Richonne (Short Love Stories) Always You Part III (Chapter 39)
The meeting Shane arranged with Lori went well as she accepted the offer of money to have the test done to determine the parentage of the child. Shane knew the draw of money would get her and he couldn't wait to tell Rick and Michonne the news. He also enlisted Danielle's help in finding a clinic that would administer the test. Everything was set in motion to take place in one week. The three friends made plans to be there together.
Meanwhile, Sunday has arrived and Rick and Michonne are seated in church with their parents. Both are nervous as they aren't sure if Ms. Mae, Ms. Gladys, and Arthur are aware of what is going on. Neither sets of parents appear to be treating them any differently so they both surmise that Walter has kept quiet. The young couple grasp hands as they continue to listen to the choir sing.
Hours later, they are seated around the dinner table at Michonne's parents' house. The elders are jovial as usual and talking about the latest community news. Michonne and Rick sit side by side quietly and a bit somberly as they listen.
"You two sure are quiet tonight. Something going on with school?" Arthur asks.
"Not quite," Rick returns as he decides to just get it over with. He looks to his girlfriend before returning his fork to his plate and giving his full attention to his parents and hers. "I…..I asked Michonne to marry me and she said yes."
There is a stunned silence before Ms. Mae, Ms. Gladys, and Arthur all start speaking at once. Walter manages to calm them down when he requests that the kids be heard.
"We can't listen to this. They're still in college. They can't get married now," Ms. Mae tells her husband.
"Exactly. They're too young. It's just too soon," Ms. Gladys agrees.
"Son, you're just starting out. You don't even have your own place yet. How are you even thinking about something as serious as marriage?" Arthur inserts, then gives his son a serious scowl. "Unless you're telling us you have to get married."
"My daughter is not pregnant if that's what you're thinking," Walter supplies.
"How would you know? What other reason could there be?" Ms. Mae panics as she turns to her daughter. "Why didn't you tell me?"
"Mom, I'm not pregnant. Rick and I are in love. We've been in love for a while now and we just don't see why we should wait to be married when we feel the way we do," Michonne states.
"Well, if you feel this way now, how do you know you won't feel this way when you're done with college?" Ms. Gladys inquires. "What's wrong with waiting?"
"Why do we have to wait?" Rick asks.
"Do I have to give you a list?" Ms. Gladys states with a huff. "It's not happening. Not right now and that's final. End of discussion."
"But what about what we want? Shouldn't that be taken into consideration?" Rick counters.
"You're too young to know what you want. We've been where you are and we're telling you getting married now would be a mistake," Ms. Mae suggests.
"But how will we know it's a mistake if we don't do it?" Michonne wonders. "What if it's the right thing for us?"
Her mother gives her a contemplative look but doesn't have a retort.
"I already gave them my blessing, but I told them they had to talk to all of us," Walter tells them.
"You did what?" Ms. Mae exclaims. "How could you do that?"
"Because….if you'll just take a moment and think about the history between these two, they've always been there for each other. I think if it was something frivolous that would've been proven during these last two years since they've been living in different cities. Their feelings haven't changed. Also, they're going through something right now that would test any bond, but they're staying together. They're facing it together. That shows love, respect, and maturity. Rick came to my office to ask permission to marry my daughter and he didn't hold anything back. I'd be proud to have him as my son-in-law." Walter smiles at the young couple and gives them a nod.
Arthur, Ms. Gladys, and Ms. Mae remain silent as they all contemplate Walter's words.
"Well, where would you live? Would you get married and continue to live in different cities? How could that possibly work?" Ms. Gladys wants to know.
Rick gives a small sigh of relief. His mother's questions let him know that she was at least considering it. He starts to tell them about his plans to transfer so he and Michonne can live together and finish college together. He also relays his career plans and ambitions.
"That all sounds great, but how would you support yourselves? Will you be able to work and go to school?" Ms. Mae wants to know.
Michonne starts to speak but her dad stops her.
"We're already paying for everything so I don't see why that should stop just because they're getting married. I'm willing to support them until they finish college and then they're on their own. My continuous wedding gift so to speak," Walter laughs.
"But Daddy, we're willing to work. We'll do whatever it takes," Michonne interjects.
"Right. I'm going to be able to support her no matter what," Rick states.
"I don't doubt you son, but nothing's wrong with a little help. My parents helped me and I'm in a position to do this, so let me," Walter returns.
"You won't shoulder it alone, Walter. That wouldn't be fair. We'll do our part as well, "Arthur adds.
Ms. Gladys sighs. "I'm still not 100% sure about this. Can you give yourselves at least 6 months and just think it over?"
"That's fine mom, but I'm moving to Atlanta as soon as possible so if you're ok with us just living together….." Rick trails off as his mother gasps and eyes him sternly.
"Weddings take time to plan, so 6 months is not unreasonable," Ms. Gladys returns reluctantly.
"We'll just go to the justice of the peace," Michonne suggests.
Ms. Mae gasps and tosses her napkin on the table. "There is no way you two will go to the justice of the peace like you're in some sordid Lifetime Movie."
Rick and Michonne glance at each other then look to Ms. Mae. They both know if their mothers are on board, then everything would be a go.
"Well….I have always thought lavender was the perfect color for a wedding,"Ms. Mae admits.
"There's one other thing you all should know before we start making any plans," Rick begins.
Michonne sighs as her boyfriend reaches for her hand. She is going to support him no matter what but sometimes she wishes he would choose when to be open and honest and right now is just not the time. They were making leeway with their parents and this would probably only push them back to step one. All she can do is brace herself for the impact.
"There is a chance that I might be a father," Rick announces with a slight cringe. He is met with questioning eyes as Michonne squeezes his hand.
"I knew it! What other reason would you two have to get married this soon and why would you lie about it? If Michonne is pregnant…." Ms. Mae stops as the words "Michonne's not pregnant" drift to her yet again.
"I'm not understanding. You just said you might be a father and now you say Michonne's not pregnant?" Arthur asks.
"No, it's not Michonne," Rick admits.
"Wait one moment. Let me get this straight. You want to marry my daughter but you're having a child with someone else? That can't be right," Ms. Mae states.
"I know that's not what you mean, Richard. It can't be," Ms. Gladys chimes in.
Rick cringes again as his mom calls him Richard. She only uses his full name when she is truly upset.
"Well, I'm still not understanding!" Arthur shouts. "What is really going on here son? Who is this other girl?"
"It's…Lori," Rick answers.
"That Petersen girl?" Arthur asks then sighs in frustration. "Well if that's the case it appears to me you're marrying the wrong girl."
Michonne gasps at Rick's father's comment as her father comes to her defense and a slight disagreement ensues. All they can do is sit back and watch as their parents go back and forth, both feeling a bit despondent as they are the cause of the ruckus. They eventually leave the house unnoticed and walk around the neighborhood, arriving at the nearby community park.
They both sit on the swing set side by side and ponder if they are doing the right thing.
"Maybe we should just tell them we'll wait. It'll make things easier," Michonne suggests.
"Yeah, but I can't help thinking that it wouldn't be worth anything if we didn't have to fight for it….if it wasn't going to be difficult," Rick returns. "I love you. That's all that matters to me right now."
"I love you, too." She drops her head as she feels the tears well up in her eyes. "I just don't want them upset with us. Maybe we just should've eloped."
"So you'd run away just to marry me?" Rick asks with a slight smile.
She looks up at him, wiping her tears away. "In a heartbeat."
Rick stands as he pulls her into his arms to comfort her. "It's going to be ok. At least your dad doesn't think we're doing the wrong thing."
All she can do is cling to him tighter as she wonders if things will really be ok for them.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
They meet Shane and Lori at the clinic on a Thursday afternoon and walk in together. Rick, Michonne, and Shane sit quietly in the waiting room while Lori is escorted to an examination room after completing some paperwork. Shane offers to go with her, but she declines. Michonne thought she would feel awkward but surprisingly she doesn't. She feels calm for some strange reason especially knowing that there is a possibility of Rick being the child's father. She looks over at him, taking in his nervousness and wishes there was some way to make this all better for him.
A little over thirty minutes later, a nurse walks into the waiting room and asks Shane to accompany her. Rick and Michonne share a look, wondering what could be happening. Soon, Shane walks out with a clearly agitated Lori.
The latter takes one look at Rick, tears filling her eyes as she drops her head with shame.
"What's going on?" Rick asks cautiously.
Shane tries not to smirk but clearly can't help himself. "Do you want to tell him or should I?"
Lori shakes her head, finding it difficult to speak.
"Apparently, you have to be a certain amount of weeks for this test. Lori here is way past that cut off time which means the baby can't be yours. As a matter of fact, I'd guess she was pregnant when you two got together."
"What?" Rick inquires, his heart beating racing as he comprehends the truth.
"The baby ain't yours," Shane confirms.
Rick is not sure why but he needs to hear Lori say those exact words. "Lori?"
The tall brunette lifts her head and looks to Michonne and then Rick. "Shane's right. According to these people here, I'm too far along for this baby to be yours but I didn't set out to fool you. I really thought you could be the father."
"Well, how far along are you?" Michonne asks.
"Almost 19 weeks which is about 5 months. I just…I didn't know," Lori admits.
"Do you know who the father is?" Michonne wonders, a little concerned.
Lori can't help but look to Shane. "I think I have an idea but we'll probably need to get a DNA test once the baby's born."
Shane is not even bothered. He knows Lori is going to cling to him like never before now but he's willing to endure it just knowing that Rick didn't make the biggest mistake of his life. "Come on, man. Let's go celebrate! How about a cheeseburger?"
Michonne looks over at a saddened Lori and is truly torn between being ecstatic that Rick is not the father and remorseful because of Lori's situation. "I don't think now is the best time Shane." She walks over to Lori and gives her a tentative smile. "Hey. It'll be ok. I mean you do have an idea of who the dad is, so that's comforting."
"I…..I guess so. It's between Shane and this other guy. I know it is," Lori states. She and Michonne move off together, exiting the clinic as Shane and Rick look on, both astounded at how giving and selfless Michonne truly is.
Shane turns to his friend. "Man you better marry her quick. You hit the jackpot with Michonne. I sure wish she had a sister."
The four of them visit a popular fast food restaurant where Lori reveals who the other guy is and her plans to tell him he might be a father. Michonne encouraged her to truly find out who the father is as her baby deserves to know both of his or her parents.
An hour later, Rick and Michonne are driving back to her apartment. He reaches over and grabs one of her hands with his free one, keeping his eyes on the road.
"You ok?" He asks.
"Yeah. Just thinking," she answers.
"About what?"
"Us….getting married."
He frowns. "You're not changing your mind, are you?"
"No." She pauses. "I was just thinking….we're of age. We don't need our parents' permission. Why don't we go and apply for the license tomorrow? I don't know if there's a waiting period but once we get the license we can just go to the justice of the peace."
He steals a glance at her. "Are you serious?"
"I am."
"But what about your mom? She was adamant about not going to the justice of the peace," Rick reminds her.
"Rick, she doesn't even want us to get married…."
"Maybe she'll change her mind once she finds out the baby's not mine."
"Ok. We'll tell them about the baby right after we announce that we're married," Michonne determines.
Rick sighs, second guessing himself for only a moment.
"I thought this was what you wanted."
He looks over at her again, taking in her beauty despite the darkened interior. "It is….more than anythang."
"So what are you afraid of?"
He laughs. "Nothing….with you by my side."
Michonne laughs with him as she leans over and kisses him soundly on the cheek. "We're getting married."
"We're getting married," he repeats.
The next day, Rick skips two classes so he can drive to Atlanta, pick up Michonne and go downtown to the courthouse. They wait in line patiently and finally get their turn at the clerk's window. They inform him of their purpose and are asked to provide two forms of identification. They both use their driver's licenses and school ID badges. After the fees are paid and documents signed, the clerk asks them if they were planning to get married that day.
Rick and Michonne look at each other with surprise.
"We can get married today?" Rick asks.
"Yeah, Judge Lofton is presiding until 4:30. So what's it going to be?" The clerk asks with disinterest.
A simultaneous "yes" is given as Rick and Michonne grasp hands, practically beaming at each other.
They watch as the clerk picks up the phone and moments later tells them they can be married by the judge in one hour.
"Do you have a witness?" The clerk queries.
"Do we need one?" Rick wonders.
"Not particularly. The court clerk can sign your marriage license. Some folks just like friends or family to witness, but it's not necessary."
Rick nods and thanks the clerk as Michonne pulls out her cell and dials Sasha's number. She didn't reach her so she opted to send her a text instead. She then looks down at her jeans and sandals and Rick's jeans and sneakers and realizes her mother is going to be livid. Ms. Gladys too most likely but at that very moment, she could care less. She surmises to deal with the consequences later.
Rick gasps and says, "We don't have any rings. How can we get married without rings?"
Michonne can't help but gape as she hadn't considered that at all. An idea is formed immediately and she grabs his hand. "Come on."
They walk to a nearby jewelry store and Michonne uses a credit card to purchase his and hers silver wedding bands. Rick decides to protest but after a stern look from her, he let it go.
A little over forty minutes later they are standing before a Judge awaiting to become husband and wife as the court clerk stands in as a witness. Just as the judge was about to begin, the court doors burst open and Sasha rushes in wildly.
Michonne squeezes Rick's hand as she smiles at her friend. She didn't think Sasha would care enough to show up since she didn't approve of the marriage but she is so glad to have her there.
"Sorry. So sorry. I'm the…the witness," Sasha explains breathlessly.
The Judge frowns but allows her to stand next to Michonne as he prepares to begin again.
Everything happens in a whirlwind as Michonne hears Rick say "I do" and she is asked to repeat those words. They exchange rings and the Judge gives Rick permission to salute his bride. She knows it's real when she hears the announcement of Mr. and Mrs. Richard Grimes.
Rick holds onto their documents as Sasha and Michonne hug and cry on the steps of the courthouse.
"Thank you so much for coming," Michonne tells her.
"I almost didn't, but I couldn't miss this. I guess I didn't realize how serious you were until I got that text," Sasha explains. She looks to Rick and then back at Michonne. "Congratulations."
"Thank you. I really appreciate it Sasha," Michonne says.
"Hey. What are best friends for, right?" Sasha pushes her toward her new husband. "Come on. Let me get some pictures of you two."
Michonne gasps yet again, completely forgetting to try and commemorate this day in every way possible. She hugs and kisses Rick before the two of them start posing for Sasha.
Much later, the newlyweds are giggling as they stand in front of the door to Michonne's apartment and Rick swings her up into his arms to carry her over the threshold. He walks inside carefully and deposits her feet first onto the floor. He leans in and kisses her ever so gently before dropping his forehead to hers.
"Welcome home, Mrs. Grimes," he tells her with a smile.
Epilogue: The marriage was accepted well by Walter and Ms. Gladys, but Arthur and Ms. Mae were much tougher to win over even after the news of Rick not being the father of another girl's child. Rick moved to Atlanta as soon as possible after transferring from one school to the other. He also took a job with campus security on a part time basis. Michonne took a job as a part time runner for a prestigious law firm. She and Sasha remain best friends as do Rick and Shane. Lori Petersen told her ex-boyfriend, Phillip Blake, about her pregnancy and he immediately offered to marry her. She conveniently left off the fact that another man could possibly be the father of her child.