ReUnited

A story of choices that are made when you don't feel like you have a choice. Of finding your friends are there no matter how dumb you are. And realizing that sometimes being alone isn't the worst that can happen. Based loosely on real life experiences.

"Gaaaaahhhhhh!"

The scream tore out of her before she could clamp her freshly painted lips on it. Imagine that, she thought. I actually feel better.

What was she screaming about? There was nothing to be afraid of; she scolded herself as she looked into the mirror. She took the time to adjust the straps on her oh so pale that it was nearly a non-color green dress, the color doing nothing attractive to her equally pale skin or her short, red curls. A color that he had raced over, demanding that it be the dress; that one right there! She could still hear his voice booming through the store, causing her to blush and pull away from him as they became the center of attention. As if he was trying to show off that they were dress shopping for a wedding. Their wedding. Marriage. Married to Charles.

Her vision started to dim, as if she were walking down a narrow hallway and Melinda pinched herself on the underside of one breast hard enough to snap her gaze back into focus. Nothing at all to be so terrified about. Deep breathes. Deep, steadying breathes. Easiest thing in the world; even with fear chocking the life out of her and her stomach sinking to under her shoes in a way that tugged painfully at her heart. In, two, three, four. Out, two, three, four. You can do this, Lin, you can do this. Everyone got nervous when they got married, she reasoned. Then again, that was because they were afraid of what they might be getting into. When you got remarried, that fear was taken away. At least, it should be when you were getting married to the same person again. Usually, remarriage meant another chance at love with someone new, not tying yourself to the thing that made you miserable enough to leave in the first place.

What was it called then? The act was remarriage, she was sure that was the correct title. But not socially well known. He had called it renewing their vows, but those words felt odd in her head. Renewal sounded as if it was offering bright, shiny hope not dim, cloudy despair. Renewal meant that maybe this time he wouldn't- no. Not thinking about that.

Why was she so worried about what the ceremony was called?

A knock interrupted her circular thoughts. Lin shook her head; silently denying whomever it was access. She needed to prepare. Why did she feel the need to prepare? She hadn't been this scared at her last wedding. But, then again, what did a girl of barely twenty-two know about heartbreak and aching loneliness? Six years ago she had married Charles Benson. And five years later, he had broken her and left her stranded in a place of mental misery. Then he had manipulated Melinda into blaming herself for the whole thing. And now she was marrying him again. Remarrying. Renewing their marriage. Goddammit! What was it called?

"Melinda, honey?" The knock sounded again.

"Are you sure she's in there?"

"What, she climbed out the window? Made her escape?" Came the sarcastic disbelief.

"She would never! She would ruin that beautiful silk and she has guests to think about!"

"That is not a dress! That is the waste of some poor Haitian’s week."

"And did you are the shade it's in? That's some colorblind person's version of green."

"Well, I like it."

"You would!" Two voices said in harmony.

"Dudes! Stop! Lin, sweetie? It's us. Can we come in?"

My friends, here for my rescue, Lin thought with a weak grin. She could hear the argument escalate and snorted in slight amusement at the four voices in the hall. There was sweet, pretty Caroletta, the self titled palest Mexican ever and Melinda's true soul mate. Daring, exotic Katrina who could act like a preppy, up tight girl from high society and then switch to gutter trash diva in a blink of dark eyes set deeply into her mocha colored face. Intelligent, and beautiful in a commanding way, Janet who could cut you to the core with a well placed phrase. Or have you nearly laughing on the floor with the same skill. And lastly, quietly stunning Laura, who was pensive and dreamy in a way that made you want to believe in faeries and dragons. Lin shook her head again, afraid that if she opened her mouth, the scream would escape. Caroletta pushed open the door, and she was quickly followed by the rest of the Brood, as Melinda's mother liked to call them.

"Lin, sweetie," Caroletta started. Laura moved to adjust the straps on the back of the dress while Janet stood by the door with a glowering frown and Katrina stared at her intently. "Are you sure about this?"

She nodded, she short curls falling out of the strategic bobby pins and into her eyes. Why was her hair always short when she got married? Granted, last time it had been blond, but short. Maybe it was a sign. Every time she went crazy and cut off all her hair, she was going to get married. Remarried? Rewed? Wed again? God, what was the term! Katrina sighed and moved to fix her hair while Janet looked away, crossing her arms. Lin focused on Caroletta, fighting the urge to run. Or get sick. "Yes. Of course. I love him."

"Why?" Janet nearly barked from the door.  

"Jaye, leave her be! She knows what's in her heart!" Laura seemed to shrink from the silently hostile feel to the room as the other girls glared at her. "I just mean, of course she loves him. She's forgiven him, and loves him. Would she be marrying him again for any other reason?"

Jaye opened her mouth, but Kat shot her a look. Lin sighed, already sick of the normal infighting of her friends and looked at the quiet, peace keeping Caroletta. Caroletta shook her head, with a half shrug that spoke volumes. Lin could feel the tears welling, and she turned her back on the all to study herself in the mirror. She forced herself to stiffen her back and square her shoulders. She could do this wedding thing. Would it be called a rewedding? No, that sounded stupid. She had never been able to force herself to get a divorce, to break that final legal tie. Had to be love, then. She had to be in love with Charles still. There was no other reason for her to be holding on so much; it had to be love.

"Laura is exactly right." Melinda ignored the superior look that Laura shot the room. She saw Caroletta and Katrina share an eye roll in the mirror. And she could tell from the stony look on Janet's face that things were about to roll down hill, fast. "Laura, honey. Could you go make sure my sister is here? Please? She said she would be running late because of the baby." Laura nodded, a little to eager to scurry out of the room. Lin turned to look at her other friends, a small challenging look on her face. "Guys. I am fine. This is fine. I am completely ready to get-" What the hell was it called? How could she do it if she didn't know what she was doing? Melinda made a frustrated sound in her throat and rubbed one finger over her eyebrow. "I'm ready." She looked at them all, shaking her head at the range of worry and disbelief on each face. "I am."

"Sure. Fine. Ruin your life. What do we care? We only love you. It’s not like it could get much worse, right, Linny? I mean, he's already betrayed you in every conceivable way. I'm sure she's changed enough in the year to warrant you placing your complete faith in him. No, really, I think you're making a great decision," Janet finally let loose her conversational word bile.

Katrina sighed "LinnaBean, we are just worried about you. You know how he can be, how he was. Do you really want to live through that again? Can you?"

Melinda shrugged, trying to appear unshaken and indifferent. Caroletta shooed the other girls out and closed the door. Lin looked at her dearest and closest friend, the only person that seemed to complete her ways no one else understood. "Cee, really, I'm fine."

"No, you're not. You are standing here, shaking in a God awful dress about to tie yourself to a man who cheated on you with his best man from the last wedding, you sister's best friend and some girl at his work. That's not to mention the ex-girlfriend he knocked up. Or the hundreds of dollars he wasted on prostitutes before gifting you with VD. “Melinda blinked at the onslaught of memories and nearly chocked on the air in her throat. Caroletta didn't let up during the monologue, but she did soften the words by putting her arms around Melinda. "Or the times he blamed you for him being unfaithful. Or when he threatened to leave you penniless unless you pretended things were fine while attending one of his family’s get together thingies. And did I forget to mention the times he beat you mentally? When he told you that you were unlovable? That you were too clingy and too selfish to be any good to anyone. This is what you are remarrying. This is what you are committing yourself top again. And you won't be able to claim ignorance when he tears you apart this time! "

"Yeah, he sounds like a winner!" Neither girl had heard the door open to admit Janelle, Melinda's younger sister. "Gee, hurry up and marry him before I try to steal him."

"Shut up, Smelly Janelley."

"Dim-Lin, I love you. Usually I'm jealous because you're so much smarter than I am. But right now, you're an idiot. You're making a huge mistake. Let him go!"

"I love him."

"No, you're lonely and scared," Janelle countered, tucking her darker red waves behind her ears.

Melinda shook her head to deny it, pulling away from Caroletta.

"Then why are you doing this?" her sister prodded.

Because I am lonely and scared, Lin thought. Because I am twenty-eight, and maybe Charles is right and I’m too much for anyone to handle. Maybe he's my only shot at being a mother and a wife. Maybe this is the last chance I have. But Melinda could barely admit that to herself, and so she ignored her sister until the girl left. She fixed her makeup while Caroletta moved off to collect the bouquet of pale pink tulips.

"Here. I'll see you out there. I hope not but..." Caroletta shook her head and closed the door behind her. Lib accepted the flowers and stared at them a moment. Tulips. She hated tulips. They weren't real flowers. Only pretty when closed with no real smell, Lin sneered at her wedding bouquet. Rewedding flowers? Pre-divorce bouquet? That thought had her snorting, nearly hysterical with her giggles. She leaned against the door, struggling not to vet suddenly. Think about the house Charles bought. Think about the honeymoon to Ireland he promised. Think about the fact that he said he was now ready for the kids you've always longed for. Think about how he swore to be home almost every night. Think about the security of having someone to grow old with and take care of you. Think about all that and use it to get down that aisle. Get moving.

Move!

Suddenly, Lin blinked and she was at the alter. How had-oh, God. There was Charles, in a white suit and a pale green shirt, looking as if he could eat her with a spoon. She looked at the people seated behind them and wanted to scream again. There, sitting at the very edge of the first row was Bobby, Charles's best friend and part time lover. And next to him was Kimberly holding Olivia, the daughter her husband had created while Melinda had been grieving her beloved grandfather in Arizona. How, how could he invite them? How could he allow those people here to celebrate their renewal? Their... rewedding? Their... Non-divorce? F**k! What was it called! Lin turned to see varying levels of rage and disgust on the faces of the Brood and her sister as they stared at an oblivious Charles. He grasped her icy fingers, and had to nearly drag Melinda yo stand near him.

"I told you that dress was going to look great on you. What took so long?"

"What. Are. They. Doing. Here."

He seemed to blink at her ragged tone, so at odds with the smile plastered to her face. "Who?"

"You know very well who!" Melinda hissed.

"Oh." Charles looked down at the ground and squeezed her hand. "Bobby is my best friend. I couldn't not invite him. And Kim wanted Liv to see us getting married. We thought it was important that our daughter be apart of all aspects of my life."

We. Our daughter. Those words echoed in her head, blocking out the opening blessing. Her knees felt unhinged and her chest hollow. Was this what it felt like to die? She could feel every ache and pain, and really wanted it all to end.

A loud clearing of a throat had Melinda snapping back to the reality of her- Goddamn-it! Why didn't someone help her find a title to call this disaster she called life? Melinda blinked, looking at the priest in bewilderment. Then at Charles and finally the Brood. Why were they all staring at her like that? She looked down at her hand still joined to her not quite future husband because he was still technically her present husband and barely resisted the urge to snatch her hand away.

"Mel?" Charles asked his tone impatient.

She hated that nickname. Melinda glared at him. "What?"

"Your vows?" he hissed, turning to the crowd with a cruel smirk. "Poor thing is as nervous as a virgin." There was laughter, but it was weak and embarrassed.

Melinda's breath turned ragged as she fought her blush. She opened her mouth to recite her vows, but nothing could make her repeat those once cherished words. She couldn't do it. She had to, but she couldn't.

"I, Melinda Benson," the priest intoned softly, thinking she had forgotten what to say in her nervous excitement.

"I," she croaked. Melinda closed her eyes, fighting her detested tears. "I, Melinda Benson."

"Take you, Charles Benson."

"Take you, Charles Benson."

"As my true and faithful partner."

Someone snorted, and Melinda winced hard enough to pull at Charles's hand. He shook their linked fingers when Melinda continued to hesitate. "As," she paused to look at Caroletta and had to turn from the compassion there. "My true and faithful partner."

"To cherish and enjoy from this day forward."

"To cherish and enjoy from this day forward."

The priest paused, glancing at her before finishing the vows. "Through all trials and hardships, through all joys and celebrations till I am no longer on this earth."

Melinda haltingly repeated the vow, her voice wooden. The priest closed the thick book he held and smiled at the couple. "Now, as long as no one objects, I can pronounce you husband and wife, reunited in love and holy matrimony."

Melinda blinked. Reunited? Was that what they were? Wasn't that a song? Before she could ask, or breathe, or blink, Charles was kissing her hand, assured that everything was as it should be. His grin was triumphant and gloating, and made Melinda want to smack him. But she also wanted him to kiss her and shut her doubts up.

"I object." Janelle called out, shattering the reverent silence.

"As she is obviously too dumb to know that she's making the worst mistake, I object on Melinda's behalf," Janet said, grinning at a shocked Charles.

"Oh, thank God," Katrina cried. "Me, too!"

Melinda looked at her friends, shocked. Yes, they had all voiced their doubts, but never so publicly. Never so loudly! "I...I...I..."

"You can do this, Lin. We know you can, walk away," Caroletta said softly. "We love you. You'll never be alone."

She looked at a thunderous Charles and a pleading Brood. She bit her lip and floundered between her fear and her happiness. A lifetime of misery could happen no matter what she chooses. Melinda blinked, and backed away from them all. Stay. Go. Run. Remain. Marry Charles or try to live her life her way. Listen to her heart or her brain. "I...I...I..."

Author's Note

Looking for honest thoughts- are the charries to flat? Is the dialogue lame?

Lemme Have it!

Reviews

[Eagle Cruagh]

Can I just fawn without reading all those words ?
Actually, you have written a beautiful story, the
phrasing and grammar are extraordinary.
Your command of the language is superb. I just look
at the page and admire the writing, it is exquisite.
Thank you!
Keep writing , please.
---- Eagle Cruagh

[a Messenger]

This is a beautifully written piece. Your characters were all very believable, Melinda is a sympathetic and realistic abused wife.
The friends are all equally believable as those who love and want to protect her but can't get her to listen.
Great work.

[jen -- JG]

A fantastic story- The characters sound real - the husband sounds like a control freak, the way he acts and speaks sounds real - I'd like to thump him one or three! The girl friends sound real - they behave and speak as friends who care either would or should in that situation - The bride comes across extremely well, both in actions as in words as being an abused wife. She is confused - wanting escape but afraid of it - (the devil you know syndrome) You left us hanging and DAMN did she or didn't she?!?!


I did notice a couple of small edit problems as I read but blast me to hell and back on a bolt of lightnining, do you think I can remember where they were? I think one was a she that was meant to be he - and the other a simple mistake in the tense.

Your story pulled me in - dragged me along, tied me to my chair and............

VERY WELL DONE. Please keep writing I would like more.

Jen-JG