After Kevin and I made a small mess with the cake (Kev got some icing in his goatee and mustache), I looked at the icing on my fingers, then grinned and called Nick over.
"Nicky, baby, c'mere," I said sweetly. He walked over, a suspicious grin on his face.
"What?"
I got a piece of cake from the table and held it in my hand so he couldn't see it.
"You want some cake?"
He narrowed his eyes slightly, the grin not leaving his face.
"What's the catch?"
I shrugged my shoulders. "No catch, just cake."
"Okay, I guess."
I smiled. "Good." Then I smashed the piece of cake in his face.
His mouth hung open in shock as I stepped back, covering my mouth to muffle my laughter. He stood there, not saying anything, his arms crossed over his chest. I wasn't sure if he was mad or not, but he looked damn funny.
"Well," he finally said, "I guess you got me."
I giggled. "Sure did." I reached up and got some icing off his cheek. "You taste good."
"So do you," he said, kissing my cheek.
"Ah, you got icing on me!"
He grinned. "I know."
"You freak," I said, laughing. I handed him a napkin and took one for myself.
Kevin came up behind me, slipped his arms around my waist, and kissed my cheek.
"Whoa, you're sweeter than I thought."
I grinned as he looked up at Nick.
"Oh, a mini food fight." He shook his head, laughing slightly. "Well, dearheart, clean the icing off your cheek, and then quit hiding behind the cake and mingle with your guests."
He kissed my cheek again. "Mm, you do taste good."
Then he walked off. I giggled and wiped the rest of the icing off my cheek.
"Have fun," I said, grinning at Nick. He nodded.
"Where are the bathrooms?"
I laughed. "Off in that direction."
"Thanks."
I walked out from behind the table and was immediately bombarded with hugs and congrats and people wanting to see my rings.
When I finally found Kevin again, I heard the familiar tapping of a mic.
"Is this thing on?" Brian said, trying to act as if he had no experience with a microphone. I rolled my eyes, wrapping my arm around Kevin's waist.
"Yeah, alright, we've got our band set up, and as much as I know they would rather not do this… Mary, Kev, you two gotta dance. Give the people a photo op." He grinned and I shook my head, rolling my eyes again.
"You're dead," I mouthed at him. He lowered the mic.
"You know you love me," he mouthed back. I resisted every urge to flick him off and just smiled at him.
"Of course, as a special treat, myself and another close, personal friend of the couple will sing a duet for the lovers," he continued, pulling AJ up on the stage with him.
"We wrote this for you guys- well, Nick and Howie helped, but they so graciously offered our voices- because we all love you guys so much. So!" He turned around and cued the band, then pointed at us and raised his eyebrows. I sighed. It wasn't that I didn't wanna dance with Kev, I just hated everyone watching us. I mean, this was different than a concert.
"Just ignore them, baby," Kevin said softly, pulling me into his arms. I smiled, forgetting everyone else, like he knew I would.
The sun was beginning to set and looked beautiful over the lake. I sighed and wrapped my arms tighter around his neck, resting my head on his chest. I could hear Brian and AJ singing, but I wasn't paying attention to the words.
After a few minutes, I realized the music had stopped, but I didn't care.
"Moving on," I said to Brian, not moving. He nodded, smiling slightly. The music started up again, another slow song, and everyone else began dancing.

After a few songs, Brian came back on the mic.
"Last interruption of the night, from me anyway. I've got to raise a toast. But first…"
AJ walked up to me and Kev and handed us two champagne glasses. I looked at mine.
Written on the side was:

I smiled.
"Oh, don't worry, Mary, yours doesn't have champagne in it, because we all know you hate it, so you've got sparkling… ginger ale."
I laughed. "Thanks, Brian," I called. He nodded, laughing.
"Not a problem. Now!" He raised up his own glass. "To Mary and Kevin. May you guys spend the rest of your lives together, and Mary, sweetheart, please make the rules for Christina, because if Kevin's in charge of it, that girl may never see the light of day."
I nodded, laughing.
"Hey!" Kevin said, laughing. "She can date. She just has to wait until she graduates law school, becomes successful in her career-"
"Kevin, honey- shut up," I said, smiling up at him. He grinned.
"Sorry."
"Anyways," Brian continued. "I'm sure everyone agrees when I say, good luck to you both. You guys are the awesomest couple, and I'm in fifty years, you'll still be together. So here's to you."
I grinned. "You made up another word."
He laughed. "Shut up and drink to yourself, damn it!"
I giggled and did as I was told.
"Alright, let's keep the party going," he finished, laying down the mic and jumping off the stage.
I drank the rest of my ginger ale and set the glass down.
"Anyone who takes that will die," I called to the nearby vacinity. "It'll be especially hard if your name isn't Mary or Kevin." I grinned as everyone laughed, probably at me. The outside lights had been turned on and the trees and bushes around us had white Christmas lights strung in them.

As I was looking for Kevin again, Ann came up to me with Christina in her arms.
"Mary, I think we're gonna go back to the hotel. I'm tired and so is Christina, and she's starting to get fussy, so…"
I nodded. "That's fine. Thank you so much for being here, it meant a lot to Kev and me." I hugged her, then took Christina.
"Be good for grandma, sweetie."
She looked at me tiredly and I smiled.
"Yeah, you can't talk yet." I kissed her cheek and handed her back to Ann.
"I'll see you tomorrow morning, Ann. Thanks again."
She nodded, smiling, and left with Christina.
Then I felt Kevin's arms around my waist. I grinned.
"Why do you always find me before I can find you?" I asked. He laughed softly.
"Guess I look harder."
"I was talking to your mother, too, so I wasn't really looking for you."
"She's your mother now, too," he murmured, kissing my neck lightly.
"True." I looked back at him and smiled, kissing his lips. Then I looked closer at him.
"Do you still have icing in your goatee?" I asked, turning around. He laughed.
"It's possible."
I laughed. "You're a mess."
"Clean your husband up," Nick said, coming up to us. "He's so old, you'll hafta start feeding him soon."
Kevin narrowed his eyes at Nick, and I laughed slightly, rolling my eyes.
"Clean it yourself, it's right there," Nick continued, pointing at the spot of icing.
"Meanwhile, I was hoping to get a dance with the bride," he said, clasping his hands behind his back and bouncing on the balls of his feet.
"It's fine with me," I said, smiling.
"I guess," Kevin muttered, picking at his goatee.
As Nick and I walked off, I heard Kevin grumble.
"Where the hell is it?"
I grinned as Nick pulled me towards the stage.
"Who's Christina staying with while you two are gone?" Nick asked, wrapping his arms around my waist.
"Denise."
He grinned. "Don't trust AJ for long periods of time?"
I laughed. "It's not that we don't trust him…"
"You trust him, just not with your nine month old daughter."
I nodded. "Yeah, that's it." I paused. "That makes him sound like 50 year old perverted freak"
Nick nodded. "Kinda. Lesse, we'll rephrase that... you don't trust him with her just because she's nine months old. The age thing."
I laughed. "A little better."
"Where exactly are you two going?"
"Some island. Ask Kev, he knows the name."
"Private?"
"We're hoping."
He grinned. "I'll send a photographer out there and get some pics."
"Don't you dare," I said, laughing.
"Aw, I'm kidding."
"I know." I sighed.
"Tired?"
"I'm getting there. Weddings are tiring."
"And you really had less to do than most people do at weddings."
I looked at him.
"I mean that in a good way. The simplicity you guys did this with is great."
"Who did the glasses?"
"Glasses?"
"Champagne glasses."
"The four of us did."
"You guys put as much into this wedding as Kev and I did."
He shrugged his shoulders. "We love you two, we didn't see anything wrong with showing you guys."
"How much did those glasses cost?" I asked, grinning and narrowing my eyes slightly.
"Not for you to worry about," he said, raising an eyebrow.
"That much? Gosh..."
He laughed. "Does Kevin know what he's getting himself into?"
I smacked his arm and he laughed again.
"I only tease you like this because it bothers you."
He shrugged his shoulders. "Not anymore. A few years ago it might've, but not now."
We'd stopped dancing by now and I was sitting on the stage, Nick standing in front of me.
Aaron suddenly appeared next to Nick. Aaron was now about as tall as Nick, maybe an inch shorter, and was a spitting image of Nick at twenty.
"Hey, Mary."
"Hey, Aaron."
Nick had a half grin on his face and was looking at Aaron curiously.
"I probably shouldn't have done this, but whatever." He handed me a flower and I smiled.
"I got bored."
"Lord, he's a pimp now!"
I laughed. "Shut up, Nick, he's just like you were at that age."
Nick stuck his tongue out at me as I kissed Aaron's cheek.
"Thanks, Aaron."
Aaron grinned at Nick as he walked off. Nick mocked him, then looked back at me.
"You're so mean to your brother," I said, laughing as I sat back down.
"Oh, he's just my brother, it's good for him."
I smiled and shook my head.
"Today's Tiffany's birthday, isn't it?" he asked softly after a minute. I sighed and nodded, slipping my shoes off and pulling my legs up under my dress. I twirled the flower between my fingers.
"You still miss her?"
"Yeah. I really wish she could've been here," I said as he sat down beside me.
"I'm sure she would've been happy to be here," he said, smiling gently. I nodded, smiling back at him.
"Thanks, Nicky."
He squeezed my shoulders and I leaned against him.

Part 7
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