This life... by Emily Zimmerman. (online e reader TXT) 📕

were really dancing fast. He must have practiced with mom too “Jake told me why you started the rumors after mom and dad left, and it was stupid and sweet of you” I said, slapping the back of his head lightly too. He chuckled “your welcome, I’m just glad you’re happy, you were so….empty after mom left, this is the first time I have actually seen you genuinely smile in a long time” he said. I had never known he or Jake cared about me so much, it touched me. “Thank you Hail, I had no idea you two actually cared about me so much, it’s nice to know” I said. He spun me around and kissed me on the cheek. The song ended and turned into jump on it, Tiffany and the rest of the girls squealed and grabbed my hands, dragging me into the middle of the dance floor and making me dance with them. I laughed as we spun around with our fingers in the air like on fresh prince. Everyone soon jumped in, and Kyle and I were standing beside each other, our hands on our hips, doing jump on it. After the song, Kyle and I sat down at our table and had some food. We watched people dance, eating some of the small snacks that the caterer made. I looked around the reception area, smiling at how beautiful it is, on all of the tables, we put rose petals sprinkled on top. The ceiling was decorated with flowers of every kind; I still held my bouquet of flowers in hand, smelling them from time to time. As I admired the artwork of the room, my eyes landed on Jamie, who was talking intently with Hanna, it made my smile bigger, I was glad he was finally meeting someone. I noticed Tiffany talking to Jessie, twirling her hair between her fingers and biting her lip, Jessie looked very nervous and interested in her. I laughed and nudged Kyle, pointing discreetly at Tiff and Jess. Kyle laughed too and wrapped his arm around my waist “look at Jessie, he looks nervous as a mouse caught in a corner by a cat” he said. I laughed and kissed him once on the lips. the music turned down to background and someone walked onto the small stage in the corner of the room, it was dad, he had a glass of champagne in his hand. He cleared his throat and looked at me and Kyle “I’d like to make a toast to Kyle and Kaila, now I didn’t write anything down or anything, so I’m just going to wing it” he said. I laughed and took Kyle’s hand tightly in mine “Kyle, when I saw you the first day, I thought ‘oh no, not another jock’ but as the days past I noticed how you looked at Kaila, the unmistakable love that I saw when you looked at her, and I realized you weren’t just another jock. You and my daughter were brought together for a reason, you two are two halves of one whole, so I say this with my whole heart, welcome to the family son, I give my blessings to the both of you, cheers!” he said, raising his glass. “Cheers!” everyone shouted, raising their glasses. Kyle’s arms tightened around my waist as I laid my head on his shoulder. Mom came up and took the microphone from the stand “well, I think it’s time to give my blessings, and my toast to the bride and groom. “Kyle, you have been my son ever since I met you, so it’s not a hard thing to do at all to accept you into the family, I see the way Kaila is when she is with you, I have never seen her this happy, Kaila, your father is right, you two are two halves of one whole, so, here I am to say, I love you both, and I hope you two are very happy together, cheers!” she shouted. “cheers!” they all shouted again. I almost groaned when Jared came up, grinning mischievously. “Kaila, this one is for you, you’re my sister, and therefore I must say a toast to you, Kaila, you are the one that everyone is afraid to mess with, you are the one that won’t hesitate to kick an ass –excuse my language- that you feel needs kicking, including mine, Jake’s and Hail’s. But you are also sweet and caring…when you want to be” he said, smiling at me. I laughed and blew him a kiss “see? There is that sweetness coming out, and Kyle, a little advice, don’t make her mad, you will get slapped, punched, kneed, or all three at one time depending on how mad you make her, you were like a brother to me before, but now it’s official, so, my blessings and love to you both, cheers!” he called. Everyone yelled “cheers” again. Hail and Jake got a chance to speak, Hanna, Marianne, Laurence (Kyle’s dad, not Jared’s friend) and then Tiffany. Everyone got a chance to speak, and then we cut the cake. Me and Kyle fed each other. I smashed a peace into his mouth, smiling innocently at him. He took a piece of cake and smeared it on all around my mouth. I laughed and kissed his cake covered mouth, cameras went off in the background. Everyone got a piece of cake and sat down, me and Kyle wiped the cake off of our mouths, laughing and reminiscing about the time that we had the flower fight while making pancakes the third day we met. I remembered the times we had together, the day we met, I had rolled my eyes and told Jared that if he keeps the crap he did up, he was out of the house, I didn’t know at the time that I meant out of the house and into a new one with me. When he took me on our first date, at the grey goose, he told me for the first time that he loved me. The day we ran out of the house with Jared chasing us after I told him we were together. The day that he encouraged me to sing the anthem, the day that I played the guitar for him and Jared, the day I sang the anthem, it wasn’t a very happy day, but we made it happy in the end. the day he proposed to me so many months ago, the day that we told my family I was getting married, the day that we went to the park for my birthday and he sang me happy birthday. Yesterday at rehearsal, we were finally reunited after a long week, and today, were married, ready for a long life together, a long life of sadness, happiness, pain, and love, sickness, health, and maybe someday, new life. After another hour, we were walking out the door of the reception building, people were now blowing bubbles at us, we got to the limo where we would go and change into something more suitable for travel, and then were off to Puerto Rico for our honeymoon. I hugged mom and dad, “bye, I love you both, so much” I said. I hugged Marianne and Laurence, then they hugged Kyle, I hugged Tiffany, “I love you so much Tiff, see you in a few weeks” I said softly to her. She shook her head “I’m leaving to Florida for college, I’ll come and visit over the summer though” she said, tears running down her cheeks. I nodded, tears running down my cheeks, I was going to miss all of my friends and family I hugged Jared tightly, “bye Jared, take care, see you in a few weeks, good luck at college” I told him. I hugged Hail and Jake at the same time “bye guys, love you both” they were both choked up, with tears in their eyes. I think everyone was, even Jamie, who was all red eyed. “bye Jamie, you are my best friend, I love you so much, good luck at college, and don’t get into trouble” I told him, hugging him tightly. “bye Kaila, good luck on your honey moon, I love you too” he sniffed. I waved at everyone and got in the car, wiping tears away. Even Kyle was crying, I laughed wetly and wiped his tears away “everything is changing” I told him, laying my head on his shoulder. He wrapped his arms around my waist and nodded “yes, but change happens, everyone is sad, but hey, it’s this life” he told me. I laughed softly “yep, this life” I said. Epilogue.

Epilog. (ten years later) I’m twenty eight years old, sitting in the kitchen holding my enlarged belly, Kyle cooked us up a big breakfast; he is so sweet. Cody Hope Miller, My six year old son sat in his chair beside me, his black hair was short and spiky, he had Kyle’s eyes, which I love, and he still had that sweet little baby face. Kyle sat holding my hand “mommy, when is my little brother coming?” Cody asked for the thousandth time since I got pregnant, it always makes me smile. “In just a month sweetheart” I say, leaning into Kyle. Little Paul Evans kicks inside me, making me suck in a breath “whoa little guy, calm down” I said to my stomach. Kyle laughs and sets his hand on my stomach, kissing my forehead. Mom pulls up and gets out of the car, just coming into the front door, “hi! Mema is here!” she says. I laugh slightly, that is what Cody has taken to calling her, she comes in with little baby clothes, she is stocking us up for when he comes. I got up and hugged her as best I could, Kyle hugs her too. “Mema!” Cody calls, wrapping his arms around her waist and she picks him up “wow, I think you have gotten bigger since I saw you last!” she says. Cody looks at me and I nod, going along with mom “he grows a foot every night. I swear he is going to be a jolly green giant when he grows up” I teased. Cody got out of Mema’s arms and ran to me, hugging me as best he could. Kyle laughed and kissed my temple. Ten years and we are still as happy as when we got married, our son has been the light of our life, and now we have another one coming, dad was right, we are two halves of one whole. The end.