Chapter 39
CHAPTER 39
To say the following weeks were crazy would be an incredible understatement. Gobel and Green had withdrawn their lawsuit, now very busy with many others across the country. They were being served, literally.
The Cranberry Harbor Gazette made it onto CNN, MSNBC, CBS, NBC, ABC, and every major newspaper in the country. Lizzie was especially excited that even Seth Meyers, Jimmy Fallon, Jon Stewart, and Stephen Colbert talked about them. She was a serious journalist of course, but there was something about making into a monologue of a late night TV host that seemed to signal a certain arrival of sorts.
Jack was seeming more like himself and it felt like life was slowly returning to normal. If normal included a documentary film crew and reporters from around the world watching you work. Terra Marique was progressing well, and was actually ahead of schedule. They hadn’t discussed their wedding, and Lizzie felt reluctant to bring it up because…well, she just was. As their intended wedding day approached she could feel a sadness coming over her, but tried to push beyond it, and focus on enjoying the Gazette’s 15-minutes of fame.
She was sitting alone at a table outside Sea Coast, contemplating her future as a forever-engaged and never-to-be-married woman, when Ben walked by, saving her from herself.
“Ben!” she calls out to him.
“Hey! Fancy meeting you here, I figured by now you’d be on a plane to Los Angeles for your appearance on Jimmy Kimmel,” he says, sitting down across from her.
“Yeah, he wanted me to come, but I said no, I have to work on my screenplay,” she says, laughing.
“Wait, are you actually working on a screenplay?” Ben asks.
She laughs, “No, but isn’t that what everyone does when they have a brush with fame? Seems like the thing to do next, now that running a small town newspaper seems so…small.”
“Oh, you’re way too big for that, you definitely have to write a movie and we need to think of who will play you!” Ben teases.
Lizzie laughs. “So back in the real world…How are Sean and Ollie?”
“They’re great, Ollie is walking everywhere, on the verge of running, so life as we know it is about to end. We will not be sitting down for the next few years, I suspect. But it’s great. I love it, Lizzie. Being a dad is more than I ever could have imagined.”
“I’m so happy for you, for all of you,” she says, tearing up. “Ugh, sorry, I do this at least twice a day lately, I think it’s all the overwhelm, and, well, wondering if I’ll ever have what you and Sean have. Ugh, sorry!”
Ben takes her hand, “Of course you will!” He keeps holding her hand, “Speaking of the future, what’s your favorite kind of cake?”
Lizzie shakes her head, “Um, okay, that’s one way to change the subject!” She laughs.
Ben laughs too, “Sorry, I’ve been baking all day and have cake on the brain,” he says.
“I’d say chocolate with chocolate frosting and raspberries on the side,” she says. “Or vanilla with vanilla icing and sprinkles. I love sprinkles.”
“Duly noted, loves sprinkles,” he pretends to write. He smiles at her. “It really is all going to be alright, Lizzie.”
“Promise?” she asks.
“Yes, I promise.” He stands up, “I hate to, but I have a small window before Ollie wakes up and Sean has a meeting with the gallery in P-town. I love you, friend.”
She smiles at him. “I love you too, my dear, dear friend.” Ben leans over and gives her a kiss on the cheek. “See you soon, I hope! Give Ollie and Sean a kiss for me.”
“Will do,”
On that May morning that Lizzie had been dreading, she woke up planning to ignore the date when her wedding was supposed to happen at all costs. It had been six weeks since the news hit the stands. Legal wheels were turning and it looked like that evil duo, Gobel and Green were finally going to pay for their crimes. Everything was falling into place, except her wedding. She got out of bed and headed down to the kitchen for some coffee, hoping one of her parents had already made some.
The scent of coffee hit as she descended the stairs. “Yay! Whoever made coffee, thank you, thank you,” she says out loud to…no one. “Hello? Where is everyone?” she calls. Daisy, her parent’s loveable mutt, who comes skating around the corner. “Hey girl, unless you developed some new skills I’m thinking you did not make this coffee,” she says, patting her on the head.
“No, that would be me,” Peter says, walking in from the living room in sweatpants and t-shirt. “You mom ran out to do an errand, she’ll be right back.”
“It’s a little after 8, where the heck would she be going this early?” Lizzie asks, pouring herself some coffee.
Peter shrugs, and picks up a muffin on the counter and puts it on a napkin. Mouth full of blueberry bran muffin he shakes his head and sputters out, “Don’t know, she didn’t say anything.”
“Very mysterious,” Lizzie says, picking up a muffin for herself, walking to the table and sitting down.
Peter joins her, “You mom is a mysterious woman, my dear.”
No sooner has he said those words when Gabby comes bustling through the door, garment bag in hand.
“Good morning, sleepy head!” she says, kissing Lizze on the forehead.
“What you got there, Mom?” Lizzie says, popping the rest of her muffin in her mouth.”Going somewhere?”
“Yes, as a matter of fact we all are,” Gabby looks over at Peter. “Should I tell her or do you want to?”
Lizzie’s phone rings, it’s Jack. “Hold that thought,” she says, holding up a finger. “Morning! How are you this morning? Okay, I’ll put you on speaker,” she says, a little perplexed.
“Morning, Jack,” Gabby and Peter say in unison.
“Okay,” Jack begins. “We have a bit of a surprise for you, and I hope it’s a good one,” Jack says. “Gabby?”
She unzips the garment bag and takes out Lizzie’s wedding dress.
Lizzie’s confused. “What the heck?”
“I took a dress of yours to Jess and she hemmed it using that as a template. Other than that it fit perfectly, so it’s good to go,” Gabby says.
Lizzie is still confused. “Okay, so…?”
“Today was supposed to be our wedding day,” Jack says, “and thanks to your parents, Ben, Sean, Alexis, Hope, and well, half the town, we’re still going to get married today.”
Lizzie sits down. “What? When? Where? I mean how?” She's stunned. “Dear lord, I'm a mess!”
“You’re not, but I knew you’d feel that way, so Hilary is coming in an hour to do your hair, nails, makeup, whatever you want,” Gabby says.
“So this is really happening?” Lizzie says, looking at her dress, her parents, and feeling stunned.
“I hope you’re not mad at me,” Jack says. “I wanted us to have our wedding, and since it was my project that almost ruined it, I wanted to fix it.”
“He’s been incredible, honey,” Peter says. “He’s gotten the whole town on board, I actually can’t believe that Cranberry Harbor kept this secret. You really had no idea?”
She shakes her head. “No, I mean I thought it was weird when Alexis asked me about flowers, and then Ben asked me what my favorite cake is, but I didn’t think about it, honestly. But now, it all makes sense.” She pauses. “Wait, is this why the town square is all fixed up, and yesterday I noticed the gazebo was decorated. Are we getting married in the town square?”
Gabby and Peter smile and nod, “Yes you are,” Gabby says.
“I hope that’s okay,” Jack says. “Once everyone wanted to help it seemed like it had to be there.”
Lizzie takes a deep breath. “Okay, so what time is this happening?” she asks, glancing at the clock on the wall.
“Two o’clock,” all three of them say.
Lizzie sits back in her chair and starts to cry.
“Oh my gosh, I hope those are happy tears,” Gabby says, putting her arms around her.
“Lizzie? Oh no, I’m sorry, I thought this would make you happy,” Jack says, freaking out a bit.
“No. no, I’m happy,” she says. “I wanted this to be our wedding day so badly, and now it’s happening. I can’t believe it. Thank you, really, thank you to all of you for doing all this for me.”
“You’re sure? It’s all good?” Jack asks, still sounding worried.
“Yes, it’s more than good, it’s perfect,” Lizzie says, reaching for the tissues her mother has gotten for her. “I will see you at two o’clock, Mr. Cahoon. You better not be late.”
Jack, sounding choked up himself says, “No way will I be late. I love you Lizzie and I cannot wait to marry you.”
“Right back at you,” she says. “Now I have to go and make myself presentable! Love you.”
Lizzie stands up and hugs her parents. “I can’t believe you all did this for me,” she says, hugging them. “This is going to be the best wedding ever. And I say that having no idea what we will be eating, drinking, dancing to, if there is dancing, or who will be there. It’s kind of crazy but I love it!”
Four hours later, after Hilary has come and gone, Lizzie descends the staircase where her parents both gasp and begin to cry a little.
“Oh my, you look amazing!” Gabby says, hugging her a little awkwardly so as to not muss her look in any way.
“Yeah? You both like it?” she says, trying not to cry and ruin her makeup, turning and twirling a little.
“You are the most beautiful bride I’ve ever seen,” Peter says. “Next to your mom, of course.” He smiles and hugs Gabby.
“Alright, enough of all these tears, let’s get a move on,” Gabby says, trying to pull herself together.
When they arrive at the town square Lizzie is speechless. There are flowers everywhere, and it looks like the whole town has turned out. “Oh my word,” she says, barely able to believe it.
They get out of the car and she sees Jack waiting at the gazebo, Reverend Thomas is waiting too. She sees her brother Matt, Shannon and Sophie, who comes running up to her.
“You are the most beautifulist girl in the world, Aunt Wiz,” she says. “And I’m a flower girl!”
“Yay! I’m so glad! You know what to do?” Lizzie asks, leaning down.
“Yup, Mommy told me, you ready?” Sophie already has the basket of flower petals on her arm, ready to throw. Just then, Alexis emerges with a beautiful bouquet of pink peonies.
Lizzie smiles at her niece’s can-do attitude and confidence.
“Congratulations, friend, here you go,” Alexis says, kissing her on the cheek.
“These are gorgeous, thank you, thank you for everything, I love you, friend,” Lizzie says.
The music starts and she takes her dad’s arm.
“You ready, Sunshine?” he says.
“I’ve never been more ready, Dad. I love you,”
“Love you too,” he says.
When Lizzie reaches the gazebo, and climbs the three steps, Jack looks at her just how she’d always imagined. Like so many brides, she hears most of what the minister is saying, but is struck by all the people she loves standing there with them at this moment. She swears she even sees Billy and Bud standing off to the side. When it comes time for them to say their vows, Lizzie realizes she’s going to have to wing it, not having written hers.
“Jack, this has been a long time coming, and I’m so happy to be here now, so in love with you, and excited for our life together to start right now. Thank you for loving me, and for being who you are, the kind of man who in the midst of a massive lawsuit would stop and plan a wedding,” she laughs, and the crowd does as well. “May our lives always be filled with surprises and love. Happy surprises,” she says, smiling.
Then it’s Jack’s turn.
“First, thank you for not being angry at me for doing this, not everyone would be so amenable about a surprise wedding,” he jokes, and everyone laughs again. “I’m so grateful to have a partner like you who is so kind, smart, and obviously, up for anything,” he laughs. “And I too hope our lives are filled with surprises, love and of course, fun.”
“Alright then, by the powers bestowed upon me by the state of Massachusetts, I now pronounce you husband and wife,” Rev. Thomas says.
Lizzie and Jack kiss, and the whole town square erupts.
“This is truly the best wedding ever,” Lizzie says, kissing Jack. “I wouldn't change a thing.”
“Good, because neither would I,” he says. “Are you ready to celebrate?”
“With you? Always,” she says, as they walk out of the gazebo and into the arms of everyone they love.
The End