Seven Days (10 page)

She stared back at him and he met her look without
flinching until she broke away from it. “Wow. That’s not a decision to make
lightly, Julian.” She released his hand and looked at anything but him, “Or
when you’re amped up on adrenaline after nearly dying in a car crash.”

It made sense that he would question things after an
experience like the one he’d just had, but she would not let him alter the
course of his life while he was still half in shock and feeling the effects of
his painkillers. “I’m going to go check on your cast. Just remember this, rash
decisions are often the worst decisions.”

Across the waiting room, with some distance between her
and Julian, Carolyn found a semi-private spot where she could take a moment to
come down from her own heightened emotions. Julian was okay and he was going to
remain okay.

Her phone beeped and she pulled it out of her purse.
There were several texts from Mark. He must have finally gotten the voice mail
she had left for him last night. She needed to talk to him, but she just
couldn’t do it now.

Slipping the phone back in her bag, she saw Rhys rushing
over. Cera was at the desk talking to the same man who had been there when she
came in.

“Thank God you’re here,” she said and threw herself into
her brother's arms. He stiffened and she pulled back, instantly aware of how
the situation seem to him.

“No, he’s fine. I’m sorry,” Carolyn explained, “I just
needed a hug. Come on, he’s over here.”

Max padded into the room. He navigated around the numerous
pairs of feet, carelessly placed bags and one coffee table to circle once then
settle in a furry heap next to Julian’s encased leg.

“Hey, buddy,” Julian ruffled the dog’s multicolored fur,
“One of these things is not like the other, is it?” Max lifted his head,
sniffed Julian’s cast and then rested his head between his paws again.

They arrived at the house at different times and in
different ways as if they’d been summoned. These past few days had been taxing
on them all in some way, be it physically or emotionally, and they’d come to a
safe place to rest and recharge before the wedding machine whirred to life for
the big event.

Carolyn came into the room carrying a big bowl of
air-popped popcorn, followed by Rhys who scooped a handful out of the bowl
before she rested it on the table. He tossed a few to Max, whose nose lifted at
the scent.

“Help yourself,” Carolyn offered and plopped back into
the seat that Rhys had vacated next to Cera.

Julian and Luke dove in while Cera opened her mouth as
Rhys aimed and missed and aimed again for it. She gathered the fallen kernels
from her lap and ate them out of her hand. Only Milan, seated on the love seat
next to Julian, abstained. Apparently her gown was so fitted that even a
handful of popcorn could make a difference. She sipped her bottle of water
instead then offered some to Julian.

“How’s the leg, Jules?” Rhys hitched his hip on the arm
of the sofa and tossed a popcorn kernel at his friend. Julian leaned forward
and caught it in his mouth. He winked at Cera with a that’s-how-you-do-it
expression.

“Still broken, still sore—and I’m being generous when I
say that, but I’m still ambulatory,” this last he directed at Milan.

“I can’t believe you go and break your leg two days
before the wedding,” Milan said, rolling her eyes.

“I don’t know what I was thinking,” Julian replied and
she looked away.

She’d been fussing over him and then at him once she
heard about his accident and met him at his place. Rhys and Carolyn had taken
him home and stayed with him until Luke and Milan arrived. Then they’d all left
him alone with her and he hadn’t decided if he’d forgiven them for that yet.

Milan’s caretaking skills were clearly from the tough
love school of nursing. He let it go because he knew she was mostly worried
about how this hiccup would impact their plans. Surely she’d have a more gentle
touch if she weren’t so stressed.

“I’m sure your photographer will frame all the pictures
from the waist up,” Luke offered, “years from now you’ll look at your wedding
album and you won’t even remember that he was injured. Speaking of, you up for
a rescheduled shoot this afternoon?”

“Absolutely,” Julian jumped at the opportunity and heard
Milan’s relieved sigh.  At least that was something he could still cross
off the wedding to-do list.

He looked up and saw Carolyn watching them. Her reaction
yesterday to his accident had been so different from his fiancée’s. Carolyn had
trouble holding back her tears and her first concern had been for his
well-being, not just for his ability to carry on. They were like night and day,
she and Milan, and he felt like he was facing a lifetime of midnight.

“Not having any popcorn?” Julian asked, edging the bowl
Carolyn’s way.

As Carolyn reached into the bowl, Rhys rubbed his hands
on his jeans, not caring that they were salty and buttery from the popcorn.
He’d been taking in the folks in the room when it struck him that the most
important people in the world to him were all together right now. He’d missed
them and despite his struggle with being in the family home, he’d missed it,
too.

Cera was right, however. It was hard for him to be here
and he might not have realized that if she had not said it. It was also time
for him to face up to some things that, yes, he’d been running away from.
Yesterday’s events were not lost on him. How quickly he could have lost another
chunk of his life had Julian not survived the crash.

Carolyn’s call had rattled him; thank goodness he had
been with Cera. She’d driven him to the hospital while he tried not to fall
apart. She’d held his hand while he’d called Luke with the news.

He had thought distance and time would make the pain of
his parents’ death go away, but he knew now that he personally needed more help
to deal with his grief because it was almost as sharp now as the day it had
happened nearly three years ago. And being in this house was not good. He
cleared his throat.

“Uh, guys,” he started and Cera looked up at him. “Guys,”
he said a little louder. When he had their attention he stood up. “I’m glad
you’re all here—”

“Oh, God!” Julian interrupted, “Are you practicing your
best man speech? Anybody got a glass and a spoon? Ding, ding, ding,” Julian
imitated the recognizable wedding reception attention-getting trick.

“No way, buddy, you’re going to have to wait to hear that
one and Milan, I apologize in advance for any fallout,” he smiled that Rhys
smile and watched her blush.

“As I was saying,” he started again then grew serious. “I
don’t know how or why we all ended up here today but it’s a good thing. I’m
happy to be home and I’m sorry I’ve stayed away for so long. I think you all
know that when I left I was in a bad place. I just couldn’t...” he struggled
with the words then said simply, “be here.”

Cera reached for his hand and he looked at Luke and
Carolyn, “I know it was hard for you both, too, and I’m sorry I wasn’t there
for you. No, let me finish—” he said as Luke started to speak. “Anyway, I
didn’t mean to go into all of that right now. I realize being back that I still
have some work to do on moving forward.

“I came back to be my best friend’s best man but I also
intend to stay. I’m moving back to Philly. I’ve left my job and if the offer’s
still good,” he squeezed Cera’s hand, “I’m moving in with Cera.”

“Oh my God!” Carolyn was the first one out of her seat, “Rhys,
that’s great! That’s the best news I’ve have had in a while.”

“Yeah, man, it’s about time,” Luke joined the family hug.

Julian, with a hand up from Milan, got to his feet and,
balancing on his good leg, reached out to shake Rhys’ hand. “That’s good news
buddy. Does this mean that you guys are...?” Julian tilted his head towards
Cera and let his raised eyebrow finish his question.

Rhys had no idea. He was putting one foot in front of the
other. Heck, he hadn’t even told Cera until just now that he’d accepted her
invitation. Better to defer to her, even though the expression on her face led
him to believe he already knew the answer.

“It could, but I’ll let you know for sure when I know.”

Slipping in between them, Milan reached up and brushed a
kiss against Rhys’ stubbled check, “Welcome back, it’ll be good to have you
home. He won’t tell you but he’s missed you a lot. We both have.”

Rhys pulled her into a full hug then watched her
transform into the take-no-prisoners woman he knew.

“Alright, I think we should get to it,” she pinned Julian
with a look, “You have a photo session to attend and I have a mani-pedi waiting
for me and other things to do,” she smiled sweetly, gathered her purse and
patted the rear pockets of her jeans as if checking for her keys. “I’ll see you
all at the church tomorrow for the rehearsal,” she bent down to drop a peck on
Julian’s lips. “You drive carefully,” and then she was gone.

“Well, ladies and gentlemen, I think we should probably get
started,” Reverend Jones urged gently.

Milan nodded her agreement and stood up, “Great idea.”

The movement jarred Julian, whom she’d been sitting next
to on the front pew, from his thoughts and he looked around to survey the faces
in the room. She still wasn’t here.

“We’ve been waiting for Carolyn for fifteen minutes and
we only have the church for an hour to rehearse,” Milan reached for his hand
and used her other to signal everyone to gather around. “Julian, honey,” Milan
looked up at him, “Your hands are clammy. You're not nervous are you?” she
teased.

He shook his head in the negative and she touched his
face lightly. It was a fairly benign-looking gesture, but he knew it to be a
reprimand. He still hadn’t shaved and was sporting a nearly-full beard.

“Me, nervous? Not in the least,” he kissed her quickly on
the forehead, taking in her shining eyes and full-face smile. She was so happy.
He pulled her against him in a relaxed embrace, “It's just warm in here.”

Even without the wedding decorations, the church was
beautiful. From the outside it was a classic church building with white
clapboard siding, arched roof and a clock-tower steeple. Inside one long aisle
led from the doorway to the altar with rows of polished wood pews on either
side. Narrow stained-glass windows lined the walls and would ordinarily fill
the space with multihued light, but it was raining and the church was lit
artificially from within.

The room was peopled with his closest friends and
family—all the people he loved and who loved him back. To his left his oldest
and closest friend Rhys was chatting with Milan's younger sister and maid of
honor, Sabrina. Behind them Julian's parents were exchanging pleasantries with
his future in-laws, the Maynards. Milan's cousin, Shawna, was holding hands
with her two young daughters and playing ring-around-the-rosy to pass the time
while Luke snapped candid photos of them. John, Julian's cousin, who was also a
groomsman, sat quietly on the front pew to his right, waiting for the rehearsal
to begin.

Everyone looked so calm and relaxed, including Julian,
whose calm demeanor belied his tense state. Inside his chest was tight, his
heart was racing, he was so very warm and right between his eyes he was feeling
the beginnings of a tension headache. He hid his plight behind the facade of
anticipation, holding Milan and waiting for Carolyn.

“If I could have the bride over here,” Reverend Jones
directed in his baritone voice, “and the groom right here.” He pointed Julian
to a spot on his left. He then showed everyone else to where they were to stand
and began to explain how the ceremony would proceed.

Carolyn entered the church quietly so as not to disturb
the rehearsal. She was so mad at herself for being late and—mindful of the
wrath of Milan—she was also a bit nervous. Carolyn could kick herself for
taking her shortcut at the time of day when everyone else also took her
shortcut. She'd been bumper to bumper for the whole trip.

She took in the scene from the back of the church. Julian,
Rhys and Luke were to the pastor's left while Sabrina stood to his right.
Milan's two young cousins, who were to be flower girls, were running around in
circles at the head of the aisle while their mother tried to quiet them, and on
the front pews sat both sets of parents. It always struck Carolyn how closely
Julian resembled his father, the only difference being the gray in his father's
hair.

Carolyn rested her purse and umbrella on the back pew and
started to walk down the aisle. Her approach caught everyone's attention.
Julian and Milan turned and watched as she hurried towards them. From the
tightness of Milan's lips Carolyn could see Milan's annoyance, but in Julian's
face she saw only relief.  He smiled at her as she neared.

“I'm so sorry,” she mouthed to the couple, but it was
Reverend Jones who answered her.

“That's alright young lady, we'd just begun,” motioning
to the space next to Sabrina he said, “why don't you stand over here?”

Once in place, Carolyn looked over at her brothers in
greeting. Catching Rhys’ eyes, she made a face of mock terror, making fun of
her own tardiness and Rhys smiled and shook his head while Luke winked at her.
She turned her attention back to the minister who was giving instructions on
the exchanging of the rings.

“Now you young lady,” he said to Milan, “will give your
flowers to the maid of honor and she'll hand you the ring, but you're going to
have to step back now or else I'll end up marrying you for real a day early!”

Milan retreated and with barely concealed horror watched
Reverend Jones take Carolyn by the elbow and usher her to the bride's place
next to Julian.

“Since you were late, you get to stand in the hot spot,”
he chuckled at his own joke. Then placing Carolyn's hands in Julian's he went
through the ring ceremony.

Julian’s heart had ceased its racing and returned to its
customary pattern when he watched Carolyn hurry down the aisle. Her presence in
the church filled him with relief and the anxiety he had been feeling
dissipated.

Now he was hand-in-hand with the woman he had desired for
almost his whole life. She looked at him with shy brown eyes as she pantomimed
sliding a ring on his finger.

“The groom now takes the ring from the best man and
places it on her hand,” the pastor said expectantly.

Without thinking Julian pulled off the silver ring he
always wore, a gift from his mother on his seventeenth birthday, and deftly
slid it onto Carolyn's ring finger. In his mind he recited the vows he had held
in his heart for years.

When the warm metal touched her skin she immediately
dropped her gaze to their hands, then locked eyes with him again. It was mere
seconds but in that time he couldn’t deny that he loved her and he was sure she
loved him too. Though witnessed by all, no one saw that Carolyn and Julian had
become one.

Milan, no longer content standing on the sidelines at her
own wedding rehearsal, gracefully resumed her place at Julian’s side with
surgical precision, nudging Carolyn back to her place as bridesmaid.

“And this is where he gets to kiss his bride, right?”
Milan charmingly posed the question to Reverend Jones, while tipping her face
up for a kiss from Julian.

“Yes, you may kiss the bride!” exclaimed Reverend Jones.
Milan instead pecked Julian on the lips as the reverend continued, “And I send
you down the aisle, man and missus, and my job will be done here and we'll all
go celebrate and toast the happy couple. See? Not so bad at all.”

Something had transpired between Carolyn and Julian and
he knew without a doubt that she finally knew his true feelings.  Julian
turned to the pastor, “No, not so bad.”

He did not dare look at Carolyn again. He was afraid that
all his feelings would show on his face and he would be exposed as loving one
other than his intended. Instead he swept Milan along the aisle entreating
everyone to follow them to the hotel for the rehearsal dinner.