Grayson's POV
"Do you," The priest said, "Rowena," it felt strange hearing my moms name, hadn't heard it in over ten years, "take Aldrich to be your husband, to love and hold on to, through the good times and the tough ones, whether you're rolling in dough or just scraping by, in sickness and in health, to stand by his side and love him, as long as y'all both shall live?" He looked at my mom who was already beaming so hard.
"Yes." She replied, holding my dads gaze. They both looked so foolish, so in love, so smitten. "I do." She added as an afterthought.
It made all ten of us in attendance giggle.
My dads elder brother doubled as the priest, the ceremony was held on their rooftop.
It's been over ten years since I'd been to this part of town.
Mark's dad and his men, cracking down on my mom made it an absolute necessity.
After Chase left that day, my mom came out to both my dad and I.
Mark had attacked her family in Starry, her husband, the bastard, took their two kids and fled, leaving her alone.
She packed her things, gave out the ones she couldn't bring along, the next day, she was in County.
Nothing at that point could convince my dad otherwise. He was so sure that they were a match made in heaven.
"Do you," The priest continued, "Aldrich take Rowena to be your lawfully wedded wife, again," Everyone burst out in laughter at the little tweak he added to my dads vows, "to love and cherish, to hold on to, through the good times and the tough ones, whether you're rolling in dough or just scraping by, in sickness and in health, to stand by his side and love him, as long as y'all both shall live?"
"I do." Aldrich McKinsey, my dad, swore. It was done. There's nothing I'd wanted more in my entire life.
I only wished the one girl who I loved the most was there to be with me.
Maybe we'd have been planning a second wedding.
I wiped the tears off my face, they were birthed with mixed emotions, but I had to keep my head straight. I've got the rest of my fucking miserable life to mourn Lily.
They were soon engaged in a lip lock I'd never seen before.
My uncle, the priest, cleared his throat awkwardly, TWICE, before he could tear them apart.
"You may now kiss your bride." Uncle Morgan said in a fake-depressed tone.
"They already did that." My little cousin whined from where he sat by my side. I laughed and pulled him closer, tossing his golden brown hair that mirrored the hue of my curls.
"We could spare them another round." I whispered in his ear.
He shut his eyes and made whiny noises throughout. It was so beautiful to see my mom happy and in love,my dad too.
I'd lived with the shell of a man who lost his family, and my mom's shirt presence breathed life into the house.
I woke up to the smell of pancakes, enjoyed their playful banter of music, it was just pure bliss.
The ceremony was soon over, but not my fears.
"What's my best man thinking?" My dad asked as he snuck up to my side.
"Nothing." I replied, I didn't want to ruin his day.
He was the happiest man alive, and for good reason.
"That's not true. You looked like you were seeing through that wall just now." He said, pointing to the wall in Uncle Morgan's house on which the dart my cousins and I used to play as kids hung.
"Not in its entirety." I conceded.
"What's up, young man." He asked again.
"Life." I blurted.
In all honesty, I'd grown tired of keeping shit to myself. I missed Chase, I even missed Jessica.
I needed someone to talk to, and my parents had been in their own happy bubble.
"That's no answer." He said , taking a sip out of his glass.
"I mean, it's just a lot going on." I replied, " been so hard, since, since Lily passed." I said.
Apparently, it's the first time I'd mentioned it to him.
"You can't be serious." He looked at me in disbelief.
"I am." I said, sadly.
"I'm so sorry, Son." He said, and hugged me.
He broke off the hug as soon as he started it. "Hold on a sec."
He waded through the crowd, walking away fast.
"Dad? Dad?" I called out after him.
He put his finger up, excusing himself.
I stayed with the crowd, in the midst of music and dance, but far away still.
My heart was beating, it felt like something was about to go wrong.
He beckoned to me, so I slid the see through door open, and met him outside.
"There's been an emergency at the house." He said finally. His countenance spoke in ever louder volumes. "Can I trust you to hold this place down?" He asked, his eyes pleading with me.
"No." I replied. "It's your day, I'll go." I added.
He was obviously relieved, but also very scared.
If Chase's dad wanted my mom dead so bad, he was gonna have to pass through me.
I snuck out of the ceremony through the back door, stopping only to plant a kiss on my cousin's head.
The race down to the house was one done in wild rage.
That house had too many memories,and we were yet to create mores.
I got there in a little over an hour. With about three missed calls from my fearful old man , I turned off my phone. Maybe it was my time to face Coven Familia on my own.
"If you want her dead so bad, you're gonna have to pass through the men in the house." I screamed, announcing my presence.
"I never knew you to be the type of guy who lived risky. Ooh, macho!" She said,
If I wasn't already so charged up with adrenaline in anticipation of nothing short of a gunfight, I'd have passed out.
It couldn't be real.
My eyes had to be kidding me. Or maybe it was the alcohol. I began to question leaving my drink open. Maybe it'd been spiked.