Just Say Yes [COMPLETED]

Chapter Two

Present Day

It was four in the morning and I was currently laying in bed, staring up at the ceiling thinking about the way my life has changed. It's been six months since Kat and her family helped me write up divorce papers. It's been three months since Jayden's recovery from Leukemia. It's been two months since I gave Jarrod the divorce papers. It's been two months since Jarrod never looked back.

I ran both my hands down my face as I felt a few tears brewing and the heat of emotional pain crawled up my body. I was about to let out a sob when I heard my phone buzz; slightly turning my head to peak at it, I saw Lauren's face on the screen. Quickly wiping my face, I roll over and grab my phone from my nightstand. I took a deep breath and calmed my emotions before hitting the answer button,

"Hey," she said. I smiled at her voice and laid back down,

"Hi," I say back softly and close my eyes, "What's up?"

"Uh, nothing much. Just watching some cartoons and finalizing my song choices,"

"Song choices at four in the morning?"

"Yeah, Colton and Aurora gave me a list of seven songs they liked but they highlighted three of them," I heard her shift through the phone, "so now I'm finalizing them with my band."

"What are the highlighted songs they want?"

"Um, Thinking Out Loud by Ed Sheeran for their first dance and Can You Feel the Love Tonight by Elton John for the dance with their parents,"

"What's the third song?"

She hesitated, "uh, psssh, the third one is irrelevant,"

"Ren, what's the third song?" I began to giggle but was quickly silenced after she told me the name of it,

I could feel the tears beginning to come back and I sniffed, she heard and said, "Joce, I'm so sorry."

"It's okay... I'm okay," I sit up and wipe my nose with a tissue that was on my nightstand, "it's a beautiful song."

"Yes, it is. I just don't know how I'm going to be able to sing such a legendary song."

"You can do it, I know you can," I smile at the thought of my best friend singing a Celine Dion song, "just don't butcher it... actually don't butcher any of those songs."

"Ha. Ha. Pressure much?"

We both started laughing but then the reality of having to be there as she sang that song began to quiet me,

"Joce, you don't have to come," she reassured me, "Rory will understand and she can find another bridesmaid to fill your spot."

"No, I want to come. I want to support them. This isn't something you should do more than once," that last part came out as a whisper,

"Well, want to know something else?" she did her best to change the subject,

"Yeah, watcha got?" I sigh and crisscross my legs as I sit up in bed,

"David will be singing Can You Feel the Love Tonight with me," I gasp and threw a hand over my mouth, "did you know that he could even sing?"

I thought back to how in high school David would sing for us every morning in the cafeteria but would stop once Lauren got into eyesight, "yeah, he would always sing for us."

"Why don't I remember this?" she sounded baffled,

"He knew you loved singing and he didn't want to take that away from you," I smile at how much David had a crush on her, well actually he's in love with her, "whenever you came into view he would stop singing and tell us a stupid joke to get us laughing."

"Oh, I was always wondered why you guys were always laughing whenever I walked up," she went quiet, "he really stopped singing for me?"

"Lauren, David had the biggest crush on you in high school. The boy did everything for you to even notice him but it was like you were oblivious to how he felt. I mean he still does little things that I bet you haven't noticed..."

"Truthfully, I knew he liked me but with everything that was happening at home back then, I just couldn't..."

"Was it because he's white?"

"Where it concerns my family, yes but even though I'm all grown now, I just don't think I could,"

Lauren had a horrible family. They mentally and emotionally bullied her and constantly butchered her name on purpose; so imagine how happy I was that she was able to finally get away from them.

"So what's wrong with starting now?" I was curious,

"Joce, I can't give him love, I mean I can attempt to love him but I won't be able to give him the real thing! You know what I grew up with, I didn't grow up with love.. the only thing close to it was from you and your family but that doesn't compare to the love that he deserves. So with that, how can I love him... if I don't even KNOW what love is?"

"Ren, you don't have to 'know' what love is, you 'experience' it," pulling the covers off of my legs, I get out of bed and begin walking back and forth thinking of the right thing to say to her. As soon as I turned, a song popped into my head and I stopped walking. I peek at the time, 5:48, I have a few minute before I have to wake the children up, "close your eyes."

She laughed, "do what now?"

"Just do it," I heard her shuffle. I'm guessing she is getting comfortable, "are they closed?"

"Yes, they are closed,"

"Good, now you know that song by Ed Sheeran called Perfect?"

"Uhhh, yeah,"

"Sing it to yourself," I could hear her begin to hum the song through the phone. Half way through I ask her, "are you smiling?"

She didn't respond because I already knew that she was.

Sitting on the edge of my bed realization hits me that I was helping my best friend with learning about love, when I'm currently going through a divorce.

When the line went quiet, I spoke up, "did you picture David?"

"Yeah," the line went quiet again and that made me smile,

"Well, I'll leave you to dwell on that. I'll just see you at the wedding," she hummed and I hung up and toss the phone over my shoulder and fall back on the bed. I lift my arms above my head and stretch before getting up again and making my way to my children's rooms,

Her door was white, and she had begged me to let her draw on it when she six and I am very happy that I caved because her door will show how creative she is in the future. I turn her doorknob and peaked in, her art lamp was on and I could see her sitting on the floor in her art center, with a few paint brushes and paint.

I slowly enter her room and glance at the new things she has done since the last time I was in here, which was three days ago. Her entire room was painted white two years ago, she said she wanted to paint her own walls and I didn't argue about this at all. Her bed sat nicely against the wall between her bathroom door and the wall that holds the only window in her room. In the corner of her room, in between the window and her art center, which sat opposite of her bed; I had noticed she set up her mini art easel that was an early birthday gift from Jodi, since she wouldn't be able to make their party this weekend. I walk up behind her and take a peak at what she was painting.

I guess she felt my presence because she quickly covered her project and spun to face me, "MOM!"

I threw my hands up in surrender and stepped back, "I'm sorry. I just came to wake you but I saw your art light on so I just let myself in so I wouldn't disturb you."

She rolled her eyes, "it's fine. I just don't want you to see what I'm working on." She slid off her stool, "it's a surprise."

"Okay, for now on, put a sock on your doorknob to let me know you are working on it, that way I don't just walk in on you working on my surprise," my blue eyes connected with her brown eyes, "deal?"

She thought about it and stuck her hand out, "deal."

We shook on it and I left her room so she could get ready for the wedding.