Generation 01, Chapter 05: Sometimes good news can be sad

LUKE'S POINT OF VIEW

"Famous 100 Baby Challenge mother, Calista Smith, just received the four words that will complete her life.  'Will you marry me?' asked her now fiancé, Adam Cohen.  She said yes but..."

I shove the paper down.  I cannot continue to read this... this heart breaking stuff.  I knew that guy was with her.  

I stand up, my brain is distressed from the knowledge of her marriage.

"Hey, did you hear Calista Smith is getting married?"  My sister, Lindsey, asks me.  

I nod slowly, not turning to face her.  

She continues, "Do you know who her fiancé is?  I heard he's just an ordinary guy.  Why would such a strong young woman choose him?  If you ask me, she should have chosen you.  Of course, you went to jail so I bet that kind of ruined it."

"Just stop it, Lindsey.  Are you trying to throw every bad choice I made back at me?"

"Well, no.  But I was just using that as a transition to tell you that we received her wedding invitation in the mail."

I roll my eyes at her nonsense but say nothing.  When Lindsey hands me the invitation, I stare at it blankly.  A tear falls down and lands right on the C in Cohen.  I take the invitation and rip it to shreds.

"Would you mind telling her I'm not going," I say calmly.

Lindsey stares at me.  "Lukey, that wasn't very nice...."

I ignore her as she comes to the table and eats her snack.  "Listen, I'm going out with Gladstone to a function tonight.  Need anything while I'm out?"

I shake my head and she leaves to go get ready.

That night she and her husband, Gladstone Kincaid, primp up and get ready to go to their dinner.

"Okay little bro, we're going."  I don't respond.  "Still mad about the wedding?  Well, if it hurts you that much, why don't you just leave?"

Leave?  I know leaving isn't the most mature option, but it does seem like the most logical thing to do right now.

"Maybe," I finally say.

"Either way, I'm going to the wedding.  Glad's going on a business trip so he won't be able to.  So, we'll be off now."

"Bye, Luke," Gladstone bids me solemnly.

They shut the front door and I think.  My sister is married and now my ex-girlfriend is getting married.  I like to think that I'm handsome and rich enough, so why don't I have any family?  If I hadn't hit that guy on the street, I'd be the one in the tux.  We'd get to have our honeymoon together and do all of those things that newly weds do.

"What's wrong with me?"  I complain aloud.  I think about my sister's absurd solution.  What if I did leave?  It's not like anyone, except my family, would really miss me.

It's decided.  I text Lindsey about my decision.  I don't know if I'll come back, but I need a new perspective and a new location.  Someplace where I can start over.

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CALISTA'S POINT OF VIEW

It's the day before the wedding and adrenaline and excitement keeps me up.  I wake up bright and early (even before Mr. Bright-and-Early over here).  I roll out of bed, get changed, and stretch silently.  Adam mumbles something in his sleep and then turns over to grab something (presumably me, if I were still sleeping).  He wakes up when his arms grab nothing but air.

"Calista?!  Why are you awake?"

"Couldn't sleep," I reply, still chuckling from his antics earlier.

"Ah," he smiles back.  His perfect white teeth gleam back at me.

I start to make the bed and so does he.

"I thought you'd like more sleep.  It's only 5:40."

"I think I'll stay up.  I might as well," Adam shrugs.  "Plus, why would I want to sleep when my gorgeous fiancée is just standing there with no one to keep her company?"

"You!  Why do you have to be so sweet?  Wait, don't answer that."  I grab Adam over his chest and he kisses my head.

"Breakfast time?"

"You bet!  I'm starved."

I start to walk downstairs and close the door so Adam can change but he just prances downstairs in his boxers.

"You can feed the cats," I tell him as I lean against the wall.

"Dream!  Royal!  Chimera!  Sunny!"  Adam shouts.

I laugh at his incongruous behavior.  "Now go put on some clothes.  People can see you through the windows!"

"Do you really think they mind?"

"No, but I do!  I know it's selfish but only I have the right to see you half-naked," I grin.  Then I giggle as Adam flexes his biceps.  "Just go!"  I command him.

Later, after Adam gets dressed, he takes me outside.  We walk around his property and he tells me more about it.  Then we park under the tree and Adam's stern face looks me in the eye.

"Calista... I've been thinking about something very important and I want to know if you agree."

"Okay, shoot me."

"Well, I've been thinking about re-starting my parent's horse breeding business."

I gasp excited.  "NO!  That's awesome!"

"Do you really think so?  It would require a lot of effort."

"Yes, Adam, I think you need something to do and I know you're very passionate about horses so if that's what you like, you should do it.  Plus, this house was specifically made to incorporate horses, wasn't it?"  I ask, thinking about all of the horse decor around the house as well as the horse decals on all of the doors and walls.

"Yeah, I suppose it is.  You don't mind horses do you?"  He adds.

"No, I mean, if they're nice and don't trample me, I think I'll be happy."

"And you wouldn't mind if they had horns?"

"Horns?  Why would they have horns?"

Adam ignores me and I let it go.  He probably said something else and I misunderstood him.

"So, when will you start?"

"After the wedding, and the honeymoon.  But before the ki-, I mean yeah, after the honeymoon."

"Oh Adam, I can't wait for you to start doing this.  It make me so happy to see you so happy."

"Me too, darling, me too.  Although, it does make me think of my parents," he confesses, enveloping me in an embrace.

"They'd love to see what you've done with the place.  I'm sure they'd be just as proud as I am."

"You think?"

"I know."

That night, I go to bed early and am actually able to fall asleep, despite my anxiety about tomorrow's event.  I snuggle in closer to Adam and fall asleep quickly to the rhythm of his beating heart.  Tomorrow will be an interesting and life-changing day, but hopefully one that I cherish forever.

The next morning, dawn comes and I wake up once again.  By the end of today, I will no longer be Calista Katherine Smith.

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NOTE

Yay!  The wedding post will be the next post!  WOO!

Oh, and to those who celebrate Halloween....

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

Thanks for reading!  Love ya!