White Orchids

“Do we really have to do this?” Tyler asked, his eyes begging Nicki to give in.

It took everything she had to stand her ground.

“I’m sorry, Ty. It’s just one night.”

His hands gripped her waist. If he didn’t stop soon, she was going to start crying. The pain on his face was unbearable.

“You know I can’t sleep without you.”

And there it was. Nicki tried to look away as the hot, salty tears dropped from her eyes. Tyler’s thumbs quickly wiped them from her cheeks, only to have more fall.

“I’m sorry. Please don’t cry,” he pleaded, pulling her to him. “I’ll go right now, okay?”

She shook her head, sobbing now. “I don’t want you to go.”

Tyler stroked her hair. “It’s only one night,” he said, repeating the words that she’d used only moments ago when she tried to comfort him.

Nicki laughed and began to calm down. She closed her eyes and nestled closer to his chest, breathing in the familiar scent of his skin through his thin tee shirt.

“Atta girl,” he cooed, drawing more giggles from her. “Want me to tuck you in?”

She looked up at him and was greeted with the sweetest smile she’d ever seen on his face. Nicki nodded slowly and Tyler picked her up and carried her through the door to her bedroom. Everyone staying at the small hotel agreed that Nicki deserved the only suite. It was nothing compared to the room she expected to be staying in the next night.

Tyler laid her gently on the bed and began undressing her. She let her head fall back onto the mattress and sighed. Nicki could never bring herself to admit how much she adored him taking care of her. It made her feel weak, like she relied on him. As much as she loved him, she would never allow herself to completely depend on him. It wasn’t in her nature.

“Where are your pj’s?” he asked once he’d stripped her of everything else.

It surprised her that he had enough self control to get her completely naked and not do a thing about it. Things had gotten to the point where they were so desperate for each other, even holding hands was enough to cause them physical pain. The ache in her gut was a constant, horrible reminder of how long it had been since they’d been together.

“I dunno. Can I just wear your shirt?” she asked, giving her best attempt at puppy dog eyes.

His face softened at her request, and without any response he pulled his shirt over his head. Instead of putting it on Nicki, he tossed it beside her and collapsed on top of her, resting his head between her breasts. She giggled and lovingly sifted her fingers through his hair.

“Tomorrow,” he whispered, as if trying to console himself.

“Tomorrow.”

“I feel like I’ve been waiting my entire life for this,” he admitted.

Nicki continued to play with his hair. She would have been dishonest if she said she didn’t enjoy Tyler lying on her. So often it was the other way around, and when they switched it was a refreshing change. It reminded her that he could be just as vulnerable as she was.

“How do you think I feel?” she asked. “I have been waiting my entire life for this.”

Tyler planted a kiss on her chest before propping himself up to look at her.

“I know, babe. It’s going to be amazing, I promise.”

Nicki lifted her head to meet his gaze.

“I know it is. How could it not be? I’m about to marry the sexiest, sweetest, most incredible man I’ve ever met. In the entire world, even. There isn’t anybody else like you, Ty, and I have you. Forever.”

His beautiful brown eyes glossed over, suddenly making her feel bad that she’d said all of that. Tyler’s lips against her own made her forget every thought that was running through her mind. Nicki grabbed the back of his head and brought him closer, and moaned as his tongue reached far into her mouth, setting off every nerve in her body. When he pulled away, both of them were panting. His kiss left Nicki to fantasize about their impending honeymoon.

“Damn, that was hot.”

Nicki’s head shot to her left to see whoever had intruded on their privacy. Who else but Lisa. She didn’t bother to cover herself up, although Tyler attempted to shield her with his body.

“Loosen up, kiddo. Nothing I haven’t seen before,” she said, arms crossing in front of her stomach.

“What are you doing in here, Lis?”

“I’m here to make sure that you’re the only one sleeping in this room tonight. And um, common courtesy, when you’re going to be getting freaky, close the God damned door. What if Bella had walked in here instead of me?”

She felt Tyler shifting uncomfortably on top of her, getting the sense he still didn’t feel right about leaving her buck naked in front of her friend.

“Ty, it’s fine,” she said, reaching for his shirt.

He lifted himself off of her and turned to Lisa. “You could have knocked,” he said.

“Sorry, hon. I was having too much fun watching you stick your tongue down my best friend’s throat.”

“You’re sick, Lisa,” Nicki said, chuckling a little as she pulled the soft tee over her head. She instantly felt comforted by the shirt, which was still warm from being on Tyler’s body. His smell wafted from it, and she knew it would be the only thing helping her get to sleep that night.

“Story of my life,” she said, flicking a wrist. “By the way, Tyler. Nice work on those abs.” Her comment was proceeded by a whistle and a shake of her head.

“Oh… thanks?”

“Jesus, Lis, don’t scare him off. You better keep those hormones in check,” Nicki warned.

“Ugh, I’m sorry. I don’t know what’s different with this pregnancy, but I’m horny as fuck, and Zach won’t even touch me. He thinks he’s gonna hurt the baby,” she said, obviously frustrated with her situation.

“I don’t even want to hear your complaints about being horny,” Nicki fired back. She was a girl on edge. “But I can emphasize. Want me to have my aunt talk to him tomorrow? She’s an OB-GYN. She’ll tell him it’s fine.”

“Would you? That would save my life.”

“Wait,” Tyler intervened. “You can have sex while you’re pregnant?”

The girls laughed at his guyish ignorance. Why was it that no man ever believed them?

“Yeah, and it’s supposed to be incredible,” Lisa said.

The expression on Tyler’s face made them laugh even harder.

“Don’t look so freaked babe.”

Nicki knew that she would be explaining it to him for hours the next time it came up. She fully intended on taking advantage of the few pleasures of pregnancy, namely heavy eating and sex. It didn’t matter if it took her days to convince him, she was not going to give up until he complied.

“Well I hate to break up this lovely conversation we’re having, but the bride needs her beauty rest,” Lisa said, hinting towards the open door.

“Just give me a sec.”

Lisa nodded and waited patiently. Tyler was probably expecting her to leave, but Nicki knew better than that. After a moment of hesitation, he picked her up and placed her at the top of the bed, waiting for her to get settled before he pulled the covers up to her neck.

Tyler leaned over her and dropped his lips onto hers, kissing her softly and slowly. Nicki had a brief minute of disbelief as she realized that this would be their last unwed kiss. She held on as long as she could and attempted to memorize every detail. It seemed like an important moment in her life, one that she hoped she wouldn’t soon forget.

“I love you so much,” he whispered, before leaving a tender kiss on her forehead. As he got off of the bed and turned to leave he said, “I’ll see you at the altar.”

“See you at the altar,” she repeated, smiling as wide as she could manage.

** * * * *

“Hi sweetie.”

“Jesus mom!” Tyler shouted, jumping at the sound of the unexpected voice in his room. “You scared the shit out of me. What are you doing in here?”

He walked over to the bed where she was sitting and plopped down next to her.

“I just wanted to talk to you for a minute. What happened to your shirt, honey?”

Tyler glanced down at his bare chest, he’d forgotten for a moment that he wasn’t wearing one.

“Oh, I gave it to Nicki, she wanted to sleep in it,” he explained, not making any effort to hide the disappointment in his voice. He knew that he wouldn’t be getting any sleep that night.

His mother began to rub his back, the bracelets on her wrist jingling as her hand moved back and forth across his skin. Tyler let out a sigh and leaned forward, holding his head in his hands. What he would give to run back to Nicki’s room and jump in bed with her.

“It’s just for a night, Ty. I know it’s going to be a long one, but just think of where you’ll be this time tomorrow,” she said, trying to comfort him.

“I know. I hope whoever decided that this tradition was a good idea died a slow, painful death.”

She laughed and hung her arm around his shoulder, pulling him close the way she would when he was a little kid.

“Sweetie I’m so proud of you,” she began. She didn’t get very far into what she was about to say, as the sobbing had disabled her vocal chords.

Tyler rubbed her back, the same way she’d just done for him. In the last two hours, he’d dealt with more emotions than he had in his entire life. Even his sisters couldn’t hold themselves together. It was beginning to wear down on him. As his mother calmed down, she tried to continue her speech.

“I’m so happy that Nicki’s finally going to be a part of our family,” she said, voice still shaking with every few words. “God, I just can’t believe you’re starting a family of your own. I’ve waited for this since the day you were born. Now that it’s finally here, I’m not really sure what to do with myself,” she said, laughing through her tears.

At a loss for what to say, Tyler held her until she stopped crying. He’d prepared himself for a constant display of water works from her, as well as from Nicki. So far, both of them had exceeded his expectations. Nicki had been crying on and off all day, and his mother more or less hadn’t stopped at all. He shuddered at the thought of what the next day might be like.

She took a deep breath in. “Alright, Ty. You should try to get some sleep.” He scoffed, and his mother got up and kissed his forehead. “I know, honey. I’ll be honest with you, the night before your wedding is one of the longest of your life. Let’s pray that your children are born during the day…” She covered her mouth with her hand. “Sorry, sweetheart. I didn’t mean to imply.”

Tyler shook his head, he figured it wouldn’t hurt anybody to let his mother know.

“It’s okay, mom. It’ll happen someday.”

He tried to be cryptic, but it came out sounding doubtful.

“Someday?” she asked. In his mother’s language, it translated to ‘when?’.

“Sooner than you might think,” he replied.

Her eyes opened wide. “Is she pregnant?”

“No,” he said, chuckling a little. He should have known that was the first thing she would assume. “But after tonight…” Suddenly, he felt uncomfortable. Tyler couldn’t find the right way to put it.

Luckily, she understood. He stood up, anticipating the inevitable hug that came from her whenever there was good news. Tyler knew how much it would mean to her; she’d been telling him how badly she wanted to be a grandmother since he hit puberty.

“Oh, honey. Really?” she asked, crying even harder now.

“Well, we’re gonna try.”

Saying it for the first time out loud only added to his anticipation. They were going to try to get pregnant. He could feel the idiotic smile creeping onto his face.

“What did she say to convince you?”

Tyler pulled away from her and dropped his arms.

“Mom, it was my idea. Why is that so hard for everyone to believe?”

“It was your idea?”

He nodded, irritated that every one of his friends and family assumed that he didn’t want kids.

“Yeah. It was. What did I do to make everyone think I wouldn’t want to? I don’t get it,” he said.

His mother placed her hand on his cheek and said, “I don’t know about everybody else, sweetie, but I’m just having a hard time trying to imagine my son as a father. God, I feel so old.”

“You’re not old,” he replied, laughing. “I just feel like nobody thinks I’m ready for this. I mean, for Christ’s sake, I’ll be thirty in three and a half years.”

“Don’t even say that!” she yelled, lightly hitting his chest. “If you wanted to make me feel younger, that wasn’t the way to do it.” Tyler noticed that she’d finally stopped crying. He was about to mention it when she started talking again. “I really should get out of your hair. I love you, Ty. I promise my lips are sealed, I won’t tell anyone what you just told me. Not even Jim.”

“Thanks mom. I love you too,” he said, wrapping her up in one last hug. He knew that tomorrow was nearly as important to his mother as it was to him and Nicki.

She left the room and closed the door behind her. Abruptly, Tyler was hit with a wave of anxiety. In his head, he knew that in just a few short hours he would be at the altar, gazing at Nicki’s beautiful face as they swore themselves to each other for their rest of their lives. It couldn’t come soon enough.

He got himself ready for bed and climbed under the covers, pulling them up all the way over his head the way he did when he was little. Tyler was no longer afraid of the dark, but repeating the action always brought a sense of comfort to him.

Tyler tossed and turned for over an hour before he finally gave in.

“Hello?”

“Will you stay on the phone with me until I fall asleep?”

** * * *

Nicki woke up with her phone stuck to the side of her face. She pressed the home button and unlocked her screen, trying to figure out what had happened. She had no idea which of them fell asleep first, or if Tyler fell asleep at all.

Afraid she might wake him if she called, she pulled up her messages to send him a text.

Hey Ty. I hope you managed to fall asleep last night, sorry if I left you hanging. I miss you. I can’t wait to see you. I can’t wait for tonight. I love you so much <3

That would suffice. Just as she sent it, there was a knock on her door. Nicki knew that it would be foolish to think it could be Tyler, but she let herself hope anyways. All night, she’d imagined him sneaking through the hotel and into her room so that he could crawl in bed with her. Every noise that came from the hallway had made her heart skip a beat.

“Come in,” she called, not bothering to sit up. Whoever it was, they could deal with the fact that she wasn’t ready to get out of bed.

“Housekeeping!”

Nicki laughed and threw one of her pillows across the room at the slightly open door.

“I know your maid accent, Lisa. You’ve used that on me one too many times.”

Lisa sprang through the doorway and into the room. It took Nicki a moment to realize that she had something in her hands. She jumped out of bed and ran across the room to grab the flowers from her.

“They’re from Romeo,” she said, shaking her head. “You better know how God damn lucky you are.”

The tears welled in Nicki’s eyes as she inhaled the sweet scent of the orchids. Her nose brushed against something unnatural, and realized that there was a note stuck between a few of the flowers. She set them down on the vanity next to her and opened the folded piece of paper. There was a single word, neatly written in cursive.

Forever.

She stared at it, reading the seven letters over and over again.

“What does it say?” Lisa asked, curiosity piqued by her silence.

Nicki reluctantly handed her the slip of paper. She really didn’t want to share it with anyone else.

“Oh. My. God. I officially hate him,” she said, giggling. “He’s making every other guy out there look like a jackass right – “ Lisa stopped when she realized that Nicki had begun to cry. She pulled her into a hug and tried to soothe her. “Aw, sweetie, don’t start with that already. You have to practice holding yourself together. Just for the ceremony. Then you can cry all you want.”

She wiped away her tears and let out a laugh at her own feebleness.

“I thought your wedding day was supposed to be a day you spend with the person you love,” she said. “So far I’ve spent the entire time missing him. This blows.”

“You are so pathetic!” Lisa teased. She apologized with a kiss on Nicki’s cheek before backing away from her. “If it makes you feel any better, I’ll spend the morning with you. We can even get ready together, if you want.”

“Lis, I would love that. But don’t you have things to take care of? At your wedding I was running around for hours.”

Lisa chuckled. “Nope! Tyler’s team has taken on the Maid of Honor role. They’ve been up since the crack of dawn working on the flowers and the arrangements and the seating. It’s actually fucking hysterical. Real cheesy comedy material. A bunch of burly men setting up for a dainty wedding. I can see it now,” she joked, sending Nicki into a fit of laughter.

“I love those boys,” she said, in disbelief that they were willing to do so much for her and Tyler. They truly had become family.

“The funniest has to be Chara. That big goon really knows how to make a centerpiece.”

“You’re killing me,” Nicki choked out, trying to picture him arranging delicate flowers on tables.

“Glad I could cheer you up, baby doll. I’m gonna run and get my stuff. The hairdresser and makeup girl should be here in about an hour. I’ll get you through this, Nick. Before you know it, you guys will be happily married and humping under the sunset in Hawaii.”

“Sounds too good to be true,” she said.

Nicki was struggling to remember what sex even felt like. It had been four months, but it easily could have been ten. Every inch of her was aching for him.

“You look like you’re in pain,” Lisa pointed out.

She sighed and caressed the silky white petals on the flowers beside her. “That’s because I am. Now go get your stuff and hurry back before I start to cry again.”

Lisa flashed her a smile and walked out the door. She picked up the note that had been in the flowers, and decided she would stare at it until Lisa returned.

Somehow, forever didn’t seem long enough.

** * * * *

“Man to man, Segs, you’re looking pretty damn good,” Milan said, giving him a pat on the shoulder.

Tyler chuckled. “Thanks, Looch. And I don’t even know how to start thanking everyone for all of this. Who would have thought the big bad Bruins were also effective wedding organizers?”

He replied with a punch to Tyler’s arm. “Dude, don’t make this gay. We were just trying to help you out.”

“Sorry,” he said, giving in more easily than he normally would.

“Nah, I’m sorry. You’re having a hard time, huh Seggy?”

Tyler rubbed the back of his neck and looked down at his freshly shined shoes.

“How could you tell?”

“Mostly by the sweat on your forehead,” he pointed out, laughing as Tyler whipped a hand to his face to wipe it away. He hadn’t even noticed.

“Just relax, man. In an hour from now, all the formal stuff will be over. Then it’s time for fun,” he said, swinging his hips in an attempt to dance.

His goofiness allowed Tyler to loosen up slightly. He wasn’t even sure what he was nervous about. Milan wished him luck and walked away just as Lisa came running over to him.

“You ready?” she asked, face flushed with excitement.

“You look nice, Lis. And yeah.” He took a deep breath and let it out. “I’m ready.”

She looped her arm through his and led him outside, where everything was set up. It was the first time Tyler had seen the end product. It was incredible. He couldn’t wait to see Nicki’s face when she saw everything. In the distance, right before the lush grass of the hotel met the sandy beach, stood the altar. It was white and simple, and hundreds of chairs had been placed strategically to give every guest a good view. The thought of so many eyes on him kicked up his nerves again. Seventeen thousand Bruins fans watching him play hockey was one thing. Hundreds of friends and family members watching him profess his love for Nicki was another.

Lisa seemed to sense his unease and gave his arm a reassuring pat, but didn’t say anything. He wondered if Nicki was as nervous as he was.

Tyler scanned the guests that were already seated, spotting his mother and sisters along with Bill and Diane. He stopped to give each of them a silent hug. The only one who said anything to him was Bill.

“How ya doing son?” he asked.

He knew that it was just a word, but Bill referring to him as a son choked him up nevertheless. Just knowing everything that man had been through was enough to upset anyone. Somehow, Tyler had managed to leave a good and lasting impression on him, so much so that he felt comfortable using affectionate terms with him.

Tyler shoved his hands in his pockets as he responded. “I’m doing okay. A little nervous,” he admitted, nearly blushing at his own embarrassment. Maybe it was a mistake to let your future father-in-law know that his daughter intimidated the shit out of you.

“Don’t worry, Tyler. As soon as she starts crying I’m sure you’ll feel much more confident,” he said, laughing from deep within his belly. He had one of the most entertaining laughs Tyler had ever heard.

“Yeah, I’m sure I will.”

“Bill, hon, we gotta get you back to the hotel. It’s almost time,” Lisa said, leaving Tyler’s side for Bill’s.

He kept his hands in his pockets, mindlessly playing with his own fingers. He looked up at Diane, who gestured behind him. Tyler turned around to see Freddy and an extremely pregnant Evaline.

“Ty, buddy,” Freddy said, embracing him in a hug. “Finally, huh?”

“Finally is right. Four years seemed like nothing back then. I feel like I’ve lived through ten lifetimes. Hey Evy,” he added, hugging her as gently as he could.

Tyler shook his head and found himself staring at her stomach.

“You guys must be so excited.”

Evaline’s hands traveled across the bump that had overtaken her body, and Freddy’s joined her. It was, without a doubt, one of the most beautiful things he’d ever seen.

“You have no idea,” she whispered, smiling down at their newest family member-to-be. “It’s a boy, you know. We found out a few days ago.”

Tyler grinned and looked at Freddy. He’d always wanted a boy. He grabbed his shoulder and said, “Congrats, man. You gonna teach him to play hockey?”

Freddy laughed, but kept his hand on Evaline’s stomach. “Well, we were hoping that his professional hockey player godfather would take the reins on that one.”

He glanced back and forth between them. “You - you want me to be the godfather?”

“Only if you want,” Evaline said.

“I’d be honored.”

Tyler couldn’t help but feel elated. Suddenly, the small family he’d had was growing and expanding, and nothing could have made him happier. There were so many things he wanted to say to them, but before he could get any out, music began to play and his palms began to sweat.

“Alright buddy, get your ass up there,” Freddy said, leading the way to the altar.

Milan, Brad, and Patrice were already standing in line, one by one on the stairs. Evaline went to their left, situating herself on the step above Candace, who stood above Cassidy. It was an odd pairing of bridesmaids and ushers, seeing as how Patrice was a good fifteen years older than Cassidy. Tyler stood at the top, where the Minister was turned awkwardly, adjusting his dressings.

With nothing left to do but wait, Tyler ran through his vows in his head. He’d chosen them months in advance, allowing him plenty of time to memorize them. He wasn’t going to let a slip up by him make the day anything less than perfect. He hated to admit it, but something in his gut told him he wouldn’t be able to keep a dry eye.

Finally, the last of the guests filed into their seats. The guys had set up perfectly, every seat was taken, and no one was left without one. He heard coos and looked down at the long carpet that had been laid out over the grass. The sun that day was out and shining, but wasn’t overpowering. Even though Nicki constantly worried that it might have rained, Tyler always knew that the weather would agree with them.

It didn’t take long for him to find out what everyone was swooning over. Bella pranced down the aisle, tossing flowers all around her. Tyler grinned as he caught her gaze and she waved at him. She had done a good job at distracting the attendants, because even Tyler hadn’t noticed Lisa creep onto the altar across from him. He’d always thought that the Maid of Honor was supposed to hold the dress, and judging by their subtle answers when he asked about it, he came to the conclusion that Nicki’s dress didn’t have an obnoxiously long train that needed carrying.

His suspicions were confirmed as she and Bill appeared from the tent that had been set up for the reception. Tyler could feel his heart pounding harder in his chest as they walked slowly towards him. The smile on Nicki’s face would be one that he’d never forget. All three hundred guests were standing for her, watching and appreciating how beautiful she was. And the only thing she looked at the entire time was him.

Her grace as she glided across the carpet astounded him. In her hands, she carried a bouquet not much different from the one he’d sent her that morning. As she got closer, he realized that Lisa was right. He would have paid a million dollars to see that dress on her. It was perfect. She was perfect.

Bill let her go after placing a kiss on her cheek and whispering something in her ear, which only made her impossibly huge smile grow even larger. Tyler noticed that his cheeks were begging to ache from the smirk that had snuck onto his face. She walked carefully up the steps and handed Lisa the bouquet before turning to face him.

“Hi, love,” she whispered.

“Hi,” he whispered back.

As hard as he tried, he couldn’t wipe the smile from his face. So he left it there. Nicki placed her hands over his as the Minister began to speak.

They’d practiced so many times, he knew every word by heart. But this time around, he couldn’t understand a single one. The only sound he heard was the drumming of his heart against his ribcage, and the ocean waves breaking and crashing beyond them.

Nicki gave one of his hands a gentle squeeze before the Minister instructed them to say their vows. Her grin faded just enough for her to speak.

“I Nicki, take you Tyler, to be my husband, my partner in life and my one true love. I will cherish our union and love you more each day than I did the day before. I will trust you and respect you, laugh with you and cry with you, loving you faithfully through good times and bad, regardless of the obstacles we may face together. I give you my hand, my heart, and my love, from this day forward for as long as we both shall live.”

She managed to make it through the entire thing without shedding a tear. Tyler, on the other hand, hadn’t been so lucky. A single tear dropped down the right side of his face, away from the crowd. Nicki and Freddy seemed to be the only ones who noticed.

Lisa stepped forward and handed Nicki his ring. Tyler watched her every movement as she took his left hand in hers and slowly slipped it onto his finger. It felt strange and out of place, but he would never take it off. Her fingertips stroked the back of his hand in adoration before she placed each of her hands back in his. The Minister nodded to him, and he took a deep breath.

“I, Tyler, take you, Nicki, to be my friend, my lover, the mother of my children and my wife. I will be yours in times of plenty and in times of want, in times of sickness and in times of health, in times of joy and in times of sorrow, in times of failure and in times of triumph. I promise to cherish and respect you, to care and protect you, to comfort and encourage you, and stay with you, for all eternity.”

Tyler’s eyes never left hers as he gave his promise. She looked up at him with more love than he could handle, more love than he ever deserved. Freddy came up beside him and, with a smile, dropped her ring into his hand. For the second time in his life, Tyler grasped her tiny hand and slid the ring down her finger.

“I now pronounce you man and wife. You may kiss the bride,” the Minister said, stepping back.

Nicki threw her arms around Tyler’s neck and he wrapped his around her, pulling her against him. He held her gaze a moment longer before leaning in, lips against lips, smile against smile. The absolute, unconditional love he felt for her spilled out through his kiss, weakening Nicki in his arms. He held her up, not ready for it to end. He felt her tears on his face and the trembles that shook her as she finally began to sob.

Tyler pulled away slowly, allowing his lips to linger on hers as long as he could. As if someone had pressed an unmute button, applause and cheers flooded his eardrums. Nicki wriggled out of his arms to take the bouquet from Lisa. He laughed as she turned backwards and tossed it as far as she could into the crowd. Not surprisingly, it had landed directly in front of Bella.

Nicki came back to him and left a last, soft kiss on his lips. “You ready for our first dance?” she asked, beaming.

Tyler held out his arm for her to hold and led her down the stairs towards the enormous function tent. They waved and smiled to the people on their sides, all of which looked nearly as happy as they felt. As they approached the tent, Tyler saw that there were dozens of gorgeous floral arrangements surrounding it and inside of it, all white orchids. He understood why they were Nicki’s favorite flower. They were his now, too.

As they stood in the middle of the dance floor, Tyler noticed that he no longer felt nervous. In fact, he didn’t feel anything except for pure, unadulterated joy. He watched as Freddy got up on the small stage and slung his guitar around his neck, sitting on the stool that had been placed in front of a microphone.

“You. Are. Beautiful,” Tyler said, breaking up his words in the hopes that she would understand just how much.

Nicki’s cheeks turned the slightest shade of red, and her wide smile softened. As a response, she ran a hand up his tux and let it rest on his neck, holding up her other hand for him to grab. Tyler took her offer, and placed his other hand on her waist, the way he had so many times before. Dancing with her was one of his favorite things to do, but none of them had meant quite as much as the one they were about to have.

“I love you so much,” he whispered as they waited for Freddy to start playing. They’d picked their favorite song to dance to, and one of Freddy’s favorite songs to play. Tyler couldn’t imagine a better song; it tied knots in his stomach every time he heard it.

“I love you too, Ty,” she said as she began to stroke the skin on his neck with her fingers, sending chills down his body.

Freddy finally started to play, and they needed no further instruction. Tyler stepped back, and she easily fell into his lead. Instead of worrying about the way they looked, they let the music take over. The look on Nicki’s face told him that she was up to something. He couldn’t imagine what it might be. As she stared into his eyes, she started to sing.

“Cause there’s you and me, and all of the people, with nothing to do, nothing to prove.

And it’s you and me, and all of the people, and I don’t know why, I can’t keep my eyes off of you.

There’s something about you now, I can’t quite figure out.

Everything he does is beautiful, everything he does is right.”

When she stopped, her smile faded at last. Nicki wore a look on her face that he’d seen many times before. She knew very well that she’d just made him the happiest person in the entire world.

The song came to an end, and he dipped her, leaning forward to place his lips on hers. Her hands reached up to his face, holding his jaw in her precious hands.

“You’re amazing,” he whispered, his face hovering inches above hers.

“So are you,” she said, beginning to tear up again.

Tyler left one last peck on her lips before he straightened her out. They’d spent so much time lost in their own world, he hadn’t even noticed that other people had begun to fill up the floor around them.

“Do you want to keep going?” he asked her, not sure whether or not she would want to sit down and take a rest.

Nicki nodded and returned her hand to his neck, but pressed against him and let her head fall to his chest. Tyler took the hint and wrapped an arm around her back, enjoying every movement of her body underneath her silky dress.

They danced that way, song after song, until a hand tugged at Tyler’s jacket.

“Uncle Tyler will you dance with me?”

He was about to ask Nicki if it was okay when she lifted her lips and left a kiss on the side of his neck. She bent down to hug Bella and they exchanged a few words that Tyler couldn’t hear from where he stood above them.

“I’m gonna go find my dad,” she said, looking at him just a minute too long before she walked away.

Tyler picked up Bella and did his best to dance with someone whose feet weren’t touching the ground.

“You did a great job with the flowers, Bells,” he said, placing a kiss on her cheek.

“Thanks Uncle! You did a good job with your stuff too.” Tyler laughed, knowing she was still too young to have any idea what this day was about. Bella leaned forward and cupped a hand over his ear.

“You really like Auntie, don’t you?” she whispered, as if it was a big secret that she wasn’t allowed to say.

When she pulled back to look at him he said, “Yeah, Bells, I do.”

“Do you love her?”

Tyler chuckled again at her innocence. She really didn’t have a clue.

“More than anything in the whole world… besides you,” he replied, squeezing his arms around her.

Bella shook her head. “I think you love her more. But that’s okay!”

“You’re the greatest, Bells, you know that?”

She shook her head fervently. Apparently, she did know that she was the best.

Lisa and Zach came up to them, faces glowing. Tyler hadn’t seen her look that way in a long time, and guessed it had something to do with Nicki’s aunt speaking to Zach about their situation. Tyler raised an eyebrow at them and Lisa grinned, answering any questions he may have had.

“How did I know she’d be with you?” she said, brushing a hand over Bella’s hair. “Why don’t you let him dance with Auntie again?”

Bella’s face saddened and she looked at Tyler for help. “But then I won’t have anyone to dance with.”

“I know Henri’s here somewhere,” he said hesitantly, not sure if he was supposed to know about it or not.

Her face lit up at the mention of his name. “Really?”

Tyler nodded. “Come on, we can go find him.”

Lisa mouthed a gracious thank you before she and Zach started to dance. It was good to see her happy again. After everything she’d done for him and Nicki, she deserved it as much as anyone.

They found Henri standing with a few of the other player’s kids. Tyler knew that he could be a little shy, and figured he was the perfect balance for Bella’s loud personality. Hell, maybe she’d even get him to have a little fun.

“Hey Henri,” he said as they got close enough.

“Segs!”

“This is my friend, Bella,” he said, putting her down in front of him. “We were dancing, but I have to go find Nicki. Would you mind taking my place, bud?”

Henri glanced bashfully at Bella, hanging his head low. “Okay,” he mumbled.

Bella looked up at Tyler for confirmation and he nodded. She grabbed Henri by the hand and disappeared into the sea of people. As he turned to look for Nicki, she barreled into him from behind and locked her arms around his waist.

“I was just going to look for you,” he said, swiveling in her arms so that they were face to face.

“Ugh,” she said, shuddering, “I couldn’t take another creepy uncle dance. I’m pretty sure I’m not even related to half of the people who just groped me and called it dancing.”

“That’s weird. Maybe you should just stick with me for the rest of the day, then.”

She reached her arms around his neck and brushed her lips against his, so lightly he wasn’t even sure if it could be called a kiss. It was more like a tease.

“That was my plan.”

** * * * *

Lisa violently whacked her fork against the glass of champagne in her hand, waiting for the room to silence. Nicki maneuvered herself onto Tyler’s lap, growing tired of being unable to touch him. His strong arms wrapped around her and she settled in, resting her head against his. It felt like just yesterday that they’d been in the opposite roles; Lisa and Zach cuddling while Nicki rambled off her Maid of Honor speech.

“Now,” she said, when everyone was quiet, “I’m not really one for making speeches. I want to make this short and sweet. These two people to my right,” she gestured towards them, “are two of the most ridiculously, disgustingly in love people I’ve ever met. Actually, they are the most ridiculously, disgustingly in love people I’ve ever met. Any of you who have been around them know what I’m talking about.” She paused, awaiting the head nods and scattered applause and laughter.

“One of them leaves the room, and five seconds later the other one is having withdrawals. I have no idea how they hold up when Tyler’s on the road. I can only imagine he cries himself to sleep every night in Dougie’s arms,” she joked, succeeding in making Tyler’s team erupt in hysterics.

“In all seriousness, though, I’ve never seen two people need each other more than Nicki and Tyler. They have this beautiful, fragile kind of love that most of us can only dream about, but they’ve got the strongest relationship out of anybody I know.”

She turned and looked at them to finish her speech. “This is the part where I should wish you good luck and best wishes and all of that, but I won’t, because you don’t need it. I don’t have a single doubt in my mind that you’re going to have the happiest, most successful marriage that anyone could hope for. I love you guys,” she said, raising her glass above her head. “To the new Mr. and Mrs. Seguin.”

Cheers arose throughout the room and glasses clanged together. Nicki grabbed hers off of the table and touched it to the one Tyler held in his hand, briefly sending her back to their first night together, at the bar.

“I’m so glad I didn’t let you kiss me,” she said, kissing his cheek.

“So am I.”

Nicki held her glass in front of her face. “To the new Mr. and Mrs. Seguin?”

He smiled at her before taking a sip of the champagne, sealing the toast. Nicki did the same, and as soon as he lowered his glass she nudged her lips between his, shivering when she got a taste of him mixed with the sweet champagne.

A voice in her ear startled Nicki and caused her to pull away.

“Leave some room for the cake, doll face.”

She giggled and got up to hug Lisa.

“That speech was perfect,” she said, nearly squeezing the breath out of her.

“The perfect speech for the perfect couple… seems fitting to me.”

“On the perfect day,” Nicki muttered, shaking her head in disbelief. “I couldn’t have asked for anything better.”

“Well, you’re welcome. But I think Tyler deserves most of the credit. That boy loves you so much,” she said, glancing over at him.

Nicki followed her line of sight and watched him as he chatted with a few of his teammates who’d gathered around him.

“God, Lis. How did this happen to me?”

Lisa put a hand on her shoulder and said, “This happened to you because it was meant to. Maybe all of the shit you’ve dealt with your whole life was just preparing you for this.”

“It’d be nice to think that way, wouldn’t it?”

She nodded, knowing the depth of Nicki’s statement. It was too kind to think of the world that way.

“Who’s ready for cake?!” a voice called over the boisterous crowd.

Nicki looked in the direction of the shout and found Jackie standing over the towering wedding cake. She gestured for her to come over.

“This should be priceless,” Lisa said, giggling. “I’ll have the camera ready.”

Tyler stood up and slipped an arm across her back, guiding her over to his mother. Jackie hugged her for what seemed like an hour.

“Sweetheart, it is an honor to share our last name with you. I couldn’t ask for a better daughter-in-law.”

She tried to swallow the lump that had formed in her throat. She didn’t just gain a husband, she’d gained an entire family.

“And it’s nice to have someone to call my mother again,” she said, pulling her back into a hug.

“This is really touching,” Tyler whispered, “But I think the entire tent is waiting for us to cut this cake so they can eat it.”

Nicki and Jackie shared a laugh as they backed away from each other. She was certain they would have plenty more time to talk once they got back from the honeymoon.

Tyler picked the large knife off of the table and positioned it above the first layer of cake, waiting for Nicki’s hands to join his. Before he pressed down, he turned his head and kissed her, to the delight of the people around them. She heard the camera shutters and saw the flashes of light behind her closed lids, but the only thing she cared about was his soft lips.

“You ready?” he asked when he pulled away.

She nodded, and let his hands guide hers along the handle of the knife, slicing through the fluffy cake. He raised it before bringing it down again on the other side, creating a perfectly triangular piece. People clapped around them and more flashes went off.

“Feed each other!” called an unmistakable voice. Why wouldn’t Brad suggest that?

Apparently, Tyler’s sisters agreed and began to egg them on. The rest of the room seemed to catch on, and it became something that they couldn’t exactly say no to. Nicki figured she’d give them something to remember.

She flashed Tyler a mischievous smile before grabbing a handful of cake and stuffing it in his mouth. He closed his eyes as he laughed and tried to get the cake and frosting off of his face. Nicki turned to run away so that he couldn’t do the same, but he was too fast for her. Most of it ended up on her chin and the floor; barely any actually made it into her mouth. In retaliation, she grabbed the back of his head with her clean hand and forced her face against his, licking some of the cake off of his lips as she kissed him.

When she let him go, he was still laughing.

“I married the perfect girl.”

“And I married the perfect boy,” she said, leaning in to kiss him again.