Of course his sister had to pick this city out of the millions of cities in the freaking country for her wedding. Sure, her soon to be husband is from there but when she told him on the phone that they are going to have their wedding there he thought she had to be kidding. Not only was it the city he heavy hearted turned his back to almost a year and a half ago, but his little sister also decided to have her wedding at the exact same location his and Jo's first wedding was supposed to be.
Of course Amber apologized a million times, knowing how hard it still was for him to be confronted with anything that is somehow connected to his ex-wife. Amber offered to find a new location but he immediately denied it the second it came out of her mouth. It wasn't her fault, he had been an idiot a year and a half ago and had thrown the best thing he had ever had in his life away. He simply had to man up for one day and put a smile on for his sister. He knew that going back there would bring up a lot of emotions, but he had to live with that. After all it was his fault he was in this exact situation right now.
His sister also offered that he could skip the ceremony and only come to the celebration afterwards but he denied that too, knowing how much it meant to her to have him as the only male family of hers at her wedding. Also, years ago when she first started seeing Matt and slowly knowing that he was the one, she asked Alex to walk her down the aisle once the time had come and he would keep that promise. He was the one that mainly raised her when their mothers illness became too much and their dad had finally left, so he had to be there. Also she had asked quiet a while ago if Alexis would join her daughter to be a flower girl and if Eli would help her son to bear the rings, so he couldn't let his kids run around on her wedding with no adult around - because Izzie wouldn't come with them to the wedding.
So he finds himself in the exact same parking spot he once parked in three years ago but instead of Mer and Zola he has his very excited twins with him. He takes a deep breath before he helps his kids out of the car and smoothes their clothes before they walk towards the oh-so-familiar location. For one second he thought about turning around and just hiding in the little, red shed until the wedding was over but the second he set foot on the deck above the venue he saw her - standing next to his mom while they where talking. He immediately froze as he just stared at her back.
He couldn't see much of her but by just the sight of her back he could tell that she was just as beautiful as always. Her hair was short now and the dress she was wearing just hugged her curves perfectly. He couldn't see her face but by the smile on his mother's face, as she was talking to her, he knew she was smiling too. He kept his glance at her when she turned a little and gives him a good view at the sleeping baby she is holding against her chest. A little girl probably a year old, sucking on a green pacifier while Jo straightened her little grey dress that was matching the little bow in her short, blonde hair.
Jo's eyes are sparkling as she kisses the little girls head, swaying to the music while she kept her conversation with his mom going.
A little tug on his pants interrupts Alex from starring at Jo.
"Daddy, I need to pee." His son announces staring up at him, nervously dancing on his feet showing how urgent it already was.
"Ok. Let's see." He quickly answers trying to memorize where the toilets were before he takes the twins there.
As they reach them his daughter revels that she has to pee too so Alex quickly opens the door to the men bathroom, expecting his daughter too follow them inside.
"Come on Alexis." He calls, holding the door open for Alexis to follow them.
"No daddy it's the boys bathroom. I'm a girl." She quickly complaines, crossing her arms to make her point clear that she will not use the boys restroom.
"You can use the boys bathroom too. It's ok. Come on." Alex tries again.
"No." His daughter answers stumping her little foot while she looks at her dad.
