1.5 - I Thee Wed, Prince

The next week was all about making the preparations for the wedding. During that time, I barely saw Courtney or the stepsisters. The only time i was home was to go to sleep. I'd wake up in the morning and would see one of the three girls try to cook or do something on their own, all the while glaring at me. I could just grin. I would never have to put up with any of them ever again.

Courtney ended up getting a job as a styling assistant, to pay the bills. Of course, she couldn't let her daughters get off with not having jobs. She signed Kristy up as a spa receptionist, and Joey up as a spa specialist. The three of them all working, cooking for themselves, cleaning for themselves...I didn't want to be mean, but it was a sight to behold.

     Grant paid for my wedding dress. When i asked him if he could afford it, he laughed and said i shouldn't worry about it. He wanted to pay for it.

Grant's father and stepmother were away on a business trip the week of the preparations. He said that they were taking a trip to France in celebration of his father's reelection.

"Should we wait to get married until they get back?" I asked, concerned. I didn't want his parents to miss their son's wedding.

Grant pondered this for a moment, then shook his head. "No, let's just have a private wedding. Just the two of us, at the beach, where we first met."

I smiled and nodded. "What about your parents? won't they be upset?"

"I already told them about it. They said i could go ahead with it, and they want to meet you when they get back in a couple months." He said, smiling at me. "Don't worry about it."

I smiled. "Okay."

We got married on Sunday of that week. We planned to meet up at the beach in the morning. I woke up and put my dress on. I looked around the house, but no one was home when i woke up. I left a note on the counter saying i would be back later for my things. I hailed a taxi and headed to the beach to get married.

The wedding was beautiful. The sun was rising over the open water, and the sand felt cool under my bare feet. Grant stood there, in front of the water, in his new tuxedo he bought. He turned and smiled at me when he saw me coming. He held out his hand. I took it, and the wedding proceeded. We said our vows to each other, and we gave each other our rings.

 Grant smiled and said, "You may now kiss the bride."

 After that, the wedding was over. My perfect, peaceful, beautiful wedding.

     Over the next few months, a lot changed for both me and Grant. First off, Grant bought a whole new wardrobe for me, so i wouldn't have to wear any crappy clothes again. I bought a lot of fancy clothes, just because that was my style.

 The two of us stayed at Grant's parents house while they were away, but we started looking for a house together. We eventually found a nice two-story house with a pool in the back. It was the perfect house, and we ended up buying it.

 And, our life together began. I was able to try so many things that i couldn't try before, and i eventually fell in love with social networking. I started my own review blog, which had about 100 followers. It seemed like a lot to me, but Grant told me that was nowhere near enough.

 I was also able to quit my job as a dishwasher, and i finally was able to do whatever i wanted. I looked in the paper for any job openings, and i found the perfect position. Lifeguard. The job i always wanted.
     I would wake up in the morning and go to the beach. I would be there from 10-6 whenever my shift started, and my only job was to watch for swimmers and make sure that they were safe.

I also started working out on the treadmill that Grant bought, because being a lifeguard meant being fit. I didn't want to be out of shape while trying to save lives.

      Meanwhile, Grant was working as a fertillizer analyst at the science facility. He told me that he and his stepmom worked there together, and that she was the reason he got into science. He was always reading books on plants and tinkering with things around the house. He was also a huge computer nerd, so he loved the late wedding present i bought him after i had amassed enough cash.

      My life was finally falling into place. I loved my new job, i found i was an avid blogger, and everything was just peaceful.
     My job was pretty quiet, but there would be cases where someone would need help.

      One day, there were three people drowning way out in the ocean, all at once. One of them turned out to be my stepsister, Joey.

 I was able to rescue all of them, including Joey. When she saw what i did for her, she stared at me in amazement. "Thanks." She coughed.
     "You're welcome." I smiled.

 Two months after we got married, Grant woke me up at breakfast and said that his parents finally came back. They wanted us to have dinner with them at their mansion tonight.

 I was so happy to meet Grant's parents, but i was also a little nervous about what they would think of me. they've never met me, and i'm not sure what they would think. I didn't bother Grant with it, though. "I'm excited." I lied.

At around 6, the two of us drove to the mayor's mansion. They lived on top of a hill, next to a spring. It was the ideal place i would want to live.

      Grant rung the doorbell. A plump man with grey hair and the same complexion as Grant answered the door. "Hey! Come in, come in!" He pulled his son into a hug. "How you been, son?"

      "I've been great, just got married." He pulled away. "Dad, this is my wife, Meredith."
     I smiled and greeted him. "Nice to meet you."

      "What manners," He said, smiling, "Welcome to the family, sweet pea. I'm sorry i couldn't be there for the wedding."
     Grant's father and I really hit it off. We talked in the living room about the new house, my new job, his trip to France, we talked like that for almost 45 minutes. Grant stepped away to go make some drinks for the three of us. "So, Grant tells me that the wedding was just you two. What about your family?"
     I nodded. "Both of my parents died, my dad only just recently. I moved here with my stepmother, and she wasn't very supportive of me getting married."
     "I can sort of understand that, it was a little fast, but I'm happy Grant found someone he truly loves. He was never the luckiest with girls."
     Grant returned with drinks for the three of us. "Where's Shondra?" Grant asked.
     Shondra...
     George, Grant's dad, took a sip of his drink. "She got called into the science facility earlier today. She said she'd be back by now..."
     I heard a car pull into the driveway. Grant walked to the window. "Yup, she's here."

      The front door opened. "So i get called in to the facility for an hour, tops, and i end up spending the entire day there." She sighed. "I don't even know how these people functioned as human beings while i was gone."
     My heart stopped. I could feel my heart slowly dying as i watched this woman walk inside and hug her stepson. My husband.
     This woman looked at me and stopped dead in her tracks.
     "Shondra, this is my wife Meredith." Grant introduced.
     The two of us looked at each other for a long time. It was minutes, but it felt like hours. Grant and George looked at each other, and Grant turned to me. "You okay?"
     Finally the woman spoke up. "Meredith?"
     I felt a tear roll down my cheek. Mom.
   

 Grant and George looked wildly from me to my mother to each other. "Do you two know each other?" Grant asked.
     I had enough. I couldn't think rationally. I couldn't do this. I turned to George. "Thank you so much for inviting me to dinner, but I have to leave. I'm sorry." I said, tears flowing free.
     Grant grabbed my arm. "What? What's wrong?"
     I wiped the tears on my sleeve. "I have to go. Sorry." I managed. I broke free and ran out of the door. I could hear my mother calling, "Meredith!" My mother was calling my name. My mother, who was supposedly dead. I couldn't stop running, i'm not even sure how far i got. All i could think of was...

My mother was alive. And she was my husband's step-mother.