"You may now kiss the bride!"

Michael grabs Jenna's jaw and kisses her hard. She can feel his smile against her lips. She pulls away to laugh when he punches the air.

Jenna and Michael make their way down the aisle, hand in hand, as husband and wife.

"I can't believe we just did that." Michael grins.

"I know!" Jenna kicks her heels off.

Michael can't keep his eyes off her figure in that curve hugging dress. He shouldn't have been surprised to see her in a tight dress when all of the dresses she has are tight but he was.

Seeing her all dolled up and in a wedding dress made him want to drop to his knees right there in front of her and give her the world.

Hell, she could be wearing a pair of sweats and a hoodie with her hair in a half-assed bun and he'd still give her the world.

"You're beautiful." He says, pressing her back against the counter of the kitchen in the house they booked for the wedding. "Wow." Michael reaches up and slips the veil from her hair. His lips press gently against her neck and her head lulls to the side. She hops up on the counter.

Jenna bites her lip when she feels Michael's hand start sliding up her thigh under her dress. He snaps the garter belt against her leg and she squeaks.

"Asshole." She snorts.

"You finally gonna let me plow the back fields?"

"No!" She laughs. "Your dick stays outta my ass-"

"But-"

"Even on our wedding day!"

She laughs and hops off the counter when the door opens.

"C'mon, they got everythin' set up outside." Morgan says.

Jenna grins and races to the door, beyond excited to start her new life with her new family.

Michael's mother is the first to greet her. "My beautiful daughter."

Jenna smiles at the fact that she left out 'in-law'. She feels like family now.

She is family now.

Jenna and Michael came to an agreement; a cookout/potluck type deal for the reception. She didn't want a ceremony or a reception but Michael did and suggested that and she was on board.

He told her she should send her family wedding invitations, thinking they'd show up for her and this huge day but surprise, surprise, they didn't.

The only James at the wedding is Jenna.

And probably Wyatt, he's there in spirit.

Michael takes Jenna's hand and spins her in a circle, laughing when her bare feet slip in the damp grass. It had rained the night before and everything is still wet.

She scrunches her nose at the feeling of the Mississippi mud squishing between her toes. The hem of her dress already has grass stains on it so what's the harm in mud.

As the day goes on into the early evening, the party starts getting a little wilder. Michael's family has gone home by this point so it's a bunch of twenty and thirty somethings.

Shit gets rowdy.

Jenna grabs Michael's hand and practically drags him down the dock to the lake backing the house. She squeals as they jump in, laughing hard when she resurfaces.

She laughs again when the rest of the guests join them, all jumping into the lake fully clothed.

It's a flashback to the CMAs and she loves everything about this. This is what she wants to do; enjoy her life.

It doesn't matter that she doesn't have a good relationship with her family. It doesn't matter that she isn't the 'number one songwriter'.

The only thing that matters is her and Michael.

+++

A few months later while Michael is on tour, Jenna is sitting in the waiting room of her doctor's office. She's bouncing her knee, her stomach turning with anticipation.

"Jennifer Hardy?"

She quickly gets to her feet and makes her way to the door. She's directed to one of the rooms around the corner and is told to wait for a nurse.

She's asked the usual questions, if she's had any breast pain or whatnot and her usual answer is no but this time, it's yes.

Her boobs have been incredibly sensitive, more so than lately, and she's been noticing a weight gain- it's slight but noticeable.

There's a soft knock on the door before it opens. "Okay, we got the results back." Her doctor says, a folder in her hands. "It's positive."

"Holy shit." Jenna leans her elbows on her knees. "Oh my god."

"Do you wanna discuss your options?"

"No, I'm havin' this baby. My husband's gonna be over the moon 'bout this."

The doctor chuckles. "Congrats, Jenna." She smiles. "And good luck. We'll see you back here in a month for an ultrasound."

Jenna grins and picks up her purse, shakily calling Michael on her way out to her car. She frowns when he doesn't answer. She tries again and gets his voicemail.

She huffs and calls Morgan who picks up. "What's shakin' cupcake?"

"Ew, don't call me that again. Where's Michael? I tired callin' him and he never picked up."

"Oh, uh," Morgan trails off into an awkward, uneasy chuckle. "He's- uh-"

"Morgan."

"He's in the emergency room."

"What!? Why!?"

"It's not that big of a deal. He jumped into a pool head first and hit his head so they're seein' if he has a concussion."

"Fuckin' idiot." She shakes her head. "Is he okay?"

"Yeah, yeah, he's fine. Hey listen, I gotta go. They're lettin' him out." He says then hangs up.

Jenna can't help the smile on her face. Of course he would do something stupid like that. He's stubborn as hell too so they probably promised him something in return.

Not even ten seconds later, her phone starts ringing.

"Look who's back from the dead." Jenna says when her husbands face fills her screen. He winces at the bright light on her end but smiles. "How ya feelin?"

"I'm fine."

"No you ain't!" Someone shouts behind him earning a dirty look and a middle finger. "Don't let him fool you, Jen. He had to get six stitches!"

"Michael!"

"I'm fine!" He shouts back. "I don't fuckin have a concussion."

Jenna huffs and rubs her face. "Where are y'all playin' this week?"

"You can't check yourself?"

"I'm drivin'."

"I think Louisville, uh, Nashville, and Tuscaloosa."

"And Tupelo!"

"And Tupelo."

"Wow, four states in a week." She says, flipping her blinker on as she sits in a left turn lane. "We'll, I gotta go, babe. I'll call you in a bit, 'kay?"

"Okay, I love you."

"I love you too." She smiles back then hangs up. She has a plan but she's going to need Morgan and Aaron's help.

+++

Jenna smiles to herself as she slings her bag over her shoulder and elbows her car door shut. She tucks her hand in her jacket pockets as she makes her way to the door of the venue they're in for their night in Tupelo.

Morgan

I'm here at the front door. Come let me in it's cold out here.

It's literally October

You ain't gonna freeze out there.

Let me in!

The door opens and Jenna is practically yanked into the building. She squeaks then smacks Morgan in the arm. "Asshole!"

"This way. He'll see you if you go out front." He grabs her hand and pulls her to the back part of the building. "C'mon!"

"Stop it!" She pulls her hand away with a small chuckle. "I can walk by myself!"

Morgan laughs and starts walking again, stopping in front of a door. "You can camp out in here til the show if you wanna."

"Okay." She pushes the door open and tosses her bag on the couch. "I'm nervous."

"Why? You said it yourself, he's gonna love being a dad."

"Yeah no, I know that but doin' it when he's on stage just seems like I'm takin' the attention offa him."

"Either way, he's gonna be over the moon." Morgan states then checks his watch. "I gotta go." He presses a friendly kiss to the top of her head then rushes back to the stage. Jenna takes a deep breath after she sits on the couch, her head in her hands.

She's nervous to tell him she's pregnant.

+++

Jenna is standing back stage, her cheeks flushed. She's waiting for the perfect time to tell her husband the news and that time is now.

Just after Michael finishes his second to last song, Jenna joins him on stage.

He's shocked, obviously. He hasn't seen his wife in months and she's as beautiful as ever. He grabs her in a tight hug, squeezing her so hard. She giggles, her feet kicked up behind her.

"I have to tell you something!" She shouts over the screams from the crowd.

"What's up!?" He shouts back, stroking the back of her head as he looks her over.

"I'm pregnant!"

His face drops and he stumbles back slightly. "Ser- Seriously?" She laughs and nods, her hands folded under her chin. "Holy shit." He borderline sweeps her off her feet and kisses her hard.

Michael sets her on her feet and laughs tearfully. He can't believe he gets to be a father with the girl of his dreams.

+++

Twins.

Twin boys.

Michael and Jenna have their hands full. Wyatt and Wilson have been keeping their parents on their toes ever since the day they were born.

That was five years ago.

The couple is dropping their boys off at school.

Wyatt is holding Jenna's hand while Michael has Willie on his shoulders as they head to their classroom. It's tough to let their babies go and after a twenty six years of abandonment, it's even harder to let them go.

Willie has no problem walking into that room all by himself but Wyatt is another story. Ever since his birth, he's been attached to Jenna's hip.

They're inseparable.

It's cute, really.

Michael loves their relationship and it's heartwarming to watch them. He and Wilson have the same bond but it's definitely not as strong.

Jenna is convinced that Wyatt is his great grandfather reincarnated- another life type shit. It's a bad thing for a parent to admit which child is their favorite because she love, love, loves both of them with her entire heart and soul but if she has to choose one, it'd be Wyatt James Hardy though and through.

Jenna has basically retired from touring but she's still writing and recording music and she refuses to let Michael quit. She knows how hard he's worked for this to just quit.

This is the family bond Jenna has been missing out on since day one and she's blessed to call her boys her family.

Who would've ever thought that Michael Hardy, that boy who walked into that bar that one night all those years ago, was the one for Jenna James?