Jess barged into the loft, Nick not too far behind her. "If your name has Winston in it, get in here NOW!" She barked.
Startled, Cece jumped up from the couch. "What's going on? What happened?"
Nick appeared in the doorway. "we were parent trapped."
Cece furrowed her brow "parent trapped?"
Winston and Schmidt slowly paraded into the living room.
Jess yelled again. "Josie WINSTON Day that means you too."
Josie walked out, timidly, hiding behind Schmidt and Winston. "What's wrong Mom?"
Jess laughed. "What's wrong? Anyone want to explain why Theodore K. Mullins called Royce this morning and scheduled a job interview at the same time as my dress appointment?" She glared at Winston, and then turned her head to Schmidt. "Or the fact that he couldn't call me because my phone conveniently went missing at lunch with Schmidt?"
"And Schmidt asked me to meet him for a late lunch and gave me the dress shop's address." Nick interjected.
Josie sighed. "Theodore K. Mullins? Prank Sinatra you're losing your touch! Never use a name they know!"
"AHA!" Jess quipped, pointing a finger at Josie.
"Josie!" Schmidt screeched.
Cece planted her hands on her hips. "Winston Schmidt!"
Winston pleaded with Jess. "look at that face! How could I tell her no?"
"you tampered with my relationship!" Jess replied.
Cece was glaring at Schmidt. "You tried to parent trap Jess, the creator of 'the parent trap'?"
"I just want you two together!" Josie screamed, and ran out of the room.
Jess and Nick exchanged worried glances. "maybe you should go." Nick said, sighing lightly.
Jess shook her head. "No, we should both go. She needs her mom and dad."
…
Jess knocked on the door. "Josie? Joze?"
Josie lay on Schmidt and Cece's bed, sobbing. "go away."
Nick and Jess walked in, and sat on the bed. Jess brushed back Josie's hair. "Josie. I'm sorry."
"I just want you two together. I want my mom and dad. Two parents." She sobbed.
Nick gently placed his hand on Josie's back. "Aw Josie, You're extra special. You get your mom, and me, and Royce."
"I don't want my mom to marry stupid, dumb, Royce." Josie mumbled.
Jess was taken aback by Josie's words. "Why don't you want me to marry Royce?"
Josie sat up, wiping her eyes. "He's boring mom. All he wants to do is watch Larry King, and talk about the Dow Jones. He irons his underwear for crying out loud. Nick is fun. He's exciting. He calls pizza crust, pizza bones. He writes book and has traveled all over the world. He talks to me about Stella Wu and lets me have as many fruit snacks as I want. He's my dad."
Nick rubbed her back softly. "I'll always be your dad. No matter what."
Josie peered up at him, her blue eyes full of salty tears. "You came back for mom. If mom marries Royce, you're just going to leave again."
Josie's words stabbed Nick, straight in the heart. He swallowed hard. "I'm never going to leave you. I pinky promise it."
Josie glared at him. "Pinky promises are just mindless superstition."
He chuckled. "Josie, I'm not going to leave you. I didn't leave you. I had a lot of growing up to do, before I could be someone's husband, or someone's dad. When I left, It wasn't to escape you or your mom. It was to give you two a chance at something better. I wanted your mom, and . . . .I didn't know about you, but as soon as I did I wanted you too. You're one of the best things I ever made."
Jess wiped away a stray tear. "Josie, he's here to stay. I will never make him leave."
Josie looked at the both of them apprehensively.
"Josie, you remember your Grandpa Walt? The one who liked Elvis?" Nick asked.
Josie shook her head.
"He told me a great piece of advice. I was nervous about having. . . you know what, that's not important. But, I was nervous and scared and he told me 'Don't overthink. Some of the best things happen when you're not thinking. I want to make sure you don't miss out on the things of life that are happening when you're not thinking because believe me, those are the best things."
Jess wrapped her arms around Josie. "What he's trying to say is, just enjoy life. Stop worrying. He will always be here."
Nick wrapped his arms around Josie as well, his arms overlapping Jess's. He glanced at Jess, their eyes meeting. "Yes, I'll always be here."
…
"Honestly Jess, why do I have to help with this nonsense. " Royce said, furrowing his brow.
Jess pressed her lips together and let out an exasperated sigh. "Because you're the one who insisted on inviting everyone you knew. Our wedding is tomorrow, and the caterer needs the final numbers by noon today. Personally, I don't know why we don't just run off to city hall."
"city hall? Like I would even step foot downtown by choice." Royce said, crinkling his nose.
"there's nothing wrong with downtown." Jess sighed.
"Jessica, why is Nick on our guest list?"
Jess looked up from her papers. "Because he's a guest?"
Royce shook his head. "You can't be serious."
Jess crossed her arms defensively. "Why can't I be?"
"You're inviting your ex fiancé to our wedding?"
"Yes I am. Why is that a problem?"
Royce rolled his eyes. "The problem is he's the same ex-fiancé that kissed you while we were engaged, and then two weeks ago I caught you two canoodling out of a wedding dress shop where you just pretended to be fiancés."
"Oh, and he might make a move on me, AT OUR WEDDING? Royce that's absurd. He apologized for the kiss, and in case you forgot, he pretended to be my fiancé because you didn't show!" Jess's blood was boiling. Between the stress of the fast track wedding, and the introduction of Nick back into her life, things had become rather strained between her and Royce.
"I was a no show, because someone called me pretending there was an interview at UCLA. You know I've always wanted to work at UCLA!" The vein in Royce's neck was popping out, throbbing slightly.
Jess bit her lip, she hadn't told Royce that Josie and her two minions were behind his fake UCLA interview, knowing that it would cause more harm than anything. "Look. He's not just my ex fiancé. He's Josie's father. He's part of her life. He's part of my life. Whether you like that or not. He's always going to be there."
Royce rubbed his temples. "I've got to get to work. I'll see you tonight at the rehearsal dinner."
Jess's face fell. "I thought you were going to help me decorate the ballroom."
"I have a stack of finals to grade, and I have office hours until four. It's close to graduation I can't take time off. If I have time, I'll come help. " He said, his lips pressed tight.
"Oh, ok." Jess muttered. She looked out the window. "You better take an umbrella, it looks like it's going to rain."
Royce chuckled, slapping his knee for emphasis. "We're in the middle of a drought, with no end in sight. We just watched the forecast this morning, hot, dry, and sunny."
…
"A little more to the right Cece!" Jess called.
Cece strained, reaching as high as she could. "I already look like Strech Armstrong up here."
"I'm pulling as much as I can, I promise!" Aly called.
"hmmmphh." Jess sighed. "Just come down. There's no way we can drape this tulle with just me, you, and Aly."
"Lucky for you I've brought three more." A voice called out from the doorway. Jess, Aly, and Cece turned around, to see Nick, Schmidt, and Winston standing there. *
"Nick!" Jess called. She ran over, hugging the three of them. "Schmidt and Winston, I thought you had to work!"
"Nick called in and said there was a family emergency." Schmidt smiled.
Jess smiled at Nick. "thanks Miller."
"anytime Day." He smiled back.
…
"It looks like the big top in a circus. Oh my God! Can you have elephant at your wedding!?" Schmidt said laying on the ballroom floor. All six of them lay on the floor in a circle, looking up at the extravagant lights and tulle. Halfway through, Winston and Nick had left to get some more staples for the staple gun and came back with beer and it had become a drunken soirée.
Jess rolled over, staring at him. "Can I have an elephant at my wedding?"
Cece snorted. "That would be . . . AWESOME!"
Nick tried to take a sip of his beer while laying down, dribbling it all over his shirt. "I miss this."
"I do too." Jess said, smiling softly.
"you know what else I missed?" He asked. "TRUE AMERICAN!"
Aly sprang up. "should we?"
"we should!" Jess agreed.
The six of them jumped up "1, 2, 3,4… JFK!" They all called out in unison.
"THE FLOOR IS LAVA!" Winston yelled, scrambling to a chair.
Jess climbed onto a chair. "the only thing we have to fear . . . ."
"is fear itself!" Everyone cheered.
"1. . . 2. . . 3. . . 4 shoot!" Schmidt called out. Everyone threw a number to their head with their fingers. "If it's an odd number, move two chairs!"
Nick groaned, as he held three fingers up. He moved clumsily from chair to chair, ending up on the chair Jess was standing on.
"Nick! No! We can't both fit on this chair!" she protested.
"I'm invading this colony!" He chuckled.
She tried to make room on the small seat of the chavari chair, but it was useless. She began to slip and grabbed Nick to steady herself.
He wrapped his arms around her, helping her balance. "easy there." He said breathlessly.
Their faces were just inches apart, she could feel his breath on her neck. Her heart raced, she was almost sure he could hear the pounding from her chest. "thh,. . . thanks." She stuttered.
He smiled at her, making her knees go weak. She lost her footing and began to fall. Nick tightened his grip around her waist, trying to save her, but he began to fall too.
"George Washington cut down the cherry tree!" he called as they fell to the ground becoming a tangled mess of limbs.
A giggle escaped Jess, small and squeaky under the weight of Nick's body.
Nick looked down at her and brushed a stray stand of hair from her face. "are you ok?"
"I'm fine." Jess said, smiling.
Nick's thumb lingered on her cheek. "good."
"WHAT IS GOING ON HERE?!" Royce snapped, as he entered the ballroom.
Nick quickly rolled off of Jess.
"Just having a little fun, after decorating." Jess said, brushing off her clothes.
Royce's face tightened. "fun? It looks like you two were having lots of fun, while your friends walloped around on the rented chairs like animals!"
"Lighten up a bit man." Schmidt snapped.
Royce pursed his lips tight. "lighten up?"
"Royce honestly, there was nothing going on. We were both standing on a chair while playing True American, and we fell."
Royce's chin jutted out, his jaw tight. "you've got a lot of nerve to lie to me, in the ballroom we're supposed to get married in tomorrow!" He stormed out of the ballroom.
Jess's face fell. "Royce! Royce wait!"
She ran after him. She flung the door open and ran into the parking lot. The air was thick and sticky, the sky an ominous gray. "Royce please!" She yelled, out of breath.
"Jessica, there is nothing to talk about." Royce snapped, pushing his key fob to unlock his car.
Jess sighed. "Royce you're overreacting!"
"I saw the way you looked at him Jess!" Royce yelled, hurt flashing in his eyes.
"Royce I'm sorry. I didn't look at him any kind of way. We're just friends, he's. . . " Jess stammered.
"Do you still love him?" Royce asked, his words flat and sharp.
Jess's eyes widened. "What?"
"Oh, you heard me Jessica! Do you still love him?" Royce yelled.
"It's not that simple." She croaked.
He opened his car door. "No explanations. Just a simple yes or no. Do you love him?"
Bile rose in Jess's throat. Her face was hot and flushed. Her heart was beating rapidly, her pulse pounding in her ears. Her mouth opened, ready to salvage this relationship, but she just stared at him unable to form words.
"That's what I thought." He snapped. He got into his car and slammed the door.
Jess stood frozen in the parking lot watching him drive off, stoic and numb. As Royce's car disappeared down the road, becoming smaller and smaller the sky opened up, and it began to rain.