God, I missed the carefree girl I once was. Maybe, a part of me came back in desperation to find her.
With emotions overpowering me, I was relieved to have my best friend and maid of honor, Lizzie, by my side. She was a southern fire cracker like none other.
“This is somethin outta a movie. I never thought them rowdy O’Conner brothers woulda done all this.” Lizzie said.
“What did she say?” Whitney asked.
“My accent’s not that bad woman! Git ya ears checked,” Lizzie said.
Whitney and Lizzie were still getting acquainted. Whitney and I met in college in New York, and she flew to Texas to join me for the wedding.
I giggled. “She’s talking about the O’Conner brothers becoming so rich,” I said.
The O’Conner brothers had been my next door neighbors and brother’s best friends since elementary school.
My mother called them the “talk of the town,” mostly because there were four boys, and all of them were predisposed to being the center of gossip in one fashion or another. Maybe it had to do with them being the most eligible bachelors in town.
I had the biggest crush on them growing up.
Since my brother was the protective type, I mostly enjoyed the company of the O’Conners as friends and kept my feelings private. The only person I opened up to was Lizzie. It wasn’t until my eighteenth birthday when feelings manifested into physical touches, kisses, and mischievous looks. We never went all the way, but man did I want them all badly.
Besides my physical attraction, I also fell for their characters. If I got angry, I could count on them to be home to play sports with me, or take me out fishing or camping.
We had the best of times together. I could outrun them and out-spit them. Often times, I could throw balls farther and kick balls harder than any one of them could.
What can I say? I tarnished their egos and I was exquisite at it. Lucky for me, we built a strong bond, nevertheless.
And, years later, while my mom was in the hospital, they’d setup times to visit her and kept me company there. They never ceased to make me feel loved during one of the toughest times of my life.
“The five of you were like peas in a pod. Always hangin’ ‘round, attached at the hips. I’m shocked you didn’t date none of ‘em. Too late now. You’ll be off the market thanks to that city boy.” Lizzie said.
My fiancé, Michael, was emotionally there for me during my mom’s chemo. I would have been a mess in New York if it wouldn’t have been for him. He held me up when I could no longer hold myself up.
He was human, which meant he had his faults, but I credited him for getting me through my mother’s death. When she first got sick, he was there to hold me and let me cry. When my mother wasted away from the worst of her chemo treatments, he was the one to fly me back and forth, so I could bounce between Texas and New York.
And when my mother died, he was the one that not only arranged her funeral for me but paid for it as well. The brothers offered to help, but I didn’t want to trouble them especially since they were so busy with business.
My mother’s sickness came as a shock to everyone.
She worked hard all her life but had always managed to keep a positive outlook on things. She kept herself as healthy as she could and went on long walks to keep herself physically active. Out of all the things to ail her, cancer was the last thing anyone could’ve ever expected.
“You still hangin’ in there?” Lizzie asked.
“Do you guys think I’m making the right decision? Please be honest.” I probed.
“Glad you finally asked someone,” Lizzie said. “Though you coulda done it before your damn rehearsal dinner.”
“Get off it, Liz,” Whitney said. “This is serious.”
“Yes, it is. If you want my solid opinion, Michael’s a shitbag,” Lizzie said.
“He’s got his good points,” Whitney said. “But, too be honest, I’m not sure they outweigh the bad.”
“He was there through everything with my mother,” I said.
“Them O’Conner brothers were, too,” Lizzie said.
“They’ve always been there. We’ve been friends forever.” I said. “But Michael? He was shocking.”