We arrived back at our house and thankfully, Wendy had cleared out for the day. Stef had called me numerous times, as had my sister. I resolved to close myself off, and wallow in my sadness, if only just for the day. Life was moving on, all around me, and I had to move with it eventually. Nobody but my nearest and dearest knew about the little jelly bean, and I wasn't sure yet if that was a good thing or not. What I really wanted to do was stand on my balcony and scream at the top of my lungs.
"I'm suffering!"
"I'm sad!"
"I love you, little Jelly Bean!"
Sadly, I wouldn't do any of that. I'd learn to move through my sadness, and focus on life beyond that tragedy.
"What can I do for you?" Tom asked me, as he propped me up on our pillows and covered me with a blanket.
"I'm fine, love. Maybe just put in a movie?"
"Sure thing." He strode over to the TV and rifled through my movie selection. After a moment, the familiar opening song from one of my Disney childhood favorites filled the room, and I was swept back to my younger years.
"Someday my prince will come
Someday I'll find my love
And how thrilling that moment will be
When the prince of my dreams comes to me
He'll whisper I love you
And steal a kiss or two
Though he's far away I'll find my love someday
Someday when my dreams come true
Someday I'll find my love
Someone to call my own
And I know at the moment we meet
oh, my heart will start skipping a beat
Someday we'll say and do
Things we've been longing to
Though he's far away I'll find my love someday
Someday when my dreams come true
Someday my prince will come
Someday we'll meet again
And away to his castle we'll go
To be happy forever I know
Someday when spring is here
We'll find our love anew
And the birds will sing and wedding bells will ring"
Tom sidled up next to me in bed, and I whispered to him, "I've wished for you, since I was a little girl. My Grandma always told me I'd find my prince someday."
His look softened, and he kissed me sweetly.
"And you're my princess."
***
"Wake up Dolly. Wendy's calling, she's been ringing you off the hook."
I sat up, shaking the sleep off of me and answered the call.
"Hello?"
"H--hi Max. Um...I don't know how exactly to say this to you, but I think the word's out about you and Tom."
"What word? What do you mean?"
"I mean, someone took pictures of you two leaving your clinic, entering and leaving the hospital and they also got a good shot of your engagement ring."
"God damn it." I hissed, as my blood began to boil.
"Is there something you haven't told me about, that I need to handle?"
"No, Wendy. When I need you to handle it, I'll tell you so!" I shouted and ended the call.
My cell became something to be chucked and so I threw it at the wall, shattering it and a framed picture, that disintegrated on impact.
"FUCK!" I screamed, and balled up my fists, feeling like I really needed to break something else.
Tom appeared in front of me, and grabbed my wrists. Trying his best, he attempted to soothe me out of my highly agitated state.
"Stop it, Tom! Just let me be angry." I broke away
from his hold, and started up the stairs.
It would only be a matter of time before the feeding frenzy began. The two of us unable to get through the most difficult challenge we'd faced yet, and the whole world was privy to it before our families. I hadn't been given even a window of an opportunity to grieve, without having to work on damage control. It broke my heart to know that the tabloid news would tell my family of the baby that didn't make it, rather than me.
The solitude of my studio called to me, since the rest of my home felt like a prison. I sat down at the piano, expecting to find a release there, but nothing came. I was empty. I was defeated, and void of any inclination to be anything but angry. I'd just verbally gutted one of my best friends, and pushed the man I loved away when both of them were just trying to help me. After taking a moment to gather myself, I went back down the stairs to find Tom ending a phone call. Probably a phone call to his family.
"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. I just feel so--"
"I know, darling. It's alright. We're feeling the same things, love...and it's perfectly alright to be angry, it's perfectly alright to be sad too. You're human."
"I hope Wendy will forgive me. I should probably call her, and my family too."
"Tough to do that, since you just blasted your cell into the wall."
***
"Wendy, I'm sorry. I was a complete bitch to you."
We were sitting in my kitchen and she was highlighting my hair in preparation for the wedding.
"Thank you for saying that. I'd be lying if I said not to worry about it, because you did kinda chew me out a couple days ago. Now, I'm good. I was just so worried about you."
"I projected a lot of stress onto you, and I'm sorry. I want you to know how valuable you are to me. My life feels equally wonderful and maddening lately and I haven't been dealing with my stress in the best way. You've been a rock through all of it, and I cannot tell you how grateful I am."
"I'm grateful for you too, you know. I just got a little frazzled there for a bit."
"Understood."
"Now, we need to talk business. Your flight leaves tomorrow at six in the morning, and the rest of the group will arrive the next day. That leaves you four days in Oxford to prepare. The groom's dinner is Friday at seven in the evening. I'm picking up Tom's gift from the jeweler along with your rings, as soon as we're done here. Do you have a dress yet?"
"Shit. No."
"I'm sure there's something in your closet, probably still with the tags on it."
"Probably. I'll go look once you're finished. Also, did you reach out to Kerry? If I get married in Oxford and don't invite her, I'm certain she'll hunt me down and hurt me."
"I haven't yet. But I will."
It felt so good to fall back into the ease of chatter with Wendy. She had always been one of my favorite people to be around, and having been the cause of her stress was something I just couldn't withstand. Internally, I vowed to take it down a notch, for the sake of my loved ones.
YOU ARE READING
Dolly (Part three-Max Mitchell series)
Fanfiction*Part 3 of the Max Mitchell series* After a tragic run in, Max must take steps to move forward with her life. Her career isn't slowing down, but with loose ends threatening to tangle her up, will she ever get the chance to move on?
