Chapter One Dee Fatone watched her husband as he swam to the end of the pool, perched himself on the edge and waved to her.  She waved back, smiling.  Dee could've sworn that there was a soundtrack to her life.  For it was moments like these when bits and pieces of songs from the past would trickle into her mind so clearly.  This time is was a song of Shania Twain's:

They said, "I bet they'll never make it" But just look at us holding on We're still together still going strong You're still the one I run to The one that I belong to You're still the one I want for life You're still the one that I love The only one I dream of You're still the one I kiss good night Ain't nothin' better We beat the odds together I'm glad we didn't listen Look at what we would be missin'

As Dee watched Joey approach from the other side of the pool, her mind wandered back to their wedding day almost 8 years ago.  "Are you sure you want to go through with this?" Jim asked his sister, leading her up the church stairway to the vestibule.  "Of course I want to go through with this!" she replied, a bit exasperated.   She thought her brother had finally accepted the fact that she was marrying Joey Fatone whether or not he approved.   It wasn't that he didn't like Joey.  They got along famously and he and his wife and kids had had a wonderful time at the cottage together with Joey and Dee just two weeks before the wedding.  But there was this niggling feeling he had that Dee just wasn't prepared for life as the wife of an entertainer.  It was so foreign to anything she had known in the past.  Yet, they'd been dating for two years, and Dee had moved to Orlando with Joey a year ago.  If she didn't know now what it was like, she'd never know.  Only after today, there would be no way out. "Okay, sis……I just wanted to make sure.  You know Dad would be asking you the same question!" "I know, and thanks for caring. But I couldn't be more sure of anything right now than I am about marrying Joey." Jim smiled at his sister and began walking her down the aisle to the strains of "Trumpet Voluntary."  The smell from the thousands of flowers decorating their small town church was intoxicating, but not as intoxicating as the smile Dee saw on Joey's face.  He was grinning broadly as he watched her, and it was that smile, with the "crinkly eyes" that had drawn her in two years ago.  Joey seemed to be just about in hysterics by the time that she reached the altar.  Dee hoped that it was happiness and not panic she saw in his face.  "You are absolutely gorgeous,"  he whispered as Jim took Dee's hand and placed it into Joey's.  Joey covered her hand with his.  He couldn't take his eyes off of her.  Lance, JC, Chris and Justin moved from their places next to Joey as his groomsmen to the altar and faced the congregation.  Joey took Dee's bouquet and handed it to Melanie, her matron of honor, turned Dee to face him and took her hands in his.  Dee was confused.  This wasn't how they'd rehearsed the ceremony the night before.  Joey began snapping his fingers and tapping out a beat with his foot and started to sing.

When winter comes in summer When there's no more forever When lies become the truth Oh you know then baby That's when I'll stop lovin' That's when I'll stop lovin' you.

Dee realized then that JC and Justin had rearranged her favorite song to give Joey a solo while the rest backed him up, acapella.

As long as sunlight lights the sky Light of love will be found in these eyes of mine And I will shine that light for you You're the only one I'll ever give my heart to What I'm trying to say is nothing will change this There'll be no time you won't find me there 'Cause I will always be there You will always have all my love When winter comes in summer When there's no more forever When lies become the truth Oh you know then baby That's when I'll stop lovin' That's when I'll stop lovin' you.

Tears were streaming down Dee's cheeks and dripping onto hers and Joey's hands.  Joey smiled and wiped the tears with his thumbs as he took her face in his hands and gently kissed her, whispering, "I'll never stop loving you."  There wasn't a dry eye in the church. The song wasn't the only surprise in their ceremony.  When it came time to exchange rings, Dee took Joey's ring and slipped it slowly onto his finger, giving him a chance to look at it.  Joey looked at his hand quizzically as this was not the ring they'd chosen together.  It was a ring that Dee had specially made.  It was a wide gold band with the Superman logo engraved on it, but instead of an S, it had a J with two diamond chips on either side of it. "You'll always be my Superman, Joey,"  Dee said, staring into the beautiful brown eyes she'd fallen in love with as she placed the ring on his finger. A loud sob broke their gaze and Joey and Dee turned to see Joey's mom wiping tears from her eyes as her husband put his arm around her and squeezed her.  Joey laughed and Dee smiled, hoping Mrs. Fatone's tears were those of happiness and not sorrow! Dee now knew they were joyful tears she'd had on their wedding day as she watched Phyllis Fatone chase her youngest grandchild around the yard with a clean diaper yelling, "Gina Fatone, you get over here right now and let Grandma change you!" Chapter Two Home