Sweet Torture

twenty:

"So you have your dress?"
"Yes."
"Does he have his tux?"
"Yes."
"Do the girls and the guys have their outfits?"
"Yes."
"Is the venue-"
"Danielle, everything is sorted out. I'm ready to get married in four weeks."
"I still can't believe you're getting married, TO CRUZ FORMAN!! Your mom would be so-"
"So what?"
"Proud."
"Well whatever... Hey did you ask Adam if he can walk me down the aisle?"
"Yes...And he said that he would be honoured... A tear jerker for sure!!!"
"Danielle, I swear to God, if you only cry, I will kick your ass all the way home."
"Hey, you're gonna be crying too, and I still don't get why you're getting married in a vineyard- you earn millions in minutes- couldn't you have made it a destination wedding?"
He walks in carrying his tux.
"Danielle, he's back, I gotta go."
"Okay sweetie, we love you! See you soon."
"Love you,D. Kiss Adam for me."

He smiles and greets me with a kiss. "Hello, Bride to be."
"Good afternoon, husband to be. That was Liv's mum."
"Ah, Danielle, she's great. My parents are coming over later with Steph. Are you, gonna, you know..."
"What? Am I gonna what? I love Steph but I don't think she can be my bridesmaid you know-"
"No baby, I was gonna ask if you were gonna change-"
"Well of course I am, idiot. Do you want your parents to see me in a shirt without a bra and pants on?"
"Well of course not, that's for my eyes only."
"Oh is that so?"
"Yes indeed."
"Let's go catch some shut-eye before they come, shall we?"
"Yes, sir."
"Did you just call me sir?"
"Yes..."
"Well fuck me..."
"Promise?"

Their names are Ruth and David- I met them back in school, but I don't think they remember me. They're both surgeons- Ruth is in Urology and David is in General. Steph is a cardio-thoracic surgeon- Cruz did not chose to follow their footsteps. They brought me gifts- a bouquet of flowers, some jewellery, perfume- Don't ask me why, Cruz says they're like that.
I made cottage pie- Cruz's favourite. They brought a baby with them- it's a kid Steph is fostering. Her name is Esmay and she's only about, 5 or 6 months old- she's a beautiful baby- her parents died in a car crash- they were Steph and David's paitents and they died on the operation table. As I sit down to start eating, she starts crying.

"Oh, excuse me." Ruth says as she tries to get up from the table. She has osteosarcoma- its a cancer in her spine- that's incurable. I admire her strength.
"It's okay, I got it, Mrs. Forman." Cruz smiles at me.
"Please, Jo. Call me Ruth."
"Okay, Ruth. Take a seat, I'll tend to her."
I head towards the great room to where her camp cot is set up. Cruz follows me.
"Jo, I got her. Go eat."
Esmay continues to wail, louder and louder, as Cruz tries to console her. I laugh, and take her from him.
"Wow, she must really like you, Jo." David says. "She stopped crying the moment you took her from him."
"Yeah, dad, she has magic hands." Cruz smiles with me and heads towards the dinner table.
"Well you should know how magic her hands are." Steph teases and his mom laughs. Her laugh is contagious.
"Steph...MOM." Cruz scolds, embarrassed.
As the conversation turns to his parents' and their "bowel resections" and "erectile disfunction" I decide to take Esmay outside for a walk; and I find myself talking- to 5 month old.
"Wow, you have Cruz's eyes. You're lucky, little nugget. You see, I think this is a good place to put the play set. And then over there, a sand pit. And in here-"
He swings his arms around me. "In here, is where my wife and our kids will play. And I will be thankful to God for every moment."
He swings me around and kisses me, and Esmay lets out the sweetest little giggle. It melts my heart. I've seen alot of babies- but I've never been as attached to one the way I am to Esmay. We head inside and discuss the wedding with his family- but I can't manage to put her down.
"Cruz, can I talk to you for a second?"
"Sure. Excuse us guys."
We head back outside.
"Let's foster to adopt."
"Yeah, sure. we can do that."
"No. I mean right now. With Esmay."
"Jo-"
"I know I said I didn't wanna rush it, but babe look at her, she's perfect. She needs a family. And you know that when Steph's done fostering her-"
"She'll be back in the system, like us."
"Yes, like us. She doesn't deserve that."
"Do you think we're ready to be parents?"
"No, but I rather put everything aside and try and be a better person for her, than let her suffer the way we did."
"Wow, she stole your heart didn't she?"
"She sure did, and you better watch your back."
"Well then, congratulations, mommy."
"Wait- really?"
"Yes Jo, when I proposed to you and I said I would do anything to make you happy, I meant it."
"I am so in love with you, Cruz Forman."
"And I, with you."

We head back inside and everyone is overjoyed. Tyler and Graham snatch her from my arms immediately, thrilled to be uncles. Ruth, David and Steph embrace us, and Ruth sobs with tears of joy.

"You made me a grandma in one day!" She says, as she laughs and squeezes me.

I tell Steph to take her home, and after Cruz and I go shopping, we'll pick her up. I pack up some cottage pie and send it home with them. As they reverse, so do we- them turning left towards the residency and us turning right towards the mall.
"Funny to say yesterday, I was fucking you on these seats, and today, we're parents."
The baby store is huge- we spend about three and a half hours before checking out.

"Mam, your total is- um-"
''What is it?"
"I think you want to take out some things mam- or are you paying by account?"
"No, cash, well technically card- why?"
"The total is rather large mam-"
"Well yeah- clothes, high chairs, cribs, stroller, bottles, formulas, toys, car seats, baby proofing- did I forget anything did I Cruz?"
He shakes his head and ruffles around in between trollies and packets to confirm I have everything.
"I think we have everything, baby."
"What's the total ms?"
"It's eight-"
"That's it?"
Cruz and I giggle.
"Swipe for it."
"No mam... It's um... Eighteen um thousand..."
"That's it?"
Cruz and I laugh.
"Swipe for it."