30. The Only One

30

THE ONLY ONE

“ I never get to miss school if I’m not sick,” Elsie said two months later. “And I’ve never been on a plane before either.”

“It’s going to be fun,” Crystal said. “Your first wedding too.”

She was going to be meeting so many of Phoenix’s family this weekend. Several were in North Carolina where they were driving to this morning to catch West’s private jet to take them to New York for a secluded wedding.

She only knew the date and not the location of the wedding. They were keeping it a secret. Phoenix said he knew it was in New York too but not where. Those that couldn’t get on the private jet were flying into JFK and West’s private jet was going to take them to another location from there.

Lucky for her, a handful of people were going on the private jet today for the wedding tomorrow.

“Is this your first wedding?” Elsie asked.

“No,” she said. “Most of my siblings are married so I’ve been to a lot of weddings and in many too.”

“I’m excited,” Elsie said. “Even though I’m tired.”

It was five in the morning and they were hitting the road the minute that Phoenix had his SUV loaded up. The flight from North Carolina was leaving around two and landing before dinner. The rehearsal was going to be around six tonight so that was cutting it short for West’s siblings. She knew West’s mother was already at their destination.

They’d be flying home on Saturday afternoon too.

“You can sleep in the car,” she said. “I always did that as a kid when we had long trips.”

The five hours or so to North Carolina was the same time frame as if they tried to catch a flight and had to wait in airports. They’d have to rent a car to get from where they landed to where West’s jet was taking off from too. She knew several of Phoenix’s family members were doing the same thing. Their commute in the car wasn’t much longer, maybe an hour.

“I can’t wait to wear my dress,” Elsie said. “It’s so pretty.”

She had taken Elsie shopping for the wedding attire. She had to get a dress for herself too and Elsie helped her pick it out. She was told it was an outdoor wedding, but that hadn’t helped her find a dress.

Carolina said it didn’t need to be formal or fancy. That sort of helped too.

In the end she went with a navy blue dress that was fitted to her body and went to her calves. She felt that was a nice in-between style. She wouldn’t be able to dance much in it but didn’t think this was the type of wedding where you got out there and busted a move.

“You’re going to be adorable in your dress,” she said. “And I’m going to do your hair special for you too.”

“Will I be the only kid there?” Elsie asked.

Crystal shrugged, as she didn’t know the answer to that.

“Jamie’s daughter will be there, but she’s only two,” Phoenix said, coming into the kitchen. “Her name is Penelope. Let’s take one more bathroom run before we hit the road.”

She knew that Laken’s boyfriend was Jamie Wilde. Talk about being out of her element with the people she was going to be meeting. But she had to remind herself that most of the family she’d met so far were down to earth.

She walked Elsie to the bathroom, let the little girl go one more time, then did a second glance to make sure they weren’t forgetting anything.

“Let’s hit the road,” she said. “I’ve got snacks for Elsie and us.”

“Thanks,” he said. “I don’t think of those things. I understand her not being that hungry this morning. She isn’t used to being up this early.”

“Me neither,” she said. Crystal hadn’t gotten up this early since her last job when she had to be at the daycare by six when they opened.

Now she just needed to be downstairs by seven before Phoenix left. She got up twenty minutes prior to shower and change and then went downstairs to get breakfast ready once Elsie was moving around.

“It’s nice you think of things I don’t,” he said, leaning in to kiss her.

They didn’t worry about that anymore in front of Elsie.

Though they were showing more affection, she was still living in her suite and going to Phoenix’s room when they were going to have sex. She never spent the night completely and normally woke up to return to her room.

There was no reason to push that right now, but staying in a hotel, they were going to be in the same bed all night.

They had a suite, so they had their own room and Elsie in another bed off the living room. That was all she’d been told about where they were going. That and West owned the hotel so he could be discreet with the guest list.

She found the whole thing funny but understood it too.

Just like she’d been able to keep her relationship with Phoenix a secret from her family other than Taylor.

“You’re quiet,” she said hours later in the car. Elsie was out cold and she found that she was dozing too and tried to stay awake, but it was hard without them talking.

“Just thinking of things,” he said.

“Work or us?”

“A little of both,” he said, turning to smile at her. “Nothing horrible.”

“Are you nervous about me meeting your family?”

“No,” he said. “Not at all. They all know what is going on. Are you nervous? There is no reason to be.”

“I am a little. I’m really out of my element. Billionaire secret weddings, celebrity TV personnel, business owners and now your family. I don’t know where we are going either.”

“The Hamptons,” he said. “West has a home on the bay and he’s having the wedding there. I found out last night. Braylon let it slip in the text and I don’t think he meant to.”

“Oh,” she said. “But everyone will know when they get there today, right?”

“I’m sure on the flight it will be announced to everyone else. West’s siblings all know. If West worried it’d be leaked to the press, he wouldn’t have invited that person.”

“Even family?” she asked.

“None of my family would do those things. Now it’s possible they could be dating someone who would let that slip, which is why things weren’t told. But none of my siblings are bringing a date.”

“I’m the only one?”

“Yes,” he said. “My sisters, London and Paris, they might ask you the most questions. They are the closest to me in age. They are both protective of their brothers.”

“Which is sweet. Are you protective of them?”

He laughed. “I was when we were younger. They hated it, but it’s what an older brother does. They are both independent and now I don’t want my hand slapped.”

“You’ve got another little girl to be protective of and watch out for.”

“I do,” he said.

They were quiet the rest of the trip and then pulled into the airport two hours earlier than the flight was taking off.

“What are we going to do right now?” she asked. “Just wait here? Did we need to be this early for a private flight?”

“We didn’t,” he said. “I’ve got instructions to go to another part of the airport, but my parents will be here in fifteen minutes. They’ve been texting too. We might as well go get some lunch close by.”

“Who is with your parents?”

“Memphis and Raleigh are with my parents. London, Paris and Siena flew into JFK. Dallas, Bronx and Rome are driving here today too, but they are still over an hour out.”

“Hope they don’t get held up in traffic,” she said. That would be a bummer, but she was positive they might just delay the flight if they had to.

“They should be fine,” he said. “They got a later start. We all were planning on getting here around the same time. Elias and Talia will be on this flight with us too.”

“Not a lot of people, but could be a cramped flight on a private jet.”

He started to laugh. “No,” he said. “West’s jet is massive. Trust me, more than enough room. You haven’t seen anything yet.”

She could only imagine but at least didn’t have to worry about meeting the two siblings that might grill her the most.

“So that’s all that is going to be on the flight?”

“From my side of the family,” he said. “I believe my Uncle Sam’s brother and some of his family will be on it too. I’ve never met any of them but have heard the names.”

“Your uncle died when you were in high school, right?” she asked.

“Yes, and he traveled a lot. His brother has four kids. I’m not sure how many will be on this flight.”

“That is just so much to keep track of. What a huge family.”

“It is,” he said.

A few minutes later, Phoenix got out of his car and she woke Elsie up in the back. She saw an SUV pull next to them and Carolina got out and hugged her son.

She got Elsie out who said she had to go to the bathroom.

“I think we are going to get something to eat, can you hold it until then?”

“Yes,” Elsie said. “Carolina!”

Elsie ran to Phoenix’s mother for a hug and she was embraced too.

Crystal was introduced to his siblings; then they drove around the corner to get something to eat.

By the time lunch was done, she was laughing right along with Phoenix’s family and all their stories. Even Phoenix seemed more relaxed than she’d seen him before.

They left and drove to the jet and she all but stopped in her tracks when she boarded it.

“This is amazing,” Carolina whispered in her ear. “Don’t hold up the train. It’s the first we’ve all been on it.”

She turned quickly. “I’m not the only one?”

“No, sweetie,” Carolina said. “I’ve seen pictures but never had a reason to be on it. I haven’t seen West or any of his older siblings in years. I think since Sam died, to be honest. Life gets in the way and it’s hard to get us all together.”

“So this is like a big family reunion, isn’t it?”

“It is,” Carolina said. “And we are all thrilled and excited. I think I am for that more than the wedding itself.”

“I’m just trying to put one foot in front of the other and get through.”