Don't Stop Now

“I thought we had already done this months ago, why is it so damn important anyway?” Garrett pulled at the ends of his ever growing hair. He needed to get a haircut but never found the time to, especially not these days.

“No Garrett this is different, those were save the dates now we’re trying to choose our invitations. You would know this if you listened once in a while instead of watching films on the fucking internet!” Lilly Brock was a short woman but could be very intimidating when angry. She looked at her fiancée in frustration resting her right hand on her hip for effect.

“I do listen Lilly, you know I listen there’s no need to be rude about it.”

“Garrett our wedding is in six weeks and we don’t have the fucking invitations all you need to do is grow up for five minutes while we pick the designs and you can go back to killing the fucking zombies which you do all fucking day.”

“If I recall you like my zombie fascination and I remember a time when you used to kill zombies with me and got so into it maybe more than I did.”

“But I grew up Garrett! It’s about time you did too we’re about to get married you need to stop being so immature and ridiculous!” Lilly shouted to her just as frustrated fiancée before dramatically storming out of the house slamming the door for extra effect. Lilly drove to her brother Kennedy’s house; the two were always the closest out of all the Trotter siblings. Lilly even changed her name to match her brothers she loved him that much.
Kennedy was sitting on his sofa a beer in his left hand the TV remote in his right. His girlfriend was on holiday so Kennedy was moping a little, eating a lot of take out and drinking alone not feeling like doing much. The doorbell rang and Kennedy sighed getting up, he didn’t need to speculate as to who was, for the past two weeks almost every day his younger sister would be knocking on his door after a; what he thought was a petty argument with his band mate, her fiancée.

“Come in Lilly,” Kennedy whispered as soon as he opened the door to his small one bedroom new build. He went to the kitchen while Lilly sat down who was also familiar with the routine. Kennedy would offer her a beer and they would drink their beverages together while Lilly explained what had happened and she would stay the night on the sofa until she calmed down and went back to Garrett the next morning.

“This is my favourite show, it’s as if you were expecting me,” Lilly joked as Kennedy handed her the cold beverage, little did she know this wasn’t a coincidence.

“Well you have been here nine days in a row now.” The older sibling shrugged and sat on his side of the sofa, trying not to let his mind wander over to his girlfriend and concentrate on his younger sister.

“Oh God Kennedy I suppose I have I just haven’t realised I am so sorry for dumping all this on you.” Lilly was extremely apologetic and felt the guilt rising up through her very quickly; she never meant to burden Kennedy he was just always there for her. It wasn’t her intention to take the Mickey out his good nature.

“What’s this all about Lilly? You and Gare have been through so much together to let this wedding get on top of you all.” Lilly knew her brother was right, she and Garrett had been through so much together and Kennedy could not understand how a wedding was forming cracks in their relationship and it wasn’t making sense to Lilly either. Lilly had a lot of trust issues before she went into a relationship with Garrett. At college a guy who was her friend for two years drugged and raped her, he ended up in prison but got released on the basis of good behaviour. Garrett and Lilly were friends before the incident but it was him who made Lilly trust a man in a relationship sense and a sexual sense. Three years ago when Garrett and Kennedy’s band The Maine were on tour, Lilly fell ill. After doctors appointments and hospital tests it was revealed Lilly was suffering from cancer. After a long and painful course of treatment, Lilly got the all clear two years ago but during that year of ill health Garrett was there for Lilly every step of the way. Six months before the present day Lilly discovered she was pregnant, at the routine scan no heartbeat could be found, unfortunately for the couple the baby was no longer alive and again the two came through it stronger than ever before. It is thought the cancer treatment had scratched the inside of her womb and uterus leaving her unable to physically sustain a baby for nine months.

“I don’t know Kennedy It’s just stress I think. You remember when Garrett and I first got engaged ten months ago? We were going to have a small simple ceremony with just family and close friends but everyone got involved with the planning and this wedding has escalated far beyond our plans and I’m just stressed and tired and you know I always take out my frustrations on the ones I love most.”

“God do I know that I lived with you for twenty years, I know our mom is going crazy and between you and me if you and Garrett eloped tomorrow I wouldn’t hold it against either of you.”

“As much as I love you big brother I think I’m going to stay with my fiancée tonight.”

“That a girl, you know it makes sense.”

Lilly took in a deep breath as she stared herself down in the mirror. The ivory dress with black beading on the bodice looked even more beautiful on her body then it did in the shop. She whipped around her head quickly on the sound of the door opening, Lilly’s father walked in and took a deep breath in, he was astounded at what a beautiful young woman his baby daughter had become.

“This family has been through a lot together but this, this makes all the tears arguments and tantrums all worth it. Lilly you look absolutely beautiful darling I hope Garrett knows what a lucky man he is.”

“He does, I hope he does and I am the luckiest woman to find him and have him love me. I’m not even scared daddy I’m just so happy, it’s just a new chapter in my life and I couldn’t be more excited.” Lilly’s smile grew even further when her older brother, in a tux for the second time in his life, their oldest brother Byron and their mother walked in to catch a glimpse of the bride.

“There was one time when we thought this may never happen, I hate to bring up the bad bits but what I mean is you’re such a strong persona and I couldn’t be more glad we’re all here.” Kennedy was trying to be as sincere as possible; John was always the one in the band who was best with words so Kennedy just spoke from the heart. There were a few tears and a lot of hugs, careful not to ruin the dress before it was time for Lilly and Garrett to be joined in holy matrimony.

There were a lot of tears during the ceremony, from both the bride and groom; the newly married couple were sharing their first dance in front of their adoring family and friends when Lilly felt the need to speak up.

“I am so sorry I turned into a bit of a bridezilla. Garrett I love you so much and I never meant any of those things I said about you not listening and being immature. You’re the perfect man for me which is why I’m standing here right now.

“It was forgotten about as soon as it started doll. You’re my Lilly-Lu and I am the happiest man in the universe right now, both living and underground.” Garrett kissed his bride tenderly not knowing what else to say to the beautiful woman in front of him.
The newlyweds adapted to married life like a duck to water. The pair already lived together so there weren’t any nasty surprises or arguments about living habits. It was six months after the happiest day of their lives that they hit a small bump in the road of their bliss. Once more Lilly found herself unable to keep anything down, she was extremely lethargic and any movement she did make it was always to the direction of the toilet.

“Lilly it’s been three days hunny, want me to ring the doctors?” The concerned male was stroking his girlfriend’s clammy forehead as she was lying in bed after another vomiting attack.

“I’m scared Garrett, what if its back?” Lilly didn’t need to give any more details, Garrett knew exactly what she meant and was scared also but had to be strong for his wife. An appointment was easy to come by the next day due to Lilly’s history and the doctor wasted no time in booking a scan to see if any foreign objects were again in Lilly’s body. Blood’s were also taken but they would take a few days to come back and her doctor didn’t want to waste any time in case the worst case scenario was in fact true.

Where Lilly’s cancer was in her stomach before and her symptoms were more or less the same she was lying on the bed in hospital the familiar jelly substance on her stomach looking at the screen next to her which she could never make out no matter how many times she saw the pictures. Garrett was by her other side holding her hand tight playing the supportive husband he did oh so well.

“Well Mrs Nickelsen, I am pleased to say your stomach looks clear of any tumours, the colon looks good and healthy as do the intestines. Moving down your liver looks okay and your bladder looks a bit full but we’ll let you clear that out after I’m don...” Lilly and Garrett looked at each other with concerned looks on their faces, a pause and a cut of sentence was never good news in their experience. The doctor had found something and both were preparing for the worst.

“Mrs Nickelsen you’ve been feeling sick constantly, vomiting a lot, feeling tired, experiencing back pain. Do you see that small blob in the middle of the screen there? I’ll zoom in for you. Mrs Nickelsen I’m no midwife but that looks like a baby to me, I’ll just call in someone else to confirm but I’m ninety nine percent sure you’re pregnant.”

“Any thoughts on what we’re going to do?” Garrett asked his wife who was next to him in the car looking at a picture of their newly found baby. She was seven weeks along and the two even heard a heart beat when the midwife came along to see her.

“I don’t want to jinx anything, it’s amazing it’s okay now let’s not get too ahead of ourselves. Even though I want to scream and cry of happiness.”

“They can wait a few weeks until we tell them all, until then you’re just ill yeah? Just a bug, fuck I hope this works out this time it just feels right you know?”

“Hayden you listen to me for once, I am not taking any of this especially not from you,” Lilly shouted until she was almost red in the face, no one talked to her like that especially not someone she was so close to.

“You think you’re so great don’t know, you keep saying I need to grow up but you’re wrong! You’re so out of touch with the world stop living in your head.” The brunette named Hayden screamed back only to regret it seconds later as he stormed out the wrong making his footsteps louder than they needed to be. Lilly sighed and turned to the person just entering
the kitchen a concerned look on his face.

“Garrett you need to sort your son out, he’s getting out of control it’s those so called friends of his. He wouldn’t dare speak to me like that before he met those boys.” Garrett took his wife into his arms aware of the problems their first son, fourteen year old Hayden was causing in the family which included eleven year old Darwin and the baby of the family eight year old Dylan.

“We can’t stop him being friends with those kids he will just want to do it more but I will have a word with him, no one talks to my Lilly Lu like that.”

“Nearly twenty years of being together and that nick name has still stuck.” Garrett smiled and took his wife into his arms.

“It’s because I love you as much as when we first got together.” Garrett kissed his wife gently, still adoring her as much as the very first day, Lilly scrunched up her face a little and poked her husband’s nose.

“Please shave off that ridiculous moustache.”