Author Note: This chapter begins the final installment of Drea's story. I call this movement 'Full Circle'. Thank you again for your generous and kind feedback. It is for you all that I write.
88888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888
"Dad, I'm getting married."
I nearly chocked on my own spit.
"Drea, you're 18."
"Exactly. It's finally legal."
My indignant daughter had the traditional Lyman smirk plastered onto her face and I knew that there was nothing that I could do to stop her.
"What's his name?"
"Brian."
I sighed and stuck a forkful of Chicken Con Bianco into my mouth. "Brian what, Drea."
"Brian Biehn."
I spit out my food, "Bean? You're marrying a boy with the last name of Bean?"
"Biehn. B-i-e-h-n. He's actually Kerstin and Billy Biehn's oldest son. You know them."
Normally, this would make me feel better. I love Kerstin. I just know her by her maiden name; Norman. Kerstin Jessamine Norman is CJ's favorite singer. We have all of her CD's and have seen her in concert many, many times, usually name dropping in order to get backstage. CJ discovered her right after what's known as the continental divide in our family – the Olympics – and we've all loved her ever since.
But, I also know that Kerstin and Billy are having problems right now with their especially rebellious eldest child. Problems to the tune of boarding school in Switzerland.
And my daughter is marrying him.
sigh
I miss CJ.
"Drea, what do you think your mom's going to say?" I questioned.
"She said it was ok with her, " Drea replied haughtily.
My heart dropped. CJ's blessing was worth a whole lot more than any denial of mine.
"Well, then, " I managed, "it's ok with me."
Flashing me one of her world-famous smiles, she gathered her purse and left Olive Garden. She never touched me; she hadn't for four years.
After we returned from Italy, Drea immediately stopped speaking to me. All conversation was through CJ. She's gotten a little better about that, but communication is still limited. Her official stage name is Rebecca Cregg. She's done everything within her power over the past four years to deny that she's my daughter. Oh, she loves CJ. But, oh, how she loathes me.
I retired about two years ago – but CJ's kept on working. She was transferred to Lexington, Kentucky about three months ago. Drea is about two weeks away from graduating high school. Once she graduates and goes off to college, I'll move to Lexington with CJ – reunited at last.
This whole marriage revelation is going to throw quite a monkey wrench into the works, though.
I motion for the waitress to bring me my check and my fingers move themselves towards my temples.
Dear God, what have I raised?
88888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888
2:43
Drea has most definitely told Josh her plans by now.
Kerstin and Billy were in town last night for her concert at Asbury College, which is about 20 minutes outside of Lexington in this quaint little town called Wilmore. I drove out to see them and the concert, but Billy and I spent almost the entire thing talking about this newest development.
"I know you're worried about Drea," Billy said, "but I'm petrified about Brian."
"Billy, do you remember when we first met?" I whispered.
He reached for his wallet, "Here's their first picture ever taken together." It was taken two weeks after the Games ended. Drea had her medals around her neck and Brian was staring at her like she was the sun and moon and sky. "He loved her the moment he met her."
"Do you –" I stopped mid-sentence.
"What?" He leaned back in his chair.
"Do you think that she loves him as much?"
He sighed, "No. Do you think she's doing it to escape?"'
"Escape Josh? Yeah."
With those three words, I had voiced the deepest fear of my heart. That my daughter would hate us so much that she had that violent desire to escape. A desire strong enough to marry someone she didn't love just to get out of our house.
I didn't cry until this morning, though. I awoke at 2:15 and began looking through the scrapbooks I've kept of everything.
The Olympics; 'Case of Identities', Drea's first movie, in which she changed her name from Drea Lyman to Rebecca Cregg, cementing her hatred of Josh; Josh's retirement party; Drea's subsequent movie premieres; the Academy Awards; everything.
Of course, I left out some of the most significant events, like meeting Kerstin and Billy, Charlie and Zoey's first child, my transfer to Lexington, when Josh took me to Bermuda for our one-year anniversary and we wept together on the rocks for who Drea had become.
I know we're both weeping right now, just hundreds of miles apart.
I miss him so much my heart aches.
But I don't know who makes it ache more; my absentee husband or my lost daughter.
88888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888
Brian's mom is awesome.
I know that she hates what's going on, but she's supporting us anyway.
"I'd, personally," she told me last night, "wait until it was legal to drink champagne at my own reception, but I've already had my wedding, Drea. This is yours. And if you really want to go through with it, we have no right to stop you."
My dad? "Absolutely not."
My mom? "Drea, honey, are you sure?"
His dad? "I think you're being impetuous, but it's your life."
Brian hates his parents – I have no idea why. I think they're awesome. Kerstin is possibly my favorite human being on the planet – I can't imagine how he could hate her.
"Your dad is awesome, Bec, and yet you refuse to be in the same room with him for longer than 22 minutes," he pointed out once.
I've decided that my limit with Joshua is 22 minutes and if I refer to him as Joshua it reminds me that he really isn't my father – he's the man who provided the sperm.
How Mom, either one of them, could ever stand to be married to that waste of flesh is beyond me.
But back to Kerstin.
She called me last night to see what the latest news was on the wedding.
"Oh, we've decided to elope," I replied casually.
There was a long pause.
"Bec, I've been quiet about this whole thing, until now. If you really love Brian and Brian really loves you and the two of you have decided to spend the rest of your lives together, that's fine. That's wonderful! You're both adults now, and it's time you make your own decisions, and if you want my support, you have it. But you are not eloping."
I told her that I would talk about it with Brian and then she turned into Joshua.
"If you do this and rush into, it'll be the biggest mistake of your life."
I quickly said goodbye and then slammed down the phone.
I am so freaking tired of other people telling me what to do! I am 18 freaking years old and I think I know who I am and what I want and how to get it!
And if getting married is then only way out of this godforsaken family then so be it.
Even if means getting married to Brian Biehn.