The morning sunlight hit Lia's enormous mansion, streaming through the tall windows and catching the dust motes in the air. I blinked, stretched, and groaned.
"Hubby… are you awake?" I whispered, nudging Keifer.
He opened one eye lazily, the corner of his mouth twitching into that infuriatingly perfect smirk. "Wifey… I've been awake, thinking about our wedding hall, flowers, cake… you."
In my head:
Jay… yes, think about the wedding, not the chaos. But also… yes, him thinking about me first thing in the morning? Perfect. Melt.
I rolled out of bed and yawned, rubbing my eyes. "Hubby… you're ridiculous."
"I'm your ridiculous, wifey. Don't forget it," he murmured, brushing my hair back from my face.
Two hours later, we were joined by all of Section E, Percy, Aries, Vahe, Angelo, Lia, Tita Gemma, Priya, Raki, Grace, Megha, Felix, Alex… basically every single person who mattered. The living room had been transformed into a chaotic headquarters—long tables with sketches, floral catalogs, cake samples, and even a small chalkboard labeled "Operation: Jay & Keifer Wedding".
"Okay," Lia announced dramatically, clapping her hands, "first, let's organize the plan! We have two hours until tomorrow's shopping trip. READY?!"
"READY!" Section E screamed in unison.
In my head:
Jay… survive. Don't die. Chaos incoming.
Keifer wrapped an arm around me. "Wifey… stay close. I'll make sure nobody throws you into a flower vase."
I smiled, resting my head on his shoulder. "Hubby… perfect."
"Step one," Angelo said, crossing his arms and looking like a general. "Venue layout. Section E, you will divide into teams. Lia, Jay, Keifer, you supervise. Priya, Grace, Raki… flowers. Felix, Alex… seating. Percy… stop staring at the flowers. Aries… focus. Vahe… keep your blue eyes on the stage."
In my head:
Jay… yes, Vahe, we see you. And yes, Percy, enough staring, we get it, you're dramatic.
"Team Flower!" Lia shouted. "Let's start with color schemes! Jay, wifey, pick the theme."
I looked at Keifer. "Hubby… what do you think? Blush-gold? Silver accents?"
He smiled softly. "Wifey… whatever makes your heart melt. I want it to be your dream."
In my head:
Jay… melt. Literally melt. He always knows the perfect answer.
Meanwhile, Section E had already gone full-on chaos mode. Rory was measuring imaginary aisles. C In was arguing about cake tiers with Mayo. Felix had drawn a diagram for the dance floor that made no sense. And Percy's blue eyes? They were glaring at everything like he owned the place.
I laughed. "Hubby… are we surviving this?"
He kissed my temple. "Wifey… yes. Chaos? Sure. But I've got you."
In my head:
Jay… survive. This man is literally my superhero.
For the next hour, we sketched layouts. Lia suggested a floral arch at the entrance. Tita Gemma insisted on extra chandeliers. Priya, Grace, and Raki argued over whether roses or lilies were more romantic. Angelo whispered tactical plans to Keifer for guest seating. Vahe and Percy occasionally whispered behind their hands, commenting on everything with those perfectly judgmental expressions.
I couldn't stop giggling. "Hubby… Section E is out of control."
He chuckled, brushing my hair from my face. "Wifey… and that's why I love them. And you."
By the second hour, we had decided:
Blush-gold theme with silver accents
Floral arch at the entrance with cascading petals
Seating arranged to avoid literal chaos (good luck, Angelo)
Stage decorated with crystals, soft lights, and a mini spotlight for Baby Grazel Jay to crawl around without disaster
Cake flavors… somehow agreed on chocolate, vanilla, and strawberry with a hidden tier just for Section E to fight over
In my head:
Jay… survive. The chaos is manageable because Keifer is holding my hand. Literally.
Then came the discussion of gowns and suits.
"Tomorrow," Lia said dramatically, "we go shopping. Jay, your wedding gowns. Keifer, your suit. Accessories, shoes… EVERYTHING. Section E will supervise, and we will not let you leave without making the perfect choices."
I groaned. "Hubby… shopping with Section E… should I survive or prepare a survival kit?"
He laughed, tugging me close. "Wifey… I'll survive with you. And we make it romantic too."
In my head:
Jay… yes, survive. Romantic moments incoming… oh no, he kissed my cheek. Heart melting again.
Percy leaned over, whispering, "Wifey, pick wisely. Don't let him pick something ridiculous."
I shot him a savage look. In my mind: "Percy, keep your judgmental blue eyes off my gowns, thank you very much."
Aries snorted next to him. "Seriously, Jay, don't embarrass him. He's mine to criticize as his horoscope-obsessed brother."
I rolled my eyes. In my mind: "Oh yes, thank you, Aries. I'll make sure Hubby survives your psychic critiques."
Keifer chuckled and kissed my temple. "Wifey… ignore them. Focus on us. Tomorrow will be fun… chaos and all."
In my head:
Jay… chaos + Keifer = perfect life.
By evening, we had a detailed plan:
Wedding hall layout finalized
Flowers, seating, stage, and cake agreed
Invitations drafted (thanks to Rory and Mica arguing over font styles)
Shopping trip scheduled for tomorrow morning for gowns, suits, accessories, drinks, and everything else
Section E continued screaming and arguing in the background, but Keifer whispered, "Wifey… see? Chaos or not, we survived the first day. And it's perfect."
I leaned into him, resting my head on his chest. "Hubby… I can't believe this is happening. Our life… our wedding… all of it. And somehow, it's perfect."
He kissed my temple softly. "Wifey… this is just the beginning. And I'll be here every step. Forever."
In my head:
Jay… yes. Perfect chaos, perfect love, perfect husband. Perfect.
We left Lia's house that evening, hands intertwined, hearts full, Section E still bickering in the background, and I realized—this wedding isn't just about dresses and suits. It's about love, laughter, chaos, family, friends… and the man holding my hand through it all.