Zip, Zero, Zilch (The Reed Brothers 6)

“I can’t believe we’re doing this,” I murmur to Sam.

His eyes narrow. “You don’t want to?”

“No, no! I do.” But I point to the Elvis impersonator and laugh. “But this guy…”

Sam chuckles.

Elvis starts to sing “Viva Las Vegas” as Sam and I walk side by side down the aisle. I cover my mouth and laugh.

“I want you to repeat after me, Sam,” Elvis says. He lifts one corner of his lip in that classic snarl. “I, Sam, promise you, Peck, never to step on your blue suede shoes. I promise never to leave you at Heartbreak Hotel. I promise to be your hunka-hunka burning love, forever and ever, amen.”

“Wait,” Sam says. “That’s Randy Travis. Not Elvis.”

“Close enough,” Elvis says.

Sam rolls his hips like Elvis did when he repeats the words.

I can’t stop laughing. I laugh so hard that I have to wipe tears from my eyes. But I don’t feel bad, because Emily is doing the same thing. And the rest of the brothers and their wives are laughing it up too.

“Now you, Peck,” Elvis says. He swivels his hips and someone does a rim shot on a set of drums. “I, Peck, solemnly swear to love you tender for the rest of my life, and never leave you with a suspicious mind.”

I repeat the words. I barely stutter, and it warms my heart when I realize that.

Suddenly, Elvis gets serious. “Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today…”

Sam’s eyes meet mine, and he takes my hands. I pass my flowers to one of my sisters and look up at him. We recite the official vows, and I have to blink hard to get through them, particularly when I look at the TV screen and see Marta crying into her handkerchief.

“Who gives this woman to be married?” Elvis asks.

Emilio’s voice rings out. “Her mother and I.”

This time, a hot tear tracks down my cheek and Sam very gently wipes it away. “You okay?” he whispers.

“I now pronounce you husband and wife,” Elvis declares. “Now let’s have a little less conversation and a really big kiss.” He swivels his hips again and I laugh through my tears.

Sam pushes my hair from my neck and wraps his hand solidly around it, and pulls me to him. He kisses me long, deep, and I feel like it might go on forever. And I’m fine with that.

But then Emilio coughs into his fist. I hear him say, “Enough,” over his hacking, and Sam pulls back with a grin.

“I couldn’t help it,” he whispers.

Elvis congratulates us and makes his exit, because he has a ceremony to perform next door. “You can stay and talk with your family for a few minutes if you want to,” a lady tells us.

Sam pulls up a chair and then draws me into his lap. We face the screen as we accept congratulations from his family and from mine.

This feels like a dream. It feels like I’m going to wake up tomorrow and it’ll all be over. But I want it to be real. Forever.

Marta and Emilio sign off, and so does Henry. My sisters are yawning, so I send them to bed too, with promises that we’re almost done here. The brothers linger, though, and I wouldn’t expect any less of them. It may be almost morning, but they’re a unit, and I’m so happy Sam has a family like this.

Suddenly, Logan pulls his cap off and faces the screen. “Can I talk to you guys about something?” he says. He’s signing while he’s talking, and Paul signs back.

“Of course. What’s up?” Paul tilts his screen so that it looks like he’s closer.

Logan looks at Sam and signs sorry. Sam just furrows his brow and looks at Logan’s head, directly behind his ear. He can clearly see where his hair was shaven for his implant. Sam looks at me, confusion clouding his face.

“Right before we left…” Logan begins. He has to stop and clear his throat. “Right before we left, I went and got a cochlear implant.”

He stops talking, and I can see his eyes moving from one house to the other on the monitor. No one says a word. Not even Sam.

“I didn’t tell you because I was afraid you’d try to stop me. And then I didn’t tell you because I was afraid you wouldn’t try to stop me. I was really afraid to do it, but it was something I really wanted. Something I really needed.”

“Why didn’t you tell us?” Paul asks. Everyone else is quiet.

“I just felt like I was betraying myself. And all of you. And I didn’t like it. But I needed to do it.” He clears his throat again. “I’m sorry I didn’t tell you and I hope you can forgive me.”

“Why are you telling us now?”

He jerks a thumb toward Sam. “I wanted to ruin his perfect wedding.” He laughs, but it’s a watery sound. He closes his eyes and waits a beat. “So, I was wondering… When we get home, they’re going to activate this thing… And I was…kind of hoping…I was hoping you all could go with me when they do it.” He takes a deep breath, and it’s almost like he sucks all the air out of the room. I feel like there’s an elephant sitting on my chest.

“Of course we’ll go with you,” Paul says quietly. “We wouldn’t let you do it alone.”

Logan hugs Emily against his side, and she has Kit in her arms. “I’m never alone. But I’d like it a whole lot better if you could all be there with me.” His voice cracks. “I kind of need you guys. All of you.”

Paul holds up the I love you sign. And although none of the brothers can see one another, they’re all doing it at once. A sob forms in my chest, and I have to swallow it back. I wipe my eyes.