“So do you, Fatty.” Julia smiled at her friend.
Corinne laughed. “Thanks, Bitch.”
And so it was between best friends. The one getting married, the one pregnant.
Corinne looked back on her life of the past year and a half and she couldn’t believe all that had happened. Here it was May 13, 2006, the day of Julia and Andrew’s wedding and it seemed like it was just yesterday that they had met.
“OK, Sweetie. Well, I’m going to waddle back and sit with Nick. Have a wonderful wedding.” She kissed her friend and did indeed “waddle” out the door, down the aisle of the church and sat down next to Nick in the front row.
Nick turned to smile at her and squeezed her hand. “How’s she doing?”
“She’s nervous, but she’ll do great. She looks so beautiful.”
“So do you, Baby. How is she doing today?” Nick said as he put his hand on her 8-month pregnant belly protruding from her dress.
“He is doing fine, thank you.” She smiled at him. They decided not to find out the sex of the baby so they were constantly arguing about what the sex was going to be. He wanted a girl like her and she wanted a boy like him. Such was the life for the Carters.
Corinne looked at the young girl sitting next to her and smiled. Tawny was 16 years old now and growing into a lovely young woman who did indeed have a boyfriend now. David was sitting next to her proudly. Tawny and Nick had formed quite a bond and were the best of friends. Tawny and Corinne loved one another as well and had grown quite close over the past few months. Tawny was excited to have a little sister since she was an only child.
Corinne looked down the row to smile at Kevin and Kristen. Kristen was wearing a brilliant diamond ring Kevin had given her four months ago; their wedding was in August.
Of course, AJ, Howie and Brian and Leighanne were sitting next to them; all looking quite presentable in actual dress-up clothes. She loved the fact that they were such an integral part of her own wedding last November. They all sang at their reception and ended up staying late drinking and carousing (except for her) until the wee hours of the morning; one of the best times of her life. It was the same month she found out she was pregnant and right before the “boys” went on tour so it was time to get hitched quick or wait until she was quite large such as now. The tour was over now so Nick was free to spend the last two months of her pregnancy with her to her great relief.
Corinne could hear a little boy’s voice behind her and she turned to see Tyler standing up, tugging on her curls. He was a happy and active one-year old now and he just adored his Aunt Corinne and Uncle Nick.
“Hi Sweetie.” Corinne smiled at him.
“Hi Rin!” He giggled. That was the extent of her name he could pronounce. Corinne adored it.
Megan smiled at her sister and patted her shoulder in a term of endearment. She was back with Mitch. He had come crawling back a month after Tyler’s birth, begging forgiveness and proving to her that he did want to marry her and raise his son with her. They had gotten married that weekend.
Corinne nodded a greeting at Amber, Grady and little Tessa who was six-months old now. They named her after Grady’s mother and she was their heart and reason for living.
Corinne turned to see Rob and Gigi a few rows back and she waved. She had attended their wedding last July 23 and it was lovely. She felt they were truly in love and it looked like it just might last a lifetime.
Corinne and Nick bought the house in Minnesota and grew to love it and the area and their neighbors down the street, of course. They spent about a third of the year there and Corinne spent some time there when they did the European leg of the tour. Being 35 and in her second trimester at the time, her doctor advised against it so she stayed in her house near Amber and nested. It was a wonderful few months. She finished her second book there. It was called “Star Dating” and it chronicled the so-called fictional life of a woman who dates two celebrities in the height of their careers and all the chaos that follows. It just got published last month and it had already made the Number One Bestseller List. Corinne had fulfilled every writer’s dream.
The music began and Corinne had mixed feelings as she watched Julia’s bridesmaids descend down the aisle. She sighed. She would have loved to be one of them, but she had bowed out when she discovered that not only would she be pregnant, but very pregnant by that time of the wedding. Standing up there looking like she had a beachball under her dress was not her idea of a good time, but she wished her well, of course and Julia had understood. She looks so happy, Corinne thought as she watched Julia floating down the aisle towards her husband, her future. Corinne remembered that feeling, that moment. She turned to look at her husband, the man she loved with all her heart, the man who loved her just as much and a tear collected in her eye.
Nick turned to look at his wife and smiled. He wiped the tear away, thinking it was just hormones again, but then he saw the look on her face and he thought she never looked more beautiful.
“What is it?” He whispered to her.
“I’m just so incredibly happy right now. Do you know how much I love you, Mr. Carter?”
“Do you know how much I love you, Mrs. Carter?” Nick smiled, kissed her and then whispered,
“Oh and by the way, you look so fucking hot in that dress that I’m going to be ripping it off of you after the ceremony.”
“With pleasure, Nicky.” She giggled, put her hand in his and quivered with anticipation.
And I saw you standing there
And about by the way that you moved
I couldn't help the way I stared
There were some mysterious force
Leading me here to you
Lead me (leading me) to you (to you)
So I stood there watching
And I was hypnotized
By the rhythm of your body
And the music in your eyes
And I was lost inside your world with you
Ooh, ooh, ooh..."
"Hey Mr. DJ"
by the Backstreet Boys
~The End~
