“Eh, that’s okay. I wasn’t going to pay Miles back anyway, thetightwad.”
My mother, her arm hooked in Casey’s, arrived to give me a hug, but we ended up doing a weird three-person one instead. “That was such a beautiful wedding,” she said, her eyes filling withtears.
“Are you crying?” I asked, smiling my amusement by her predictable display ofemotion.
“What?” she said, slapping my shoulder as a smile spread across her face. “Why is it that you and your brothers insist on finding enjoyment in mytears?”
“They just come at such random times,isall.”
“There’s nothing random about it, Jake,” Casey said, pushing me. “They’re weddingtears.”
“Exactly.” Mom dabbed hers dry with a far-off, dreamy look. “There’s just something about being on the cusp of life with your whole world waiting for you that slays me every time. It’s going to be abeautifulride.”
Her normally stoic posture sagged under the emotions of the moment. There was more to her words than just standard sentiment. The life she spoke of, the one waiting for me, had only been made possible by my mother’s undying devotion. I gathered her into my arms and whispered in her ear, “Thanks toyou,Mom.”
* * *
With the ceremony behind us,it was time to focus on fun, and that’s just what I intended to do. After last night’s challenges, I needed to relax and just let loose. The free flowing alcohol helped with that. If there was ever a time to celebrate, it was now. I’d just married the woman I loved and was surrounded by a group of people who wanted only the best for us. The steady stream of well-wishers kept Casey and me busy nearly the entire reception. There would be no sneaking off to a hidden balcony tonight or a trip to some corner table to rest our weary feet. Tonight we took center stage, and it was our happiness that was ondisplay.
Well, that and all the amazing touches Casey and Boris had put into making this an unforgettable night. The two had outdone themselves. The way they paired and blended items to capture both our personalities made the reception seem almost homey to me. From the hanging floral centerpieces, each featuring floating glass balls resembling bubbles, to the single most unique party favor I’d ever seen – a crystal-encrusted guitar-shaped calculator – it was clear that every detail had been planned and executed with care. The best part of all, not having been an active participant in the planning process, were the surprises that awaited me at every turn. I had to hand it to Boris. He was well worth the exorbitant amount of money I’dpaidhim.
Perhaps my favorite part of the evening’s touches was the menu, which Casey had handpicked to feature everything I loved to eat. It wasn’t a fancy dinner meant to impress, but a downhome meal of tri-tip and baked potatoes. While I chowed down, Casey was busy holding court and looking effortlessly ravishing in her wedding gown. Not able to help myself, I frequently leaned over to give her kisses, just because she was so incredibly beautiful and I loved her sodamnmuch.
Midway through dinner, Casey and I were surprised by a performance by Quinn, accompanied by Emma on the piano. He’d stepped up to the microphone, appearing not only confident but also older and wiser than I’d ever seen him. He caught my eye, almost defiantly, as if he thought maybe I’d shoo him off the stage or something. Suddenly I felt bad for the interaction we’d had last night. He’d probably been working on this song for weeks in order to surprise me, and I’d been a total dicktohim.
Quinn gripped the microphone. “I have a confession to make. I was Jake’s youngest and first fan. When I was a little boy, I used to hide in the family room to listen to him play. It wasn’t just that I loved his music, which I did, but I actually imagined myself being him. I swore I’d be as good as that someday. Well, I’m still trying, but the thing with Jake is that catching up to him is a losing battle because the better I get, the better he gets. Still, it’s a challenge I take on every single day of my life. I’m committed to making him proud no matter how long it takes. Jake, you’re my brother, my mentor, and my inspiration. And Casey – I liked you from the very start. You’re a great addition to the family. Congratulations to bothofyou.”
And with those heart-felt words, Emma led the way on the piano and then Quinn began to sing. For the first time in my life, I really listened. The subtle nuances in his voice, the tonality, and his superior guitar playing skills shocked me. Quinn was no hanger-on. He was the real goddamn deal. How had I not seen this before? He wasn’t looking for a handout. Quinn just wanted my approval. I swallowed hard, feeling like a total jerk for the way I’d beentreatinghim.
Casey gripped my hand, no doubt sensing my inner turmoil. Leaning in, she whispered in my ear, “It’s never too late to workthingsout.”
No, she got that right. I had a whole lot of grovelingtodo.
* * *
Kyle’sbest man speech followed a number of heartfelt toasts, and without even knowing what was on his notecards, I suspected he would bring the fun… and, of course, I wasn’tdisappointed.
“Hi, everyone. Can I have your attention please? My name’s Kyle, and I’ll be your best man for theevening.”
After pausing for the applause, as well as a few chuckles, Kyle continued. “I’d like to start by saying thank you to whoever’s bright idea it was to have a wedding in August… in Arizona. I’m sweating in places I never knew I could sweat. Now, I’m not pointing fingers at anyone,Jake and Casey…” Kyle dropped his voice to boom our names out over the microphone. “…but I’d really like to know the thought process behindthatselection. I mean, I’ll be the first to admit, I don’t always make the smartest choices. In fact, some might say my decision-making skills closely resemble those of a squirrel when crossing a busy road, yet even I would have thought twice about having a wedding in the desert at the exact time of year when birds are forced to use potholders to pull worms out of theground.”
The reception guests laughed, and I settled into my seat. Kyle was off to a good start, a few jokes to lighten the mood. There was no need forconcern.
“Let’s move on to why I’m here… to deliver a mildly funny, heartwarming best man speech to honor my brother and his beautiful new wife.” Kyle stopped to look down at his notecards before throwing them up in the air and watching them cascade to the ground. “Nah, we don’t need these. I’ve always been more of a seat of the pants kind of guy. What do you say? Should Iwingit?”
No. No winging it. Anything but winging it.By the amused smirk on Kyle’s face, I knew it was already too late. He was improvising, and there was nothing I could do to stop it. Buckling in, I held on fortheride.
“First off, I’d like to acknowledge my brother for picking me. Dude, I know you had options, and, honestly, you probably should have taken them. This could very well become the second very bad decision of yourwedding.”
The crowd applauded his cocky warning, seemingly bloodthirsty for some good old fashioned dirt. But although Kyle certainly had the mud to sling, I had faith that he’d never bury me under a pile of sludge. Kyle was nothing if not loyal. He had my back even when I gave him no reason to and had never, in all the years, waivered in his devotion to me. So even though he was clearly planning on embarrassing me, I was certain his ribbing would be all in good fun. After all, Kyle knew the boundaries and had never been one to toetheline.
“So where to start? I met Jake in the 90’s and, to be honest, when we were first introduced, I wasn’t all that impressed. He’s not a bad-looking guy now, but back then, ladies, he was bald, chubby around the middle, and he had these short, stubbylittlelegs.”
“I was a baby,” Icalledout.
“Jake, please don’t interrupt. See, this is the type of thing I have to deal with on a daily basis. Anyway, as I was saying, our dashing groom wasn’t what we’d consider classically handsome back then; and to make matters worse, he wobbled around when he walked, stumbling into walls… and, you know, the way he carried that bottle around, I’ll admit I thought he had a drinking problem. But thankfully our little sumo wrestler grew out of the awkward stage and became a pretty cool toddler – then an even more impressive kid. I took to following him around just so I wouldn’t miss anything. And that, in a nutshell, is our relationship today.Theend.”
I pushed back my seat and abruptly stood, clapping for him, as if it truly were the end of hisspeech.
