Chapter 2

A/N: Not much to say, butthank you to those who have read and those who have reveiwed. Also I own nothing but my ideas
"No" she said it. plain and simple. My mother had just told me and the man that I was going to marry, that we could not get married. Well I hate to tell her but we were both grown and we could very much do what ever we like. And I was going to tell her so, in my own really really nice way. I can't get married if she knocks the shit out of me for talking back.

"Why not?"

"Simple" she sat down across from us at the kitchen table. "You two have been dating for what, month or so. You need time to really get to know each other."

"But Mrs... Hendricks, I love you daughter and I want to spend what ever time I have with her I understand what your say, but I have never been more sure of anything in my life" And Darien up to bat. Now chance are that she wont listen to him anymore then she will with me, but it doesn't hurt to try.

"Darien, I have told you to not call me 'Mrs...',just to call me 'ma', your gettingas bad has the rest on not listoning.Now back toyour wanting toget married" and she goes for the strike out "I will make a deal with you two," wait hold up, she never throws me any good balls "Me and Serena's father will pay for a wedding if you will wait two more month"

"Okay!" yeah, maybe I just gave into easily, but the women was offering to pay for the wedding. I had to take her up on the deal before...

"Hold up" in enter the father. Now my Dad is a man that once we turns 18 he was out of our business, unless his money was on the line. My father works hard for his money and felt it should go for thing like bills and needs. And when I say need, I mean needs. And my mother just offered his money up for something he felt we didn't need, a wedding in two months. "Women I done told you..."

And the look, the bring it and you will sleep in your truck again look "Done told me what?" Now my father will back down for one person and one person only, my mom. She was a battle that could not be won. I remember one time at my grandparent's house on my father side, My mother had refuse to do something or other and my grandfather looked at my dad, told him he better put his women in her place. Well to put it short, Dad went to put Mom in her place, but my Mom hit him upside his head with a coke bottle and let him know she wasn't his women, but his wife.

"To let me know when suppers ready" smart move Dad "I will be in the living room watching my show" and off he went away from that crazy lady I call mamma.

"Look Mrs...," evil look "I mean Ma, you don't have to pay for our wedding" and so Darien open his way to proud mouth. This I learn is something he would come to do allot in our time together.

"Yes she does" and this is something I would come to do allot, disagree. "If she is willing to pay for us to wait we can wait. Incase you didn't know we are a pour engaged couple."

"I am not going to spend the rest of my life taking money from people" see he just keeps opening it.

" We aren't taking money, we are take money for a wedding so its like taking a wedding and we are only taking a wedding once, not for the rest of our live." it made sense to me, kind of.

"My child, do you understand yourself" why does she always ask me that? "I will take that has a no, anyway Darien thank it has old fashion. In my day wife family paid for the wedding." She reach over the table and patted his hand "and your taking brick wall over here off my hand"

"Hey!"

Darien laughs at my outburst then reaches for my face "It's okay, Honey your still my brick wall. Now why is it everybody agrees when im the butt of the joke.

I set in a chair along with my mother and Darien in a doctors office room. Darien was secluded to have his eye surgery tomorrow and we had just finished his blood work or at least some of it. Now it was time to pick color, the color of my soon to be husband artifical eyes. I wasn't to happy about this. Darien had beautiful eyes, eyes that I love. They kind of a odd color blues, that I knew could know be found on false eyes.

I was broke out of my thought when the door open and the doctor walk in "Hello, I am Doctor James Ray" he greeted us "I assume your Darien and you two must be mother and girlfriend?"

"No and and kind of yes" Dr. Ray raised a eyebrow "no she not my mother, but I do see her has one" he smiled toward my mom "and she is my soon to be gorgeous wife" I love it when he says that.

The Doctor nodded in understanding "Well know that will now each other lets get started. As I am sure you know I am the doctor that will perform you eye operation, but Dr. McCord will be there also because he is your normal doctor. Correct me if I am wrong but I assume your doctor as went over what will happening with in the operation room?" Darien nodded " Good, your blood work is back everything looks ready to go, so" he step back to show a try with a towel over it that I had not notice him bring in. "how about we decide a color?"

Dr. Ray pulled a towel away show several set of, well eyeballs, artificial eyeballs. This was not the plan. I guess I thought he was going to give us a list colors, but not this. "Well Darien, there is a nice selection for you chouse from. Any idea what you would like" I ask him

Darien shrugged his shoulders "Hell, I don't really care. Your the one who has to look at me. I kind thought it would be kind of funny run around with open sockets. Andrew would get a kick out of that" He says and I just close my eyes. I swear he says thing like that to drive me up the wall.

"How about I leave to decide. Just let the nurse now when your ready" with that Dr. Ray head out the room. I would have the same. Of coarse that give my mother the chance to do what she does best, drive me up the wall in her own way.

"Mamma what the hell are you doing?"

"What it look like?" My mother standing there stuffing fake eyeballs in her oversize handbag. Doing this at a buffet is one thing, but eyeballs "This way when they give us his new ones after surgery all we will have to do is get one pair. Now we have back up if a pair gets lost" and like always Darien thought she was funny.

"You can't do that" and I try to stop her

"Why not" and she could care less "Its not like im taking all of them. Now Darien, pick a color?"

"Dark blue"

"Serena call the nurse so she can get in here with the paperwork and we can get start on going home" this was not happening "Girl, did you hear me?" this was happening.

I planed on sitting in the corner until after they brought Darien back from the rest of the blood work when his regular Doctor walk in wanting to speak with me and my mother. Now, I had met Dr. McCord about three weeks ago when I went with Darien for a check up. He had been Darien doctor sense he was about 13 or 14 and well seem to be a good guy.

He pulled his chair in front of me and my mother and began to speak "I am really amazed, and I think you have something to do with it" I didn't understand were he was going "Darien is in better health then he has been in a long time, but he will never really be in good health. Serena Darien told me you and him are getting married?" I nod and fill my mother take my hand "Serena its not my place but I do care a great deal about my patent and I want the best for them. Serena I am going to honest, I don't think it a good idea for two, to get married"

"Well it don't matter what you think" I fill my mother squeeze my hand, a way to calm me down. " Now maybe I shouldn't snap but your dealing with man I am going to spend the rest of my life with."

He smiles sadly "Well has Darien ever talk to you about his life" I nod "Serena, he may live a year, two if he is lucky" I shake my head while I feel tears fall from my eyes. "Maybe it would be better if you just live together"

I felt my mother try to pull me into her arms, but I pull away. I was going to stay strong. "I thank you for caring, but we are getting married. I could lose him a week or a year after the wedding and I would not regret it, because I will know in my heart that I was married to the man I love. All that matter was that we made each other happy in our time together." the tears fell full force from my eyes now, but ever word that left my lips were true. "I know there is pain ahead, but there is so much more love.

Dr. McCord smiled and patted my hand "Well then I have the best wishes for you and I hope you all the happiness in the world." he got up to leave, but turn before he made it out the door "You have shown me that if anybody can truly bring that boy to life, it you. But I must ask you something, don't let him give up on life."

"I wont."

I couldn't sleep. I set on the front porch as the days event go through my mind. The idea of life and death and what they really meant dug at me. I had been told the a man I had come to love in very short time, might only have a short time to love her back. Could I handle this, I wasn't sure. The only thing I was sure of was love, this filling I never truly felt for another man.

My thought keeps turn even when I hear the front door open. I don't turn around think was mom or Darien to check on me, but I was wrong it was my little sister Mary. I smile at her because she starting to look healthy again from the month she spent in the hospital. About a year ago the thirteen year sitting beside me was a little butterball and now she trying to put weight on. Just a month ago she came home from the hospital that she was in for a eating disorder, an eating disorder the kids at school, low self-esteem, and sadly her family cause. You never think that a little bit of picking could cause any harm till your own sister stops eating just so she could fit in. I guess it something you never really forgive yourself for even if that person does.

"Shouldn't you be in bed?" I ask her

She nods "Maybe or maybe I can't sleep, like you"

I smile down at her "Well why can't you sleep?"

"Because you can't" I don't understand "You seem upset at supper and well its not like you to sit on the porch in the middle of the night. Not by yourself anyway. Most of the time it some guy with you." she smiles up at me and I return it.

"Yeah I guess your right." I put arm around her shoulder. "I guess I can't sleep cause im a little scared of what the future might hand me" I look down at her.

Do you remember, right after I went in the hospital and I got to the point where it wasn't that I didn't eat I just couldn't hold anything down cause I was so sick?" I nod " I asked you why this was happening to me and you told me that God only gives us what he knows we can handle. Well keep your own words when the future hands you something. Remember he only gives what your strong enough to handle."

I smile and small tear slipped from my eyes down the side of my cheek "Your pretty smart for a kid"

"Yeah, I like to thank so" with that she smile and get up and head into the house.

About five minutes later the door opens again and I assume it Mary again, but like always im wrong. I turn to see my mother, but she doesn't come sit down. She just stand there a minute before she speak "Im proud of you"

Now that's a first. I turn to look at her to make sure I heard right. "You might want repeat that"

She rolls her eyes at me "Don't at silly. You know I am." Now she sits down at my side "I have know you to stick with something, even with a guy and to tell you the truth I thought this would and the same has everything else, you would get tired and move on. But today I saw something different, I saw not my fickle daughter, but a women, a mature women who was in love. It made me proud and I want you to now that I know you can make it through"

"Thank you..."

"No," she stopped me "thank you, you just shown me that maybe I did something right"

We set there in peace, a peace that was worth a thousand words.