Someone Else's Fairytale (50 page)

Jen called after Kyra caught her flight back. We were in my apartment and Jason was on the phone, ordering food.

“Chloe... what did you do to my stepdaughter?”

“Hmm?”

“It would appear that you rewired her brain.”

“Did I do something wrong?”

“Wrong? The girl took all of her pictures of Nate and burned them in our kitchen sink. Then she went over to his house and told him never, ever to call her again. Then she came home and apologized to me and to Kyle, and has taken some kind of oath of chastity?”

“Oh.”

“She shared more information about you and Jason than you would want, probably.”

“Well, whatever.”

“But she's adamant. All relationships are now to be on her terms, or not at all.”

“This is a good thing, right?”

“This is a mind blowing, incredible, wonderful thing. I mean, I don't know if it'll last. You know how it goes with kids. She may change her mind in a week if she meets some guy she likes, but anyway... thank you.”

“I didn't actually do anything other than live my life.”

“You amaze me. Jason is
lucky.”

“Well, thanks.”

“We love you.”

It was weird to say this to anyone other than my mother or a boyfriend, but the words came easily enough. “Love you guys too.”

We hung up and Jason asked, “What was that all about?”

“Kyra's on her way back, as a single girl. No boyfriend.”

“Finally.”

“Mom?” I waited for the video to start up on Skype. It was the first video call I'd made on the new phone Jason had given me.

“Hi, Chloe.” She sat at her computer in her tracksuit. It was morning, and the weekend.

“Sooo, do you want to come out to
New York
to go dress shopping with me?”

“For your wedding?”

“Yes. The wedding isn't going to be much. We're keeping it small, so I don't have a ton of planning to do, but do you want to come for this?”

She blinked. “I would
love
that.”

“I'm buying her ticket!” Jason called from the other room.

I rolled my eyes. “He's like that.” I couldn't help but grin though. "You want to meet him?"

“And her hotel room.” He said that from the doorway.

I crooked my finger and he stood up straight and ran his fingers through his hair before he came over.

To her credit, Mom took it in stride. “Hello.”

"Hi," he said. "I'm sorry I keep missing you. It's like every time you've been out to see Chloe, I've had work stuff."

"It's quite all right. I know you're always on the go."

"But I owe you a huge thank you, don't I?" he said. "Something about you getting after Chloe to call me?"

"Mmm, you're welcome." She winked.

And it really wasn't that awkward, having the two of them meet. Not for the first five minutes, at least.

“Yeah, so... let's figure out your calendar,” I said.

“You really want me there?”

“Of course I do. This'll be fun, right?”

“This'll be
wonderful.”

“It'll be you, me, and Kyra. Jason's niece. We'll make a weekend out of it, okay?” I patted Jason's arm as he slipped it around me for a hug.

Mom looked like she was about to swoon, she was so happy for me.

Our wedding day was one we purposely picked at random. Jason and I flew to Albuquerque where we planned a tiny, backyard ceremony at Doug and Lillian's house. Only family and close friends were invited, and there were no written invitations. Jen supervised all the food preparation. Doug got his golfing buddy to officiate. We used CDs for the music and bought a tent from Target for the back yard.

I'll never know who tipped off the media.

“They've got a chopper!” Steve announced in the other room. He had to yell because the thrumming of the blades just about rattled the roof off. Lori's baby wailed in protest and I could hear her cooing to soothe him.

“And they've surrounded the house,” said Kyra. She peered out the windows of the bedroom where I was putting on my dress. This was Jen's old room, which still had the Hello Kitty wallpaper and her twin bed in one corner, complete with canopy.

Mom sat on the bed, picking at her new tulip skirt. She'd bought her outfit the same weekend I'd gotten my dress, and it really suited her. The New York stylists knew their business. “A chopper?” she said.

“Sounds like it.” I sat down in the chair at the vanity while Kyra touched up my hair. We'd had the hairdresser make a house call hours ago, and that might have been how the media found out. Or maybe they'd seen us apply for a license.

“What a disaster,” said Kyra. “This is nuts. I've never heard of any celebrity having it this bad.”

“It's Gladius,” I said.

“Riiight.” Kyra laughed. “You're prettier than Caeser's daughter.”

“Awww, thanks.”

“Honey,” said my mother. “What are you going to do? They'll blow the tent down.”

“Plan B. We just hold the ceremony indoors.”

“You sure?” Kyra looked out the windows again. “You really want to get married in the living room?”

“We'll all fit.”

“We'll have to have the blinds drawn,” said Kyra. “This is like an action movie, only it isn't fun in real life, is it? Okay, I think your hair's perfect, at least.”

She and Mom helped me into my dress, which was simple, but way more expensive than I'd planned to buy. I'd given in and dug into my savings for a designer sheath dress. The two of them had worked me over, and even now Kyra said, “This is
gorgeous!”

“He better go through with it,” I said. “Because I'm broke now, thanks to you.”

Someone tapped at the door. Mom opened it and Lillian stuck her head in. “Chloe? Beth's here. Do you want to say hi?”

“Beth?”

“Yes, we only just managed to get her through the crowd.”

I let Kyra finish zipping my dress, then tugged it up so that I could walk.

“Jason!” Lillian called out. “Stay in your room!”

I rounded the corner to the entryway, and sure enough, there was Beth, wearing a straight skirt and blouse, her hair pinned back. At the sight of me she gave an awkward smile. “Hey, I just... I brought you something.” On one arm, what I'd glanced at and assumed was a handbag, was in fact a present. “Congrats.” She didn't look at me. Just held it out.

“You brought me a present?” I said.

“Yeah. Lillian told me about... all this.”

“Are you staying? I mean, you probably don't want to.”

She frowned and folded her arms across he chest, like I'd jabbed her. “Um... right.”

I didn't understand her irritation just then. She clearly didn't want to be here. Except she was. With a present.

As I tried to look her in the eye, she looked past me. “Hi, Karen,” she said.

“Hi, Beth,” said Mom's voice behind me. Not angry, not happy, just neutral.

I expected Beth to turn tail and run then, but she didn't, only inclined her head and said to me, “I, um, anyway. You look real good and, congratulations, and, yeah... I'll just get out of your way.”

“Out of my way?”

She turned to leave.

“Wait, no,” I said.

She paused.

I looked back over my shoulder at everyone bustling around in the kitchen, at the stack of presents on the fireplace, at all my new family talking and laughing, at the Vanderholts' lovely, Northeast Heights home.

“I really wish you'd stay,” I said. “I know you probably think this is really stupid, with the media and the chopper and all that. That's all I meant.”

“It's kind of weird, yeah.” She smiled, her mouth turning up at the corners just like mine did.

With a very odd sense of deja vu, I held out my arms to her. “But I'm so glad you're here.”

She stepped forward and hugged me without hesitation, which surprised me. But then again, a lot had changed in twenty years. Her parents had split up. Her brother was in jail.

“Hey, guys?” I called out, as I led her into the living room. Her nervous shuffle and shifting gaze were gone. “Make sure there's a seat for my sister.”

“Are you sure you want to get married in here?” asked Doug. He looked over the furniture dubiously.

Lori peered out from the kitchen. Her own engagement ring winked on her finger and her baby was now asleep in his sling.

“Too much hassle?” I asked.

“No, not at all. Just doesn't seem real romantic.”

Steve and Maddy came in from the garage. “All right,” he said. “We've got bottle rockets. We're going to see if we can hit the chopper. Oh, hey Beth.” He waved.

“This'll be way better than outside,” I said.

Steve opened the door, letting in a blast of wind and noise, as he and Maddy stepped out.

“But you need somewhere to walk,” said Kyra. “You know, to process down the aisle. We need an aisle.”

“I have to process?”

“Yes.
You do.”

“This is Kyra,” I told Beth. “She belongs to Jen and Kyle.”

“And you need somewhere to stand where Jason won't see you when he comes out.” Kyra had appointed herself wedding director.

“I could hide behind a couch?”

“Noooo. You can't do that.”

“I'm not allowed?”

“And you have to put your makeup on.”

I looked at Beth. “Your choice: hang out here, bottle rockets, makeup.”

“I'll help Lillian.”

I went back to Jen's old room while Doug and Kyle started moving couches. Mom and Kyra helped me with my makeup, and then Lillian was back, knocking on my door.

The front room now smelled like warm crepes, fresh berries, and cream. Jen had brought in the cake, which was a square design with marzipan icing and two action figures: Gladius with his sword upraised and a woman in a lab coat and plastic hairstyle like mine, with a test tube and Florence flask in her hands. My idea. Jason didn't know.

“Okay,” said Lillian, “I guess you stand here behind the fridge. Oh, this is just... I hope this is all right?”

“This is fine,” I said. “I'll stand here.” I positioned myself in the kitchen, the fridge between me and the front room.

“Jason will come in from there. Right. Let's start the music.”