"I hope that maybe something will work out for you, Fella" said Phil as he smiled at his soon to be brother in law.
Sheamus chuckled as he shrugged his shoulders, "I don't know like I said, I'm not the luckiest guy."
Adele barged in through the store, completely out of breath, "Here you guys are!"
"You can't come in here!" yelled Phil, clinging to the garment bag that had his wedding tuxedo in it, "You can't see what I'm wearing, it's bad luck!"
"How can I see it? It's in a bag, you idiot" she said crossing her arms. Phil smirked shyly as his cheeks blushed.
"He's just a little nervous" said Sheamus getting between the couple, "He just wants to make sure everything goes perfectly."
Phil nodded to her. An exhausted sigh left but then after realising that she only loved him more she smiled at her fiancé and gave him a cuddle and then pecked his lips. Sheamus left the couple alone and walked around to find the shop assistant.
"Babe, we still have so much to plan for the wedding and it's next week!" she said.
Phil still had his arms firmly placed on her waist, he gave her another kiss, "Just another week and then you get to be mine forever and I can't wait."
She stared at him lovingly; she couldn't believe how lucky she was. "I can't wait either."
He grinned, his tongue poking out slightly. "So what are you worrying about? Let your future husband take care of it."
"No offense but I kind of need to get a woman to help me" she said, "I'm trying to get a hold of Lea but she's not picking up. I'm getting pretty stressed."
Phil placed his palms onto her cheeks trying to calm her, "It's alright, how about later we can get her to come over and then you guys can plan whatever you need to. Maybe Wade will come too, I miss that guy."
She nodded, "Yeah... that sounds good. I hope Wade is alright, I just know something was up that's why he didn't come the other night."
"Yeah... I don't know what's up with him but he should come around right? I mean we're his best friends" said Phil sounding worried.
"Don't worry about him, I'm sure he and Lea will work things out" said Adele.
...
My heart was racing as I walked down the steps. Wade didn't look too pleased with me as he quickly stood up and pretty much pulled me off the stairs to hurry up, so much for my dignified entrance. "Could you have taken any longer?" he whispered in my ear angrily.
"I'm sorry, I just wanted to make sure to look nice" I said back to him. Great! He was still angry. This just got so much better. I glanced at the others who were sitting on the lounges together. Adele was sitting in the middle of a couple. The man was tall and slim, his hair was grey and combed over to the side. He wore large spectacles and had Wade's eyes. The woman was also slim yet she was shorter than the male, her skin had aged yet she still looked beautiful. Her hair was ebony just like Wade's and thick and curly. Her fingernails were long and polished and she was covered in gold jewellery, I assumed they were all real. I took a deep sigh as Wade grabbed my hand and walked toward them. Molly and Peter were sitting across from them, but they were looking calm. Adele looked to be enjoying the attention on her. Wade cut in the group, "Mother... Father... This is my wife Lea."
I didn't know whether to hug them or bow in front of them as they stared up at me. The two of them stood up, smiled on both of their faces. "Hello dear, it's so nice to finally meet you" spoke the woman, "You can call me Katherine and this is my husband Harold." Her British accent was beaming as she talked, it was quite captivating.
The man gave me a nod and I nodded in return.
"It's such a pleasure to meet you both" I finally spoke nervously smiling at the two, "I'm sorry to keep you waiting, I had no idea that you were coming."
"We just decided to pop in and surprise everyone" said Katherine as she sat back down, "I hope you're feeling better, Wade said that you were feeling ill."
"Ill?" I glanced at Wade weirdly.
He nodded and placed his arm over my shoulder, "Yes, she was feeling very ill that's why I left to sleep through the day." I realised that Wade had lied to them for me.
"Wade takes a lot of good care of me, you guys have bestowed so many great qualities upon him" I said to them as Wade and I sat on the lounge together. Wade's temper being the main quality from them that just never seems to calm down.
"So... we know nothing about you Lea, Wade has been keeping you a huge secret. Tell us everything we need to know about our new daughter in law" she asked, "I mean how did you two even meet?"
I glanced at Wade who was staring back at me, but he wasn't staring at me in a loving way it was more of a 'get on with it' way. "Well... I was his assistant for a couple of years before we finally became a couple" I said.
"His assistant?" said Katherine sounding disappointed, "You were my son's assistant?"
I nodded, "Yes. Yes I was. But after we got together I decided to get another job, but your amazing son had something more special for me, he bought me my own Art Gallery."
"He bought you an art gallery?" she said, "Why?"
"I'm a painter, I've sold so many of my paintings" I said confidently.
"Well, I must visit this place" she said, "and see these... paintings." I could sense the rejection of me in her voice, but I wasn't going to let it get to me. "Wade told us that the two of you tried to have a baby but were unsuccessful, I'm sorry."
She actually sounded sincere with that last sentence. "We're still hoping" I said, "Not giving up."
"Well, at least you have this gorgeous girl" said Katherine as her eyes moved to Adele, "My gorgeous granddaughter, she looks just like me."
"I actually see a lot of you in her, Sir" I spoke to Harold, who had not spoken a word. Katherine looked incensed.
Harold chuckled, "No no... I think she looks like my wife."
"No Dad, she does look like you" said Wade. Harold looked staggered almost after Wade spoke to him. I wasn't quite sure why. Wade looked uncomfortable and went back to being silent and so did Harold.
"Well she does look like all of us, she's grown to be such a beautiful girl" chimed Katherine, "Tell me Adele, does your stepmother take good care of you?"
Stepmother? First I looked to be the poor girl who was clinching onto Prince Charming's money and now I was the evil stepmother, what kind of story was this? I looked at Wade hoping that he'd say something to her, but his mouth was sealed.
Adele frowned, "Stepmothers are bad. Mummy isn't bad, Grandma." I could have cried after hearing Adele say that.
Katherine giggled, "I'm sure she's not. I was just asking if she takes good care of you."
"She takes the best care of me, she loves me a lot and I love her" said Adele as she stood up and sat near me and Wade. I kissed her forehead after seeing Katherine's riled reaction to knowing that I was actually a great mother to her granddaughter, she am also going to learn that I was also a good wife to her son.
The phone rang and Molly left the somewhat uneasy confrontation to answer it. She then returned, "Lea... its Adele. She sounds pretty tense."
"Adele? There's another Adele" said Katherine.
I ignored Katherine. I realised that my best friend was getting married very soon and that she must really need me. "Excuse me, I'll be right back" I said before leaving.
After I left, Wade sat up and stared at him parents waiting for them to say something, "So what do you hate about her? I know you both want to say something."
Harold and Katherine glanced at each other then back to Wade. "Well, I think-" spoke Katherine before being stopped by her husband.
"Nothing son, I think she's perfect" said Harold. Katherine winced as she rolled her eyes at him.
Wade looked shocked, "Really? Nothing? Come on mother, tell me..."
"She won't say anything" said Harold, "I've decided that I like her and that means that your mother will like her too." Katherine crossed her arms and slumped into the lounge like a child.
Wade smiled, "I'm glad you guys approve. You know... you guys can stay here with us." Molly and Peter rolled their eyes in grief.
"We can?" said Harold.
"Of course, I mean if you would like to?" suggested Wade.
"We'd love to, Son" said Harold.
"We did have a luxurious hotel room, but staying with you will be great. Especially getting time to bond with new daughter in law" said Katherine, gritting her teeth.
Harold shook his head at her. "Your home is lovely, Son."
Wade nodded, "Thank you, we all love it here." Wade glanced at Molly and Peter hoping that after this visit, they would be able to stay and not go back to England.
I returned back to the group and looked at Wade fearfully, "Um... Adele wants us to go to their house later to help them out with their wedding planning. I told them that we would."
Wade looked at his parents and then back to me, "Well my parents are going to be staying here for a few days and we can't leave them."
I looked at Katherine who was gleaming; the thought of spending so much as a day with her was going to be difficult. I really was going to be ill. "I'm sorry but she is really stressing out and she needs us to help them, you know how they've helped us" I said to him.
"Who are these people?" asked Katherine, "They can't be that important."
"They are" I said firmly, "they've been our closest friends, they work with Wade."
"We'll be fine then" said Harold, "We have Molly, Peter and Adele." The other three didn't look pleased. I could feel for them.
"No... Lea can go by herself" said Wade, "I'm sure they don't really need me. I mean what would I be doing there anyway?"
I understood that Wade hadn't seen his parents in years but just dodging his friends again. "Sure, I'll go by myself" I said, sitting back down next to him. The Barrett trio went back to reminiscing old times like nothing had happened all those years ago while the rest of us listened unhappily.
...
I was just grabbing my purse and phone from the bedroom when Wade walked in, his expression looked somewhat normal. "Great job this morning, they loved you. You made a great impression especially on my Father" he spoke like this was the grand final of a football game and he was my coach. I didn't want a coach; I wanted my loving husband back.
"I'm glad they liked me" I spoke softly as I shoved my things into my purse.
"Me too. I don't know what I'd do if they didn't" he said.
My eyebrows frowned as I listened to him; I moved toward him angrily, "I didn't think it would matter."
"Lea, if they don't like you then Molly and Peter are most likely going to get shifted back! Can you stop being so selfish for once?" he growled at me.
I stopped and nodded. I was fed up and to be honest, hated arguing especially with him. This was becoming less about Molly and Peter and more about how much Wade had missed being with his parents. "I'm sorry."
Wade sighed as he slowly regained his self control. "Look, just go see where Adele is at with wedding planning and I'll keep an eye on my parents."
I didn't even look up at him, even though this was probably the first time since our fight that he was talking to me civilly. I just grabbed my purse and headed downstairs and grabbed the car keys. I waved to everyone and jumped in my car.
...
I knocked onto Phil and Adele's apartment door; waiting eagerly I checked my watch for the time. Suddenly the door opened and smiled at the Irishman who was staring back at me. "Lea...?" he spoke sounding a little uneasy, "What are you doing here?"
"Um, your sister begged me to come over to help her with wedding planning" I said, "Didn't she tell you?"
Sheamus stared back at Adele who was sitting at the dinner table, looking completely stressed. "No, she failed to mention that" he said.
"She thought since I had a wedding not too long ago that I could be of great help" I said. Sheamus had his hands plastered across the doorway. "So are you going to let me in?"
He chuckled, "Sorry... yes of course." His large arms dropped and he moved to the side and I walked past him. "Um, is Wade with you?"
I spun around, "No it's just me" I said as I went to go see Adele. Sheamus grinned happily as he watched me sit down.