Part 44, Jo
Jo carefully opened her eyes and snuck a peek in the mirror in front of her. Yes, it was her, in that gorgeous wedding dress, her hair falling in soft curls around her face and cheeks gleaming rosy. Amazed, she let out a gasp and stepped closer to it, reaching out and touching her reflection. After a quick look at the back of the dress, where the skull and the rose where embroidered perfectly, she sighed.
“I can’t believe it. I cannot frickin believe it,” she said, emphasizing every word. “It’s perfect!” She looked out through the window at the sundrenched garden, where chairs were placed on the lawn, with a black carpet rolled out in the aisle between them. An arch covered in red and white roses was placed on a podium, and people were arriving, she could see them walking across the lawn, champagne glasses in their hands. And further away, the huge white tent where the reception would be held. She searched for Lina’s hand and found it, clenched it tight.
“I’m getting married. I am getting frickin MARRIED!”
Lina carefully eyed her face. “You’re not getting those feet in them pretty-ass shoes of yours cold, are you?”
Jo laughed. “Hell no. They’re as warm as they’ve ever been. I’m just so damn happy. I feel like I could fly or something.”
“Well darling, you look like an angel, so that would be appropriate, but I’d stick to walking.” Tina took her daughter’s free hand and smiled. “The very first time I saw you, I thought you were the most beautiful thing I’d ever seen. Since that day you have amazed me by getting more and more beautiful every day, and you’d think I’d learned. Get used to it. But today, Joanna, you are gorgeous. I can’t imagine a prettier sight.” Her voice cracked and tears fell down her cheeks.
Jo wiped tears from her own cheeks and hugged her mother tight. “I feel gorgeous. Thank you mom. For everything.”
“It’s what mothers do, baby. Come on, don’t ruin that make up.”
“Oh, look, it’s Kev and Kris!” Lina was at the window facing towards the street. “I can’t believe that there are so many paparazzi here. How did they find out where you live?”
Jo shook her head. “Don’t know. But seriously, I don’t care either. They can’t possibly see the back of the house, and that’s what matters. Unless they fly, of course, but I don’t think they will. I’s not like we’re Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie, for God’s sake.”
“But still… Water balloons! Do you have any water balloons?” Lina looked ecstatic at the thought, and Jo couldn’t help but laugh at the sight of her best friend in her elegant bridesmaid’s dress in deep teal, hair up and her make up all done, looking around to see if there possibly were any balloons in the room.
“No, silly, no water balloons. It’s not stuff you stock in the house exactly.” Lina looked a little stupid, making Jo laugh even harder. “Unless you’re living with Nick Carter, that big child, of course.”
Lina laughed. “That might be true, I guess. Speaking of, should I go check if they’re ready to get this show on the road?”
A nervous knot twisted the insides of Jo’s stomach. “I think it’s time.”
Walking down the aisle at her father’s arm, Jo felt nothing but pure bliss. She looked at Alex, standing firmly at the end of the aisle, his eyes beaming with joy and tears running down his cheeks. He was so handsome in his tuxedo, his hair cropped short, but with a bit of scruff on his face. She liked him best that way, and had asked him not to shave it off. The sun was setting as her father stopped, lifted the veil and kissed her cheek. He hugged Alex, placed her hand in his and went off to his seat. She looked into Alex’s eyes and saw nothing but love, and felt the tears coming again. He smiled, mouthing “I love you”, to her, as the minister cleared his throat and began.
“Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today to witness the joining of Alexander…”
The ceremony was short and sweet, a mixture of traditionally American and Swedish, and when Jo and Alex broke their first kiss as husband and wife, it seemed like the guests would never stop applauding.
“Ladies and gentlemen, let me introduce to you… Mr and mrs. McLean,” said the minister in a booming voice as they turned to face their family and friends, creating another round of loud cheering. Jo smiled at Alex, and he kissed her again. “I love you, mrs McLean,” he said, eyes full of laughter.
Sighing she leaned closer to him. “I love you too, mr. McLean.”
“Alright everybody, let’s go party!” he screamed, sending chills down Jo’s spine. God, she loved that voice.
After the ceremony everything was a blur to Jo. People were hugging her, and she thought a bit dizzily ‘And I thought this was supposed to be a small wedding’. When she finally got to sit down in the tent, the dizziness stopped and she could see clearly again. Everything was beautifully decorated, thanks to Tina, Leighanne, Lina and her mother and sister, Jo had refused to have a wedding planner. She didn’t want any outsiders, just their families and friends. She had invited some friends from Sweden, flown them across the Atlantic. And she was happy about that, they belonged in her life and mattered just as much now as they had when they were all living in the same town. She looked around the room, only familiar faces, happy faces. Nick was bottle feeding Chloe, Leighanne had Ella on her lap, Baylee was looking a bit sleepy over his plate of food. People were talking, laughing. A movement in the corner of her eye made her turn her head, and she saw her father standing up. He cleared his throat, and the crowd fell silent.
“I don’t know how you do things here in America, and I’m sorry if my English isn’t perfect, but I thought I should be the first to say something. Um…” Jo caught her mother’s eye and smiled. Her father loved giving speeches. “Okay, here we go. Jo is so special to me, a wonderful, beautiful daughter who has blessed her mother and me in so many ways. It hurt me to see how unhappy she was, just a short year ago, before she went here. She thought we didn’t know, didn’t see, but we’re her parents. Of course we knew. So she left. Having your daughter on the other side of this planet, it’s not easy. Especially considering how unhappy she was when she left.
But it was what she had to do, so we stayed strong, hoping she’d come home a happier girl, more like herself. And after a couple of months, we saw a change in her letters, and phone calls. She was happy again.” He looked at Alex. “It was thanks to you. I have to admit, I was skeptical at first. Here you come, with your tattoos and your history, and being a father, I’m not a fan of either of those. But you proved me wrong. You were there for her when we couldn’t. And you did a great job. I couldn’t be happier to get to call you a son.
Oh wait, I could, but that would be if you were Swedish, living next door and never going travelling.” Alex laughed along with the rest of the guests as Stephan continued. “Let’s face it, you live here, we live there. And if she has to be here too, I wouldn’t want her with anyone else but you. Welcome to the family, Alex!”
Everyone applauded as Alex and Jo hugged her father. Then, as Jo sat down, Alex remained standing. He looked at her and smiled when she frowned at him.
“I thought a lot about this, should I sing a song to you or should I have the fellas sing what I can’t say, but no. I’m not taking the easy way out of this. It’s a speech.”
Jo felt blood rushing to her cheeks. “Oh baby, you don’t have to…”
“Of course I do. Now shut up and let me do this,” he smiled and put his finger across her lips. Silently, she nodded. “Baby, darling Joanna, you took me by surprise, I don’t know if you were the one I had in mind. But one day you walked out of my dreams, and I knew I hadn’t just been blind, you were out there, holding out for me. And Jo, I’ve never been more sure about anything, than I am that you were the one I was waiting for. It was like knowing a song I’d never heard, and I feel like I’d heard your voice before you even said a word. And I knew how this would end, before we began. You walked out, or really I walked into my dreams, and when I met your eyes, you were unmistakable. I’ve loved you since then, and today I finally got to promise that I will love you from here until forever.”
Jo couldn't see for all the tears in her eyes. "That was perfect," she said and kissed him.
As the night went on, the party got noisier and noisier. The children had been put to bed at Brian and Leighanne’s house by Baylee’s new nanny. People were drinking champagne, laughing and joking, when the tent suddenly became pitch black. After a few heartbeats a single spotlight shone down upon Jo and Alex. “It’s time for our first dance,” he whispered and pulled her from her chair. The spotlight followed them as they made their way through the tables towards the space reserved for dancing. As she came closer she saw Nick, Brian, Kevin and Howie standing with microphones in their hands, smiling at her.
“So, Jo, it’s the bride, and might I say the most beautiful woman in the house tonight, who decides the wedding song,” Howie said and winked at her.
“What’s it gonna be, Jo?” Brian asked, a wide grin on his face.
“Oh my God, you guys, I have to decide?” Jo shook her head. “I’d say Yes I Will, but I’m sorry, it’s this one right here who makes it what it is…”She laughed as she patted Alex on the head.
“And here I was thinking it was a team effort…” Nick pouted his lip and laughed.
“Uh-uh,” Jo shook her head again and smiled. “No, it has to be Rush Over Me… No wait! Love Is, of course!”
“Of course!” Brian nodded. “The lady’s wish is our command, fellas.”
Smiling, he started singing, and Alex took Jo in his arms and swayed her across the floor, kissing her time and time again. He paused to swirl her, and surprised her by singing his own part of the song directly to her, making her skin curl into goose bumps and her heart melt. When they finished dancing, he grabbed Nick’s microphone and looked out over their guests.
“Before we let you out on the dance floor there’s a little secret we’d like to share with you all…”
Everyone fell silent and waited. Nick had a smug smile on his face, Lina hadn’t shown quite the will power Jo once did. Alex med his eyes and let out a small laugh when Nick raised his glass in a toast. “This was originally something we were gonna tell you a couple of months ago, but the doctor advised us not to. But now things should be safe and well, so we can tell you now. We’re having a baby!”
As excited voices filled the tent, Jo leaned into Alex’s shoulder and hugged his hand, thinking there was no other place she wanted to be, no other time she wanted to live in. This was all she needed.
Author's Chapter Notes:
Ok, so here it goes, the final chapter, the end of all endings. Enjoy, and please COMMENT!
