“Are all our meetings today?” Mikayla asked.
“The twins’ birthday is tomorrow, so I wanna at least have tomorrow blocked as just a family day, nothing wedding related. Even then it’s mostly us just talking, not really meeting with vendors. Get ideas thought through for us to tell the vendors what we want,” Justin answered.
JC’s stomach was churning, a knot of nervous energy that this would be a waste of his time. It would be another way that Justin would take over, making things about him. It sounded selfish, but he had a right to a ceremony the way he wanted it if he was going to ‘marry’ Mikayla. Legality aside, they wouldn't have even done a vow renewal until they had thought to do a ceremony between himself and Mikayla. It would be 6 years, not 5, unless they counted the wedding people saw in magazines and online, but that wouldn’t be until the fall. Doing any kind of ceremony with pictures and things for the public wouldn’t make sense in June, unless they said they did it for the hell of it. But they could do that any time, why June?
“C, you ok in there?” Justin asked, looking at JC onthe other side of the bed.
“Yeah,” he answered, blinking back to reality. “Just a lot of things in my head. It felt nice to wake up next to Mikayla. I don’t get a lot of that.”
“This has gotten more difficult with Silas, I won’t lie. Josh, you’ve been really good about how this has shifted. Originally we were going to do each of you getting a week, but I can’t just take Silas with me and leave Justin alone for a week.”
“You can, Kay. The paperwork to change their names has already gone through, they need to be with him more than they’re getting. Give him more time to be their dad.”
“But you and Silas…”
“He’s young still. I know it’s not for a while, but while I’m on tour, I want JC to really take my place, with everything. Up to you whether you guys stay at our house or go to his while I’m away. I’ll still make as many quick trips home as I can to see you all, spend some time with you, alone if that’s ok…”
“None of that stuff is ever my idea, T,” JC replied, putting his hands up. “I go along with it, sure, but it’s never MY idea. It normally isn’t even Mikayla’s idea…”
“I… just want her happy. I guess it comes from a place of wanting to still be part of all of this. That if I give her this, she won’t leave.”
“Justin, I’ve told you so many times-”
“I know. Yet it’s always there, Kay. Maybe not front and center, but it’s there. Honestly, I think we’re still at it like rabbits because I want to keep you as long as I can. Once things slow down between us, but not with him, I worry that’s when I’ll lose you.”
“You’re not going to lose me over sex, Justin,” Mikayla couldn't help but laugh. “I love both of you too much for that to be any kind of deciding factor in something like that. I can’t think of anything, short of you killing someone or robbing a bank, where I’d leave. I know you’d never lay a hand on me or the kids in anger and hurt us, so I can’t even say in abuse, because I know you don’t have that in you. You’re stuck with me, Justin. You both are.”
“You’re the one stuck with us,” JC smiled. “I couldn’t move on after all that time, we’d never be able to find anyone better than you, for either of us.”
“As if I could find one man better than both of you combined,” Mikayla laughed. “Both of you are just the greatest men a woman could ask for, especially being fathers. I’m very lucky that you both are still on board with this. I know we didn't have time for anything last night, but I want to make it up to you tonight once the kids are asleep.”
“I think that feeling is mutual,” JC smiled, looking at Justin. “I think that’s why this has worked out as long as it has. It has its downsides, but the love we have for each other, even just as ‘brothers’, makes all that other stuff seem less important. Yeah, we feel jealousy and stuff, but it’s not enough to do anything about.”
“Beyond sexually,” Justin retorted. “Which reminds me, do you have more laundry to do? We never got to have a repeat…”
“Wait, what? You had sex while doing laundry? I mean, I guess that’s something to do while you wait for the dryer…” JC laughed.
“I’d done some of our laundry, and I thought Justin was in the studio, so I got in a workout in the gym. I took a shower before putting the laundry away, started putting it away naked, and well, he found me and the rest is history.”
“Positive reinforcement at its finest. Get chores done, bang your spouse,” Justin chuckled. “That way it goes for either one of us.”
“As if you do laundry,” Mikayla chortled.
“Gimme laundry, I’ll do it right now,” Justin laughed, tickling Mikayla’s sides.
“We need to get dressed, Jackie is probably with the kids right now.”
“That just means we have some time to fool around.”
“Great, so I have two men with raging hard ons all day waiting to finish what we started?”
“You realize that’ll probably happen regardless cuz, well, it’s you,” JC chuckled.
“Seriously? You’re animals,” Mikayla teased.
“Don’t you know it,” Justin replied.
‘Seriously we’ll never leave this room and make any of our appointments if we don’t get out of bed,” Mikayla said, trying to be serious.
“C, she’ll FaceTime you so you can see and hear everything. We can’t have you there because it would stir up confusion, especially since the kids won’t be there.”
“Could we do lunch or dinner at the reception site? That way the kids are there, even with Jackie to really even things out a bit?”
“I’ll see what I can do, yeah. Let’s get dressed and have breakfast, the twins will scarf it all down so they can play outside.”
“You put in a crazy cool swing set jungle gym with 2 slides, and a trampoline. They’re never gonna want to leave,” Mikayla laughed.
“Then there’s the attic toy room, pirate and mermaid themed,” JC added.
“I wanted them to feel like they were home, not some random house,” Justin replied.
“This IS a home, our home. Home is where we are, together. I’m glad the kids like it, but they’d also be happy with less. It’s not the stuff that matters, it’s the love. They get a lot of that from you, too.”
“But the album, and the tour…”
“Are still a long time away. Be here for them now, that’s what matters. Handle you being away when it happens, not now,” JC interjected.
…
The twins were playing in the backyard with Jackie while the three of them walked around the rest of the property. It was a magnificent spot, a picturesque view that would be stunning in the late afternoon. The sun would be behind the house and guests, making the mountains glow.
“So chairs will be set up here, the aisle along here, and a special platform being made for this will go here,” Mikayla said, mapping things out around the open space.
JC was liking what he was seeing and hearing so far, a simple ceremony was what Mikayla wanted. It would focus on their love for each other, which was what mattered most.
“The color scheme will be mostly ivory and a dusty rose color. I know it’s the colors I used for the wedding in Italy, but I just love the look of it.”
“If you want it, you’ll get it,” JC replied, kissing her forehead.
“C, you picked out your suit, right?” Justin asked.
“Not exactly. I mean, I know what I had in mind…”
“We’ll go with it. What were you thinking?”
JC stopped for a minute. “Well, knowing the color scheme, I think something matching her would work. A cream or ivory suit with a tie that matches the dusty rose. It’ll be June, I don’t we’ll need vests and all of that, just go with a simple straight tie.”
“What for us?” Justin continued.
“Us? How do you mean that?” JC asked, confused.
“Your groomsmen.”
“But you’re-“
“I’m one of your groomsmen. I’m ok with basic black but having matching ties. This is your day, C.”
“But you’re-“ JC repeated, slightly in shock.
“I’ve married her twice now. Yes, we’ll renew our vows, but this is for you to get what you had been missing with her. This should be more for you two. I’m thrown in so we won’t raise any suspicions. That’s literally the only reason I‘m involved in this.”
“You’re paying for everything, Justin. I can help with things…”
“It’ll only raise suspicions, C. If we’re gonna do this as something just family and close friends, it needs to be as under the radar as we can get. If that means I pay for everything, then so be it. This may not be the wedding either of you would have wanted then, but hopefully this will be the wedding you deserve.”
JC was touched, almost to the point of tears. He’d feared he would be an afterthought, and it turned out to be the opposite. “I don’t have a lot of ideas, I figured this was more your thing than mine, so whatever Kayla wants, go with it.”
“Josh, I want you to be part of this. I’ll try to go over as much as I’ve already envisioned and planned out, but if you don’t like something, let me know. Again, I’ll FaceTime you, or just record video if there’s no reception, and make notes on anything you want to tweak, add, or change.”
“I mean, I know weddings are to show your love for each other to the rest of the world, and maybe I’m old fashioned, but I don’t know that I have too much to give here. It’s not like it’s a tour where I help choose a set list and those kinds of things. I had an interior designer get me my furniture and shit. I’d be fine with people sitting on blankets here in the backyard as long as I got to marry you, legal or not.”
“I almost like that, but the thought of your dads having to get down on the ground…” Mikayla said. “It’s four months away, and they’re fine now, but I can’t stop worrying about if something happens between now and then.”
“We’ll do what we have to do if that happens. Shit, just fuck it all and fly to Florida and do it at the house or something if we have to,” Justin replied, taking her hands in his. “Let’s do as much planning as we can, and if things change, we make it work.”
“Justin, that… just… wow. I am blown away by the lengths you’d go to for this.”
“You’re one of my best friends, C. You’ve been in my life longer than you were out of it. I’d do just about anything for you, and I’d do anything for Kay. So I’m not sure why you didn’t think I’d make sure this is what you want.”
“I wasn’t exactly part of things before this point,” JC pointed out.
“I guess that’s my fault. I guess I assumed you wouldn’t want to be too involved, or that the wedding planner was meeting with you. But she thinks it’s for me and Justin, so never mind on that…”
“This is just what we have imagined for ceremony. I’ll get us dinner reservations and go over things we can’t get from our meeting today. Kay, start sending him choices of things. Even if he just tells you to choose what you want, at least he’s part of the process. He might surprise you with things he has an opinion about.”
“I want a honeymoon with her, just me and Kay,” JC said firmly.
“Kinda like that. I mean, it makes sense, but how are you gonna do that? Any plans on what you’d do, where you’d go?”
“Not yet, but somewhere I know will respect our privacy.”
“You don’t need to worry about privacy too much if you never leave the hotel room or whatever,” Justin smiled.
“See, that right there,” Mikayla started. “You don’t want to share me, but then you encourage us doing nothing but having sex…”
“Hey, there’s a lot you can do on vacation without leaving the room that isn't having sex. Eating, sleeping, watching movies…”
“I’ll look into ideas and see what I can come up with.”
“Use our place in the Bahamas. Super private, everything can come to you if you really want it. Get a private chef for dinners or whatnot, you have that beach access right there. At least consider it.”
“The same house where I fell in love with you? I don’t know, Justin…” Mikayla sighed.
“Like I said, consider it. It might be fitting that yes, you fell in love with me there, but you’ll get to be there and celebrate the love you two have together there, away from any judgment. Not saying what we’re doing is wrong, but I’ve seen people bring mistresses and shit to their places there for this exact reason. Everyone minds their own business. No one cared that we were there together, Kay. I doubt they’ll notice you’re even there beyond the staff if you go to a restaurant.”
“Even then, put it under my name and maybe no one will notice that you’re with me and not Justin. I’m guessing you don’t go there a lot that they would recognize you,” JC added.
“It could really work well for you. Tropical, romantic location that won’t likely notice that you’re there unless you make a big deal over it,” Justin replied.
“We’ll talk about it. I like the idea, if Kayla’s on board, but we don’t have to decide that now. You have your meeting soon, so let’s make sure you guys aren’t late for that,” JC said.
“It’s me. They’ll wait for me, we’re good,” Justin chuckled.
“See, there’s the bravado I’d been waiting for,” JC laughed. “I’ll see you on FaceTime or when you get back. Love you.” He kissed Mikayla sweetly with a quick peck before pulling her in for a hug.
He watched them walk towards the house. Once they disappeared from sight, he looked around at the area they’d use for the wedding. Everything was coming together in his mind, painting a picture of what Mikayla had already planned. He knew this was going to be simple but stunning, just like her.
