Chapter Seventeen: Chapel Struggles
Nick and Lydia worked really hard to make plans for their wedding.
Nick managed to tell his mother, father, and siblings. Nick's mom and sisters flipped out which resulted in Lydia moving into Norah's apartment, although she didn't really "live" as the apartment. Lydia and Nick made sure no one found out about their late night rendezvous. Thank God. She already had one mother and father hating her; she didn't need another pair.
Finally, after the much aspiration and waiting, the big day was only one night away. Lydia sat in Nick's living room working on that last minute pain-in-the-ass writing assignment. She was awaiting Nick's arrival home so he could save her from the wrath of Greg, Sara, and Warrick, who were just making Lydia jittery about the next day.
Greg was trying to impress Warrick by trying to shove as many baby carrots in his nose and mouth as possible. Sara was making last minute adjustments on Lindsey's flower girl dress.
Suddenly, the doorbell rang. Lydia got up out of her chair, muttering about how she didn't have the time or the energy to answer the door. She opened it to reveal a short, skinny, brunette. She looked around behind Lydia.
"Can I help you?"
"Yes, you can. I'm looking for Nick," she said this and her brown eyes sparkled.
"He's not home."
"He's supposed to be here. He promised to take me out tonight. Some way to treat your girlfriend."
Lydia stood there in disbelief. She felt like she had been kicked in the stomach.
"Hey, are you okay?" Warrick walked over and watched as Lydia slowly collapsed to the floor. "Guys!" He yelled.
Lydia pushed Sara, Warrick, and Greg away from her, stood up and ran into the bathroom. She sat on the toilet as people banged and yelled through the door. She paced back and forth, her heart beating faster and faster. She sat down on the fuzzy pink bathmat and cried.
She must have fallen asleep because when she awoke she heard the hum of power tools on the door. It fell with a thud and exposed rejoicing Greg, sawdust covered Warrick, frowning Sara, worried Catherine, bawling Lindsey, and Lydia's least favorite person at the moment, Nick.
"Thank God," Catherine said, rushing over and hugging her.
Lydia stood up and walked past the crowd and stopped in front of Nick.
"Lydia," he started to speak.
She didn't give him a chance to finish speaking before she smacked him dead across the face, leaving a huge red mark on his cheek.
"How could you do this to me? And our baby?" Lydia said now bawling.
Catherine and Sara rushed Lydia to the spare bedroom-or the soon-to-be nursery.
"Honey, you need to calm down," Catherine said.
"Not to be the bearer of bad news, but your mom, dad, and sister are here."
Lydia sat there hating Nick more with every breath she took. She stormed out of the room and walked past Warrick and Greg. Through the living room in which held Mia, her parents, Lindsey, and the girl from the front door.
"Lydy," Lindsey yelled and hugged her.
"Not now," she snapped and brushed her off. Lydia walked in the kitchen and reached her destination: the cupboard. She opened it and grabbed Nick's spare gun. "Goodbye cruel world," she said and released the safety lock.
"Don't do it!"
"Try and stop me," Lydia said hysterically.
"Lydia, will you let me explain?"
"No, Nick, no. What do you think? I would find this amusing? I'm not some fucking Jane Eyre."
"Lydia, she's a hooker."
Lydia stood there and looked at him in disbelief.
"I called her when you left. I tried to kill myself. I was miserable. She saved me." He swallowed hard. "I didn't have the guts to call you."
Lydia dropped the gun on the floor crying.
"I'm so sorry," Nick said, embracing her.
A couple of hours later, Lydia, now exhausted, was tucked into bed by Nick. "See you tomorrow at the altar."
"I'll be there. I promise."
-----
Lydia was ready and looked gorgeous as she stood in the bridal room. Finally, it was time for her to make the walk and become Mrs. Nicholas Stokes. She walked out of the room behind an overactive Lindsey. She took a deep breath and grabbed her dad's arm. "I love you, daddy," she said with hints of tears in her eyes.
"I love you, too. Let's go," he said.
She took a breath and step-by-step, made her way to the altar. People, so many people, stood and smiled at her. She made her way to the altar and to Nick. Her father gave Nick her hand. It was the moment every little girl dreams about in their wedding: the vows and the exchange of rings.
Nick said his vows to Lydia and slid the silver band on her finger.
Tears streamed down her face as she gave Nick her vows and his ring.
They kissed and walked back down the aisle, now as husband and wife.
-----
Nick and Lydia lay cuddled up in the hotel bed talking about the day. It was 3:27 and Lydia, though exhausted, couldn't sleep.
"Do you remember out first date?" Nick asked as he rubbed her bare shoulder.
"The one where I kissed you at the restaurant?"
"That's the one."
"How could I forget?"
"It was one of the best kisses in my life."
"Really? I felt like such a fool."
"All of your kisses have been the best but that one tops the chart."
Lydia smiled and rolled over to face Nick. She touched his hair and kissed him.
"There's another good one," he commented with a smile.
Lydia yawned.
"You need to rest," Nick said very motherly.
"How can I-" She stopped talking and gasped. "Nick, Nick."
"What honey? What's wrong?"
"Give me your hand." Lydia took Nick's hand and lifted the sheets off her to reveal a bare tummy that was slowly but surely becoming round.
"What is it?" Nick asked.
"It's the baby, the baby's moving, Nick!" Lydia smiled and Nick beamed.
He kissed her and eventually se fell asleep.
Nick and Lydia worked really hard to make plans for their wedding.
Nick managed to tell his mother, father, and siblings. Nick's mom and sisters flipped out which resulted in Lydia moving into Norah's apartment, although she didn't really "live" as the apartment. Lydia and Nick made sure no one found out about their late night rendezvous. Thank God. She already had one mother and father hating her; she didn't need another pair.
Finally, after the much aspiration and waiting, the big day was only one night away. Lydia sat in Nick's living room working on that last minute pain-in-the-ass writing assignment. She was awaiting Nick's arrival home so he could save her from the wrath of Greg, Sara, and Warrick, who were just making Lydia jittery about the next day.
Greg was trying to impress Warrick by trying to shove as many baby carrots in his nose and mouth as possible. Sara was making last minute adjustments on Lindsey's flower girl dress.
Suddenly, the doorbell rang. Lydia got up out of her chair, muttering about how she didn't have the time or the energy to answer the door. She opened it to reveal a short, skinny, brunette. She looked around behind Lydia.
"Can I help you?"
"Yes, you can. I'm looking for Nick," she said this and her brown eyes sparkled.
"He's not home."
"He's supposed to be here. He promised to take me out tonight. Some way to treat your girlfriend."
Lydia stood there in disbelief. She felt like she had been kicked in the stomach.
"Hey, are you okay?" Warrick walked over and watched as Lydia slowly collapsed to the floor. "Guys!" He yelled.
Lydia pushed Sara, Warrick, and Greg away from her, stood up and ran into the bathroom. She sat on the toilet as people banged and yelled through the door. She paced back and forth, her heart beating faster and faster. She sat down on the fuzzy pink bathmat and cried.
She must have fallen asleep because when she awoke she heard the hum of power tools on the door. It fell with a thud and exposed rejoicing Greg, sawdust covered Warrick, frowning Sara, worried Catherine, bawling Lindsey, and Lydia's least favorite person at the moment, Nick.
"Thank God," Catherine said, rushing over and hugging her.
Lydia stood up and walked past the crowd and stopped in front of Nick.
"Lydia," he started to speak.
She didn't give him a chance to finish speaking before she smacked him dead across the face, leaving a huge red mark on his cheek.
"How could you do this to me? And our baby?" Lydia said now bawling.
Catherine and Sara rushed Lydia to the spare bedroom-or the soon-to-be nursery.
"Honey, you need to calm down," Catherine said.
"Not to be the bearer of bad news, but your mom, dad, and sister are here."
Lydia sat there hating Nick more with every breath she took. She stormed out of the room and walked past Warrick and Greg. Through the living room in which held Mia, her parents, Lindsey, and the girl from the front door.
"Lydy," Lindsey yelled and hugged her.
"Not now," she snapped and brushed her off. Lydia walked in the kitchen and reached her destination: the cupboard. She opened it and grabbed Nick's spare gun. "Goodbye cruel world," she said and released the safety lock.
"Don't do it!"
"Try and stop me," Lydia said hysterically.
"Lydia, will you let me explain?"
"No, Nick, no. What do you think? I would find this amusing? I'm not some fucking Jane Eyre."
"Lydia, she's a hooker."
Lydia stood there and looked at him in disbelief.
"I called her when you left. I tried to kill myself. I was miserable. She saved me." He swallowed hard. "I didn't have the guts to call you."
Lydia dropped the gun on the floor crying.
"I'm so sorry," Nick said, embracing her.
A couple of hours later, Lydia, now exhausted, was tucked into bed by Nick. "See you tomorrow at the altar."
"I'll be there. I promise."
-----
Lydia was ready and looked gorgeous as she stood in the bridal room. Finally, it was time for her to make the walk and become Mrs. Nicholas Stokes. She walked out of the room behind an overactive Lindsey. She took a deep breath and grabbed her dad's arm. "I love you, daddy," she said with hints of tears in her eyes.
"I love you, too. Let's go," he said.
She took a breath and step-by-step, made her way to the altar. People, so many people, stood and smiled at her. She made her way to the altar and to Nick. Her father gave Nick her hand. It was the moment every little girl dreams about in their wedding: the vows and the exchange of rings.
Nick said his vows to Lydia and slid the silver band on her finger.
Tears streamed down her face as she gave Nick her vows and his ring.
They kissed and walked back down the aisle, now as husband and wife.
-----
Nick and Lydia lay cuddled up in the hotel bed talking about the day. It was 3:27 and Lydia, though exhausted, couldn't sleep.
"Do you remember out first date?" Nick asked as he rubbed her bare shoulder.
"The one where I kissed you at the restaurant?"
"That's the one."
"How could I forget?"
"It was one of the best kisses in my life."
"Really? I felt like such a fool."
"All of your kisses have been the best but that one tops the chart."
Lydia smiled and rolled over to face Nick. She touched his hair and kissed him.
"There's another good one," he commented with a smile.
Lydia yawned.
"You need to rest," Nick said very motherly.
"How can I-" She stopped talking and gasped. "Nick, Nick."
"What honey? What's wrong?"
"Give me your hand." Lydia took Nick's hand and lifted the sheets off her to reveal a bare tummy that was slowly but surely becoming round.
"What is it?" Nick asked.
"It's the baby, the baby's moving, Nick!" Lydia smiled and Nick beamed.
He kissed her and eventually se fell asleep.