Chapter 32

Miranda walks back into her office after putting Lizzie and David Jr. to bed. She takes out Lizzie's baby book and turns to the pictures at the hospital. There's one of Jo McGuire holding baby Lizzie. "I'd forgotten about this picture. Wow." She sees another picture, one that was two pictures superimposed over each other, of Lizzie McGuire and her namesake Lizzie Gordon. "Lizzie should have been there to hold my baby, but then again, if she were still here, I probably wouldn't have my baby. Since when did life get so complicated?" Miranda picks up her pen and continues writing in her daughter's journal….

Your grandparents told your father and me that our first responsibility as parents was to tell the McGuires about you. We waited a month after we told your grandparents to tell them. That was one of the hardest things we had to do. Lizzie hadn't even been dead a year, and her best friend and boyfriend are dating (and had slept together). How sad is that? However, I do not regret having you at all. You are such a delight to your father and me.

Even though the McGuires eventually supported your father and me, it really hurt them when we told them. Jo was 8 months pregnant with Marin, and we wanted to tell them before the school year began so that Matt wouldn't wonder when questions began flying (which they did)….

FLASHBACK SEQUENCE

Miranda sits in her bedroom, looking at photographs of her, Gordo and Lizzie. Tears fall down her cheeks. "Lizzie, how am I supposed to tell your parents that I'm pregnant with your boyfriend's baby? I wish you were here to give me advice. Well, you'd probably kill me. I feel like I cheated on you. I guess that's because I did." Gordo knocks on the door. "Come in."

He walks in the room and sits on the bed. He looks at the scrapbook. "I miss her too." Their eyes meet.

"Oh, Gordo," Miranda wraps her arms around his neck and begins crying. "I wish we didn't have to tell the McGuires."

"Me too. I've already called them. They're expecting us soon."

"What did you say?"

"I told them that we wanted to come over to visit."

"What about Matt?"

"He's there."

Miranda cries harder, "I don't wanna face them! We thought our parents were bad. They're gonna be crushed!"

"I know, but we have no choice. They're gonna find out sooner or later from someone, and it might as well be us."

"Can't we just run away and start our lives over?"

Gordo grins and kisses her on the cheek. "No. C'mon. Let's get this over with." They leave her bedroom, hand in hand.

SEQUENCE ENDS

"That was so hard!" Miranda says to herself. She continues in her journal…..

We walked up the McGuires' driveway and your dad rang the doorbell. I felt myself stiffen when Jo answered the door. She looked so tired; her face was pale and she had dark circles underneath her eyes. I wondered if she had been crying. She had just buried her daughter 7 months previous and was 8 months pregnant. I knew we were adding to her burden and grief, but we couldn't do a thing about it. I swallowed hard, and followed your dad into the house. We told her we needed to talk to her, Sam, and Matt, so we waited on the couch while she got them. When they returned, Jo spoke first….

FLASHBACK SEQUENCE

Jo: So, what did you want to talk to us about?

Gordo: Uh, you know Lizzie and I began dating after we came back from Rome?

Sam: Yes. Sounding somewhat annoyed or frustrated. He sighs. David, what's this about?

Gordo: I…I…I…uh, I was devastated when I heard she, uh.

Miranda: Interrupting. You see, she was mm, m, my best friend, and I really miss her.

Matt: You know something, don't you? Begins yelling. You know why she did it and you're not telling! FK YOU! He starts to walk off.

Jo: Matt, watch your language!

Gordo: No! I don't know why she did it!

Matt: Yeah right. He snorts. She was your girlfriend. I bet you told each other everything. Why didn't you do something? Some boyfriend you turned out to be.

Gordo: Right. If that's so, I was a lousy boyfriend because I had no clue. I had no clue that she was depressed. If I did, I would've tried to help. Tears form. Matt, I feel incredibly guilty that she did that and I couldn't stop her.

Sam: None of us knew. We all let her down.

Jo: Becoming annoyed. We can rehash this all day long. The bottom line is our daughter is DEAD! Gordo, why are you here? Did you ask to talk to us to soothe your guilty conscience? If so, leave and don't come back. I don't blame you for Lizzie's death, but this is not helpful. She turns to Miranda. You haven't said a word. Why are you here? She pauses and gasps. She sees Gordo and Miranda's hands clasped together. OH MY GOD YOU'RE DATING, AREN'T YOU!

Miranda: Her eyes widen. Uh… She trails off and looks down.

Jo: Her eyes narrow as anger builds. You two were supposed to be my daughter's best friends. My daughter hasn't even been dead a year, and you're dating? Did you come here to get our blessing?

Miranda: No, we didn't.

Jo: I should've known, though. You two looked pretty cozy at her funeral.

Sam: That's not fair, Jo. We lost our daughter, but they lost their best friend.

Gordo: For as long as I can remember, it was David and Lizzie. Heck, I've heard stories from you and my mom about how we were supposed to grow up and get married some day. Well, Lizzie won't grow up. We won't be getting married. When we met Miranda in preschool, we became Lizzie, Gordo, and Miranda, the trio.

Miranda: Lizzie and I talked about how we would grow up, get married, buy houses next door, and have twins—a boy and girl each, so they could marry each other. Tears fall from her and Jo's eyes.

Gordo: Our world was turned upside down when she died. All we had was each other. We didn't intend to start dating, but it just happened.

Jo: Speaking in a hushed tone. What. Just. Happened?

Miranda: Looks down and places her and Gordo's hands on her abdomen. I'm pregnant.

Gordo: And I'm the father.

Matt: Enraged. WHAT! FK YOU BOTH! He storms out of the room, heads upstairs, sits at the top, and listens to the rest of the conversation.

Sam: Exasperated. I can't say I'm surprised. I see how close you two appear. I guess if I were in your shoes, I would have clung to my best friend too. But, if you're here for our blessing, I can't give it.

Jo sits in silence, crying, unable to say a word.

Gordo: We're not asking for your blessing, but since we were Lizzie's best friends, we felt we should tell you.

Jo: Regains some composure. Did you really, or did your parents make you come over?

Miranda: Our parents, but we knew we needed to tell you.

Matt: Walking back downstairs. What, so you could rub it in our faces? Ha! Ha! The joke's on you! We're Lizzie's best friends and we're having a baby. I thought you were her friends, and as soon as she's dead, you jump in the sack. Were you dating while she was alive?

Gordo and Miranda: NO! We'd never!

Matt: Finishes their thought. Do that to Lizzie? Well, guess what. You did. You betrayed my sister. I don't know if I can forgive you for that.

Gordo: We're not asking for your forgiveness….

SEQUENCE ENDS

Miranda continues writing….

Mija, telling the McGuires was really difficult. Sam and Jo were crushed, and Matt was livid. We hadn't seen them since the funeral. Matt was no longer the zany, happy-go-lucky kid we'd come to know. He was sullen and angry; your father thought he looked troubled. Of course, Lizzie's death had been hard on him. He found her. Although he didn't know she was dead, I can't imagine finding my sister dead. No wonder he lost it and turned to drugs. Who would've thought Melina would be the one to snap him back into reality. Perhaps fatherhood will be good for him. Sam came around first. I think he really missed your father. There were so many times your father was at the McGuire's house working on some project with Sam and Matt. After Marin was born, Jo came around. I think Marin was healing for her. She became one of my best sources of support. I could tell her things I couldn't tell my mom or your dad's mom.

It was difficult emotionally being pregnant. We were taunted at school. Kate was nice to us, but Claire and Parker were merciless. Many of our classmates accused us of cheating on Lizzie, which wasn't true at all. But we felt like we cheated on her too. Jo helped us realize we weren't. She told me she felt honoured when we told her we wanted to name you Lizzie if you were a girl. She thought that was a fitting tribute to our friend, and that Lizzie probably would have been thrilled. I'm not so sure about that, but that would be nice...