Playing With Fire

The rain poured down outside like a monsoon as I ran around the house grabbing all the loose laundry. Once it was in a basket I walked into the laundry room and started a load. My wedding is in a little less than two weeks and I am now starting to freak out. I walked out of the laundry room and walked upstairs to Kyler's room. She was sound asleep in her crib and a smile crept on my face as I watched her for a second.

From downstairs I heard a quick knock on the door before hearing it open and close. It's either Eric or Val. I picked Kyler up carefully and laid her in my arms and then I walked downstairs to see Eric setting bags down on the counter.

"Hi Eric," I said and Eric smiled.

"I am going to make the best tenderloin you have ever had and the most buttery mashed potatoes you can imagine," he walked into the kitchen and began going through the cabinets.

"You're making dinner?" I asked.

"Of course, it's what a good best friend does when he sees his best friend stressing about her wedding," he smiled cheekily at me and went back to grabbing pans.

"You know it's just me and Kyler here tonight, right?" I asked.

"Yeah, but I might have invited your siblings and their families as well," he smiled and stared at me.

"Eric, you have to talk to me about that first," I said.

"Well, too late. They'll be here in like an hour and a half. And besides, you aren't that mad at them anymore," Eric said and I rolled my eyes.

"I don't know why I've put up with you all these years," I muttered as I turned and walked into the family room. I sat down and curled on the couch before setting Kyler in my lap and turning on the TV.

"Are you mad at me?" Eric asked as he plopped on the couch next to me. I gave him a look and he shrugged.

"You need to spend time with your siblings," he said and paused, "is your mom going to be at the wedding?"

"No, I don't want her there," I said quietly as I fixed Kyler's onsie.

"But she's your mom Ever,"

"And she abandoned me when I was five, I don't want her there," I was getting irritated.

"What's going to happen when she finds out you got married and you didn't invite her?" He asked.

"I don't care. She abused the shit out of me and my brother and sister, then she fucking abandoned all three of us and fled to Florida. I'm not going to sit here and feel bad for not inviting her. Brian is fine with it because he wants me to be happy that day," I shrugged and Eric sighed.

"You are impossible sometimes," he muttered as he stood and went back to the kitchen.

"So are you," I responded and turned my attention to the TV.


After an hour of watching TV, I got up from the couch and set Kyler in her playpen and went into the kitchen. Eric was stirring some mashed potatoes and I sat down on one of barstools.

"Where is Brian tonight?" Eric asked.

"Late night recording session. Management and the studio want to finish up all recording and such for the album, tonight," I said and Eric nodded. I heard the doorbell ring behind me and I sighed.

"I wonder who it is," I muttered and got up from the stool to answer the door. When I opened the door, Chris and his family were standing there.

"Hey," he smiled and I opened the door further to let them in. They walked in and I closed the door behind them.

"Where's Kyler?" Claudia asked and I pointed to the family room and she disappeared.

"Is Brian here?" Jacob asked.

"Nope, he's in the studio tonight," I said and walked into the kitchen.

"Is Shannon here?" Chris asked.

"Not yet," I answered and sat back down on the barstool. Chelsea sat down next to me and Chris went into the family room.

"So, have you decided who's taking you down the aisle?" Chelsea asked. I looked at her and then at Eric, and then back at Chelsea.

"It's a toss up between like three people," I said.

"Who?" She asked.

"Well, Papa Gates, which is Brian's dad, Eric here, or Chris," I said and Chelsea got this big, bright grin on her face.

"It would mean the world to Chris if you let him do that," she smiled more and I looked at her.

"I am still deciding," I said and she kept looking at me.

"Everleigh, he's your brother, he's the next best thing after your dad," she tried to make me decide.

"At this point, I'd rather have my dad do it than Chris, but since my dad is dead, I'm thinking the next best thing is either Eric or Brian's dad," I said.

"Everleigh, he's your brother,"

"I know that, but he also didn't speak to me for 20 years. I'm not just going to forgive and forget what happened," I said.

"How about we change the subject, to maybe what Kyler is wearing?" Eric changed the subject and Chelsea took it.

"Yeah, what is she wearing?" Chelsea asked.

"I haven't quite decided yet. But it'll be cute," I said and Chelsea smiled.

"Shannon is here!" I heard Chris yell from the family room.

"Can you let her in?" I called back and heard someone move in the family room and then the door opening.

"Good thing she's here, dinner is done," Eric smiled and set the tenderloin on the counter.

"Children, come get food first," I yelled and then the three kids in the family room came in and Eric served them.

Once we were all served food, I picked at what was on my plate for a while. I can't believe Chelsea would try to force me to choose Chris to walk me down the aisle.

"You ok?" Shannon asked me, which made me jump slightly.

"What, yeah, I'm fine, just thinking," I smiled and she looked at me.

"What did Chris say?"

"It wasn't Chris," I answered and she raised her eyebrows.

"Was it his wife?" She asked and I nodded.

"She grilled me about who's taking me down the aisle, and I mentioned I was thinking Chris, and she basically was trying to make me choose Chris," I said.

"She has no say in this," Shannon said and I nodded.

"I know, now I'm not going to choose Chris, I'm probably gonna choose Eric," I said.

"I think he'll do fine with being your step-in-dad," she chuckled and I smiled.

"You three should get a picture together," Chelsea said and I looked at her.

"What?" I asked.

"Come on, group up, we can get this developed and hand it out," she said and took her phone out. I sat there next to Shannon and looked at her. Chris came and squatted in front of us and we all smiled and Chelsea took the picture.

"Oh it's so nice," she squealed and I rolled my eyes.

"Hey Aunt Ever, can I stay here tonight?" I heard Jacob ask me and I looked at him.

"You wanna stay here?" I asked.

"Yeah, I was thinking of moving to California soon for school, so," he said.

"So you're saying you wanna stay here long term?" I asked.

"Maybe," he smiled and I ruffled his hair.

"I'd have to talk to Brian, because Eric is moving in sometime soon, but I don't have an issue with it," I said. He got this big smile on his face. I'm glad Jacob isn't like his parents, I might have to convince Brian to let him stay with us.

Notes

Ok, so I rewrote this like three times, not really, I only rewrote it once. But I changed up some stuff. If you guys want to know why Shannon left, here it is, she got married to a lawyer who was from Minnesota, so she moved there with him and got caught up with her career. So she didn't leave on bad terms, Chris did.

Ok, so I have this huge favor to ask of you, I can't decide which hairstyle Ever should have on her wedding day, could you vote in the comments?

1) http://messages.365greetings.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/half-up-half-down-bridal-hairstyle.jpg
2)http://hairextensions-usa.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/Curls-in-Semi-Open.jpg
3)http://www.batikenthaber.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/wedding-hairstyles-for-medium-hair.jpg

Please, please, please vote!

Ok, onto the bridesmaid dresses!

Val: http://www.allurebridals.com/assets/1550/7_1378F.jpg (her dress is going to be Royal Blue)
Michelle, Shannon, Jennifer: http://www.allurebridals.com/assets/1550/7_1302f.jpg (Michelle's is going to be black, Shannon's is Charcoal, and Jennifer's is Platinum.)

Color swatch thing!: http://www.allurebridals.com/assets/1550/laceswatchbook.jpg

Yay! Wait, there's more.

Val's hair: http://www.pinterest.com/pin/65794844528020647/
Michelle, Shannon, Jennifer's hair: http://www.pinterest.com/pin/65794844526381486/

Hope you like my choices, and please, please, please vote! I need help deciding!