Nice Day For a White Wedding

by A. L. Michael

  She smiled a little, and started walking over to Chelsea, but was intercepted by Tyler, who slid in front to greet her.

  ‘Well, hello gorgeous,’ he grinned and Celia blinked.

  ‘Hello… ?’ She looked past him to Chelsea, as if to ask, What’s happening here?

  ‘Ah, that kind of thing doesn’t work with girls like you,’ Tyler nodded, still smiling.

  ‘Does it work with other girls?’ Celia asked.

  ‘Ouch,’ Tyler grinned, ‘fair enough.’

  Chelsea decided it was time to stop the madness, and stepped up, giving Celia a hug. ‘Hi, how are you?’

  ‘I’m good, wondering where you’ve been.’

  ‘Didn’t Alistair explain? I thought it would be news by now.’

  ‘No, I mean, I was wondering why you haven’t been in touch with Kit, he’s just…destroyed.’ Celia shook her head. ‘I mean like, cliché, drunken and not showering kind of destroyed. I came back to look after him after he sent some rambling, drunken text about how everything was meaningless, yadda yadda blah blah.’

  ‘Oh,’ Chelsea said, feeling her stomach contract. ‘Well, it’s complicated.’

  ‘It doesn’t have to be.’ Celia sat next to her, tucking her hair behind her ear. ‘You’re good for him. You’re good together. A holiday with my family has legitimately destroyed marriages, friendships and family bonds before. You lasted pretty well. Go to him.’

  Chelsea shook her head. ‘We’re too different. He doesn’t forgive me for everything I hid from him, and I’m not sure I forgive him for the invasion of my privacy…I’m just not sure we fit any more.’

  ‘But…he wouldn’t be destroyed like this if he didn’t truly love you,’ Celia insisted, as if love was the problem.

  Chelsea smiled at her sadly, squeezing her hand. ‘I never doubted his love, and I hope he never doubted mine. We just…we’ve learnt a lot of things about each other.’

  ‘Jeez. Grow a pair, would you? Even if you don’t want to be with the guy any more, go tell him to his face, yeah?’ Tyler rolled his eyes.

  ‘I think that would help,’ Celia nodded.

  ‘We’ve got to deal with you first,’ Chelsea said to Tyler, ‘we’ve got to convince Mum to let you back home and…’

  ‘You’re making excuses!’

  ‘No I’m not,’ Chelsea huffed. ‘We’ll go see Mum tomorrow morning, and then I’ll go talk to Kit afterwards.’

  ‘Chicken!’ Tyler said, rolling his eyes.

  ‘Look, you’ve been looking after everyone, right? So let me sort you out, and then I will sort me and Kit out. If there’s anything to sort out.’

  Celia and Tyler shared a look, like they were tired of dealing with this, and adults were stupid.

  ‘Okay, so tomorrow you’ll go and talk to Kit?’ Celia said. ‘You promise? Because I really need him to start showering.’

  ‘I promise.’

  That night in bed, Chelsea lay awake staring at her phone. She hadn’t been able to bear removing the text messages, and she scrolled through them knowing that it was only making it worse, seeing the ‘I love you’s and ‘what do you want for dinner’s and ‘thinking of you’s. It was like another life. She carefully typed out the words:

  Can we talk tomorrow? So I can explain why I left?

  She hit send before she could stop herself.

  A few seconds later, a response arrived.

  Why? You’re still gone, aren’t you?

  And there it was, a lifetime of silence, an ending. Chelsea didn’t sleep after that.

  Chapter Fourteen

  ‘Have you seen what Michael’s done?’ Ruby asked, mirth bubbling up behind her eyes. ‘You will never guess, I swear.’

  ‘Cheated on me again with another random bimbo?’ Chelsea asked, surveying her nails, picking at the chipped purple polish.

  ‘No, he’s trying to make amends, he wanted to make up for how shit he was to you.’

  ‘And?’

  ‘And he’s using his work to do it.’

  Michael had been vaguely interesting earlier in the year, already having left school and working in town. Not that he made much, but it was more than anyone else had. He worked at the funeral home, which was always a dreary place to meet him after class, but he was proud of himself. He loved earning money, loved taking her places and buying her a drink or an ice cream. And then she’d found him sticking his tongue down Stacey’s throat, had screamed a bit, and let it go. He was far too mopey anyway, and she had new plans now.

  ‘It was months ago, why’s he bothering now?’

  ‘Now you’re the girl everyone’s talking about, who’s actually going to leave Badgeley and make something of herself?’ Ruby rolled her eyes. ‘There’s always hangers-on babe. Don’t forget it.’

  ‘So why are we talking about this?’ Chelsea asked as they walked home, making their way through the town centre.

  ‘Because it’s the most fucking weird and hilarious thing that this shitty town has ever offered me. It’s like a goodbye gift.’

  They walked towards the funeral home and stared through the window.

  ‘Michael’s been allowed to choose the fonts and carvings for the displays.’ Ruby shook her head. ‘Freaking weirdo.’

  Chelsea looked in disconnect at the array of tombstones in the front window, all remarking that John Smith would be missed, or Margaret Jones was a wonderful mother, in a variety of different fonts.

  And there, right in the front window, was the newest addition to the display:

  ‘Here lies Chelsea Donnolly, the girl who could do anything.’

  The sentence was copied a dozen times beneath, some in gold leaf, some white or black, showing up against the grey granite. She wasn’t sure whether to be horrified or to burst out laughing.

  ‘Why?’ she asked Ruby, who was holding her stomach and giggling.

  ‘He thought it was romantic!’

  ‘My god!’

  ‘I know!’ Ruby cackled. ‘Poor boy! But I was thinking, it’s actually pretty fitting, right? This Chelsea Donnolly is gone, left behind here.’

  ‘I thought you wanted me to remember where I come from?’

  ‘Whilst leaving all your worries behind!’ Ruby said with a twirl. ‘Come on, let’s go in and see if we can get lover boy to buy us a couple of Bacardi Breezers.’

  ***

  Chelsea stood in front of the window of the funeral home, wondering how, in all that time, they had never changed her stone. It was still there, proclaiming her brilliance. Telling the world the old her was gone. Poor old Michael, still working at the funeral home. He’d tried to make one for Evie that summer too, an ode to her beauty, but Evie was pretty grossed out and complained to Michael’s boss, before taking the thing and smashing it in the road. Chelsea quite liked hers.

  Tyler looked like he wanted to make a joke, but resisted, instead looking more nervous the closer they got to the estate.

  ‘Do you know what you’re gonna say?’ Chelsea asked him.

  ‘What I’m gonna say? I thought you were gonna go in there and fight my corner.’

  ‘Can only fight your corner if you’re in the ring already,’ Chelsea shrugged. ‘Look, just be upfront, and if she’s a bitch I’ll stick up for you. Plus, if Jay’s there, or Jez, she’s not going to refuse you. Trust me.’

  They buzzed on the door, Chelsea looking around at the same decay she’d noted before, the peeling front door, the piles of wood and broken toys in the front area.

  Jez opened the door, grinning. ‘Ty, my boy, so good to see you! Your mum said you were off in London having fun with Chelsea. Hello darling, how are you?’ He kissed her cheek and she narrowed her eyes, wondering if he even knew that Ty had been arrested. Had her mother lied to cover it up, or was he just putting on a front?

  ‘We’ve got company actually,’ Jez said, leading them into the living room. ‘That lawyer of yours is very smart, Tyler, you were lucky to get him.’

  Chelsea rounded the corner to see Kit sat in
the threadbare armchair, whilst Jermaine stood close to the arm, watching him talk.

  ‘I’m just saying, Tyler’s had no past offences, he was upset enough about being arrested. But he needs to be allowed back home in order for the courts to sign off on it,’ he said squarely.

  Chelsea watched as her mother rolled her eyes, waving her cigarette around. ‘And I’m saying there’s no room for him here any more. I can’t have my boys living with a criminal. It’s where he’s going to end up anyway. The council will house him, or something.’

  ‘You’re willing to let your son go to jail because you don’t want to let him back in his home?’

  ‘He’s going to end up there anyway,’ she shrugged.

  ‘That’s your lawyer?!’ Chelsea hissed at her brother.

  ‘Yeah,’ he shrugged, ‘looks a lot smarter now though, didn’t recognise him.’

  ‘That’s Kit!’ She clenched her teeth, grabbing Tyler’s arm.

  ‘Your fella was my lawyer?’ her brother frowned, looking back and forth between the two of them.

  Carly suddenly looked up and saw them hovering in the hallway. ‘Oh, decided to come back anyway have we?’

  Kit regarded her, his face suddenly nervous. She took him in, almost having forgotten how beautiful he was. He didn’t look in a state at all, wearing a smart pair of trousers and a well pressed shirt. His shoulders looked broad and his face was clean shaven. He looked exactly like him, except that his light eyes were waiting for her to say something.

  ‘We…we didn’t know Tyler’s lawyer was going to be here, Mum. I just came to bring Tyler home.’ She tried to widen her eyes at Kit, trying to explain.

  ‘This ain’t his home any more. You know the rules, you get in trouble, you’re out.’

  Chelsea rolled her eyes, turning to her little brother. ‘Jay! Hey, lovely!’ He ran over to her and gave her a cuddle ‘Can you do me a favour?’

  ‘Sure.’

  ‘Can you tell the nice man here what you’ve had for dinner while Tyler’s been gone?’

  ‘Um, I made a sandwich, and there were some leftovers, and that lady next door gave me a sausage roll.’

  ‘So when Tyler’s not here, you don’t get proper food, do you?’

  ‘Oi!’ her mum went to start, but Jermaine simply shrugged and said ‘no.’

  He turned to his mother and said, ‘Sorry, Mum.’

  ‘And what about school work?’

  ‘Ty hasn’t been able to help, and I couldn’t work out the Wi-Fi by myself, and I got detention because my PE kit was dirty and I didn’t want to wear it because it smelled.’ Jermaine listed his woes and went over to Tyler, leaning into his side. ‘I want Ty to come home.’

  ‘Sounds like he’s the only one taking care of your son,’ Kit said, standing up. ‘I’m not sure I’d turn down the free childcare if I were you.’

  ‘Is that meant to be a threat?’

  ‘No, it’s meant to be a very practical analysis of the situation – your son makes sure your other kids are well taken care of, and if he’s not here, and social services happened to pop round to see how you’re all doing, well…I imagine that’s not going to look good for you.’ Kit smiled politely, and Chelsea recognised it from the endless dinner parties and Christmas parties they’d spent making conversation with silver-tongued, greasy lawyers. You’re horrible, but I’m putting up with you for the sake of the job. ‘So, it’s really in your interest.’

  Tyler decided to go in for the kill. ‘Really Mum, I’ve learnt my lesson, I spent some time with Chels and she’s helped me figure things out. You won’t get no more trouble from me, honest.’

  Carly Donnolly rolled her eyes. ‘Fine, whatever. What do I care.’

  ‘Pleasure doing business with you.’ Kit just about held onto the faux politeness he was exuding. ‘I’ll see myself out.’

  He avoided looking at Chelsea, simply having his hand shaken by Jez at the door and walking out.

  Chelsea froze, unsure of what to do. Her feet were glued to the floor and the strangeness of seeing her Kit in this flat was overwhelming.

  ‘What are you waiting for?’ Ty yelled at her. ‘Go after him!’

  ‘After the stuck-up lawyer bastard?’ her mum laughed. ‘Why?’

  ‘Because he’s the fucking love of my life,’ Chelsea said simply, and ran.

  ‘Kit! Wait!’

  Kit had managed to power walk across the estate, and Chelsea chased after him, feeling foolish.

  He turned and looked at her, his face a mask. They stood in silence, him towering over her as he so often had, waiting for her to say something.

  ‘So…’ Chelsea gritted her teeth. ‘Thank you for helping Tyler. And dealing with my family.’

  Kit shrugged, waiting for something more.

  ‘How…’

  ‘How did I do it?’ Kit wiped a hand across his face tiredly. ‘Al came to the wedding as soon as he dropped you off and told me what happened. Al drove me straight to the airport and one of my dad’s colleagues lent me his jet. I thought I’d be there and offer support and tell you I was sorry and I could be there for you.’

  ‘So what happened?’

  ‘I got there first,’ Kit frowned, ‘and no one was there, and they were talking about moving your brother, and I was drunk and obnoxious. Told Tyler to shut up, that he’d screwed up and no one was coming to help him unless he let me do my job. I thought he didn’t like me, but I thought he’d at least tell you I’d helped him.’

  ‘Maybe he would have, if you’d been sober and awake enough to tell him your name,’ Chelsea half laughed. ‘He just referred to you as “that good but drunk lawyer”, you couldn’t have given him a business card or something?’

  ‘I…I wasn’t myself. I was broken.’

  ‘Well, you don’t look broken. Celia said…’

  ‘Celia said I was a drunken mess who needed to shower?’ Kit fought a smile, just about keeping his face blank. ‘I was.’

  ‘And now you’re over it?’

  ‘I thought maybe I should look presentable if I was going to try and convince your mum that the courts insisted Tyler be allowed home.’

  ‘Ah,’ Chelsea sighed, not feeling any less awkward, ‘well, at least now we know your mum hasn’t got the monopoly on being a bitch!’

  Kit raised an eyebrow. ‘Really, that’s what we’re leading with here?’

  ‘Well, it’s one thing in common, isn’t it?’ Chelsea smiled hopefully, taking a step forward. ‘It’s a good place to start.’

  Kit turned so that they were walking slowly, side by side, and Chelsea matched his pace, watching his shiny shoes step on the dry grass.

  ‘So, thoughts on Badgeley?’ she asked lightly.

  ‘Just as shit as you intimated,’ he laughed. ‘Did you know there’s a gravestone with your name on it in the city centre?’

  ‘A gift from an ex-boyfriend,’ Chelsea snorted, ‘it was meant to be a form of flattery.’

  ‘Damn, and all I did was give you a ring.’

  Chelsea stopped, grabbing his hand. ‘Okay, truth time here. I was on my way to you, after here. I was going to sort out Tyler and then come to find you. Because, the truth is, I know you and you know me. In the real way, in the ways that matter.’

  Kit didn’t saying anything, just staring at her, willing her to go on.

  ‘I know that you would always pick chocolate over sweets, that you hate that cowlick that happens when your hair gets too long, that you love butterscotch ice cream but hate caramel. I know that you are the smartest, most together person I know but you always spend ten minutes a day looking for your keys. And I know that you’re embarrassed of what your parents have, because you don’t want anyone to think you haven’t earned everything you’ve got. I know that you have a sister that wants us to be together, that you were engaged to a nice girl who just wasn’t right for you, and I know that no matter how different we are, I love every part of you.’

  Kit’s face was unreadable, but he stepped forward, pus
hing a strand of hair behind her ear. They stood like that for an endless moment, the silence stretching on.

  ‘I know it doesn’t fix everything –’ Chelsea started, but Kit cut her off.

  ‘– I know that you don’t eat orange jelly beans, because you don’t like anything orange-flavoured except for oranges. I know that you always go to bed with socks on and wake up with only one. I know you had something horrible happen to you when you were a teenager, and when you tried to help make it better, you couldn’t. I know you feel guilty for leaving your brothers to be raised by your mum and I know that you’ve spent your whole life trying to be someone else. But all I want is you.’

  Chelsea burst into tears in relief, hiding her face against Kit’s chest. ‘You’re sure?’

  ‘I’m sure.’ His laugh was warm. ‘But Chels, agreeing to marry someone means you have to stick around to have the argument. And it means if we’re in a fight, you still have to ask for my help. That’s the point.’

  ‘Can we put it in the marriage vows that we never go on holiday with your parents?’

  ‘As long as we can agree that if I find the correct spell, I can give a good go at banishing your mum to a galaxy far, far away.’

  ‘Told you it was bad,’ she laughed. ‘And everything else? Every other pointless fight we had?’

  ‘Maybe we could discuss it all away from exes’ weddings and my mother’s rampant alcoholism,’ Kit laughed, cradling her in his arms, looking down in that way he had, like he seemed to shine for her.

  ‘I’m sorry I let them get in my head, I’m sorry for everything.’ He held her close.

  ‘I’m sorry I didn’t trust you to stay once you knew everything about me.’

  ‘But I know everything now?’ Kit asked.

  ‘You know everything, and anything else you want to know, I can tell you on the way home,’ she smiled. ‘I’ve got some pretty good stories about this rock ’n’ roll star I used to go to school with.’