Summer Nights

42: 'We're going to the chapel part 1...'

I look across at Rocky anxiously, as his gaze is focused solely on driving, we where headed towards the airport, ideally we would have liked to not rush everything so quickly but we had to leave within the next fourteen days because I was about to hit my third trimester and when I do I won't be allowed to fly anymore. It did cross our minds to wait until the baby was here but realistically would we be able to manage taking a new-born to Vegas, probably not.

'You okay?' I ask softly.

He nods stiffly, 'Yeah, I'm fine.'

I look at Arlo who is sitting joyfully in the backseat of the car, after countless hours of begging, we were granted access for letting him leave the care home for forty-eight hours, 'How are you doing back there?'

'I'm excited kid, I finally get an escape from that hell hole for two days.'

I laugh softly, 'Hey! I work at that hell hole.'

'I still stand by my statement.'

'How you feelings Pops?'

He rolls his eyes, 'I'm fine, you don't have to keep fussing over me, I'm a big boy.'

'I know, I just like to check.'

'Well stop, this weekend is about you two. No one else.'

Except it wasn't everything about this weekend was specifically designed for Arlo, we chose the closest hotel to one of the little chapels, just so he didn't have to venture far. My bag was filled with various types of medication, we even made sure that we where barely staying in Vegas for anytime at all, Rocky was scared that some of the scenes there would send him into cardiac arrest.

'I've never been to Vegas before!' I chirp as I begin to look out of the window.

'It's not that great.' Rocky murmurs.

I raise an eyebrow, 'You've been?'

'Yeah, I went for my eighteenth.'

Arlo nods fondly, 'Ah, I remember. You went to celebrate getting enlisted into the army.'

My heart stops for a second, 'Y-You're in the army?'

'I'm a reserve.'

'Y-You never told me that before.'

'Yes, I have.'

My chest is rattling furiously as the anxiety begins to settle in, 'W-What does being a reserve mean?'

'I usually have to serve for twenty-seven to forty days, once a year.'

Hot tears begin to burn my eyes, 'S-So you're going to leave me?'

He frowns deeply as he looks over at my trembling state, 'Sunshine, it's only for a month.'

'B-But you could be killed!' I cry out, 'How the fuck am I going to raise our son on my own? What would I do without you?! I would literally be fucking lost, I wouldn't be able to cope without you!'

He reaches over and squeezes my hand tightly, 'I'm not going anywhere, I only have two years left of being a reserve anyway, then I can get out of my contract.'

'B-But that's sixty days...in them sixty days, I could lose you.'

'You aren't going to lose me.'

'Well, when are you leaving?'

'I'm not enlisting on any mission until the baby is born and I know that you two will be okay.'

'I can't believe it.' I murmur as my heart cracks at the prospect of losing the grumpy boy sitting next to me.

'I'm sorry, I really thought that I told you.'

'It's fine.' I mutter blankly, 'There's nothing you can do about it now.'

'I promise, it's just sixty days.'

...

I settle into my seat as I tug the seatbelt around my bulging stomach, I was wedged between Brooke and Sammy, Autumn and Luke where sitting behind us. Rocky and Arlo where seated at the front of the plane, so that Arlo didn't have to walk a great distance to the toilet.

'He's in the army!'

Sammy raises an eyebrow as he looks up from the aeroplane magazine, 'You've told us.'

'What if he dies?!'

'Okay, you can think of in this deep negative way or you could think of all the hot solider sex you're going to have!'

Brooke's face flushes a deep pink, 'Samuel! Need I remind you that I'm sitting right here, I don't want to hear about my daughters s-e-x life'

His eyes widen as he holds his hands up in defence, 'I'm sorry Brooke, it's just you look so youthful sometimes, I forget that you aren't one of us.'

She rolls her eyes, as a small smile works onto her face 'Nice try kid.'

He tips his imaginary cowboy hat in her direction, 'Thank you ma'am.'

I scoff loudly as I cross my arms against my chest, 'You two are no help at all!'

Sammy rolls his eyes as he wraps an arm tightly around my shoulder, 'Come on it's your wedding day, turn that frown upside down.'

'I'm not frowning.'

'You kind of are.'

I fidget with the hem of my t-shirt, 'I'm just worried.'

'But right now all of this worry is pointless, he isn't going away yet, enjoy the time you have with him now. Figure out all of that stuff later.'

I give him a smile as I lean my head on his shoulder, 'Thanks Sam.'

Brooke nods in approval, 'You know, you'd make a good therapist.'

He shrugs, 'I don't feel like I'd be very equipped for the job, I rarely take my own advice and I'm the one giving it.'

...

I look up at Autumn who is currently standing behind me curling my hair, her eyebrows furrowed together as she concentrates, a swarm of butterflies penetrate my stomach when I remember what is I'm getting ready for today.

I got off a plane two hours ago and now I was getting ready to go to a wedding.

My wedding.

A tiny dull ache settles in my chest for just a moment, I guess I wish part of it was real. I don't think that Rocky and I are ready to married but I just always thought the first person I married would be my last. And as much as I pray and hope that Rocky is that person for me, I couldn't say for sure.

We've never even uttered the words I love you to each other yet. And what if we never do? What if the moment we get home, we realise that we aren't suited to be in a relationship with each other because we've only known each other for a short amount of time.

And that's when the ache in my chest intensifies, when I was younger I promised myself that if I had children, their parents would be soulmates.

But what if we're not?

What if Rocky and I aren't soulmates?

'You okay?' Autie asks softly.

I nod as I force a smile onto my face, 'I'm fine, I'm just getting pre-wedding jitters.'