Irish Lullaby

"Its color-dyed chicken, lemon flavored," Vanessa smiled widely as she cut into her piece and took a bite, at first she grimaced but smiled a reassuring smile and chewed it slowly, it didn't fool me.

"Where did you find green color-dyed lemon flavored chicken, Vanessa?" I asked with a sneer, while holding Sanders' hand, trying not to scream we're all going to die now, thanks Vanessa! and make her feel bad.

"I looked up all the catering services in town and some out of town and none could meet the arrangements so I called this place called Foreign Figures and well, they make regular food but make it look different for children's birthday parties, holiday gatherings and for the circus when its in town," she smiled widely, hiding her fear that I'd snap her head off.

"Circus food?" I questioned lowly, my smile now a frown as I looked down at my white square plate that held the green chicken, brown something that resembled mash potatoes and red asparagus. "Oh crap."

"Are you okay?" Sanders questioned lowly as he tugged at the hand he was holding, I looked up and grinned. "Are you sure?"

"I'm fine, thank you Vanessa," I smiled towards her as Sanders rubbed his thumb over the top of my hand comfortingly. "It's very—unique that's for sure."

"You don't like it?" she questioned, frowning slightly as her eyebrows furrowed causing her forehead to crease intensely.

"No, I like it, you know me," I smiled as I rolled my eyes playfully. "Always the unique one of the bunch."

"Uh huh," she said slowly as she held up her fork and pointed behind me, "You're mother is slowly stalking her prey."

"Would I happen to be that prey?" I questioned with a worried sneer, Vanessa blanked her face and nodded her head as if saying mentally Uh duh. "Great."

"Honey," my mother made it over and placed both of her hands on each side of my shoulders, giving them a soft squeeze. "Congratulations on the wedding."

Who are you and what have you done to my mother?

"Thanks mom," I smiled as I looked up at her hesitantly. "You seem, really happy."

"My baby just got married, of course I'm happy, why wouldn't I be?" she questioned as she kneeled as much as she could in her white dress beside my chair.

"Well, just the fact that I got married in a week, and that I wouldn't let you help me, and because you usually seem so calm and, well not this happy," I explained as kindly as I could without it seeming that I thought she was the long lost sister to the wicked witches of the east and west.

"Oh that's all in the past now," she smiled reassuringly as she grabbed my hand and patted it with her other. "I'm just happy that you're happy, finally you have what I always wanted for my children."

"That is?" I questioned softly as I leaned in to hear her, if she whispered it of course.

"Love," she kissed my cheek and stood up, brushing the wrinkles out of her dress with a smile, she walked off towards an older gray haired man near the buffet table, I glanced at Sanders and raised my eyebrows.

"I think your mom got lucky or she really likes that guy," he said dryly as he glanced to my mother then back to me, but I kept my gaze fixated on his beautiful face with a smile of my own never fading on my face. "What? Do I have the green chicken in my teeth? You know that doesn't even sound right."

"Nope," I giggled as I pulled him closer, he smiled as he realized what I was doing, that was pulling him into the second kiss of us being newlyweds. "I love you Sanders, thank you for everything, you were right I did want this."

"I like the sound of that," he hummed with a grin as he rubbed his nose against mine barely.

"I love you," I repeated with a giggle.

"No I meant what you said after that, that I was right," he grinned as I reached back and smacked the back of his head, I rolled my eyes as I leaned back and crossed my arms at him. "Aw, I'm sorry; I meant I love you too."

"You better," I grumbled as I leaned into his arm, staring out at our guest. "Or else I'd feel heartbroken, because apparently I fell fast—"

"You can stop babbling, I'm not leaving you," Sanders chuckled. "Anytime soon."

"Stalker," I joked as he shrugged his shoulders and looked off towards the dance floor.

"You call it stalking, I call it admiringly obsessively, nothings wrong with being obsessed, to a point," he explained as he pointed towards the large area where a few couples were slow dancing. "First dance?"

"I should probably throw this out there, I can't dance, I've never danced in my life and I doubt that I won't kill you're feet if I tried, so I'd like to sit here and pretend I'm eating until I have to throw the bouquet if that's okay with you," I nodded as I picked up my fork and stuck a red asparagus, then held it up in front of my face. "How am I supposed to eat something that looks diseased?"

Sanders sighed as he leaned over and pulled the fork from my grasp, then grabbed my hand with his other as he stood, sliding the chair he sat in back and cleared his throat, "Mrs. Huckabee, I believe its time for our first dance together."

"You are so dead," I whimpered under my breath as our family and friends awed and clapped and even some, such as Sanders brothers, wolf whistled. "I can't dance; I'll make a fool of myself."

"Will you trust me?" he whispered as he led me out to the hardwood floored, dance area which was covered in white ribbons, balloons and whatever the white glittery paper was, confetti that was it.

"Sanders, trust me, I'm not a dancer. I literally sent Cyrus to the hospital when I was twelve, he tried to teach me how to dance, needless to say I quit after that. So why should I put you through the torture, I mean we just got married, we're supposed to wait at least two weeks," I complained as he put his right hand in my left and his left around my waist, I moved mine awkwardly, after bobbing around like a moron, to his upper back with a sigh. "Seriously Sanders, don't make me dance, it's honestly for your own health."

"You're rambling isn't helping, I'm getting a shock collar," he grumbled as he looked over at the band, my cousin Alex who was wearing the rocker's version of a tuxedo, with the whole different colored layers thing going on. "Now, pay attention."

"This is going to end in someone getting hurt, I swear I warned you—" I nearly screamed as he pulled me up slightly, closer to his body. My feet where on the top of his shiny black shoes, moving me with him. "Hey, this is a lot better than what I expected."

"See, I'm not suicidal," he smirked then frowned as I gave him a quick look. "Not anymore, I have something to look forward too."

"And what is that, Mr. Huckabee?" I questioned as I tilted my head slightly, staring at him with a grin forming over my painted lips.

"Well, a lot of things," he said softly as he looked down into my eyes, his bright green eyes shining brighter than ever before, almost vivid in shade, "A marriage to one of the most beautiful, smart, interestingly amazing women in the world," he grinned as I blushed bright crimson red. "A future that involves little ones, a house, a life. Basically my life with you, you are my everything, ever since I first seen you, you have been that."

"You really put to much trust in me," I chuckled as I leaned up and kissed his lips softly, letting them linger together for a few seconds before pulling away.

"Chuck Norris," Sanders said randomly, blurting it out loudly as he looked up at the sky in amazement, as if he had just figured out what women were all about.

"Uh," I said softly as I eyed him closely, "Are you feeling alright, I may know a lot of people but Chuck Norris isn't one of them, I assure you."

"No," he laughed as he shook his head, trying to dismiss my comment. "You're father was asking me who played in that show, Walker Texas Ranger."

"And he didn't know that?" I asked dumbfounded, "The man has a shrine to him and he didn't know, you know what never mind," I waved my hand around as I pulled it off his back. "Let's just dance."

"Now you want to dance," he teased as he laid his head on my shoulder, kissing my neck gently. "Why's that?"