You are my life

Planning

(Piper's POV)

While Alex was out with my Dad, I was on our couch with my laptop on me knee searching for wedding venues in New York and honeymoon destinations.
Obviously Alex and I would do this together, I was just curious.
I wanted our honeymoon to be in Paris though.
That, I had decided on and would not be moved no matter how hard Alex pushed and shoved.
I knew Alex wanted Fiji and that it would take a lot of work for her to agree to Paris but I wanted to repair that destination for her. When Alex and I reunited after her transfer to Ohio, we agreed on a clean slate with no more lies, no more keeping score, no more backstabbing, just Alex and Piper so that's what I wanted to do with Paris; wipe the slate clean and have it be the city of love as it should be, not the city of loss as she now knew it to be.
Rather than have Paris be the place where I left her when her Mom died, I wanted Paris to now be a place where we had our honeymoon. I wanted to take back the last 10 years and pick up where we should've left off.
So I googled hotels in the best locations such as near the Eiffel Tower or with views of the Eiffel Tower, I booked the best one, a room for 2, all expenses paid, food, drink, everything, then booked 2 plane tickets.
I wanted to surprise her.

There was so much planning and organising to do for a wedding!
Finding a dress, choosing a menu to suit ours and everyone else's needs and dietary requirements, picking a colour palette, picking a venue, setting a date, deciding on a cake and its flavour, choosing bridesmaids, deciding who to invite, choosing what wine or champagne or both to drink, hiring a photographer, writing the vows.
The list was endless.

Once I'd booked the hotel and plane tickets, I got sucked into 'a Pinterest hole' as Alex puts it.
I found the handcuff cake toppers that she'd told me about so saved them. Then I found gorgeous champagne flutes and napkin arrangements.
Then I found this nice looking lemon salmon main course option.
Then I found a series of colour palettes. As it was a wedding, everything was paired with white or at least ivory.
There was lilac and white, red and white, black and white, mint and white, teal and white, lemon and white, black and ivory, red and ivory, gold and white, silver and white, silver red and white (which was my personal favourite).
I kept scrolling and it kept loading every colour under the sun.
I then tapped on a picture of a colour scheme that happened to show a bride in it which then took me to wedding dresses.
There was the strapless options.
Then there was the boat neck options.
Then came the spaghetti strap options, the lace options, the meringue options, the sexy leg slit options, the cold shoulder options, the lace cold shoulder options.
Ugh.

Setting my laptop down on the couch beside me, I flop my head back and let out a tired sigh.
I absently run my fingers over the band of my engagement ring from Alex and feel an inscription I hadn't noticed was there.
Frowning in confusion, I lift my left hand, palm side up and read what was engraved,

"P, through beauty fish & pain forever -A"

I didn't know whether to smile, cry or both.
Alex had gotten the ring engraved with how I'd proposed to her.
The message was so thoughtful and so sweet.
I stared at it in awe with a goofy smile on my face.
She'd had to have had this done just before she proposed since those were a variation of my own, recent words. Not words I'd used 10 years ago.

My thoughts kept going back to the preparations we needed to make for our upcoming wedding.
Who would be our bridesmaids?
I mean, I could ask Zelda to be mine but I just know Alex would rather go back to prison for her murder so that was out.
Nicky was still inside but only had a few months left and would more than likely be Alex's.
Then my mind wandered back to a year and a half ago when I was engaged to marry Larry. Polly was going to be my bridesmaid.
Wait.
Larry.
That's it!
If it wasn't for Larry's advice, I might not be properly engaged to Alex right now.
So I decide to reach out to him and Polly to thank him and try to make amends with them both.
I grab my cell phone and dial.

"Hello?" Larry answers after a couple of rings.

"Hi Larry it's Piper, listen I'm just calling to ask if you and Polly would like to meet us for lunch next Saturday?" I ask.

"U-um sure but who's 'us'?" He asks.

"Me and Alex." I tell him as if it was the most obvious answer.

"Oh. Alex." He grumbles.

I roll my eyes.
"Yes Larry. Alex. You know? The woman I love?" I say sarcastically.

"Oh I know. I just thought the 'new you' meant new people. Like Zelda." He replies.

"No. The new me sticks by Alex and doesn't run away. She only broke up with me because she thought it was the best thing for me. Look, Larry, she got down on one knee and I'm now wearing her mother's ring. I called you to ask if you and Polly want to come to lunch with us so I can thank you for your advice in person and try to make amends with the both of you." I tell him.

"Oh. Well congratulations. And sure, why not? Should be fun meeting Alex again." He says sarcastically.

"Larry." I warn.

"Sorry. See you next Saturday Piper and congratulations." He says sincerely.

I smile.
"Thank you. See you then."
And at that, we hang up.

Shortly after my phone call with Larry, Alex comes home, coming to the couch and greeting me with an upside down kiss.

"Hey babe. How'd it go?" I nervously ask her as she shrugs out of her jacket and grabs a water from the refrigerator, taking a swig from it.
She finishes taking a swig of her water and contemplates my question which makes me nervous as I turn to look at her.
Still holding the water she slowly nods.
"Pretty well actually. He apologised to me." She says, clearly in shock.
"He what?!" I ask in definite surprise.
She nods again.
"I know. I told him how sorry I am about the way our relationship has gone down in the past. Then I told him about my past and why I named you and... he apologised. Told me he'd gotten me all wrong although he still dislikes me." She says, taking another swig of water.
This was great!
And not at all what I expected.
"Al, that's great!" I say happily and rush over to kiss her.
She smiles into the kiss and wraps her arms around me as I contently nestle my head against her chest, hugging her back.
"Hmm." I hum.
Then I remember.
"Oh! We're meeting Larry and Polly for lunch next Saturday." I tell her.
She breaks our hug and puts me at arms length, still clutching her bottle of water.
"We're what?" She asks.
I sigh.
"We're meeting them for lunch. Come on Al, if it wasn't for Larry's advice, we may still be broken up. Again. No thanks to you. And Polly's my oldest friend in the world even if she is being a bitch to me. I want to make amends with both of them." I tell her.
She stares me down then breaks.
"Fine. But I'm picking the restaurant."
"Deal." I reply.