The Newport connection

Marissa placed a small tick beside Skip's name and then looked at the next name on the list. She hesitated. How could it be so hard to call her best friend? But after the way that they'd left off the last time they'd spoken, she didn't know how things stood between them anymore. And since then … Summer would have found out about their marriage. And that surely wouldn't have improved things. Marissa could only imagine how angry Summer would have been. Seth may have been disappointed but Marissa was pretty sure that Summer's first reaction would have been anger. A total rage blackout no doubt.

Trying to think of how she could even get Summer to answer the phone without just screaming abuse and then hanging up on her was proving to be more than a little difficult. After a considerable period of time, when Marissa tried to think of a number of ways of starting the conversation just to discard all of them she decided to pass on calling Summer and go to the next name on the list. She was hoping that this might go a little easier … although there was nothing certain about that either. They may be just as angry.

Marissa knew that it would be nearly midnight in Newport … but it would also be Friday night. Hopefully they may have been out to a function and still wouldn't be asleep. And even if they were … it wasn't like she had any other options of when she could call them. Not if she hoped to keep this all a surprise from Ryan. She dialled the number and waited as it rang … her heart in her mouth wondering just who would answer.

---

Kirsten was in the kitchen stacking the dishwasher when the phone rang. She was startled … instantly thinking the worst. She reached for the phone with some trepidation thinking that you didn't get good news calls at midnight. She looked at the caller id and was surprised … especially in light of the main topic of conversation for the whole of the evening. Slowly bringing the phone to her ear she pressed the small answer button and said. "Hello."

Marissa let out a sigh of relief. She didn't know why but she had been hoping that Kirsten would answer. She had a feeling that as a mother she would be more likely to forgive them than Sandy ... at least that was what she hoped. "Kirsten? Hi. It … it's Marissa."

Kirsten didn't really know how to react … sure Marissa was now family but she was family that had hurt them all … how was she supposed to react? She really had no idea and so she reverted to what came naturally. "How are you?" Kirsten asked in her formal business tone.

"I'm well. Thank you." Marissa responded in kind. It wasn't exactly a warm greeting but at least Kirsten hadn't hung up on her. "I'm sorry about calling so late but I need to talk to you and this was my only opportunity to get in touch with you while Ryan wasn't here." Marissa explained.

Kirsten was even more surprised if that was possible. Why did Marissa need to call while Ryan wasn't around? She didn't know what she should say. She could hear Sandy, Seth and Summer all laughing about something on the television in the next room and somehow she felt like a traitor because she was talking to Marissa. And yet how could she be a traitor when she was talking to her new daughter-in-law? She had never felt more confused in her life. How was she supposed to react? And why did Marissa need to talk to her without Ryan? It didn't make any sense.

Marissa waited for some response but when none was forthcoming she started to panic. "Please don't hang up on me. Give me a chance to explain first and then I'm hoping that you will help me with a surprise that I'm planning for Ryan."

Kirsten knew that at the mere mention of Ryan's name there was no way that she would hang up. If she had ever wondered if Ryan truly held a place in her heart like her own son … then it was answered right then and there. It didn't matter that he had hurt them all. It didn't matter what he did … she would always love him and care for him ... no matter what … And that being the case there was only one possible answer. "I'm still here. What did you want?"

"First … I wanted to try to explain what happened last weekend and ask for your …. " Marissa had been about to say 'forgiveness' but changed her mind. Nothing about what they did was wrong. They didn't need to be forgiven. If they turned back the clock then they would do the same thing again. So she thought and then continued "… understanding." and then waited for a reply.

Kirsten said nothing. She had no intention of making this easy. What Ryan and Marissa had done had hurt them all.

When there was no response Marissa added. "You need to understand that we decided weeks ago that we wanted to be together for ever but we thought that we should wait until after Seth and Summer's nuptials. With all of the attention we seemed to be getting from the paparazzi, we were afraid that our wedding would take over and that their's would get lost in it all. And you know that Summer has always wanted the grand 'to do' whereas Ryan and I had already spoken about the fact that we wanted the complete opposite. Just something small …" she explained.

"I understand all of that but then why did you decide to rush into it?" Kirsten asked … it still didn't make sense to her.

"Well … a few things happened. As it turns out my mother has been suffering from depression. Pretty severely I gather. I knew nothing about it but Dan … that's her fiancé … had contacted Ryan and asked him to try to get me to speak with her. But he had asked Ryan to keep her condition a secret. He knew that she wouldn't want me to contact her solely because I felt sorry for her. Ryan had been encouraging me to make contact with her and after everything that she had done … that was causing … " Marissa looked for the right word " friction … between us."

"I'm sorry about your mother but I still don't see …" Kirsten started only to be cut off.

Marissa was stuck. She didn't seem to be getting anywhere and so decided to take another tack. "Do you believe in fate?" she asked quickly.

Kirsten was shocked by the question but she knew the answer straight away. She had often thought that it was fate that had brought her and Sandy together. You would never have expected their paths to cross under normal circumstances. They were from two different worlds. "Yes. Yes I do." Kirsten replied.

Marissa sighed. Finally she felt like she had a chance. If Kirsten had said no then she wouldn't have known where to go next. "Well can you just imagine how it was for Ryan and I? We had been secretly engaged for weeks … well before Seth and Summer … and with Seth and Summer seemingly taking forever in making up their minds and organising their wedding … we were starting to wonder if ours would ever take place. Then on the first night that we were in Las Vegas … Ryan and I went for a walk and it was as if fate took over and was telling us what to do. First, we saw a Chanel dress that I loved in the window of a store. It was one that I had modelled at their parades in Paris earlier this year, one that I'd loved so much, I'd almost bought it for myself back then … then we saw a couple coming out of a wedding chapel that were the happiest two people you could ever imagine. Ryan and I stood and watched them for quite some time and I know that we were both wishing that it was us and then we went to Circus Circus and I talked Ryan in to coming on the Ferris wheel with me."

Kirsten didn't really understand the relevance of the Ferris Wheel but said. "Knowing Ryan's fear of heights … that wouldn't have been easy."

"I don't know if you realise but the first time Ryan and I kissed was on the Ferris Wheel at the Harbour School Kick off carnival. We were on it and the wheel stopped at the top and Ryan was freaking out about the height and I kissed him to take his mind off it."

Kirsten couldn't help but smile as she thought about the image of a frightened Ryan being kissed by Marissa. "I'm sure that would have done the trick." She said.

Marissa smiled thinking back. "Yeah. It did seem to have the desired effect."

"So you're telling me the Ferris wheel at Circus Circus reminded you of …"

"No. Well … not no. Yes … it did remind us and that's why I convinced him to go on it. But when we got to the top … the Ferris wheel stopped again. I don't know if it was fate or what? But it just seemed like everything was telling us that the time was right."

Kirsten couldn't help but smile at the thought. "It's almost serendipitous." She whispered.

"Pardon?" Marissa said.

"Nothing. I guess that I'm just sorry that we weren't with you. I'd have loved to be there." She said softly.

"I know." Marissa said sadly. "The only thing that took the shine off the day was the fact that you all weren't there with us. But we had thought that we could keep it quiet and then celebrate properly after Seth and Summer were married but unfortunately that plan didn't work." Marissa said trying to brace herself for what she now had to admit to. "Unfortunately I mistakenly informed two people who I thought were friends and obviously one of them has gone and told the press. And now … all because of me… Ryan has been put in a terrible position with you all."

"Don't worry. He is still Ryan. We might all be hurting a little but we'll come around in the end." Kirsten assured her.

That was a good enough response to give Marissa hope. "Well … how long do you think that might take? I don't mean to rush you but you see … I'm planning a surprise for Ryan to try to make it up to him for me spilling the beans and causing all these problems. But I need your help."

Kirsten was now intrigued. "Doing what?"

"I want to have another wedding in Venice next weekend. This time with all our loved ones there."

"Venice?" Kirsten said. "In Italy?"

"Uh-huh. I'm sort of hoping that you will all agree to attend. I've spoken to Skip and he has agreed to fly you all out together on Friday." Marissa waited.

"Um." Kirsten didn't know what to say. She knew that she'd be there in a flash. She may have missed their first wedding but there was no way that she would miss the second. "I can't speak for everyone else but I'd love to come."

"Thank you." Marissa said. "Do you think that the others will be prepared to come too? Or are they too angry and disappointed with us?"

"They are all here. Do you want to speak with them or would you like me to explain first and then they can call you back?"

Marissa hesitated. She hadn't expected Seth and Summer to be there but then it was Friday night and no doubt they had spent the evening all talking about Ryan and Marissa's secret wedding. "I'm not sure. I guess you have a better idea than I do about how they are likely to take the news. What do you suggest?"

"I'm happy to talk to the boys but perhaps you should speak to Summer your self?"

"Do you think that she'll talk to me? We sort of had a bit of a disagreement the other night." Marissa asked extremely doubtful after their last conversation.

"Give me a few minutes to talk to her and then call back. I'll make sure that she answers. Unless I'm mistaken she feels badly about the way that you two left off the last time you spoke. Maybe you could ask her to help with the wedding plans? I'm sure that she'd love to think that she was part of it all." Kirsten.

Marissa smiled. She could think of nothing better. "I'd love that. Thank you Kirsten. I'll never be able to repay you for this."

"Sure you will. Just make sure that I get to baby sit a lot once you start your family." She said.

Marissa laughed. "That … I can promise."