* Ice Cream and wedding plans meeting. *
Fridays were still the nights that John and Meg spent alone together, either on a date out or at home, and Rose stayed at her grandparents'. But Saturdays were still for the three of them. They liked spending time together and doing things as a family such as playing in the park, visiting places and just enjoying their company.
This Saturday they had gone to the park, and after playing and running around for a big part of the afternoon, they had decided to enjoy a well-deserved ice cream in the nearby ice cream parlor which also had a playground outside for children. They were sat at a table eating and talking when Meg heard someone calling for her. She turned around and saw the smiling face of a blonde 26-year-old stylish woman in a red coat.
"Meg! What a wonderful surprise!" the woman exclaimed as Meg got up, also smiling, and went to her.
"Sally! It's so good to see you!" Meg said, hugging her friend. "You remember my fiancé John, right?" she asked when they pulled away. Sally nodded and greeted him. Sally Moffat (neé Gardiner) has been Meg's best friend since kindergarten. They had gone to school together up to high school, and although Sally's family was wealthy and she has always been one of the most popular girls at school, she's always been very fond of Meg and they had had a strong friendship in spite of social and economical differences. "John, remember Sally, my childhood best friend? We went to her wedding last month." she said later, looking at John. He nodded and greeted Sally back.
"Auntie Sally!" Rose shouted of joy when she noticed the woman who was standing next to her mother.
"My God, my little blossom! You grew up so much!" Sally said, kneeling down and hugging the little girl.
"I have a new room, auntie Sally! It's huge!" the little girl exclaimed happily. Sally looked at her, then at Meg who blushed and looked down.
"Really? That's amazing!" Sally exclaimed, looking back at Rose.
"I even chose the colors of it: red and gold, like Gryffindor's common room." Rose said proudly as she ate a spoonful of her chocolate ice cream.
"Wow! That's even cooler!" Sally exclaimed, standing up.
"I've been meaning to call you last week and tell you, but with the moving and work and everything..." Meg excused herself as Sally smiled and made a sign with her hand like dismissing her excuse.
"It's alright! I wasn't even in town yet! So... you moved out! Where?" Sally asked, intrigued.
"John's place, actually. Mr. Conrad raised my rent again... and... well, we were going to move in together at some point so..." Meg explained. Sally just smiled.
"That's so great! I'm so happy for you, guys!" Sally exclaimed. John smiled politely and nodded.
"so, how was your honeymoon?" Meg asked, excitedly.
"It was a blessing! The Maldives is such a gorgeous place! You and John should definitely go there for your honeymoon!" Sally said. John looked at his ice cream and Meg looked down.
"Yeah... I don't think we could..." Meg started before being interrupted by a tall, brunette woman who approached Sally.
"Here you are, Sals! Been looking for you!" the woman said, smiling as she handed one of the two ice creams she had to Sally. Sally took it and smiled.
"Look who I found!" Sally exclaimed. The woman looked at Meg.
"Meg March! Haven't seen you since Sally's wedding! How are you?" the brunette asked. Meg faked a smile.
"Hi, Belle! It's good to see you too. I'm... fine, thanks. How are you?" Meg asked politely. Belle Moffat was Sally's husband's sister. She had been one of the most popular girls at her school and one of Sally's closest friends, although for some reason, she wasn't that fond of Meg. Perhaps because she did care about social status and didn't think that Meg 'deserved' to be in the cool gang just for being poor.
"Can't complain, really. Just came back from Cancun. Wonderful place!" Belle said, looking at Meg up and down.
"I was just telling Meg that she and John should go to the Maldives for their honeymoon." Sally told her friend.
"Right! You're getting married! So, when's the big day? Where's the venue?" Belle asked. Meg's cheeks got red and not because Belle had said something nice to her.
"Erm... we haven't decided yet." Meg answered.
"You should hurry up then! All the good places are already being taken. Daddy booked The Plaza after Marcus and I's third date as they had a waiting list of 2 years! And we weren't even thinking of sleeping together yet! And Sally and Ned here had booked The Savoy as soon as they had gotten engaged a year and a half ago. I mean, you should really hurry up if you want your wedding to be held soon! Unless..." Belle stated and looked at Meg.
"Unless what?" Meg asked.
"Unless... you're not really looking forward to getting married that soon or you are actually... doubting about it." Belle said, raising an eyebrow. Meg felt like wanting to punch Belle in the face. How dare she imply that she was doubting about marrying John? And saying that in front of HIM like he wasn't even there? She was about to reply when she heard Rose whining and apologizing to her mother. Meg kneeled down to her quickly. Rose had stained her shirt with some ice cream. Meg grabbed a paper towel and started cleaning it, reassuring the little girl that everything was alright.
"Well, we should go if we want to catch that movie, Sals. It was wonderful to see you, Meg!" Belle said, taking advantage of Meg's distraction and heading to the door. Meg looked at her and faked a smile. Sally looked at her and smiled.
"It was wonderful to see you, Meg." she said and Meg knew she meant it. "I'll call you tomorrow so we catch up?" she asked later. Meg nodded and smiled.
"Send my love to Ned and your parents." she said before Sally, too, left the place. Meg sighed and stood up.
"Can I go play with the other kids?" Rose asked.
"Sure, baby. Go." Meg said, sitting down. Rose stood up and ran to the playground.
Meg sat down and sighed. John looked at her.
"You ok?" he asked. She turned her head to him.
"Are you mad at me?" she suddenly asked, pushing a stray of hair behind her ear. John took aback and looked at her in the eye. What kind of question was that? Sure, they had bickered a few times in the last couple of weeks, but they were over silly things and they always made up. And it wasn't something they couldn't work on together.
"About...?" he asked as if he wanted her to give him more details.
"Do you think I have doubts about our marriage and that's why I don't really talk about all the planning and stuff?" she asked looking down. John sighed and took her hand in his.
"Meg, I told you we didn't have to rush into any plans. When I asked you to marry me, I knew what I was getting into, and I told you I would wait, whether it was for a month, a year or a hundred. As long as I could spend that time with you, then that's ok." he said. And he was honest. She knew that.
"It's just... I just... I don't have any doubts! Honestly! It's just..." she started, then sighed. "It's so much planning and it's so stressful! I mean, moving in together was stressful enough, and it's not like I'm not happy about it, because I am. I'm very happy we made that decision and I love living with you. But... all the planning and the organization of a wedding!... I mean, it's not only the date and the venue. It's the list of all the guests we have to invite, and the invitations we have to choose and deliver, and the food, and the music, and the decorations, the dresses and the suits, the maid of honor and best man issues... and the money that we have to spend on all of it! Just doing all the math... it just..." she started in her hyperventilating way that he knew well from when she was really nervous. He squeezed her hand made her look at him in the eye.
"Meg, sweetheart, take a deep breath." he commanded. She did as he said and soon got a bit better. "Now, what's this wedding about?" he simply asked. Meg looked at him, confused.
"What do you mean?" she asked.
"What is the wedding about?" he asked again.
"Well... it's... us. I mean, it's about us loving each other and wanting to spend the rest of our lives together." she answered confidently. He smiled.
"Exactly. It's not about pleasing people we know or how big and lush it'll be. It's about us, Meg. Just us. So..." he said as he took a notepad and a pen out of Rose's backpack. He gave it to her. "Who are the most important people in your life? The people who you love the most, who loves you the most, and who you most want to share important things of your life with?" he asked. Meg thought about it.
"Well... there's Rosie and you..." she started. He took a page from the notebook and wrote Meg's name on top of it, then gave the pen back to her and encouraged her to write those names.
"Ok... who else?" he asked
"My sisters. And mom and dad. And Laurie and Mr. Laurence." she said.
"Ok. write them down." he said. She wrote all the names on the list.
"Our old housekeeper, Hannah. She was so great with us! She took care of us since the day I was born!" she said. John nodded. "And Sally and Ned. She's my best friend, you know, apart from my sisters. And she invited us to her wedding..." she continued before he cut her in.
"Is she one of the most important people in your life or are you just invinting her because she invited us?" he asked.
"She's the only friend out of my sisters. She was there when I was pregnant and when Rosie was born, and when she had her heart surgery and..." she replied and he smiled.
"Ok. Anyone else?" he asked.
"I guess Aunt March, but... I'm not in speaking terms with her, so..." she said, though she wrote it down anyway. John took a page from the notebook and started making his list: Meg and Rose, his mom and stepdad, his brother and his family, his stepsisters and their families, the Laurences', and his best friend Aaron and his fiancé. Then, he took out a third page and wrote his and Meg's names on top of it, then wrote the name of every single person on their lists with a plus 1 written next to her sisters and the Laurences'.
"There! 20 people that are more than important in our lives. That... should be our guests list." he said. She looked at him.
"What about the people at work and all the other relatives...?" she started.
"You mean the ones we only see at weddings and funerals? And all the people we work with but we couldn't care less if they show up or not?" he said. She sighed. She knew he had a point. "I think we should invite ONLY the people we really care about and the ones we would be extremely upset if they don't share that moment with us, don't you think so?" he asked. She smiled and nodded, then kissed his cheek. "Ok, so... Guest list: checked. What else do we need?" he asked.
"A venue, a date, invitations, food, music, flower arrangements, decorations..." she started. He gave her a piece of paper and the pen they had been using and encouraged her to make that list. She did so and checked the one that said 'guest list'.
"Well, Mr. Laurence offered his place for the wedding, so... there we have a venue." he said, writing down the Laurences' residence and a check. "And... I remember Amy offering to do the decoration or something, we could even ask her about the invitations too, if you want." he said, writing things down on their list. "Laurie and Beth could play some music." he added.
"But they'll miss the whole wedding." Meg said. He looked at her.
"Ok. Just... a few tunes and then... a DJ? Laurie knows some good ones. We could always ask." he said. She just nodded, intertwining her arms with his and resting her head on his shoulder as she took a peek of the playground, making sure Rose was doing ok. "Your mom and my mom offered to cook some things. We can order the cake from that bakery you love. And... we just need to..." he continued before she interrupted him.
"Two months. Summer holidays start in two months. The weather's going to be nice enough. Your family's coming over to meet mine and... if we go on honeymoon, we won't have to ask for a leave permission at school." she said. He looked at her and smiled. She looked back and smiled as well.
"Two months then." he said, then kissed her. Meg smiled and looked at Rose play happily on the swings as she talked to another girl. Then, she looked at the sheets of papers on their table. Half of the wedding plans were already on track, and it had been the less stressful thing she had ever done.