Therapy is Good for the Soul

“Hey Sugar!” Bailey answered her phone before the first line of Tyler’s ringtone played.

“Ugh! Are you trying to kill me?"

“What the Devil are you talkin about? All I said was hey sugar.”

“Exactly! I’ve already told you your accent is thicker and sexier on the phone. Then you call me that and there’s nothing I can do about it since we’re not even in the same country. You’re not playing fair!”

“Sorry, baby, I”

Tyler cut Bailey off before she could continue. “No! No Sugar, no baby, no pet names!” Bailey couldn’t help but giggle at Tyler’s frustration. “And no giggling either! You know what that does to me!”

“Ok, no terms of endearment or giggling while you’re away! I’m not the best actress, but I can try to hide my accent.”

“No, don’t do that! I don’t want you to lose yourself and God knows your voice is the only thing that calms me sometimes! Just try not to be so damn sexy when I can’t pull you into my arms or better yet my bed!”

“I’ll do my best. Let me start by changin the subject. Why’d you call?”

“I just wanted to make sure you’re all set to get my mom and sisters from the airport?”

“Yes, Freddy should be here soon, so we can pick them up.”

“And you’re sure it’s ok that they tag along to look at dresses with you?”

“Of course it’s ok. Why wouldn’t it be?”

“I don’t know; isn’t that something girls usually just do with their mom and friends? Not to mention the way Candace has treated you?”

“Tyler, what happened with Candace was a long time ago. You know we’ve worked things out. I probably talk to both of your sisters more than you do. They’re going to be part of our family, so I don’t want them to ever feel left out.”

“Candace is very opinionated, what if she says you don’t look good in a dress or it’s ugly or something? I’m not going to be there to put out fires.”

“You worry too much! There won’t be any fires. I value your mom’s and sisters’ opinions. I mean they know you best, so if they don’t like a dress or think I don’t look good in one, you bet your bottom dollar I’m goin to listen. I want to look beautiful for you and make you happy!”

Bailey’s phone suddenly buzzed requesting facetime with Tyler. She answered it, giving him a questioning look.

“Bay, you are the most stunningly beautiful woman I’ve ever met, inside and out! A dress isn’t going to change how I feel about you. I want you to pick the dress of your dreams, not one just because my family likes it. Promise me, you’ll pick the one you want.”

“You are so sweet! I’ll have an open mind and listen to everyone’s opinions, but I promise, I’ll pick the one that sings to me Tyler will love this!”

“Thank you.”

“Freddy just sent me a text that he’s pulling into the parking lot, so I have to go.”

“Ok, but call me if my sisters or mom do anything stupid!”

“I will. Now go find Brad to entertain you and get your mind off this. You need to relax so y’all can sweep the Habs and move into the conference finals!”

“Thanks Bay, I’ll try to score a goal for you.”

“Even if you don’t, if y’all win I promise I’ll make it worth your while when you get home.”

“Thanks for the extra motivation to kick some Habs’ ass! I love you!”

“Love you too! Bye.”

“I’ll call you after the game.”

After they disconnected, Bailey ran downstairs to meet Freddy.

“Hey Freddy! Thanks again for takin me to get Tyler’s family.”

“No problem; they’re like my family too."

“Shoot! I made you a batch of brownies to say thank you, but I left them upstairs.”

“You didn’t need to do that, but I’m glad you did! I’ll just get them later. Hope they’re hidden from Christina or I might be left with crumbs.”

Bailey gently punched him in his arm. “Be nice.”

“So are you excited about tomorrow?”

“YES! I’m happy Tyler’s mom and sisters are joining us. Just wish my Momma could be here in person too.”

Freddy reached over and gently squeezed her knee. “I know, but at least you can facetime her so she can still be a part of it. And both of your parents will be at the wedding!”

“You’re right and that’s the most important thing.”

To help lighten the mood Freddy cranked up some tunes and he and Bailey belted along. Twenty minutes later he turned into the private hangar Tyler took Bailey to on her birthday a couple of weeks ago.

“Freddy, why are we comin here? Please tell me Tyler didn’t rent a private plane for his mom and sisters to come dress shoppin with me?”

“What can I say, his family likes to live in style. In all seriousness, it was actually cheaper than getting three last minute commercial flight tickets.”

“Oh, ok. I don’t think I’ll ever get use to Tyler havin so much money.”

“You know, once you get married, you’ll be in that same boat.”

“I’m going to let him take care of the finances; I don’t want to know how much he’s actually worth. I think knowin would just stress me out!”

“You’re too cute! Thank God you’re not like any other girl he’s ever dated!”

He pulled into the closest parking spot available by the entrance of the hangar. Freddy held the door open for Bailey to enter the small lobby area. The same pilot that flew Bailey and Tyler to New York greeted them.

“Hi Captain Johnson. It’s good to see you again. Did you fly Tyler’s family here?”

“It’s good to see you again too Ms. Thomas. I did indeed fly his family here. In fact, they’re still on the plane. I think they enjoyed the little bit of luxury so much they didn’t want to get off.”

“You go ahead and see if you can get them moving. I’ll be there in a minute, just need to use the restroom first.”

“Ok.” Bailey walked with the Captain to the exterior stairs that led to the entrance of the plane. “What the heck is goin on here?” Stunned as she entered the plane and not only found Tyler’s family, but also Christina, Emily, Brittany, and Katie sitting on the plane.

“Tyler knew how much you wanted your mom to be there to help you pick out your dress. Since she couldn’t come here, he decided to bring all of us to her.”

“Wait, what did you just say?” Bailey was trying to process her best friend Emily’s words.

“Bailey, Tyler is flying all of us to Atlanta to go dress shopping tomorrow with your mom and sister-in laws.”

Bailey’s eyes became glossy as they filled with tears. “MERCY GOODNESS! I can’t believe he’s doin all this for me! I didn’t think it was possible to love that man more, but I was wrong.” Emily pulled Bailey into a hug as the tears were steadily flowing. After they broke free, Tyler’s mom took her place.
“Ms. Jackie, thank you for raisin the most amazin son!”

“Thank you for loving him back. You’ve made my son richer than all the money in the world. I’m so grateful he found you.” Now both women were crying.

“Thank you! That means more than you know.” She wiped her tears with the back of her hand when they pulled apart.

“Excuse me ladies, but I have a bag to drop off for a very important lady, then I’ll be out of your hair so you can get on your way.” Freddy interrupted the tear fest to drop off Bailey’s suitcase.

“He really thought of everything didn’t he? Thank you Freddy.”

“You’re welcome. Have fun this weekend!” Freddy gave Bailey a hug, then Christina a hug and a kiss goodbye before getting off the plane.

“All right, Atlanta here we come!” Brittany shouted and all the girls cheered.

“Do y’all mind if I call Tyler before we take off? I promise I won’t be long. ” All the girls understood and let her know it was fine. Bailey walked to the back of the plane and into the bathroom to have some privacy.

“Bay…. Bay, are you ok? You’re starting to freak me out, please say something. “ Tyler was concerned when he answered his phone and Bailey wasn’t speaking, but he could hear sniffles.

“I love you!” she finally managed to whisper in between tears.

“I love you too. Do you like your surprise?”

“You are incredible! Thank you!”

“I’ll take that as a yes.”

“Thank you for bein an over the top generous man!”

He chuckled at her remark. “You’re welcome and get use to me spoiling you because I’m going to do it the rest of our lives!”

“You know, I think I’m ok with that.”

“Well that my be a first.”

“Shut up!”

“I will, but only because I’m pretty sure we’re holding up your flight and I have a game to get ready for. Have fun with your family.”

“I will. Thank you again for this special gift!”

“You’re welcome. I love you.”

“Love you too. Good luck tonight!”

“Thanks Bay. I’ll talk to you later.”

“Bye.” Bailey hung up and found an open seat next to Emily waiting for her. “Ok ladies, I’m officially ready to go. Can’t wait to show y’all my home.”

Their flight landed 2 hours and forty-five minutes later. Tyler arranged to have two rental cars ready for them to get around for the weekend. Bailey drove one car with Tyler’s mother and sisters, while Emily followed in the other car with the rest of the group. They made a pit stop at the Ritz Carlton where Tyler booked two suites on the club level for them, to drop off their things. Then they headed to Bailey’s parents house.

Bailey’s mother had prepared a huge feast for them to enjoy. She took the time to really get to know Tyler’s mother and sisters. Bailey’s dad even made a brief appearance before heading back to bed to get some rest. When they weren’t stuffing their faces with all the incredible food, enjoying hearing stories about Bailey growing up, and looking through photo albums, they were thoroughly entertained by Bailey’s niece, Sarah Kate. She of course ate up all the new attention. Knowing Sarah Kate would be disappointed Tyler wasn’t there, he recorded a special video message for her on Christina’s phone. He also gave Christina a gift for Sarah Kate, her very own Seguin jersey and a Bruins Blade’s teddy bear also decked out in a Seguin jersey. She couldn’t wait to put on and model the jersey and didn’t let go of the teddy bear the rest of the night.

Everyone gathered in the family room to watch the Bruins and Habs playoff game. Sarah Kate sat in Bailey’s lap and cheered for Tyler every time she spotted him on the ice. Cassidy couldn’t resist the cuteness and took a video of the smitten little girl throwing a hissy fit when Tyler, according to Sarah Kate was sent to time out, also known as the penalty box. She also captured Sarah Kate sharing a moment with Bailey, after P.K. Subban slashed Tyler’s wrist hard and appeared to injure him. Cassidy thought it was quite impressive and sweet the way Bailey calmly and confidently comforted her crying niece. She hoped that one-day, she’d have the same kind of close relationship with her future nieces and nephews. She forwarded the video clips to Tyler, Candace, and her parents with the comment that her future nieces and nephews would be in great hands and she hoped she didn’t have to wait long to meet them. Much to Sarah Kate’s dismay, Bailey helped Marybeth put her to bed at the end of the first period. While Bailey was upstairs, Candace jokingly punched her sister and said Tyler would kill her for the last comment, knowing Tyler didn’t want to have kids for a long time. Surprisingly, Tyler actually responded during the intermission, thanking Cassidy for the videos and saying he already knew their kids would have the best mom in the world in Bailey. He also said, he’d see what he could do about making her wish come true at the end of June. His family already knew Tyler loved Bailey, but in that moment they realized just how great his love for her truly was.

The group remained on the edge of their seats as game three of the second round of the playoffs continued. Both teams were playing a very physical and tight game as the third period was winding down. Knowing they had an early morning ahead of them, nobody was looking forward to overtime. Fortunately, Bergeron came through in a clutch for the team with less than 5 seconds left on the clock. The Bruins won 1-0 and took a three game lead in the series. Everyone but Bailey headed back to the hotel after the game was over. She decided to spend the night at her parent’s house, so she could spend some more time with her dad in the morning.

The next morning, Bailey woke up early to take the opportunity to speak with her dad’s primary certified nursing assistant in person. She also took over for the CNA and helped her dad go for his morning walk up the street with his walker and complete his upper extremity exercises. Bailey was grateful that Tyler’s generosity was allowing her to share this special alone time with her dad. She truly cherished these moments, knowing they would be some of the last they would have together. The CNA captured them sharing a laugh and forwarded the picture to Bailey. She then sent it to Tyler with a “THANK YOU! ♥ ♥ ♥”. After they finished the exercises, Bailey’s dad insisted on making his world famous pancakes for her and the rest of the family to enjoy. Bailey and the CNA helped set-up everything he needed and helped so he didn’t expel too much energy. Michael and Melissa arrived in time to join the family for breakfast, before the girls headed out to meet Bailey’s friends and Tyler’s family to go dress shopping.

“Good morning Bailey! Are you excited?” Tyler’s mom pulled Bailey into a hug outside the dress boutique.

“Yes Mam! Pickin a dress will make everythin real! I can’t wait to marry your son!”

“I can’t wait for that too, so let’s get you inside and find the perfect dress to make Tyler swoon even more than he already does over you.” She grabbed Bailey’s hand and they went inside.

Tyler, with a little help from Bailey’s mom and Brittany arranged for the boutique to close, so they could have a private shopping experience. They also made arrangements for light refreshments including orange juice and champagne to make mimosas for the girls to enjoy. Based on Ms. Thomas’ description of Bailey’s likes and dislikes as well as her measurements, the boutique owner had already pulled 10 dresses aside for Bailey. Everyone wanted to join in on the day’s activities, so she quickly went over the layout of her boutique before she set all the women free to look through the racks of wedding dresses.

“This is so much fun! We should have told Tyler to contact the place where they do “Say Yes to the Dress” so we could document it all on that show.” Cassidy said as she thumbed through a rack of Vera Wang dresses.

“Oooh that would have been fun! Maybe they’ll want to chronicle Bailey and Tyler’s life on ‘Hockey Wives’.”

“Sorry to burst your bubble girls but there’s no way in Hell I’m goin to do any reality show! Unlike your brother, I hate bein the center of attention. Plus those shows are all about drama. Tyler and I are doin our best to keep drama out of our lives; I think we’ve had enough to last us a lifetime!”

“Aww, come on Bailey! You could show them that your a normal every day couple.”

“Candace, I wouldn’t exactly call a professional hockey player and the life he lives normal, but I don’t care because he’s chosen to live it with me.”

“That’s so sweet. You really are the best thing to ever happen to Tyler. You sure you don’t want to share a little bit of your happiness with the world?” Cassidy gushed at her future sister-in-law.

“Absolutely positive! Besides, everyone knows those shows edit things to make people fit into the characters they want them to portray. There’s no tellin how they’d make Tyler and I look. I’m beyond happy with our relationship and I’m not about to take any chances with anyone tryin to mess it up."

“Oh, you’re right and given Tyler’s past, there’s no telling what they’d try to do. Guess it will just be up to Cass and I to document today’s festivities on snapchat and instagram.”

“Fine with me, as long as you don’t post a picture of the dress I pick. Tyler absolutely can’t see it until I walk down the aisle!”

“Don’t worry, we might tease him a little, but we’d never jinx your marriage!”

“Thank you!”

“Oooh! Look at this dress.” Cassidy held up a couture dress.

“That looks more like a piece of lingerie than a wedding dress. Are you sure there isn’t some type of lace overlay or something to put on top of that?”

“Nope, it says it’s a couture design and it costs a fortune.”

“It’s ugly as Hell! I can’t believe anyone would want to buy that.” Candace chimed in.

“I agree it’s so gaudy and slutty. You certainly couldn’t wear that in a church weddin.”

“Yeah, I think you’d go to Hell if you tried.” Cassidy giggled.

“I’ve got it! Bailey can we please pretend this is the dress you want and send Tyler some pictures of you in it?”

“Candace, that dress is so revealin, he’d never approve of me wearin it. Not to mention, I wouldn’t be caught dead in that dress! Don’t you think Tyler would know that?”

“Normally I would say yes, but he would do anything to make sure you have your dream wedding. If he thinks you really want to be sexy for him, I think he’d buy it.”

“I don’t know.”

“Come on Bailey, PLEASE! Let’s have a little fun with him.”

“Ok, but I still think he’ll see right through it.”

Candace pulled Bailey into a hug.” Thank you! You’ll see, my brother can be so gullible sometimes.”

When all was said and done, everyone, including Sarah Kate who insisted on tagging along versus hanging out with Michael picked at least one dress for Bailey to try on. Cassidy and Candace kept true to their words and took photos and videos along the way to capture the fun everyone was having. When she reached the couture joke dress, she called Candace and Cassidy back into the dressing room. There was no way she was going to let her mother or Tyler’s see her in the barely there extremely low cut and wide V-neck, completely backless, and extremely from fitting satin dress with a long slit along the left side up to her hip. She let the girls take a couple of photos from different angles and send them to Tyler with messages of concern that they thought Bailey only chose it to impress him. Bailey’s phone rang within minutes of Tyler viewing the photos.

“Hey, what do I owe this unexpected pleasure to?” Bailey put Tyler on speakerphone when she answered, so his sister’s could listen in.

“Bay, you know I love you right?”

“Of course, why?”

“Don’t be mad, but Candace sent me some photos of the dress you want. And although you look absolutely incredible in it; there’s no way in Hell I’m going to let any other man see you in it!”

“It’s bad luck for the groom to seethe bride in the dress before the wedding, so I guess you’ll get your wish!” Bailey huffed out in attempt to control her laughter.

“I’m sorry Bay, but I don’t think murder is a good way to start off our marriage. You look so fucking sexy in that dress, that I know any guy with a pulse would be thinking inappropriate things about you and I can’t have that! It’s just too provocative and risqué; I’d want to kill any guy that remotely looks in your direction! Since you’re the bride, that would pretty much be everyone, so I’m sorry but you’ll have to pick another dress. However, since you were really set on that dress, I’ll buy it for you can wear it anytime you want as long as you strictly staying in the confines of our bedroom.”

Candace and Cassidy high fived each other and the three girls busted into a fit of giggles. “Tyler, don’t you dare buy me this God Awful, tacky dress!”

“What? But I thought…”

Bailey cut him off mid sentence. “It was a joke Tyler. Remember yesterday, when I told you your family knew you the best? Well I was right. Candace and Cassidy thought your reaction would be funny, but I told them you wouldn’t believe it. Guess there’s still some things I get to learn about you.”

“Are you fucking kidding me?”

“No big brother! I knew you’d fall for it. Your reaction was priceless. Thanks for the laugh.”

“You were in on it too Cass?”

“Yep!”

“I hate both of you!”

“What about Bailey?”

“I don’t blame Bay; you probably held her under duress and forced her to do it! Bay, I told you something would happen since I’m not there.”

“Your sisters didn’t hold me hostage to corrupt me and there is no fire you need to put out. We were just havin a little fun bondin by pickin on you. Please don’t be mad at them. Besides, it’s nice to know that I’m not goin to be the only gullible one in our family.”

“Can’t believe you and the shitheads got me! Just know payback is a bitch and that includes you too Bay.”

“Whatever you say Tyler.” Candace laughed.

“Tyler, I hate to do this, but I need to get back to tryin on dresses so I can find my real weddin dress. Can I call you later?”

“Can you take me off speakerphone for a minute?”

“Sure, hold on a second. Girls would you mind givin us a minute?”

“No problem.” Cass said and grabbed Candace’s hand to pull her out of the dressing room.

“Thanks! Can you let everyone know I’ll be out in another dress in a minute after I finish talkin to Tyler?"

“Will do.”

“Ok, we’re alone now. Are you really mad at me?”

“Of course not Bay. I know you were just having fun. I’m glad you’re getting along well with my sisters.”

“Then why did you want me to take you off speakerphone?”

“Bay, I’m going to be a selfish bastard right now. I really want you to have your dream wedding, including the dress, but please promise me you won’t get a dress that shows too much skin! I don’t think my heart could take it! I need to know there are certain parts of you that I’m the only lucky son of a bitch who’ll get to see them. Can you please do that for me?”

“Tyler, it was a joke! I thought you knew me better than that too. Have I ever worn anything that would give you the impression that I’d actually pick a revealin dress? For cryin out loud, think about how long it took me to feel comfortable lettin you see my body. Do you really think I’d show that much skin to the world?”

“No; I’m sorry Bay! It’s just you looked so damn hot it kind of freaked me out that all my teammates and other guys would see you like that. I don’t want anyone to steal you away from me!”

“Are you feelin ok? Did PK hurt more than your wrist last night or is somethin else botherin you?”

“I’m being ridiculous aren’t I? I don’t know maybe it’s the stress of the playoffs getting to me and not having you here to keep me calm.”

“Tyler, I said yes to you; nobody could ever steal me away. I know you’re worried about the playoffs, but you played well last night despite the dirty hit from PK.”

Tyler cut Bailey off. “But I didn’t score and now my wrist is fucked up, I may not be able too.”

“Tyler, you need to relax before you drive yourself crazy! I know you’re worried about the press, but you can’t control what they say, so try not to look at it. You may not have scored, but you did other things to help the team. I know it sucks about your wrist, but there’s nothing you can do about it, but follow the doctor’s and trainer’s orders so it can heal. Everyone knows it was a dirty play by PK and should understand if it impacts your game. It’s a team sport, so right now you need to trust your team to have your back and maybe pick things up while you’re injured. I know I’m not there in person, but my heart is always with you and no matter what happens I love you and support you.”

“You always know just what to say. I’m sorry for freaking out about the dress.”

“It’s fine; I know you’re under a lot of stress. Just remember I’m your biggest fan, although Sarah Kate might argue try to argue that.” She knew that would get a laugh from Tyler and lighten the mood. “We’ll both be cheerin you and the team on. I have faith that y’all will win again tomorrow night, so your wrist will have more time to heal before the conference finals. You just need to be the cocky player you were when we first met and believe in yourself as much as I believe in you. Don’t worry what anyone else has to say.”

“Thanks Bay. I hope you find your dream dress and enjoy the rest of your girls weekend and time with your family.”

“I will and thank you again for allowin me to have this opportunity. I love you!”

“I love you too!”

“I’ll call you later tonight, ok?”

“Can’t wait. Bye Bay.”

“Bye.”

Bailey apologized to everyone for taking so long and explained that Tyler was feeling anxious about his injury and how it will impact his performance in the upcoming game. Everyone understood and said it was fine. She then resumed trying on the dresses everyone, including the boutique owner had selected. They all had a good laugh when Bailey indulged her niece and tried on what she thought of as a cross between a full-blown princess ball gown and a southern belle dress. It was an ivory dress with a beaded and very sparkly bodice, with a romantic strapless sweetheart neckline, a floor length skirt with a lining to make it voluminous as if she had a hoop skirt underneath, and a cathedral length train. The boutique owner found an almost matching flower girl dress with cap sleeves and an iris colored bow around the waist for Sarah Kate to try on. Sarah Kate was giddy and loved modeling the princess dress for everyone. No one could resist taking pictures and videos of the pair. Even Bailey took a few shots and posted them on instagram. “Dreams really do come true! Thanks @tseguin92 for helping us become our true selves. #princessforaday”

Bailey tried on over thirty dresses before she found the one. The room was stunned into silence when they saw her in the romantic and elegant dress her mother had selected. It was a lovely ivory lace and tulle, fit and flare gown with exquisite hand-placed lace covering the bodice. It had a sweetheart neckline with delicate tulle draping spilling into tapered shoulder straps and clusters of decadent crystal hand-beading highlighting the lace appliques that cascaded onto the pleated tulle skirt that wistfully fade out before the hem. It also had a corset back closure, chapel length train, and a lavender satin belt with flower detail to add a pop of color. It was obvious to everyone this dress was made for Bailey.

“Why isn’t anyone talkin? Do I look awful?”

“No my little munchkin, quite the contrary. You look beautiful!” Bailey’s mother’s eyes began to water as she walked over to her youngest daughter. “Bailey turn around and look for yourself. This is the one.”

When Bailey turned on the pedestal to get a full view of herself in the mirrors, she was hit with a wave of emotions as she realized this was definitely the dress. Her dream was finally coming true; she would soon be Mrs. Tyler Seguin.

“Oh, Momma it’s beautiful!” Bailey continued to stare at herself, still in awe of how beautiful the dress was and with the exception of the length, it seemed to fit her perfectly.

“Yes you are! My baby’s all grown up.”

“I’m gettin married Momma!” Bailey turned around and pulled her mother into an embrace and both women let the floodgates open.

The boutique owner gave Bailey’s mother a veil she thought was a perfect fit for Bailey and the dress. As soon as she placed it on Bailey’s head, there wasn’t a dry eye in the house. After Bailey found her perfect dress, the group of women helped her bridesmaids select their dresses as well. Each girl would wear a different dress that fit her body type and style. Candace and Christina would wear a lighter shade of purple and Emily and Cassidy’s dresses would be a slightly darker shade. They decided Sarah Kate would wear an ivory colored dress with a sash to match Bailey’s dress, which her mother would sew. Once all the dresses were ordered and shipping arrangements made, the girls headed to lunch.

Bailey knew lunch would be quite the experience for her friends and Tyler’s family as they were going to the Swan Coach house. She was pretty certain none of them had been to a southern style tea party. What Bailey didn’t know was there would be a surprise waiting for her at the teahouse as well. The group was escorted to the Bellenita room, which was opened up to the beautiful gardens since it was such a lovely day. When Bailey entered the room, a thunderous roar of “Surprise” greeted her. The room was filled with her cousins from Tennessee, friends from high school, church, and Chuck E Cheese, as well as some of her mother’s close friends. Bailey was also surprised to see her sister Rebecca was there with her niece Kara. Bailey ran over and hugged her sister and kissed Kara on the cheek. She found out Rebecca played a big role in helping her mom plan the surprise shower. Bailey and Tyler’s sisters let him know about the shower and shared pictures and video clips of all the activities. Cassidy loved speaking to Bailey’s cousins, just to hear their thick southern accents. She had noticed Bailey’s accent had become thicker since she was around her family, but it was even more noticeable when she was talking to her cousins. She thought it was funny, so she made sure to get some video clips with good audio for Tyler.

The shower was a huge success! All the women had fun experiencing some southern traditions and food. Bailey was overwhelmed by the generosity of her friends and family. She received several more traditional wedding shower gifts like a picnic basket and crockpot, but she also received several donations to the American Cancer Society and Tyler’s foundation. She made sure to thank everyone repeatedly for their kindness.

Katie and Brittany informed Bailey that she wasn’t done with all her surprises for the weekend. They were throwing her a bachelorette party later that night. Since she was completely exhausted from the day’s activities, she drove home with her mother so she could take a nap, then spend a little more time with her family before her bachelorette party. She made arrangements for Emily to come pick her up later that evening.

The party started at Taverna Plaka, a Greek restaurant with live entertainment including belly dancers and teaching patrons Greek dances. Tyler’s mom, Cassidy, Rebecca, and Marybeth attended the dinner and participated in the gift-giving portion of the evening. Much to Bailey’s dismay and embarrassment, especially given Tyler’s mother was present, all of the gifts with the exception of a bottle of perfume and some special bath soaps and lotions were sexy lingerie. After dinner, the remaining girls took Bailey out on the town. After all the fun was said and done, they retreated to their hotel rooms to get some much-needed sleep.

Bailey was woken up for the second time in the morning when her phone went off with a request to facetime with Tyler. She groaned as she slowly rolled over to reach her phone on the bedside table, but still managing to remain hidden under the covers. Tyler couldn’t help but laugh, when he saw her.

“Did you really need to facetime me this mornin?”

“Well hello to you too. First, it’s actually the afternoon and yes I did, because I had to make sure my beautiful fiancé is still alive after last night’s festivities.”

“Alive, but barely. Promise me you’ll never let me drink Prosecco again!”

“Sorry Bay, but I don’t think I can do that.”

“Why not?”

“For starters you were pretty funny last night, not to mention I think my team would be pissed.”

“Your team? Why the heck would they care?”

“Because you were pretty much our entertainment last night. I think we’ll be having a large dinner party soon or at least I hope we will, since you promised to cook or bake something for at least half the team if we win tonight. Have fun figuring out how to make that musty Finnish pie or whatever it was Tuukka requested.”

“What the Devil? Besides offerin to cook for everyone, what else did I do that was so entertainin?”

“You know how your accent is stronger when you go home, well it gets even thicker when you’re around your cousins and drunk. And since you’re home and were really wasted last night while hanging out with your cousins, it was extra heavy and you used a lot of unusual sayings. You were fucking adorable! You gave several of the guys a pep talk for the game. I think the highlight for me was when you lectured Marchy on his choice of women and promised to fix him up with one of your cousins at our wedding. All the guys got a kick out of that."

“Oh my goodness! Tyler, why in the Devil didn’t you shut me up!”

“Bay I tried, but you were on a mission. I even hung up on you, but you called me right back and tried to rip me a new one.”

“I’m so sorry! This is why I shouldn’t drink. I’m so embarrassed!”

“Don’t be, you know everybody loves you. The team really does think you’re our lucky charm this year. You provided us with some much needed comic relief and took our minds off the game. We should probably be thanking you.”

“Sure, whatever you say.” She rolled her eyes and shook her head side to side in disbelief. “Is there anything else I should know about?”

“There is one thing I plan on taking full advantage of when I get home.”

“Oh yeah, what’s that?”

“You kept telling me you were going to rub me the right way and giggled saying you’d grant me three wishes. I had no clue what you were talking about and just assumed you were horny, until Brittany sent me a video of you singing “Genie in a Bottle” at the karaoke bar you went to last night. You even threw my name into the song a few times. Between your voice and dance moves, it practically killed me that I couldn’t be with you last night!”

“There’s video? Please tell me you didn’t show it to anyone else?”

“Sorry Bay, but a bunch of the guys were there and watched with me. I didn’t know what it was, but I promise you didn’t do anything crazy to be ashamed of. It was just you singing and dancing. You sounded amazing and were sexy as Hell! You made me the envy of the guys.”

“You’re not just sayin that to make me feel better are you?”

“Promise.”

“Well in that case, thank you for the compliment.”

“You’re welcome! Well, I need to go to a team meeting and probably won’t have a chance to talk to you again until after the game.”

“Ok. I know y’all will finish the sweep tonight. Not that you need an incentive, but if you do, I promise to give you a special, encore of my performance from last night.”

“Oh, the Habs are definitely going down now! God I hope I’m we’re flying home after the game tonight and not tomorrow morning!”

Bailey couldn’t help but giggle at his remark. “I love you!”

“I love you too Bay!”

“See you soon, my love.” She blew him a kiss before they disconnected.

Bailey took a shower and got dressed after her conversation with Tyler ended. She, Tyler’s mom, and all rest of the girls checked out of the hotel and drove to Bailey’s parent’s house for lunch and to say their goodbyes. Sarah Kate cried, but calmed when her mother gave her the teddy bear Tyler gave her. She promised Bailey she’d watch Tyler’s game and cheer him on tonight. Bailey gave her dad an extra long hug and thanked him and her mom for welcoming and taking care of her friends and Tyler’s family this weekend. Her eyes became glossy as they pulled away from the house to head back to the airport.
After their flight landed in Boston, everyone headed over to Tyler’s condo. They ordered pizza and watched the game. This time the Bruins were clearly on a mission and wanted to end this series. They came out in the first period with a bang and never let up. The game ended with the Bruins defeating the Canadians 4-1. Everyone was elated that they swept the series and would have a couple of days to rest and recuperate a little bit before the Eastern Conference finals began. Freddy drove Christina and Bailey back to their apartment shortly after the game was over. Nobody was really up for staying up and talking since they’d pretty much been on the go all weekend, so they all headed to bed.
Tyler entered Bailey’s room at 3:00 am as quietly as he could, trying not to disturb her. He smiled when he saw her sleeping with an arm wrapped around Marshall, who was snoring away on his side of the bed. He put his bag on the floor by her closet. Bailey started to stir while he was removing his shoes and socks.

“Tyler is that you?”

“Yeah, baby, it’s me. Sorry I woke you; try to go back to sleep.” He walked over to the bed and placed a gentle kiss on her lips. He finished undressing down to his boxer briefs and went to the bathroom, before getting in bed. He had to pick up Marshall and place him at the foot of the bed, since he was out cold and not budging. As soon as he climbed under the covers, Bailey rolled onto her side and wrapped her right arm around his torso. She also draped her right leg across his. Tyler responded by wrapping his arm around her, pulling her in even closer to his body. He then kissed the top of her head. “Sweet dreams Bay!”

“Mmmm, now that you’re here I think I will.”

“I missed you too.”

Bailey smiled into his chest. “Thank you for this weekend; it was incredible! I don’t know who was in cahoots with you, but please thank them too for helpin me get my dream weddin dress.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about. Your parents paid for the dress.” He squeezed his arm around her.

“Unless the dress was massively on sale, I know it wasn’t in the budget my parents gave me.”

“Guess it was your lucky day and meant to be then.” He kissed the top of her head.

“Whatever you say.” She rolled her eyes at him. “I almost forgot, congratulations! I told you, y’all would win!” She craned her neck just enough to give him a peck on the cheek.

“Thank you. We can celebrate tomorrow and you can tell me all about your trip, when you get home from work. Right now we could both use some sleep.”

“I took tomorrow off.”

“Still recovering from last night?”

She playfully punched his side. “No I’m all better now, thank you very much.”

“So that means you’re just playing hooky to spend the day with me.”

“Nope, I really missed Marshall these past couple of days. We need to catch up on missed cuddlin time.” She giggled into his chest, proud of her quick response.

“I see, so you’re not marrying me for my money or charming personality, but rather to steal my dog.”

“Can you blame me? But I’m also marrin you for these.” She slowly trailed her fingers delicately along his six-pack followed by feather-like kisses, causing Tyler to let out a slight moan. “And these.” She pulled herself up to press her lips to his and ran her tongue along the bottom one, until he lowered it allowing an entrance for her’s to tango with his.

“Is that all?”

“There’s one more very important thing and it’s my favorite.”

“Oh yeah, what’s that?” Tyler was dying in anticipation, but was surprised when she just snuggled back into his side and kissed the left side of his chest. “My pecs, that’s your favorite part of me?”

“No silly; it’s your heart.” She once again kissed his chest.

Without warning, Tyler then flipped her onto her back and he hovered above her. He gazed longingly into her beautiful hazel eyes and leaned in slowly. Their lips locked together in harmony as soon as they touched. The kiss was so passionate and warm they both got lost in the fabric of time.

Notes

I know y'all are probably tired of hearing me apologize for the long delays between updates, but I am sorry. This chapter is extra long, so I hope that helps make it up to you!! Thank you to everyone who has been reading more story and extra special thanks to those of you that have posted comments! Your comments are motivating and appreciated!!!! I hope everyone is still enjoying Bailey and Tyler's story!