I’m not here threatening you, I’m telling you exactly the way it will go. You agree to whatever means necessary to remain healthy, surgery included, and you show your children a sliver of kindness. I don’t care if you cut them out of this ridiculous will or include them, but stop it now, all this taunting and threats you’re holding over them. Write the damned thing and be done with it, and tell them exactly how it’s going to go down. Then, you’re going to thank Alex for coming, and I don’t care if you choke on the damned words. If you do all of that, maybe, just maybe, you’ll get to attend this wedding, if not, we leave here and you’ll never see Alex again.” I don’t wait for his reply. I can’t stand to be in the room another minute. Marley is waiting for me and her eyes are wide as plates.
“Holy shit, you are my hero. Can I be you?” Marley hugs me tight. I wilt into her. My knees aren’t quite steady.
“Don’t tell Alex.” I mumble as we make it to chairs along the wall.
“Um, duh. You are so badass, I know for a fact no one has ever stood up to my father except Alex. I was so worried about you being right for Alex, but you are a hundred percent exactly what he needs. I’m pretty surprised, this wasn’t at all the way I thought you would turn out to be.”
“I didn’t know I would turn out to be this way either, but seeing everything Alex has had to deal with and your father being the cause of it, I don’t know. It just came out. But I mean it all, a hundred percent. If your father doesn’t stop hurting Alex, I’m pulling him the hell out of here.”
“Thank you for loving him. He deserves someone who finally cares more about him than their own needs. That’s who Alex is and he hasn’t had someone love him like that before. I’m so glad he found you.” Marley goes quiet and motions down the hall. I turn to see Alex with a doctor and Martin.
He gives me a small smile before going into the room with the doctor, Martin stays outside hovering near Marley an
d me.
“It’s bad, a blockage. He needs a quadruple bypass. The doctor says if he doesn’t have it soon he won’t make it.”
Marley sags against me and I hug her tight. I can’t think of anything to say so I just rub her back.
When Alex comes out almost ten minutes later, he looks surprised and his eyes are on me. He says nothing, he doesn’t have to. Patting Marley, I stand and he takes my arm. We walk down the hall and there’s an empty waiting room with multiple televisions on in the background.
“What did you do my love?” The words are quiet, no anger, no inflection at all.
“You don’t really want to know.” I meet his eyes, unafraid.
“You know I could make you tell me.” Still no anger, no humor.
“I know.” He could, I would bare my entire soul to him without the slightest pressure.
“Whatever you’ve done, you’ve now moved up our wedding date to four days from now. My father refuses to have the surgery until seeing us married. I’m also supposed to call his lawyer so the will can be redone. He expects me to sit in on it to make sure I give the details to the family.”
Pressing my lips together. “Is this good or bad?”
“I didn’t really want to be married in the hospital chapel, but whatever way I can get my ring on your finger I’ll take. The will is a very good thing, as now all the questions can stop. There’s a part of me that can’t stop wondering what you might have said to make this happen. My father is about as immovable as a mountain and when I told him I was engaged he called you a gold-digger and slut, sight unseen, without knowing your name.”
“Hmm, I love you. You know that right?”
“Yes, I know that and fine, whatever way you’ve flipped the switch on my father I don’t care. Kiss me, now.”
The kiss is insanely hot and when it finally ends, I open my mouth and he’s shaking his head. “No, we aren’t finding somewhere quiet you greedy little thing. You are going with Marley to pick out a dress. It will take you until this afternoon which is how long the will should take. Then we’ll go get the marriage license.”
“Yes, Alex.” I don’t argue. He slaps my ass as I turn to walk away. The sting feels delicious and Alex is smiling broadly when he walks me back to Marley. His instructions are clear, whatever it takes, the cost isn’t a concern. I’m annoyed he hands his card to Marley instead of me.
Marley is so excited it’s hard not to be, too, even though I’ve always hated shopping for clothes. The first dress place doesn’t have anything even slightly appealing. With the short time limit we have the owner suggests a particular shop and once there, I’m in heaven. It’s a store for plus size and the gowns are of all kinds, not just wedding dresses. Still, there are several dresses that would make excellent wedding dresses. I’ve never been a fussy person and when I find it, I’m in love. I hope Alex will forgive me for it not being the typical dress. It’s the color of blush, with my light complexion, it suits me. The dress is a corset type, there is a champagne silver lace top to it with a large ruffled skirt. Shockingly, it fits perfectly, and then I hear the shop assistant murmuring. Oscar de la Renta, no fucking way is all I can think.
Marley laughs, “No way, Grace, don’t even think of it. It’s gorgeous and you look beautiful in it. This is why Alex gave me the card and not you. Go get changed, we have to go find someone willing to make a cake in only four days.”
When the assistant is ringing us up, she shares her sister is a brand new cake maker and would love to have the chance to make a cake for Marley’s family. It’s how the woman put it, Marley’s family, not me, makes it clear their family is very well-known in Palm Beach. Feeling my stomach twist at what it means, I follow Marley into the cake shop. The woman had apparently gotten a warning because she is waiting with samples and books. Her excitement is clear, and before long Marley and I have sampled some wonderful cake and picked my favorite of vanilla bean on the bottom with passion fruit on top. The icing is a lightly sweet vanilla buttercream, the pattern is quilted around with pretty tea roses on top. The woman promises to deliver it herself on the morning of the wedding.
I’m begging to be let out of the car and go back to hospital and Marley finally gives in. The florist will be tomorrow. Why would I need a florist is the thought swirling in my mind, but I let it go when I see Alex.
Marley reports the dress has been picked and is in her car and Alex will love it. Alex only nods before he drags me out of the hospital. He seems so light and happy.
“I love you, I’m not going to lie. I fell in love with you before I knew everything I was getting, and now I know I have perfect instincts. My father told me what you said. He also apologized and told me he was proud of my choice in you. The will wasn’t nearly as painful as I thought it would be. It’s pretty straightforward, the money is going into another family trust and payouts are even on a monthly basis to everyone, including Priscilla. He won’t payout anything to his ex-wives, I tried, but he refused to budge on it. You have made many people happy today, sweetheart.”
Resting my head against the window, my attention is only on him. “I’m glad, but the only person I wanted to make happy was you.”
“I know, and I appreciate what you said and did. My father wouldn’t have done it without the promise of being cut off entirely. I’m proud of you for seeing it and calling him on it. Not enough people in his world have called him on his bullshit. While I doubt he’ll completely change, I think his very real brush with death and seeing how it could all play out might be the nudge he needs.”