CHAPTER 3

THURSDAY
T-MINUS 2 DAYS UNTIL MATT AND MELINA'S WEDDING
HOME OF DAVID AND LIZZIE GORDON
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA
6:45PM

Lizzie used her stirring spoon to take a piece of the pasta she was cooking out of the boiling pot. She blew on it a few times to cool it and than tasted it in an effort to see how well her cooking was going.

Needs more salt, thought Lizzie as she tasted the too bland piece.

"Miranda can you hand me the salt shaker please?" asked Lizzie looking over her shoulder at her friend who was leaning up against the kitchen counter watching her cook.

"Sure no problem" said Miranda as she sat the wine glass she was holding down and went over to the table to where the salt shaker was. "You know I still don't know why I'm here so early. I mean the wedding is two days from now." said Miranda as she walked back over to Lizzie and passed the salt shaker to her.

"Thanks" said Lizzie as she took the salt from Miranda and poured some of it into the pasta "You're here for two reasons remember? First we wanted you here for this family get together we're having tonight. And second you agreed to help all of us get the church ready for the wedding on Saturday."

"Oh yeah that's right." said Miranda as she picked her wine glass back up and took a sip out of it After a second or two Miranda turned to look at Lizzie "Lizzie, can I ask you something personal?"

"Sure go ahead." said Lizzie turning to smile at Miranda.

"How are you guys doing?" asked Miranda "I mean you,Gordo and the baby? Are you guys doing ok?"

"We're doing great," answered Lizzie with a puzzled look upon her face "Why do you ask?"

"Oh no reason." said Miranda turning to look at the other side of the room.

"Miranda?"

Miranda hesitated a second for looking back at Lizzie with a sad look on her face.

"I miss you guys ok.I miss you both a lot." said Miranda sighing "You remember that week when you and Gordo stayed at my house?"

Lizzie could only nod her head and smile. How could she ever forget that week. It was only the week that David had came back into her life and saved her. It was the same week the two of them had fallen back in love and started their new and wonderful life together.

"Well, being with you guys that week reminded me so much of the old days. Back when we were kids and use to do everything together." said Miranda sadly "Spending all day at the mall or the Digital Bean. Listening to Gordo going off on some wild rant about some strange fact he'd just learned .You yelling about whatever horrible thing it was that Matt had done to you that day. The way we use to call each other on the three way line and talk for hours. I miss all of that."

"I know hon" said Lizzie "Not a day goes by that me and David don't think back to those days and miss them to. But I guess losing things like that is part of the curse of growing up."

"Being a grown up sure does suck eggs sometimes." sighed Miranda as she took another sip of her wine.

"Yep, it sure does." said Lizzie.It was than that Lizzie had a great thought hit her "Sweetie have you ever thought of maybe quiting your job and moving out here?"

"To Vegas?" Miranda asked a little surprised at Lizzie's question.

"Yeah" said Lizzie starting to get excited at the idea "I mean you would be here living closer to us. You yourself once told me that what with the crime, earthquakes and all you don't really like living in San Francisco anymore. The only reason you stay there is because you think you owe that law firm of yours something."

"I do owe them" said Miranda "Taft, Thompson and Johnson is one of the largest law firms in the city. If they hadn't recruited me straight out of law school I wouldn't be where I am today."

"Wrong Miranda" said Lizzie pulling her stirring spoon out of the pasta and pointed it at her friend "You are where you are now because you are one fine lawyer. And I know for a fact that if you put your mind to it you could be just as successful here as you are back in San Francisco."

"I'll think about it" said Miranda conceding the fact "That's all I can say on the subject."

"Well, I hope you do." said Lizzie smiling "Because there is nothing that me and David would love more than to have our baby's Aunt Miranda living here close by when he or she arrives."

"Oh trust me" said Miranda as she put her wine glass down and walked over closer so she could place her hand on Lizzie's stomach "When this kid of yours gets here I have big plans on spoiling him or her rotten. And the fact of whether or not I live close by doesn't even factor in to it at all."

"Good" said Lizzie who than suddenly wrapped Miranda up in a big hug "I love you Miranda."

Miranda was a little surprised by this turn of events but nonetheless returned the hug "I love you too Lizzie."

"Sorry about that" said Lizzie a little embarrassed as she loosened up the hug to wipe away an escaping tear "I think that was brought on by a sudden hormone moment."

"It's ok." said Miranda now laughing as they broke the hug.

Jo McGuire chose that moment to walk in through the kitchen door.

"Lizzie the men out there are getting a little antsy for some food." said Jo as she walked over to the girls.

"It's almost ready. I just got to finish the pasta here and than we can all sit down and eat" said Lizzie getting back to the stove.

"How are you doing Mrs. McGuire?" Miranda asked turning to the older woman who was like a second mother to her.

Jo McGuire gave Miranda a smile and told her "Miranda how many times tonight have I asked you to call me Jo?"

"I'm sorry Mrs...Jo but that's going to take me some time to get use to." said Miranda smiling.

"Well, you need to start. Because you're old enough now to start calling me by my first name." said Jo smiling back at Miranda "And how I'm doing is fine considering the fact that my little baby is getting married in two days."

"Oh please mom" said Lizzie smiling at her mother "Matt hasn't been your little baby since that day back in high school when you caught him and Melina on his bed making out."

"I'll have you know young lady that they told me that they were just resting after studying all day and nothing was going on." said Jo trying to give her daughter a stern look but failing miserably at it.

"And of course you believed them right?" asked Lizzie rolling her eyes.

"Of course not." said Jo causing all three women in the room to start laughing. For all of them knew Matt McGuire and his future wife to well to believe that lie.

"But they were both so cute with all of the red faces and the stuttering as they tried to explain to me that they weren't doing anything wrong." said Jo smiling.

That set all three women off laughing again.

"Miranda I believe the pasta is done now so can you go out there and herd everyone into the dining room?" asked Lizzie as she poured the pasta out of the cooking pot and into a large serving bowl.

"Sure" said Miranda as she walked out into the living room to find all of the gang there. Mr. McGuire was talking to both David and Mr. and Mrs. Bianco about the wonders of gnome painting. David's parents were sitting on the couch watching the tv and the happy couple had stashed themselves away in the corner with Melina sitting on Matt's lap. The two were sharing some very heated looks and some even more heated kisses that were being missed by everyone else in the room. Miranda cleared her throat to get everyone attention.

"Hey guys Lizzie says the grub is ready and for you guys to start heading for the dining room."

After saying that Miranda turned with the intention of going back into the kitchen to help Lizzie and Mrs. McGuire carry the food into the dining room. But instead she ran nose to shoulder with the very LAST person on this whole earth that she wanted to see. Looking up Miranda saw that it was indeed Rodney who was standing there in front of her. He had that cocky grin of his, the one that she hated with a passion, starting to spread across his face and his eyes were full of mischief as he gave her the once over before speaking.

"Well, hello there Sanchez."

TBC