Footsteps for a Bride-to-Be

April 30th, 2011

I spoke to Michael about our big walk down the aisle, and he said that he wasn't so fussy about the whole Wedding Day, he just wanted to make sure that I was happy and that the day was perfect enough for me. I was touched, but I needed his take in it too. I reminded him that other than baby making, weddings also takes two. Apparently, he knew the woman for a long time, since she also planned Whitney's wedding and she had been one of his Mom's close friends. He claimed I already met her at some of the weddings we've attended over the years, but I couldn't remember and I spent most of the time - while he was away - rummaging through our photos to try and recall any memories of the meeting.
Michael flew back from Los Angeles for his interviews and appearances and stuff early in the morning and we planned to meet with the Wedding Planner in the evening, over dinner at Woodberry Kitchen in Downtown Baltimore, which he then suggested that we would go out afterwards and spend some time together for the rest night since we hadn't had a proper date night since I gave birth.

1:30pm - Debbie Phelps's Home

"Mom, you're the best!" Michael smiled as he gave his Mom a big hug. She happily agreed to watch over Baby Phelps, who was staying over for the rest of the night. Though Michael needed a lot of persuading just to get me to agree on allowing our six weeks old baby to stay one night at his Mom's place, I managed to be okay with it because he explained that we needed time for ourselves and that one night was only one night - it wasn't an eternity. But it was the first night I would be apart from Baby Phelps since he was born, so I was a bit worried about the whole situation.
"Thank you so much, Debbie," I added as I too gave her a hug.
"It's not a problem at all! I'm happy that I get to have some Grandma-and-me time with Mitchie," She brightly grinned as she bent down a bit to take a closer look at the sleeping baby in the car seat. She also called the baby by the nickname our closest friends and family picked up from Lia, and Michael wasn't one to appreciate it because it sounded a little to girly for his taste.
"It's Mitch." I told you, Michael preferred a manlier nickname for his son.
Debbie only laughed as she gave her son a pat on the back and said, "When you were younger, son, your sisters called you, Mikey, so you and your son have something in common."
I let out a giggle that I quickly covered up once I noticed him turn my way. I shook my head to surrender as soon as he gave me that look, because I knew that I would suffer for it later on. I turned my gaze back to Baby Phelps, who shuffled a bit in his car seat before snoozing again. "I hope he won't be a bother for you," I sighed. Fortunately, as the baby books described, he was at a stage where naps were around that hour and nights were actual sleep. In other words, when Baby Phelps went to bed at night, wouldn't wake up until seven in the morning, unlike the first month when he woke up in the most random times.
"I swear, Anne, I'm a hundred per cent sure that it's fine," She insisted. "It'll be like watching Michael all over again, but a bit more behaved," She joked as she ushered us to the door. "Besides, you need time to be a young couple, so go on!" And just like that, Debbie Phelps managed to kick us out of her own home.
Michael and I let out a laugh at the sudden turn of events, but we really were pleased that we were alone again. I missed one-on-one times with him. We decided that we would head home first to get a bit... Intimate. And since we had a heck of a lot of time left before we were set to meet the Wedding Planner, the first thing we wanted to do was get frisky.

2:04pm - Our Love Nest

Once the door opened, our lips were smacked onto each other's, our fingers fiddled with the buttons of our clothing and tried to shred it off without parting too long from each other. We managed to reach the bedroom in nothing but our undergarments in a matter of seconds, and we made sure to shut it as Herman had lurked around the house. I stopped him before he could get me on the bed and took a step away from him. We stared each other down like hungry wolves, who wanted each other so bad.
I bit on my lower lips as a devious grin curved at the corner of my lips and I eyed him up and down, and he did the exact same thing as I did. We were ready to pounce at any moment.

"You're beautiful, Anne," Michael complimented as he took a step forward, but I took a step back and shook my head and waved my finger in front of me.
"Not yet," I teased as I had to take another step back when he took another step forward.
"Why are you doing this to me?" He groaned. He seemed to have gotten closer and closer without me realizing it too late, and by the time I had no more space to move back, I was pinned against the wall. His fingers trailed down my arm and intertwined with mine, he gripped on my hands tightly as he lifted them up and pinned them against the wall just beside my head. A moan escaped from me at the sound of the 'thud' that came from it, and my eyes pierced into his brown orbs. A smirk on his lips before he pressed them against mine, which added rough and feisty shiver down my body and I had yearned for him. My knees were a bit shaky from the heat he lit up between us, and there was more lust that oozed out each time our tongues met. I tried to fight against his strength, but I was pinned well between him and the wall.
"Michael," I gasped as his lips trailed down the side of my neck and to the curve to my shoulders, where he nipped at the straps of my bra at each side and flung them off using on his teeth. "I want you," I cooed.
"Not yet," He decided to get back at me as he lifted me from the floor and made my legs wrap around him, all the while, my hands were still in his hold. I felt my hands being held by only one of his while his other one reached behind me to unhook my bra.
I couldn't help but giggle at his failed attempts and even leaned forward against him to let him have a bit more space to fiddle around. "I can do it for you, you know," I whispered in his ear, but he only shook his head and lightly bit on my neck and leaned forward to see what he was doing. It took a while, but he finally had success and lightly pushed me so that my back was against the wall. My hands were still trapped in his hold just beneath my butt.
"Gah," Michael grunted. He didn't hesitate to pull my bra off and threw it to the side. I continued to wriggle so I would be free from his hold, but he decided to move towards the bed and lay me on my back. I took the chance to cover my exposed chest with one hand and used the other to help push myself to the top of the bed, where I propped against the headboard. Both of us were grinning, we were playing around and it was only in a moment of time until we stopped and went straight to business.
"You're a bit too rough tonight, Mr Phelps," I bluntly told him as he crawled from the edge of the bed towards me. He placed both hands flat on the headboard at either side of my head, he then leaned his forehead against mine as his body was well situated between my legs. "And it's been a while since we were last in this position, Mr Phelps." I nipped at his lip as I said that.
"I've waited patiently to finally get you alone, Ms Miller," He replied. "And now that we have the whole house to ourselves. There will be no interruptions, and that means I can do whatever I like to you."
"Aren't you a little bit too naughty today, Mr Phelps?" I questioned as I placed both hands on the sides of his face and kissed him. His lower region pushed against me, letting me moan in our kiss. He wrapped his arms around me while he lay on his and tugged me along the way. But we didn't part from our kiss.
We were making out like how we did back in Ann Arbor.
Though, just take away the fact we were half-naked.

6:20pm - Woodberry Kitchen

The Wedding Planner cancelled and rescheduled for another time as she had another appointment that clashed. That meant that Michael and I had the rest of the night together, and because we already booked the table at Woodberry Kitchen, her cancellation didn't stop us from going there anyway. That night, I wore a black knee length skirt with a striped singlet and a white blazer on top, and Michael kept it casual with his usual jeans and shirt combo. The two of us entered the restaurant and were immediately recognized, and before we were seated, were asked to pose with some people while we waited at the bar. I was surprised that they asked me to join in, since I wasn't anyone famous.

Once we were seated and ordered, Michael reached out for my hand and stared me right in the eyes, a big smile on his face and he said, "I'm glad we have some time alone. I needed you all to myself."
"You're really greedy," I smiled and lifted his hand to give it a peck.
"I guess I'll have to fight for your attention."
"You already have me all to yourself, and once we're officially hitched, I'll definitely be yours."
His thumb caressed the top of the engagement ring that stuck around my finger perfectly, and then trailed his fingers to the bracelet around my wrist that already had four charms that dangled around it, which symbolized the important dates. "I forgot to give you another one," He mumbled under his breath as he released his hold on my wrist and reached into his pocket. I lift my arm up and played around with the four birthstone charms before he took my hand again. He opened my hand, and in the middle of my palm, placed a small charm. I had to lift it closer to my face to get a good look. It was a tinier replica of the engagement ring that would fit around the bracelet.
"Did you get this made or something?" I asked in surprise while I gawked at every tiny detail.
"Yeah, because it's a milestone for us," He explained as he helped me unhook the bracelet from my wrist and slid it in with ease. He rewrapped the bracelet back around my wrist and added, "Every milestone we cross, I'll get a charm made. So that when we're old and wrinkled, sitting somewhere in our rocking chairs, we'll look at the bracelet and reminisce at all the milestones we crossed."
"You don't know how much I want to jump you right now," I whispered and bit on my lower lip.
"Do you know what I'm looking forward to the most?"
"What?" I cocked an eyebrow up as I leaned back and lifted the glass of champagne. I tapped the rim of the glass against my lower lip, which left a lipstick stain that darkened each time it made contact with my lip.
Michael eyed me closely, and mainly focused on my lip when he spoke. "The honeymoon," He chuckled.
I nearly choked on the champagne and placed the glass down.
"I'm kidding," He said in between his laugh. He knew how I'd react, and he loved it. "I'm looking forward to seeing you at the end of the aisle, and walking to me and telling me that you do want to spend the rest of your life with me." He changed his answer pretty fast.
"Wow, Mr Phelps is already imagining the day we walk down the aisle, but we don't even have a date yet, or any other things sorted..." I suddenly started to grumble under my breath as I tapped the napkin on the corner of my lips where the liquid escaped from before I looked up at him, who only focused on me throughout the whole time. "Is there something else on my face?" I questioned.
He shook his head and lifted his hand to cup my chin, his gaze just burned right into me and it made my lips tingle and my body shiver, but the one thing that I knew it would do was turn me into a tomato. It happened right then and there. I had a reddish tint on my cheeks as I broke out eye contact and pulled my face from his grasp. I placed my hands lightly on the side of my face and lowered my head.
"There's my Sweet Cheeks," I heard him coo as the waiter arrived with our food. "This reminds me of the time when we went on our actual date, and you kept blushing that you couldn't even look at me. And now, it's been five years and you still go shy on me," He continued on. "You're lovable like that."
"Ah, I think it'll get worse once we're actually married," I thought out loud.
"I don't mind it," He revealed. "Honestly, I find it better because then it reminds me of our firsts few dates that were awkward... And random, because I didn't have a clue how to make you interested in me while trying to figure out how to make you see that I wanted to be more than just a date."
"And here you are," I playfully ended as I picked up my fork and stabbed it through the salad and propped whatever was captured into my mouth.
"If I didn't get to you, those other guys would." Michael shivered as he began to eat away at his food. I tried not to react to his jealous comment. It was cute. Although I was surprised that he kept a grudge.
"What about Lochte, he's quite a lovable guy too. And the way he treats me, do you think that I'd stand a chance and he'd ever want me?" I teasingly quizzed him halfway through our meal. The Olympian stopped eating, like completely, and lowered his utensils closer to the plate. I resisted on laughing, but the way he shook his head and said, "no", so many times made the laughter seep out of me.
Oh Michael.

8:40pm - Inner Harbour

Straight after dinner, Michael and I decided that we'd go for a stroll around the Inner Harbour. We were like any other couple who were there that night, strolling, holding hands and being together. He held a tight grip on my hand as he proudly swung it between us, his head held up high as well as his goofy smile plastered on his face. He looked so happy. It got me curious on what he thought about. We weren't talking throughout the time, only our footsteps could be heard and the sound of the water ran through our ears, although, we often heard other couples talking and we would glance at each other as though we knew what they talked about. We've been through what they did.

I gently tugged my hand away from his grasp and wrapped my arm around his, and my head leaned against his arm. "What's our dream wedding going to be like?" I questioned him out of curiosity.
"You, me, at the front of the altar, holding hands and saying 'I do'," Michael calmly answered.
"That's so vague..." I complained.
"Well, what would you want me to say? Um, garden wedding, friends and family on either side, Baby Mitch being carried down the aisle by Derek, Herman brings the rings, you walk down with your Dad," He began to list some reasonably good ideas with his free hand waved around to create the scene. "Like that?"
"Exactly like that, but that's still vague, and I don't have a single clue on how to plan Weddings..."
"That's why we hire a Wedding Planner. She'll sort everything out while all we do is picking out stuff."
"You make is sound easy, but I don't think it is," I sighed. "Like, what if we have the Wedding somewhere else instead of Baltimore? Do we have to pay for their flights too? Oh God, the price on everything, we have to deal with spending... Ah-"
"-I'm willing to spend as much as I have to so that you can have your perfect wedding, since it's only going to be once," Michael disrupted my chain of thoughts that I unknowingly blurted out of my head. I looked towards him, rather bewildered by his comment. However, when it finally clicked into my head, I rejected his offer and said, "We have to share the payment. Be traditional. Pretend you're not rich."
"If we do that, you're going to hold back and you would envy the other weddings. I don't want that."
I gave his chest a pat and shook my head. "No, really, we can even do it your way."
"Knowing you, Anne, I don't think my idea is enough for you."
"What does that mean?"
"You may not say it, but you love big and elaborate things. And you don't say it because you try not to use money because you're afraid of what other people's opinions have on you," He pointed out. He made it sound so polite, but if Lia had said it, it would've been a big list of cussing. She had a Sailor's mouth. My husband-to-be did have a Sailor's mouth too, and so did I, but since Baby Phelps started growing and hearing things while in my womb, we decided to use it in moderation because we didn't want him to hear.
"I sound like I'll turn into a Bridezilla," I groaned and rubbed my forehead. "I don't know what to do!"
He only chuckled. "I don't really mind what we do, Anne, as long as what I said happens, then it's perfect enough for me," He replied. I found that sweet, but at the same time, confusing, as I was left with thinking of the details. I was a fussy person, I had to get things done a certain way, so if he left me with the duties of planning the details of our wedding... I was worried that he may not like it.
"Good answer." I tiptoed to peck his cheek. "But that's not the details."
"Anne, I just want to marry you." We stopped walking as he placed both hands on my shoulder. "And if you want a fancy wedding, go for it. I'm not fussy."
I slightly furrowed my brows. "Are you calling me fussy?" I asked with a hint of annoyance.
"And that's why I love you." The smile that made his eyes squint, his nose wrinkle and his teeth flashed appeared. The same one he showed when I decided to date him, when we first kissed, announced I was pregnant, and agreed to marry him. Well, in general, whenever he found something cute about me.
"That goofy smile of yours just makes me weak, Mr Phelps," I commented before he gave me a kiss.

No matter how many times I've said it before, Michael Phelps was really a simple man.