I watched her dancing with my brother Sean at my dad's birthday party; that is being held at the home I grew up in. She was Matt's best friend. They have been best friends since they were in 7th grade together. Liz doesn't like her and now she is making me go talk to her about it. I reluctantly interrupted her and my brother goofy dance moves.
"Hey Daisy, can I please talk to you for a minute please?" I feel really bad for her at the moment. She nodded and Sean went on dancing up to our Aunt; as Daisy followed me to the BBQ.
"What's up John?" She asked with her sweet deep chocolate eyes, I huffed; thinking of how to say what I had too.
"You know I love you like a sister and I would do almost anything for you?" She nodded. "Well that's the problem; Liz thinks that we shouldn't hang out like we have been." She looked at me questionably.
"What? We can't hang out? Why?" Her small voice asked. I sighed and scratched the back of my head.
"Dais, Liz is started to think we are; you know, and I have told her we aren't but you know what she's like when she gets an idea in her head... We can still hang out just not as much, that's all." Daisy slowly nodded not looking at me, now I really felt bad. She just looks at her feet. "Daisy..." She looked to her right, and huffs a laugh.
"Its fine, John." She shook her head and walked down the stairs not looking back. It was hard to tell if she understood where Liz was coming from or not, her emotions were hard to tell in her voice but her face said she was hurt. I watched her walk back on to the dance floor and I went back inside and up to Liz; feeling like crap.
"So? How'd she take it?" My wife asked. I looked out the window.
"Good, I guess." It could have been a lot worse.
`Piano man` by Billy Joel started and I knew almost everyone would sing along. I walked up to my mom and hugged her while she spoke to my dad; even though they aren't together anymore it's still good to see that they get along.
"Hey sweetie, why did you tell Daisy that you two can't hang out anymore?" She asked me. I shut my eyes for a moment cussing my life.
"Mom, I didn't say we couldn't; I just said not as much,"
"Why?"
"Liz doesn't like her." Dad said with a beer in his hand.
"Really?" Mom looked at me. I shyly; nodded. "Daisy is a very sweet girl, John I think you should go talk to Daisy about it, she might be really upset about this." I sighed and walked towards the lawn also known as a dance floor, finding my way through the crowd to Dan, Steve and Sean, I asked them where Dais was and they pointed me towards her and Matt. I thanked them and walked over to the big tree to talk to her,
"Hey bro, can I talk to her for moment please?" I asked, Matt pushed himself off of the tree and stood in front of her.
"No." he simply put.
"Matt, I really need to talk to Daisy."
"And I said no."
"Matt."
"No... I understand that you are taking your wife's side, but Daisy is my best friend and you have known her longer then you have known your wife, so you're wife can get fucked, Daisy is more a part of this family then she ever will be." He spoke of my wife, I crunched my jaw tight, pushing my tongue to my lips bite my tongue so I wouldn't flip at my little brother for not knowing the whole story.
"Matt I'm fine." Daisy spoke up and stood beside him. "I'm just all upset that she didn't have the balls to tell me what she thinks of me face to face... This shouldn't become between you guys, John you were doing your job as a husband and Matt you're standing up for me as a best friend, but I don't want to see you guys get pissed at each other because she doesn't like me, ok? Please; just drop it." Her sweet small caring voice made me realise that I do protect Liz more then I should with half the things she does.
"I'm sorry Dais." I said to the little 5'3 female. She smiled lightly.
"It's ok John but can I please continue to talk to matt about Kerrey?" I nodded and walked away, not feeling as bad as I did but that feeling wasn't completely gone like I would have liked. All I can thank god for is that she isn't angry with me.
- THE NEXT DAY 1.00 PM -
I walked over trying not to step on people that we passed out on the floor from last night. I got beer out of the cooler, lent against the rail on the deck and talked to my uncle Mark.
"So when am I gonna be a great uncle again?" I laughed,
"I don't know; Liz and I haven't really talked about it."
"Dude, you're not getting younger."
"Thanks," I took a sip of my beer as I looked at him smiling wide. I shake my head at my uncle.
"You're welcome; you need a reminder every now and again."
"HEY!" I heard Liz yell. I looked behind me on the lawn that has allot of beer bottles and cans and cups all over it, Daisy punched Liz square in her jaw, Aunt Sharon took a step back from shock of what just happened in front of her, I dropped my beer and jumped down the four steps and ran up to them,
"WHAT? YOU DONT HAVE THE GUTS TO SAY ANYTHING TO MY FACE?" Daisy yelled at Liz, who was on the ground clutching her jaw,
"What happened?" I asked anyone who would answer me.
"She just punched me that am what." Aunt Sharon helped Liz to her feet. I looked at Daisy with her tattooed sleeves showing.
"She was bitching about me to Sharon, she has no fucking guts. She talks behind everyone's back but never to their face."
"That's enough!" I yell to quiet the 3 women who began to bicker between themselves. "Liz; go inside." I speak somewhat calmer than before.
"What?!"
"Go inside now." I said calmly.
"No, I want too."
"NOW!" I yelled which is unlike me to yell at my wife. Aunt Sharon took her inside while I just looked at Daisy.
"What? You can't blame me for what I did. If she could keep her fucking mouth shut then I wouldn't have punched her." She said in an angry tone. I sighed shaking my head "What?"
"You can't just hit people because they say shit about you; you're not in school anymore."
"Oh but it's ok for her to tell people that I am ruining her marriage because according to her I'm pregnant with your child AND because I was drinking last night it's fair to say that I'm a bad mother?" She looked at me with flames in her eyes.
"Just go home." I walked away from her and inside to see mom, Aunt Sharon and Liz in the kitchen with an ice pack on her jaw.
"Is that mole gone?" Liz asked pissed off.
"Yeah. Are you ok?"
"She'll be fine." Aunt Sharon mimed to me to leave the room with her; I followed her into the lounge.
"Is it true that you're cheating with Daisy?" Aunt Sharon asked nicely.
"No," I couldn't believe Liz would say something like that. "And she isn't pregnant."
"Oh... well Liz is..."
"I know. Aunt Sharon. How am I meant to deal with this?"
"Ask your father." She walked away from me and back into the kitchen I went on to the deck and cleaned up the glass from the broken bottle.
"Hey dad, have you heard what Liz is saying about Daisy and I?" He nodded "What do you think I should do?" I sigh.
"Try a new wife." My uncle mark stated with a smile.
"I don't know, why are you asking me?" My dad asked.
"Aunt Sharon said I should." He nodded as he lit up one of his cigars.
"I got to agree with Mark here, son, I like Liz but... if she is saying crap like that, I say let her go before you get too attached."
"Dad, she isn't a dog."
"Unless you ask Daisy." Uncle Mark piped in with his 2 cent again.
"Son, I want you to be happy and think in 3 years time and you meet a nice girl and become friends, Liz will say stuff about her or you will have to get rid of her and will that make you happy?" He puffed on his cigar, I thought about what he said.
"No."
"Then you know what you have to do, whether it is to stay married to her or let the door hit her on the ass on her way out." I sighed,
"Nicely put John Sr." Uncle Mark said. I thought about it and I didn't know what to do, I love Liz but I don't want to have to give up the females in my life who are good friends of mine.
"Johnny boy," My Uncle Mark speaks again. "Look at it this way; Matt and Daisy have been friends for year, so either; she is going to be at all of the birthdays we have, she will be here for all the holidays, anytime one of us has something for celebrate, she will be here OR Liz will get her way and Daisy won't be here at all and I can pretty much grantee that Matt won't be here either." What Mark said got me thinking.
"I need a walk." I said leaving for a walk around town.
- (A/N - imagine the last 30 - 60 seconds of 'when love and death embrace' by H.I.M playing over head like in the movies) -
I knocked on the door.
"Just before you say anything I have no idea why I'm here I was walking up the main street and saw a family the 3 kids no older the 7 or 8 years old and smiled, I want that and I saw two females with tattooed sleeves reminding me of you Daisy, what if... the lie about you being pregnant with my child wasn't a lie what if it was true in a few years..." She looked at me like she was looking at a mad man, "Will you be my girlfriend?" I have no idea what the hell I'm doing but it feels right.
"Liz..."
"I'll get a divorce from her... what do you say? Will you be my future bride?" I held my breath.
"Huh?"
"Will you be mine? We won't get married now but if it works... in a few years would you marry me?" she stared at me blankly then blinked a few times...
"Congratulations you are no longer man and wife." My lawyer said to me and shook my hand, I walked out of the court room and walked up and hugged Daisy kissing her forehead, and placed my hand on her belly that held my son.
"It only took 4 years but what do you say?" I rest my forehead on hers looking into her eyes.
"Let's get married."