This Life I Lead

Chapter 45

Rose tiptoed into Marcy's room with a mug of hot chocolate and a small saucer of toast. She set the heavy clay on the bedside table and sat on Marcy's side before singing softly.

Marcy turned her head, the words drifting into her subconscious.

Rose sang louder gradually before adding kisses to her daughter's face.

Marcy turned her face, internally expecting more kisses but Rose stopped. Marcy forced her eyes open with a frown. "What's going on?"

"It's time to wake up, honey." Rose smiled. "It's your wedding day."

Marcy blinked, unsure if she wanted to run screaming.

"Come on." Rose patted the sheets. "You drink your chocolate and eat your toast. I'll set out your tooth supplies and get the girls. Do you still use your old routine?"

Marcy sat up and nodded.

"Good." Rose bounced up and left, going to the bath first.

Marcy backed up against the headboard and folded her legs, still feeling terror. She picked up the orange earthen mug and sipped from it.

She was surprised that it tasted like George's. George was her Nana's butler and he made fabulous cocoa. It even had whipped cream on top with cinnamon sprinkled on.

She burnt her tongue on half of it before she realized she had toast and was pleasantly surprised to find it had peanut butter and jelly on both slices. And the peanut butter was her Soy-Nut butter and the jelly was her favorite; blueberry lemon jam.

How did Rose remember this? It was how the woman would wake up the eighteen year old every year on her birthday until she was eight.

It made Marcy sad when she realized why it stopped but also sick for the times before then.

"Hey?!" Karou barged in, her pajamas leaving very little to the imagination.

"Sup?" Marcy ate the last of her toast and sipped her chocolate.

"I'm going to make this go as smoothly as possible." Karou jumped on the bed. "After you brush your teeth, take a quick shower. Grandma is going to watch the kids while we go to the spa-"

"Rou, you know I don't know anything about a spa."

"I know, I know! Relax. I've been to one a couple times and it's not that weird. After the spa is the hairdressers."

"Do I get to have any say in this?"

"You know you need your hair done. You can't throw it up into a messy bun."

Marcy pouted.

"Stop that." Karou pinched her chin. "We'll come back here so you can bathe and start getting ready then we'll leave so you can finish dressing at Grandmom's. We'll get you ready then Uncle Marcus is going to come and get you to walk you down the aisle. Got it?"

"Who's going to get Rye and the twins ready?"

"Your moms. After we come back, you're me and P's. We'll take care of you and they'll take care of them. They're also taking care of Quad."

"When are you guys getting ready?"

"While you're in your bath. Right now we're going about getting coffee in us."

"Aren't you hungry?"

"A bit but we can eat fruit. Either now or on the way."

"Okay. Fine. Let's do this." Marcy didn't feel it. It felt wrong. Like a mistake. A churlish, purposeful mistake.