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barbiewritesstuff · 1 year

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Church Encounters: Chapter 23

-- Sorry this took a while, life got busy! Also please don't be mad, this is 15k words... enjoy!

This fic is written in collaboration with @lgg5989 who will be posting this to her tumblr and her AO3

Previous Part

Taglist: @acarboni21 @unsurebuttrying @dempy @peaches-1998 @bbooks-and-teas @roosterscock @positivelyholland --

“Cupcakes are done!” Natasha said, popping her head through the doorway, her hair covered in four where she had brushed it away from her forehead, “I know I know, I look like whatsername from X-men.”

“Rogue?” Jake volunteered.

“That’s the one!” Natasha smiled,” Anyway, they’re cooling in the fridge, I can make the icing if you want but I don’t know if you want to frost them now or if you’re keeping that for tomorrow…”

“No, I want to get it out of the way, I think. We’ll be busy enough tomorrow as is,” you replied, slowly getting out of the rocking chair, placing Charlotte back in Jake’s arms so the three of them could snuggle while you worked.

“I made you a coffee,” Phoenix said, “It’s decaf though. I know y’all are only allowed like three cups total, my sister had to kick the habit when she got pregnant,” she explained. You hummed in agreement, placing one hand on her arm and giving it a gentle squeeze of thanks.

“So we’re making --,” you started, quickly checking your phone for Maria’s cake instructions, “-- a chocolate ganache for the chocolate cake, a vanilla cream cheese frosting with caramel drizzle for the carrot cake and a whipped cream frosting for the strawberry tier -- actually, I’ll do that one tomorrow, whipped cream frosting doesn’t last great in the fridge … I think we can make vanilla cream cheese and caramel for the cupcakes, what do you think?”

“Sounds great to me. What are we doing for the like outside decorations? How does she want it to look?” Nat asked, glancing over at your phone.

“White frosting over the entire cake, with a small chocolate heart saying ‘B + M’ like a carving in a tree,” you replied, “Easy peasy,” you smiled.

Making the frosting was the easy bit, you knew the recipes by heart now after years and years of baking and being the designated dessert person at every barbecue, dinner party and birthday party any of your friends had ever had, but as much as you enjoyed baking, cake decorating was your least favourite bit.

Still, you did your best to bring Maria’s vision to life. You whipped up the ganache and spread it between layers of the chocolate cake, made a well in the carrot cake’s cream cheese frosting to pour cooled caramel in, and painstakingly piped buttercream over every single one of the vegan cupcakes. In order to limit what you would need to do tomorrow, you also made the white buttercream that would cover the whole cake, making sure to add a drop of purple food colouring into the mix to really bring out the white.

You crashed down into the sofa, exhausted and horrified to find out it was already lunch. You mentally went through your pantry and fridge, wondering what you could cook up when the doorbell rang.

“I’ve got it!” Jake called, coming out of the nursery, still wearing his pyjamas. He made his way to the front door, patting down his hair to look a little more presentable before opening it.

“I bring lunch,” Beau announced, “And bad news, I’m afraid. The Seresin clan are stuck at the airport, the plane’s had a mystery malfunction and they don’t know when they’ll get there. I’m on standby to pick them up until then… I haven’t told Bob and Maria, obviously, they’re already stressed enough…”

“Bob was a wreck last night while we were fixing the car, Father Dan ended up sending him home while we fixed the car just so he could take a breather,” Jake said, “It’s all good, though, the car’s running again.”

“What was wrong with it?”

“Would not be able to tell you,” Jake laughed, “I’m not a car guy, they just told me what to do and I did it.”

“I would have thought you’d know something about cars, Jake,” Nat said, coming in with a pot of coffee for everyone and four mugs.

“Nat, please move in,” you sighed, gratefully taking your second cup of caffeinated coffee of the day into two hands. Natasha laughed, she took the seat next to you on the sofa, sitting as far away from Cyclone as physically possible.

“It’s weird seeing him outside of work,” she whispered in your ear, “He’s so… normal,” she added. You chuckled, “I keep thinking he’s going to glare at me and tell me off for reckless flying,” she said

“I wouldn’t have to, Lieutenant Trace, if you didn’t fly recklessly. I know Bob trusts you, but that doesn’t mean I have to give you carte blanche for every manoeuvre you can think of when you’re flying against Bradshaw,” Cyclone said, fixing her with one of his famous glares, “I like my son to come home in one piece.”

“Yessir,” she said, making herself as small as possible, like a student being told of by a teacher.

“Anyway, tuck in,” Beau replied, pulling little boxes out of the brown bag he had brought in. He placed one in front of you, removing the lid at the same time to reveal a portion of Lizzie’s infamous lasagna. Jake disappeared into the kitchen for a second, coming back with cutlery for everyone but before you could scoop a mouthful onto your plate, Jake’s phone rang. He picked up, putting it on speaker

“Well I’m fucking cursed, is this what I get for getting Maria --” Bob started

“Speaker!” Jake warned, “Beau is here, and so is Phoenix,”

The line went quiet for a moment before Bob answered, more calmly, “Right, thanks.”

“What’s gone wrong now?” you asked.

“The Dj was setting up, we had a power cut and the computer won’t start,” Bob sighed, “I’m cursed, I swear…”

“Calm down. I’ll come by and see what’s up, I might be able to fix it for you,” Jake said, abandoning his lasagna and pushing it towards you, “Give me twenty minutes to hop in the shower and drive over, though.”

He bounded up the stairs, skipping every other step to speed up the process. A few seconds later you heard your ensuite shower turn on and another moment later you heard it turn off as Jake stepped out to find some clothes to wear. Bob was still on the phone, talking to Phoenix and Beau as Maria talked to the wedding planner, telling them where she wanted things to go.

“Most of the out of state guests on my side have made it here okay, we’re having dinner with my mom tonight. She’s not met Maria, yet -- Oh, I’ve just realised, she doesn’t know I’m catholic… That’ll be interesting…,” he said, chuckling nervously, “Anyway, I better go before something else breaks… I don’t want Maria to have to deal with the stress all by herself…”

Jake barrelled back down the stairs, his own laptop tucked under his arm in case the DJ’s couldn’t be fixed. He kissed you on the lips, waved at Phoenix and clapped Beau on the shoulder before vanishing down the corridor to bid your napping babies goodbye.

“I forgot how much they slept,” Beau said as he watched Jake quietly close the nursery’s door, “And how tiny they are at that age,” he added.

“They’ve already grown up so much,” you replied, looking past Beau at the gallery wall of family pictures. While many were of just you and Jake, you had started adding pictures of the little ones too.

Taking centre stage was one of the first pictures you had ever taken as a family, albeit none of you knew it at the time, Bob had sneaked in after his first visit, having forgotten his jacket and caught all of you sleeping. You were laying on the bed, the babies were peacefully snoozing in their crib, and Jake had fallen asleep on a chair, his leg over one of the arm rests and his head resting against the wall behind him. Bob had sent it to you as soon as you woke up, and you had it printed two days after getting home. Although it was supposed to be a funny picture, you found it sweet and it showcased just how tiny the twins had been the day they finally arrived.

“Hmm,” Beau sighed, “Feels like the triplets arrived yesterday…They’re in primary school now… They can write and read a little. Goodness, soon enough I’ll have to worry about them dating,” he laughed but you could tell by the way his head hung low that he felt sad about it. Phoenix stood up, taking the empty cups and lasagna boxes with her to the kitchen.

“You grew up so fast,” he whispered, kissing your forehead, “One second you fit into my arms and now look at you…”

You stood up, grabbing the waist of his shirt to pull him closer and hugged him tightly, “I still fit,” you mumbled into his shirt, “I’ll always fit.”

You felt him smile against your forehead as he placed a kiss against your skin, “I love you,” he said.

“I love you too,” you replied.

----

You worried over the arrival of the Seresins’ flight all night, but early the next morning you received the text from Beau saying that they had landed.

You opened the front door and shivered. While California didn’t know true cold weather, you had lived here long enough to shiver as soon as the temperature dropped below 50F, much to Annie and Audrey’s amusement. At the thought of them, a frown marred your face. Annie and Audrey’s flight had been delayed since yesterday. Lake effect snow from Chicago had hit Indianapolis, grounding their flights. You weren’t sure if they would even make the wedding, but you hadn’t given up hope yet.

You wrapped your knit cardigan tighter around you, hoping it would keep you protected from the wind but it proved no barrier against the breeze as you stretched out your arm to hug Sophia, who, in her puffy coat, was equally unused to the cold.

“Hello mama!” she said, her teeth shattering as she spoke, still cheerful despite the time and the lack of sleep. Their flight had landed three hours ago after a six hour delay. They had gone to the hotel to check in and shower, but the adults, full of giddy energy, had all opted to stay awake and come over.

“How are you feeling? How is the baby?” She asked. You paused for a moment, debating what to say. Jake had briefed you earlier that none of his siblings had been told about the twins.

“We’re all good!” you answered, deciding on the most diplomatic answer you could manage, one that was technically not a lie. You let Sophia through into the warm house where she settled herself onto the sofa, in front of the open fire, palms stretched out in front of her to warm herself up.

You looked back out towards the driveway where Giovanni Senior, Gio and Tony were unbuckling sleeping children and passing them onto Beau, Isabella and Alessandra to carry into the house. Leaving your post by the door you went to check up on the dryer cycle in the laundry room, you saw the timer had run out. You pulled warm blankets out, folding them into a laundry basket as you went and carried them all to the spare room, where you had set up mattresses and camp beds for the children to sleep in. Giving each bed a blanket, you made sure it all looked comfortable before taking Agostino out of his father’s arms and placing him down on a bed, his toy monkey held tightly in his hands.

“Where is yours then?” Gio asked with a grin, nodding towards his son.

“Still sleeping, you’ll meet them when they wake up,” you said, plastering a smile on your face.

“Oh come on, enough with the secrecy. We tried to get mom to tell us anything and even she wouldn’t budge,” he said, his voice rather whiney for a grown man, “Wouldn’t even tell us if it was a boy or a girl.”

You let out a quiet laugh, “You’ll just have to wait and see! I think Jake wanted to be here when you met them.”

“Fine!” he huffed, “I’ll be patient. They better be f--” he started, trying to censor his swear “--firetrucking cute.”

“Firetrucking?” you asked, barely trying to hold in your grin.

“Silenzio,” Gio replied, sticking his tongue out at you. He exited the room and you followed up behind, crossing Tony in the corridor.

When you emerged into the kitchen, you found Isabella already puttering about, talking to Jake in Italian as she searched through cupboards for the premium Italian coffee grounds. You always kept a small amount for Isabella who simply refused to drink ‘any of that American shit’ as she called it.

“Bellissimo! È bello vederti!” she exclaimed as soon as she spotted you, engulfing you in a bone breaking hug. Beautiful! So good to see you!, “Sembri in salute,” she added, stepping back a little so she could properly look at you. You look healthy.

“Mi sento in salute, se non si contano la privazione del sonno,” you replied, dusting off whatever remained of the duolingo course you had started, and never finished after first meeting the Seresins. I feel healthy, if you don't count the sleep deprivation.

Your attempt raised cheers, Tony and Gio enthusiastically clapping and Alessa letting out a couple of ‘Whoop whoops’ of celebration while Jake beamed at you from the other side of the room.

“Dov'è il caffè, tesoro? Non posso bere questa merda americana,” Isabella asked, getting right back to business. Where is the coffee, darling? I cannot drink this American shit. You walked around her, opening one of the cupboards she hadn’t managed to search through yet and pulled the small tin out from the back, handing it to her with a smile.

“Shh!” Alessa suddenly said, putting her index in front of her lips, “Ascoltare,” she whispered. The entire room grew quiet, listening out for whatever Alessandra had heard. Quietly, as if talking to himself, you heard Christopher’s little voice. Jake moved to get to the nursery, but he was almost immediately pushed to the side and into Giovanni Senior by Gio.

Giovanni Junior booked it to the nursery and for a second, no one else moved. Your gaze crossed Jake’s and suddenly, as if everyone else had made up their mind at the same time they all stood up and ran. Jake followed right behind, passing in front of Tony and your sisters-in-law but not quite making it to the door before Gio. Both reached for the door handle at the same time, Gio’s hand landing underneath Jake’s, the weight of which pushed the handle down and the door swung open revealing two cribs, two names painted above the beds and two babies.

“Buon Dio,” Tony said. Good God, bringing his hand to his forehead, “Ce ne sono due.” There are two.

Jake pushed past his brother so he could step into the nursery to soothe Christopher, Tony stepping in next to Gio to take his place, effectively blocking the door and any hope to see into the room for Alessa and Sophia who had resorted to standing on their tiptoes, straining their necks to catch a glimpse of the babies.

“Bontà Graziosa” Gio sighed. Graceful goodness.

“Cosa hai detto?” Alessa asked, touching Tony’s shoulder to grab his attention. What did you say?

“Gemelli? Gesù Cristo…Non fai le cose a mezze misure,” Gio said, his voice so low only Jake and Tony could hear. Twins? Jesus Christ, you don’t do things in half measures.

“Di cosa stai parlando?” Alessa asked, what are you talking about, getting more frustrated. She threw herself against her husband’s shoulder, causing him to stumble forward and her to fall though, “Gesù, Maria e Giuseppe,” Jesus, Mary and Joseph, she swore, “Sono gemelli,” They are twins, she called out to her sister-in-law.

Sophia gasped. Seeing you making your way to join them, she ran up and hugged you, squeezing the air out of your lungs.

“Hai avuto un taglio cesareo?” Did you have a c-section? she asked, looking horrified when you shook your head, “Sei più coraggioso di quanto lo sarei mai stato io,” You are braver than I would have been, she breathed. Sophia paused for a second, holding you at arms length so she could look into your eyes as she spoke, “Per favore, dimmi che hai avuto un'epidurale.” Please tell me you had an epidural.

You shook your head again, laughing at her expression of half horror and half reverence.

“Non sapevamo che avremmo avuto due gemelli. Lo abbiamo scoperto solo quando ha dato alla luce il primo,” Jake laughed. We didn’t know we were having twins. We only found out when she gave birth to the first one.

“I wouldn’t have had an epidural even if I knew I was having twins,” you said, “I had gas and air so it wasn’t completely natural,” you told Sophia.

“More natural than I would have ever wanted. I would have had morphine if I could, especially with Catalina,” she replied.

“Possiamo vedere i bambini o dobbiamo aspettare un altro mese?” Gio grumbled. Can we see them or do we have to wait another month?

“Li vedrai quando decideremo che puoi vederli. Hanno fame,” You can see them when we decide you can. They are hungry. Jake replied, raising an eyebrow at his brother. The crowd parted to let you through and he handed you Christopher after kissing his chubby cheek, still happily making noises by himself, trying to figure out everything his little voice could do. Jake walked back towards his siblings and into the corridor, closing the door behind him to give you privacy as you fed them.

“Sei svenuto?” Did you faint? Gio asked Jake as you emerged from the nursery, holding both of your babies against your chest

“I’m not you Gio, I’m not a coward,” he replied, winking at his brother.

Isabella gasped, seeing you arrive with your precious cargo, “Guarda come sono cresciuti!” See how they have grown! She exclaimed, throwing her arms up in the air, crossing the distance between the two of you in two large strides. She fussed over the babies, petting their little cheeks and making cooing noises at them while they looked on with eyes as wide as dinner plates.

“Non dirlo, mamma. Sono minuscoli. Sono i nostri bambini piccoli,” Don't say it, mom. They are tiny. They are our little children, Jake said, flinchingat his mother’s words.

Giovanni Senior smiled, engulfing him in a side hug, “Saranno sempre dei bambini piccoli. Anche quando sono cresciuti. Anche quando hanno i loro bambini,” They will always be small children. Even when they have grown up. Even when they have their own children, he said.

“Ma cresceranno, è inevitabile. Un giorno ti svegli e sono tutti sposati, ma saranno comunque i tuoi figli,” But they will grow, it is inevitable. One day you wake up and they are all married, but they will still be your children, he continued with a sigh, tears welling up in his eyes, “Non sono pronto per oggi,” I'm not ready for today Giovanni whispered.

“Andrà tutto bene, papà. Starai bene,” Everything will be fine, dad. You'll be fine, Jake replied, turning around to properly hug his father, “Non è stato male quando tutti noi ci siamo sposati, andrà bene anche con Maria.” It wasn't bad when we all got married, it will be fine with Maria too.

Isabella shot him a look, “Ha pianto per due giorni quando ti sei sposato...Continuava a dirmi che non era pronto per far crescere il suo bambino,” she said. Jake looked at his father, mouth ajar, looking dumbfounded and amused. He cried for two days when you got married ... He wasn’t ready to see his baby grow up.

“Oh, papà! Sei un tale tenero!” Jake laughed but the blush spreading over his face betrayed how touched he truly was. Oh, dad! You are going soft!

“Va bene, basta. Basta!” Okay, that's enough. That's enough! Giovanni Senior grumbled, swatting his youngest son’s hands away from him in embarrassment, “Vediamo quei bambini. Maria sarà qui presto,” he added. Let's see those children. Maria will be here soon.

“Arriverà tra due ore! Sei solo imbarazzato” Jake replied smiling broadly, lunging away from his dad when Giovanni pretended to raise his hand at him. She will arrive in two hours! You're just embarrassed.

“Hai pianto al mio matrimonio?” Gio asked. Did you cry at my wedding?

“No,” Giovanni replied.

“Bugiardo,” Isabella laughed, “Ha pianto a tutti i tuoi matrimoni. Era molto triste vedervi crescere, ma è molto orgoglioso di ciò che siete diventati,” she said, going around to kiss all of her sons on their cheeks. Liar, he cried at all your weddings. He was very sad to see you grow up, but he is very proud of who you have become.

“Siamo entrambi molto orgogliosi,” she added. We are both very proud.

“So,” Sophia said, looking at you with eager eyes, “Who’s who and can I hold one?”

You laughed, quickly introducing the twins to the group and passing Christopher off to Sophia while you kept Charlotte to yourself. While you were having a much easier time allowing anyone other than Jake hold the babies, your panic still flared up sometimes. It wasn’t that you didn’t trust them, because you did, but having your babies in the arms of another felt a little too much like having someone rip a part of you away. Having Charlotte in your arms was just as much for your reassurance as it was for hers, she was the least sociable of the twins and tended to get panicky if anyone else so much as looked at her for a little too long.

After Sophia, Christopher was passed onto Tony, then Gio and then Alessa, and, after the commotion woke Luca and Agostino, your baby was passed on to the children who gently held him in their arms as they sat on the sofa, a little scared to move. Eventually, after your little boy had met the entire family, Jake took him in his arms again and Beanie breathed a heavy sigh of relief.

“Look at him, so happy to be in daddy’s arms. He knows he’s safe with you, Jake,” you whispered to him, leaning against his shoulder, “He knows who you are and he loves you,” you added, kissing the sleeve of his shirt.

The doorbell rang, making you all jump. You stood up and walked to get the door, swinging it open clumsily, Charlotte still laying in your arms, swaddled in a pale pink blanket. The wind and cold had turned to rain at some point in the morning and although the sun had risen hours ago, it was still dark out, thick grey storm clouds hanging low above San Diego. Maria stood on the doorstep, soaked through the bone despite Bob’s leather coat, holding a large blue shopping bag.

You stepped aside to let her in. She stripped off her jacket and kicked off her shoes and her wet socks, shedding her woollen cardigan at the same time.

“Ugh!” she groaned, “We’re cursed. I swear we’re cursed. First the cake, then the car, then the DJ’s stupid computer and now torrential rain… Oh! And I didn’t sleep last night,” she added, “I feel like such a hot mess,” Maria said, “Did morning sickness kick your ass this much?” she asked in a whisper.

“I’m sorry, I’ll make you a ginger and lemon tea. It helps with nausea. We can say it’s to fight off a cold,” you whispered back.

“You are my favourite sister-in-law, you know that?” she said, shooting you a wink, “Is this my darling baby niece?”

Maria leaned over to kiss Charlotte, leaving a perfect print of her red lipstick on her little forehead, “See this is why I told the makeup artist to use lipstick and not lipgloss. Lipgloss bleeds on everything,” she mumbled, using her long sleeve to wipe away the mark.

You chuckled, “Relax, it’ll all be okay,” you said, rubbing her arm reassuringly.

“I can’t relax,” she sighed, “I desperately want to relax but I can’t because everything is just going wrong.”

“Maria, are you healthy?” you asked sternly. She nodded, “And is Bob healthy?” you said. She nodded again, “And is the baby healthy?” you asked. She nodded again, “Then nothing’s going wrong.”

“I just feel like we’re being punished,” she admitted, “We’ve sinned against Him.”

“Maria, I don’t think the Lord would bother exacting vengeance on something -- I’m sorry -- on something so minor. He’s blessed you with a baby and He will bless you with a happy marriage so just try and enjoy the day you’re having. I know it’s chaotic and stressful, but there are blessings to be found in the hardest days,” you said, “Isaiah 41:10-13: fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand. The Lord is with you and he will stay with you for as long as you let Him.”

“You’re right,” she said, “You’re right,” she repeated, a little brighter and more enthusiastic, “Everyone is healthy, I am about to get married to the love of my life and the Lord is with me, everything is going great,” Maria smiled, “But if anything else breaks, I swear I will cry.”

“I’ll bring tissues,” you grinned, “let’s get you that tea before you actually need it to fight a cold.”

You walked into the living room, dropping Charlotte off on Jake’s lap so he could hold both of the children, and continued on your way until you got to the kitchen where you switched on the kettle and prepared a teapot.

“Who wants tea?” you called out. Four hands shot out into the air while their owners continued the conversation they were having.

As you opened the fridge, Maria made her entrance, having dropped off her bag in the corridor where it could dry off on the welcome mat without staining your hardwood floor any more than you already had. You pulled out a small chopping board and a knife.

“You’re early!” you heard Isabella shout, Maria’s answer muffled by the hug her mother had pulled her in, “You’re freezing, bellissima,” she gasped, “You’ll catch a cold.”

“I’ll restart the fire, I think Y/n is making tea,” Jake said, standing up. You saw him hand the twins over to Sophia and Alessa and your heart wrenched a little before you forced yourself to ignore what was going on in the other room and got back to the task at hand.

You cut up the lemon, dropping it in a teapot before peeling and thinly slicing some ginger to go with it, you drowned it all in boiling water and topped it off with a healthy drizzle of honey, mixing it all by gently swirling it around. Once you were satisfied, you put it all onto a tray with cups and some biscuits and joined everyone on the sofas.

----

Once tea was done, Maria joined you in your bedroom so that you could help her into her dress. You had skipped out on tea early to take a shower and do your own hair and makeup while your children were being carefully watched by Jake and the family.

“Y/n, you look beautiful!” she exclaimed, taking in the deep emerald velvet of the dress you had chosen for the wedding. It was the first time you had dressed up since having the twins and you were feeling a little more self conscious than usual.

“Do you really think so?” you asked her.

“Absolutely, my brother isn’t going to be able to keep his hands to himself,” she said, a devious look on her face. “Thank you again for the tea, I feel much better,” she continued as she put her things down on your bed, “I was hoping no one would realise I wasn’t staying here anymore but apparently someone did some snooping.”

“Oh?” you asked, confused as to who would go wandering through your house.

“Dad said he wrote me a letter and that he went to put it in my room, but he found it empty,” she explained, a pained expression on her face.

You felt more at ease knowing that it was Giovanni, “What did you tell him?” you asked her as you took her dress bag, hanging it on the back of your bathroom door.

“I just told him Bob and I were doing what you and Jake did, where he sleeps in the guest room and I am in the master,” she answered.

“Do you think he believed you?” you questioned as you unzipped the bag for her dress.

“I’m not sure, I hope so,” she said, “Regardless, we are getting married today so it’s not like it’ll matter in,” she stopped for a minute, looking down at her phone, “Three hours.”

You let out a quiet chuckle as you freed the skirt of her dress from the bag, “Maria, this dress is beautiful,” you said, your eyes widening at the beautiful white material hanging in front of you. Maria’s dress was simply stunning. The gown was a pure, brilliant white. It had a simple strapless, sweetheart neckline, and the fitted bodice led down to a fluffy, full skirt that was every bit as princess looking as Maria was. Unlike what you were expecting, the dress was rather plain, with no beading or lace to be seen. It didn’t need it though, the snow white material was so beautiful, and with its silver underskirt, the dress was literally shimmering in the light of your bedroom.

“Thank you,” she said, coming to stand beside you, “I just hope it fits, I’m not too far along but I have a little bump forming.”

“I’m sure it’ll fit just fine,” you said with a smile, “Let’s get you in it!”

You helped Maria into the dress, only struggling for a moment with the zipper and buttons on the back before carefully pinning her veil into her gorgeous updo.

“I think you are going to kill him,” you said, your hands pressed over your mouth.

“I hope not,” Maria replied with a laugh, “I kinda need him.”

You cracked open the door to your room and peeked out into the hall before fully opening it and ushering Maria into the hall.

The two of you descended the stairs to find the rest of the family dressed up for the occasion, all except for Jake. When Maria entered the room everyone crowded around her, singing high praise at her dress and how beautiful she looked, but your husband only had eyes for you.

“Hey beautiful,” he said, coming to stand in front of you.

“Hey handsome,” you replied, “You need to get dressed.”

“On my way love, will you watch this one for me? Amanda has Christopher,” he told you as he carefully transferred Charlotte into your arms.

Amanda came highly recommended to you by your paediatrician, she was a nurse at the hospital you gave birth at who babysat small babies in her free time for some extra money. While it made you nervous to leave your precious babies home with someone else, you didn’t want to worry about them all night at the wedding and you knew that they wouldn’t be able to sleep with the noise of the music at the reception.

“Of course,” you replied immediately, smiling down at your daughter, “I hung your dress blues on the bathroom door,” you called out after him.

“Thanks love!” he shouted as he made it to the top of the stairs.

Once Jake was dressed and you were all ready to leave, not without triple checking Amanda had everyone’s numbers and knew exactly where everything was, you loaded into your Tahoe, Jake’s truck, and the rental SUV that Giovanni had gotten at the airport to drive to the church.

The drive from yours to the Immaculate Conception Church in San Diego took double what it should have. Traffic, despite the fact that it was nearing two in the afternoon on a Tuesday, seemed to have San Diego at a standstill, but when you finally made it to the church’s carpark, the only one seeming stress-free was Maria.

“It’s not like they can start without me,” she smiled, smoothing out her dress and readjusting her veil.

“How are you feeling?” Isabella asked, having fussed over Giovanni’s tie so much that she hadn’t heard her daughter speak.

Maria beamed, “Giddy. Mi sposo, mamma!” she said, adding the last bit in a whisper, as if she was telling her mother a secret. I’m getting married, mom! Isabella giggled, taking her daughter's hand in hers and kissing the knuckles.

Gio came up behind her, throwing his arm around her shoulders with the hint of a tear in his eyes, “Sì, lo sei, sorellina,” he sniffled, “E sai cosa ti rende?” he asked. Yes you are, little sister. And you know what that makes you?

“Tutti cresciuti?” Maria answered. All grown up?

“Non è più un nostro problema,” he replied, barking out a teary laugh, high fiving with Tony while Maria rolled her eyes. Not our problem anymore.

“Non essere cattivo con tua sorella il giorno del suo matrimonio” Isabella said, outraged at her eldest sons’ behaviour. Don't be mean to your sister on her wedding day.

“Mamma, si sta per sposare, non è sul letto di morte,” Gio replied, still masking his genuine emotionality with sarcasm and jokes. Mom, she’s getting married, she’s not on her deathbed.

“Mi prenderesti ancora in giro sul letto di morte,” Maria replied. You would still tease me on my deathbed. “Almeno Jacob ha la decenza di sembrare emotivo,” she grinned, pointing at Jake as he wiped his eyes with the sleeve of his dress blues. At least Jacob has the decency to look emotional.

“Queste sono lacrime di tristezza per Bob,” Jake replied, soon devolving into full-on sobs. He grabbed Maria by the forearm and pulled her into a hug, “Ti amo, piccola seccatrice. Prenditi cura del mio amico,” he said against her hairline. I love you, you little nuisance. Take care of my friend.

“Everyone ready?” Father Dan asked, appearing out of his Toyota, slamming the door behind him as he climbed out, “Traffic’s a nightmare today,” he told you.

“Jacob, pull yourself together,” he sighed, sounding exasperated at the sight of a sobbing Jake. Although he sounded annoyed, you saw the sides of his mouth twitch upwards in a concealed smile. Father Dan caught your gaze and winked, “You’ll make her dress wet,” he added before turning to Maria, grabbing her delicate, manicured hands into his surprisingly calloused ones, “Maria, you look beautiful. Are you ready to become Mrs Floyd?” Daniel asked and she nodded, “Let’s get you married then.”

“Yes please,” she breathed

“Alright, Mr Seresin, you stay behind with Maria. The rest of you find your seats. I’ll get Bob and the photographer to come out for the first look” he said.

You nodded at Father Dan, putting your veil on and handing Jake a tissue before stepping into the church, curtseying at the altar and finding your seat. The Seresin side of the church was packed while Bob’s was largely empty. He’d decided not to invite his father or anyone from his paternal family, so the only people currently filling up his side were Beau, Lizzie and the kids, as well as friends from home and from the navy. To make things more equal, you and Jake bid goodbye to the Seresin clan and made your way to the Floyd pews, finding seats next to the Simpsons.

As soon as you sat down, Mass began, the sound of the Wedding March playing through the church’s organ as Bob walked down, cheeks glistening with tears, with his mother by his side. Minutes later, Maria walked down the aisle, beautiful and beaming, squeezing Giovanni’s arm reassuringly as he led her to Bob, his eyes red and bottom lip wobbling.

After a beautiful wedding mass, Father Dan pronounced the happy couple man and wife. Guests were ushered out of the church and given cones of white petals, ready for when Bob and Maria would step out. Everyone found their spots at each side of the church steps and waited.

The first few bars of ‘Die A Happy Man’ by Thomas Rhett started playing and the church doors opened again, revealing Bob and Maria, holding hands. You threw a handful of petals up in the air, signalling for everyone to do the same as the photographer stepped out to the middle to get a clear shot of the newlyweds, petals raining down like snowflakes.

----

Maria had told you three weeks ago about their ‘last minute’ wedding theme change. She had never made it a secret that she had always wanted a white Christmas themed wedding, and after her impromptu pregnancy announcement in your hospital room, Bob was even more determined to give her everything she wanted. But when she had told you about the theme, you hadn’t quite imagined it would look the way it did when you walked into the venue.

You were fairly certain that Santa’s workshop was less Christmassy than this.

At the back of the venue, a sixteen foot tall Norway spruce, decorated to perfection with red, gold and pearl coloured baubles and lit up with thousands of fairy lights, seemed to hold up the ceiling. Its foot was hidden by a pure white tree skirt, giving the impression that it had snowed inside and making the room feel magical.

Around the tree, tables had been arranged, dressed with white tablecloths, gold rimmed plates and a stunning centrepiece of candles, holly, cranberries and golden baubles. To the side of the tables, against the brick wall, Maria and Bob had arranged the bar and buffet, providing guests with an assortment of food, a hot chocolate and mulled wine section, candy apples and showing off the gorgeous wedding cake you had made, that Beau had volunteered to bring over to the wedding venue that very morning.

“Sorry,” the photographer said, tapping you on the shoulder as you looked on in awe, “The bride and groom want a few family photos in front of the tree.”

You made your way down, careful not to bump into any of the other, smaller christmas trees so as to not spray the floor with needles, choosing that path specifically to avoid talking to Mrs Wilkinson, your church’s infamous busybody. You could see her looking in your direction, already calculating a path to ambush you with the same question she always asked at church, and that you had begun to resent. Mrs Wilkingson, coming from an older generation, as was her excuse, seemed to have missed the memo that asking a young mother when she might be ready to ‘bounce back’ and ‘get her lovely, slender body back’, were entirely inappropriate questions to be asking.

The photographer positioned you to Bob’s side and Jake to Maria’s. He had stopped sobbing about halfway through the wedding ceremony, exactly two minutes before Giovanni Junior started sobbing, and, unlike Gio, his face had lost all puffiness and redness. You both beamed at the camera, feeling a little disappointed that you hadn’t taken the babies, as seeing the little suits and dresses Maria had forced the children to wear made your heart melt. You’d have to make do with Agostino and Luca, who both seemed happy enough to preen and prance in exchange of a steady stream of compliments.

“One more of the happy couple and then I will let you all sit down and eat!” The photographer said, pointing his camera at Bob and Maria as the rest of you stepped away from the tree. “Three,” he counted, “Two,” his hand moved to his lens, twisting it slightly, “Smile!” he ordered. The flash went off. The camera went down again, and Bob’s smile faltered, his eyes glued to something further in the room. You tried to spot what he had seen but, being smaller than most people present, you couldn’t see anything.

“I’ll just be a minute,” you heard him say to Maria, a tense smile on his face.

You watched him walk hastily towards the doors at the side of the ballroom. While everyone else dispersed and Maria was caught up with other guests, you noticed her eyes kept glancing towards the doors that Bob had disappeared through. A sinking feeling fell upon you when Beau followed Bob away from the party. Trying to ignore what you were feeling, you made your way to the bar, hoping that a glass of champagne might settle your mind.

It was a few minutes later, glass of champagne in hand, that all hell broke loose. Maria ran through the room, her voice calling out, “Jacob! Gio! Tony!”

All three men immediately rushed to her side as you and the rest of the guests stood shocked at her state. Her dress was ripped at the bodice, and her makeup was starting to run with the tears she had running down her cheeks. You quickly set your glass down and made your way to her as the three men took off running to the doors she had just come through.

Isabella and Nonna met you at Maria’s side where the three of you guided her out of the room and into the hallway. Isabella, though concerned for her daughter, paused at the doors as you and Nonna continued guiding Maria out of the room.

Isabella turned around to face the crowd of guests who were now gathering towards the door, “We will be back in a moment, please enjoy a few drinks!” with that, she closed the doors behind her and joined your small group at a bench in the lobby of the hotel.

“Cos'è successo tesoro?” she asked Maria as she crouched down in front of her and wiped a few tears from her face. What’s happened darling?

“Bob left, and when he didn’t come back…” Maria started, a sob breaking up her words, “Then I watched Beau go after him…” she paused again shaking her head, “There was a man in the hall, I came out of the door and he turned to swing at me, like he was going to hit me.”

Her words made your heart clench in your chest, “Did he hit you?” you asked.

“No,” Maria said quietly, “Bob stepped in front of me, he took the hit. It pushed him back, and he stepped on the hem,” she said, bringing her hands up to gesture at the rip in the seam between the bodice and skirt of her dress.

Before she could be interrupted again, she continued speaking, “Bob pushed me back inside, he told me to get the guys, I–”

At that moment, a fuming Jake came around the corner, behind him, Gio and Tony were flanking a man who had a bloody nose. Jake brought the group to a stop in the middle of the hall and his voice startled you as he directed the man to speak, “Apologise, now.”

If you had been in that man’s position, you would have done so immediately. Jake’s voice was deep and threatening, and the way that Gio and Tony were holding him, made you believe he would have bruises on his arms for days if not weeks to come.

The man stayed silent. Jake continued, “Fine, don’t apologise,” he turned to Maria, “We will be right back, just taking out the trash.”

She let out a small sniffle and your group watched as Jake led his brothers towards the rear of the hotel.

The lobby was quiet for a minute before Bob came running around the corner, his eyes widened at Maria’s state. You and Isabella took a step out of the way, watching as he came to kneel before her.

“I’m so sorry, are you okay? He didn’t touch you right?” Bob fussed, pulling Maria into a tight hug.

You, Isabella, and Nonna wandered back towards the reception hall, not wanting to intrude on their private moment. When Bob pulled back from the hug, one of his hands ghosting over Maria’s stomach, you turned to Isabella and Nonna, catching their attention.

“Do we have something to fix her dress with?” you asked quietly.

Nonna nodded, “I keep a kit in my purse dear. Bella, could you take me back inside?”

“Of course, I will reassure everyone that everything is alright and then we can fix her dress,” Isabella directed towards you before offering her arm to Nonna. You closed the door to the hall behind them once they were through and turned to find Bob holding Maria to him, his mouth was moving, but you couldn’t tell what was being said.

When Isabella reappeared with the sewing kit, the two of you made your way over to the couple. Giving Bob a tense smile, you caught Maria’s attention, “Let’s fix your dress, shall we?” you asked, gesturing for her to stand against the wall.

Bob took a step back from her and seemed to notice the exposed silk of the slip she was wearing beneath her gown. He took his place beside her, allowing her to rest her head on his shoulder as you crouched down and carefully sewed the gap shut.

When you were done, you stood in front of them, “There, now let’s just…” you started, looking around the lobby. Finding a tissue box on a table a few feet away, you pulled a few from the top.

Gently, you wiped away the streaks of mascara from underneath Maria’s eyes. You felt her take a deep breath and saw the surprise on her face as you pulled the exact bottle she used earlier out from your clutch.

“What are sister-in-law’s for if not planning ahead?” you asked, a little laugh escaping you as you pulled the stick from the tube and reapplied a fresh coat of the black cream to her eyelashes.

“Thank you,” she whispered once you were done.

You gave her a smile, “Anytime,” you paused only when you heard footsteps approaching from down the hall. Turning, you saw Jake, Gio, Tony, and Beau approaching you from the back of the hotel.

You turned back to Maria and Bob, “Are you ready to go back in there?”

Maria took a deep breath and plastered a smile on her face, “As ready as I’ll ever be.”

Bob smiled, his hand clasping with hers, “I’m ready as long as I’m with you.”

As soon as you were rejoined by Jake, you led the way back through the doors. Isabella was standing next to the DJ and as Maria and Bob walked in at the back of your group, she prompted him to announce them.

“Ladies and gentlemen, for the second time, can we please have a hand for Mr. and Mrs. Bob Floyd?” his voice boomed through the speakers.

Every guest was standing and cheering as they came into the room, and not two seconds later, everyone was tapping their champagne glasses so that the couple would share a kiss.

You smiled at the sight of their happiness, the moment interrupted by the bartender, “What can I getcha?” he asked.

You paused a moment before answering, “A glass of champagne please.”

Suddenly, you felt a pair of arms wrap around your waist beforeyour husband’s voice added, “And a whiskey, neat please.”

You turned to face Jake as the song for Bob and Maria’s first dance started to play through the room. He leaned down so that his mouth was next to your ear, “It was Bob’s dad, not too happy that he didn’t receive an invite to the wedding,” he whispered.

You nodded, letting him know that you heard what he said, “I don’t think he’ll be back,” Jake added before pulling back and beginning to sway with you to the song as you waited for your drinks.

The rest of the evening was uneventful, and by the end of the night, Jake had to carry you back to the truck because your feet hurt from dancing. You were even surprised when you came home to a quiet house, Amanda was seated on the couch, watching a show on Netflix.

“Hello you two!” she said quietly, turning the tv off, “How was the wedding?”

“Magical!” you said, the excitement from the night had not yet left you.

She gave you a smile, “That’s wonderful! Just so you know, I put them down just a little bit ago after they needed to eat again so I’d say you’re good for at least 3 hours.”

“Thank you so much Amanda,” Jake said, pulling the cash out of his wallet to pay her.

“No, thank you two. It’s not often I get to spend time with such adorable babies,” she replied with a laugh as she made her way to the door, “Well I will be on my way. Let me know when you need someone again?”

“Will do!” Jake confirmed as she made her way outside. You heard him shut and lock the door as you made your way upstairs. Jake’s heavy footsteps were not far behind you.

The two of you glanced into the nursery, content to find both your babes sleeping peacefully, before making your way into the bedroom.

“Besides Bob’s dad's wedding crashing, I had a wonderful night,” you said, spreading your arms out as you fell back on your mattress.

Jake let out a chuckle, which was much closer than you expected it to be. You opened your eyes just as his weight caused the mattress to dip. He was holding himself above you, his arms bracketing your head.

“I’m glad you had a good night,” he said, pressing a kiss to your lips.

The kiss went from gentle to passionate rather quickly, and suddenly, you and Jake were wrapped up in one another for the first time in the long weeks since your bundles of joy had been born.

---

Even though the weathermen of your local radio station had predicted ‘biblical downpours’ for the Sunday that followed Bob and Maria’s wedding, when you came out of the house with the babies dressed to the nines for their baptisms, the sun was out in full force, beating down so hard that you wished you had brought a hat and forgotten your coat.

The church was full when you arrived, as the normal congregation had been joined by your guests, all ready to attend your babies’ baptisms. You and Jake looked on with pride as Bob and Maria took their place as godparents, promising to help guide your children towards a faithful life and helping them understand what it meant to be a Christian, beaming at each other as they did so, Maria’s hand resting on her stomach for a second as she said the words.

After mass, your family joined you at your house, everyone enjoying the garden and sun room while the weather lasted, drinking champagne and eating the sandwiches and finger foods the caterers had brought over. Jake had turned on some music, mainly as a way to keep blanks in conversations less noticeable but partly because Peter Simpson had asked him and Bob for a word and didn’t want to be heard.

You had noticed them pulling up chairs at the back of the garden, talking quietly, slightly hunched over the firepit while Jake held Charlotte who seemed to desperately want to touch the pretty flames. You chuckled at the way her little hands reached down, trying to grab at the fire while Jake and Bob both battled to keep her hands to herself, their serious conversations occasionally interrupted with “Would you stop that,” and “You’ll hurt yourself,” and even an exasperated “You’ve got an arsonist on your hands, Jacob,” from Bob. Peter seemed to be enjoying these interruptions immensely, the grin he had plastered on his face never leaving.

You approached hesitantly, carrying three flutes of champagne in your hands, and a sleeping Christopher strapped to your chest. Peter noticed and nodded, silently giving you the go-ahead to approach. You handed each man a drink and perched yourself on Jake’s armrest.

“Discussing state secrets?” you asked.

“Just college plans,” Peter replied, “I wanted their advice.”

“On degree or specific school? Because you know Jake is a die hard UT fan, right?” you asked him.

“Neither, actually,” Peter hesitated, “And I heard UT was terrible if you want to do an English degree, anyway. Sorry Jake.”

“That’s just plain wrong,” Jake scoffed.

Peter raised an eyebrow at him before refuting his claim, “I mean their reviews online --”

“Okay so maybe the english department is bad, but you said you weren’t sure about doing that anyway. Their political science faculty is very good and --” Jake started.

“You did political sciences?” Bob interrupted.

“Yessir,” Jake agreed with a smirk, “Not as stupid as I look, am I?” he laughed.

“Okay so, you meet your first girlfriend at a D&D campaign, then you tell me you’re the designated IT technician and computer builder for the family, and now I learn you did a pol sci degree?” Bob asked with an incredulous smile.

“And I was on the debate team,” Jake winked.

“Jake Seresin--” Bob started but stopped. He turned to you, “Y/n, darling, I don’t know how to tell you this but… You married a nerd,” he said, grabbing both of your hands in his and adding the last bit in a whisper.

“I know I did,” you replied, “You want to know what I caught him watching, no, practically participating in last night?” you asked the boys while Jake tried to hide his head behind Charlotte in mock embarrassment, “I caught him answering all the questions on University Challenge, you know, that british college quiz show?”

“Please tell me he got some wrong,” Bob pleaded.

“None,” you answered.

Both boys gasped, pretending to be horrified before Bob spoke up, “Jacob, you need a new callsign. What should it be, Peter?”

“Err,” Peter panicked, “Sudoku?”

“Bob, you’re bleeding off on him,” Jake said, “Look at that! Absolutely terrible!”

“Shut up,” Bob retorted.

“Hey, language!” you told him, frowning at him while trying to hold in your laughter as he opened his mouth in protest and waved his arms about, mostly pointing at Charlotte, trying to silently convey that she was too young to understand anything anyway.

“How about LBJ?” Bob offered, “Jake ‘LBJ’ Seresin… Sounds decent! And it fits, he was a politician, an ex-debate teacher and he was from Texas.”

“Not bad, Bobby boy,” Jake nodded.

“So if you’re LBJ and he’s Bob, what’s my callsign?” Peter asked, grinning widely.

“You know callsigns aren’t supposed to be flattering, right?” you smiled, “They have to come from embarrassing stories or things like that… You know, like that time you lost some of your hair when you used Lizzie’s shaving cream as shampoo, --” you said, sending both Jake and Bob in hysterics.

“Peter ‘Nair’ Simpson,” Bob laughed.

“-- or that time we went swimming at a lake and you got chased by geese,” you continued.

“I still have that scar, by the way,” Peter added, “It bit my butt so hard Dad had to take me to get stitches!”

“It’s a shame the callsign Goose is already taken,” Jake laughed, wiping tears out of the corner of his eye.

“How’d you get your callsign then, Dove?” Peter asked. You rolled your eyes, ready to ignore the questions, but both Bob and Jake turned towards you.

“Yes, baby, how did you get your callsign?” Jake insisted.

“I slipped in the showers at the academy after dropping my bar of Dove branded soap. I broke my wrist trying to catch myself,” you replied. The boys tried to keep their laughter in, aware that they shouldn’t find your injury amusing, but the image of it soon had them cackling.

You huffed out a sigh before turning on Jake, “Alright then Hangman, how did you get yours?”

“I leave people out to dry, honey,” Jake shrugged, “Just so detached, that’s how I am, you know,” he added, concealing a smile.

You swatted his arm, “Oh come on!”

“I played a prank on some kid on our like, second week at the academy. We duck taped him to a wall at a pool party…” Jake started, trailing off with a smirk on his face.

“Hey, I thought they were supposed to be embarrassing stories!” Peter exclaimed, looking disappointed.

“They are, Jake’s a liar,” Bob retorted, a sly smile on his face, “I heard of that prank, and weirdly enough, I remember the name of the duck tape kid… Something like J--” Bob started, Jake’s hand quickly coming to cover his mouth and muffle his words.

“Oh my God, you got duck taped to a wall?!” Peter exclaimed, “Why?!”

“I don’t remember,” Jake groaned, “I fell asleep on a deck chair, three seconds later and I’m duck taped to a wall, three feet up in the air. I don’t even know how they did it… But I’ll tell you what,” he said, pointing a finger at Peter, “Removing the duck tape was the single most painful experience in my life. I was shirtless, it was very much like that scene in The Forty Year Old Virgin.”

“Fairly certain that’s the reason I can’t grow much chest hair,” he added in a grumble which made everyone around the firepit laugh, even Christopher and Charlotte who joined in, looking slightly more alarmed than amused.

“So, how did dad get his callsign?” Peter asked.

“Hey dad!” Bob shouted, catching Beau’s attention, waving him closer, “Pee-nut wants to know how you got your callsign,” he explained.

“Nope,” Cyclone said, turning on his heels.

“Oh come on, dad! You’re no fun. We’ve all shared,” you said, egging him on, “It’s your turn now.”

“If anyone -- especially Maverick -- hears anything about it, and I mean anything, I will --” Beau hesitated, trying to come up with something, “ground you two for life,” he said, pointing at Bob and Jake, whose smiles only grew, “And you, young man, I will show any and all future girlfriends the special photo album I have made of ALL the embarrassing pictures I took of you as a child. And might I remind you that until you hit twenty one, you still count as a child, so those pictures of you in Y/n’s wedding dress? She’ll see those too…”

Peter had tried on your wedding dress one day when you had taken Lizzie to one of your bridal appointments. He had finished school early, and bored out of his mind, he had decided to join you. You had been standing on heeled shoes for the entire day, blisters had formed, making standing any longer ever so painful. Peter had seen your struggle, and seeing as he was about the right height anyway, he had put on the dress and played model while the bridal assistants adjusted the size of the skirt. You didn’t quite remember when or where the blonde wig had been found, but when Beau went to pick all three of you up, he had found his son dressed to the nines as a beautiful bride. Between fits of hysterical laughing, he had managed to take a picture.

“Pinky promise,” Peter swore, smiling from ear to ear.

“Fine,” Cyclone said, “You know the Cyclone roller coaster in Coney Island?” he asked, pausing until everyone had nodded, “I made the mistake of going to an all-you-can-eat-buffet beforehand… I’ll leave it at that…”

“Oh!” Peter exclaimed, “You barfed?!”

“Scream louder, would you?” Beau asked sarcastically.

“You know, I don’t know if I can keep quiet about this…” you said, “I mean it’s a hilarious story, and you didn’t really threaten me with anything so I guess I’m -- MAVERICK” you called, Beau lunged forward, covering your mouth with his hand, careful not to hit Christopher in the process.

“Shit stirrer,” he whispered. With his hand still keeping you from talking, Beau turned to the boys, “What got started on callsigns anyway?”

“I’m thinking of joining the navy,” Peter said, “I’m not sure what I want to do in college for sure, but I want to apply for UC San Diego. Hopefully I get in. Otherwise maybe Cal State, or worse come to worse, I can apply for John Paul the Great Catholic University, if I decide to do science.”

“That’s --” Beau said, “That’s great, Pete…How come this is the first I’m hearing about it?” he added, letting go of you, wiping his hand on his trouser leg.

“I just wanted to check with Jake and Bob, see if they think it’s a good idea, considering I’ve applied to replace Bob as youth minister…”

“You’re leaving?” you asked, touching Bob’s shoulder lightly.

He smiled, “No, I’m staying. I’m just taking over Jake’s duties. I’m keeping the teens though, I don’t really know what to do with little kids,...”

“Hey, it’s good practice,” Beau said.

The blood drained from Bob’s face as he looked at you, a horrified expression on his face; You tried to stay neutral so as to not attract too much attention and make Beau question what other meaning his words could have, “Sorry?” Bob asked.

“Didn’t Y/n say you were on babysitting duty for like, a year?” he asked.

“Right! Yes! I’m sorry, I completely forgot,” Bob chuckled nervously.

“I won’t let you,” Beau winked, “Because any evening where you are babysitting is an evening I am not babysitting,” he chuckled, “Don’t get me wrong, I love my grandkids -- Gosh, I feel old -- I love my grandkids, but I forgot how fragiles babies are, and I don’t think I have it in me anymore,” he said, shaking his head, “I’ll gladly take over when they’re older though.”

“Like how old?” Bob asked, “Old enough to drive?!”

“Yeah,” Beau replied, “That sounds good. Good luck till then,” he added, clapping Bob on the back and leaving to find Lizzie again.

Peter watched him walk off, “You know, he’s usually more emotional when I talk about college…” he said.

“I saw a tear,” Bob said, “Worry not, Peter Pan, worry not. He’s still an old sap.”

“Hey, you didn’t mind him being a sap when he told Captain Floyd to never touch, look or breathe near his son again if he wanted to stay alive…” Jake grinned.

“I never said I minded it,” Bob beamed, leaning back against his chair, “I like it, actually,” he added, a deep crimson blush covering his cheeks.

----

Rooster walked through the sunroom of the house, two beers in his hands, looking for Annie. They had barely been able to catch a moment together since she had landed three days ago, largely because Admiral Simpson watched their interactions like a hawk, and partially since Annie felt guilty about missing the wedding that she had tried to spend as much time with the newlyweds to make up for it.

She had been looking forward to the wedding since the day Bob proposed, Rooster knew, but an impromptu snow storm grounded the planes for the foreseeable future. Going by train would have just as much time but the Admiral had vetoed the choice as soon as he heard the words ‘greyhound bus’ which Rooster privately agreed with. In the end, Annie and Audrey had made the drive in Audrey’s uncomfortable, baby blue Cruise and arrived, exhausted and aching after thirty-one hours of highways.

He found her in the kitchen, puttering about the cupboards to plate up some brownies and cupcakes, wearing a lovely white cotton dress that reached her knees. She looked wonderful, she always did, but seeing her like this made Rooster feel a little funny. Somehow, it felt a little too domestic.

“Got you a present,” he said as soon as she spotted him, raising the hand that held the beers up in the air so she could see it.

“Just what I needed, thanks Brad,” she sighed, brushing a lonely strand of her short blonde bob away from her face, “I swear I emptied a whole can of hairspray on it this morning and it’s still loose,” she added, the hair falling in front of her face again, “I guess this is going to be it, then.”

“You look nice,” Rooster replied, brushing the strand away himself. By miracle, it stayed put. Annie beamed at him, taking the beer from his hand and taking a large swig.

“Could you help me?” she asked, looking up at him from the task of cutting brownies into perfect squares.

Bradley smiled, placing the beers down on the counter, he came up behind her, pulling her back to his front in a hug, “Of course, what do you need?”

“Could you reach the platter for the cupcakes?” she directed, using the knife in her hand to gesture to the cabinet to her right, “It’s too high up for me to reach.”

Brad quickly removed his hands from her hips, holding them up at his sides, “Yes ma’am!” he said, imitating how he would respond to his CO.

Annie let out a peal of laughter as she cut the brownies. Once Bradley had brought down the platter, he began filling it with cupcakes. The silence they had been standing in was starting to turn awkward and he wasn’t sure what to do other than break it.

Before he could, Annie let out a huff before speaking, “You know my friend, Chloe?” she asked.

“Yeah,” Bradley said, his attention still focused on the cupcakes, “What about her?”

“Well you remember I told you about her boyfriend, the one who works in Texas?” she continued, now placing the brownies on a plate.

“Yes, I remember,” Brad replied, his brow raising at where this conversation could be going.

“She called me the other day, just to chat,” Annie continued, “Said she was moving to Texas. That she needed to get out of Indiana for once in her life, be by the man she loves, all that…”

Bradley almost dropped a cupcake. He didn’t quite know what to say to that. Turning around slowly, he was met with Annie’s back, her hands were clenched tightly on the edge of the counter, and every muscle in her body looked stiff, like she was waiting for something.

“That sounds…nice,” he said, his brain slow to find the right words to her story.

“It does, doesn’t it?” she asked, finally spinning to face him, her eyes bright with hope.

Bradley’s heart dropped, he couldn’t give Annie the life she wanted. Not with the risks his job provided. Suddenly, an image of his mother and her grief flashed across his mind. There were two days a year he saw Carole Bradshaw cry, he wasn’t sure he could, in good conscience, do that to Annie.

Realising that what she asked wasn’t rhetorical, Bradley felt his mouth open, then close, then open again, the words he spoke sounded strangled, even to him, “Yeah, I’m happy for them.”

Not daring to watch the hope leave her eyes, he turned back around, his focus now back on the cupcakes she had directed him towards earlier. He heard a sharp inhale behind him before Annie’s quiet voice caused him to stiffen, “Is there something wrong with me?” she asked.

Bradley didn’t need to turn around to see her lip quivering, he could hear it in her voice. He turned around anyway, his heart clenching when he saw her. There were tears welled up in her eyes and her chin was dimpled, like she was trying to hold back her tears.

“No, baby, there’s nothing wrong with you,” he said, trying to diffuse the situation, “Why would you even think that?”

“Well,” she said, her voice cracking on the word, “You say you love me, but you are content to be over two thousand miles away from me, so there must be something wrong with me.”

Bradley took a step towards her, but Annie immediately stepped back, the only thing keeping her from retreating further was the counter that was now dug into her lower back, “No,” he said again, his voice firm, “There is absolutely nothing wrong with you.”

She let out a humourless laugh, “I suppose there is someone else then? Someone skinnier? Prettier? More bubbly?”

Before Bradley had been confused, but now he was angry, “There is no one else. Why would you even think that?”

“It’s not a hard conclusion to come to, Rooster,” she said, her voice harder than before, her tears still threatening to swallow her up.

“Honey, I’m yours,” he said, his voice raising slightly, “You have had me wrapped around your finger since the day we met, there isn’t anyone else, there never could be!”

“Then why? Why do you string me along with promises of the future? Why do you always choose to leave them empty?” she asked, her own voice raising to match his level.

“Because I can’t do this now, it’s not the right time,” he exclaimed, turning away from her and running his hands over his face, “It's not the right time,” he repeated.

“Not the right time for what? You to finally commit to something other than your truck?” she asked, pointing the knife she still held at his back.

Bradley turned around, pointing a finger at her, “It’s more than that, you wouldn’t understand.”

“Why don’t you try me then?” she asked, her eyes flaring with the fiery passion he knew and loved, it hurt to see it turned against him.

“I had to see my mother, for years, mourn the loss of my father. Every birthday, every holiday, every anniversary. She loved him so much, she never even dared to look at another man, I can’t-” he exclaimed, startled when her voice cut through his.

“Don’t you stand there and talk to me about how I wouldn’t understand. My father died in a crash too, and not only did I have to watch my mother mourn, I had to watch her abandon our family,” Annie had tears running down her cheeks, and her voice was thick with emotion, “Abandon me, every day since he died. At least you had your mother’s love, and Maverick, that man loves you like only a father could. Beau came around when he was able and I love him to bits, but he was focused on Y/n, making sure my mother’s grief didn’t kill her.”

Bradley felt a heaving breath leave him. He opened and closed his mouth, feeling like a gaping fish, unable to draw a breath. Annie’s own childhood wasn’t much different from his, if anything, it was worse. He didn’t know what to say, so he did what he knew best, he ran.

As he made to slam the front door behind him, he heard a gut wrenching sob. Bradley was wracked with guilt as he threw himself in the Bronco and shifted it into first, tearing off the side of the street and out of the neighbourhood.

----

Rooster sat on the pew and laced his fingers together on his knees, wondering if he was even doing this correctly. He remembered pieces of the Our Father but he was fairly sure they were all in the wrong order and some of the bits he heard Bob pray before were different from what his father had once prayed with him, but he figured the Lord probably wouldn't mind too much.

"Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as in heaven," Rooster muttered, confident about the first few lines.

"Forgive us our sins as we forgive those who sin against us. Give us today our daily bread -- No, no. Is this right? Does it even matter?" He asked. Silence reigned in the church, his whispers magnified as they echoes through the empty building, "Fuck, do You even care? I've shat on You for thirty years now, if you care about how I say the Our Father, if this is the line you draw, then you have your priorities wrong, man -- God. Sorry," he stuttered out.

"Err, I don't -- how does this work? Do I just talk?" He asked, "Because I'll be honest this feels fucking weird. I'm just --"

"Perhaps you would like some help?" Someone asked, snapping him out of his reverie. He’d been so concentrated on staring at the ceiling, that he hadn’t noticed that the church was no longer empty. The voice belonged to a small, chubby woman with a straight black bob, and a kindly smile. She walked up to him with long, calm strides, her feet hitting the bottom of her black dress with every step.

"I -- err -- I'm not sure what I'm doing," Bradley admitted.

"Is this your first time?" She asked, a thick accent coming through her voice. It sounded unmistakably British.

"First time in thirty years, I think," he replied.

"Out of practice then," she said with a smile,

"I don't know if I believe, to be honest," Rooster replied, his eyes finding a place on his shoes.

"Well, dear, I think you do. I don’t usually find non-believers praying in my church,” she replied.

Rooster paused for a second, “Fair…”

“My name is Dawn,” she said, sticking her hand out for him to shake, “Nice to meet you.”

“Bradley,” he said.

“Well, Bradley, if you need any help. You can find me in the vicarage,” she said, turning on her heels, “I’ll have you know I make a very good cup of tea. And I’m a very good listener,” she added.

Bradley smiled, endeared by the forwardness of the priest and he stood, following right behind her.

“So,” she said, once she had led him out of the church and into the vicarage, a tiny house right off the side of the church. What it lacked in size it made up for in personal effects. The entire house was crammed full. From floorboard to ceiling, Rooster could see books, knicknacks, porcelain dishes and picture frames. Dawn made her way through everything to reach the only tidy room in the house.

The kitchen was impeccable, the counters clean and tidy, and when she searched through cupboards for two cups, Rooster could see that the cupboards were similarly organised. All in all, the kitchen was fairly minimalist. Rooster liked where her priorities lay. She flicked the kettle on and pulled a large aluminium box from the top of the fridge.

“What’s bothering you then, love?” she asked, shaking the box. It rattled with something heavy. Dawn pried the top open. She looked inside, seeming pleased with the contents and overturned it onto a plate, sending shortbread cascading onto the table, “Oops, I am so clumsy sometimes,” she laughed, “My mum used to say I’d fare better in life if I slowed down a bit, I reckon she’s right but life would be a whole lot less fun, wouldn’t it?”

Bradley just nodded, a small chuckle escaping him.

“What do you do in life, Bradley? How about we start with that?” she said.

“I’m a naval aviator,” he replied.

“Oh!” she giggled, “You agree with my opinion on slowing down then!”

Bradley smiled. There was something about Dawn he liked, she seemed motherly and welcoming and he felt like he could tell her anything.

“I’m having trouble with something,” he said.

“I’m listening,” she replied, getting up as the kettle clicked, “But before you start, should we have tea in the Noah’s ark teapot, or the Holy Bible teapot?” she asked, holding up the two choices, “We’re having Earl grey, if it helps?” she adds.

“Holy Bible, I think,” Rooster replied, having never been so confused in his life. He watched her pour the water into it and carry it gingerly over to the table, placing it down in front of him. In all fairness, it was a very nice teapot. It depicted two pages out of an ancient illustrated Bible, separated in the middle by a red bookmark. Acting as the lid was a tiny porcelain black cat, peacefully snoozing.

“You were saying?” Dawn asked, now giving him his full attention, her hands crossed in front of her.

“I’m having trouble with something,” he tried again. He tried to figure out how to explain it to her, but the right words wouldn’t come out. Starting from the beginning would take ages and he didn’t want to bother her with the details.

“Yes. I can see that,” she replied.

“It’s hard to explain,” he said, trying to defend himself.

“Yes, so is the word of Jesus Christ and I do it every week, so get on with it boy!” she said, her words were harsh but she had spoken in such a voice that it sounded encouraging.

“I lost my dad when I was four. He was a naval aviator like me, only he was a weapons systems’ officer -- which means he sat at the back -- anyway, there was a training exercise and he died on the spot,” Rooster said. While the words weren’t exactly the ones he had wanted to use, now that he had started talking he couldn’t stop and soon enough, he had explained everything from his father’s death, to his mother’s, to Maverick and to the dagger squad. The only thing he hadn’t explained was Annie, and he knew Dawn could feel it.

“I’m sorry you have to live with that, I can tell it weighs heavy on you. That’s not why you’re here, though, is it?” she asked.

Rooster squirmed under her gaze. He felt a little like a child at the principal’s office, regardless of how nice Dawn actually was, “I’m having trouble with my girl. She’s catholic, I’m…whatever I am,” he said

“Is she serious about it?” Dawn asked, Rooster raised an eyebrow in confusion, “I think people take God too seriously sometimes.”

“Now I don’t mean that you shouldn’t take God seriously, I mean, and this is coming from a vicar, believe me, I can take God seriously,” she laughed, “I just mean that I think the Lord likes a laugh,” she explained, pronouncing ‘laugh’ like ‘laff’, “Otherwise, he wouldn’t have invented jokes and he wouldn’t have bestowed english sitcoms upon this green earth. No, what I mean is you know, is she --,” Dawn mimed a frown, “-- about it?”

“No,” Rooster grinned, slowly getting used to Dawn’s strange personality, “She’s fun.”

“Oh, dearie, if fun’s the only thing you have to describe her then I can believe you’re having issues with your girl,” she said with a frown.

“I’m just answering your question!” Rooster defended himself, “Annie’s kind, she’s caring, she’s bubbly, she’s funny, she’s smart, she’s --”

“Catholic?” Dawn volunteered, seeing him struggle.

Rooster nodded, “It feels like she wants me to be that too,” he said, “We had an argument and she unloaded on me. I like her, I really like her, but I don’t know if I can be the kind of guy she wants me to be.”

“Her sister’s married a friend, they have this great life together and it feels like Annie wants the same. Honestly I wish I could give it to her, but I can’t. I don’t believe, I don’t want to do the cute church dates and I don’t want to centre my life around someone I’m not sure I believe in,” Bradley said, tears welling up in his eyes.

“Then don’t,” Dawn said, “Well, if only they were all this easy…”

“Wait, what?” Rooster asked, feeling ever so confused, “Aren’t you supposed to try and convince me? To, whatsitcalled, ‘evangelise’ me?”

“Do you want me to?” she asked, “Despite what people think, I am actually quite busy, and I’d rather not waste my time trying to convince someone who will not be convinced. Don’t get me wrong, I love to ‘evangelise’, as you say, but it’s almost time for my kids to come home from school, and I have to get dinner started.”

“I’m so confused,” Rooster admitted.

Dawn pursed her lips, “Look Bradley, obviously this girl means a lot to you, but if she wants to change who you are then she’s not right for you. Even if she thinks she’s doing the right thing by asking you to bring the Lord into your life. The Lord wants believers, yes, but He does not want people to pretend to believe, Bradley. And I doubt she wants to wake up one day after fifty years of marriage and three kids to find that you only ever pretended to believe. I’m sure she’s nice, and I’m sure she thinks you need to have a faith, but as much as I would like to see you in my church every Sunday, pretending to love the Lord is as much of a betrayal to the Lord as it would be to the friends and family you’d make in church.”

“She didn’t --” Bradley started.

“What did she say?”

“She talked about her best friend. How she is moving to Texas, to be with her boyfriend,” Bradley started, and he found that he couldn’t stop, the words just kept coming, “I didn’t know what to say so I said that was good for them. Then she asked if there was something wrong with her, or if I was seeing someone else. When I tried to tell her why…why I can’t give her what she wants, she reminded me that we aren’t that different. We both grew up in broken homes and…I don’t know…that I’m not the only one who’s ever lost someone.”

“It doesn’t sound like she wants you to be faithful, it sounds like she wants commitment,” Dawn smiled, “It sounds like you put the Lord in there. It’s been on your mind a lot, hasn’t it?”

“I guess,” Rooster agreed, “I spoke to a friend of mine months ago. He really let me hear it and I guess I haven’t stopped thinking about it since.”

“About believing?”

“No, about how the Lord didn’t make mistakes but people did, and that if my dad died it was because of a human mistake. He said I shouldn’t be looking to make the Lord pay for my loss, said I should work through it some other way,” he explained, “He made a point, I guess. He asked if my dad was a Christian, and if he’d be blaming God if he was in my spot…”

Dawn paused for a moment, considering what he said, before asking, “Would he?”

“Don’t know, it’s not like I can ask, is it?” Bradley asked, his hands coming out to the sides in frustration.

“Well, why not?” Dawn shrugged.

“Right,” Rooster scoffed, “Let me just bust out my ouija board,” he said, his voice laced with sarcasm, “Hey Dad, hope heaven’s good if you’re there, are you pissed at the Almighty for killing you and making your kid an orphan?” he added, pretending to pick up a phone and placing it next to his ear.

Dawn shrugged, “Well, what’s the worst that can happen? I mean you said it yourself, you’re not sure you believe in all of that, so worst case scenario, you don’t get an answer.”

Bradley remained silent a moment longer before lamely adding, “I mean, I guess…”

“Best case scenario…” she trailed off.

“It doesn’t solve my problem though,” he said.

“Bradley, I can do a lot of things, but I cannot help your allergy to commitment,” she smiled.

“I’m not --” Bradley started “I’m not allergic! It’s just that, in my line of work --”

“Okay, I’m going to stop you right there. First off, you like her, she likes you, you’re both adults so work it out. Second off, you can break it off with her if you’re so keen on not committing for the sake of your job, but it looks like she doesn’t mind the risks,” Dawn said in a no nonsense tone.

“It’s not that she doesn’t mind, it’s that I can’t--” Bradley started, trying to defend his position.

Dawn interrupted him, her voice raised only slightly, “This isn’t just your choice Bradley! Let her have a say in what you do! If she accepts your reasons, your fears, and you still like her, then time to man up and commit, boy!”

“And if she doesn’t?” he asked, his heart sinking at the thought.

“Oh honey,” Dawn said, suddenly looking sad, “You’re not scared of commitment, you’re scared of abandonment. Nothing I can do about that, I’m afraid. I often think that’s the saddest part of humanity. We live, we love and then we die, that’s what happens and there’s nothing we can do to stop it, no matter how much we try, even pushing people away won’t work. We’re social animals, Bradley, we need contact and attachment,” she continued, placing one hand on top of Rooster’s, “And we need it from people, otherwise we get sad and miserable and I’d really rather you didn’t become the kind of person who cries when their roomba breaks,” Dawn winked, eliciting a chuckle from the man in front of her.

“I guess you’re right. I can’t keep closing the door on people who want in on my life,” he sighed. A key turned in a lock and the front door flew open. The sounds of rowdy kids and an exhausted man approached the kitchen, shooting a look at the doorway, Dawn removed her hand from Bradley’s and leaned back in her chair.

“Yes. Now go home, pray to your dad and come back to tell me about the results,” she said, waving her hands to shoo him out of the house. Rooster stood up and thanked her for the tea before making his way back to the front door, crossing two ginger haired girls and a small man with an impressive moustache.

Once the cool wind hit his face, Bradley felt like he woke up from a perplexing dream, but somehow he had come out knowing exactly what he needed to do. He pulled his phone out of his pocket and saw he had gotten a text.

Annie: Going back to Indiana. Have fun in San Diego.

Rooster’s heart dropped in his chest. He knew he’d hurt her, but he didn’t think it would make her leave early. Annie had been telling him how excited she was to see everyone and finally meet her niece and nephew for weeks now, she’d even joked about permanently moving to California with Audrey a few times. The thought that he had done enough damage to make her leave early truly broke his heart. He pressed on her name. It rang five times before she picked up.

“We need to talk. Can I come see you? We can have coffee,” Bradley asked as soon as she picked up, checking his watch to see if he had enough time.

“Bradley, I’m at the airport. I’m waiting for my flight home,” she replied. Behind her, he heard a computerised voice announce boarding times and gate numbers for another flight.

“I know, I can make it in time for boarding if I start now, can I meet you?” he insisted, getting in the Bronco and prepping the key in case she said yes. He wasn’t proud of how he had behaved with her and she had every right to refuse to see him, but he really hoped he hadn’t messed this up. Annie was a wonderful girl, and he truly liked her. He didn’t want her to break up with him because he couldn’t commit, something he had often reproached Jake, but now, Bradley wondered if he hadn’t been projecting.

“I’m sure we can talk over the phone,” she snapped.

Rooster turned the key, feeling a little victorious. Although it hadn’t been a ‘yes’, the fact that she hadn’t outright refused him meant there was still a chance for him to make things right.

“I thought you wanted commitment?” he asked.

“Okay, I’ll be waiting for you at Starbucks, don’t make me late,” Annie replied, trying to sound like she was still mad at him but Rooster could hear a hint of excitement in her voice.

“I wouldn’t dare,” he assured her, hanging up the call with a smile as he backed out of the church parking lot and down the street, letting gravel fly underneath the wheels of his truck.

#fanfic #top gun fanfiction #top gun maverick #top gun x reader #fanfiction #original fic #hangman x reader #jake hangman seresin #jake seresin #hangman top gun

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lgg5989 · 1 year

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Church Encounters Chapter 23

We are back with a new chapter for you guys! I hope everyone likes it.

This fic is written in collaboration with my bestie @barbiewritesstuff so be sure to give her a like and a follow! I hope you enjoy the lovely moodboard @barbiewritesstuff made, the previous chapters can be found on my Masterlist and the whole story thus far is posted on my Ao3!

Tag list: @roosterscock @sydneyhlove @mygyn @inky-sun