Status: 3 Part Finale
Listen to Your Heart
Don't Listen To The Voices In Your Head
John put his hands over his face. He wasn’t ready for this at all. It wasn’t that he didn't love Hanna, because he did. He couldn’t see himself as a married man. Just as he stood up to leave the waiting room, Justin and Nick walked in.
“Oh, no. I know that look. Where do you think you’re going?” Justin said.
“I just need some air.” John was getting anxious.
Nick nodded as they followed him outside. Most of his groomsmen were already out there.
“Where the fuck is Halvo?” Garrett said to John as they walked outside.
“How the hell am I supposed to know? He’s not in the wedding party,” John replied, lighting a cigarette.
Jared pulled the cigarette from his mouth just as it was lit.
“Hey,” John glared at him, “cut that shit out right now.”
“Do you really want to smell like smoke when you get married? Think about that,” Jared said as he took a drag from his own.
“You’re an asshole, Monaco.”
Everyone cracked up laughing until Tim walked up to them. Then they were as well behaved as school children.
“Relax, ladies. I’m not going to lecture any of you today. Unless you ruin this day for Hanna. Then I’ll make sure you pay for it big time,” Tim said, giving them a menacing look. This made John laugh. “Especially you, O’Callaghan!”
They stood around, shooting the shit, until Robin showed up.
“What in the world are you all still doing out here? The ceremony starts in 20 minutes and where the fuck is Johanna?” Robin was on the warpath already.
“Halvo said he’d get her here in time. Don’t worry about it, Robin.” John was trying desperately to calm her down.
“Don’t worry about it?” she said viciously, “That’s kind of my job considering I’m the wedding planner. Get your half of the wedding party inside.”
“Rob…”
“Now!” she yelled, marching into the church. The group of men shuffled their feet and put out their cigarettes before making their way back inside. John was left outside with Nick and Justin.
“Where’s Andrew, anyway? I haven’t seen his face around yet,” John said as they started for the small white building.
“His girl had a baby a few days ago. He decided to stay in California to be with her. We’ve got it figured out though,” Justin replied.
“Oh,” John stopped. “That’s just great.”
“Are you okay?” Nick said, putting a hand on John’s shoulder.
He laughed, “Do I look okay?”
“You look like an absolute wreck.”
“No sugar coating it, huh Richards?” John chuckled.
Justin smiled, “You’ll be fine, it’s just nerves. This is kind of a big deal, man.”
“Don’t remind him,” Nick laughed.
“Don’t sweat it. Hey, your mom wants to talk to you before you go in there. She’s in the side room,” Justin told John before they each hugged him and went in to the church to find a place to sit.
John cautiously opened the door to the room he’d been getting ready in before. “Mom?” he called out.
“I’m in here, dear!” the small blonde woman said as she came into his line of view.
“You wanted to talk to me?” he swallowed hard.
Jenny laughed as she sat him down and started tying his tie.
“I can do it myself,” he groaned, knowing that any further protests would be pointless.
“Oh, son. Let your old mother do this one last time,” she said, continuing to help him.
He laughed, “because I’m getting married and I won’t be your little boy anymore or because this is probably the last occasion you will ever catch me in a tie?”
“Both,” she smirked, finishing the last part of the knot. “There, I’m finished. Was that so painful?”
He brushed off the question as he stood up, fixing his tie so that it was comfortable. “So how do I look, ma?”
“My little boy,” Jenny said, tears welling up in her bright eyes, “You’re all grown up.” John hugged his mother, gave her a kiss on the top of her head, and sent her out to the chapel. He took one last long look in the mirror before walking out on his own.
All the boys were in place. Garrett, Pat, Kenny, Jared and then Tim, his best man. He took a deep breath and walked up to the front. They were all giving him cheesy grins and two thumbs up. He laughed in spite of himself, but his friends were the best. Looking out at the half-full pews he spotted Nick and Justin, who were sitting with his brothers. All four of them were doing the same thing as his groomsmen.
Robin came in the room and everyone stopped, straightening up instantly. She checked to make sure everyone was in place before running back out into the hall. A van door slammed outside and John laughed. Everyone had been seated and the pianist started to play. One by one, Hanna’s bridesmaids walked past all the pews to the front of the church. Kristi, then Robin, two of Hanna’s college friends that John wasn’t sure he’d ever even met and then May.
Everyone in the room took one collective deep breath as the pianist changed the tune to a traditional wedding march. John’s first instinct was to look down.
Tim nudged him as Hanna stepped into the room on Eric’s arm. John looked up at the most beautiful sight his eyes and ever seen, the woman who was about to become his wife.
“Oh, no. I know that look. Where do you think you’re going?” Justin said.
“I just need some air.” John was getting anxious.
Nick nodded as they followed him outside. Most of his groomsmen were already out there.
“Where the fuck is Halvo?” Garrett said to John as they walked outside.
“How the hell am I supposed to know? He’s not in the wedding party,” John replied, lighting a cigarette.
Jared pulled the cigarette from his mouth just as it was lit.
“Hey,” John glared at him, “cut that shit out right now.”
“Do you really want to smell like smoke when you get married? Think about that,” Jared said as he took a drag from his own.
“You’re an asshole, Monaco.”
Everyone cracked up laughing until Tim walked up to them. Then they were as well behaved as school children.
“Relax, ladies. I’m not going to lecture any of you today. Unless you ruin this day for Hanna. Then I’ll make sure you pay for it big time,” Tim said, giving them a menacing look. This made John laugh. “Especially you, O’Callaghan!”
They stood around, shooting the shit, until Robin showed up.
“What in the world are you all still doing out here? The ceremony starts in 20 minutes and where the fuck is Johanna?” Robin was on the warpath already.
“Halvo said he’d get her here in time. Don’t worry about it, Robin.” John was trying desperately to calm her down.
“Don’t worry about it?” she said viciously, “That’s kind of my job considering I’m the wedding planner. Get your half of the wedding party inside.”
“Rob…”
“Now!” she yelled, marching into the church. The group of men shuffled their feet and put out their cigarettes before making their way back inside. John was left outside with Nick and Justin.
“Where’s Andrew, anyway? I haven’t seen his face around yet,” John said as they started for the small white building.
“His girl had a baby a few days ago. He decided to stay in California to be with her. We’ve got it figured out though,” Justin replied.
“Oh,” John stopped. “That’s just great.”
“Are you okay?” Nick said, putting a hand on John’s shoulder.
He laughed, “Do I look okay?”
“You look like an absolute wreck.”
“No sugar coating it, huh Richards?” John chuckled.
Justin smiled, “You’ll be fine, it’s just nerves. This is kind of a big deal, man.”
“Don’t remind him,” Nick laughed.
“Don’t sweat it. Hey, your mom wants to talk to you before you go in there. She’s in the side room,” Justin told John before they each hugged him and went in to the church to find a place to sit.
John cautiously opened the door to the room he’d been getting ready in before. “Mom?” he called out.
“I’m in here, dear!” the small blonde woman said as she came into his line of view.
“You wanted to talk to me?” he swallowed hard.
Jenny laughed as she sat him down and started tying his tie.
“I can do it myself,” he groaned, knowing that any further protests would be pointless.
“Oh, son. Let your old mother do this one last time,” she said, continuing to help him.
He laughed, “because I’m getting married and I won’t be your little boy anymore or because this is probably the last occasion you will ever catch me in a tie?”
“Both,” she smirked, finishing the last part of the knot. “There, I’m finished. Was that so painful?”
He brushed off the question as he stood up, fixing his tie so that it was comfortable. “So how do I look, ma?”
“My little boy,” Jenny said, tears welling up in her bright eyes, “You’re all grown up.” John hugged his mother, gave her a kiss on the top of her head, and sent her out to the chapel. He took one last long look in the mirror before walking out on his own.
All the boys were in place. Garrett, Pat, Kenny, Jared and then Tim, his best man. He took a deep breath and walked up to the front. They were all giving him cheesy grins and two thumbs up. He laughed in spite of himself, but his friends were the best. Looking out at the half-full pews he spotted Nick and Justin, who were sitting with his brothers. All four of them were doing the same thing as his groomsmen.
Robin came in the room and everyone stopped, straightening up instantly. She checked to make sure everyone was in place before running back out into the hall. A van door slammed outside and John laughed. Everyone had been seated and the pianist started to play. One by one, Hanna’s bridesmaids walked past all the pews to the front of the church. Kristi, then Robin, two of Hanna’s college friends that John wasn’t sure he’d ever even met and then May.
Everyone in the room took one collective deep breath as the pianist changed the tune to a traditional wedding march. John’s first instinct was to look down.
Tim nudged him as Hanna stepped into the room on Eric’s arm. John looked up at the most beautiful sight his eyes and ever seen, the woman who was about to become his wife.