I Try

Chapter 23 - Cooking

Beth's Point of View

October 24th, 2013

45 Hours Before the Wedding

   

    People like normalcy.

    We tend to crave it. Whether we were blessed to be normal most of our lives or cast on the outskirts of it, we all want it. The phrase, "I just wanted to be normal. I wanted to fit in," is a cliche for a reason.

    Despite what anyone can ever tell you, to be yourself, that your differences are what make you sparkle and whatnot, at the heart of it all is the desire to be included. Because no one likes to be left out in the cold.

    As part of a normal life, most of us have patterns we fall into. I view those patterns as something not to follow, but something to break. Breaking it is what forces us to show our true colors, show what makes us tick.

    Take, for example, that man sitting in the adjacent seat. His blueberry muffin that he ordered at the beginning of the flight is late. He always eats a blueberry muffin, that is the only thing he can allow himself to start his day with, as he told the stewardess in his frantic tones. Any second now, that same stewardess will return to tell him that the very last muffin was just purchased by someone else, and they are very sadly out.

    He will redden in the face, maybe even blame the poor stewardess and cause the entire flight of people to despise him for the remainder of it. He will stay angry the rest of the flight, stalk out without his commuter mug, drop half of his clothing outside Terminal A. And because he is so distracted being upset by the absence of a trivial thing, he will miss the car he hired, which will later crash on its way back to the dealer.

    In the case of this man, his pattern disruption saved his life. In others, it may bring about the end.

    My question is, what will my pattern disruption do?

    "I told you already, she's wearing blue, you don't have to hold up that ridiculous sign!"

    "But I want her to know she's welcome home!"

    As I turned the corner of the hallway, I saw the two most perfectly matched pair of people I had ever known fighting over a handmade cardboard sign. Lauren, my sister, was laughing as she fought with her boyfriend, Zack, over it. From what I could gather, she wanted to put away the sign and Zack wanted to make sure I saw it.

    "Zack, give it to me, it's ridiculous!"

    "Do not make me propose to you right here instead of welcoming your sister home. I swear I'll do it," said Zack, his back to me as he stared at Lauren's partly amused and partly furious expression.

    "I swear to God, Zackary Hunt, if you ask me to marry you in this damned airport, I will say no," Lauren said back. Suddenly she spotted me over his shoulder. "Beth!"

    "Nice try, but I'm not letting go that easily—" he started to say, but when Lauren skirted him and ran to hug me he caught on that she was not faking him out. I smiled at my future brother-in-law while my older sister wrapped me in her embrace.

    Her eyes sparkled with mischief and happiness—two things that had not been present since our childhood. Zack came up behind her when she released me and put his arm around her waist. "Hello, Beth. I don't believe we've had the pleasure of meeting. I'm Mr. Zack Hunt, the father of your niece and future husband of your sister." Zack said matter-of-factly, ignoring Lauren's hand slapping his arm. He grinned at me and I did too, unable to contain my face muscles in his presence.