Mari looked at Josh earnestly. She liked watching him. He looked so intent when he was driving, so completely absorbed in the one task of getting to his destination. "Tell me again," she smiled softly as she tugged at her sleeve.
"Again? Mari, that's the fourth time today," Josh laughed.
"Go on," she said, closing her eyes. "Where were you?"
"I was right here in this chair. I had forgotten the cups at the store-"
"Yes, I know that bit," Mari laughed, rolling her eyes. "When did you know?"
"From the minute we fought," Josh smiled.
Mari looked out the window and gave a sigh.
Josh looked at her worriedly. "Please don't leave," he almost cried in his mind.
"I'm happy, Isaac Taylor," Mari sighed, curling up and leaning her head against the window sill. "So ridiculously happy."
"I love you, Mari," Josh smiled.
Mari's heart raced. He didn't say it often yet. Only when he meant it. "I love you, Josh." She gave a small moan. "Please don't let Cath kill me."
"She's pregnant. I don't think she'd get very far," Josh chuckled.
Mari shuddered. "I hope everything is fine. I'm honestly terrified for her."
"She'll be alright," Josh smiled. "She's a fighter, if nothing else."
Mari tried to ignore the goosebumps on her arms. It gave her the creeps. "You're right," she sighed. "Which is why...I'm either in for a lot of love or a lot of hate today."
"She won't be mad. Well, she might be slightly, but she'll get over it quick."
"I hope," Mari whimpered.
—————
"I'm glad I opted to get the ring with the real diamond," Catherine nodded. "It looks so much better than the fifteen dollar version."
"That was our children's college fund," Matt muttered. "I hate car trips."
"It was only like four hundred dollars," Catherine shrugged. "College is a lot more than that, Babe."
"Still," Matt grumbled, "you're too nice a friend."
"Mari happens to be my only friend. That reminds me, I'll have to find someone to run the coffee shop when I'm out on maternity leave. I still can't believe that Alex handed the business over to me and moved to Scotland," Catherine sighed.
"Twins?" Matt asked again with a frown as he turned the car into the parking lot and pulled into a space. "Two?"
"Yep," Catherine grinned, getting out of the car.
Mari rushed over in a mess of tears, he face red and blotchy. "I need you," she laughed pitifully. "Thank you for coming. Thank you so much."
"What's going on?" Catherine asked worriedly.
"I can't do this," Mari sighed, putting a hand to her head. "I'm going to mess it all up. Cath, I'm genuinely petrified. Mortified. Terrified. All the ieds!"
"Mari," Catherine said slowly, "are you and Josh getting married?"
Mari covered her mouth and looked up with hesitant eyes before nodding quickly.
"Oh my god," Catherine gasped, pulling her friend into a hug. "Congratulations."
Mari nodded. "But I can't, Cath...what if he gets tired of me?! What if I can't be what he wants? What if I lose him?! I can't, Cath. It's too much. I want to go home."
"He won't get tired of you," Catherine laughed. "Trust me, I went through this before I married Matt. It's natural."
"Binding yourself to another person for the rest of your life doesn't feel very natural to me," Mari groaned. "Did you bring the dye?"
"Yeah, I picked some up. Why do you need hair dye?"
"I-I want to change my hair," Mari mumbled shamefully.
"Okay," Catherine said dead seriously, "I will kill you in your sleep if you dye your hair."
"If you touch anything with chemicals, I'll ground you!" Matt yelped. "No hair dye!"
"I-I don't want to look like my sister," Mari sniffled. "I want him to like...me. Just me. I- I love Melody, but..but it hurts him. I just want him to look at me and feel nothing but happiness...All I want is for him to be happy."
"He already loves you for you," Catherine laughed softly. "And I refuse to let you dye your hair."
"I'm so scared, Cath," Mari laughed nervously, horror in her eyes. "Properly terrified. I- we have an hour to get ready and I have no clue what to do at all. I bought a dress at the thrift store, so that's taken care of, but I can't even find the zipper to put it on."
"You are so fortunate we are the same dress size," Catherine smiled, opened the car door. "I went shopping the other day when Matt was at work and I bought a white dress. I figured that I could wear it after I had the twins, ya know? Anyway, I was too lazy to bring it into the apartment, so I left it in the car." Cath pulled the dress out. "It's yours if you want it."
"Wait, you did what?" Matt asked in surprise.
"You're supposed to stay in bed!" Matt shrieked.
"We'll discuss this later," Catherine shrugged.
"Are you sure you want me to take the dress?" Mari asked, biting her lip.
"Of course I'm sure," Catherine smiled.
"Alright," Mari said breathlessly, pulling Catherine off with her.
Catherine did her best to keep up, but found herself falling behind in pace, given the fact that she was still technically injured. "Slow down," she laughed.
"Sorry," Mari chuckled, slowing her pace.
Catherine sighed, trying to catch her breath. "Man, I need to exercise more."
"Oh, gosh, sorry," Mari said worriedly. "I didn't mean to tire you out."
"It's okay," Catherine laughed. "Just don't tell Matt or he'll put me on bed rest for the next seven months."
"He might do that anyway," Mari chuckled.
"I know," Catherine moaned. "I love him to death, but he worries about me way to much."
"I wish Josh would worry a bit more," Mari laughed. "I mean, in the month we dated, he barley said a word."
"Oh, trust me, he worries plenty. He just doesn't want you to see it," Catherine chuckled.
"Yeah, right," Mari laughed.
"He worries more than you think," Cath nodded. "Now, let's style your hair."
"Alright," Mari sighed shakily.
—————
"Think about it!" Josh yelped. "She started liking me when the production started. So when it's stopped, this whole mindset is lifted. And boom! I'm single again, Matt. Single! And alone! And depressed!"
"You think you've got problems? My wife is pregnant with twins," Matt sighed. "Twins!"
Josh gave a scoff. "You have a wife! Who adores you! And would do anything for you!"
"Yeah, and soon, so will you," Matt chuckled. "She isn't going to leave you. She liked you way before the production started."
"This was a bad idea. A really good bad idea, but a bad idea none the less. Let's go home," Josh whined.
"No," Matt said firmly. "If you don't marry her, you'll be making the biggest mistake of your life."
"I know. And if I do....it's twisted, Matt! Twisted in every single way!"
"Twisted every way, what answer can I give?" Matt sang teasingly. "Calm down, Josh. You're going to be fine."
"I'm gonna be sick."
"I felt the same way before I married Cath, but as soon as I saw her walk down the aisle, I was calm. Just focus on getting ready."
"What if she changes her mind? I'm a nobody, Matt. A useless nobody."
"That's not true," Matt sighed. "Now, put your suit on."
"I'm not wearing a suit. We agreed simple. Simple simple. No fancy, extravagant stuff."
"Alright. Then wear whatever you were going to wear. I need to call my sister."
"This," Josh laughed. "I'm wearing this."
"Then what am I doing here?" Matt chuckled.
"I don't know," Josh shrugged, rustling his hair into a mess.
Matt sighed. "Don't mess up your hair."
Josh's face wrinkled in offense. "My hair is fine, thank you."
—————
"Listen, if he ever does anything to hurt you, I will personally kill him. I don't care if I'm in the middle of giving birth," Catherine laughed. "I will stop and kill him."
"Thanks, Cath," Mari laughed. "What would I do without you?"
"I don't know," Catherine shrugged. "Alright, you're ready."
Mari stared blankly. "Already?!"
Catherine nodded. "Let's go."
"Let's not."
"Come on," Catherine laughed. "You're going to be fine."
Mari smoothed out her skirt and headed toward the back door. "Nope. No way."
Catherine grabbed her arm firmly. "If you don't marry him, you'll be making the biggest mistake of your life."
Mari stared back, her nerves dissipating ever so slightly. "Do- do I look okay?"
"You look gorgeous," Catherine smiled as tears welled in her eyes. "I'm not sure if I'm crying because I'm proud of you or because I'm pregnant, but I'm just gonna go with it."
"Oh, gosh, don't cry. I'll start crying."
"I'm pregnant. I can't help it," Catherine laughed.
—————
Catherine took Mari's arm and walked her to her fiancé.
Josh squirmed nervously in his blue suit that Matt had made him change into, pushing his glasses up on his nose in disbelief.
Matt gave a little smile. "Told you."
"Wow," Josh stammered. "Y-you look- wow."
"Thanks," Mari blushed.
"You have to stop staring at each other eventually so I can do this," a friendly voice laughed.
Mari's eyes lit up. "Jack?!"
"The one and the only."
"Hang on," Cath interjected. "I need a moment with the groom."
Mari looked at Cath with eyes of death. "Why?!"
"Personal reasons," Catherine shrugged.
Josh kept staring at Mari. "Like what?!" She hissed impatiently.
"Personal stuff," Cath smirked. "It'll only take a few minutes."
"Fine," Mari grumbled. "Make it quick."
Catherine pulled Josh away. "Listen," she said sternly, "Mari is my sister. If you hurt her in any way, boy, you better watch your back because I will hunt you down and kill you. Ya got that? I won't hesitate to kill you," Cath said threateningly. "I'm not joking. She means that much to me."
"Catherine Collins," Josh said pointedly, his voice low and dark, "why would you even think for a moment that I would harm her?!"
"Because I've lived," Catherine replied coldly. "And I've learned. You may have a few years on me, but I've gone through so much more than you'll ever know. And I made a promise that I would do whatever I could to make her happy. I intend to keep that."
"I made that same promise," Josh said cooly. "And I'm a man of my word, Catherine, you know that. No matter what people say about me, I'm just as much a man as Matt."
"I know," Cath sighed. "But Mari...I love her dearly and she's been hurt a lot. I get overprotective when it comes to her...but I know you'll be good for her."
Josh pursed his lips in anger and briskly turned away.
"Prima Donna," Cath muttered under her breath.
Jack took a deep breath and held Mari's hands comfortingly, trying to prevent her from breaking into tears. "Ready, brother?"
Josh bit his lip and nodded.
Catherine wrapped her arm around Matt as the ceremony began. "I love you," she whispered in his ear.
"I love you too," Matt smiled, grasping her hand and putting it to his lips.
"Josh...Isaac...I.T. Guy...you've had many names over our time together," Mari laughed, "but I'm honored...and mortified to give you a new one. Husband. I-I've spent my whole life thinking no one...no one could ever love me. I'm...I'm trusting you when you say you want me. But Isaac...I've decided on you."
"Mariah Jane Gerry," Josh chuckled, "you are wonderful and beautiful and I love you more than you could comprehend. My life...it hasn't been the easiest, but you have helped so much. I still don't know why you want me, but I'm glad you do. Mari, you make me a better person. I promise that I will never hurt you and I will always be here for you."
Mari laughed through blubbering tears. "With this ring, I show my promise, to love you, to care for you, to treasure every waking moment, come what may. Rain or sun, young or old," Mari said, shakily taking his hand.
"With this ring," Josh smiled, holding her hand tightly, "I pledge my enduring love and devotion."
The couple kissed, and Matt and Catherine smiled.
"Are you going to tell her that that ring is a real diamond?" Matt whispered.
"Nah," Cath chuckled. "I'll let her figure it out on her own."
"That's it?" Mari laughed breathlessly.
"Yep," Josh chuckled.
Mari bit her lip and hung tightly to Josh's arm. "Do you want to tell them? Or should I?"
"You," Josh nodded.
Mari took a deep breath and squeezed his hand. "Cath...there is a sad-ish part."
"What do you mean?" Catherine frowned.
"I-I got a job," Mari smiled. "In...New York. It's not forever. Just a few months, but still."
"Wow. That's um...wow," Catherine sighed. "How long?"
"Five months," Josh said, wrapping an arm around Mari's waist.
Mari looked up at him with shocked eyes. He never spoke so confidently, never even looked at her without freaking out. "The job's four, Isaac," she noted.
"And a month to travel," Josh smiled. "There's some stuff I want to show you."
"I guess that's not that long," Catherine shrugged. "When do you leave?"
Mari held Josh tighter. "Tomorrow morning."
Cath's jaw dropped slightly. "Wow, okay. That's a lot to spring on someone."
Mari gave a whimper and Josh held her tighter. "I know."
"Well, congratulations," Catherine smiled. "This is all wonderful."
"It is, but Cath...if you want me here, I won't go."
Josh recoiled in terror. "What?!"
"Isaac, if she wants me to stay-"
"I can't ask you to do that, Mari," Catherine sighed.
"But do you want me to?"
Josh made a pouty face. "But- but our honeymoon."
"Friends first," Mari chided, taking Cath's hands.
"I want you to go on your honeymoon with Josh," Catherine nodded. "I'll be here when you get back. Don't worry about me."
"Are you sure?"
"I have Matt. I'm alright."
"Gosh, Cath, I'm so happy," Mari laughed, bursting into tears and embracing her friend.
Catherine wrapped her arms around her tightly. "I know. I'm happy for you."
"I feel like I'm losing you," Josh confided to Matt, tears welling in his eyes.
"You aren't," Matt sighed as tears welled in his own eyes. "I'm right here."
Josh held him close. "I never thanked you...for all those years together."
"You didn't need to."
"I should have. We've been through so much together," Josh laughed sadly.
"Don't worry about it," Matt shrugged.
—————
"So, how do you think we'll tell the girls?" Catherine inquired as her and Matt entered their apartment.
"What do you mean?"
"Well, Ashley and Scarlett will want to know that they're going to be aunts. How do we want to tell them?"
"However you want," Matt shrugged.
"What if we do it in person?"
"We are not flying to Brooklyn, New York."
"Duh," Catherine replied, rolling her eyes. "I mean that we can have them come and stay here. And by 'here' I mean 'at Carlos's place'."
Matt shrugged. "Are you sure that's wise? I don't want you overextending yourself."
"Having my sisters here wouldn't be overextending myself," Catherine chuckled. "You really don't need to worry so much, Babe."
—————
Mari stared at the ceiling.
"I hate hotels," she whimpered. "I miss Cath."
"You know," Josh sighed, "we could negotiate a shorter contract. Maybe make it three months instead of four? We could still do our month of traveling and be back when Catherine's in her sixth month."
"No," Mari sighed. "It's horrible, but can I tell you something?"
"Anything," Josh smiled.
"You know what? Never mind," Mari shrugged. "I'll tell you later. I just want to get some sleep."
"Alright," Josh sighed, turning out the light. "Goodnight, Hon."
—————
Matt sat in bed, reading a book as Catherine inspected her stomach in the mirror. "You can hardly tell I'm pregnant," she chuckled.
"Mhm," Matt hummed.
Catherine sighed and crawled into bed. "Are you paying attention to me?"
"Nope," Matt smirked.
"He gets me pregnant and then doesn't listen when I'm talking," Cath frowned.
"Sorry, Babe," Matt chuckled, setting the book aside. "It's just really interesting."
Catherine wrapped her arms around his shoulders. "I know," she pouted. "I just want to spend some time with you. We've both been so busy with our jobs lately."
"I know, Babe," Matt sighed, wrapping his arms around her waist. "Being the manager is a really tough job."
"But can't we spend more time together?" Cath whined.
"I think I can work something out," Matt nodded, kissing her cheek. "I love you, Babe."
"I love you too," Catherine smiled, kissing her husband tenderly. "Hey, did I show you the ultrasound photo?"
"I might throw up," Matt said with a wince. "I'm terrified as it is. If I put it out of my head until it's undeniable, I think I'll be fine."
"Whatever you need to do," Catherine chuckled. "By the way, I have another appointment tomorrow. I can have Carlos come with me, though. We'll probably go for a run after."
"No, no, I'll come," Matt sighed.
"I thought you wanted to put it out of your mind."
"Yeah, but not think it into nonexistence," Matt laughed.
"They're going to do an ultrasound," Catherine said pointedly. "You're going to want to see that? You're not going to pass out? You're not going to throw up?"
"I'll try my best."
Catherine kissed Matt's cheek. "I love you."
"I love you too," Matt smiled.
Author's Note: The pictures to follow show Mari's hairstyle, dress, shoes, and bouquet, respectively: