𝐆𝐇𝐎𝐒𝐓 𝐎𝐅 𝐔𝐒 , 𝐋𝐔𝐊𝐄 𝐏𝐀𝐓𝐓𝐄𝐑𝐒𝐎𝐍

9 - meant to be

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

1 9 9 0

MUCH LIKE THE BOYS, and a lot of families really, your parents weren't perfect.

having a falling out when you were around twelve (the year of 1990), it broke you just like any other child. on one hand, you were relieved you wouldn't have to fall asleep to them fighting anymore. no more having to pick sides and settle their arguments at a very young age. you were still a child, but sometimes you were put in adult positions. like deciding who paid for what, and what mom meant by going to dinner with a coworker next tuesday.

"i'm tired of you guys fighting!" you screamed one night, a month before the divorce, "and i'm tired of always settling the arguments, like i'm in this relationship too. i'm the child!! i cant be in the middle anymore." they had apologized for it now, but it was sheer torture then, "when did you guys start fighting with each other, and stop fighting for each other?"

and on the other hand, it still sucked seeing your parents finally split apart. finally give up. finally stop fighting for each other. you had to split all your stuff into two houses, chose where you wanted to go most the time because you were of age, and your family was just not the same anymore.

it was rough, but, somethings are just meant to be.

and turns out what was really meant to be, wasnt what you had thought was meant to be at that time.

sometimes, fate still has more in store.

you met the boys early in the year of 1993, and by the december of your sophomore year, things had changed so dramatically you almost didn't recognize yourself.

you were amazed to be standing at your parents re-engagement party. it had been an interesting few years before that.
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1 9 9 1

"i'm going out, you gonna be ok for dinner?" your mom chirped one evening as she skipped down the stairs. it had been a year after the divorce, and your mother hadn't been out with anyone other than you since.

"that's fine," you sighed, "where are you off too?"

"i'm gonna go have dinner," she hesitated, tapping the back of the couch that you were sprawled over, "... with your father."

you eyed her, "really?"

you were surprised, they had taken time away from each other after the divorce for a bit.

"yeah, no biggie." she shrugged, "who says we can't be friends now, right?" you nodded hesitantly, "besides, he has something we need to talk about. parenty stuff." she kissed your cheek on her way over. you remembered their promise, to never involve you in anything parenty again, divorced or not. you were relieved, but now, you couldn't help be left curious.

"here's ten dollars, get a pizza." she winked, and you were shocked once more. she was in a good mood. you had thanked her, but you couldn't help but catch the slight blush filling your mother's cheeks. and the happy skips she had just taken down the stairs.

and the smile that didn't seem to leave her face when she came home that night.

or the night next week.

and the week after that.
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1 9 9 3

just like anything that is meant to be, things took time. lots of it. things don't change over night, and puzzle pieces only come together one at a time.

and one thing surely turned into another, and you found yourself at a family dinner, during the summer before your sophomore year.

"we've been thinking," your dad kept his eyes on your mother, and reached over to take her hand, "after the break, we've both realized... we still love each other, hun," he looked to you, smiling, "and it's about time we fight for each other again."

you had cried that night, and watched as your dad proposed to your mother for the second and final time.

and then, at their wedding, you watched as they renewed their vows.
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1 9 9 4

"it's time to never fight with each other again, and start fighting for each other." your mother cried as she read the piece of paper in her hands, looking at you, her maid of honor. for it was your line. your words.

and your eyes shifted to luke, in a nice new dark blue suit and tie, standing next to your father as one of his groomsmen.

you both stood at the alter, on either sides of your parents, with matching outfits and smiles.

he mouthed an 'i love you' and winked, and you threw one back. that was the happiest day you could have remembered.

a year later, you had lost the boys.

and no matter how much stronger your parents were together again, no one could fix the pain inside you. there was no fixing that.
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2 0 2 1

"i'm glad it had ended happy for you." luke said, holding your hand, "that was a beautiful day."

"it was," alex said, "i don't think there was a dry eye in the house. was there reg?" he smirked as he looked over to the raven haired boy beside him.

reggie had sobbed that whole day.

"it was just a beautiful ceremony, ok? cant a guy have emotions?" he got a bit defensive, but laughed with his friends, "and the flowers were really potent. and you looked so happy." he smiled at you, almost tearing up again.

"i mean, you did catch the bouquet from my mom." you all laughed, remembering how reggie literally dove across the floor, but had caught it all the same.

"-and danced to single ladies." alex rolled his eyes.

"hey, some might say, i was the life of that party." reggie spoke triumphantly, and high-fived you.

alex naturally started an abundance of stories about that day. how family pictures were chaos, and how he had accidentally tipped over the wedding cake, and then how luke had straight up sat down and ate it off the floor. of course he took his chance at mushing some of the stuff onto your face right as your father did the same to your mother, luke was luke. and at some part during the long and complex story of reggies grand prank at the reception that night, luke leaned over to you.

"you looked so beautiful that night." luke whispered in your ear, "i remembered wishing we could get married right at that moment."

you blushed, "i had thought that as well."

"some things are still meant to be," he smiled, winking once more, "even past life."

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───