On and On

I checked my hair one last time and proudly smoothed down my size 6, red bridesmaids dress and smiling to myself, secretly happy that I was able to work my butt off and fit into the dress by the wedding.

I watched my reflection and smiled when Joe slipped behind me, his wondering hands sliding down my sides and over my stomach. I heard a low rumble in his throat as his hands slid lower. I unwillingly set my hands on top of his, stopping his movements.

“Easy tiger.” I smiled, turning in his arms.

“Sorry.” He smiled down at me, his hands still tracing up and down my sides, "You just look…” He gripped my sides, not finishing his sentence, instead leaning down and attaching his lips to my neck. I moaned softly while he worked on the skin under my ear and his hands reaching the skin of my thigh, before flittering upward.

“Damn, you just popped one out, Kay and you two are back at it already?”

Joe groaned and pulled himself away from me, turning to glare at Mack who was now adjusting her red dress that matched mine in the mirror.

“Oh, we’ve been back at it.” Joe scoffed, pulling me to him and slipping his arms around my waist.

“Okay. Unneeded, Joseph…No one needs to know about you two going at it.” Kevin stepped into the room shaking his head and stopping next to Mack, looking in the mirror, adjusting his red bow tie.

“Well, your wife asked and if the 4 kids aren’t proof enough at how—”

Kevin had just turned around to stop Joe’s explanation when I hit his chest, signaling for him to stop when I saw McKenna stroll into the room in her white flower girl dress.

Joe’s face lit up considerably when he saw her, a goofy grin adorning both of their faces.

“Hey baby girl.”

“Hi daddy.”

He bent down to her level and she twirled in front of him. “Like my dress?”

He nodded and picked her up, setting her on his hip, “I love it…You look so pretty.”

“Thanks.” She smiled, pecking his cheek.

“Are Milo and Braden with MawMaw and PawPaw?” I asked her, buckling the tiny buckle on her shoe that I knew she left unbuckled because she didn’t have the patience to buckle it herself.

“Mmhmm.” She hummed.

“Yes ma’am.” Joe corrected her.

She let out a soft sigh and smiled, “Yes ma’am.” She repeated.

“And Hudson is—”

“Wif Uncle Hutch.” She finished my sentence with a small aggravated sigh.

“Okay smarty pants.” I laughed, wiggling my fingers out her side while she clung to Joe, begging for him to help her through her fits of laughter.

He let her slide off his hip and she set off down the hall calling Nick’s name. Joe slipped his hand into mine and pulled me to him. “Be nice.” He whispered huskily into my ear.

I settled my arms around his neck, softly biting his earlobe, “What if I don’t want to?”

“Mm.” He moaned into my neck.

“Ok, seriously. We’re still here.” Kevin’s voice broke our moment and I rolled my eyes.

“Yeah, get off each other for Christ’s sake before I fucking vomit.” Mack huffed.

“Honey.” Kevin warned.

“Sorry.” She mumbled.

I snickered. Ever since Ryson’s new vocabulary contained the new colorful words of ‘damnit’ and ‘ass’, Kevin has been adamant about making her stop cursing before it got out of hand.

“Ok, Mack…I really don’t know what your problem has been—”

I stopped when I heard a shrill screeching voice coming down the hall. I let my head fall on to Joe’s shoulder.

“I’m not ready for her yet.”

"Too bad." He hummed.

Kam scurried into the room, “My hair—it looks like shit—she fucked up my make up—the ribbons on the flowers are wrong—Nick just tried to come and talk to me—I think I have gum on my shoe—and I want a Dr. Pepper.” She huffed sitting in a chair and looking up to me with helpless eyes, filling with tears, “Help me.”

I instantly felt sorry for her, knowing how stressed she was and quickly pecked Joe’s lips, shooing them from the room. Mack tried to slip out but I grabbed her forearm, “No. no. You’re staying with me.”

“Fucking hell, Kayden.” She gruffed.

“Ok, what’s your problem?” I asked, tightening my grip on her forearm to let her know I was serious.

She ripped out of my grasp and turned back into the room. “Let’s see what we can do with you.” She faked interest in Kam’s situation to avoid me and I furrowed my eyebrows, knowing something major was bothering her.

After recurling her long hair, touching up her make up, scraping a wad of Bubbliscious from her shoe that I knew for a fact was from Milo but would never tell her that to ensure the safety of my own child and finally convincing her that the ribbons holding the flowers together was actually Pearl and not Cream and that Dr. Pepper wasn't a good choice in a white dress, Kam was happy and now on a frantic search for her dad.

“Seven minutes!” The wedding planner warned.

I peeked through the doors and saw Nick in the back corner, talking to himself and methodically smoothing out his tie and the lapel of his jacket.

We were told to line up and I found McKenna skipping through the halls, standing her in front of Kam’s cousin who was the ring bearer and taking my spot behind Christine, Kam’s best friend and Frankie, whom Nick had given the honor of being best man.

“Three minutes!” The wedding planner yelled as she rushed through the foyer of the huge church downtown, still looking for Kam’s dad.

The side doors, leading to the halls busted open and Joe sauntered into the room, smoothly sliding next to me. I smiled over at him and sighed, shoving my small bouquet of white roses into his hand and smoothing my fingers through his bangs, trying to control the flyaways.

“Here he is!” I heard the wedding planner call, “I found him!” She rushed past us, pulling Kam’s father behind her and I watched her place him next to Kam and her gently scolding him before they emerged into a quiet conversation.

I smiled at Mack and Kevin behind me, but neither of them smiled back…Mack looked like she had been crying and Kevin’s jaw was set in a hard line and I wondered what I’d missed. I was about to ask when the wedding planner clapped quietly, getting everyone’s attention.

“30 seconds!”

I turned back to Joe and straightened his bow tie and fixed the collar of his jacket, smoothing my hands down the front and quickly pressing my lips to his, taking my bouquet from his hands and linking my arm through his, a huge smile adorning my face.

The huge oak doors opened and one of the wedding planner’s assistants motioned for McKenna to start walking. She had taken her flower girl duties extremely serious and had been practicing in the hall way every night making Joe and I watch, asking us if she was going too fast or too slow or is this good enough, mommy? It was adorable. And she did her job and she did it right. Dropping the right amount of petals along the way to last til the end of the aisle.

Joe held up his hand to high five me when she reached the end, “We raised a good one…You think people would pay for her to be in their wedding?” He whispered in my ear. I giggled and shoved his shoulder while a huge smile lifted on his face at his own joke.

Before I knew it, it was our turn to walk down the aisle. I plastered a smile on my face as we passed two of the five photographers and headed towards the videographer.

Did I mention Kam was a tad over prepared?

My eyes locked on Nick and he looked like he was shaking in his boots. I looked down at his feet, well very nice very stylish Marc Jacobs dress shoes.

‘Relax.’ I mouthed and he nodded his head, that signature Jonas smile returning to his face.

We got to the end of the aisle and I went to pull away from Joe, but he pulled my arm back and planted a soft kiss on my cheek, earning a few ‘Awh’s’ from the congregation, making my cheeks heat up in a blush and earning an eye roll from Nick.

Joe always had to be the center of attention.

As Kevin and Mack walked down the aisle I couldn’t help but feel the awkwardness surrounding them. They just looked off and anyone who knew anything could tell the smile on their faces were faker than a three-dollar bill.

My mind couldn’t dwell on it for long before I heard a loud whisper, “Mommy!”

I shut my eyes for a second. Please don’t be my kid. Please don’t be my kid. I repeated in my head.

I let my eyes scan the front pews and sure enough on the first row, Milo was struggling in Denise’s arms, waving at me. He perked up when I looked at him and he grinned, “Hi mommy!” He said louder.

Of course it was my kid.

I heard a few laughs and waved at him, smiling, before pressing a finger to my lips signaling for him to be quiet. I watched Braden sitting quietly between Denise and Paul and when he noticed me looking at him he smiled, showing me all of his teeth and allowing his eyes to squinch up. I spotted Hutch next to them, all of his attention directed to Hudson who was lying in his arms, his tiny hands grasping one of Aldo’s fingers who was leaned over Hutch’s shoulder to observe the baby.

I was satisfied that all my kids were well behaved and looked over at Joe who seemed to be doing the same thing before turning his head and winking at me. I watched Kevin step next to him and turned my attention to the front of the church where the doors opened again, the Bridal March started and the entire church stood.

I looked over at Nick as Kam made her appearance and I don’t think I’d ever seen his smile that big or him look that happy.

She made her way down the aisle and it went from there exactly like a movie. My thoughts were not in the ceremony at all. I found my mind wondering to my own wedding day that was a whole six years ago, wondering where the time had gone.

I looked over at Joe while they were reciting their vows to see that he was already looking at me.

‘Love you.’ I mouthed to him.

His smile grew, ‘Love you too.’ He mouthed back.

I noted that Kam was crying and I saw her wipe away a single tear that had slipped from the corner of Nick’s eye as they slipped their rings on the other’s finger.

“You may now kiss your bride.” Before all the words were out of the preacher’s mouth, Nick had pulled her to him, planting his lips on hers. The congregation erupted in claps and cheers and they were officially announced Mr. and Mrs. Nick Jonas, before making their way down the aisle.

Mack rejoined Kevin, I stepped in beside Joe, and Frankie and Christine following us as we trailed after Nick and Kam.

Finally.

--

The reception was set up at a club downtown that had been completely redecorated to Kam’s standards and had actually come out quite nicely.

They shared their first dance together. She cried. He played good husband and wiped her tears, whispering sweet things in her ear.

I was distracted from their sweet moments when my eyes caught onto Kevin and Mack in the corner. She was glaring at nothing in particular, avoiding his eyes with her arms crossed tightly over her chest. I furrowed my eyebrows, adjusted Hudson in my arms, and leaned against Joe, who was behind me, turning my head to whisper in his ear.

“What’s up with Kevin and Mack?” I asked nodding in their general direction.

He shrugged and pressed a kiss to the shell of my ear, before whispering, “Kevin said they’ve been fighting…but I don’t know what about.”

I felt my face furrow and turned back to check on McKenna, Milo, and Braden who were all seated at the table behind us, eating a plate of food from the buffet that was set up. They seemed content and I smiled when Denise shuffled over to me while Kam finished dancing with her dad.

“Here, we’re about to leave, they’re all staying with us, right?”

I nodded. “You don’t have to go now…it’s still early.”

She shrugged, and gestured to Mr. Paul behind her who was holding Ryson, “We’re ready…they’re our excuse to get out of here.” She whispered.

I nodded in understanding, kissing Hudson’s forehead before handing him over.

I gently pulled out of Joe’s grasp and knelt in between Milo and Braden’s chairs, “All right my sweet boys, time to go with MawMaw and PawPaw.” Milo jumped down from his chair and wrapped his arms around my neck, mumbling a ‘love you mommy’ before leaping onto Joe and hugging him also. Braden leaned down and kissed me on the cheek, smiling a goofy grin before I pulled him in my arms, “Love you, Bray.” He smiled and scooted off his chair, running over to Joe.

I sat in Milo’s abandoned chair and leaned over hugging McKenna. “Bye, Ken. Keep them under control.” She smiled like the proud big sister I knew she was and kissed my cheek. “Love you.”

“Love you too.” I smiled before she reached up for Joe, allowing him to pick her up and hug her goodbye.

After Denise and Paul made their exit, everything was already under way…people were no longer paying attention to Nick and Kam’s every move, instead they were at the bar and the buffet and seated around the many tables and on the dance floor.

Joe didn’t give me a second to think. He pulled my body to his and moved us through the sea of tables to the dance floor, just as a voice smoothed through the speaker’s that I recognized as Jack Johnson.

Joe pulled me to his chest, wrapping his arms around me and breathing a “Finally.” In my ear before swaying our bodies to the soft music.

I spotted Kam and Nick in the middle of the dance floor, too caught up in each other to even begin to worry about their surroundings.

I looked up at Joe and found myself feeling the same way. As long as he was here. With me. Beside me. There was nothing that I couldn’t do. Cheesy and cliché as it sounds, it’s true. He made me stronger. He taught me how to appreciate, how to love, he was always there, he fought for me, he fought for us. He was amazing.

I gently pulled his head back and looked up at those soft, warm brown eyes and smiled.

“What?” He whispered.

I pressed a slow kiss to his lips, shrugging my shoulders, “I just love you a whole lot.”

He smiled and pulled me back to him. “Good, because I love you a whole lot, too.”