Happy March! Spring is almost here! It's been raining like CRAZY! But here is the next installment!
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Casey sat in the oversized armchair, her knees bouncing up and down. She heard fumbling and movement upstairs before she heard Emily's voice, muffled by the ceiling. Casey moved cautiously towards the stairs, following the noise, just in case.
"Emily?" she called, reaching the upstairs landing.
"Don't come up!" Emily called, "it is such a mess!"
"Are you okay?"
"Yeah," she muttered, followed by more fumbles, the sound of boxes falling and Emily swearing. "Don't judge me."
"I would never," Casey laughed, "Can I come in?" There was a slight pause before Emily responded.
"On one condition," she threatened.
"Okay," Casey agreed, before she knew what she was agreeing to, and not really caring, so long as Emily trusted her.
"You can come in, as long as you tell me about your wedding."
"We should get married." Casey nearly swallowed her fork. That was not what she was expecting when she asked him what was up.
"What?" she coughed, when she could finally breathe.
"Married. You and me."
"You're crazy."
"Well, why not? I love you and you love me."
"We can't get married."
"Why?"
"It's too soon."
"What? We've been, you know, you and me for years."
"I didn't mean that."
"Is this about you not being thirty?"
"What? Oh, no-"
"Because four years is a long time to wait around."
"No, Derek, I just meant that we got thrown out of our family less than a month ago."
"I know. So what? There's not a rule on timing or anything."
"It's a little tacky."
"Why? I don't think so."
"Well," she looked down at her plate sadly, "no one would come."
"Oh, Case," his voice was quieter, comforting, as he reached out for her hand
She shook her head and pulled her arm away to discreetly cover her face with her napkin , "it's just too soon."
"Case, how would any of that change if we waited?" She shrugged sadly. "So, either way, whenever we get married, we'll still be the bad guys. We might as well be happy about it. Right?"
He had a point. Even if they threw the big white wedding she thought she always wanted, which they couldn't afford, it wouldn't make a difference. Her mother would never be there. They would always have judged and condemned her without evidence. She couldn't rely on them ever again. Her only constant was Derek. And he was looking at her from under his eyelashes, which was really unfair. She took a deep breath in order to gather her thoughts.
"Okay," she decided, "You're right. Let's do it."
"So, you went and got married?" Emily squealed through the door.
"Well, not immediately," Casey qualified, leaning back against the door from her position on the floor. "I'm a planner, so I started looking at houses and jobs so we could live together. I made a budget and did research; I wanted to feel like I got everything I'd hoped for. And so did Derek. He found a very economical and perfect for us officiate and location."
"What do you mean by perfect for you? You weren't married by Elvis Presley or anything, were you?" Casey laughed.
"No, although Derek lobbied for some TV sports icon before he saw my binders of ideas."
"That probably sobered him up," Emily snorted. "Oh, dammit," she muttered. "Casey?" Her voice was very near the door. Casey scrambled to her feet.
"Yeah?"
"Could you- Can you do up the laces?" Emily asked in a small voice, poking her head around the door.
"Of course!" Emily stepped out of her room, glowing. Casey could tell immediately how special the dress made Emily feel. The wide smile on her face was very telling.
"What do you think?" she asked Casey, shyly.
"Oh, my God," Casey gushed, "Emily, you look so beautiful!"
Emily beamed and fiddled with the ends of ribbons that were supposed to lace up her back. "Would you mind?" she asked, holding them out to Casey. Casey secured the back of the bodice as Emily swayed in front of her mirror, admiring herself. "It's so new." Her voice was quiet, but her smile made her eyes light up. "I can't stop smiling." She spun in a slow circle, trying to see as much of the dress as she could.
"Oh, you shouldn't! You look amazing! It is a gorgeous dress!" Emily giggled.
"I feel so pretty." She gazed at herself in the mirror. Casey beamed at her friend's happiness. The excitement was contagious. Emily piled her curls on top of her head and then explained how she was unsure how she wanted to have her hair, and still hadn't decided about a veil. She brought out three pairs of heels and played dress-up. Casey was having an amazing time. Planning was her favorite; her husband said it was because she was bossy. But she loved knowing how things work and how they all fit together.
"I like either the gold or the navy," Casey mentioned, looking at the shoes peeking out from under Emily's skirt as she held it up.
"Not white?" Emily bit her lip, her head cocked at her reflection.
"It'll give a pop of color," Casey explained, "plus, not everyone will notice your shoes, unless you're planning on hiking your skirt up." The two women laughed good heartedly and admired the outfit for a little longer, feeling like high schoolers again.
"Okay," Emily shook herself a little, "It's time to get out of this thing before I ruin it. Or, you know, forget to take it off before Steve comes home." She gave one last twirl before having Casey unlace the back.
Emily carefully folded the dress into its place in her closet with a silly look on her face. Casey smiled at her, remembering full well the emotions that put that same expression on her face.
"I know," Emily breathed. "I look crazy. Steve says I look lost or drugged a lot of the time now."
"No, you look like you're getting married," Casey assured her. "It's completely normal, trust me."
"Yeah?"
"Yes, plus when it gets closer, if you're anything like me, Steven will want those looks back instead of- "
"Bridzilla?" Emily guessed.
"Not exactly," Casey laughed. "More like, 'do what I say because I said so and don't ask questions; it's my wedding.'"
"What's the difference?"
"A budget?" Casey smirked, following Emily back down to their drinks.
"Here, I'll warm these up," Emily said, grabbing both mugs. "Have a seat."
"Thanks," Casey settled back into the loveseat feeling a little lightheaded at all the giddiness.
"Now you know what I want to know," Emily scolded Casey as she came back with the tea. "Tell me everything! What did you wear? Who was there? Where did you hold it? Did you guys dance? I can't imagine him dancing voluntarily, I mean without peer pressure that is. Did Nora and George pull their heads out of their asses? Because they had to get over it eventually, right?"
Casey shook her head. "No. I haven't spoken directly to my mother in over three years. And it's—" she swallowed hard at the lump that was suddenly in her throat, "they haven't exactly taken it well." She shook her head, desperately wanting to change the subject. "But the March following all hell breaking loose, we had planned all we could and finally decided that it was then or never."
"How do I look?" Casey asked pulling at her dress and adjusting the thin strap. It was a little sexier than she would have liked, but a big, white wedding dress, complete with train, veil, and heels seemed out of place and absurd for a courthouse wedding. Derek didn't answer her but his eyes raked over her body, his mouth slightly open. Derek ogling her in public made Casey feel a little uncomfortable and she blushed before Abby smacked her son.
"You look beautiful, Casey," she said, arranging a curl against Casey's shoulder. "Just- if he wasn't an indication." Derek narrowed his eyes at his mother, but then turned to look at the people milling around the courthouse.
Casey glanced at him. His black suit and tie made him look slimmer than he already was, but he looked extremely sophisticated, especially with the white Oxford button-down she'd begged him to wear. He refused to button the jacket, but that didn't matter. With his black slacks belted to his hips and even put on shiny black dress shoes. His hair was shorter and pushed out of his eyes. He looked very handsome. Casey smiled. They could have been going to prom. Her white dress hemmed above her knees. In spite of all of the material, it felt a little more like a slip than a gown, but rustled when she walked and she had loved the sweetheart neckline. There were no fancy embellishments or lace, but the folds in the fabric created a beautiful design and hugged her ribs before dropping into the skirt. Her white flats were simple but just right for her dress "Alright," Abby started, pulling at Derek's jacket and tie, "what time is your appointment?"
"One-fifteen."
"Do you have everything?"
"Yep."
"Your license paperwork?"
"Yes."
"Your identifications? Both of them?"
"Yes, mom."
"Money?"
"Got it."
"Rings?"
"Well, I handed them to you, so..."
"Right. Yes. Who's the other witnesses?"
"What?"
"You need two witnesses for a marriage to be valid in Ontario. Who's the other?"
Casey and Derek looked at each other. He paled a little. "We only have you, mom." Abby mumbled something and Derek cursed under his breath. He ran his hands over his face. Casey knew he'd been planning since New Years. He wanted to be sure she thought it was perfect, be sure she felt like it was good for them. One tiny detail was lost, however. Casey's palms started to sweat. She looked around, trying not to panic. Maybe it was a sign. She and Derek locked eyes; he looked worried too. He knew she was scared and prone to freak outs. He started toward her. Then suddenly, he stopped and broke into a confused grin. Casey whipped around. How could he be smiling? And then she saw her.
Liz. Hobbling up the steps with her crutches. She was clutching the rail, hopping her way up the long staircase. Tears pricked behind Casey's eyes. Liz was here. She'd come. When everything else was falling apart, her sister appeared. Casey could barely believe this was real. She covered her mouth with her hands and hurried to the stairs. How was she here? They embraced, Casey careful not to knock Lizzie over. Liz laughed a little as she gave Casey a one-armed hug.
"How, what?" Casey started, wiping at her cheeks, "you're here."
"Obviously," Liz rolled her eyes.
"I thought you hated me."
"You're my sister; I'm not allowed to permanently hate you."
"But you're here! How? Your foot is broken."
"I know," she looked down at her boot. "But my sister is getting married. So I'm here."
"How?" Casey insisted. "How did you know where we were?"
"I didn't. Ed called me this morning and Abby told him yesterday. Apparently Derek had asked him about it, too."
"Derek and Ed are talking?"
"Yeah, for about a month." She looked down at her feet. "You could have told me." Liz shot her a sad look.
"I know. But I didn't know if you'd want to know. After everything that happened," she trailed off.
"I know," Liz nodded, "I was there. And I was hurt. And then Ed reminded me that we already knew. That we had known before you did. So, I really had no right for being mad that you caught up. You should have called."
"I'm sorry. I should have. I was just scared. We didn't need any more dramatics. And I didn't know that Ed and Derek were talking again."
"I know; I was a little shocked at first," Liz started to grin, "Besides, I am an expert drama queen." The sisters shared a smile. That was Casey's domain.
"So, did Edwin drive?"
"No, he couldn't get off work. He's kind of pissed that you didn't tell him either. But he's picking up Marti later so she doesn't hear it from George or Nora."
Casey paused. "So, how did you get here?" They walked closer to Abby and Derek.
"I called my lawyer," Liz said, stone-faced. Casey's stomach dropped. She couldn't mean who Casey dreaded she meant. There was no turnaround for him. Not after everything.
"What do you mean?" she asked, nervously.
Lizzie smiled and turned her head to look at the stairs, her draped necklace clicking against her crutches. And then Sam came up the steps. Casey's jaw dropped open a bit. Sam. From high school. Sam. Her first boyfriend. Sam.
Derek shouted at Sam from behind her and walked stiffly over, halting in front of his high school best friend. They appeared to exchange pleasantries, both with hands shoved in their pockets. Derek finally grinned and stuck out his palm to shake Sam's hand.
"Case! Guess who that hot-shot lawyer who sued that constriction company for crushing Liz is?" Derek called to her as they walked over.
"Congratulations," Casey nodded, "That's so great." She didn't leave her sister's side.
"You know," he shrugged, "it's all for the publicity." They laughed good-naturedly as Sam straightened his tie. "So, what brings you fine people here today, dressed up so fancy?" he asked with a funny, amused look on his face.
The mood sombered quickly. This subject was still an open wound and they weren't ready for more loud reactions. Last time was hard enough. What if Sam thought similarly?
"Well," Casey started at the same as Derek began to explain. They both stopped.
"Do I have to start guessing?" Sam smiled at them. Derek reached for Casey's hand.
"We're," he started, "we're gonna get married." He sounded as if he were holding his breath. Casey was familiar with how he reacted to most situations, and she was sure she could hear his heart beating next to her.
"You're together. As in, you and Casey? For real?"
"For real."
"And you want to get married?"
"Yes."
"To each other?" he looked between the two of them. "Did both of you completely forget high school? I mean, Derek was an asshole."
"Hey," Derek defended himself angrily. Casey grinned.
"Yeah, I know," she acknowledged quietly. "I lived through it."
"But I guess he did try to kill me when I tried to date you," Sam mused.
"Not kill you, per say," Derek countered. "And, Casey, you know you're not thirty yet?"
"Yes."
"Okay, I'll trust you. But I can only defend one of you if you try to kill each other later."
"What?" Casey placed her free hand over the one that held Derek's, not quite sure she knew what was going on.
"Conflict of interest," Abby whispered.
"I know, mom," Derek mumbled.
"So, if you both know what you're getting into," Sam warned.
"Yeah," Derek said, cautiously. He sounded as apprehensive as Casey felt.
"Sweet, let's do this thing," Sam rubbed his hands together.
"Wait, that's it? You're okay with this? No scary interrogation? No legal or dictionary definition of related?" Casey scarcely stopped for breath. "I mean you're acting so normal. You know this isn't normal right? You don't think we're deranged? Or disturbed? Like certifiable and should be locked up? You don't think there's something wrong with us?"Sam cracked a smile.
"Oh, you're definitely certifiably deranged, but," he shrugged, "I don't care."
"Sam, people literally run from us. They usher their kids away if they know us. Our own parents disowned us; we haven't spoken in months! And you're fine?"
"It happens," he shrugged again. "Parents don't know everything, no offense Abby. And I know you guys; love is unpredictable and it happens, others be damned. I already knew. Well, guessed, really, but I had a feeling about you." He pointed a finger at Casey and smiled. "There was something about you." Derek slung an arm over her shoulders and pressed his lips to her temple. She hadn't seen him so happy in a long time.
"Okay, okay, everyone," Abby looked at her watch and herded them all together. "This is it!" Liz grabbed Casey's hand, carefully balancing near her sister. "Are you ready?"
"Ha," Derek swallowed. He sounded confident, but Casey knew him and his eyes hid the fear that had settled in the pit of her stomach. "But let's go." He looked over at her, beaming. He kissed her on the mouth and lead her back into where the judge was waiting for them.
"Twenty minutes and a couple of signatures later, we were married."
"By a judge." Casey nodded. "In a court room." She nodded again. For a moment, she was afraid that Emily would laugh, or think that she'd given up on the fancy affair she'd blathered about in high school. The quite was eating her alive. "Well, no one can say you're predictable," Emily smiled.
"What?"
"I mean, I thought you'd fight tooth and nail for that fairytale, binder wedding you created in high school."
"My fairytale changed," Casey shrugged, "When I finally understood that we were on our own, it didn't matter how anymore, it just mattered that it was him."
"Aw," Emily cooed at her. "You guys are so cute! What happened next?"
"Well, Ed brought Marti up and we went to dinner."
"All of you?"
"Yeah, it was really nice. It was like we were normal for a little bit."
"That's so amazing!"
"Yeah, Marti was mad that we didn't wait until she could drink, but it was a really nice party."
"Like your own miniature reception! That's adorable!"
"Thanks," Casey laughed. "Okay, now tell me about your wedding!" she rearranged herself on the couch, excitedly changing the subject. Emily's grinned widened brightly as she launched into flower arrangements and centerpieces.
Casey was so excited to be having a grownup conversation that wasn't about work or babysitters. She felt vibrant and alive. Emily had heard what she had feared telling her. And she hadn't run screaming. She hadn't condemned her to insanity; hadn't been disgusted. It was nothing like she'd had pictured.
She had never expected to be surprised by a person's reaction to her life. People had given her looks of superiority and distrust. They had treated her differently if they knew who Derek was supposed to have been. Some who said they wouldn't care judged her, even if they didn't know it. The last time she had felt relaxed about spending time around someone from her past had been Sam.
She had written off his acceptance of them as part of his good nature, but with Emily's mirrored response, she began to think that somewhere, someone had the idea before they did. Emily had even made it sound like she had been waiting for it on the first day they saw each other. Which made Casey's head spin because there was no logic to her and Derek. There never had been, and they certainly didn't make any more sense now.
It hurt every time people pretended they didn't know her. Whenever people moved quickly away from her or grabbed their children away from hers or sent her nasty, condemning emails, a part of her crumbled up and died. Eventually, she'd just given up. She stopped saying hello to people she'd known, she stopped going near home; she stopped telling people her story. She kept to herself and formed armor out of hurt feelings and anger.
The buzz of her phone startled her. She'd ignored two calls from Derek earlier; he knew where she was and when she would be back. She had put it on the calendar on the fridge and on sticky notes on the television, his steering wheel, and on their children's doors. He should have found at least one of them. She wasn't going to answer until she looked down at the blurb of the message on the screen in her lap. And her heart faltered and dropped into her stomach.
"Oh, my God," she stood quickly, nearly dropping her phone. "Emily, I'm so sorry, but I have to go."
"What? What happened?"
"You know how I said Nora and George weren't exactly supportive of Derek and I having a relationship?"
"Bit of an understatement," Emily mumbled.
"They—well, George—served us. With papers. A few weeks ago." She closed her eyes and shook her head, not truly believing this was real. "He thinks that our mental state makes us unfit parents."
"What?"
"They've subpoenaed our children for testimony. He's suing us for custody."
That would probably be the worst text message to get ever.
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