He couldn’t put his finger on it, but something changed. Something wasn’t right. On the surface everything looked the same. They had gathered for breakfast in the extravagant restaurant of the hotel and Reid had acted pretty normal. Eating enormous amounts of food, gently teasing the children and sending him a loving smile from time to time. But Luke also saw how Reid was pre-occupied at times, like he was in a world of his own. Without any warning or direct indication, the blue eyes turned sad and aloof, as he scanned the table with the Snyder clan.
Luke was pretty sure it had everything to do with his stupid remark about not being hot enough to marry. A pointless comment that somehow managed to create a whole life of its own.
And an old fear started to creep in Luke’s heart. He had a long history of stupid mistakes and dumb statements and he could kick himself for doing it again and maybe harming the best thing that ever happened to him. When he recognized that familiar panic, he took a deep breath and forced himself to focus on the love.
‘Trust the love,’ he told himself over and over again. He knew Reid loved him. Really loved him. Obviously Reid had been startled by Luke’s honest confession that his heart was still longing for the whole romantic wedding package and he probably needed some time to put it all into perspective.
His chain of thoughts was interrupted by his siblings.
“…and Lydia and Uncle Seth are coming too…”
Luke and Reid shared a glance and after Reid’s nod, Luke nodded too.
“Sure, you kids go and explore the swimming pool. Maybe I’ll join later.”
“That would be awesome,” Ethan even gave a quick kiss on Luke’s cheek. “We’ll be careful.”
“You better… that hand of yours is just healed…no showing off this time.”
Ethan chuckled and after some hugs and kisses, the younger kids left the restaurant. The moment they were out of earshot, Lucinda turned all her attention to Reid.
“Do I need to feel worried?”
Luke had to smile. He loved how his grandmother always came straight to the point. And Reid visibly liked he too. He grinned.
“Nope. I have some stuff on my mind, but it’s my stuff. Nothing for you to worry about.”
“That doesn’t put my mind to rest, though,” Lucinda winked. “I just went from feeling worried to my rescue mode.”
“Are you sure you’re not a man?” Bob chuckled, “Wanting to fix the problem is claimed to be a male thing.”
“Yeah, by men,” Lucinda snorted friendly. “Let me assure you, Bob… I’m as feminine as they come.”
“I can second that,” John said with a telling grin and they all chuckled.
“But I can tell our beloved doctor feels uncomfortable about something and if there’s anything I can do to change that, I…”
“You could leave it alone,” Reid calmly interrupted her. His smile was not unfriendly, but his eyes made clear he wasn’t joking around.
“The man is a genius. He can fix his own problems,” John concluded, putting his arm around Lucinda’s shoulders. “We have a few hours before the wedding rehearsal. Let’s explore the area.”
Lucinda wasn’t ready to acknowledge defeat, though. Her eyes were on Reid again.
“But he…” she shook her head, “I’m not liking this.”
There was genuine concern in her voice and it made Reid put his hand over hers.
“Don’t worry about me.”
“It’s not just you…” Lucinda now looked at Luke and her smile was apologetic. “I guess I had some stupid dreams about this wedding inspiring another wedding. But I heard your talk with Danny on the plane, yesterday, and I just have to look at you now to realize that you really don’t like weddings.”
Reid shrugged, feeling more annoyed by the minute. Why did he have to explain himself all the time? The anger faded when he felt strong fingers entwining his.
“He doesn’t, but he’s still here to celebrate Dad’s wedding with Molly. Could we all just give him credit for that and get off his back, please?”
Lucinda looked shocked. “Oh! But I didn’t mean to…”
“I know,” Luke gave her a bright smile, but still looked very firm, “but I just want to be clear about it. Being part of the Snyder family, I know how you all feel about the concept of marriage and I also know how we all become when we encounter someone with a different point of view. So I just don’t want anyone trying to change Reid’s mind. This doesn’t concern you.”
“But you always…” Lily quickly closed her mouth when she saw the warning in Luke’s eyes.
“Again, this doesn’t concern you. Reid has been clear from the start and I respect his feelings. I’m trusting you all will do the same.”
For a moment everybody just looked at each other. They just couldn’t understand how anyone could not like weddings and it was all over their faces. It made Reid smile. He didn’t mind being the outsider. He knew the drill.
“Their relationship is more solid than many marriages I’ve seen,” Emma was clearly outraged, “so I really don’t understand this whole conversation. There’s no problem to fix. Period.”
“I’m with you,” Bob raised his coffee cup and gave Kim a wink. “We discovered we weren’t legally married after 25 years and believe me…we never noticed. We felt married and we’re still totally committed to each other. And better yet…I understand Reid’s point of view very well. A lot of people focus on having the best wedding money can buy, but don’t even stop and wonder about their life together. About their dreams. Their principles. Their priorities. Many people, especially the women, dream about their perfect wedding from a very early age. Like some milestone. Some point in life they have to experience or else feel like a failure. It’s all social enforcement. Some romantic notion that has way too much pressure and value attached to it. It’s about sharing a life together in a way both partners can grow and develop. And I’ve said it before and I hope to say it many many more times…Reid and Luke have that.”
“Yes, we have,” Luke said confidently, giving Reid a smile.
“We do,” Reid agreed, without any of the earlier confusion or distance.
“Wedding rehearsal in four hours,” Emma smiled at Holden. “Let’s make it a good one.”
“We’re ready,” Molly said with a radiant smile, “and I feel blessed that you’re all here.”
She winked at Reid and he winked back. He had a weak spot for Molly from the start and that was one of main reasons he was here now. The other reason was sitting next to him, holding his hand. This man who showed him a whole new world. Who showed him a relationship could be fun. That he could be more lovable than he ever imagined. Who showed him this comprehensive and full version of himself. So he leaned over to Luke and whispered:
“And I feel blessed being here with you.”
Luke’s shiny eyes and a soft kiss was his sweet reward.
