky clear. Little fingers began tugging on my pants as the soft music began to play. I quickly looked down at Ella, who grinned magnificently and blew me a kiss. Then she let go and watched as Abbey began to move toward us. Our friends and family turned their heads. My breath caught in my chest when I saw her.
God, she was beautiful.

Abbey’s P.O.V.
It was finally happening.
Rob was waiting for me at the end of the pathway, a tender smile on his face. Ella was standing beside him, twirling around quietly as she kept a close eye on everything going on around her. She stopped and smiled brightly when I stood in front of her. I bent down to give her a quick kiss on the head. She’d pushed herself onto her tiptoes and wrapped her arms around my neck.
“You look really pretty, Mommy.” Ella whispered, kissing my cheek.
The light fabric of my dress danced across my bare feet. I briefly glanced down at my freshly painted toenails—Atomic Orange—as I turned to face Rob. We looked at one another, each taking a deep breath.
“Here we go,” I whispered.
“You ready for this?” Rob asked softly, tucking a piece of fly-away hair behind the yellow flower in my hair. I nodded, giving his hand a light squeeze. “Because you’re getting all of this,” he gestured to himself. “And I just want to make sure you know what you’re getting yourself into.” Beside us, Ella covered her mouth and giggled. Rob winked at her.
“I think I can handle it,” I smiled coyly, nudging his toes with my own. “And Elle will keep you in line.”
The man who would be performing the ceremony cleared his throat. Rob and I stopped talking and looked at him, all smiles. It was a traditional Hawaiian ceremony, which we thought would be more fun and unique—plus I got to keep all the Leis we were given.
When the man began to speak, I reached over and laced my fingers with Rob’s. I grinned excitedly, thinking that in less than twenty minutes we were going to be husband and wife. As the exotic voice sounded over the gentle lull of the ocean waves, I closed my eyes and breathed in the flowery air. Rob was staring at me when I opened them, like he’d been waiting to catch my glance.
“Robert, please place this Lei around the neck of your bride, and please do so with a kiss.” Rob’s lips were soft against mine as he looped the fuchsia Lei around my neck.
“And likewise, Abbey, place this Lei around the neck of your beloved.” The man continued on, explaining the purpose of the Leis. He talked about lava rocks and changes. Hopes and dreams. Love and beauty. I felt another soft breeze rustle my hair.
“When the wind stirs at a wedding, it is the presence of absent loved ones and ancestors who surround you at this moment with their love, support and blessing.” When the man said this, Rob nodded. My mother had made it my wedding after all.
“Robert, will you take Abbey to be your wife, to have and to hold from this day forth, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, and will you treasure her in your heart as the special gift that she is to you, striving to do all that you can to make her to feel happy and secure, treating her with understanding, kindness and respect for all the days before you?”
“I will.” Rob squeezed my hands again and I noticed his eyes had become a tad glassy.
“Abbey, will you take Robert to be your husband, to have and to hold from this day forth, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, and will you treasure him in your heart as the special gift that he is to you, striving to do all that you can to make him to feel happy and secure, treating him with understanding, kindness and respect for all the days before you?”
“I will.” I squeezed back, choking on my words when I felt a wave of tears begin to form.
Next came the rings. And then it was time to seal the deal. When Rob and I pulled apart, I stroked his cheek.
“Here we go,” I whispered. He kissed me once more before we turned to our family and friends.
They cheered, cried and hollered—I even heard a “whoop whoop” or two. Rob picked Ella up and I kissed her face as she wrapped her arms around his neck. The three of us walked back down the pathway and over to the white tent where the reception would be held. Once Rob put Ella back down, she kissed us each once more and ran off to find her cousins. I knew she’d been itching to run around on the beach all afternoon.
“So, Mrs. Pattinson,” Rob caressed my cheek with his thumb. “How does it feel?”
“It’s feeling pretty good right now, what about you,” I gently kissed his lips. “Mr. Pattinson?”
“Married life is treating me very well at the moment.” As I was about to kiss him once more, less lady-like this time, the tent began filling up with our guests. So I leaned my forehead against his and looked into his eyes. He smiled and my heart melted. This had become a daily routine since the first time I met him.
“To the girl who got Robbie here to settle down,” one of Rob’s buddies from London raised a flute of champaign. “Hearts all over the world are breaking tonight.”
“Can you believe this right here?” Another friend grinned at us. “Married with a daughter—a beautiful daughter!” He lifted a giggling Ella into his arms.
“Sod off, will ya’?” Rob laughed and grabbed two glasses of champaign from the table.
“We’re not going to do that arm thing, are we?” I took the glass, eyeing him suspiciously. Of all ridiculous wedding traditions, he would choose to do that one.
“Don’t you know me at all?” He smiled and held out his arm. I scowled but went along with him.
…
We ate dinner, drank some more and danced—much to the dismay of Grace, who cringed every time either of us busted out the “Sprinkler”. When a familiar song began to play, I pointed my finger at Rob and gave him my best “come hither” look.
“I love it when you do that,” he whispered into my ear as he took me around the waist.
“Oh really?”
“Mmm hmm.” He kissed my jaw line as I wrapped my arms around his neck. We swayed back and forth for a bit before either of us spoke again, the lyrics in the song making up all the conversation between us.
“The first time we danced to this song, I thought you were going to propose.”
“I was.” He chuckled at the stunned look on my face. “But I forgot that I didn’t have a ring.”
“I would have said yes anyway.”
“Kind of like living in Guam, in a box?”
“Eh, I may have been exaggerating on that one.”
“No,” Rob gasped.
“Maybe a little.”
“That’s really too bad,” he spoke seriously. “Because I found the perfect box, right outside the flat actually—a big refrigerator box. It’s quite spacious really. The three of us could fit.”
I shook my head, laughing, and rested my forehead on his shoulder. I felt my body vibrate from his hearty chuckle.
“What am I going to do with you?”
“I can think of a few things.” His eyebrows wiggled and we laughed again.
“I bet you can.”
The music continued on and other people began dancing as well. I looked over Rob’s shoulder at Ella, who was watching us with a mixed expression on her face. Half of it was a smile, half of it was longing. When she caught my eyes, she waved animatedly.
“I think you’ve got another dance partner.” I nodded in Ella’s direction and he turned his head. Then he shifted, or awkwardly danced, us—making Grace shake her head—over to where she sat and held out his hand.
“May I have this dance?” I stepped back as she took his hand. She smiled, excitement lighting up her face, as Rob led her back to the floor.
I watched as Rob twirled Ella around, evoking a fit of giggles from her little body. Even at five I could tell she wasn’t going to be very tall. Her brown hair whipped around her face as she attempted to twirl on her own. To her surprise, she got caught on her own feet and stumbled a bit. Rob caught her and she looked up at him bashfully.
He smiled, holding out his hands and when she took them he lifted her onto his feet.
“You did it, kid.” My dad walked up behind me, placing a warm hand on my shoulder. “Rob is crazy about you, and that little girl is beautiful.”
“Dad...” I swatted his arm bashfully.
“Abbey…” he mocked. “Your mother would be so proud of you. She wanted that boy for a son-in-law the day she met him. And Ella, honey, she would have loved spoiling her.”
I batted away tears, turning away to look at the ocean. We rarely talked about my mom. She’d passed away when Ella was merely one. She hadn’t even gotten to know her.
“Thanks, Dad.” I hugged him tightly as he kissed the top of my head.
“Now,” he pointed toward Rob. “Go get that husband.”

Ella barreled toward me as I headed out to the dance floor.
”Will you dance with me?” She pulled on my hands.
“Of course.” She held out her arms and I lifted her up.
“You were more prettier than my Barbie,” Ella said softly as she rested her head on my shoulder.
“Thank you, babe.”
…
“Will you let me spit out my toothpaste before you ravish me, please?” I stood at the sink, choking on my toothbrush and toothpaste as Rob wrapped his arms around my waist and began kissing my neck. “Jesus, you’re like an animal.”
I shook my head once the words left my mouth.
“An animal, eh?” I groaned. Rob only chuckled and nuzzled my neck. “What kind?”
“What kind of animal—seriously?” I spit out my toothpaste, wiped my mouth and turned to him.
I hitched my leg around his hips and ran my hands up chest. His arms locked around my waist and he attacked my neck again.
“A big…elephant.” Rob dropped his hands.
“Nu uh.” He stalked over to the bed and climbed under the covers. “Not going to be an elephant.” I laughed hysterically and chased him. “I was at least thinking, like, a lion or something.”
“What’s wrong with elephants?” I teased, jumping on the bed and wrapping my body around him.
“Everything.” I could feel his smile against my stomach as he pressed a kiss to my skin.
“Come on, why are you hating on the elephants?” I pushed him away, only to lock my legs around his waist.
“I’m not ‘hating’ on anything.” His hands slid up my sides. “And are you really going to further this conversation right now?”
“Fine.” I nodded and kissed his lips urgently. “But for future reference, what kind of animal do you want to be?” I held up a finger. “Not that we’re going to be animals—by any means. I just want to know so…I know.”
“Abbey.” His voice buzzed against my chin.
“What?” I laughed, tousling his hair—which he hated. “It’s an honest question.”
He groaned and crawled out of my grasp. “I have to go to the bathroom, but when I come out you’d better be naked.”
“Just make an elephant noise for me right now, please?” I laughed myself to tears as he walked away. Rob picked up a pillow off the floor and threw it at me, which only made me laugh harder.
A knock on the door broke me from my giggles and I quickly pulled my wrinkled tank top back down over my stomach. When I opened it my dad was standing there with Ella, tears streaming down her freckled cheeks.
“She couldn’t sleep.” Dad shrugged his shoulders helplessly as Ella clung to my legs. I put my hand on her head and sighed. Ella had nightmares all the time. She woke up screaming and crying all the four nights out of seven.
“I told her—”
“It’s fine, Dad.” I bent over and kissed her forehead, hugging her tightly. She looked up at me through red eyes. “Shh, babe. It’s alright.”
“She would try to get back to sleep and then she just want—”
“Alright, Abbey. Nothing more about ele—” Rob saw Ella’s tears and was immediately on his knees in front of her. “Ellie, love, what’s wrong?”
A small smile appeared on her lips instantly—she loved that he called her “Ellie, love”. She quickly wiped her eyes with the back of her hand and wrapped her arms around his neck. As she told him about the “Booger Man” in the hotel closet, he brushed back some of her hair and listened intently. He was so, so good at that.
“Really Dad, it’s alright.” I leaned over and kissed his cheek. “Thank you.”
Rob and Ella were already sitting cross-legged on our unmade bed when my dad left. She sniffled and tried explaining everything to him.
“There aren’t any Booger Men in this room, Elle.”
“Nope. None at all.” Rob’s eyes caught mine and I could tell he was a little disappointed that we weren’t going to be able to finish what we’d started.
“I’m going to go sit out on the balcony,” I announced, not ready to fall asleep with Ella just yet. “Does anyone want to join me?” Ella promptly raised her hand.
We pulled the blankets off the bed and tucked ourselves in on the loveseat outside. Ella nestled between the two of us. The black sky stretched out overhead, stars dotting it like tiny diamonds. Ella occasionally pointed out constellations, clearly enjoying the fact that she was not in Grandpa’s room sleeping.
“Hey Ellie?”
“Yeah?”
“Do you like elephants?”
“I love them.” She clasped her hands enthusiastically and continued on talking about famous elephants like Dumbo and Horton.
“You told her to say that.” Rob’s eyes narrowed in the dark, but I could see the outline of a smile on his lips.
“I did not.” I put my hands up, defending myself. There had been no mention of elephants between Ella and me.
“Don’t you like elephants?” Ella turned her attention to Rob.
“Nope,” he shrugged.
“Why not?” Ella looked horrified. “Their ears are so big and funny! And they make funny noises.”
“Oh yes,” Rob winked. “What’s not to love?”
…
Ella’s eyelids started drooping somewhere in the middle of telling us all the wonderful things about elephants (“You can ride them in the park!”). Once she drifted off to sleep, I carried her into the bedroom and tucked her in gently, hoping she would sleep late the next morning.
I tiptoed as quickly as I could out to Rob, who sat eagerly waiting for me to climb into his lap. I pulled a sheet up around us and cozied up to his chest. His lips softly trailed from my face to my neck and down to my collarbone.
“I never thought I’d have to postpone sex for my daughter’s nightmare,” he chuckled, tucking my hair behind my ear before kissing it.
“Bothered?” I rested against him completely, as if melting right into him.
“Not at all.” He had never been the father he thought he was going to be.
“Tomorrow night.”
“Oh yes.
“Or tomorrow morning, after breakfast.”
“Ooh I like that thought.”
“And after lunch.”
“Or we could just load Ella onto the family and lock ourselves in the room all day.”
“That too.” I turned my head to his and kissed his lips.
We sat watching the sky for hours barely talking, listening to one another’s breathing and the crash of the waves against the sand. I felt his heart beat against the palm of my hand and I knew I was right where I was supposed to be. It didn’t matter the long, twisting road that we had taken to get there. We had made it.
“Had you ever pulled that kissing thing on anyone before me?” Rob shifted against me, wrapping his around me more tightly.
“Wha—no.” as I remembered him standing on the curb, cheeks flushed from the cold and snow sticking in his hair, my insides swirled. Eight years ago.
“Just me?”
“Uh huh.” My fingers knotted in his hair. “Why?”
I felt his lips against my throat once more before he sighed contentedly. “I’m just glad you did.”
“Me too.”