OPIUM (Joe MacMillan story) - Currently being rewritten

Chapter 9 : Past and Grace

Back when Karen headed to New York City in early 1985, she was quickly greated by Ian but also by her adoptive father Trevor Walden who moved to this city to be closer to his daughter. Karen had no remorse of leaving Houston, knowing that Becky would soon join her ever. The only real remorse she had was Joe and the way she left him. A kiss was far from being a good farewell between those two ex lovers. When she told Ian about what happened, the young man didn't even gasp. He reacted in a comprehensive way, knowing that a breakup was hard. He refused to hate his beloved Karen for such a small thing that was a kiss. The first thing the couple planned soon after it was their wedding which was, for both, a way to break with the past.

    Joe always reminded himself the way Karen spoke to him on the telephone. It was raining in Austin that day. It was around a week before the wedding, or around eight or nine days. He remembered every single detail of the dialog they had. Joe was sitting on his armchair while Sara was gone to do some stuff. He remembered switching his television off that day when Karen began to speak, he didn't want to have any interferences between Karen's voice and any other sound surrounding him. The way Karen talked, the way she presented him her plans made Joe smile.

-I'm getting married soon Joe, I wanted to know if you would be a part of us. Karen told him

-Sorry darling, but I can't even try to place a day this month, even next month. My girlfriend's father is kinda annoying and doesn't give me a break. I'm very sorry.

-That's alright, I'll send you pictures then !

    For a minut, Joe thought about the relationship between him and Karen. How could they even talk to each other as if nothing happened ? How could Karen would be so proud to show her wedding pictures to her ex, the ex she left for another ? Joe felt rage, but also anxiety and pleasure. The rage was against his life, his behaviour, which destroyed but also linked Karen to him. His anxiety was for the day he would recieve the pictures and see how beautiful Karen would be in a wedding dress. And the pleasure... was to imagine Karen smiling again, making her life, finaly being able to be free from the life she had with him. From the prisoner to the free woman. All those emotions combined made a tear roll down his cheek.

-Are you planning to visit New York City soon ? she asked

-Not really for the moment. As I already told you, my girlfriend's father has got many plans for me. I'm not even sure to quit Austin one day.

-I hope you'll be able to find some time, that would be so nice to see each other once again ! At least to share our experiences. We have an extreme evolution in Microsoft, I really hope you'll have something to tell me.

-Of course I have ! I always have things to tell you.

    Joe bitterly smiled. After the conversation, he heard nothing about Karen, perhaps was she too busy with her wedding. The whole Clark family attended to her wedding in New York, and Cameron, followed by Tom and even Bosworth who wanted to see the prodigy getting married. Donna and Cameron helped Karen's preparation an entire morning. They were the ones who woke her up, the ones who organized everything for her. They led her to the hairdresser and then to the shop where Karen had the right to wear her wedding dress for the really first time. She turned on herself a little, admiring the dress. She was a princess.

-How beautiful you are ! Donna smiled

-I can't believe this... I'm gonna get married.

-Yeah you are.

    Cameron gently placed a little crown in Karen's hair, covering it by a while veil. The three women took a picture and admired the bride. Karen's dress was long and white with golden embroidery on the corsage. She had large shoulder pads made of silk and lace, her sleeves were short. The typicall example of a 80's dress, fashion at this time but which, in a few decades, would be viewed as a sort of diguize. Cameron and Donna left the room first, leaving Karen alone in front of the mirror. She was beautiful, but there was something missing. She walked closer to her reflection and, in a corner of the room, noticed Joe standing still with a bright smile.