"AHHHHH!" screamed our neighbor.

She had just come home around 2 AM from her night shift as a nurse at the hospital.

I woke up to her screaming and knocking on my door. i jumped out of bed and called Joe's name. i turned the light on and saw that he wasn't there and the door was open. SHIT! What the hell?! I walked out the door calling Joe's name. I ran to the left to where I found our neighbor staring down the stairs.

"What happened?" i asked running over and looking down the flight of stairs.

"I don't know, i came home and saw him laying there." she said

"Ok, well do you mind helping me get him up?" i asked walking down the stairs.

We carried him up to the condo and layed him back on the couch.

"Do you need anything else?" she asked kindly.

"No, i think i can manage thank you." i said closing the door behind her.

I knelt down beside him. "Joe...Joseph!" i said staring at his eyes that fluttered open.

"Where am i?" he asked rubbing his face.

"You fell down the stairs and now your back in the house." i said handing him to ibuprofen and a cup of water.

He wasn't bleeding, but i could tell he was going to be achey and have a couple of bruises. I moved him to our bed and gave him an ice pack for his head. I layed down nexto him and fell asleep, thank god he didn't get in a car.

"Hello this is Mr. Ralem, how may i help you?"

"Hi, this is Joe's fiance, he cant come to work today he fell down some stairs the other night." i said, at least i wasn't lying.

"Ok, but he better be in tomorrow, have a nice day." he said and hung up with a sigh.

I made coffee and told Joe to go take a shower and ill make him breakfast.

Joe walked out of the shower with a towel and over to pour some coffee.

"Are we still going shopping?" Joe asked sipping the hot liquid.

"Ah, you have a hangover Joe, are you up for that?" i asked staring at the hole in the wall.

"Yeah." he said his eyes following mine to where the hole was.

"Did, i do that?" he asked wiping some of the plaster off the wall.

"Yes, now go get changed so we can go." i said washing the rest of the dishes.

I drove down to the store and the lady that helped me yesterday recognized me.

"Hi, how are you doing?" she asked shaking my hand and Joe's.

"Well we already had agreed on the gazebo correct?" the lady asked.

"Yes." we both said looking at each other.

"I spoke with the forest preserve house and they said that they don't normally rent out the gazebo but they will do it for a price of $1,790." she said looking up at us.

"I guess thats fine." joe said.

"OK, great, now you have the place and you fiance said that there is going to be around 100 people, would you like to add to that or just change it later?" she asked

"We'll keep it at that for now." i said

"Have you thought about a date?" she asked twirling her pen

"Yes, actually September 7, 2005." Joe said

* It was only the summer of 2004. *

She gave us a few minutes to count up the people we wanted to invite and we had 150 from joes side including his friends and 30 from my side, mostly friends. So we roughly had about 180 people. We changed our number to 180 and then we had to go over all the details. The bridesmaids would be Alyssa, and kaylie. They were my cousins and then my maid of honor would be Sydney. Joe's 8 year old cousin would be the ring bearer, and the flower girl was his friends daughter Jessica.

The table cloths would be white and a really light blue and the napkins were the same shade of blue. The food was catered by Calinettie's. Me, Sydney, Kaylie, and Alyssa would get our dresses on friday that we had all ordered previously. Our rehersal dinner is on September 6, 2005. Once I buy the house for Joe i plan on having the reception there. The court gave me $100,000 in settlement so i am putting that money on the house.

After a long day of planning, me and Joe went out for lunch. Altogether we are only spending $6,000 on the wedding.

"So can you believe this is actually happening, I'm gonna marry you." he said eating a piece of bread.

"No, i can't." i said a little squeaky.

"Whats wrong?" Joe asked

"Nothing." i said too quickly.

"Seriously Sam come on, i can tell when you lie." he said smirking at me.

"I am just waiting on something thats all. I will tell you soon." I said.

"And no im not pregnant. i know thats the one way your mind turned." i added.

"Right." he said and we continued eating and making small talk.

I felt bad not telling him about the house but he didn't tell me about the car, so now we are even with our surprising. After lunch we both went back to the condo and hung out. We then went to bed early and it felt good to sleep, hopefully i will not be disturbed by my drunk fiance again.

"Hey sam?" joe said as we got into bed.

"Yeah?" i replied.

"I love you." he said

"I love you too." we both curled up together and began to fall asleep.

"Oh, and remind me to get that hole in the wall fixed." he said in a whisper and we both laughed.

I woke up just to hear Joe walk out the door and Bosco run to the window to watch his car pull out the garage. I got up and made some coffee when my phone rang, it was Garrett.

"Hello?" i said as i sipped my coffee.

"Hey, its Garrett." he said and i could hear the wind whistling through the other end.

'Oh, hey whats up?" i asked

"Well i heard from a bird that you are looking for a house?" he asked questioningly.

"Yeah, why?" i wondered if Joe had found out.

"Well i found a smaller house not far from where i live now and...you could pay $150,000 and move in here." he said offering

"Oh wow, ummm yeah that would be perfect..." i stopped not sure what to say

"Thats my wedding present to you!" he said laughing and then i chimed in.

"OK, cool well i need to get to work i will call you back at my lunch break." i said and we said goodbye and hung up.

I got my bag together and went down to the parking garage. I drove through the already busy city to The Apple Grill. I parked in the back and walked through the employees door.

"Hello, Samantha?" Said Julia

"Hi, Julia?"

"Yes, you can call me Sam" i said shaking her hand firmly.

"Well since this is your first day here, you will be shadowing Karen. She will help you take orders and serve the customers. Hopefully by the end of the week you can serve and wait your own tables." she said

"OK, thanks.' i said and walked over to the counter where Karen was waiting for me.

I followed her until about 12 when it was our lunch break. Me and Karen had become fairly close and she said that i caught on fast.

"Are you going home for lunch?" i asked

"No, i don't live close enough too." she said

'Well, i live down the street and if you wanted to, you could with me. I have to let my dog out anyway." i said

"OK, thanks." she said and i led her out to my car.

I twisted the gold key in the lock of the door and opened it to hear a thud and my dog Bosco bounding toward the door to greet us.

"Hey buddy!" i said opening my arms up to hug him and then putting my keys on the side table.

"You can put your stuff on the counter." i said "I'm just gonna run him out, help yourself to the food in the fridge, except the casserole, its bad." i said smiling and closing the door behind me.

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She helped herself to the sandwiches in the fridge. She took a seat at the island and waited for me to come back up.

Bosco ran around the yard like crazy. Sniffing trees and leaving his scent in a ton of different places. After about 10 minutes i rounded him up and brought him up the stairs. Well more like he dragged me up the stairs, we still have some things to work on like walking on a leash, key word walking.

Me and Karen finished up eating and cleaned up the kitchen. We then got in my car and we drove back to our shift at the Apple grill until 4:30.

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When Joe got home around 6 i made dinner and over dinner we discussed the wedding how my first day at work was. Tomorrow me and my bridesmaids would go try on the dresses we picked. We watched our show that was always on on Thursday, The Mentalist. Around 11 Joe let bosco out for the last time that night and we both turned in.

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Friday!

I said goodbye to Joe and bosco that morning, they were on there way to the dog park and i was going to try on dresses with Sydney and Kaylie. I picked Sydney up and Kaylie was going to meet us there. The store was filled from left to right and top to bottom in white dresses. i couldn't wait to try on my dress. We walked into the back of the store to a little area were we could try dresses on and stand in front of the mirror. We then met up with my stylist Bethany. We all got our dresses and our own dressing rooms. The bridesmaids had there dresses already on, they were a soft aqua and a thick black ribbon tied in back around there waist. They were strapless and came down perfectly at there feet. I paired that with some black heels. My dress was strapless, form fitting and had a simple flow to it. It is made by Alfred Angelo, style 1136. It also has satin with crystal beading and of course rhinestones, semi-cathedral train. We all walked out onto the small runway lined with mirrors and they both gawked at me. We all had seen the dresses except for mine.

I felt the heat come forth onto my cheaks.

"What do you think?" i asked

"Amazing!" they all said at the same time.

We all laughed and got changed, leaving the store happy with our dresses.

- 6 months later-August 31st

Who knew i'd be this far and the months flew by in a blur. it was the night before the wedding shower. It has been almost a year since i had been released from jail and i was already settling down. I never really knew what to do in my life or what to expect until now, i was sure of what i was doing. Karen is coming to the wedding and i have the next 3 weeks off from work for my wedding and the honeymoon.

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The shower was amazing. plain and simple. our living room had so many gifts that we didn't really need for this house but for the new house that i bought last week for Joe. i called Joe at the last half hour of the shower to come up and stand with me on the small stage. Everyone fell silent, almost everyone in the room knew what was about to happen except for him which was making me feel powerful and happy, hoping he would like it.

"I have a surprise for you Joe." i said

"Oh, whats that." he said looking at me kind of embarrassed.

"Well, i had gotten some money from the court and i didn't know what to do with it exactly. I knew you wanted to move and we both loved Garrett's house sooo he sold it to me and i bought it. For you, us, hopefully that in time our family would get bigger and..." he curt me off, putting his lips to mine and everyone was cheered and whistled.

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We both filled that gap in our hearts that could only be replaced by loving each other.

We will officially be one, togerher, forever.

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The wedding is less than a wek away! make sure to read the final 3 chapters luv you all comment vote and most of all READ!

~B