"And then we have... Damn." He chuckles, glancing between me and his list.

Lost in the course of his newfound amusement, I frown and lean over to check his list. But of course, he snatches the list away from me with another heavy chuckle, earning an eye roll in return.

I should've chosen someone else for this job.

"Bill..."

He glances up, a smirk still fresh on his lips as he relishes in this amusement of his. I could slap that smirk right off of his mouth if I didn't value my life.

I'm stuck with him.

"What? If you knew, you'd be laughing too!" He shakes his head. "Okay, maybe you wouldn't but still... This shit is funny."

"Give me the damn list!" I grouse, snatching the notepad from his palms.

We've been doing this for an hour; generating a line of groomsmen for Jesse's and I wedding. The process has been everything less than smooth. You would think that picking out a few guys to stand around for an hour or so, would be easy.

 Of course, it's not. Jesse has her set bridesmaids and from what I've seen in rehearsals, her bridesmaids won't put up with just any man standing adjacent to them. The only thing is, I don't know many men I can trust to be a part of something so special, nor enough men to ask.

Therefore Bill volunteered to help, promising to ease my burdens and speed up the selection process.

He has done everything but.

Scanning over the notepad, I instantly find the root of Bill's cackles. Three names that might as well be synonyms for the words troublesome and imbecile.

"Not these fools. No. Absolutely not." I huff, tossing the notepad over to him.

"Michael... Come on, who else do you have in mind?" He sighs, seeming sincere with his concern.

I exhale heavily, mentally kicking myself for having being put in this situation. If I would've simply allowed Jesse to pick the men, I wouldn't have to go through this. But no, I wanted to "complete my groom-ly duties".

Such an idiot I am.

With a deep inhale and a quick drag of my fingers through my hair, I shrug carelessly.

"I'll think of someone... Or someones. " I exhale once more. "It definitely won't be them."

With his smirk gone and even his frown now foreign, he shakes his head and taps the notepad knowingly.

"We will see."

"Man who in the hell wears brown in the fall!" He demands, childishly squirming in his suit with distaste.

"It's Beige. Sweetheart. " Marcy curtly corrects, eying him with equal distaste.

It's finally fitting day. The day that I am frankly not too prepared for. I have been adamant and precise about the details of our wedding thus far. Call me groomzilla, but I want everything perfect for my bride.

Although I have an abundance of help surrounding me, there are just things that I want to be able to do on my own. For instance, make sure my groomsmen are just as spiffy as her bridesmaids. I want to be able to look back at these past months and say that I did all I could to make my wedding day and night perfect for myself and my wife.

My wife.

In just a few weeks she'll finally be mine. She'll carry my last name proudly. As clichè as it sounds, I've waited most of my life for the moment I make a gorgeous soul my wife --Jesse is that gorgeous soul.

Throughout all of the planning and stressing over the intricate details of our imminent wedding, her smile and elation for our future union eased every burden. Witnessing her gawking over wedding dress ideas or even venues is a blessing within itself.

Knowing that she's just as ecstatic as I am about this monumental transition in our life, makes all of this agitation worth it.

She's worth it.

Sighing aloud, I give Jermaine a silent look for him to surrender and accept his predicament. Instead of huffing in disapproval while still hesitantly obliging like a good little idiot, he nods silently and goes to remove the suit's jacket; eying me closely.

If his tone wasn't a dead giveaway, the glare in his eyes gives me a clear understanding of his apparent intention to get under my skin.

It's definitely working.

"I'm sorry, but I ain't wearing this shit. Not unless you find a different color." He drops the blazer into a nearby chair and steps out of his line. "You knew better than this Michael."

To say my blood is boiling would be an understatement, I am damn near fusing. I have been dealing with Jermaine's prissy ass since yesterday. He's constantly complaining and raising hell about the smallest things.

Initially, I thought he was just acting as he normally would, foolish and stubborn. He proved that theory wrong. He entered with an air full of hostility and arrogance. I don't know where it's coming from, but I am ending it now.

Before I can even step over to him, a once quietly observing Marlon steps between us. The frown lines evading his forehead give all the confirmation that I am not the only one annoyed here.

"Jerm, man come on. Stop acting like that." He sighs, earning an eye roll from Jermaine.

"Acting like what? If I don't like the damn color, then I just don't like it." Jermaine huffs, backing away from Marlon and I.

Sighing aloud, I step out of Marlon's reach as well. Jermaine had embarrassed me enough and I can't deal with his dramatics right now.

I'm done.

"Let's cut this already short conversation even shorter." I proclaim, scanning the room for Bill or Scottie. "Jermaine, leave." I demand, catching the attention of a nearby Scottie.

Jermaine, who is already sporting a mean glare, seemingly becomes flush. He follows my glare, which leads him directly to a steadily approaching Scottie. But this still doesn't provoke him enough to move an inch.

"I ain't goin' nowhere." He stands his ground.

By now, the remaining groomsmen are heeding their own encouragement for him to go and cool down. Even Marcy, an "uppity" woman who avoids confrontation, forwards the idea of a "time out".

But alas, my stubborn eldest brother remains as said; stubborn.

"Jerm-"

"You think you hot shit huh?" He accuses, turning towards Scottie who has a firm grip on his right shoulder.

"What are you talking about? Scott-"

"No, wait. He needs to hear this." He grunts, snatching away from Scottie's hold.

Before Scottie can move forward to restrain him, I lift my hand for him to stop. As much as I could care less for my brother's future accusations, I still want to hear them and rectify any that seem implausible.

He wants the floor, I'll give it to him.

Taking the bait, he glances around the room before finally settling his gaze on me.

"You walk around here like you own the world. You own this perfect damn world. But you don't."

"What are you talking ab-"

"No Michael, let me finish." Averting his gaze to that of our "audience", He chuckles menacingly. "My brother here refused to talk to me for nearly two damn years. I met my damn one-year-old nephew, like what? A few months ago?" He turns to me.

I am trying to remain well composed. But it's hard. I've heard of cliché wedding stories where there's always that one family member who steps out of line. I expected this from Joseph, not my own brother. Not the one brother I actually had a bond with.

But glory and behold, my expectations have been twisted.

"Now Jermaine, that has nothing to do with right now." I grit, inwardly slapping the hell out of him.

"But it does little brother. You see, when you ignore your own damn family for nearly three years, you claim disownership. I might have let it go, but I ain't never forget. So yeah, I agreed to be in this damn wedding. I wanted to show you, what a brother really is." He pauses, licking his lips with a low chuckle. "A real brother doesn't leave his family. You broke ma's heart with that shit! You-"

"Enough Jermaine! Leave Michael alone!" Randy shoves him, earning a shove in return.

"Shut up! Ya'll can kiss his ass but I won't! I'm sick of pretending this shit is okay!" He howls, turning towards Scottie. "You better escort me now before I do something I'll regret."

And just like that, he storms out, Scottie trailing closely behind him. Unfortunately leaving heavy clouds of confusion and agitation.

"You know what this means, right?"

Glancing away from my notepad, I inhale deeply and sigh contently.

"Yeah, Bill. I know exactly what this means." I smile, actually feeling light about the idea.

Offering an equally foolish grin, he nods and leans back into his chair; palms folded over his torso. I know that look. He's either going to give me a "When I was your age..." speech or he's going to simmer silently.

I wouldn't even count on the latter.

"When I was your age..." He begins to close his eyes for a split second.

I knew it.

Shaking my head at my confirmed assumption, I rest my ballpoint pen on the table and smile. I can't even contain my sudden chuckle as he looks on with confusion.

"What?" He furrows his eyebrows.

"Nothing. Continue." I snicker, pressing my lips together, desperately.

Not buying or maybe not enjoying my chortle, he sucks his teeth and mumbles the inaudible before exhaling heavily.

"Anyways, as I was saying... " He starts up again, cutting his eyes at me before chuckling himself. "I didn't have too much figured out. I mean I did, but not enough. All I knew was... Body guardin' you and your brothers."

This time I furrow my eyebrows. I usually know where his speeches lead to, but not this one. I'm not even sure if he does either. His eyes are distant as if he's traveling back mentally. It's not rare for Bill to have these "spacey" moments, but it's moments like this that I actually learn a bit more about the man I've looked up to for so many years.

Therefore, instead of interrupting his moment, I relax in my chair; offering my full attention.

"I had a life before ya'll, y'know? A wife... A kid, everything." His stare grows more and more inane. "But then ya'll came in the picture... I lost touch." He inhales cooly, chuckling aimlessly.

To say that I am perplexed would be an understatement. I'm completely taken aback by this man. He obviously has a purpose for telling me this, but I'm having trouble finding exactly what that purpose is.

So I allow him to continue.

"Forgetting birthdays, mixing up the damn birthdays. Forgetting football games. Always fucking up on anniversaries. I completely lost touch. And I hurt a lot of people." He stares at me refreshingly before scratching his prematurely balding head.

By now, I am listening keenly. I reiterate. Bill has given Manu lectures before, but this one is definitely a bit more personal. He obviously wants me to heed his delivery. Actually, absorb what he's saying. I would be foolish not to.

"When you say I do, you are committing to a lot of promises. Promises you can't break." He sighs aloud, pointing a stiff finger at my clasped hands. "When that band is on your finger, you can't turn back. You're promising that woman the world, your world. The same goes for her. Please remember that. Don't give nothing less. You hear me?"

This time, I actually feel compelled to verbally seal this promise. I know I've made many promises to Bill, claiming to make the best of things, that I've broken in the past. It always led to his disappointment and my guilt. My actions were louder than my words. Now, my words have to be louder than everything. I have to speak it into existence.

"I promise. I'll give her everything, everything I've ever held back. I'm going to give it to her." I proclaim, finding a small smile along the way.

"You damn sure better. Next time, I won't just slam you into a wall, I'll break you and that wall." Bill chuckles, scooting away from the table.

I join in on his chuckles, mirroring him to meet in a warm "manly" embrace. It feels good. My promise is in the air. My path is clear. I'm ready to make this commitment.

I'm ready to marry Jesse Rose Edmond.

"And we're here again, because?" I sigh aloud, watching the beady-eyed beaut squirm before me.

Twenty-four hours from now, we'll be walking down the aisle, waiting to finally commit. And although we've been feeling a bit lethargic for most of our final planning days, today I actually feel a bit anxious.

With tomorrow being the big day, I expected our enervated mood would only be ephemeral; definitely short-lived. But this anxiousness, this waiting-on-Christmas-on-Christmas eve- anxiousness was definitely unexpected.

But nonetheless, it just retains me. This anxiousness is a constant reminder that all of the current and past events are real. I am marrying the one that I know, without a doubt, my heart belongs to. Jesse is not the woman of my dreams. No. Jesse is more.

Jesse is the woman who owns my heart.

And because this woman owns my heart, I have allowed her to drag me about Ilhabela, Brazil. Apparently, she wants to spend a bit more time together before we have to ritually separate. So being the great fiancé that I am, I have been more than grateful to be her "drag-around", or her "sightseeing partner" as she so delicately puts it. Even if all of the sights we have seen are inside private bakeries.

Oh, the things I do for this woman.

With her infamous giggle, she squeezes our palms together and shakes her head.

"It's Brazil, Michael! There's so much food!" She continues to beam, emphasizing the small markets that surround us.

I chuckle at her childishness. As much as I want to argue against her statement, she's right. Ilhabela, Brazil is well known for its small markets within its private city. Everything is fresh and local, not to mention delicious. The pregnant lady is definitely right.

But I have another idea of fun, other than stuffing our faces with fresh, foreign treasures; I think it's truly time for some eloping.

"Well can I pick something for us to do?" I suggest, allowing her to lead us to yet another metal café table.

Her beady pecans meet mine for a moment. Her bottom lips fold beneath her top row of pearls. And for a second there, I can see tomorrow, bright and clear. But soon her lips return as normal and a smile spreads them. All this before she gives a simple nod.

"Okay, how about a walk?" I smile, still relishing in light of my previous moment.

"Whatever you say, Mister Jackson. " She teases, giving our palms yet another squeeze.

My smile widens at her endearment. This moment feels good. It just feels, right.

Therefore, as I lead us across the gravel, going nowhere, in particular, I allow myself to relax. I've been so tense about everything, now I can relax.

"I still can't believe this is happening." She sighs ten organic food carts into our stroll.

I smile, emphasizing her statement completely. It has been something that I have found surreal myself. And even with our wedding being just an arms reach away, I still find it as simply a mental mirage.

"Me, you, nor the world can. And on top of that, we're expecting another mini-me. Wow."

My smile, if even remotely possible, widens. I often find myself forgetting how truly blessed I am. My life, although still very rough around the edges, is a blessing. I thank the spirit above for it all.

Mirroring my cheeky grin, she leads me to a nearby bench; her eyes curious and her body language comfortable. Such a simple form of content, but still inadvertently beautiful. But just as soon as the wave of content washed over us, it withdrew leaving a backwash of resistance.

Uh-oh.

"What's wro-"

"Thing's are going to change, right?" She beats me to the punch.

Taking a moment to decipher the reason behind her question, I glance out into the cobblestone before us; my gaze only meeting hers minutes later.

"I will do my bes-"

"No, baby I--" She pauses, twisting her engagement absently. "I didn't mean you in particular. I meant our world." She relieves herself of a soft exhale, now returning my gaze. "Once we're married things are going to be different. I mean my career will change, yours will change. I will-"

"Babygirl, what are you saying?"

Licking her lips thoughtfully, she sighs once more.

"Things changed when my mother and father married. From daily arguments to actually ignoring each other. They never disrespected each other in front of me, but I knew it was happening. I hated it, seeing them pretending to be happy. It killed me and it scares me now. I don't want that for us. I don't." She stresses, her gaze trailing away once more.

As much as I want to console her and whisper and abundance promises for a perfect life, I can't. I am not saying that things will be just as things were between her mother and father, but our marriage will certainly be farthest from perfect.

But what I will do is keep a mental note of her fears. Forge her worries into my brain so that when situations arise, I will have a reminder as to why the negativity of the moment is not worth it.

I don't want a repeat of our parent's unfortunate situations.

"Jess..." I begin, earning her gaze almost instantly. "I am going to be man enough to say that it ain't going to be peaches and crème." I sigh, taking her hand in mine. "But that doesn't mean I won't try to give that to you and more. Okay?" I smile, bringing the back of her hand to my lips.

As if my statement was a sound enough investment of our future, her smile returns with full force. And although my words are only the beginning, I think we both have an idea of where this will lead us to next.

That is certain.

------------------------

"I still can't believe he never came back. Why does he want to be an asshole now?" I mumble, still fumbling with cufflinks.

Tonight is the last night that a roam as a "free man". As inane as that sounds, on the contrary, I am anxiously elated. I have waited so many years - literally- for this one woman to finally carry the title of "Misses". I also hate to sound so dismissive, but I just want to fast forward through it all, skip straight to the part in which I plant a nice one on those rose petals of hers, finally claiming her as mine.

That is all that matters at this point.

So when Bill presented the idea of a potential "Bachelors Party", I was all but hesitant. I had to actually ponder on that. I understand that a bachelor and bachelorette are all a part of "America's Tradition", but from what I have witnessed in the past with my eldest brothers' wild, bedlam-evoked bachelor parties, I wanted no part. Of course, Bill assured me that nothing of any chaotic sort will occur. He even promised to keep a keen eye on Jesse's little gathering - due to the fact that she has four crazy bridesmaids accompanying her - this and other promises sealed the deal.

So here I am, preparing for a simple private, hotel dinner with my groomsmen; secretly wishing I was temporarily in a coma until a few hours from now.

Just great.

"Well, ain't nothing I can say to that Mike. Maybe he will come around?" Marlon concludes as I spin for his approval. "You look good, that's all that matters." He adds, offering a playful wink.

Shaking my head at my fourth eldest brother and still very much unconvinced, I sigh aloud.

Since my last run-in with Jermaine a while back, I have not heard from the asshole. The only thing that I learned that night he decided to up the ante of an overdramatic Jackson, was that he went on a "steam off ride" into town, and may just have rented himself a separate bungalow somewhere on the island. Initially, I thought this was just a lie for me to calm down and suffice without groomsmen for that evening, but when one night turned into three, I was forced to believe it.

My own brother walked out on me.

This fact alone didn't anger me. It was the fact that he did not even have the heart to call and at least explain himself. He could not even simply show up for rehearsals and leave. No, he just rather not show up at all.

That's what angered me. That's what also hurt me.

Alas, I digress. I have been dealing with the situation fairly well. Just as long as I still have my goal in reach and a ring to place on my woman's hand, I am fine.

"Thanks. But, I swear to you Marlon, if I see his ass... I swear I will-"

"Do nothing. You know that damn boy is just like his father, stubborn as hell." He enters, nodding a greeting towards Marlon.

I turn around, my cheeks suddenly feeling warm. I am almost certain I look a little flushed right now. If I do, neither man seems to take notice or cares to mention it as they glance me over.

"Don't let him get to you boy. He will come around. You know that." He restates.

"I understand that Joseph, but no one pulls something like this and still has the common sense to try to make things right. I'm getting married in less than twenty-four hours. He isn't coming." I stress.

Jermaine is not the type of man to say admit his faults. Everyone else is wrong, never Jermaine Jackson. Yes, it is very true that he is as stubborn as his father, but it is also true that he has even more terrible traits when it comes to being inconsiderable. In laymen's terms, he's more of an ass than Joseph himself.

Chuckling at my quick disposal of faith in the asshole, Joseph places a surprisingly tender palm on both Marlon's and I shoulders; his seaweed orbs gentle and content.

"Listen, if it's one thing I know about the boys I helped raised, it's that they never eva' give up on each otha'. That damn knucklehead ain't gone let us down. Okay?" He sighs, an awkward smile forcing his lips apart.

Instead of protesting Joseph's surprisingly relieving words, Marlon and I nod in agreement.

Maybe my brother won't let me down. Maybe he is planning a huge entrance, to crash my own wedding. And even if he did, I wouldn't be angry with him, because he would be there for me, just like he was supposed to.

A few minutes into our headache easing session, Marlon excuses himself to attend his duties of "keeping chaos at bay". Not even seconds after Marlon excuses himself, Joseph claims his exit as well, leaving me to ponder on the situation alone.

"About our conversation last night..." I trail, slipping into the lounging chair beside him.

Removing his fedora from his head, he offers an emotionless side-eye; his own way of silently telling me to continue.

"I was wondering, how did you deal with it? I mean, you're still married and you seem satisfied." I express, feeling a familiar heat inflating my cheeks.

I always try to respect Bill's privacy, but I do find myself, from time to time, wondering how he balances both worlds. I myself know that dealing with me and my problems is a full-on job. But he does so, effortlessly.

Leaning further into his seat, he nods silently in thought. This phase only last a few minutes before he sits up completely, his darkened mahogany eyes focused solely on me.

"For one, I have a damn good wife. I mean I pissed her off a lot, but she understood how much you boys mean to me, how much you mean to me. I ain't saying she understood all the time, but she did eventually." He smiles ever so slightly before nodding. "Yeah, that's why I survived. We had to have a mutual understanding. And from there we built a bridge we could cross from time to time."

"That's it? You talked and she listened?" I infer, earning a head shake of disagreement.

"No, boy listen with your ears. All I'm saying is this, when you're married you have to learn to listen and understand. I had a job, but my wife has to be my priority, that's all she and I wanted. There's your answer."

I nod, licking my lips thoughtfully. Communication, the cliché word everyone throws around when referring to relationships. So small, but all the more powerful.

"And that's it?" I pry for more.

"That's it." He sighs, lifting himself from his seat. "That's it." He repeats, leaving me to cater to other businesses.

That's it. Communication.

Smiling at the simple memory, I glance at myself in the mirror; taking in my final moments of solitude before I join my groomsmen.

I have to admit, I might just be the happiest I've been in the past months. Maybe not the kind of happy to where it overrides my moments with Noah and Jesse or is listed below my happiness I find when I'm on stage, but the kind of happy when I'm inches away from the finish line.

I like this happy.

"We're almost there. Almost there." I whisper aloud to no one in particular.

"Yeah, we are." He steps beside me.

Turning around almost instantaneously, our gaze met. My gaze has off-struck and his completely laid back.

"Jermaine? What are you doing here? No-no, better question, where in the hell have you been?" I demand, taking a few steps back.

"I'm here, brought by common sense to make things right."
__________

AND SCENE!

Wow, it has been a long handful of months since I've updated. I feel terrible, but it is within good reason guys!

For one, Wattpad has been experiencing its own bug. With so many technical conflicts, it has made so many writers resent even logging in (me included) but I never stopped writing!

Anyways, I worked on this little chapter until I just couldn't stand it anymore. I wanted it to be perfect, not too much, but just enough.

I'm still not satisfied, but let's focus on the good, shall we?

I updated!

And I'm proud to announce that the next chapter will be the Wedding chapter! I have even made a video for the wedding!

Watch here:

https://youtu.be/TILcir77IqM

Well, that's all for now, a HUGE thank you for staying with me for so long, I do hope you enjoy it!

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