Gina Taylor got married. Gina Taylor got married.
I think everyone on the bride's side is a little shocked that it happened. We all showed up, but that doesn't mean that we fully believed the wedding would go without an objection, or one of them getting cold feet, or just...something Gina Taylorish. I wasn't all that worried until I found her in the guest room, but I think I was too busy thinking
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"That's the first time I've ever heard you say that in public." I grinned at Carly, and kissed her, then heard the fork clinking against the glass.
Oh look, Gina wants to say something.
"Hey hey hey. The bride would like to make a toast."
The bride has already had a drink too many. I wonder if the toast is over Daphne leaving, or just in general. I think it's over Daphne leaving. Too bad Carly just sent her out the door, so she won't be able to hear it.
"A toast, to Sam Howell. The man who had the courage to voice what none of us were willing to say all night. And for giving me and Dylan a nice little memorable moment on our wedding day. To Sam!"
Oh, the toast is for me. Well that's... Pretty cool, actually. I've never gotten one of those before. I should do something like this more often, if that's the way it's going to go.
"To Sam!"
"Thank you." I laughed and raised my soda to Gina, sipping some of it while everyone else drank.
"And this song, Sam, is for you."
...
I started laughing right after the first few notes. I just couldn't help it. She's on a roll with this stuff, isn't she? You May Be Right?
"Thanks, Gina."
Works for me!
I laughed and then looked over at Carly again. "You're not mad about that, are you?" I have to be sure. It was Daphne, after all, and I'm sure that even sending her out the door won't completely cut ties. She'll find some way to linger.
And I'm not just talking about the image she's left in everyone's head, either.
"I just didn't want you getting taken out of here because you beat the living hell out of her." Even thought it would have been funny. It's like the thing with the flight attendant on a larger scale.
"What came after... That was kinda... Autopilot, or something."
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"Thank you."
"And this song, Sam, is for you."
"Thanks, Gina."
She's really using her memories of Sam like Billy Joel for all that they're worth, isn't she? First the CD, now this, what's next, concert tickets?
I laughed, amused at the particular song she'd picked, and decided that I was going to try and forget that the Daphne thing had ever happened. It makes me angry to think about it, even if Sam did really let her have it when he defended himself. People like her just never get it. She's not going to change at all, and the next time I see her, she'll say the same exact things, the same exact ways, like he never said a word.
I guess that's a reason to not forget it though, isn't it? Sam doesn't have moments like these very often. Him telling her off is something I might want to remember.
I just get so annoyed that I wasted time being friends with her in the first place. Things might have been a lot different when we were younger if I'd cut ties to her the second she started talking about him.
"You're not mad about that, are you?"
...What?
Okay. Now I'm confused. I just told Sam that I thought he did great. Why would he think I'm mad at him? Did he just do something in the past minute that I missed but would find extremely offensive?
"I just didn't want you getting taken out of here because you beat the living hell out of her."
That was smart. I would have killed her. The second the words came out of her mouth, I lost all sense of right and wrong and was planning on just charging and attacjing. If Sam hadn't stopped me, I think I'd be in a police car right now. Or at the very least, they'd be reading me the miranda rights.
"What came after... That was kinda... Autopilot, or something."
I noticed. He just snapped. And not in a bad way, but it happened. She finally made a comment low enough for Sam to break on his usually decent behavior and fire back with nothing less than the pathetic truth. For all her talk, Daphne is the one who doesn't matter. She shouldn't. All she ever does is try to get at us for being happy.
"I don't ever remember seeing that side of you before." But it was justified. Something needed to be said or done. Since no one really wanted me to finish her off right here and now, this was the next best thing.
"You surprise me sometimes. I never thought you would say those things to Daphne, but I'm glad that you did. I'm proud of you."
I stood up and pushed my chair in, waiting for Sam to get the idea so that he would do the same.
"Do I have to ask?"
Come on, that's the guy's job.
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I don't see it out of me all that often. Usually I run from stuff like that, and even though I don't like it, I just keep it that way. "Yeah." I laughed. "Weird, isn't it?"
"You surprise me sometimes. I never thought you would say those things to Daphne, but I'm glad that you did. I'm proud of you."
"Thanks." I smiled and finished off my soda. I surprised her? I surprised me. Now that I'm not on auto pilot anymore? Yeah.
But to hell with it, it was better than me blowing anyone up. Which is exactly how it would have gone if I hadn't stopped myself. So it was either that for Daphne, or she get torched.
She lucked out.
I looked over, seeing Carly get up, and tried to figure out what this one was over. Something else happening?
"Do I have to ask?"
... Oh.
Well, that would make sense wouldn't it. I smiled and got up, pushing my chair in. "Nope." I took her hand, and led her out to the dance floor.
Apparently, Sam did good. There's a Billy Joel song being played in my honor, people toasted me, and I get to dance with my girlfriend who's not pissed over what I did.
Not a bad wedding, even if it isn't ours.
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He's going to like this. Mostly because he'll get a chance to show off, but I think I might have something to do with it too. Sam enjoys dancing with me when Julia actually lets us get away with it. And usually, when she does let us have some time to ourselves, we move too fast to worry about dancing. That's secondary to other things. So when it happens like this, its nice.
The whole trip has been pretty good. I didn't think it would be, but I don't have very many regrets. I'd still like to beat the shit out of my friend the stewardess, but I'm over it. And I'd also like to make Daphne a little less pretty for having the nerve to say that to Sam, but he took care of it. Its better that he took care of it. Now she knows that he's not going to take her shit anymore. Everything worked out.
Dan said Julia was doing fine the last time I called him, too. She's happy, she's filled with candy, and she loves her little dress. With her little wings, and her little shoes. They make her happy, and I've been promised pictures.
I think I'll feel more guilty when I look at them, but its better than having nothing.
I danced with Sam for two songs before the DJ made an announcement for all of the unmarried ladies to get together for the bouquet toss. Hearing that, I very wisely stayed far away from those women and stood next to Sam where I could watch.
I'm not taking any chances on this one.
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But I think no matter what the hell I planned, somehow, she'd see through whatever bullshit I put up. She wouldn't have moved off that far to the side if she wasn't already paranoid.
I still don't get what she's so fucking afraid of. Sure, she did it once, but shit, Marcello wasn't the one, or however the fuck it goes. And she knew that. He would have been close if it wasn't for Sam.
And Sam's not going anywhere this time. They're practically married already. What the fuck difference would a ring make?
Fuck it. I'll aim. I have a decent idea of where she is.
I wonder if it counts if it lands close to the girl instead of actually hitting them or anything.
With my luck, it'll land with Lissa, and I'll get blamed for her first divorce when it inevitably happens, because the girl can't keep her fucking legs closed unless her life depended on it.
Okay, here goes.
I'm too small for this shit.
I threw the boquet back off and to the side, and then turned around to see where it made it.
Come on, come on...
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She planned that. Its obvious. Incredibly obvious. So obvious that it couldn't have been more obvious if she tried. She fucking aimed. I mean, that wasn't anywhere close to the girls who were trying to catch it. It was completely to the other side, up, over, and in my arms.
I'm only taking partial blame for this one, even though I caught it, because I'm a slayer. When something is propelling towards me, my first instinct is to handle it. If its something small, of course I'm going to catch it. That's the way my abilities work. Instinct to protect yourself from potentional danger.
Ironically, that instinct backfired on me big time with this, damnit.
I laughed anyway and shook my head at Gina, who couldn't have looked happier with herself if you told her she was the most wanted bitch of Broadway, and looked down at the bouquet.
They really are pretty flowers. A little dark for my taste, but this is a Halloween wedding. Its fitting, but if I were going to do it, I'd get something lighter. A pinkish red flower with some sharp white accents, or maybe all a single color and then a contrasting ribbon because that would look nice...
What the hell?!
I never want to have those thoughts ever again.
"She did that on purpose."
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And there's no way in hell that's funny.
"She did that on purpose."
"Yes she did." I tried not to crack a smile, and then realized it wasn't worth it. She knows I think this is funny. She knows it doesn't bother me at all.
We don't need to get married. But that doesn't mean we never should. Just because we both were once before doesn't mean anything. Even though mine technically doesn't count, especially compared to hers.
So yeah, we should. We're going to have another kid, at some point, we should just do it. It's not like I want something huge. Probably not even something like this.
When we're ready, we will. And I won't do anything to move that along, unless waiting to be 'ready' takes freakin' ages. I don't see the point of it never happening when I don't want to be with anyone else, and she feels the same way.
"It's not a bad thing, Car." I laughed at the look she gave me, and kissed her, the nodded to Gina's evil triumph look that she was wearing.
All the unmarried women look kinda pissed. I don't think too many of them caught onto that being a sneaky move on Gina's part, but still, they're indignant that they didn't get it.
I think either way, it's ironic that the one girl in the room that seriously doesn't want to get married caught the boquet thrown by the one girl no one thought would ever get married. Or at least have a boyfriend for any stretch. At all.
At the very least... It's funny as hell. At the most, it's still funny as hell, and maybe it'll be an omen even if it was a planned move.
"We're still not going to until we're ready, remember?"
Personally, I'd like it to happen before Jules is old enough to start asking why Mommy and Daddy aren't married yet. But that's just me. Because I'm not sure how I'd answer that question.
So before then. After she's had the second baby, and before Jules starts asking questions. It's a nice time frame to work in.
Eventually I'll have to get her to work with that, but it's a time frame that works inside my head at the very least. It's something.
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Why is Sam so happy about this? Doesn't he see how embarrassing it is? Hasn't he noticed how upset all the other women in the room seem to be? Doesn't he get it?
...How come I'm the only one who sees how this is a bad thing? We shouldn't be smiling over this. The smiling only encourages Gina to do things that call attention to the fact that we're not married, when we're okay like this. And what's more, we're happy like this.
There are a lot of married couples who wish they could find the happiness we have. Why ruin it with a wedding ring?
"It's not a bad thing, Car."
To him. It's not a bad thing to him. Sam has no issues with it because he's not the one holding the bouquet. But, if the situation were reversed, I think he'd be feeling the exact same way that I do right now.
And I feel like I want to strangle the bride.
"I know."
I'm not going to say I think it was mean-spirited and innapropriate--even though I think I do--because it was harmless. Mean-spirited, innapropriate and harmless.
Which really, are three words to descrive Gina on any other day of the week, so I shouldn't have expected this to be any kind of an exception.
But come on, I'm holding the bridal bouquet, and with it, the suggestion that we're going to be the next ones married.
"We're still not going to until we're ready, remember?"
"I remember." I just don't feel all that ready now, and I get a little annoyed when people act like we owe it to ourselves to make that committment when we're doing just fine like this. I think we should be proud of what we have and not worrying about adding onto it.
"But how close to being ready are you?" I'm starting to think that Sam is going to hit 'ready' before I do. If that happens, we might have some problems. I would never be able to reject Sam on that, no matter how afraid of it I could be. So yeah, I'd be fucked.
But like I said on the phone, I'm always fucked anyway.
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She remembers. She remembers, but she still doesn't sound happy about it. Yeah, I might have to work some things to get that time frame going at some point.
"But how close to being ready are you?"
How do I answer that and make her feel better for now? Is that even possible? And while we're at it, should I bother?
Whatever, I'm in a good mood. This has been a good day for me. Sex in the limo, insulting the Carrot, getting to dance with my girlfriend, and everything else. I can just be honest with her.
"Close enough." I could make the leap. Because it's not that much of a leap. It's a good step, it's not something that's going to end in anyone's destruction.
So it's something I could deal with. I love her, and that's the end of it. We're already looking at forever anyway, if I have say in it, so why not?
"I think you probably worry about it more than you should. But we don't need to talk about it." We really don't. We can live with leaving it alone for a little while. Just not forever.
So if she wants to leave it alone for now, and just enjoy everything else, that's fine by me.
For now.
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Close enough? Close enough to what? To doing this? This? The whole wedding with the bouquet and all the people thing? When he did decide he was ready for this?
I need to breathe. Breathe and think. And not worry. Breathe, think, and stay calm. I should be happy. At some point in the future, my boyfriend would like to marry me. If I was most women, I'd be thrilled right now. Especially with us still being young, and our life being settled into something good. This shouldn't be bad. It means he loves me.
And I need to understand that we're going to do it someday because I love him too. I can't imagine my life with anyone else. We have a family, and we're trying to add onto it. So maybe, at some point, I could get over my belief that marriage is terrifying, and we could do it.
Not all marriages end in divorce, right?
"I think you probably worry about it more than you should. But we don't need to talk about it."
I can live with that. I'm not ready now. I won't be for a while. There's no reason to be talking about it yet. And I probably do worry too much, but I can't help myself.
We have something good. I almost ruined it before, I don't want to do something to jeopardize what we have ever again.
Sam would understand that, right?
"Thank you." I nodded and leaned up to kiss him. "We'll..someday, you know?"
It'll happen someday. He'll make sure of that if he wants to.
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"You're welcome." I leaned down the rest of the way and kissed back, moving an arm around her comfortably.
"We'll..someday, you know?"
"We will." I'll make sure that one happens. One way or the other. I might have to spring it on her when I finally decide to make it happen, but it'll happen.
I'm sure it'll be really interesting to make that work too. I'd just have to make sure I don't tell Arianna or Madsen I was planning on it before I do it, because they'd make me nervous as hell, and then it'd be all over.
"I'm not worried." Which means she shouldn't be worried either, because I'm the one that worries about everything in this relationship more often than not.
"You want to get out of here?" I think this isn't going to go on too much longer anyway. Most of the dancing's gone on already, all that's left is people getting drunk, or drunker.
So we could go, find something to do, maybe make a few more tries... It'd be a nice way to end the night. "I don't think Gina'll mind." Gina's thisclose to a make out session with her husband in his chair.
She's covered. I don't think she's going to be too bothered with us deciding to cut out.
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Someday. We will someday. When I'm not as afraid of getting divorced and probably long after we have another baby, depending on how long it takes for us to get pregnant this time.
This experience has been a little strange to me, but I can't complain yet. With Julia, we didn't have to try. Part of the reason why we were so terrified was because we weren't expecting her. She just happened. And now, we're hoping for another one, and planning it a little. I never could have imagined us doing this.
So I guess I can assume that we'll get married in the next few years, because if we never planned on having a baby and now we're doing that, anything is possible for us.
We're just crazy enough to be up for anything at times.
"I'm not worried."
"Then I'm not going to worry either."
If Sam isn't worried, I'm not worried. He's the one who usually makes it his job to worry about us. I'll take his confidence to mean that we're doing something right this time.
Nevermind how that supports my own argument about not screwing any of it up with a wedding, we're letting that go for now.
I had a weird moment, but its over. Everything is back to normal. The only difference is, I'm holding a bridal bouquet.
A pretty one. I think I'll bring it home to Julia. She'd like seeing it, and then maybe I'll let the flowers dry. It would be a cute thing to send back to Gina on their first anniversary.
"You want to get out of here? I don't think Gina'll mind."
...I don't know how Gina expects to get away with not having kids when she practically acts like she's me in public.
I think its time for us to leave. We had a good time with the wedding, Daphne got told off by my boyfriend, and I have some pretty flowers to keep as souvenir. That's really more than you can ask for at one of these things.
"Yeah. Let's go back to the hotel."
We can take our favorite limo back and have some fun for a few hours. Our flight leaves tomorrow evening, and we'll be back in Los Angeles tomorrow night. I think we'll probably be too tired to do anything then, even with the flight, because of the time difference. So as far as leaving now goes, I'm all for it.
And maybe we can go one more round in the limo on the way to the hotel.
For someone who didn't like being in one, Sam warmed up to that thing pretty damn quite.
I like to think I had something to do with it.
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"Sounds good to me." I saw Gina was coming up for air long enough to have another drink, and decided it'd be a good idea to at least let her know we were leaving. "Be right back."
I got over to them, and snapped my fingers at them to get their attention before they could start going at it again. "Hey. We're gonna go, alright?"
"What? Oh, yeah, sure. Go ahead. Thanks for coming."
"Yep. See you around, Sam. Great meeting you guys by the way, you're cool people."
"Thanks." I laughed and nodded to Dylan, then headed back to Carly. "And we're set." I got out the door with her, nodding to the few people who said goodbye to us on the way out.
She looks like she's doing a little better. And I'm more than capable of getting her to let it go the rest of the way.
"They're definitely going to work." It still freaks me out Gina managed to do it, and what's more, she did it before we did. It's weird, but I'm happy for her.
And when she does eventually get pregnant, Carly and I will get to have a nice freakin' long laugh over it.
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We survived Gina's wedding after all. And we did it without committing manslaughter, which was a good possibility for a while there. I think Sam and I should be proud of ourselves for this one.
The crazy stewardess and psychotic former best friend didn't get the better of us. We reacted to the best of our abilitiy--without violence--and then let it go. That was good. It took a lot, at least on my part, but nothing bad happened.
We still have the flight home to tackle, but I believe that we're going to be okay. If we do happen to get the same stewardess, we'll jump off that bridge when we get there. For now, we're going to go back to our hotel and end the night in the most mutually pleasing ways we can think of.
"They're definitely going to work."
"I give it two years." I agreed while we walked out of there, and laughed at the look on Sam's face. "I mean, I give it two years until they have their own angrier version of Julia."
There's no way in hell Gina could raise a kid to be as sweet as ours. She is going to raise any and all of her kids to be as bitchy as their parents.
And if they have one soon enough, it would be funny if he or she ended up getting along with Julia, and our possible next one.
Like Carly and Gina version two, or something.
Yeah. I can see how that would be a little terrifying, but the world needs more people like us. We make it interesting. You can't live without us.
"Its inevitable."
That's me speaking from experience. There will be a Taylor/Lawson baby.
And Gina will bitch about it for the whole nine months, and probably an entire year after the birth if she turns down the drugs.
But I'd like to think she's a little smarter than that.
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Huh?
"I mean, I give it two years until they have their own angrier version of Julia."
Oh. I laughed and nodded. "Yeah, I don't doubt it." At all. And it'll be funny as hell. But now that I'm thinking about it, it'll probably be funnier for me. Gina will be calling Carly to bitch to her the second she finds out she's pregnant.
So yeah, it won't be as fun for Carly as it will be for me, but at least one of us will be getting some fun out of it.
"Its inevitable."
"What's really going to frighten the living hell out of me is if they have a boy." I laughed, and then actually thought about what I was saying, and stopped laughing. That's... Not funny. That's not funny at all.
I think I just scared the living hell out of myself.
"Nevermind." I went looking for the limo, and nodded to the driver. "Hey. Can you take us back to the hotel?"
"Sure thing sir."
"Thanks." I moved before he could get the door, and got it myself. "I got it." I smiled to him, and the smile he gave me back made me think I should get in the limo with my girlfriend a little faster.
I waited until Carly was in before getting in myself. "So. Weird day, huh?"
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....
That is utterly terrifying. I just...why would he bring that up? I don't want to think about that. We had a good day. We shouldn't be thinking about that. The world feels crazy when I think about that, and I don't like feeling like this!
"Nevermind."
Thank you.
We're not going to get into all of the reasons why that one is wrong. We just have to know that it is, and hope for a girl. Gina and Dylan having a girl would really be the best thing for all of us, I swear.
"Hey. Can you take us back to the hotel?"
"Sure thing sir."
"Thanks."
"I got it."
I should have given Sam lessons on limo etiquette before I let him get within fifty feet of one of these things. He's not supposed to do that. And the driving isn't going to like him doing that because he's used to it being his job. Sam is pretty much getting in the way of something he knows he's expected to do. It has to be a little frustrating for him, and the look just proves it.
I got in and moved over, sitting about halfway over on the seat, and waited for Sam to get in next to me.
"So. Weird day, huh?"
"Weird, but not bad."
We enjoyed ourselves. I'm a little worried about tomorrow, but I'll save it if I can. And when we get back to the hotel, I'm going to check my email and see if Dan sent me any pictures of Julia in her costume yet.
I want to see her in her little dress, damnit.
"I'm glad we came."
Except for the part where I missed our daughter in her little shoes.
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