I Left My Heart in San Diego

CURRENT STORY DATE: 3/05/11

Last night was one of the rare nights I didn't spend at Billie's house. In fact, even though much to my chagrin, I hadn't been spending the night at Billie's for a couple days. It was his idea for us not to spend a couple nights together right before our wedding, and even though I was going to hate not having Billie's muscular arms wrap around me every night right before I fell asleep, and I wasn't going to have him whispering lyrics in my ear till I fell asleep, I knew that it was a good idea. So I haven't spent the night at Billie's house since Tuesday, and I've been waiting for today more anxiously than ever since then.

I woke up to the sound of my phone jolting me awake with the loud, obnoxious lyrics of Lights Out, a song that was completely unknown to Green Day fans everywhere. Except for me, of course.

I smiled as I leaned over and slowly sat up to pick up my phone. No surprise, Billie was calling me. "Good morning, Billie."

"Hey, sweetheart, how are you?" Billie cooed from the other end.

"I'm excited!" I took a look at my clock, and then grinned, noticing that Billie knew I was going to oversleep so he had called to wake me up. "Even more so now that I know you called to wake me up," I said happily.

I heard Billie chuckle on the other end. "I knew you'd love that I did that. Now get going! I'll see you a couple hours."

I smiled. "Finally. I love you, Billie."

I knew Billie was smiling on the other end. "I love you, too, Arizona. I'll see you soon."

"Yep. Bye."

"Bye, sweetheart." I heard a click, and I hung up as well.

It was just a few moments later that my mother came through the door, Alaska in her arms. "Hey, honey!" she said, grinning and bouncing Alaska. "Ready for your big day?"

I grinned, picking myself up out of bed and stretching. "I've been waiting for this day for such a long time," I answered.

My mom smiled at me. "We have to get you ready, sweetheart!" she squeaked. I then saw Zie appear behind my mom, and waved at her. Confused, my mom turned around and saw Zie behind her. "Oh, hi, Ziera," she said. "Come to help Arizona get ready for her big day?"

"Of course, Mrs. Hettinger!" Zie squeaked. She poked her head in next to my mom, a big grin on her face. "Are you ready, Ari?" she asked.

"I've been waiting for this day for such a long time," I answered. I giggled, seeing as I had just said that to my mom. "Whoa. Déja vu."

Zie chuckled. "Come on, get out of bed! We need to get you ready! In a few short hours, you're going to be Mrs. Billie Joe Armstrong," she said, stepping in to take my hand.

My mother looked me up and down as Zie led me out my bedroom door. "How about we start with a shower?" she asked.

"That's where I was headed, Mrs. Hettinger," Zie said, smiling and dragging me to my bathroom by my arm.



I stole my millionth glance at myself in the body mirror right in front of me. I took a deep breath and smiled, running my hands down my sides, smoothing out the fabric. I saw someone poke their head through the small door on the other side of the room, but I couldn't see who it was; it was a man, and his back was turned to me in closing the door behind him. I turned around to face the strange man, and a moment later, when he turned to face me, I gasped, clamping both hands to my mouth. "Dad?" I breathed.

"Hi, Arizona," my father greeted.

"What are you doing here?" I asked, shocked.

"Aran told me his stepdaughter was getting married."

"Aran? You know Aran?" I asked, confused again.

"We were roommates back in college. Yep, we've kept in contact since then, and when he told me he was seeing my ex-wife, well..." My father trailed off, a small smile on his face. "I had to know more."

"So how does that land you here?" I asked.

"Well, when Aran told me that he and NatalieAnn were getting married, I knew that he was gaining you as a stepdaughter. So when he told me back in September that his future stepdaughter was getting married to her boyfriend, I knew I had to be there," he explained, smiling.

I grinned, outstretching my arms. "Then what the hell are you doing standing over there?"

My dad laughed and walked up to me, wrapping me in the biggest embrace I had been in since I first started dating Billie. "You grew up into such a gorgeous young woman, Arizona," my dad murmured. I smiled, squeezing my dad. When we finally pulled apart, his eyes immediately landed on my very pregnant belly. "So who is this guy? He must be pretty special if you're getting married and having his child."

I smiled. "His name is Billie Joe. Billie Joe Armstrong," I answered.

"That's quite a mouthful," my dad remarked.

I laughed, a hand on my belly. "I said that exact thing to him when I first met him."

"How old is he?"

"Nineteen. His birthday was just on the seventeenth of February."

"Very good. So he's out of high school?" my dad asked. I nodded. "Does he have a job?"

I giggled. "Not really. He's the lead singer and guitarist for his band."

"His band?" my dad confirmed.

"Yep. He's in it with two of his best friends, which I also happen to be pretty good friends with as well."

My dad smiled. "Well, I'm sure to meet this guy today." I giggled.

Zie stuck her head in the door. "It's almost time! You look gorgeous, Ari."

"Thanks, Zie!" I squeaked. I saw my father smirk out of the corner of my eye.

"Miss, get up on that stage!" I heard an usher hiss. Zie murmured something and I saw her trot up the aisle through the crack in the door.

My father and I smiled at each other as he took my arm and the music started to play. "Ready, Arizona?" he whispered. I just nodded as my father and I took our first steps out of the back room of Billie's house and out into his backyard.

I focused on Billie the whole way up the aisle, the painfully slow walk only heightening my excitement. He grinned at me as he saw my father walk me up the aisle created by the chairs lined up in neat rows on either side of the small stage to which I was headed. I grinned straight back at Billie, handing off my bouquet to my best friend since freshman year of high school, Ammerii Ketnia. I smiled at her and she smiled back, taking my bouquet with her own. When I turned to face Billie, he took my hands in his and squeezed them, then pulling me in for a tight hug. "You look absolutely gorgeous, babe," he whispered.

"Thanks. You look pretty snazzy yourself." Billie just squeezed my right hand once before releasing it and turning to the priest standing in front of us.

I never realized how much standing is involved in wedding ceremonies. Holy crap, I never thought I would get off my feet. I don't think that being seven months pregnant helped that much, either. But I will never forget the moment that Billie slid that wedding band onto my finger, while repeating, piece by piece, what the the priest told him. I had the biggest grin on my face the entire time, looking up at Billie once he had finished reciting his piece.

Then it was my turn. I took Billie's wedding band and slid it on his finger, repeating the same words the priest told me that he had told to Billie. I loved the way each and every word rolled off my tongue and out into the open air for everyone sitting around to hear. How about this for a public display of affection, Billie? I thought. I giggled and Billie discreetly raised an eyebrow at me. I shook my head imperceptibly, letting him know now was not the time to tell him what I was giggling about. He just smiled and squeezed the hand he had taken after we had placed the wedding bands on each others' fingers.

I squeezed Billie's hand right back as the priest shifted the Bible he was holding in his hands. The ceremony nearing its end, I knew both Billie and I were anticipating the phrase that would seal me as Billie's wife and him as my husband for life. "I now pronounce you husband and wife." The priest turned to Billie, smiling, and I knew that he knew both Billie and I had been waiting for this moment the whole day. "You may kiss the bride." Billie grinned, turning to me, taking both my hands in his. I grinned right back at him and he moved in to kiss me, slowly but lightly.

"I love you," he whispered when we broke apart.

I smiled. "I love you, too," I whispered back. Ammerii handed me back my bouquet and applause erupted as Billie walked me back down the aisle and we walked into Billie's house, hand-in-hand. When Billie had closed the door behind him, he grinned and squeezed me tighter than he had ever squeezed me before. I squeaked and burst into a fit of uncontrollable giggles. "Billie!"

"Arizona, this is amazing!" Billie exclaimed. He took my face in his hands, looking straight into my bright blue eyes. I looked straight back into his yellow-green ones, his happiness and excitement making them brighter than I had ever seen them. "I have never been happier than I have been right now, and only you could make me feel this way. I love you so very much," he said, kissing me.

Billie started to break off, but I grabbed his slightly scruffy face and brought it back to mine, continuing to kiss him. I felt Billie chuckle underneath my hands, but break off almost immediately. "Billie...," I whined.

He chuckled. "Save it for tonight, alright?" he murmured, pressing his forehead to mine and running his fingers over the end of the closest curl. I smiled and kissed him again, once, lightly. "You can finally be one of my firsts."

"Really?" I asked. "I can be one of your firsts?" Billie nodded, smiling. "What first would this be?" I asked, eager.

He kissed my nose, leaning his nose against mine afterward. "My first time having sex with a pregnant woman."

I laughed, lightly running my fingers through the shaggy black hair that reached down just past the base of Billie's neck. "I know I'm not the first girl you've gotten pregnant, Billie Joe."

He pulled his face away from mine, giving me a reproachful look. "How do you know that?" he asked.

"I just know."

"So you're assuming."

"Call it what you will."

"Well, you shouldn't assume, babe."

"No?"

"No. You're the first girl I've gotten pregnant, too. So you really get two firsts," Billie said chuckling.

I laughed, pressing my forehead back to his again; Billie kissed me lightly on the lips.

Ollie then poked her head in the door. "We're letting the guests in now, you two," she said.

Billie and I just stood together, facing the door as the guests started trickling in. Congratulations were ample as people milled in and headed for the bottles of champagne and small food platters lined up along the counters. Tre, Zie, Mike, and Mary Jane then approached us, the couple hand-in-hand as they found their way through the growing crowds.

"Congratulations, you two!" Zie squeaked, releasing Tre's hand to give both Billie and I hugs.

"Thanks, Zie!" I squeaked back. "Oof...," I mumbled, placing a hand on my belly.

"You alright, babe?" Billie asked, concerned.

I looked up at him, smiled, and placed his hand on my belly. I watched the grin bloom on his face as he felt our baby daughter kicking. "Isn't that amazing, Billie?"

He nodded. "I still can't believe how lucky I am."

I grinned, leaning against his shoulder. "I'm the lucky one, Billie."

He took one of my hands and squeezed it tightly. "No, Izzie, I'm the luckiest man on the planet to be married to you," Billie insisted.

I grinned and planted a small kiss on his cheek. "Let's mingle. I'm dying to get off my feet anyway," I suggested. Billie just laughed, kissing the top of my head.