6 days until wedding:

The phone rang early the next morning and Pumpkin jumped up and started to bark at it. Squid reached over and answered it.

"Hello?"

"Hello Alan, this is Bruce."

Squid's side fell silent.

"I was just wondering how you were.

"How did you get my number?"

Bruce could clearly sense the resentment in Squid's voice.

"I called Jodi to apologize, and she gave it to me…I hope that is alright."

"How did you get her number?"

"The phone book."

Now Kandy was awake and looking at Squid with questioning eyes. He whispered

"It's Bruce!"

Kandy was so shocked that she dropped Pumpkin. She quickly picked him up, but continued to stare at Squid. Her cell phone started to ring and she ran across the room to answer it.

"Hello?"

"Hi Kelly, it's Jodi just to let you know Bruce is going to be calling Alan soon. He said he was going to apologize and I thought that they should talk."

"Yah he is on the phone with him right now."

"Oh alright, well call me and let me know how things went. Ok?"

"Ok Jodi bye."

"Bye."

Kandy hung up the phone and jumped on the bed and flopped next to Squid. She tried her hardest to hear what Bruce was saying, but no matter how hard she tried she couldn't make out anything.

"Bruce why are you calling me?"

"I was just wondering how you were…and to say I am sorry."

"You should be."

"And I am. I had absolutely no right to treat you the way I did! I was acting very selfishly and immaturely! You had every right to hate me and treat me the way you did."

"You hit Jodi."

"I know…I have already called her and told her how sorry I was."

"I don't know if I can believe you. Why are you calling me now? Why couldn't you apologize sooner?"

"I thought you would have just hung up on me."

"You're lucky I haven't already done that!"

"You're right Alan, I am very lucky! Please don't hang up on me. I really am sorry. Please can you forgive me? I know I made your life hell, but I am so sorry."

"You took away everything from me."

"Alan, please believe me! I am so sorry."

For the first time Bruce sounded sincere in his apology. Squid didn't want to forgive Bruce, but he knew deep down it was the right thing to do.

"I forgive you."

"You do? Thank you Alan!"

"Yah whatever, don't push it."

"Alan I heard about your wedding. I am sorry I said what I did about Kelly. I am sure she really is a wonderful person. I shouldn't have said what I did. I called her a whore and I said untruthful things about her. I wish there was some way I could make it up to you."

"That won't be necessary. I heard you spent some time in jail. Is that true?"

"Yes."

"Well, then that is enough pay-back I guess."

"I am in town."

"I thought you couldn't come anywhere near Jodi, Quincy, Joey or Max."

"I am here on probation and my restraining order has been lifted. I wanted to take you out to dinner to celebrate."

"Celebrate what? Your probation?"

"No! The wedding! Please let me take you out! I want to make it up to you! I promise there are no tricks! You can pick the place and the time! I really feel badly about what I put you through."

A replay of what happened the last time Squid and Kandy went to dinner to resolve their issues with someone flashed before him.

"I don't think that is a good idea."

"Please!"

Squid looked at Kandy and put down the phone so he could talk to her.

"Bruce wants us to go to dinner with him so he can make up for what he said about you and how he treated me."

Kandy raised one eyebrow at him.

"Bruce is sorry for what he said about me? Ha! Remember what happened last time we went to resolve our issues with one of your parents over dinner?"

"Yah, but maybe we should give him a chance so then he will stop calling us."

"Fine."

Squid picked up the phone and continued talking to Bruce.

"Fine we'll come. Tonight we will meet you at Jack's Bar and Grill at six, but I am warning you no tricks!"

"No tricks I promise! Thanks Alan! I will see you tonight!"

Squid hung up the phone and sighed.

"I can't believe we are giving him another chance."

Kandy handed Squid her cell phone. Here call Jodi she wanted to know what happened between you and Bruce.

Squid and Kandy walked into the restaurant at six o'clock. Standing there was Bruce. He looked different. He had lost weight, and there was no longer a bounce in his step. His boy-ish grin was no longer bright and charming, but it looked less convincing and slightly depressed. His hair was turning grey in small areas and his eyes looked worn and tired. Jail had clearly done some damage on Bruce. He smiled when he saw Squid and Kandy and reached out his hand but neither Squid nor Kandy took it.

"This is a nice place; I have never been here before. Do you guys eat here a lot?"

"Not really."

The three were shown to their booth Kandy and Squid sat on one side and Bruce sat on the other. There was a small silence as the three pretended to look at their menu even though they all knew what they wanted. The silence was finally broken by the waitress.

"Hello! Can I get you anything to drink?"

Once they had ordered and their menus had been collected there was no long an excuse not to talk to one another.

"So Alan, how is your mother doing?"

"Better."

"Jodi told me about what happened a few weeks ago. I am glad she is ok."

"Me too. Will you excuse me; I have to go to the bathroom."

Squid got up and walked to the back of the restaurant and left Kandy and Bruce alone at the table.

"Kelly, I wanted to say I was sorry for everything I said about you. I treated you badly. I know I can not make-up for it with dinner, but I hope it is a start. I can tell Alan is not happy to see me and I understand. I heard about your wedding. I hope you two can find the strength to be together forever, even when things get rough."

"Thank you. Bruce, what happened between you and Jodi?"

Bruce sighed and his eyes looked even more worn then they did before.

"I blew everything. I got too wrapped up in things that were unimportant and I ruined everything." Bruce looked up at Kandy and smiled. "Alan is a great kid. I know you two will be happy together. Sometimes you find someone and you know that your life would not be as good without them and you are forced with a decision. You can either listen to your heart and stay with that person forever hoping that they really are the one, or you can listen to your head and you can keep searching for someone who will make you as happy as they did. Sometimes you just have to listen to your heart and forget what everyone around you is saying. People think you are too young, and people thought that Alan's mother and I were too young. You and Alan listened to your hearts instead of your heads. That is where Alan's mother and I went wrong. I have never seen the passion the two of you have for each other between anyone else."

Squid came back at the same time as the food was served he sat down next to Kandy. Bruce's words kept playing in her mind. He was right she did have two decisions.

"Bruce we are getting married in six days and it would really make me happy if you came."

Bruce looked up from his food and looked like a kid on Christmas who has just gotten everything he had ever wanted.

"You want me to come to wedding even though I treated you both horribly?"

Kandy looked at Squid who looked furious. She knew he didn't want Bruce to come, but she felt she needed to do this.

"Bruce, you are Squid's father and you have a right to be at your son's wedding." She looked back at Squid. "Squid trust me, there is nothing crueler then telling your father you don't want him at your wedding. When I think about everything my father put me through I get so mad at him, but if he were alive today I would still want him at my wedding. You might be mad now, but you have the chance before it is too late to set things straight with your father."

Kandy looked back at Bruce.

"Yes, please come to our wedding."

Bruce's smile got so big it looked like it was going to fly off his face.

The rest of dinner went surprisingly well. Squid forgave Bruce and even shook his hand when they were ready to leave. They gave him the address of the church and told him when to come. As they were driving home Kandy knew they had done the right thing.

"What made you invite him?"

"Regret. I wish more than anything that my father could be at my wedding, but he can't. Your father can so why would you take that away from him?"

Squid shook his head and leaned over and kissed Kandy.

"Your kindness puts everyone else's' to shame."

"Your beauty takes my breath away too!" Squid added.

"THAT IS IT!"

"What?"

"Take my breath away! That is my favorite love song! Squid it has to be our wedding song! Please!" Squid laughed.

"You just can't stop thinking about that wedding can you?"

"Nope!"

Kandy smiled and continued to go over details with Squid for the remainder of the car ride.

Please review! I lied the next chapter won't be the wedding, but it will be soon! Please review!