CHAPTER 150- THE EPILOGUE

FOUR YEARS LATER: FOURTH of JULY WEEKEND:

Harper bops around the dance floor to the music in her blue baby doll style flower girl dress. She watches her dress spin as she twirls around. The adults stand around the dance floor watching her.

Charlotte nudges Cooper with her elbow. "you do know that kid's full of piss and vineger like Drew was at that age."

"She looks so much like Drew at that age too." Violet reminds her. "They're both mini-you's"

Cooper teases. "So, don't blame me for their...-" Cooper tries to be polite, "highly active behavior. They get that from you."

"It is true, Charlotte." Violet informs. "You've always worked two jobs even when you were raising your family. You need to stay busy. I agree with Cooper they get it from you."

"If I thought this was going to be a Charlotte roast, I would have stayed home." Charlotte strolls to the bar to order a drink.

Broken Spell's playing tonight but Nicky's not performing this time. He's the groom tonight. He dances with his red-headed bride sharing the dance floor with Harper. Nicky looks handsome in his black tux. His dark hair is cut neat in the back while the front wisps down on the right side. It's his trademark look. His olive skin is even more tan than usual in preparation for this day. His new wife is wearing her hair in a sedu hairstyle with wisps of red hair flattering the delicate features of her face. White decorative hair jewelry adornishes her head. She dances with her new husband in a white, strapless, slim line wedding dress made of satin chiffon. Beads adorn the slim waistline of her dress.

Cooper joins Charlotte at the bar. "Isn't she the most beautiful bride you ever saw?" He asks.

"She is." Charlotte looks over at Andie and Nicky dancing.

"And I'm not just saying that because I'm her father."

"And I'm not sayin' it because I'm her momma. She's a stunning bride."

Cooper gazes at his twenty two year old daughter. "The most stunning bride I ever saw." Cooper thinks a minute. "I mean besides you of course."

"It's okay, Coop. You can say she's a more beautiful bride that I was. She's my daughter I'm not gonna bop you over the head for it."

"It's not that she's more beautiful. You're both beautiful, it's just that she's thirteen years younger than you were when we got married."

"Okay, now I'm gonna bop you on the head."

"I'd like it better if you danced with me instead." Cooper pulls Charlotte out to the dance floor where they share a slow dance.

After the song's over Cooper takes Charlotte by the arm to join their friends at the table. "One down, three to go." Sam teases Cooper.

"That's alright." Cooper says. "I want them to all finish school before they get married."

"Well, Andie wasted no time." Violet comments. "She just graduated from UCLA in May and got married the first weekend in July."

Charlotte replies before sipping her martini. "Andie and Nicky have been engaged since Harper was three months old, now she's four years old, they did their time."

Harper runs over to them. The little blonde's hair bounces as she runs.

"What can we do for you, peanut?" Cooper asks his granddaughter.

"Can you dance with me grandpa? Poppa is dancing with momma."

"Where's Drew?" Cooper just sat down with his drink and isn't thrilled about getting up again. "Can't you ask Drew to dance with you?"

"He's dancing with Sarah, see." Harper points to the dance floor.

"Okay. C'mon, you little peanut, but no stepping on my toes. I'm warning you." Cooper teases. Charlotte watches Cooper and her granddaughter on the dance floor. Harper not only dances on his toes. She places her white shoes over Cooper's black shoves and shuffles around the dance floor, grinning from ear to ear.

"Your father is having a good time." Tess tells Chase as she drags him back onto the dance floor.

"Yeah. I guess that means we have to get married next to keep that smile on his face."

"We will." Tess gives him a quick soft peck on the lips. "I have it all planned out. We'll get engaged after medical school and get married after we finish our residencies."

"Ughhhhh." Chase whines. "I don't wanna wait that long. Do you know how many years that's going to take?"

"The best things are worth waiting for." Tess smiles.

Lucas and Danielle sit down next to Addison with their mixed drinks. "What are you drinking?" Addison asks Danielle.

"Captain Morgan and coke. Why?"

"I was hoping you were pregnant." Addison sighs.

"Mom, would you stop! Lucas and I want to finish medical school before we start having kids."

"Is it too much to ask for a grandchild before I die?"

"You're not gonna die, mom. You're in perfect health and I promise Lucas and I will start trying after medical school."

Violet teases. "We're going to have to work out a schedule or else Addison will be monopolizing my grandchild."

"You know it." Addison sips her martini.

"That's right." Amelia thinks out loud. "If Danielle and Lucas have a child you two will both be its' grandmothers. How cool is that?"

Sheldon chimes in. "And if Sarah and Drew marry you and Charlotte will be the grandmothers."

"That's ridiculous." Cooper screws up his nose.

"Why?" Violet asks

"Sarah and Drew are ten. How can you even think they'd get married?" Cooper scoffs. "Who knows if they'll even be friends in ten more years?"

"What's wrong with Sarah?" Sheldon challenges Cooper. "Don't you think she's good enough for your Drew because I'll have you know that Drew is not good enough for Sarah. They'll end up having crazy hyperactive kids if she married Drew."

"Sorry." Amelia looks at them all. "Sheldon, let's dance." She pulls him out to the dance floor.

"What's his problem?" Cooper chews on a toothpick.

"You know him. He's always been overprotective of Sarah" Violet goes on. "And how dare you suggest that you don't want Drew to marry her." Violet teases.

"It's not that I don't want Drew to marry her but they're ten, Vi, let's not arrange their wedding just yet." Cooper complains. "There's a whole big world out there for them."

"Next thing you know Sheldon will be expecting you to bring him a goat for a dowry." Sam laughs.

Drew and Sarah run over to them. "Grandma Susan said we can break some plates. C'mon."

"Are you kiddin'?" Charlotte groans. "That sounds expensive."

"They're not the same plates we eat off of, momma. Grandma Susan bought a bunch of cheap plates to smash at the wedding."

The band calls Andie and Nicky back out to the dance floor for a special dance. The couple has no idea what's going on. Once they start to dance some of Nicky's relatives pin money on Andie's wedding dress for luck. Drew is the first one to smash a plate yelling "OPA!" Sarah grabs one to smash and soon a line forms to smash plates while they yell "OPA!"

"Do they really do this in Greece?" Cooper asks Nicky's father.

"No." He shakes his head. "Maybe years ago but not anymore. My family must think you're all nuts for throwing those plates around."

Cooper laughs "Why did they do it in the past?"

"It symbolizes smashing away your old life with the broken plates and starting a new life together."

"Why did that stop the tradition?"

"Too expensive and too messy." Bruce chuckles. "Someone has to clean this all up."

After the plate smashing dance, Andie and Nicky get ready to leave for their honeymoon. "Should we announce our news before we leave?" Nicky asks Andie.

"No, we'll tell them a few weeks after the we get back. Let them think it happened on our honeymoon this time."

Andie and Nicky say goodbye to their guests and give Harper an extra special hug. "You be a good girl for Nan and Grandpa, okay, Harper Bopper." Andie kisses her daughter. "Momma and poppa have a big surprise for you when they return."

"What is it?" Harper grins from ear to ear.

"I can't tell you or it wouldn't' be a surprise but it's one of the best gifts momma and poppa could ever give to you."

"Yay!" Harper jumps up and down. "I can't wait to see it."

Nicky whispers in Andie's ear. "Are you sure that was a good idea to tell her that? She's not going to be able to see or touch her surprise for another seven months."

"We'll bring her back a Hawaiian doll and dress too. She'll be fine." Andie reassures Nicky before hugging her momma and dad goodbye.

Charlotte and Cooper watch them leave with tears in their eyes. "Our little girl is a married woman." Charlotte tells him.

"I know." Cooper picks Harper up to wave as Andie and Nicky drive away.

THE END!

I am doing a sequel to this story-stay tuned.