A BABBLING RUBY hopped up and down on Happy's lap, making everyone laugh as she tried to fit her whole fist into her tiny mouthᅳ the now one-year-old's new favorite activity. The sun shone, the heat pressing down on everyone as they sat outside on one of the picnic tables.

"Jesus, one day she'll spit all over the table", Juice muttered, grimacing but cooing the next words as Ruby gave him a mischievous smile as if she had understood exactly what he had said. "And we won't have a problem cleaning it all up for the little princess."

"No, we won't." Tig reached out and took the one-year-old from Happy. As soon as she was sitting on his hip, he tickled her belly. "She reminds me so much of Dawnᅳ my girl was also a ray of sunshine, always happy and smiling. That's what we are, right sweetheart, our little sunshine?"

Ruby cooed back, followed by a belly laugh before she babbled another a few wordsᅳ a mix of the words 'mommy', 'dada' and 'apple'. She could pronounce the word better than anything else, which probably came from being obsessed with apples and wanting one every time she saw one.

Bobby slapped the SAA with the dark curls on the shoulder, then squeezed it. "And that's exactly how you'll always remember Dawn, brother."

"I know, I know", Tig nodded weakly, sighing quietly. The death of his daughter was still haunting him, the brutality of it. But Ruby helped him with the grief, especially when he was allowed to babysit her every now and then. "Do we finally know now if Ginny is moving to Charming?"

Everyone's lips turned into knowing smirks as Jax' head immediately snapped up, a small cloud of smoke floating in front of his face. "Did she say something about it?"

"I don't know much, just that she's still planning it", Bobby explained, slapping Jax' shoulder with a low chuckle. "Better keep your eyes to yourself."

The blonde looked up with his typical cocky smile, holding his hands out to the side. "What can I say? I'm just a sucker for a pretty face."

"Yeah, one who's married", Juice reminded him in a teasing tone.

"Who knows for how much longer", Jax muttered under his breath before raising an eyebrow. "So no one knows more?"

All the guys knew that Jax had kept in touch with Ginny, but the older Munson sister had kept everything on friendship basis. Ginny wasn't someone who pushed herself between two people in a relationship, but the furtive glances she regularly gave Jax when she visited gave her away; she liked him just as much.

"Nola said that she apparently just needs to convince her boss that she can work from home. This way she could move and keep her job", Happy chimed in after getting his daughter back again, the little girl reaching out to him. "If that works out as planned, she'll probably move here", he said specifically to Jax, smirking.

"Why are you only telling me that?", the blonde asked with a huff, unable to hold back a chuckle as he finally gave in. "Okay, okay, maybe I'd be happy about it. She just fits in here."

"She does", Happy grunted. It would be good for Nola in particular to have her sister nearbyᅳ and it couldn't hurt for Ruby to have a good relationship with her aunt either. "But don't you think you should finally break up with Tara? It's only fair to both of them."

"He's not wrong",Tig agreed, his hands propped against his hips. "We all see how unhappy you are. But manᅳ don't play with Ginny, she's a good one."

"She is; and, I love you, brother, but I won't let you break her heart." Bobby, the usually peaceful one of the group, now sounded more serious than usual. With his glasses resting between his fingers, he pointed in Jax' direction. "If you really want my daughter, do it right."

Jax sighed, the pressure from the others definitely bearing down on him. But they were right. "I know I have to put an end to this with Taraᅳ it's just chaos."

"No shit", Juice muttered, letting his gaze wander as Jax gave him a brief 'really' look. "Just sayin'", he added, awkwardly clearing his throat.

"Okay, let's not talk about my relationships anymore", Jax said, slamming his hand down on the table with his signature grin directed at Happy. "You think Nola's finally gonna find her dress today?"

That's why they were sitting all there without the woman because Nola, Gemma and Lyla were out on a shopping trip, trying to find the perfect dress for Nola. After all, the wedding was only a month away and everything except the dress had already been taken care of.

"I hope soᅳ woman's slowly losing her mind", Happy grumbled as he ran his large hand over Ruby's dark hair, cradling the little girl closer as she snuggled against his chest. "And I'll lose my damn sanity too if she doesn't find one soon."

Jax chuckled in amusement as the slightest grin danced around Happy's lips. "It can't be that hard to find a dress. Maybe you should just go with her?"

"You want Nola to rip his head off?" Bobby asked, letting out a snort through his nose. With a laugh, he shook his head, leaning forward slightly. "My daughter has her own mind when it comes to the perfect wedding dress. Gemma and Lyla are gonna find one with her."

"They better do", Happy grunted, still grinning. When Ruby sighed theatrically, something she always did when she got tired, he planted a kiss on her forehead. "She needs a nap. I'll be right back."

When Happy got up, the others fell into another conversation that slowly became more muffled as Happy disappeared into the clubhouse to put Ruby to bed, making sure she got enough sleep but not too much so she would still sleep at night.

About fifteen minutes later and as soon as Happy saw Ruby's small chest rise and fall evenly and her soft snoring filled the room, the Killer sat on the foot of the bed and texted his fiancée that she shouldn't put any pressure on herself.

'You know I'll love you in every dress, little girl. And I'll rip it off the first moment we're alone anyway.'

He knew how nervous she was, that she wanted everything to be perfect after her first failed marriageᅳ and Happy would try anything to give her the day she deserved. If she couldn't find a dress today, no matter how crazy that secretly drove him, he would keep supporting and encouraging her.

But part of him hoped that she would find her dream dress so he could marry her, tell her that she was perfect no matter what she was wearing.

ᅳ

NOLA CAREFULLY BALANCED the shopping bags in the crook of one arm and the wedding dress around the other arm into the house. Her face lit up as Ruby walked towards her with wobbly steps, carefully placing one leg in front of the other and beaming at her mother, closely followed by Happy, whose hands were always ready to catch the one-year-old.

"Hi baby", the blonde cooed sweetly and crouched down, which was a challenge with all the things she was carrying. "Were you good with Daddy, yeah?"

Ruby clapped her tiny hands and almost lost her balance, but caught herself in time. "Ma..ma!"

Nola chuckled as Happy's arms shot forward to hold Ruby, causing the girl to complain with a babbling whine, which in turn drew a chuckle and an eye roll from Happy as he lifted his arms in the air.

"Fine, if you don't want any help. You're just as stubborn as your mother", he grunted, amusement lingering in his tone, before he leaned forward and pulled Nola into a kiss after placing a hand on the back of her neck. So that she could finally greet Ruby properly, he took the bags from her, raising both eyebrows as he looked at the large garment bag. "That your dress? You found one?"

"Believe it or not, but yes, I finally found one. And I'm super happy with it", she said with a small laugh as she scooped Ruby into her arms and stood up with her. "I was really starting to lose hope again, but when I tried this one on, I knew it was my dress."

"Looks like we can all breathe again", the Killer chuckled, his fingers already on the zipper of the garment bag. "Can I see it?"

"No!" Nola smacked his fingers gently, a scolding expression in her blue orbs as she shoved a finger in his face. "Not even a quick glance, you hear me? I want it to be a surprise for you."

"Jesus woman", Happy muttered, shaking his head as he hung the garment bag on the coat rack next to the door. "I promise, not even a quick glance. You got anything to wear underneath?", he asked, a mischievous glint in his dark brown eyes as he held up the other bag.

"Maybe, but you won't see that until the day we're getting married", the blonde purred against his lips before pressing another kiss against them. She only laughed when Happy just grunted, his impatience showing. "Come on, it's not that long now. You're not showing me what you're wearing either!"

"I guess we're even, huh?" Happy winked with a grin before he gently pushed Nola towards the kitchen and practically forced her to sit down. "I hope lasagna is okay."

Nola buried her face in Ruby's dark hair, the girl in her arms babbling softly, smiling to herself as she watched Happy fill two plates and a small bowl with the lasagna, cutting the one for their daughter in tiny pieces. The heavenly delicious smell made her mouth water immediately and appreciate life with Happy once again. Her soon to be mother-in-law had done a lot of things right while raising her son; after all, Nola would soon have a husband who wouldn't just bark orders at her like Alden did, but who stood behind the stove or took on other household chores instead of letting her do all these things.

"You know I could've made dinner for us, right?", she asked softly as Happy put a plate down in front of her with a soft clink and took Ruby from her, placing the girl in her high chair.

"I know, but I had time and was home anyway", the SAA explained with a casual shrug of his shoulders and placed a kiss on top of Nola's hair before he sat down too. Happy reached across the table to grab her hand, rubbing his thumb over the ring on her finger. "And you're absolutely sure you want all of this? That you're ready for a new start?"

Nola couldn't say where Happy's sudden doubts came from, but her heart ached when she heard the slight uncertainty, even vulnerability, in his voice. No one saw that side often, not even herᅳ but ultimately she was grateful that he was open about his concerns.

"Have I ever made you feel like I wanted something different? That I'm not ready, baby?", she asked in return, sliding her fingers between his as he shook his head with a grunt. "See; and that's not going to change. I know that this between us is real, something that'll hold forever."

"Me too", Happy replied, his serious gaze meeting her softer one. "I just wanna make sure you're okay."

"How couldn't I, Hap?" The blonde heaved a soft, almost overwhelmed laugh, pointing first at Ruby, then at the food, then at him. "I have everything I've ever dreamed of, everything I've always wantedᅳ a home, a man who appreciates me, our child. I don't need more."

"I love you, little girl", Happy croaked sincerely, flashing her the slightest smile before looking back at Ruby, laughing at the sight. "She definitely needs a bath after this."

"No shit, a rag won't do anymore", Nola agreed as she looked at her daughter's orange face, the lasagna almost everywhere except in her mouth. But the two had decided early on to just let Ruby explore as long as she ate enough. Her fork already sunk into her lasagna, Nola flashed her Old Man a smile. "I love you too, by the way."

As the little family slowly calmed down, they talked about how their day had been, what had happened and what the plan was for tomorrow. For others, this everyday life might sound boring, but for Nola it was like balm for her soul, knowing that she had her little family, structure and all of that without having to live in constant fear of doing something wrong and getting hit or insulted for it.

Soon she would be finally married to the man who had laid the world at her feet. Even though she was already carrying his crow, getting married was another intimate step towards a happy, carefree future.

word count; about 2.1k

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authors note; next chapter will have a bigger time jump (two years) so I can add some drama again. 😌 And because I suck at writing weddings, sorry!

Also; please check out my new Happy fic. It's called GONE WITH THE SIN and you can find it under my published stories! I'd appreciate it if you guys could check it out. 🤎