Scott watched through the window as she placed her dolls in the perfect position with the perfect outfits, all dressed up in a tutu, tights and pearls. Her gloves are hiked up all the way to the elbows, rumpling around her wrists as she placed a hat on a bear the size of Scott. He only remains enamored for a few seconds longer before the football he placed near his feet rolls off the porch with a resounding thump. Quickly retrieving the ball, Scott goes up to her front door and knocks shave and a hair cut (which is her favourite knocking pattern he will have you know).
When she opens the door, Scott, looks at her in a slightly dazed way, admiring her getup, Tessa however is too impatient for that so she gives him a big smile before pulling him inside.
"Tessa! Where are we going?" Scott screeches.
"Mr. Fuzzy-wuddles wasn't willing to be my groom, so you have to fill in! I even have a top hat for you! Please Scotty?" Tessa who is trying to pout but her giggles just can't be contained enough for it to really show.
"Aww, but T I want to play football, I even brought the ball here." Scott whines.
"Once we get married then I will have to play all the football you want. Plus, I can take Mr. Fuzzy-wuddles bow tie so you will look all dressed up. Please Scott?" Tessa who is no longer giggling gives Scott her best puppy dog eyes, green like the candle Auntie Carol is always burning at her house. And just like that candle Scott's heart melts a little at the sight.
"Okay fine, but only because of the football." Scott is already putting on Mr. Fuzzy-wuddle's clip on bow tie.
So, standing in the middle of the Virtue living room is Scott in his blue letterman jacket, clad with a bow tie and a top hat that was a little too big for his head. Next to him is Mr. Fuzzy-wuddles with a sun hat on because it was the next closest thing Tessa had to a top hat. Strolling in comes Tessa, her barbie radio playing some god-awful song that she uses as her Canon in D walk down the aisle moment. As Henry the rabbit walks Tessa down the aisle to Scott, Tessa adjusts her pearls, hugs henry and places him in the right spot next to his wife Harriet, who is sitting on the bride's side front row of the ceremony.
Soon enough Mr. Fuzzy-wuddle's is pronouncing them husband and wife, and Tessa leans up and in and lays a big wet kiss on Scott's cheek much to his chagrin. Scott, who is too red and embarrassed to have heard the first click, thanks Tessa for marrying him and is about to walk her back down the aisle on his arm when he hears another click. Spinning quickly, he finds Kate Virtue standing in the hall, clearly having returned from grocery shopping, bags all around her feet, holding a camera and snapping pictures of the two of them all dressed up. Tessa, who is now blushing just as ferociously as Scott starts screeching at her mom and attempts to push her out the door. Kate, who takes it in stride just backs up while laughing harder than she has in a long while.
"Mom! Stop! Mom, get out! Go away, and delete the photos mom! You're embarrassing me and Scott!" Tessa shouts while continuously shoving.
When Tessa finally is able to shut the door on her mom, she slowly walks back to Scott who has shed his top hat and bow tie, and is holding his football tightly to his chest.
"Sorry Scott" she mumbles, barely audibly, but enough that Scott can hear, blush and nod to the words.
"Can we go play football now?"
"Yeah! Oh, but wait, I have to go put on my shorts, they're my good sports shorts, means I will kick your butt at football."
"What, no you won't! I am so good at football, Danny is teaching me to perfect my spiral so I become the best-est out there."
Quick as a flash both kids are whirring past Kate, who has been standing on the porch idly waiting, and run to the park that is down the block shouting bye over their shoulders.
Scott is sitting on the bench at his high school's conference final hockey game. The arena is pretty full, with most local kids coming out to watch their team fight for a victory. He got booted down from first line half way through the first, after a cross check to the head to the opponent's (the Wolves) star, Sam Young. It led to a line brawl, with Scott being forced to fight the team's enforcer. After spending five minutes in the box, and the Wolves on the powerplay for 2, once he got back on the ice, Coach Tom quickly informed him of his demotion to third line.
"Just think Scotty my boy, now I get to score the game winning goal and pick up all the chicks" Andrew Poje, Scott's best friend tells him now that he has been promoted to first line in Scott's absence.
"Yeah, fuck off will you, Young deserved it after that cheap shot on McKinley." Scott gruffs.
"Yeah, yeah, just play well and you'll be promoted back by the third." Andrew says before jumping into a play.
With the guys beside him just coming off a shift and panting from defending another penalty against, Scott finally has some quiet(er) time to think for a second. Before he gets too deep in thought about the game, he hears from the crowd a faint "Scott!"
"Scott! Check it out!"
As Scott turns around there stands Tessa, she is wearing a school jersey that she dipped dyed to have a rainbow tie dye effect. As she turns pointing to her back, Scott squints and realizes the back of her jersey reads 'Moir' written in black sharpie, along with his number underneath. Giving her a bright smile, which she quickly returns, he slowly turns around and shares a small smile with his gloved hands.
Andrew is right, by the end of the second he has been promoted back to his usually spot and is zipping around the ice with his usual line mates. By the third period they are up a goal, but with an error by Coach Tom, who has stuck the two weakest defenders, Jake and Nick, against the Wolves top line, Young zips past Nick, and dangles around Jake to go top corn on the netminder to tie the game in an over the top fashion.
Now it is late in the third and the Wolves have called for a time out to regroup after a hard penalty kill. Both coaches are whisper screaming at their respective teams to get their shit together. Soon enough Scott and the remainder of his line have been chucked on the ice to finish the last minute of play. McKinley, who is playing as Scott's centre passes the puck to Scott who is playing left wing. After Scott manages to windmill deke past their defender, he winds up to shoot only to fake it and pass back to McKinley, who one timers it past the goaltender.
Screaming Scott and McKinley collide in a big line celebratory hug, after quick fist bumps from teammates they finish off the period, and the game as Conference Champions. After all the cheering, handshakes and medals the team decides to meet up at the local dinner, Gus's.
After a quick shower, he drops his equipment into the back of his truck. When he rounds back to the driver's side Tessa is standing there, smile threatening to split her face in two with how wide it is.
"Scott, you did it, you are a champion! You did that thing with your stick in the air over the defender and then you zoomed past him only to fake and make a beaaauuuuttiiifffuuulll pass to McKinley, who scored the game winner!" Tessa, whose hands have been making wild and wacky gestures throughout finally land around Scott's waist pulling him into a hug.
"You know T" Scott mumbles into her hair. "It is almost as if I was there or something."
"Oh hush" She says while shoving him off and rounding the truck to the passenger's side.
When they arrive at Gus's, Scott gives her a piggyback all the way to a booth in the back. She hops off, embellishing the landing, while Scott sits down and pats the place on the bench beside him.
The party is in full swing, and they're speaking to Andrew and his cheerleader girlfriend at the booth. Scott notices that Tessa's hand is supporting her weight on the bench, and taking his chances he places his hand close to hers in hopes he can muster the courage to grab it.
"Yo Moir, I am heading out to the car to get some more beer, you want anything?" Andrew says, girlfriend in tow, as he leaves the booth.
"Nah I am good man, I gotta drive T here home, can't be drinking"
"Okay man, be back in a sec."
Right after Andrew leaves the booth Tessa looks down at their hands, and grabs his hand gently. Scott looks at her, having a conversation between their eyes, he leans in to kiss her. They don't get far though because soon enough they hear a bang and Andrew is banging at the window and making kissy faces at the both of them. Scott grins, while letting out a sigh at his hope for a shot with Tessa, only to realizes she had run out of the dinner and was playfully shoving and hitting Andrew. With Andrew running away from her, she turns back at Scott and shrugs, who in return takes a sip of his milkshake and winks.
Scott looks at Tessa across the room who smiles and gives him a wave with her ring clad hand. Scott gives a half-hearted smile in return and lifts his glass in response to her, not that she has really noticed, Jordan, and all her other friends have been too busy screaming about her engagement.
When the group of friends start asking questions about what their first dance song will be Scott is surprised to hear that instead of the acoustic version of 'You Make My Dreams Come True' which she has been planning to use since she was 17 and heard it for the first time she says it will be some Ed Sheeran song, one of the many wedding songs the dude has, too many for Scott to remember which one she was going to pick. Her fiancé, Peter, takes her in his arms and dips her, showing off some of his off beat, kind of awkward dance moves, that Scott is picking apart because it should be him over there dipping Tess.
Downing the remainder of the champagne flute, Scott looks out the window and tries to figure out where it all went wrong for him and Tessa. Between going to different universities and him playing varsity hockey, they drifted farther apart than ever before. And where the gap lied between them Peter wedged himself in and tried his very best to push Scott out of the picture.
When Scott shows up to the wedding, he places his gift on the table placed on the grass just outside of the perimeter of where the ceremony will be held. Despite his animosity towards the event he picked his gift carefully and with thought. And to wrap the gift box, he used the tie-dyed jersey from that championship hockey game that she gave him soon after. He had to part with it sooner or later or he would never be able to let go of her.
As he places the box on the table, he picks up the photo of Peter and Tessa in the same stupid field they are currently standing in looking happy and so so in love. Unable to handle the pain Scott loosens his tie and prepares to leave but not before he is stopped by Jim Virtue.
"I was kind of hoping this day would never come. I've been dreading this day for a long time." Jim says warily. "Not that I disapprove Peter or anything, I just never saw my little Tessa getting married. I still remember you and her skating around, heads barely peaking above the boards. How times have changed, eh?" with a chuckle Jim waits for Scott's response.
Scott however was mulling over the fact that Jim wasn't the only one who was going to have to give Tessa away today.
"You know Scott, a little part of me always thought it would be you up there marrying Tess. But when you broke up after eight months of dating my heart was crushed with the realization that it was not going to happen." Scott politely laughs at Jim's joke, but not without having his heart lurch in his chest realizing he had always just assumed they would end up together.
Jim soon wishes Scott farewell to go find Tess before the ceremony starts. When he is just out of Scott's eyeline, Scott grabs a flask from his inner jacket pocket and takes a shot of whiskey. The tears that start to dot his eyes are not from the alcohol but the heartbreak that is finally letting his hopes of Tessa go. His bloodied heart battered and bruised followed behind him on the grass path as he leaves the ceremony, unable to stop himself from crying.
When he arrives at Gus's he pours half of his flask in the black coffee Loretta the waitress placed in front of him.
"She wanted to get married, but she didn't want to marry me."
"It will be okay Scott, I know it will be." Loretta places a hand on Scott's shoulder in a comforting manner, knowing after years of working here how attached Scott and Tessa were.
As he sits and drinks he mulls over the entire venue. From the fact that the only guests were immediate family, to the fact she had magnolias everywhere despite the fact that she loves peonies, to the fact that the only music playing was current music that Scott guaranteed Tess disliked.
When Tessa and Scott used to play wedding together when they were 8 and 10, Tessa laid it all out for him. The beautiful peonies, mainly white with interspersing pink to add some colour to the theme. She would wear a strapless lace flare dress, a mix of Audrey Hepburn, Elizabeth Taylor (and later on Reese Witherspoon, not that Scott was told that information yet), and all her family and all her friends were to be invited at a big gathering, maybe at that church they always meet at to get into the other parent's car before skating.
Scott knew this wedding wasn't what her heart desired, but things are different than they were 20 years ago, Tessa is off marrying Peter, and Scott, is broken hearted getting drunk at a diner, with only a coaching job and an empty house waiting for him.
Loretta has placed a small dish of eggs, potatoes and bacon in front of him accompanied with a pitying look. As she steps away Scott starts banging his head on the table willing himself not to start crying again. Lifting his head up and gently rubbing his forehead he sees a white flash in the window. He turns to see Tessa, in her white gown wrapped elegantly around her neck, synching just right on her hips, makeup done up to the nines. He notes how gorgeous she looks before he realizes she has begun to sob violently outside the dinner after giving him a shrug. He runs from his seat out of the dinner to her side.
"It's okay Tess, I got you Tess." He continues to whisper the comforting words into her hair until she stops crying.
He helps her up and brings her into the dinner and has her sit next to him. Instead of talking she begins to pick at the food he has left behind. She picks up Scott's coffee only to be quickly stopped by Scott.
"It uh… it's mainly whiskey in there, wasn't really in the mood for coffee, but Loretta won't let me drink it straight." Scott rubs the back of his neck, trying to will his anxiety away.
"Even better." Tessa downs the cup, ignoring Scott's wide eyes.
They continue to sit in silence, the dinner is quiet except for the occasional disruptions of Loretta clearing away their dishes, or getting them more coffee.
"I couldn't do it."
"T, you don't have to tell me."
"Yeah I do Scotty. Because when I looked out at the crowd smiling, looking to lock eyes with the one guy who has been through everything with me he wasn't there. And there I was, about to be accompanied by my dad down the aisle, with the wrong song playing, the wrong decorations all around, the wrong fucking man at the end of the aisle, I realized that I couldn't do it. I can't marry Peter!" Tessa, who is borderline hysteric at this point stands up, trying to distance herself from Scott.
"I am sorry I couldn't be there Tess" Scott begins to reach from her, moving from his original spot, trying his best to calm Tessa down so she stops crying.
"You should have been! Maybe then I could have gone through with this. I could have looked at you, assuring me and I could have just married that poor man. Instead I ran out crying and didn't look back."
"I couldn't watch you marry him Tess, I couldn't" Scott puts his head in his hands itching to grab the flask that's burning a hole in his pocket.
"I picked this up when I saw it on the way out." Tessa places the tie dye shirt on the table. "You kept it after all this time?"
"Didn't seem right to throw it out." Scott mumbles, beginning to reach for his flask.
Tessa begins to unwrap the t-shirt, struggling a bit because Scott had pulled the rope quite hard in an act of anger and hurt, though he assumed Tessa would have scissors with her.
"T, you don't have to-"
"Yeah I do Scott" Tessa finally manages it open using her car keys to cut the string.
The box was a simple white with beautiful black designs on the outside. Taped on the top of it was a note saying 'for your future kids'. Tessa knocks over the lid to find placed gently on some white tissue paper two pairs of white gloves, one darker than the other.
"Are these-"
"They're your gloves from when we were kids, asked Kate for them when she went to throw them out. Your mom was real weirded out by the request, but I figured you would want 'Tallulah' to share that Audrey Hepburn moment that you got as a kid. There is also a new set in case she wants nicer gloves, lady in the store said they were the best ones they had."
Tears drip down Tessa's face as she tries to compose the thoughts in her head.
"It is no big deal Tess. I promise you it's not."
"Ask me why I didn't marry him."
"Tess, I-"
"Ask me!"
With a thick swallow, Scott looks Tessa into her emerald eyes and asks, "Why didn't you marry him Tess?"
"Because, I didn't love Peter in the ways that I should have. When we played Monopoly, he didn't care if he won, he was more interested in the real stock market to care. When he took me to Leafs games, he just spoke about how great the company was and the fact that their jerseys were too similar to Tampa Bays and it was difficult for him to keep up, and how Hockey is a stupid sport! Because when I asked to invite more people, and have my best fucking friend for the past 21 years in the bridal party he said he didn't care for you and didn't want to spend any extra time with you than what was necessary. Because when I hug him, I want him to hug me like every hug may be our last, putting all his love and care into a hug! I didn't marry him because he wasn't you Scott!" Wiping the tears from her eyes she waits for a response, praying, hoping, that he will agree with her.
Scott wastes no time getting out of his seat and pulling Tess up into a hug. He realizes soon that she isn't breathing because he is holding her too tight. They just rock back and forth in a hug, Tessa sobbing into Scott's chest, and Scott sniffling into Tessa's updo.
"I love you T"
"Yeah?"
"Yeah."
"You aren't just saying this because I am a hot mess who just abandoned their wedding?"
"People don't save gloves for people they don't love Tess."
With that said he pulls her into a kiss, in the middle of the diner where they almost shared another years ago.
In the nicest black tuxedo Scott has ever seen, Scott frowns at his slightly crooked bowtie, attempting to adjust it as he waits at the end of the aisle. Surrounded by white and pink peonies. Tim Halperin's You Make My Dreams Come True arrangement is played by the small band at the top level of the church.
The arrangement had been mocked originally by Scott who laughed at the poor man's name.
"Jim Halpert sings this song?"
"No Scott, his name is Tim Halperin. It is a very nice version now hush and listen."
"I just feel like if you wanted to listen to the office theme song you could have pulled it up on YouTube." With a resounding thump to the chest Scott hushes.
Now listening to it at the church he dreamed of marrying Tessa at since he was young, he has never loved Jim Halpert as much as he does now. And as Tessa flows down the aisle, Jim by her side he loses his breath, and his eyes begin to cloud with unshed tears.
Her dress looks similar to the one in funny face, and she looks so gorgeous in it. Scott wants nothing more to run his hand up the side of it to see if it is as silky feeling as it looks.
When Tessa finally reaches him and grabs his hands, she looks up at him and whispers "I am so glad I get to marry you."
"I love you so much Tess."
"I love you too."