Nick stepped back and stared at me, his eyes wide open.  "H-h-how?  W-w-why?"
 
    I got an impatient look on my face and gave him my best ‘duh' expression.  "You know how dummy, or did you never learn how that works?"
 
    He rolled his eyes.  "Of course I know how.  I'm just really...surprised is all.  One time it happened.  Only once."  He paced around for a couple seconds, then stopped and whirled around.  "You don't know for sure, do you?"
 
    I shook my head.  "It's too early to tell.  Once the wedding is over and we're back into routine, I'll make a doctor's appointment.  We should be able to tell for sure in a month or so, no problem."
 
    "Ok."  A more subdued look settled on his face.  "What will we do if you are?"
 
    I shrugged my shoulders, but inside I was crying.  "It would be our baby, Nick.  What would there be to do with it besides keep it and love it?  I won't give it up, I couldn't.  And forget about an abortion.  I'm not murdering our baby."
 
    He gathered me in his arms and kissed the top of my head.  "Are you sure it wouldn't be too soon?  Do you think we'll be able to handle a baby so soon after getting married?"
 
    I gazed up at him.  "Nick, we've been together for a while now, and I've been looking forward to having a baby for a very long time.  And the fact that it's your baby makes it sweeter."  I kissed him.  "I think everything'll work out in it's own time."
 
    "If that's what you think, then I trust you.  If you are pregnant, then when this baby is born, it'll be the most loved baby in the world.  Not to mention the luckiest, ‘cause it'll also have the most beautiful and caring mom in the world."  He grinned down at me as he said it.
 
    "Nick, really.  You don't have to suck up anymore, I already said I'd marry you."  I punched him playfully and took him by the hand.  "C'mon, let's re-join the party."
 
 

    ***The next day***

 
    "The caterers are here!  Oh, and the florist phoned, they'll be a little late delivering the flowers."
 
    "What?!  How late?!"
 
    "Can somebody give me a hand in here?"
 
    "No no, this one is yours, that one is Jayme's.  Yours is a size bigger."
 
    "Will someone please tell me how I'm supposed to walk in shoes with a 4 inch heel?"
 
    "They're not 4 inches, they're one and a half.  Your running shoes have a bigger heel."
 
    "Somebody smack me, I think I'm losing my mind....Ouch!  I didn't mean literally!"
 
    That was the scene the next morning as we tried to get everything in place for the wedding that day.  Nick's sisters Leslie and Angel were busy answering the phone and the door; Jayme and Natalie were trying to get dressed; and I was rushing around, trying to get everything else in order.
 
    "Ok everyone, stop!"  Jayme cupped her hands around her mouth and yelled as loud as she could.  Every person in the room stopped dead in their tracks and stared at her.
 
    "Hi."  She smiled and dropped her hands to her sides.  She looked over at me and winked, then continued.  "Ok, look everybody.  I know that Sam and Nick have been waiting for this day for a long time, and we all want it to be absolutely perfect for them.  And it will be.  But it's not doing anyone any good at all when we're all rushing around like we're chickens with our heads cut off."  Everyone laughed.
 
    "So, what do you propose we do?" demanded Natalie.
 
    "Just slow down is all.  And instead of everyone working on 10 different things, lets all help each other out on a couple jobs.  Less stress that way, and it'll get done more quickly and smoothly.  Got it?"
 
    Everyone bobbed their heads up and down.  Jayme smiled again as they all got back to work, this time more quietly.
 
    "Thanks Jayms."  I squeezed her shoulders.
 
    "No problem.  Now let's start working on you."
 
    My dress had already been laid out and my shoes were beside it.  I'd chosen a simple headpiece: a halo of small white flowers with a flowing veil attached to the back.
 
    Jayme sighed and stared at the dress, the veil, and the shoes.  "Always a bridesmaid, never a bride" she muttered.
 
    I turned upon hearing her last words.  "You'll meet someone, Jayms.  Just give it time."
 
    "It's awfully hard to be patient Sam.  Especially with the luck I've had before."
 
    "It'll come.  Just don't lose hope."
 

    **At the same time***

 
    "115...116...117...118..."
 
    "Yo, Nick, slow down buddy.  You gonna get ready or what?  We have to be at the church in an hour."  Brian sniffed the air around Nick and crinkled up his nose.  "And I strongly suggest you have a shower before we leave.  You really reek man."
 
    Nick sat up and pushed the hair off his sweaty forehead.  "You'd smell pretty bad too if you'd been lifting weights for over and hour."
 
    Brian gave him a funny look.  "You ok?  You never push yourself that hard.  What's up?"
 
    Nick grabbed a towel off a nearby bench and mopped himself off.  Exhaling loudly, he stood and reached for his water bottle and quickly doused himself with the contents.  He shook the excess water out of his hair and turned back to Brian with a tortured look on his face.  "If I tell you, you have to promise that it doesn't leave this room.  I don't need a big ol' rumour mill started right now."
 
    "Geez Nick, you know me.  I'd never pass on anything confidential."
 
    "Alright then.  Well, the thing is, Sam kinda had some news for me when we got here."
 
    "Bad news?"
 
    "Well, not necessarily, but it's not the best news in the world either."
 
    Brian raised his eyebrow.  "You're killin' me here Nick.  You wanna tell me what's going on?"
 
    "Okay...well, um, we think Sam might be....pregnant."
 
    "See, that wasn't so ba-" Brian stopped midsentence and whipped around to look at Nick.  "Did you just say what I thought you said?"
 
    He nodded soberly.  "Yup, you heard me loud and clear.  P-r-e-g-n-a-n-t.  If that's what you think I said, then you'd be right."
 
    "Ok, let me get this straight.  You and Sam slept together, you think she might be pregnant, and you're just telling me now?!"
 
    "Chill Brian.  We don't know for sure, and I didn't want to go around telling everybody in case it wasn't true."
 
    "Ok ok."  Brian plopped down on a bench.  "So, what are you guys gonna do if she is?"
 
    "Keep it, stupid.  What else?"
 
    "Sorry, I didn't know.  Geez."
 
    Nick threw the towel across the room.  He turned his back to Brian and started pounding his fist into the wall.  Brian heard him sniffle and watched his shoulders shake as his whole body tensed.  "Nick?"
 
    Nick stopped hitting the wall and slumped against it instead.  "What am I supposed to do Bri?  I'm getting married today, my fiancèe might be pregnant already, we don't have a house to live in, and we're going back on tour in less than 2 weeks!  I'm only 20 years old man, I shouldn't have to deal with this kind of pressure at my age."  He sobbed and slid to the floor.  "I just feel like my whole world is crashing down on me.  And I can't talk to Sam about it, because her's is crumbling just as quickly."
 
    Brian let out a whoosh of air and went to sit beside Nick.  "Ok bro, we've been best friends for a long time, right?"  Nick nodded and quickly wiped the tears from his face.  "You know that I think Sam is a great girl, and that I love her like a sister, right?"  Nick nodded again.  "Ok, well then, don't get upset when I say this, but...I think maybe you should call the wedding off."
 
    Howie stuck his head in the doorway and stopped when he saw Brian and Nick sitting against the wall.  "Sorry, didn't mean to interrupt.  Just wanted to let ya know we've gotta leave in 45 minutes."  He closed the door and Brian looked expectantly at Nick.
 
 

Chapter Thirty
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