Bay stood in her bathrobe in the middle of her father's study. She was slowly sipping on a cup of coffee thinking back over the past few years. Thinks had really changed since she and Emmett had first started dating.
The first year had been hard. Daphne had been on a campaign to break them apart. She had come very close a few times. She would always put Emmett in a compromising position and make sure Bay was sure to walk by and find them. At first Bay had been quick to be hurt and become mad. Yet after the first few times when Emmett had always come after her and pleaded for her to understand she began to see it wasn't fair to him to keep getting angry. Daphne was the one doing it not Emmett. It had been hard, but once she quite reacting Daphne had seemed to loose interest.
It had eventually gotten easier. It took about a year for Bay's signing to get up to speed where she could keep up with Emmett, and he didn't have to always slow down for her. She was just as glad of that as he was. Emmett had went against his mother and pursued the whole speech therapy thing. His lip reading had gotten much better. He now caught almost everything as long as someone was facing him. Regardless of how fast they were talking. Bay was really proud of how hard he had worked.
Eventually they had both seemed to move on. Daphne began to date Wilkie her senior year and Bay had stuck it out with Emmett. His mother had never really warmed up to Bay until about a year ago. It was still a strained relationship to say the best. Until 6 months ago Melody had accepted Bay was going to be with Emmett for the long haul, but hadn't put much effort into getting to know her. Then 6 months ago when Daphne and Wilkie eloped to Las Vegas and got married she had finally come around and tried to get to know Bay. Until then she had still been holding out hope that Emmett would come back around and be interested Daphne again. Things just didn't turn out that way.
Three months ago Bay and Emmett had graduated college. Both with teaching degrees in art. Bay was looking forward to teaching her art to deaf kids. She knew what if felt like to feel different. Her art had always helped her get those feeling out. She was looking forward to starting next fall. She and Emmett had both gotten hired on at the same school. He was going to be teaching older kids she was taking on the primary grades.
The door crashed open behind her and brought Bay roughly out of her reflections. Thank goodness her coffee cup was empty or she would have been wearing it by now. Daphne swaggered into the room with a smug look on her face.
"Hey Daphne, what's up?", Bay questioned.
"Oh, just looking for the blushing bride."
Bay chuckled. It was weird to think in just a few hours she would be walking down the aisle to marry Emmett all over again. Not that anyone other than her or Emmett knew that. They had in all actuality been married for 2 years. They just hadn't felt their family would support their marriage 2 years ago. Since it was suppose to be the happiest day of their life they just kept it to the two of them. It hadn't disappointed. It had been the best day of their life. Bay wouldn't quickly forget it. She was just happy that today her family would get to share the experience.
"Guess you found her. Thanks for coming today, Daphne."
"Don't thank me. I just had to see this for myself. The day when Emmett finally settles and marries you.", Daphne bit out.
Bay was taken aback. She didn't know what to say. "What do you mean?"
"Oh please, you know Emmett would never have married you if I hadn't moved on and married Wilkie. He's just been waiting on me to see what I would do. Now that I'm off the market he settled for you. Like anyone would ever choose you over me. I guess you better be glad I beat you in going down the aisle first, or you might not be here now."
Tears welled up in Bay's eyes. She didn't believe what Daphne was saying. Heck, Emmett had married her a year and a half before Daphne walked down the aisle, but that didn't mean it didn't still hurt. She had tried so hard to make a relationship work between her and Daphne. It sucked that Daphne still disliked her so much. She knew she had been a jerk more than once over the past few years, but she had really tried, and she had been so happy for Daphne and Wilkie when they called to tell her they had gotten married.
A movement over Daphne's right shoulder caught Bay's eye. Wilkie was standing in the doorway looking really hurt. Bay realized he must have heard Daphne. She just didn't think she could deal with this. She ran out of the room, past Wilkie, in tears. Wilkie watched her go then spun back around to Daphne.
"WHAT THE HECK DAPH! Where do you get off telling Bay something like that.", Wilkie yelled.
"What do you mean. I need you on my side right now.", Daphne told him.
"On your side? I'm your husband. How am I suppose to take what you said to her? Am I just part of your revenge plot. I turned my life upside down for you. I come to look for the love of my life only to hear her tell someone that I'm virtually her last ditch effort to get even with them. Emmett loves her Daphne. He's loved her for years now. It didn't take her 8 yrs to fall for him. She fell for him within 2 weeks. Now your going to sit here and tell me that you haven't gotten over this?", said Wilkie sounding more than a little disappointed. He was definitely feeling like the wind had been let out his sails. He was suppose to still be in that newly wed glow.
About that time the door to the study slammed open again. There stood an outraged Emmett.
"What did you say to her?", Emmett signed, "Tell me now!"
"I don't know what your talking about.", Daphne lazily signed back.
"Oh No You Don't! I know you said something to her. She runs by me crying and locks herself in her room. You said something, and it wasn't very nice. WHAT WAS IT?", Emmett said, "I don't care which one of you tells me, but one of you better start talking now."
By now Emmett was breathing hard he was so angry. Wilkie could see that this was about to take a severe turn for the ugly. He started to talk but Daphne stopped him by placing a hand over his when he tried to sign. Wilkie looked down at her and noticed something in her eyes. She had that look on her face like she did when she had finally figured something out.
Daphne looked at Emmett. It was like a light went off. He had never really been hers. She was literally threatening to throw away the best things in her life for some kind of ill-placed revenge plot. She had never really loved Emmett. Bay had been right that she was holding on to Emmett so tight because he was the last thing that was a constant in her life. So much had changed back then.
She just wanted that one thing to stay the same. She didn't want to loose him as a best friend. Then at some point it had just become a competition. It wasn't about getting Emmett it was about punishing Bay. Yet none of this was Bay's fault. She was a much a victim as Daphne was. Yet this whole time Daphne had been blaming Bay. If Bay just hadn't done that stupid blood type test then none of this would have happened. Her life would have never changed and things would still be the same they were. Yet without Bay she would never have gotten to go to the college or her dreams, she wouldn't have had the chance to meet the love of her life Wilkie, and she would still have had to watch Emmett fall in love with someone other than her. Daphne realized she really didn't have a leg to stand on this one anymore. She never really did.
"I said START talking!", Emmett demanded.
"Emmett, you know we have been friends forever. Yet when you met Bay you started to change. Before that it had always been about you and me. Mostly me if I was honest. Suddenly you weren't just mine. You were her's. Everything around me I felt like was being taken away from me, and I blamed Bay. Everything changed. You were the only thing that the switch hadn't touched. Then Bay came along and it felt like she was taking you too. I just realized I was mad at the wrong person, Emmett. It wasn't her fault or my fault. It wasn't really anyone's fault. Things just happened, and maybe they turned out just they way they were suppose to. I love Wilkie, and you love Bay. I think that's the way it's suppose to be. I'm just sorry it took me so long to see this. They say revenge is a cold bed fellow, and I think I just realized how true that is. I'm sorry Emmett.", Daphne finished her speech taking a deep breath.
Wilkie and Emmett studied her closely. Trying to see the sincerity in her eyes.
Emmett looked at her and began to sign," Daphne, you were always my best friend. But I let you dominate my life for a long time, and I nearly missed out on being my own person because of that. I was so caught up in you that I nearly missed when I ran across the perfect girl for me. Then when I woke up I was so grateful she was still right in front of me and she wanted me back. That didn't mean I didn't still want to be your best friend. I just wanted to be able to tell you how happy I was and yet you locked my hands. I didn't feel like I could share any of this with you. I was discovering who I really was and it hurt that my best friend wasn't there to share it. I love her Daphne."
"I can see that Emmett. I know you love her, and she makes you happy. That's all I ever wanted for you. I'm sorry I put such a strain on you over the past few years. It stole so much joy from you two over the years and I will be sorry for that forever."
Emmett looked at Daphne and then wrapped her in a big hug. When he released her Wilkie pulled her to his side, and kissed her.
Wilkie told her, "I'm so proud of you."
Emmett got their attention and said, "I think you need to go talk to Bay and bury this hatchet."
Daphne got a very nervous look on her face. "She hates me Emmett. I don't think that's a good idea."
"She doesn't hate you Daphne. She's a lot bigger person than that. I think if you give her the chance you could be really close. She just really want's you guys to be closer.", Emmett signed, "Go talk to her."
Daphne took deep breath and looked at Wilkie. He laid a hand on her shoulder and nodded his head in agreement.
"OK. I'll go." Daphne relented.