With no dad of my own to give me away, it’s Denise who walks me down the aisle before we even reach the church.
It’s a real church, with a real minister, just inside the studio lot which makes sense because it’s really the only place big enough and one where they could film so many people.
Studio head, Marcel Goodwyn is playing best man. Something Jack only shrugged at but it was kind of the clincher to let us have the wedding in the studio and film it.
He’s never had a family, so it’s a long story.
But long story short, he’s happy for the day, pretending to be an actual human with feelings.
“You okay?” Denise murmurs, gripping my arm as she helps me. I nod.
“Feel like I’m gonna throw up, but this is still the best day of my life,” I tell her honestly.
“Me too,” she whispers, squeezing my hand all the way up to the altar where we can see Jack’s huge outline even from this far back.
My heart is in my throat by the time we finally reach Jack, and I feel my hand slip from Denise’s into his making everything alright straight away.
I haven’t seen him for almost a full day, the longest we’ve ever been apart, and his hand in mine is the best feeling.
As soon as Jack’s eyes meet mine, they’re full of questions, mostly about the camera crews I figure, but we can argue about all that later.
I grimace a smile in the meantime and we both settle into the rehearsed lines, which I realize quickly too that he’s way ahead of me on, being his job to remember lines.
By the time we get to the “I do’s” I feel like I need the bathroom more than anything, and even though Jack has me firmly in his hand, I feel the whole church starting to swim in front of my eyes.
I zone out for a second, then hear the priest ask me again. “Do you take Jack to be your husband?”
Looking into Jack’s eyes I can see his concern at my moment’s hesitation, but his look changes again when I hear myself say the first thing that comes to mind.
“I’m pregnant.”
I finally manage to get out an official, “I do,” but becoming Jack’s wife is a close second place to knowing we’re both gonna be a mommy and a daddy.
There’s a non-stop flash from cameras all the way until we reach the limo after the official ceremony, off on our honeymoon.
A familiar jet waiting for us both, ‘destinations yet unknown’ in bold print on the card with the gift baskets on-board.
A surprise gift from the studios, and more surprising for me, Jack’s first trip overseas.
Who could have guessed?
Extended Epilogue
One Year Later
Jack
“I admit, I wasn’t too impressed by your little stunt turning our wedding into a movie, Ma. But I’ll be damned if you’re gonna-”
Olivia appears in front of me, her brows raised, almost daring me to curse let alone keep raising my voice just when she has little Anthony settled.
It works every time. That look.
She’s not mad, just wants things the best they can be. And daddy losing his temper is not the best, even if his agent is being a complete pain in the ass.
“Is Olivia there?” My mom chimes. Like she can see through the damned telephone, and always immune to whatever mood I’m in. “Can I speak with her please?”
“She’s busy,” I almost hiss, gripping the phone tighter until Olivia re-appears, handing me our darling boy and taking the phone from me in one single movement.
She knows my weakness, the one thing that melts me every time.
Apart from her of course, and that’s the feeling of our son in my arms.
“…Oh, he’ll be alright.” I hear Olivia explaining, waving my mood off as well while she disappears down the hall with a laundry basket on her hip with my phone against her ear.
“I guess it’s settled little man,” I tell my son.
“Looks like you’ll be going with Mommy and grandma, whether Daddy likes it or not.”
His little hands ball up in front of my face and he blows some bubbles, his best attempt at laughter so far until I get a whiff of the real punchline he’s packing.
“Very funny,” I observe, falling for it every time as I move my head down and take a deep sniff from next to his diaper.
As if I needed to prove it was there.
I’d prefer my son to make his own decisions about being in the spotlight, like when he’s old enough to do so. But Denise, his grandma now, has also managed to get my doting wife on her side.
Convincing themselves and little Anthony that it’s a great idea for him to go on the media circuit, promoting the film they made right in front of me behind my back.