Darling I Have You

It was hard to watch as my little Lainee started to grow up into a woman, but what was harder was watching as she stood in front of me smiling from ear to ear in an elegant white wedding gown that Dakota and Jess Bowen helped her pick out.  
"Nick I'm scared." Lainee turned away from the mirror to face me. 
She looked beautiful and I couldn't help but let a few tears slip out. 
"Mom would be so proud." i whispered softly. 
Lainee's lips trembbled as water began to form at the brim of her eyes.
My arms pulled her into a tight hug and her sobs got louder. 
"I can't do this Nick, not without them. Just call it all off." 
I pulled her away from me forcing her to look me in the eyes. 
"Lain let me tell you something okay." she nodded her head wipping away the tears that fell from her eyes.  
"They wouldn't want you to do this okay. Mom and dad are with us in spirit and I know for a fact that they are so proud of you right now. I'm proud of you! I haven't seen you this happy since you were 17 and got valedictorian. Why you'd be happy to be the loser of your class still beats me." A smile crept up on her face. 
"Your an ass hole Nick." 
"I know but I don't want you to do something you will regret and have you end up being hurt thinking about what could have happened. Justin loves you so much sis and you love him just as much! I know I'm not dad, but I'm going to try and walk you down that aisl and give you away to one of my best friends the way dad would have liked it."
She wraped her arms around me tightly as she shook from crying. 
"I love you Nickkypoo. I honestly don't know how I would get through all of this without you."
I rubbed her back soothingly. "Sis I wasn't there when you needed me the most."
"You have always been there when I've needed you the most. You're my big brother."
I smiled at her smeared face. 
A knock came at the door followed by Jess and Dakota. "Sweetie what's wrong?" Dakota rushed to her side while Jess picked up the make up bag preparing to fix her face. 
"Nothing." she mummbled. 
"Hey Nick Justin wants to talk to you. Also we only have 20 minutes before the wedding starts so go fix your hair." Jess said to me. 
I gave Lainee a hug before walking out the door into the hallway. 
Everything seemed to have moved in slow motion. I could believe that here I was standing in a church decorated in elegant pink roses and daisies, people from both sides of the family including friends and tour mates gathering to watch my little sister get married. 
It was just yesterday that I remembered her graduating from middle school and just a few hours ago that she stood on that stage in her graduation gown delivering a speech to her graduating class. 
"Hey bro."
"Please don't hurt her." My voice sounded rough and uneven. 
"Nick I swear on my life I'll never hurt her." 
I nodded my head softly colapsing on the chair near the door. 
"Dude what's wrong?"
"Its just so unreal how my sister is getting married and her own father can't be here to give her away or a mother to comfort her in the last few minutes of being single." 
"I know man." 
Silence washed over us. 
"Thank you." I finally said. 
Justin looked up from his black tux. "For what?" 
"For watching after Lainee when I couldn't. For being her shoulder to cry on and for loving her the way you do."
Justin smiled. I guess he never really thought I was warmed up to them getting married but I was more than happy that Lainee picked a person I trusted. 
"Yo!" John strolled through the door dressed in his tux as well followed by Andrew, Halvo, Jimmy and Stephen. 
"Man, who would have thought that little Laineebug would be getting married?" John was grinning. 
"Did you meet my cousin Lucy?" I questioned. 
John nodded his head defeated. "Careful she's a bit-"
"Bitchy?" Halvo chimed in. 
We all laughed and Lucy walked in dressed in her pink bridesmaids dress. 
"Fuck you all hoes! Anyways Justin and the rest of you guys are needed in the front. Nick, you know what to do." 
She winked at John before walking out. 
"Well brother I'll see you at the end of the aisl."
The 5 of them walked the opisite direction of where I'd be meeting with Lainee. 
Laine was smiling when I saw her. The make up that was once smeared with tears was now back to perfection her hair was piled on top of her head flowing smoothly down in some places. I couldn't help but think she looked like mom in the picture of her getting married to dad. 
"You look beautiful sis." my lips grazed her cheek. 
Jess looked back at us with a smile and the music began signaling for the bridsmaids to walk down the neatly decorated aisl. Slowly one by one the girls walked down till only Justin's neice Madaline who was the flower girl, Lainee and myself stood at the door. 
"Well here goes nothing." Lainee whispered taking a deep breath. 
We walked down the aisl to the beat of the soft classical music, not the traditionl Brides March. 
I could see as Justin's face lit up and from the corner of my eye I saw Lainee's smile turn into a huge grin. 
I stood at the bottom step with Lainee and Justin at her side. 
"Who comes forth to give away Lainee Santino to Justin Richards?" 
I gulped before answering. "I do." 
"With the blessing of the brother, Lainee and Justin now come forward to be joined in marriage." 
Justin took her by the arm and led her up and I took my place in front of Halvo and behind Jimmy.  
Before I knew it time had flown by Lainee and Justin said their 'I Do's' and the minister was already speaking the words that made my little sisters vows final. 
"With the power vested in me and by the power of this church I now pronounce you Mister and Missus Justin Richards you may now kiss the bride." 
Lainee and Justin turned to each other and kissed. I looked into the crowd and saw tear stricken faces, Justins mom patting a tissue at the corner of her eyes, his sister-in-law blowing her nose with puffy red eyes. I looked to our family and saw my aunt with puffy red eyes and my grandmother with a smile upon her face breathing heavily. 
The rest of the people had smiles across their faces.
I took a deep breath and followed everyone outside of the church where bells were ringing loudly cheers were loud, but everything all sounded distant or like it was all on the surface while I was underwater. 
"Nick we're getting our pictures taken." Jess interlaced our fingers together. 
"Thanks love." I kissed the top of her head following her to the rest of the wedding party.
Lainee was hugging her husband lovingly and a few flashes went off and then a new pose. Finally I got my chance to get pictures taken with her. 
"Piggy back!" Dirk Mai laughed as she jumpped on my back and snapped a quick picture. 
Jess, Lucy, Dakota, Jamie and Rachel stood around her for a picture. Then John, Jimmy, Andrew, Halvo and Stephen got in. 
It was a long process. 
When all that was over I found myself guiding Lain to the dancefloor to have her brother sister dance to the song My Wish by The Rascall Flats. 
"Congrats sis I'll miss you at home." I wispered to her before handing her off to Justin. 
They danced to All I Need by View From An Airplaine. I walked outside to get some fresh air. This was the end of me being an over protective brother always watching out for her. Now she had Justin and she was all grown up. 
That's just the way things go.

Photograph, remembering the summer
It takes me back, 
To Southern California.

Where the girls would all pass
On the boardwalk and laugh
At our desperate attempts and our sunburned backs
We never had a chance, I remember that
And no matter what we do, 
We'll never lose what we had growing up.

Won't bring us down.
Yeah, growing up, 
It won't bring us down, 
Growing up won't bring us down
Growing up won't bring us down

Graduate, what's a kid to do now?
Get away, yeah-ah.
We've got so much to prove.
Cause it's time to move on
And I'm stuck to let go, 
But then Wonderwall comes on the radio, 
I flashback to the night in your parent's yard, 
When we drank too much and we talked about god... 

Growing up, won't bring us down.
Growing up, it won't bring us down.
We're in this together, 
Yeah, we'll make it somehow, 
Nothing's gonna stop us now... 
Growing up won't bring us down
Growing up won't bring us down
Growing up won't bring us down
Oh-oh-oh

Photograph, oh give me something to remember

Growing up, won't bring us down.
Growing up, it won't bring us down.
We're in this together, 
Yeah, we'll make it somehow, 
Nothing's gonna stop us now... 
Growing up won't bring us down
Growing up won't bring us down (won't bring us down)
Growing up won't bring us down (won't bring us down)
Growing up won't bring us... down.