Last Chance

Ryan Davis features in several of my stories. He and Hannah get together in my story, "In The Mirror." This is a quickie about their wedding. Enjoy.

I was sitting in my car staring at the doors of the church when the passenger door opened and my father sat down.

"What are you doing, son?" He asked calmly.

"I can't do it, dad. I'm freaking out." I showed him my trembling hands to somehow prove my words true.

He laughed.

"Ryan, everyone is afraid as they approach their wedding day. Hell, I had an empty flask in my pocket when I said I do to your mother. Your grandfather filled it twice that morning."

He laughed at his memory and pulled a silver engraved flask out of his pocket. It was engraved with my and my soon to be wife's names and the wedding date.

"A little Johnny Blue should steady those hands."

I took a swig from the proffered flask and thanked him. I tried to relax as the easy burn from the whiskey stung my throat.

"I love her, dad. Like no one I've loved before but I feel like I'm suffocating."

"What are you worried about, Ryan? Money? Work? Kids?"

"All of that and worse. What if I can't stay faithful to her? It would kill her."

He patted my knee as I sipped from the flask again. I hoped I had some breath mints in the car. The priest wouldn't like the smell of alcohol on my breath during the rehearsal.

"Son, you've sowed your oats plenty in the past and gave all the bed-hopping and one-night-stands up for her already. Why is it bothering you now?"

"I saw Hannah's sister and wanted to bang her in the closest closet."

He laughed again. There I was going through the biggest turmoil in my life and he found it funny.

"Oh, my dear son. There's always gonna be a good lookin' woman in front of you. Admire their beauty and move on. You don't have to screw every girl you're attracted to. You're marrying a hell of a hot woman you know."

"I know." Hannah, my fiancé, was beautiful. It was the first time I'd felt the old feelings since I started dating Hannah. It scared me stiff. Before Hannah, I never worried about being tempted. I screwed every girl that was willing. I worried my old horn-dog ways weren't as behind me as I thought they were.

I saw the door to the church open and my best man Ace walk towards us. He shook his head and tapped his watch as he approached my open window.

"Everyone is waiting on you, Ryan."

"He's having cold feet, Ace," my dad said chuckling.

"Shit, that's nothing." Ace laughed. "It'll go away. I also wanted to back out before I jumped into the fire. Best decision I ever made though and I'm happy as hell I went through with it."

I took another swig from the rapidly emptying flask and sighed. "I don't want to fail her."

My dad took the flask and took a sip. "Ryan, you've never failed at anything. You won't fail with Hannah."

"She wants a family right away, dad. Can you imagine me as a father?"

Both Ace and my dad laughed at me.

"Dude, no one knows if they will be a good father or not until they have kids and work at it. No one teaches us shit about being a dad. It comes from your heart."

"Ace is right, son. I'm not gonna lie to you. Adulting is hard. Real damn hard. Whether it's your job, your marriage, or your family; it all takes hard work. It's all worth it in the end, trust me on that."

I took a deep breath and said, "Okay. I get it. Let's get this rehearsal done and over before Hannah hangs me by my balls."

"That's it, son. Now you're thinking like a married man."

He and Ace laughed as I rolled my eyes and got out of the car.

****

The following day, I stood on the altar looking out at all of the people waiting for the show. The organist was playing some song Hannah picked and it didn't sound like any hymn I heard before.

I realized many in the church were laughing and some of the older folks thought whatever it was so funny they were crying.

I looked at Ace and asked, "What's going on?"

He shrugged his shoulders.

I looked at my parents and saw them laughing. I walked down from the altar and asked my dad, "Would you please fill me in on what's so damn funny?"

My mom started to sing along with the melody the organ was playing.

"Please release me, let me go,"

Then some of the other older folks joined in and before I knew it half the church was singing.

"For I don't love you anymore. To waste my life would be a sin. So release me, and let me love again."

Before I could react, the organist switched to Canon in D and I spun around to see all of the wedding party laughing at the back of the church.

"Better get up there, son," my dad said. I was so confused I simply did as I was told.

Ace slapped me on the back and the priest smiled. I realized it was a joke and they were all in on it. I shook my head and took my place.

They got me.

The Wedding March started, and a tear fell down my cheek as I watched Hannah walk up the aisle. She was more beautiful than I'd ever seen her.

I stepped down and accepted her father's hand and he whispered, "Hurt her and I'll cut your balls off." I smiled wanly and led my bride to the altar. So much for weddings being solemn.

I found out later that Hannah had written HE on the sole of her left heel and LP on the right. I had to admit it was funny and I wished I'd thought of it.

***

As we were called to dance our first dance as a married couple, she had a smirk on her face.

"What now, minx?" I asked.

"You'll see, my love."

I shook my head and we took our position on the floor with a lone spotlight on us. The entire room was watching us and some were clinking glasses to make us kiss. The song hadn't started yet, so I leaned down and kissed her.

At that moment, the DJ played Tainted Love instead of our song, Can't Help Falling In Love.

I glared at the DJ and saw our wedding party standing with microphones singing along.

"Got ya, again!" My beautiful wife said. She kissed me and then our song started.

Years later, when we look at the pictures, I laugh at the look on my face during that dance. In the moment though, I was a confused idiot.

I got my revenge later during the other dances.

During dinner, my dad told me that Hannah wanted to have a fun wedding and all of them were in on it, except me. I tipped the DJ a hundred bucks and had him change the songs for my dance with my mom and Hannah's dance with her dad.

I had him play Mother's Little Helper by the Stones for my mother's big moment. For some reason, she didn't enjoy the little ditty about a mother taking drugs. I guess she lost her sense of humor all of a sudden.

When it was time for the father/daughter dance, my darling wife and her father looked at me smirking at them and I saw fear in their eyes.

Hannah and her father took dancing lessons for their dance for months before the wedding. The song was supposed to be My Girl. Nope. I changed it to Papa Was A Rolling Stone. To their credit, they danced their choreographed dance to it, albeit a little faster.

***

When all was said and done, I survived my wedding. I was sitting at the table in our suite, sipping Champagne, when my wife came out of the bathroom in the sexiest lingerie I'd ever seen.

When I picked my jaw up from the floor, we kissed. I broke the kiss and said, "Thank you for marrying me, my love."

She smiled and said, "Thank you for putting up with my little fun at your expense. I didn't want a stuffy and boring traditional wedding."

"Well, it certainly wasn't that."

We laughed and she reached behind her back, pulled out a small flask, and offered me a toast. I pulled my flask from my pocket and toasted her, "To fear."

She giggled and said, "Be afraid. Be very afraid. Now, let's make a baby!"