*Chapter 63
1:05 PM
1 HOUR, 55 MINUTES UNTIL THE WEDDING
{Isabel}
I smiled into the full-length mirror, gazing at myself in the gorgeous bridesmaid gown that Maria and I had picked out. I adjusted the straps of the crème halter top. It really was a beautiful dress.
Continuing to glance in the mirror, I caught site of an idle bride relaxing on her lawn chair out on her balcony. Maria was still in the shower, so I decided to fetch Liz myself.
I stuck halfway out the window. “Hey, you,” I smiled.
Liz took her eyes off the sky and turned to me at the window. “Hi,” she smiled back.
I glanced at my watch. “You know, you’ve got less than two hours to get ready,” I told Liz. “Actually, you’ve only got about an hour and fifteen minutes. We need to be at the church early to take pictures.”
Liz gave a little nod but didn’t even move.
“That kind of means you’ve got to get movin’,” I said. “Clock’s a-tickin’.”
Again Liz nodded and went back to looking up at the sky.
“Is there something wrong?” I asked Liz.
She had nothing but a smile on her face, but it just seemed like the right thing to ask.
Liz shook her head. “No,” she finally answered. “For once in my life, there is nothing wrong.” She had said it as though it was a bad thing.
I was sensing a pretty deep conversation. “What do you mean?”
Liz rolled onto her side, my way, and sighed. “Isabel, meeting you, Michael, and Max, and I mean really meeting the three of you, it changed my life. It changed my life for the better,” she explained, “but there was always something going on, something that made the day…troublesome. There was always something, always.”
I leaned against the windowpane and shook my head in confusion. “If we made your life troublesome, how can you say that we changed your life for the better? I don’t understand.”
Liz was definitely an odd girl. Early in life, I always had a feeling to dislike Liz Parker, to make her on my list of inferiors, and I know I had accomplished to do so. Then, I got to know Liz and she got bumped off the list, but I still never understood her.
“Because you guys made the day bearable,” Liz answered. “And because it wasn’t just me that was going through all this stuff, I had all of you with me, and having you guys there with me, made it bearable.
“Now, I wouldn’t have gone through all those things in the first place, but I did, and I wouldn’t have survived it all without you, and I definitely wouldn’t be where I am today with the three of you. So, despite the baggage that you all brought. I’m glad for having met you three. I’m glad that you all changed my life. I’m more than happy for having you as my family, you know?”
I nodded in understanding as I smiled inside. No one had really referred to us—Michael, Max, and I—as family besides our parents. It was good to hear it from someone else’s mouth.
“We were all able to grow together,” Liz said. “I’m so grateful for that. The things that made each day troublesome, they forced me to grin and bear it, which made me grow. You guys grew with me. I’m glad I didn’t have to do it alone.”
“Liz, you don’t know how glad we are that we didn’t have to grow up alone either,” I admitted to Liz. “When Michael, Max, and I were little, we thought that we had to grow up alone. We weren’t supposed to make friends, meet boys or girls, get to know people, and so on. Things changed that day in the diner. Your life wasn’t the only thing affected, our lives were drastically changed. Our lives began. You can’t go through life without friends, it’s not possible. It isn’t a life without friends. So, you know what, Liz? Thank you for all that you’ve done for us. Thank you for wanting to be our friend. Thank you for being our family.”
She finally sat up in her chair, blushing. “Thanks, Isabel. That means a lot to me.”
My own cheeks turned a bright shade of red. “Now, what about the first issue?”
Liz stepped off the lawn chair and made her way to the window where I got out of the way so she could climb in. We walked to her vanity mirror and she took a seat. I grabbed her concealer and a makeup sponge.
“It just doesn’t seem right to have a day where there’s nothing wrong,” Liz explained. “It looks like the day’s going to go without a hitch.”
“Liz,” I grinned. “That is definitely a good thing. Don’t worry about this thing where everyday something has to go wrong. It doesn’t have to be that way. You can live happily ever after with Max, it is possible. Don’t depend on these little bumps in your life. Yes, they help you grow, but, Liz, you’re already grown up.”
1:15 PM
1 HOUR, 45 MINUTES UNTIL THE WEDDING
{Max}
I sat on my bed staring at my door, at the thing hanging on the back of it.
In a clear plastic bag was my suit that I was going to wear for my wedding. It was a Tommy Hilfiger three button suit, complemented with a Victorian gold tie and matching herringbone vest. I wore gold to distinguish and single out myself as the groom. My groomsmen wore the exact same suit as mine aside from color of tie and vest. Michael wore silver to show that he was my best man and Jesse and Kyle wore black.
After staring at my suit long enough, I got off my bed and grabbed my wedding attire off the door. I placed it on my bed and carefully disassembled it, spreading out each article across my bed.
I moved to my dresser, grabbing a wife-beater and my favorite pair of boxers from two different drawers. I slid on my boxers underneath the towel wrapped around my waist and then let the towel drop to the floor. I kicked it aside and carefully put the wife-beater on so that I didn’t mess up my hair that I had styled to perfection. My hair was long enough now so that the crew cut was no more. I combed my hair over, creating a part off-center.
The black dress socks were the first thing to come on aside from the undergarments. They came up to my mid-calves. I hated wearing these type of socks. They were thick and made my feet sweat. Thankfully, there was a cool breeze continuously brewing outside.
I hated dressing up. Everyday I had to put on a suit and tie, but today, I was happy to put one on.
I finished buttoning up the classic laydown dress shirt as I watched myself in my full-length mirror on my bathroom door. Here I was, standing in a pair of boxers, getting dressed for my wedding.
After hopping into the black, dress slacks, I shoved the ends of the dress shirt into the pants. I continued to tug on the shirt until the perfect of amount of the shirt stuck out.
Just recently had I been getting nervous. The butterflies in my stomach woke up and had to be on Speed. So, slowly, I took a deep breath, trying to calm my nerves. However, a sudden knock on my door and my nerves ran amuck.
“Ye—yeah?” I called out.
“It’s Kyle,” he said on the other side of the door. “You ok? You’ve been in here for awhile.”
I swallowed the lump in my throat and nodded. “Ye—yeah,” I stuttered again. “I’m just finishing up.”
“Alright,” Kyle shouted back. “We’re all out her if you need us.” By the sound of his feet shuffling against the carpet, Kyle walked away.
Only a few articles of clothing remained on my bed; the vest, the suit jacket, and the neck tie. I threw the vest over my back, leaving it unbuttoned. I lifted my collar, but instead of grabbing the strip of cloth that would become a tie, I took a seat and put on the black dress shoes, size 10.
I finished lacing up the shoes and stood back up in front of the mirror. I gave a good look at myself. The suit was not complete, but I had to admit, I looked good. My hair was to my liking and my face felt baby-bottom-smooth thanks to the barber.
[Liz]
With Maria, Isabel, and Ms. DeLuca looking absolutely gorgeous in their bridesmaids dresses, I was the only one who needed to get dressed. My dress hung on the wall and as I reached for the hanger, my mother came into my room with her hands full of small gifts. My mother looked so beautiful in an ivory dress that bridged the gap between my white dress and my bridesmaids’ crème colored dress. Isabel and Maria stopped helping Ms. DeLuca with her makeup and rushed to my side.
My mother placed the gifts on my bed and smiled. “Here,” she said. “Just a few of the essentials.”
I took a seat on my bed as Maria reached forward, grabbing one of the gifts and handing it to me. “Open this one first,” she told me. Then she, Isabel, Amy, and my mother took a seat on my bed, careful to not wrinkle their dresses.
I grabbed the present out of Maria’s hands and opened the small box.
“It’s an anklet,” Maria said. “And it’s got a twin.” She lifted up her skirt to bare her ankle.
I pulled the gold chain out of the box and smiled at the beautiful gift. “I love it,” I said, placing it around my ankle.
“Call it your something new.”
Maria gave me a quick hug as my mother handed me the next gift. This one had white wrapping paper, which was quickly discarded. In the box revealed after the wrapping paper was torn away, I found a familiar bracelet. My mother’s.
“Dad gave this to you, Mom,” I told her.
She nodded and brushed away a strand of her red hair from her face. “I know, that’s why it’s your something borrowed, ‘cause you’re giving that back to me.” Like Maria had done earlier, my mother reached over and gave me a hug and a kiss on the cheek. “I’m happy for you, sweetie.”
My eyes began to sting with tears. “Nobody say anything to me anymore,” I requested. “My makeup’s going to smear.”
Isabel laughed and placed the third gift on my lap. “Then maybe we should have done this one first.”
It was a rather lengthy box and slightly flat. I pulled off the lid and found a white/ivory handkerchief folded neatly to fit the box. I looked at Isabel for an answer.
“Well, take it out and look at the initials,” Isabel instructed.
I grabbed an end of the cloth and took it out of the box. It was a beautiful handkerchief, made of silk or some sort of expensive material. I held it open, and embroidered in the center were letters.
“L-E,” I recited. I shook my head, waiting for an answer.
Isabel chuckled. “That handkerchief belonged to my Grandpa Clark’s mother,” she explained. “It’s your something old thanks to Superman.”
I ran my hands over the cloth, feeling the soft, sleek material. A light went off in my head. “Hold up,” I requested. “Max told me your Grandpa Clark’s mother’s name was Eliza.”
“She was know by ‘Liz’,” Isabel revealed.
Maria, my mother, and Amy all shot each looks of surprise.
I closed my eyes and shook my head in confusion. “Eliza—Liz…she was your Grandpa Clark’s mother,” I restated.
Isabel nodded in confirmation.
My heart began to race. “Your Grandpa Clark’s father’s name was…”
Isabel gave a sly grin. “Max.”
**The handkerchief scene was like a scene from General Hospital. I thought it was a great, cute idea, but I give complete credit to GH and its writers.**
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