Chapter 35

Bethany

"You okay?" Damon asked her for the tenth time as they walked into one of the Sunday school rooms.

Bethany laughed. "Yes, baby. Are you okay? You keep asking."

He was a little wide-eyed. "I think so. You were just shaking in there. I was worried."

"I was nervous." She slid her arms around his waist and pulled him in tight. "Your vows were beautiful."

"Shit..." He scoffed. "I should have known better than to give my beautiful wife a challenge. You blew me out of the water. I worked on mine for a fucking week, and you had twenty minutes and took me down fast."

She lifted to her toes, and he moved down, pressing his lips to her as his strong hands gripped her lower back. She relaxed against him, enjoying the feeling of him holding her up.

"I feel so damn sentimental." She moved back and wiped at her eyes. "It's driving me crazy."

"It's just gratitude." Kent walked in behind them. "When you get something in life that makes your life better, you're overwhelmed with gratitude." He shrugged. "It's a beautiful place to be, but it's emotionally exhausting. Hang in there, kiddo. You'll feel better tomorrow."

"I kinda like the feeling, but I keep wanting to cry. That's annoying." Bethany moved into a side hug with her father? Father-in-law? It was too confusing to figure out, and it didn't matter. Kent was family, a father figure in some way or another.

"It's a good thing." Bethany's mom walked up and wrapped her arms around Bethany and Kent, smiling up at them.

Matt bounced through the door, his voice loud, his smile huge. "Yeah! I'm so excited for you two. Congratulations. The ceremony was beyond beautiful."

Erica joined them. "I couldn't agree more. It was simple and small in the way of the wedding party, but so many people came to help celebrate."

"Yeah. Who were all those people?" Bethany moved out of the group hug and took her place beside Damon. "Did you invite all of them?" She glanced up at her husband.

"Me? No. I know twenty people, tops." Damon chuckled. "Most likely your mom and my dad."

Bethany glanced over toward her mom and lifted an eyebrow. "Is it true?"

"Maybe." She shrugged and turned toward Kent. "Let's go get a few pictures on the stage before the kids come in there for their pictures."

"Race you there." Kent released her and jogged to the door as Bethany's mom took off after him.

"I hope I can still run like that when I'm older." Kendal walked into the room, barely missing getting run over. Dana moved up beside him and smiled, but remained silent. The poor thing still wasn't comfortable around everyone yet.

"They're not that old," Bethany pointed out. "All right... so pictures and then over to the reception hall at the hotel on the corner? We have it until midnight."

"Free liquor on Damon's tab?" Matt wagged his eyebrows.

"Yep. It's all set up for your pleasure, buddy boy." Damon released Bethany and moved over to rest his hand on Matt's shoulder. "And then Beth and I fly out in the morning at ten for Jamaica. Can you take us to the airport?"

"Sure can." Matt glanced over at Erica and offered her a hand. "We're staying with Mom and Dad tonight, but I'll come by your place in the morning?"

"Sounds good." Damon glanced over at Beth. "Ready for pictures, baby?"

"Yeah, but why are we making plans like we're not all going to see each other at the reception? We have the next four hours dancing and eating together. Weirdos." She smirked.

"Have you ever been to a big reception?" Erica asked, her smile welcoming. "We won't get another word in after the pictures. If you and Damon aren't dancing, then you'll be hugging necks, eating cake and kissing random babies. It gets crazy, and if I heard right, you have about six hundred people at yours."

"Damn!" Bethany yelled with a smile on her face.

"Six hundred?" Damon released Matt and put his hands on his hips. "I don't even think Dad knows that many people."

"You'd be surprised. They start coming out of the woodworks for weddings." Kendal patted Damon on the chest and walked out. "We'll meet you guys over there after pictures. Dana and I will get you a plate just in case seeing that you’re going to be bombarded when you first get in the door. It's hard to find time to eat from what I heard."

"I pay for the food and don't get any?" Damon shook his head. "This is the worst business deal ever."

"It's not a deal at all, and it has nothing to do with business. Get ready to mingle, Mr. Unsocial." Erica walked toward the door, directing her teasing toward Damon. "Matt, come on, handsome. I want a few pictures with just you and me too."

Bethany let out a soft sigh as everyone left the room but Damon. "That was beautiful. Thank you for a perfect wedding."

"Thank you, Mrs. Bryant." He moved toward her, reaching out and running his hands down her back to squeeze the top of her rear. "I know we have to mingle and choke babies and shit-"

"Kiss babies." Bethany laughed.

"That too, but when we get back to my place... I'm gonna need to see what's under this big fluffy white dress."

"You've seen it a million times already." She smiled up at him and pressed herself against his strong chest.

"That doesn't mean I don't want to see it again." He brushed his nose by hers. "How much would I have to offer you not to have to take too many pictures?"

"Nothing. You're stuck." She lifted up and kissed him. "I talked to my mom about my dad being at the graduation the other day."

"And?" Damon's eyebrow lifted.

"And she thinks I should forgive him. Kinda like you did with your mother." She glanced down, not quite sure she felt the need to bring up the situation with her dad again. It was their day and had nothing to do with him.

"I think that's a great idea. It frees you to heal." He pressed his fingers softly under her chin. "But, that's something only you can decide for yourself, baby. I'm here to support you, but it's going to be up to you how you deal with your father and your past."

"I know. Give me a minute, and I'll be in there for pictures." She leaned in as he moved down to kiss her a few more times.

"Anything you want. It's yours."

She watched him go and waited until he left to move toward the large stained-glass windows in the small Sunday school room.

"I don't want to forgive you, but some part of me knows I already have." She reached up and brushed her fingers by her lips. "Forgiving you doesn't mean I have to let you back into my life, it just means that I don't have to hurt because of you anymore."

"Baby?" Bethany's mom's voice caused her to turn. "You talking to God?"

Bethany chuckled. "No, Mom. I think he's probably busy with people that have real problems."

"Baby, the only people that don't have problems are in cemeteries." Her mother smiled. "You want me to leave you alone?"

"No. I'm good. I just needed a minute to forgive Daddy." She shrugged and walked toward her mom, not at all surprised by the expression on her mom's pretty face.

"Oh. Wow. You want his number or address?"

"Maybe his address when I get back from our honeymoon. I don't want to see him or talk to him, but maybe I can write a letter and get everything out. I'm not sure he'd want to get an ass-chewing from me, but who knows." She snuggled against her mom as they walked down the hallway toward the sound of laughter.

"I think you'd be surprised. A tense relationship, at times, is better than no relationship at all. At least with the open line of communication, there's some hope still alive."

"Hope for what?" They stopped outside the large sanctuary doors.

"Hope for reconciliation, Bethany." Her mom touched the side of her face. "You're always living in the future, sweetheart. Deal with your dad when you get back from Jamaica, but right now, stop thinking about anything but the here and now. This moment right here is precious, and you're never going to get it back. Cling to it."

Bethany nodded. "You're right. You're always right."

"Yeah, can you tell Kent that?" Bethany's mom laughed as they walked into the sanctuary.

Kent, Damon, Matt and Kendal were up front trying to look like gangsters for the next pictures. Bethany ran her fingers down her face and snort-laughed.

"You have got to be kidding me," she called out.

"What?" Matt responded. "We're tough. We could be in a gang."

"Yeah, maybe the chain-gang." Erica laughed as she walked toward Bethany. "You need anything?"

"Nothing other than a fun night with my friends and family before I head off to a week of sun, fun and fruity drinks."

"Make us some grandbabies while you're there." Bethany's mom wagged her eyebrows and walked toward the stage.

"Ugh. Really? Gross." Beth rolled her eyes as Erica slipped her arm into Beth's.

"That was gross, but you should have responded with, 'We'll try’!"

Beth nodded. "The practicing part is Damon's favorite. Mine too if I'm being honest."

"It's all of our favorites." She shook her head. "What are we going to do with these crazy Bryant men?"

Beth sighed softly, letting her eyes roam all over Damon. "The only thing we can do. Love them."