RYDER

“Warm air, beaches, and guys in tight speedos, what more can a Ryder wish for?” I tell a giggling Jenny.

“For Ryder to have left it at beach.” Mel tells me, from the seat in front of me.

“We are going to watch a lava flow, for what reason I do not know. It’s slow moving and hot, which can be fun in other situations.” I tell her.

“What situations?” JJ asks me. 

“Yes Ryder, what ever could you be talking about?” Aunt Jen glares.

“You know um… stuff, my most fabulous Aunty.” I tell her, smiling.

“Good answer, goofball.” Justin tells me. 

“But seriously, lava guys, you realize it can like take hour for it to move, right?” I ask them.  

“It will give the kids a chance to see nature’s ability to destroy while creating up close.” Ben tells me, reading the pamphlet.

“Did you just read that from the pamphlet? I expect so much better from you.” I tell him.

“I lowered my IQ so we could be equal.” He tells me, smirking.

“BRIAN, how could you rub off on Ben, it’s my job to rub Ben.” I shout back at the two face suckling fiends.

“RYDER!” Came from all over the bus.

“I think we should do something fun, not stand around waiting for the lava to move two feet. Hey Mel, you could stand next to the lava and pretend you're melting, you know, like witches do.” I tell her.

“Ha Ha, but how about I accidently push you in for complaining the whole way.” Mel tells me.

“You would push me in when my Jenny needs her Ryder?” I ask her, feigning shock.

“I’ll save you.” Jenny tells me.

“I’m not so sure Jenny bug, you agreed to this outing, we could have been hanging ten, but no, it's lava.” I tell her, raising my eyebrow.

“It was Gus who made me out-vote you.” She says, sticking out her tongue at Gus across the way.

“It was either that or cliff diving, and you're scared of heights.” He tells her.

“Wait a minute, cliff diving was a choice?” I ask, eyeing everyone.

“Where do you think Emmett and Drew are?” Ben tells him.

“Are you kidding, I’m stuck looking at lava and they get to jump off cliffs, how did that happen to me? Don't you people get that jumping off a cliff is like something someone like me would be crazy enough to do?” I whine.

“You didn’t want to be with me?” Ben gives me a pout.

“You are ruining a perfectly good whine, like you aren’t my first choice every time.” I tell him.

“Ryder, if we promise to tie you up and throw you off the cliff during low tide, will that help?” Mel ask me.

“Only if Ben ties me up.” I smile to Ben.

“RYDER!” Come on, like they all didn’t expect that one.

“So how long do you think this whole lava thing is going to take? I could catch up to the people doing fun and dangerous stuff if we hurry.” I tell them.

“There's a tour of the flow, should be an hour or so.” Mel tells me, smirking. 

“I built you a house and this is my payment?” I ask her. 

“You run into my room in underwear, so yes.” She tells me. 

“Like that didn’t thrill you, it’s the most skin you’ve seen lately.” I tell her.

I sit there and pout some more, because really, lava verses cliff, how did lava win? Why do they all think seeing lava would be exciting, when there are beaches full of half dressed men doing stupid things available? I see the giant firework up ahead and decided to we can have fun doing this, right?

“Hey, why aren’t we going to the big hill with lava?” I ask when the bus turns in another direction.

Nobody says a word just smiles like they are indulging me. Really, I wasn’t all that excited about this, but I figured Jenny would like it and well, I was doing what my princess wanted. Now it looks like they aren’t even going to do that. I was going to sit on the bus and protest because if we were going to watch nature than we should,... but hey is that like a Luau?

“Are we stopping to eat?” I ask Ben and Mel. 

“We are stopping because Ben’s an idiot in love.” Brian tells me, as he drags Justin behind him.

“He’s in love, not an idiot.” I protest then stop when I realize I said love and Ben.

“Come on silly, Ben did this for you.” Jenny tells me. 

“Roasted a pig?” I ask her. 

“Which is gross because it's like, whole.” Gus tells me. 

“It's a Hawaiian thing. Uncle Emmy told me.” Julia smiling at me. 

“Did Uncle Emmy tell you why we're here?” I ask her, completely confused. 

“Yep.” She tells me, and skips off.

“Do you three know why we are here?” I ask Gus, Jenny, and JJ, the last of whom proves he’s Justin’s kid, he already has a sandwich in his hand. 

“Sure, but we promised not to tell.” Gus smirks.

“I’d tell you, but Gus said no.” JJ tells me, pulling out a pickle and biting it, to Julia’s disgust.

“I want to see it, cause it’s going to be romantic.” Jenny tells me.

“Ryder.” Ben calls from the middle of the family.

“Yeah, so you going to explain the piggy roast to me?” I ask him.

“I wanted to ask you something, the party was Emmett’s idea.” He tells me.

“Emmett, you're supposed to be cliff diving, which had me mad because I should be leading that expedition.” I tell him.

“I thought this little piggy could come and see Ryder at a loss for words.” Emmett tells me, while Brian pours beer over it.

“Like that could ever happen, I alway have something to say.” I tell him.

“I love you Ryder. Marry me?” Ben asks me, with a ring in his hand.

“I win, told you Ryder would be shocked.” Drew tells them, as I stare at Ben.

“I figured Ryder would be expecting this, since he’s been setting up home and hearth for a while.” Brian remarks.

“Hey um Ryder, he kind of wants you to answer.” Justin tells me.

“Ryder if it’s too soon…” Were the only words Ben got out, before I ran to him and jumped him like our first meeting.

“Think that’s a yes?” Brian asks Uncle Matt.

“Either that or Ryder’s letting him down easily.” Uncle Matt the smart ass tells them.

I pull back and look at Ben. “In case you're wondering, it’s a hell yes.” I whisper to him.

We all sit around the tables they put out and start talking, and in Justin and JJ’s case, try to figure out how to put half a pig on their plates. The whole family is here to celebrate with Brian and Justin, but carved out time for Ben and me. I only wish my parents had been told to come too.

“Hey baby boy, you miss me?” My mom says, wrapping her arms around me.

“Thanks for sending the tickets Ben.” My dad tells him.

“I wanted Ryder to have everyone here.” Ben tells them.

“Ryder, are you crying?” Gus asks me.

“Nope, it’s all the smoke.” I tell him, leaning over to kiss Ben for thinking of everything for me.

“Are we getting married now?” I ask Ben.

“No, Brian and Justin offered to let us do it with them.” He tells me.

“Justin, you just got the dollar I was leaving you.” I yell at him.

“As long as it isn’t your porn.” Justin yells back.

“I still don’t get what porn is.” Julia ask Justin.

“It’s something Grandma can discuss with Ryder and your father.” Jen tells her.

“So can we crash your wedding?” Drew asks Brian.

“We are invited Sweetie.” Emmett tells Drew.

“Emmett, what my son seems to forget is that asking you would probably get better results.” Aunt Linda tells Emmett.

“But we were invited, so why is he… DREW!” Emmett screeches when Drew stares at him.

“I figured why wait. Marry me?” Drew asks him.

“They all just want to follow in my greatness.” Brian tells us.

“So Emmy Lou, what do you think?” Drew asks him. 

“I hate to repeat Ryder but, HELL YES!” He tells him. 

I sat with my mom and dad to tell them about all the stuff that was going on. My mother about took Brian’s head off for not calling her. She would have made sure the reporters who worked for her were there to blow Lindsay to bits. 

“Hey, being the head editor of the New York Times should have it’s privileges.” She tells us.

“Justin, is everyone in your family over achievers?” Emmett asks him. 

“Not really, there's a cousin who works for NASA.” He tells him.

“How is that not an achievement?” Ben asks. 

“He isn’t an astronaut, just builds the rockets.” I tell Ben.

“I'm still not getting why he's the underachiever?” Emmett asks us. 

“Nobody care about the rockets, I mean unless you're an astronaut you just get like honorable mention in history books.” Drew, Justin, and I say together.

“John rubbed it in our faces that he was a rocket scientist, which is just another word for giant geek. We decided he needed us to make him see it wasn't as cool as being us.” I tell everyone.

BRIAN

When Ben asked if he should propose to Ryder, I told him they were practically married already, so why not. Then I suggested doing while they were here. We had everything set up all they had to do was dress and stand with us. Justin and I were just doing what we should have done for the family years ago, so to us, sharing it with family sounded like the reason we were here.

Gus had all the kids ready for the ceremony before any adult could help him. It’s a process to make him see that he doesn’t have to do our jobs, but in this case he knows, but likes to help. I wanted everyone casual for the wedding because it’s a beach, and sand and Armani are not friends. Emmett told me that if he was getting married we were all going to look good at the wedding. Justin and I were dressed in black with tieless shirts and dress pants. Ryder chose he and Ben to go with lavender shirts and white pants. Emmett and Drew went native in loose fitting shirts and I say skirts, they say sarongs. All the kids were in dresses or loose shirts and pants. 

We all chose to walk with our partners and have everyone stand around us at the alter Emmett had set up with every flower native to the islands. We all waited as the sun started to set then torches were lit to start the ceremony. Each of us agreed that our vows would be in our own words.

Justin

“Brian, every day that we’ve been together reminds me of our first morning together. There is never a day where we run out of words to say. I saw you standing in a crowd and it was like the crowd disappeared so all I saw was you. I told you that every day with you has been great, and I only see it getting better as the years go on. You gave me a life I'd dreamed of but hadn’t found. For that I promise to always stand by you and love you for the rest of my life.” 

Brian

“When we met you always said you painted me because you thought I was looking for something and hadn’t found it. I was looking for you, and the minute I found you, I knew there was no turning back. You saw I needed a family and gave it to me in every way I never believed possible. I make you a promise today, that nothing will ever be first but you and our family. I’ll love you more as each day passes.

Ben

I met you at a point in my life where love seemed like an illusion. You made me smile, laugh, and understand that real love exists. Every day I learn something new about you and couldn’t love you more, because you give selflessly to anyone you love. I plan to give you the same as our lives go on. Thank you for loving me.

Ryder

My life was one crazy idea after another and in a way I was still trying to find a place to call home. I met a very special little girl who brought you into my life. I spent my life building houses that would one day be a home, but realized that home is where my heart resides. You're my home. I will always keep that home standing and on a impenetrable foundation. I love everything you brought into my life as much as I love you.”

Emmett

I always thought I would be lucky to find someone who could love me, what I never realized was I needed someone to love this me. From the minute we met you made me understand that changing for the person you love, isn’t love. Not a day since we met have you ever done anything but encouraged my flame to light up the night. I’m marrying a man who loves me and I thank you for being that man.

Drew

I got off a plane and saw a man who I hoped was taking me home. I never realized that you would become my home and my future. It took a long time for me to understand that hiding myself wouldn’t change who I was. I’m happy that I learned that lesson before you lit up my world, because I would have missed the man who makes me want it all. I stand here proud of who we are together and humbled that I found you. Thank you for being Emmett Honeycutt.” 

We finished the ceremony and were joined with the family to not celebrate just our marriages, but that we had all these people who supported us through the good and bad times.