Complicated Love

Date Night

"I can't believe they're finally getting married." I get my shoes on as I watch Brad getting ready in the mirror "It seems like they've been together for years."

"I know, I kinda never thought it would happen."

He walks up towards me, zipping up my dress as we stare at each other in the mirror, loving our view.

"You look really good, this dress is one of my favorites."

"Thanks, I just like that it fits... and not super tightly."

He wraps his arms around me tightly, pulling me in closer as we listen to my mom and Liam fighting in the next room.

"By the way, your child is pissed that he isn't coming with. He thinks we're going somewhere to play without him."

"Well, I guess we kinda are... he wouldn't like it anyway. Weddings are boring."

"You say that now, but when I said I thought ours would be boring I was an asshole."

"Our wedding was different. It wasn't boring."

We make our way downstairs, hoping to leave before Liam gets the chance to see us and freak out.

"Do you have everything? Snacks?"

"Yeah, I threw some granola bars in my purse. I should be good."

"What about your meds? Did you take them? I really don't think you wanna be throwing up mid ceremony."

"I took them, can't promise they'll work."

"Momma!" Liam sprints into the room, grabbing onto my dress "I go!"

"Baby you won't like it there," I pick him up, bouncing him on my hip "they won't have any toys for you."

"You're going to stay here with grandma. You can play with all your toys!" Brad tries to get him excited, but the kid isn't dumb and doesn't buy it. He clings onto me tighter, digging his little nails into my back as he sobs into my chest.

"Liam," I sigh, knowing he's not going to stop anytime soon, "I promise we'll be home to read you your stories later, and we can play with some of your animals if you're good for grandma."

"I good." He finally calms down a little, still crying "I miss you."

"We'll miss you, too, but me and mommy promised them that we would be there. We can't stay home now."

Brad takes him, giving me some time to clean myself up now that I'm soaked, and manages to get him to stop crying with the promise of some extra candy.

"Okay," Brad grabs my hand as we walk towards the door "If we run while he's still eating we'll get there in time."

Once we finally make it to the wedding, we quickly meet up with Court and David at our seats, looking around for Lisa and Michel who still aren't here.

"She texted me almost an hour ago saying they were running late... I didn't expect you guys to actually be on time and beat them though."

"Well, we were almost late since Liam saw us leaving, but he bribed him with candy and we made it."

"I think you should have brought him with," David leans over Court to talk to us "We could have had some real entertainment."

"Yeah, cause him running around here would have been really entertaining."

I sit back, leaning against Brad as he rests his arm around me. We all talk for a while before Lisa and Michel finally run up to us, just in time for the music to start.

"Sorry, we got a little sidetracked."

"For an hour?"

"We were excited."

We all stand as the music starts, watching as everyone walks down the aisle, still in amazement that this wedding is actually happening.

"Look, everyone is surprised. I think they've been together as long as we have."

"Baby that would mean more than 15 years. It's been long, but not that long."

The ceremony finally starts, getting us all quiet as we watch everything carefully, hoping for some funny vows.

"This might be the most boring wedding I've been to," Lisa leans in towards Court and I "Nobody tripped, they're all sober and so far nobody has messed up."

"I know, I was hoping for at least one of the kids to lay down or something."

"Maybe one of them will say no. That would be funny."

"Yeah but that means we've wasted an hour of our lives sitting here."

"Guys be quiet." Brad rolls his eyes at us as a group of older people look back "They're talking about us."

"Wow, he got boring."

We stay quiet long enough for the ceremony to end before they all run to the bar, leaving me to actually socialize with other people that I haven't seen in forever.

"Congratulations!" Chloe, someone else who worked with us on Friends runs over to me "I'm so happy for you and Brad. Liam's so cute, I can't wait to see this one."

"Thanks, we can't wait either. We're getting anxious."

We talk for a little while longer about how much we've missed each other before I notice everyone moved to a table, and they're waving me over to join them.

"You guys could have saved me before. I had to listen to her talk about all her children's first words... I didn't even know she had more than the girl Coco's age."

"Yeah but she's always been so nice. We used to have play dates with the kids."

"She's very nice, but I came here to get away from my child, not think about him more."

"Speaking of your child..." Michel hands Brad and I his phone "He must have decided he needed to take some pictures the other day."

"That little brat has been doing this to every phone he can get his hands on. He recorded himself making faces while Jen was throwing up the other day."

"Oh man, that's great." Lisa takes the phone back, looking at the pictures herself "He's so cute. I miss mine being cute and not nearly as annoying."

"Guys, they're walking in." David gets our attention as we look up to see the newlyweds making their entrance "Does this mean we can eat soon?"

"I hope so. I'm starving."

"We literally just watched you eat a granola bar while talking to Chloe... and you had crackers on the way here." Brad looks over at me, amazed that I am still hungry "If you keep eating you're going to be throwing up and blaming me for it."

"Baby's hungry. And I would not be in the situation if it weren't for you conveniently forgetting a very important item a few months ago."

"She's not wrong, Brad." Court agrees with me, probably not wanting to get on my bad side right now, "You could have given her a little more time."

"You were asking if we could have another by the time Coco was 6 months old." David glares over at her "How is this his fault."

"I don't care whose fault it is, I just know they better be serving some good food or we're leaving for some burgers."

I start looking around, finally spotting a waiter carrying around food. My eyes must light up, because everyone makes fun of me and my constant hunger as if I can help it.

"You guys are assholes."

"We love you, Jen."