I Never Expected You (I Never 2)

“You are? For what?”

“Look at all you have—a beautiful wife and daughter who both adore you, a great job, a house. You have everything.”

The corners of my mouth rise as I think as to how lucky I am with everything and everyone I have in my life. “Yeah, I guess I am pretty lucky, huh?”

“That you are.”

I search the room as we continue to dance and lock my eyes on Haylee talking with our friends who traveled from New Orleans. When the music ends, I walk over to the DJ and make a song request before I stroll up behind my wife.

“Hey, guys, thanks for making the trip.”

“Of course. We wouldn’t have missed this, Zachy-Poo.”

I roll my eyes. “Watch it, Benny-Boo, or I’ll have my wifey here throw another punch your way.”

He jokingly cowers. “No, thank you. I’m a changed man thanks to HailsBails.” Turning to Kyler, he punches his arm, “Hey, MaiKy, you’re next.” Bennett wiggles his eyebrows and wraps his arms around Ky’s shoulders.

I let out a laugh.

“You boys are coming to New Orleans for the bachelor party, right? Hunt and I will hook you up.”

Before I have the chance to step in with bachelor plans as Ky’s best man, a familiar ’80s love ballad begins to play, and Haylee looks back to me.

“Are you serious?”

My mind takes us back to where it all started when I stood on a table in front of tons of fellow UPenn students and professed my love to this woman. To think, I almost lost her.

“When it comes to you, always. Dance with me, Haylee Jacobs.”

She extends her hand to mine, and I lead my new bride to the dance floor.

Our Friday nights sure have changed— sort of. There is still food, margaritas (the occasional one for me, at least—you know, breastfeeding and all), and karaoke. So maybe it wasn’t that much, but we now do it all at home instead of at Lucky’s. We save that for special occasions, a.k.a. when we have a sitter who’s not Dani or Kyler so that they can join us.

For an engagement present, Ky and Dani had given us a karaoke machine. The excitement on Zach’s face was priceless. You would have thought he was a little boy on Christmas opening that one present that he had been asking for all year. I was not as excited, but it has grown on me. Those nights at Lucky’s were a big part of our lives for the longest time that I would have been sad to give up the whole experience, so we decid

ed to stick with it just at our house instead.

Dani and I are walking into the living room from the kitchen when we hear the familiar sound of the most annoying song I have listened to recently, “Baby Shark.” However, as irritating as it is, it is very catchy and always gets stuck in my head. Zach is always playing it for Emme, and she just giggles. Dani stops abruptly and grabs onto my arm and chokes on her drink, almost spitting it all over the floor.

Zach and Kyler are standing with their backs to us, shaking their asses just like I have seen them start every routine for the past few years. When the lyrics start, they both turn around, and I see that not only is it Zach and Ky partaking in this madness, but Zach has baby Emme strapped to his chest. Oh my God, my poor daughter, I think even though I know she is such a daddy’s girl that she loves this. She has the biggest smile on her face, showing her two little teeth.

“Wow, they are… I don’t even have words.” Dani continues to shake her head in awe.

“Hey, he’s your brother!”

“Yeah, and your husband, which means you’re here by choice! Not me! I’m stuck with him no matter what.”

We both laugh.

“Touché. And on that note, that’s also your fiancé over there, so doesn’t say much about you either since you choose to be with him.”

Dani watches Kyler dance and laugh with his best friend and goddaughter. She bites her lip as if she is lost in her own thoughts, and I see a blush creep up her cheeks. Oh Lord, it may have left PGville in that brain of hers. I’m not even going to ask. We are just about two months out from their big day, and I can’t even put it into words the excitement and love I feel for my best friend and her man. I never thought I would see the day that she opened her heart again.

Emmett would want her to be happy, and I think once she realized loving Kyler didn’t mean she loved Emmett any less, she opened her heart to move on. I know that my brother would want her to be happy, and as heartbreaking as it is that he can’t be the one to do that, he would approve of Kyler being the one who does.

I let her enjoy her moment thinking whatever dirty thoughts she has in that head of hers before I jokingly punch her in the tit, bringing her back to reality.

“Oww!” she yelps, almost dropping her drink, and rubs her sore breast. I notice that the duet is now down to a solo, and I turn to see Kyler is now staring at his fiancée, his mouth hanging open.