It was finally the day. The day they make Lux officially part of their family, and the day that Cate and Ryan get ready to be married. Everyone is excited, and then some not so much. Cate is in her room getting dressed, when Lux walks in. They both smile at eachother, excited for the events that were about to take place.
The courthouse, Cate and Lux run up the steps. Baze and Lauren turn around and smile at them. Lux smiles, and hugs Baze, then Baze hugs Cate, and Lux hugs Lauren. Lauren then takes Cate's hand, and Lux takes the other and Baze's. They all look at eachother one more time, then head inside.
"Today we come together, on this most special day. Today is a day to appreciate, and one to look back on and cherish. Your journey to get here hasn't been easy. The road has been long, and windy. It has been hard to see at times, impossible even. But now you stand here, before me, ready to make an everlasting commitment to yourselves, and to eachother. This is a day you'll celebrate. Today has been a long time coming." The judge says as the four of them stand in front of him. "I've been doing this for a long time. I've seen a lot of heartache and disappointment. Because prayers are rarely answered, and usually dreams are just dreams. But today, your dream becomes a reality." Lux smiles and nods towards Fern, who is standing off to the side. They both smile at eachother. "The state of Oregan finds that it is in the best interest of Lux Cassidy to have the rights of her biological parents reinstated. Lux, you are no longer a warrant of the state. Full permanent joint custody has been granted to Catherine Cassidy and Nathaniel Bazile. And Lauren Cassidy, you now have a sister." They all smile at eachother, happily. "Congratulations to you all. You're a family."
The judge dismisses the case, and the four of them smile, and cry, happy to finally be official. Cate hugs Lux, lovingly, as Baze does the same.
"Okay. Picture time." Fern says as she picks up the camera. They all get closer to eachother, and Cate and Baze hold hands behind eachother, as Lauren and Lux do the same but side by side. Cate and Baze smoosh the girls together, and they all smile for the picture.
Lux walks over to Fern. "Fern, thank you." She says gratefully.
Fern hands Lux the picture. "So you'll never forget this day." She tells her. Lux grabs the picture and smiles. She looks back up at Fern and then hugs her tightly.
Baze and Cate are watching when they notice they were still holding hands. They look at eachother embarassed and let go. Lauren looks at them, strangely. She'd never seen her parents hold hands before. Lux thanks Fern once last time, then turns around and runs into Cate and Baze's arms.
At the house, Cate, Baze, Lux, and Lauren are in the kitchen celebrating. Cate pops open a bottle of Mimosa and pours each of them a glass.
"Please don't tell anyone that this is the first thing we did as parents." Cate says.
Lauren laughs. "I think you've done worse."
"Or not as much as Baze has." Lux finishes.
"Yeah. A toast to bong lamps." Cate says handing them each a glass.
"You and Baze getting custody." Lux laughs.
"To illegal keg parties." Baze says specifically to Lux, who just rolls her eyes.
"To getting drunk!" Lauren shouts, laughing.
"And to break ups, breakdowns." Cate says.
"You and Baze getting along."
Cate nods and smiles towards Baze. "We are getting along. It's almost like I like you."
"That's a first." Lauren says.
"Alright. To the four of us." Cate says as they each cling eachother's glasses.
"To family." Lux says.
"Cheers." They all say before they drink.
And then when they were all finally getting along and enjoying eachother's company, Ryan walks in. "I got the rings." He says walking into the kitchen. "I talked to the minister, and the rehearsal is on for tonight at five." He tells them. "So, is it official? Legal? You're apart of the family?"
"Mhm." Lux says avoiding eye contact, as she looks at Baze, who looks very uncomfortable.
"I guess tomorrow's my turn, huh?"
Baze puts down his glass, and grabs his jacket. "Ya know, I was just about to get going."
"But, Dad, we haven't even ate yet." Lauren says, trying to stop him.
"I'll make it up to you guys, okay? I have to go take care of some things at the bar." He tells her as he kisses both Lux and Lauren on their foreheads.
Cate's phone rings. "Oh, it's my mom." She says answering. "Mom, what's up?" pause. "What?" pause. "Are you kidding me?" She groans walking into the dining room.
Ryan follows her. "What's wrong?"
"Abby got food poisoning." Cate tells him.
"The day before our wedding? Best days of our lives, right?" He says following Cate out of the room.
"You're really not going to say anything?" Lux asks Baze.
Baze picks the picture up, that they took at the courthouse and looks at it for a minute.
"Not going to say what?" Lauren asks, eagerly.
"About how you feel? You're just going to watch her get married tomorrow?" Lux asks, ignoring Lauren.
"I'm not going to watch anything." He tells her. "I'm going to steer clear of all things wedding."
"Dad, you have to come!"
Baze sighs. "I promise. Next time."
Lux smirks. "I don't think they'll be a next time, Baze."
"Look, I don't want to see it. I don't want to hear anything about it."
"So, that's the kind of family we're going to be?" Lux asks. "The kind that sits around, lying to eachother, because we can't say how we feel?"
"Listen, numero uno, that's every family." He says kissing them one last time before he walks away.
"Can someone please tell me what's going!" Lauren ask Lux.
Cate walks in still on the phone with Ryan behind her. "Mom, you can't be late. You're walking me down the aisle! Why is Abby making my wedding day all about her? She better be walking around with an IV drip.." Cate suddenly regrets saying that. She looks up at Ryan. "Wait. She is..oh my gosh. I have to go, Mom." Cate hangs up the phone. "What am I going to do? Everything is going all wrong already!"
The house phone rings, Lux runs to it. "I got it!" She yells.
"I guess just Lauren and Lux are going to walk. At least they'll be there."
Lux comes in worried. "Uh, Cate, your rehearsal dinner place just fell through."
"What? Why!"
"I don't know. Something about septic tanks, and needing water. I tuned out before I started gaging." Lux tells her, grossed out.
"Just great! Abby's sick, and now our rehearsal dinner is literally drowning in crap!" Cate starts to panic.
"Look we can figure this out." Ryan assures her. "We just need somewhere that can seat fifty people."
"What about Baze's?" Lux offers.
Baze is about to walk out the door until he hears his name. "Oh, no."
Lauren walks over to them. "Yeah, Dad, you have the space."
Baze hesitates. He had no real reason to say no. "It's Friday night, and it's a big night for the bar." He tries.
"Well, we'll be willing to cover your loses." Ryan tells him.
"Yeah, Ryan, I just don't think it's a great idea."
Cate walks up to him. "Baze, it is our only idea. So, unless there is some other reason you don't want to have our rehearsal dinner at your bar..."
Baze looks at Lux, who smirks at him. "Sure. Let's do it." He tells them, finally giving in.
Later that day, Baze is letting people come in to set up around his bar. Lux is standing there watching, as Baze gives her the "stink eye."
"Look, you can stop giving me the stink eye. I'm sorry I offered up your place. I think you shouldn't pretend that this wedding isn't happening. You can't avoid her." Baze starts walking away, as Lux follows him. "Come on. You have to tell her how you feel. What if she feels something to?"
Baze turns around. "If she did, she wouldn't be marrying Ryan." He tells her.
Baze's dad walks in surprising both Baze and Lux. "Hey!"
"Hey, Dad. Long time, no see."
"I can say the same. Hello, Lux."
"Hey, you know you're official, right?" Lux asks him. He looks at her, curiously. "Official Gramps."
"What?"
"Yeah, uh, we made it official." Baze explains. "We were reinstated as Lux's parents this morning."
"Well, I'm sure your mother will be very happy to hear that." Baze's dad says bitterly. Lux looks up at Baze who squeezes her shoulders.
Lauren runs downstairs just in time. "Lux, we have to go." Lauren sees that Baze's dad is there. "Oh, hey, Grandpa." She says awkwardley.
"Hello, Lauren."
"Dad, see you later?" Lauren kisses Baze on his cheek, then grabs Lux's hand and they run out.
"Look, Dad, I would have called you, but we wanted it to be kinda like just a family thing." Baze tells his dad.
"Right, right. Why would your mother and I be involved in that?" He says sarcastically.
"Cate's parents weren't invited either. Or her fiance. It was just the four of us. But I'm glad that you came down, Dad. Hi."
"I came to get the rent." He says bitterly.
"Okay, Dad, I'm sorry. But I haven't heard from you in awhile. If I hurt your feelings.."
"For my feelings to be hurt, I'd have to expect something different from you, but I don't." Baze turns away. "Things'll never change. You can mail me the rent." His dad tells him as he leaves.
Baze watches his dad leave. He was hurt by what his dad said, but he was right. Things haven't changed, but he did. He's better father, without his dad's help. And things were different.
At the church, Cate, Ryan, and Alice are trying to get Ryan's parents under control as they bicker about eachother. Lux and Lauren run in just in time.
"Sorry, sorry!" Lux yells. They both stop out of breath. Alice points to the front of the church. They both run to their spots.
"A little slower, girls. You're not running from the police." Alice yells.
Everyone gets into their spots. Cate looks a little lost, and her mother quickly takes notice.
"Honey, what's the matter? You look like you could use a box of wine."
Cate sighs. They both start walking towards the front. "I just want to get this over with." Cate tells her.
Cate walks up the steps and stands in front of Ryan.
"So, I'll begin by saying, 'We're gathered here today to witness a joyful union of Ryan Thomas and Cate Cassidy. As they commit their lives to eachother before God, before family, before friends.' And I believe we have a reading by Alice? Want to practice?" The minister asks.
"Sure!" She says, but Cate gives her a look and she declines. "I'm cool."
"Okay. So, after Alice's reading, I'll say a brief homilia, and then we will turn it over to you for your vows. And you opted to write your own?"
"Yeah." Ryan says. "We haven't written them yet, but we'll have them."
"Just writing anything down, it's just difficult because you want your vows to be beautiful, but the same time you want them to be realistic. You know, marriage, a lot of ups and downs." Cate tells him.
Lauren and Lux look at eachother confused. They weren't sure what Cate was trying to get at, or if she was just trying to tell herself that.
After the rehearsal, Cate and Ryan walk out the church.
"Okay, what is going on?" Ryan asks her.
Cate sighs. "Nothing. I don't know. What if you have cold feet about marrying me?"
Ryan laughs. "Is that what this is all about?" Cate nods. "I'm the guy you claim with the sweaty legs, remember? And my feet, they couldn't be warmer." He jokes. "After all we've been through together, do you really need me to explain that I'm not going anywhere?"
Cate just sighs and walks away.
In the limousine, everyone is drinking except for Lauren and Lux. Cate looked like she was just about already drunk.
"What is wrong with me?"
Her mom laughs. "What? Honey, no, I drink mine like that all the time."
Laverne pours her some more. "Do you think it's bad that I don't believe him?"
"Cate, you know he means it." Alice assures.
"Don't even try. She's hopeless."
"What? Mom!" Cate shouts.
"It's true. Honey, I've been married four times. I know what I'm talking about. People they don't change."
"Yeah, well, clearly." Cate says taking another sip of her wine.
Lauren looks at Lux. "So, are you going to tell me what's going on with Dad?" She whispers.
Lux sighs. "I'll tell you later. I really don't think now is a good time." She says looking over at Cate, who looks miserable.
"Well, I don't think later will be a good time either. It might be a little too late. I've seen Mom drunk before. It's not pretty." Lauren tells her.
Cate looks over at her daughters whispering. "Hey, what are you two whispering about?"
They both look at Cate like they've just been caught doing something wrong. "Nothing." Lux says, laughing. "We were just talking about the wedding, and how nervous Ryan must be."
"He looked nervous to you?" Cate says, panicing. "I knew it!"
"Mom, no, chill. It's just an expression." Lauren tells her.
"Well, it's a stupid expression!"
Lauren and Lux rolls their eyes and sit back. "I'll explain everything later." Lux tells her.
"And honey, we all know you're a commitmentphobe who eats her feelings, and doesn't believe in happy endings." Laverne tells her daughter. Lux could not believe what she just heard.
"We are headed to the rehearsal dinner. I have two hundred alcoholic related wedding favors, thanks to you. No, this wedding is happening." Cate tells her. "I mean I want this wedding to happen."
"If you did, you wouldn't be projecting."
Cate jumps up. "Oh, great. Here we go. Abby's not here, so you're going to take over as the crappy therapist."
"Lauren; Lux, back me up here. Cate, your daughters can see what's going on."
Lux decides to change the subject. She was not getting into this. "More champange?" She asks, as she pulls out a bottle.
Laverne takes it from her. "You're accusing Ryan of not wanting to marry you because it's too upsetting to face the truth."
"What truth?" Cate asks.
"That you're the one that doesn't want to marry him."
Cate looks away. She wasn't sure what to say to that. Lux and Lauren look at their mother scared of what was going on in her head. She wasn't saying anything back. Lux knew from the very beginning, she could see it, that Cate didn't really want to be with Ryan, but now she just had to try to get Cate to face it herself. And she needed to explain everything to Lauren so that she could get her on board and help.
At Baze's bar, Ryan takes Cate aside.
"Look, let's just forget about this whole thing. We'll figure it out, I swear, but right now let's just have fun, get married, and we'll deal with it after."
Lux pulls Baze aside. "She says she's projecting!"
"Who say's what?" Baze asks, confused.
"Laverne said that Cate's afraid that Ryan doesn't want to marry her, but really, deep down, Cate's not so sure that she wants to marry Ryan." Lux explains.
"Maybe we're the ones projecting." He tells her.
"Or maybe she's having doubts because of something else. Baze, what if you're the one that she's suppose to be with?"
Baze laughs. "Lux, that's not how Cate sees me. I am not that guy."
"Things have changed. You saw how she was a breakfast, and at the courthouse!"
"Yeah, she was caught up in the moment. We all were. It wasn't real." Baze tells her.
"But it could be. My reality was two more years in foster care, until I did something to change it. You can, too." Lux tells him, as he just stares at her, thinking.
While everyone is sitting at their rightful tables to eat, Lauren and Lux are at theirs. Lauren couldn't wait much longer, she needed to know.
"Lux, what is going on?" Lux gives her a 'not now' look. "I need to know. I can't wait till later."
Lux sighs. "Lauren.."
"I seen Mom and Dad holding hands at the courthouse today." Lauren blurts out. Lux looks at her in surprise.
"What? You did?"
"Yeah. That was the first time I've ever seen them really touch eachother. And it looked like they didn't even want to let go." Lauren tells her.
"I seen it, too." Lux admits.
"Then why didn't you say something? You've been running around, talking to Dad, what's going on?"
Lux turns so that she is facing Lauren, and looking in her eyes. "Baze has feelings for Cate."
Lauren's eyes widen. "What? Are you sure!" She shouts almost loud for everyone to hear.
"Shh!" Lux says putting her hand over Lauren's mouth. "Don't say anything!" Lauren nods.
"How do you know?" Lauren asks.
"Baze told me the other night at the loft. I just had a feeling, you know? Like I could tell everytime they looked at eachother, even if they were fighting, that something was there." Lux explains.
"Kinda how I could tell when I was little?" Lux looks confused. "They're my mom and dad. Do you think they'd really have sex just because? They had us. That means something. It meant something, Lux."
Lux knew Lauren was right. "Yeah, but Baze has sex with random girls all the time."
"True. But it had to be different with, Mom. I mean look at him." She says pointing over to Baze who is behind the bar staring at Cate from across the room. Lux smiles. "What are we going to do?"
Lux looks away, thinking. "I don't know. We'll have to talk to Cate."
They are soon interrupted by Laverne who taps her glass to get everyone's attention. "I'd like to make a toast. Even though according to Cate, I wasn't allowed to." Cate gives her mom a stern look, but Laverne continues on. "So, if I say anything inapproriate it's the Merlot talking." Everyone laughs. "I always thought Cate took after her father. Non-commital, skittish, a hint of a five o' clock shadown." She jokes. Everyone laughs, but Cate didn't seem amused.
Next Alice stands up. "I remember when Ryan first met Cate. I think he refered to her as a '5'2' inch sack of crazy." Everyone laughs. "Anyways, Cate made me promise not to talk about anything embarassing like the number of men she went through before Ryan. Oh, don't worry, I won't say how many, but it will blow. your. mind."
"I've known Cate since we were thirteen." Math tells them. "I remember giving her a vhs tape for her birthday." Baze, Lauren, and Lux start laughing. "Of a music video. You know that one with Paula Abdul and the Cat?" He says awkardly. Math starts singing and dancing to the song as everyone stares at him oddly and embarassed for him. "Can everyone hear me in the back?" He shouts.
"I always appreciated the wonderful, and deserving man, my son is, and Cate, he has found..someone." Ryan's mom says. Cate looks at Ryan, who just smiles. "I understand that age catches up with you, and you can't wait forever, so you settle." His smile quickly fades after that.
"To the bride and groom!" Alice says raising her glass towards Ryan and Cate, as does everyone else.
Lux and Lauren look sadly towards Baze, who is just sitting there staring at the floor. They weren't exactly sure how they were going to fix this, but they had to figure out something quick before tomorrow. But Cate wasn't looking so happy herself.
Baze couldn't take anymore of it. So, he went up to his loft, grabbed a beer, and went sit on the roof. He needed to think. He needed to get away from all of it. But he didn't know Cate was sitting out there herself, doing the same thing.
"Hey. You okay?" He asks her. "You left poor Ryan down there fending for himself."
"Was that me, or was that more of a roast than a toast?" She asks, making Baze laugh. "I don't know. Maybe it's a sign. You know, maybe my mom's right. I haven't grown up at all. I mean look at me. I'm outside, hiding out at my own rehearsal dinner. And I'm so scared to marry the guy I love. I haven't changed at all."
"Okay. I wanna make a toast." Baze says lifting up his beer bottle. "When Lux first showed up, back in our lives, and before Lauren was even born, I did not peg you to be mom material. I don't even think you peg yourself out to be mom material. You have stepped up in every way. You have changed yourself, Cate." Cate smiles, embarassingly. "And you've changed me. I think marriage is a really big deal, and I don't think you should do anything that you're not ready for."
Cate breathes out. "I'm ready." She tells him. "I'm the one that rushed for this whole thing to happen. I just didn't want anything to ruin it. And if I don't do this; I'll be letting down, Ryan. Lux, and Lauren." She says sadly. Baze shakes his head. "What?"
"Lux and Lauren, don't want you to marry, Ryan." Baze wasn't sure if he was suppose to tell her that or not, but he did. Cate looks at him confused. "They want us to be a family. The four of us. And you know what? So do..." Baze couldn't finish, as Ryan walks up.
"Really? You're stranding me down there? That does a lot of crazy for one room." Ryan tells her.
Cate smiles. "I'm sorry."
Baze walks passed them and over to his fridge. "You want a beer, man?"
"More like eight." He says taking the beer from Baze. "Everyone is about to head out, so we should probably say good-bye." He tells Cate. "Hey, Baze, thanks for hosting. I'm glad we're cool. All three of us." He says hitting Baze on his arm. Cate gives them a small smile. She wasn't sure what to say.
"Yeah, we're cool."
Ryan and Cate walk out of the loft, leaving Baze there drinking his beer and drowing his thoughts. He wasn't sure how to react to this whole thing. He almost told Cate how he feels! Baze walks back out to the roof and looks out to the city. He breathes in deep then out. He didn't know what do, but he knew he had to talk to her. Baze pulls out his phone and dials the familiar number. 'Hello. It's Cate. Leave a message.' "Uh, Cate, it's Baze. I need to talk to you before tomorrow. Call me back whenever. It doesn't matter how late." Baze hangs up and turns around. He sees Math staring at him. "What are you? Sneaking up on me?" He asks walking passed him.
"Why were you calling Cate?"
Baze stops. "I'm in love with her." He tells Math.
Math laughs. "Yeah, right." Baze turns around and by the look on his face, Math could tell he was serious. "No."
"I'm going to tell her how I feel."
"No. What are you trying to do? Stop the wedding?" Baze shrugs. "Then what? You guys get involved, what if you decide you made a huge mistake?"
"I don't know. Maybe I won't."
"So, you tank her wedding for 'I don't know. Maybe you won't'?" Math asks him.
"If I wanted a lecture. I could call my dad. I could hear all about how I'm not good enough, how I'm a screw up, and how I haven't changed."
Math sighs, and sits next to him. "I'm not saying that. But look unless you're ready to commit, and offer more than what Ryan has. She loves Ryan, she wants to marry Ryan." Baze sighs. He knew Math was right. "If you really love her, the best thing you could do is let her be happy. Otherwise, your dad is right. You haven't changed at all." Baze nods his head, sadly.
At Cate's, Lauren and Lux are sitting in Lauren's room, on her bed, talking, when Cate knocks.
"Lauren; Lux, can I talk you guys for second?" Cate asks as she walks in.
"Yeah, sure." Lux tells her.
Cate walks up to them. "Did you two tell Baze that you didn't want me to marry Ryan?"
Lauren and Lux look at eachother. "No." They both tell her.
"Well, Baze said that you did."
"Mom, that's not what we said. You know how much we love Ryan."
"Mhm."
"All we said was that Baze should be honest with you." Lux tells her. "Baze is the one that doesn't want you to marry Ryan. He has feelings for you, Cate."
Cate smiles and shakes her head. She couldn't believe Lux was telling her this. "No, Lux, that was just a stupid excuse he gave to Abby."
"No! He told me before I gave you guys the adoption papers!"
Cate shakes her head. "I can't do this." She says walking out of Lauren's room.
"Mom!" Lauren yells as she and Lux run after her. "Wait!"
"I don't want to talk about this!" Cate says going into her room. "I want to wake up in the morning, and marry Ryan. I'm sorry." Cate tells them as she tries to close the door, but Lux stops it.
"You and Baze slept together three times, Cate. That means something."
"And we saw you guys hold hands at the courthouse!" Lauren shouts.
"Lauren, we were just caught up in the moment. We all were!"
"You spend all your time thinking about, ignoring it! If you would just admit it!"
"What would you like me to admit, Lux!" Cate yells.
"That deep down, you're having doubts about Ryan because you know that you're meant to be with Baze!"
"Baze and I are not meant to be together!"
"Mom.."
"Lauren, I know you've always wanted me and your dad to be together ever since you were little, but it's not going to happen. I know you both have some kind of fantasy to have your parents together, but get use to Ryan."
"Me finding you and Baze that was a fantasy! And us acting like a family this morning, that was a fantasy, too, and if those fantasies can come true, then why can't this one!" Lux asks her.
Cate was on the verge of tears. She couldn't stand there in front of her girls and watch them pretty much beg for her to be with their dad. She loves Ryan. Cate closes her bedroom door. Lauren and Lux stare at it. They weren't sure what else to do. It was official, Cate was going to marry Ryan. No matter what they did or said.
"What do we do now?" Lauren asks Lux.
Lux shrugs. "We go to sleep." Lux tells her as she walks away to her own bedroom.
Cate is leaning against her door, listening Lauren and Lux talk. She sighs in frustration. Cate felt like she had to say those things to convince them, but she couldn't quite convince herself.
Baze is sitting outside on the roof, drinking a beer. He just kept playing over and over what Math said to him. He couldn't ruin things for Cate, or for his daughters. Having Ryan in their lives might be the best thing for them. But at Cate's, Cate couldn't sleep. She kept tossing and turning in bed. Lauren and Lux were doing the same. All they wanted was a real family. Ryan would only be their step-dad, not their father. Lux takes the picture, that they took at the courthouse, from underneath her pillow and she looks at it. For that one short second they looked like a real family. A real; happy family. Lux hears the front door open, and so she gets out of bed. Cate closes the door and locks it, then she walks away, as Lux runs downstairs from her room and over to the window. Lauren is at her window, too, as they both watch Cate get into her car and leave. They both smile, knowing exactly where Cate was going.
At Baze's, Cate knocks lightly on the outside door of the roof.
"Hey." She says peaking in. Baze sits up.
"Hey, Cate, what are you doing here? It's the middle of the night." He tells her.
Cate laughs. "Yeah, I know. I couldn't sleep. I got your message. Look I just really need to know what's going on because you're telling me one thing, and then Lux and Lauren are telling me another thing. And I'm just so confused on what everyone is feeling. I have no idea what I'm feeling anymore. Are you in love with me?"
Baze wasn't quite sure if he heard her right. "What?"
"Look, I just don't want to be in denial anymore, and I don't want to talk myself out of something that is really happening. Because I felt something this morning." Baze sits down, rubbing his forehead. This was a lot for one day. "And if I'm being honest I felt it before this morning." Baze looks at her, surprised. "Since the moment you came back into my life, I have felt it. And I have tried to convine myself that it is wrong. Even when Lauren was little and begging me to be with you. I'd tell myself it's just wrong. That we just messed up; twice. Well, three times. I've tried to explain it away, like if I act like it's not real, then it won't be. But since Lux came back, I can't fight it anymore. I just don't know, Baze. What if it is! What if there is a part of me that is in love with you, too!"
Baze sits there, contemplating on what to say back to that. If his decision is the right thing to do or not. He sat there thinking about this daughters, thinking about his life. About Cate's life in that short little second. "Cate, I'm sorry. There is no too." Cate looks at him, confused, but relieved at the same time, but also pissed that she let this get this far. "I don't know what Lux has been telling you, but I'm not in love with you." He says trying not to look her in the eyes. He didn't want to see her hurt. To know that he's the one that hurt her. Again.
Cate chokes back her tears, and nods her head, then walks away. She had nothing to say back to that. It was done. Baze could kick himself in the back if he could. She was being honest with him, and he didn't have the decency to be honest back.
At the church, Laverne, Alice, Lux, and Lauren are standing outside Cate's dressing room. Laverne is banging on the door.
"What is going on?" Alice asks.
"She send us out to get ice, and now she won't let us back in." Laverne tells her.
"What! Cate!"
"Yes, and now the champagne is just sitting in there, not getting cold!" Laverne yells towards the door.
Lux rolls her eyes as she texts on her phone. "Are you texting him?" Lauren asks her. Lux just nods and continues on her phone. "What's he saying?"
"Honey, if this is about what I said in the limo, I'm sorry!"
"I don't think that's it." Lux says, as she still looks at her phone. Laverne and Alice both look at her.
Alice walks up to her. "If you and your dimples know something, now is the time to spill it."
Lux fakes a phone call, and runs out of the hall. They look at Lauren who just laughs and shrugs, acting like she has no idea what's going on.
At the golf course, Baze sees his dad walking so he goes up to him. Baze looks like he hadn't slept all night, or even showered. He looked a mess.
"Dad, I need to talk to you."
His dad laughs. "Not here you don't. Go home. You're embarassing yourself."
"I'm embarassing you?"
"Keep your voice down."
"What? This is what you do, Dad. You just show up, it doesn't matter who's around. You make me feel like a failure, and then you leave." Baze tells him.
"Nate, I'm not going to tell you this again. This is not the time or place for this. You go home and you clean yourself up."
Baze steps in front of his dad. "No. Not until you hear what I have to say."
"What's that? You're going to blame me again? You're going to tell me that it's my fault that you didn't even think to call me or your mother? That I haven't heard from you in a month?" He yells.
"It is your fault!" Baze shouts back at him. "It is all your fault! You are the reason that I can't step up! You are the reason that I am afraid to commit! You are the reason that I have nothing to offer her!"
"Her? What the hell are you talking about?"
Baze looks away. "You know it's no wonder that I don't feel good enough. It's no wonder that I can't tell her that I love her? It's because I have never heard it from the one person that I am suppose to hear it from. Yesterday, I got to give my kid something that she's always wanted. A dad. I'm still waiting for mine." Baze says bitterly as he walks away from his dad.
At the church, Lux walks outside still trying to get a hold of Baze.
'Hey, it's Baze. Do your thing.' "Where are you? I don't know what happened last night, but Cate won't talk to anyone. You have to call me as soon as you get this! I'm at the church." She says, hanging up her phone. She reached the side door to the church, as Ryan walks out.
"Whoa. Slow down. You okay?" He asks.
"Uh, yeah. I just need to get back inside." She says trying to walk away from him. It had been awkward being around him since she found out that Baze has feelings for Cate. It was just too weird.
"This is new." He tells her. Lux stops and turns back around.
"What?"
"This whole cold shoulder thing you've been having since yesterday. Did I do something to upset you?"
"No." Lux was starting to feel really bad treating Ryan the way she was treating him."Ryan, I'm sorry. It's not you, it's just, it's everything. It's Baze. It's Cate."
Ryan looks confused. "What about Baze and Cate?"
"No. It's not just them. It's this. All of this. Barely one thing happens and we're already on to the next."
Ryan starts to feel guilty. "Yeah, yesterday, your hearing. That was a big deal for the four of you."
"Yeah. It was." She says walking around him and sits on the railing. "No matter how old we get, or how wrong for eachother they are. We all want our parents to be together. I've been in Lauren's life since she was nine, and everyday since that day, I always knew that she didn't want me with her mom. She wanted her dad to be with her mom. You know, it's a fantasy. It's a naive, little kid, fantasy. I have it, still, my parents have been divorced forever. So maybe you do, too." He tells her. But Lux turns away. She couldn't let him see that, he was right, but that wasn't all that it was. "Lux, it's okay. You spend so much time taking care of everyone. Being a parent. Wanting them together, maybe that means for the first time, you've learned to be the kid. Their kid." Ryan looks away from Lux. Yeah, he was upset that Baze had two daughters with Cate. He felt sort of jealous, even though he, too, watched Lauren grow up for such a little time, nothing and no one compared to their dad. To Baze. And now that Lux is in his life, too. He now had to watch her grow into a young woman. But that's all he could do, is watch. "You guys are a family, whether Cate and I get married or not. All I want is to be apart of it. Uh, look, if this is all too much for you, we can wait. We can postpone it, because if you're not ready, then neither am I."
"Shouldn't you talk to Cate?" Lux asks him.
"If this is what you want. If this is what you and Lauren both want, then she should probably hear it from her daughters." Ryan tells her.
Lux stands up, looking at Ryan one last time. She could see the hurt, and confusion in Ryan's eyes. She walk away to find Lauren and to talk to Cate.
In Cate's dressing room, Cate is sitting on the couch, writing her vows. Lux knocks on the door, then she and Lauren make their way in. Cate looks up and smiles at them.
"Hey."
"Hey." Lux says for the both of them. "You okay?"
Cate shakes her head. "No. I'm not okay at all." Lauren and Lux walk over to Cate and sit down side by side in front of her. "Are you two okay?" Lux had just told Lauren about what Ryan said. She never knew Ryan felt that way, and she felt so guilty for making him feel like that. Cate could tell that they both had been crying, and it was making her worry.
"No." Lauren tells her. "We're definitely not okay."
Cate sits there watching them. She could tell they were thinking. They always had the same look when they were thinking. She definitely loved that about them. Lux looks up at her. "You told Baze to be honest with you, and we want to be, too." Lux tells her.
"I wouldn't be putting Baze and honesty in the same sentence." She tells them. They look at her, confused. "I went over there last night. He doesn't love me."
"No, that's not true!" Lauren tells her. She was getting upset all over again.
Cate grabs Lauren's hand. "Well, that's what he told me."
"Cate, he does! He told me. I know he does."
"Lux, he doesn't. You know it's not my problem what Baze feels, or what he doesn't feel. My problem, it's me. My problem, is always me. I mean how am I suppose to be marrying Ryan when some part of me, some sick and twisted part of me, has feelings for guy who doesn't even have the guts to admit that he loves me back?" Cate says, frustrated with this whole situation.
"You're not twisted." Lux tells her. "You're just, like me. Holding on to a fantasy that doesn't exist. You went to him last night for answers, and you got them. Baze didn't tell you that he loved you. He told you all that you needed to know. And you don't have to beat yourself up over some microscopic feeling that's been there way before Ryan. Way before me and Lauren. It's not having feelings for two people that matters, it's what you choose to do about them."
Lauren sighs and looks over at Lux then back at her mom. "Mom, I'm the last person who wants to say this, but Dad is never going to be the guy that you want him to be. I should have seen it all these years. When I was four and begging for you to be with him. He's never going to change. And thinking that he is, well, that's a fantasy. Like me wishing you and dad would get married, and the four of us would finally live happily ever after." Lauren says, laughing. Cate and Lux smile at her, both knowing exactly how she feels.
"We want something that is real, and we know you do, too." Lux tells Cate. "And what you have with Ryan, is real."
Cate sits up. "Come here." She kisses both Lauren and Lux on their cheeks. "Thank you." She tells them as she hugs them both tightly.
At the bar, Baze is fixing up his tables when his dad walks in.
"Hey, I want to talk to you."
"No. No more talking. We're done." Baze goes to walk away but his dad stops him.
"Hey, no, wait!" He shouts.
"No, there is nothing that you are going to say that is going to fix things between us."
"I don't know. I don't know why I'd rather put you down, than tell you I miss you. I don't know why I yell at you." His dad says walking towards him. "For not being in my life, instead of admitting that I don't know how to be in yours. I need to start accepting that you are not me, and so do you." They stand there in silence for awhile, both taking in what was just said. Trying to put words around it to better understand. "I love you." His dad finally says. Baze sighs. "I love you. Don't make the same mistakes I did. Don't let what I said, or haven't said, keep you from what you want." Baze was too chocked up to talk back. Just hearing those words, felt so good, felt right. It was something he was longing for, for a long time. "Don't wait until it's too late to say it. If you love Cate, tell her."
At the church; Ryan is walking his parents down the aisle.
Baze runs out of his bar and to his truck. He gets in and takes off.
The doors finally open, and Lux and Lauren walk down the aisle together. Ryan smile, lovingly, at his soon to be step-daughters. His daughters.
Baze is sitting in his truck, stuck in traffic. He was getting really antsy. He just knew he'd be late.
The doors finally open again, one last time, and Cate, holding on to her mom's hand, walks down the aisle, slowly, and proudly. Ryan, Lux, and Lauren, smile happily, and thankful that this day had finally come. Cate hugs her mom, then she hugs Lauren and Lux, and then she goes up those steps and stands in front of her soon-to-be husband...
The doors fly open once more, and Baze runs through.
...maybe.