Chapter 36

The next night was Friday, which meant it was the night of Kim's bachelorette party. This also meant the last few days of being a technical single woman. She wanted to go all out.

"Um...I think we forgot one small little favor." Gabby pointed out.

"What's that?" Julie asked.

"Who's gonna watch the kids?"

"Crap..." Laura whispered.

"Hey...isn't Otis free tonight?"

"Otis the babysitter? That I would just love to see." Kim said.

"Otis it is then." Sylvie picked up the phone and dialed his number.

"Hello?"

"Hey, it's Sylvie. Do me a favor?"

"No I am not putting snakes in Peter's locker."

"NO, not that kind of favor."

"What kind of favor is it?"

"It involves money."

"I'm not breaking into a bank for you."

She laughed. "No."

"What's the favor?"

"We need a babysitter."

"For who?"

"MacKenzie, Brayden, Mikayla and Hannah."

"What for?"

"It's Kim's bachelorette party."

"How long will you guys be gone?"

"Well we're leaving in about an hour and we'll be gone till at least one in the morning."

"I'm not even gonna ask what you guys are doing. Bring the kids over, I'll do it."

"Thanks."

The kids each packed a backpack and were dropped off at Otis' house.

"I've never babysat before in my life...so..."

The kids just stared at him.

"You guys like cartoons?" He asked.

"Yeah!" They all said at the same time.

Mikayla handed him a DVD set of Fairly OddParents and the kids gathered around the TV to watch.

"You guys hungry? I can make dinner."

They were undecided about what they wanted, so they told him to surprise them. Meanwhile, the girls were just arriving at Molly's for the party. It was rented out to them and decorated from floor to ceiling. Erin sat next to Leslie and elbowed her.

"So, did you tell Kim yet?"

"I was about to, but I got nervous."

"She's coming over here right now. Tell her." Erin got up and walked over to the bar.

"Hey Kim, can we talk?"

"Yeah sure." She sat down. "What's up?"

"I have to tell you something."

"What is it?"

"I, um..." She stopped, not wanting to finish her sentence.

"What is it?"

"I got artificially inseminated."

"How? What? Why?..." Kim couldn't even find words to fit the situation.

"I'm at the point in my life where I feel I'm ready for a baby. I have a stable job, I make good money, I have a nice place of living."

"Do you really think you're ready for this?"

"I am."

"Do you know anything about the donor?"

"No, it was anonymous."

"Hey Burgess, Shay! Come join us for drinks!" Laura waved them over and they walked in that direction.

"I can't drink..." Leslie turned away.

"Why not?"

"I was going to say you all might want to sit down for this one, but more than half of you already know."

Laura raised an eyebrow.

"I'm...pregnant."

Chili looked up. "This has got to be a joke."

"Yeah it's not..." Leslie turned to the side, exposing a tiny baby bump.

"She's serious." Gabby started laughing.

"Yeah so while you guys all have fun and get drunk, I'm gonna go stuff my face with the penis cake."

"Don't forget to suck on the ice cubes!" Erin was laughing like she had already had one too many.

"Let's play I Never. The rules are you have to drink a shot if you did the thing the person says they never did." Julie sat down with a big bottle of tequila.

"Hell yes!" The girls cheered.

"I'll go first. I never slept with someone in my unit/squad."

Gabby, Kim and Erin each drank a shot.

Everyone looked at Laura.

"Alright, I never arrived to work hungover."

Everyone took a shot.

Erin moved her chair closer. "My turn. Okay, I never cheated on a test in high school."

Everyone but Kim took a sip.

"I was the booknerd in case you guys don't remember!" Kim retorted.

"Your turn, Kimmy."

"Don't call me that again." She nudged Erin. "Okay, I never passed notes in class."

Everyone again, took a shot. By the end of the game, each girl had a least ten shots a piece. Erin looked over at her mother, who was mixing drinks behind the bar.

"Hey mom! Turn it up!"

Her mother cranked up the stereo and Erin, Julie and Gabby started dancing on top the bar.

"Excuse me, waiter! I'd like a helping of Baked Lindsay, some Fried Casey and a side of Wasted Willhite." Leslie said, nearly falling out of her seat with laughter.

***

The day after that was spent preparing for the wedding and at long last, that day was here. Maureen pulled up to the bridal shop with Kim in the passenger seat.

"What's wrong, sweetie?" She was concerned from the look on her daughter's face.

"Nothing mom, I ...can't believe the day is here."

"Cold feet?"

"I'm just nervous, worried, excited, shaking, you know?"

"Pre-wedding jitters. I remember those."

They picked up the dress and headed to the hall. No sign of Adam, just the decorators, the caterers, the florists, friends, family, the priest and a bunch of others. When she got into her dressing room, she was ambushed by Erin, Leslie and the other girls. They sat her down in the chair and immediately started with her hair, nails and makeup. Her mother knocked on the door and Julie let her in.

"You look beautiful." Her mother was in the verge of tears.

"Mom..." She pulled her mother into a hug.

"The way you talked about him growing up, somehow we just knew you two would end up together."

Jay poked his head in.

"You guys almost ready? Everyone's here."

"Let's go, girls." Maureen said.

The groomsmen and ushers came to form the line with the bridesmaids. Justin came running in and linked arms with Erin.

"Justin?! You weren't due back from Iraq for two weeks!"

"Do you think I would miss Kim's wedding? They let me leave two weeks early. It was an honorable discharge."

She smiled at him. "It's time."

Christopher went to the back of the room and linked arms with Kim.

"Dad?"

He looked down at her. "Yes?"

"I want to thank you for everything you've done for me. Not just growing up, but with supporting my decision to go into the force, for helping with the kids, for being there for them and Adam when I was in that coma, just for...everything. I couldn't ask for a better father than you." She gave him a hug and he kissed the top of her head.

"I want you to remember that no matter what, you have always have been and always will be my little girl."

Her father almost didn't let her go when they reached the altar.

"Dad, let go."

"Do I have to?"

"Yes daddy."

He let go of her and sat next to Maureen as Adam took her hand.

"You look beautiful." He whispered. She got the biggest grin on her face and couldn't wipe it off. It took all her strength not to burst into tears as the rings were handed to them by Brayden. As the ring was placed on her finger, Adam spoke up.

"I promise to love you eternally from this day on. There is no one more important in this world to me than you."

Once the rings were placed on their fingers, the priest also spoke up.

"You may now kiss the bride."

Adam threw his arms around her and gave her the most passionate kiss. Everyone stood up and started clapping, tears were shed and so much more.

"I now present to you, Mr. and Mrs. Ruzek."