I counted the beats in my head, waiting for the music to get louder, lusher, and when it did, it was time.

My dad kissed me on the head and whispered. “Let’s go.”

We turned the corner and I was met with a rush of emotions. Everyone I knew in the world was standing up, staring at me, smiles on their faces, cameras out, whispering to each other about how pretty I looked. But as I walked past them, none of that mattered. I wasn’t aware of anything except the man at the end of the aisle, the man I was walking toward.

My eyes were glued to Dex’s as his were glued to mine. I beamed at him – he grinned right back. Though I had just seen him earlier, he still managed to take my breath away. He was the most handsome man I’d ever seen and it hit me in the gut, a wonderful blow, to know he was going to be mine forever.

Everything rushed past me in a blur and suddenly I was in front of the officiant and Dex, my father handing me off to him and placing my hands in his.

“Do you, Daniel Palomino, give your daughter Perry away to this man, Dex Foray?” the officiant asked.

My father nodded, smiling at Dex for what seemed like the first time ever. “That I do.” Then he quickly pulled Dex into a tight embrace. I looked behind me at Rebecca and Ada and they both looked like they wanted to cry. My G.o.d, who knew weddings were such a tearjerker.

There were a few claps and my father went and sat down in the front row next to my uncle Al and his sons, Matt and Tony, all of them looking content. Uncle Al winked at me before I turned back to Dex and the officiant.

The man started speaking, a deep but jovial voice that immediately put Dex and I at ease. That said, I was holding onto Dex’s hands for dear life, as if I’d disappear if I let go. When I wasn’t listening to the officiant, I was staring at Dex, as deep as I could, and nothing else out there mattered.

I wished it hadn’t all pa.s.sed by in a blur, but it did. We said our vows. Dex looked teary-eyed. When I looked at my father, I got teary-eyed. When it came time to put the rings on each other’s fingers, Dex dropped mine and it rolled under the gazebo. Thank G.o.d for Matt and his skinny alien-like arms that managed to reach under and pull it out.

He gave it back to Dex who blew on it and then, after a shrug to the crowd, proceeded to put the sparkling diamond band on my finger. It settled next to my vintage engagement perfectly.

Then came the kiss. Dex put his hands behind my neck and head and pulled me in close and tight. The kiss was deep, sweet, and hot. And more than that, it meant something. It meant everything. This was just the start. After everything, this was just the start.

I couldn’t wait to begin.

After we signed all the right papers and were p.r.o.nounced husband and wife, we joined hands and walked down the aisle. I made note to look at every single person that I pa.s.sed, to take them in, to appreciate what they were in my life and to silently thank them for coming.

To my surprise I found myself looking into the eye of Curtis O’Shea, his wife Margaret sitting beside him in the back row. I smiled at him, just in case Dex didn’t see him, to let him know it meant something for him to come.

We were immediately whisked off to have photographs taken. Our photographer was a goof, which was great since we were too. After our sessions were done with ourselves, my dad and my uncle and cousins got involved, as did the bridal party. I briefly brought up to Dex that I had seen his father. It was his call if he wanted to involve him.

Of course it was all too soon and too much for Dex to include him in something like this, but Dex at least seemed happy about his presence. Baby steps, it was all about the baby steps.

The reception was an absolute blast. There were roast-like speeches done by Dean and Rebecca and my uncle told one that had people laughing until they were crying. Then, people actually were crying. My dad got up and said his speech. By the end, when he’d finished telling me how proud my mother would be of me, he broke down in tears. Everyone in the house followed.

But it was okay, because the tears meant she was loved and wouldn’t be forgotten. I leaned into Dex while holding Ada’s hand under the table. We all felt her there, even if we couldn’t see her. We felt loved and we felt pride. It was beautiful.

When that was over and we stuffed ourselves with food, it was time for the first dance. Only our first dance was a bit different.

Dex led me out to the dance floor and whirled me around, no sound. Then he grinned at me and went over to the DJ, who handed him a wireless microphone. After a moment, the music, a slow but familiar piano melody, started playing.

“What the h.e.l.l?” I whispered to him. “I thought we were dancing to Led Zeppelin?”

He kept on grinning. “Not a chance,” he said and then the music came in louder. It was none other than Herb Alpert’s “This Guy’s In Love With You” but covered by Faith No More. He removed his jacket and whirled it somewhere into the crowd of people, someone crying out as if they were smacked in the face with it. I hoped there wouldn’t be a potential lawsuit.

He put his arm around me and he microphone up to his mouth.

“They say this guy’s,” he sang deeply with a wide, c.o.c.ky grin, “this guy’s in love with you.”

I was instantly transported back to Seattle, when he and I weren’t even dating yet, at the Christmas party for Shownet. Rebecca had been there, Dean and Seb, too. Dex had delivered the most amazing karaoke rendition of this song, something that knocked me on my a.s.s and made me realize just how much I had fallen for him and what I would go through to get him.

Now it was pretty much doing the same thing. But this time, he was singing it to me, no mistake, and dancing at the same time. Our first dance and I was being serenaded.

He leaned back, eyes closed in pa.s.sion, and belted out, “I need your love. I want your love.” He looked at me, deep in the eyes and sang with perfection, the kind of powerful, confident voice that soared to the heavens, “Say you’re in love with this guy.”

I could only grin right back him. My heart had melted somewhere inside me and I was just this pile of newly married goo. I’d never felt more swoony in my life and I was swooning all for him. My husband.

Needless to say, it was hard to keep my hands off of him for the rest of the reception. Somewhere between The Chicken Dance and the Deftones, we f**ked off to the bathroom for a little fun. Unfortunately, the bathrooms were occupied and when we finally found a corner of the hotel where I could ride him up against the wall, we were interrupted by Ada, who was a bit drunk and looking for some guy called Jay.