Right Here
"How do I look?"
Sidney looked up and smiled - a genuine smile - at Gale, who was stood in her beautiful flowing wedding gown.
"I like it…" Gale said, looking at herself in the full-length mirror. "Traditional, yet not too…"
"Girly?" Sidney laughed.
"Exactly." Gale smiled. "So… have you spoken to Dewey?"
"Hmm…?" Sidney had been distracted and missed the question.
"Have you spoke to Dewey?" Gale repeated.
"Yeah, about an hour ago. Don't worry, he sounded like he still wanted to go through with it…" Sidney trailed off, with a distant look in her eyes.
"Is there something wrong?" Gale asked, looking and sounding worried.
"Yes, there's something wrong…" Sidney sighed.
"Sid?" Gale sat down slowly next to Sidney.
"Randy's not here…" Sidney looked away. Where did THAT come from?
"I know, Sid. I mean, I didn't grow up with him or anything, but it was nice to have him there. He was so funny and sweet…"
"I just… didn't ever think that I'd have to live without him. Or Tatum. Or… or even Billy and Stu. I sometimes catch myself missing them… you know, how they were before…" Tears ran down Sidney's cheeks.
"Oh, don't get me started…" Gale let the tears that had been stinging her own eyes fall.
"And Roman. I knew him, what, five minutes? I don't know why I even…" Sidney sobbed.
"It's okay to cry for him, Sid…" Gale hugged Sidney tightly. "It's okay…"
"Shit, our make-up…" Sidney said after a couple of minutes.
"Is completely fixable." Gale smiled. "Anyway, you were wrong…"
"About what?" Sidney said, looking slightly confused.
"About Randy not being here. He's ALWAYS with us. Everyone is… Randy, Tatum, Cotton, Jennifer… they're all right here…" Gale put a hand on her heart. "Maybe I didn't know them… Maybe they didn't like me, or I didn't like them… But they touched my life in a way that will make me always remember them. I even talk to them sometimes…" Gale smiled at Sidney. "And they are all definitely with you. They love you, Sid. And… and I do, too."
"Thank you, Gale. You've made me feel better in a way that nothing has for so many years now…" Sidney hugged Gale.
"Now, isn't this better than insulting or hitting each other?" Gale laughed.
"Agreed." Sidney wiped the rest of her tears away.
"Well… as fun as this new found bonding of ours is, we have a wedding to get to." Gale stood up and held out her hand to Sidney. "Can you help with my make-up again."
Sidney took Gale's hand and stood up. "Glad to…"
The End