Thick and Thin

"I need to talk to you," I said to Mark as we were sitting outside for lunch. It was a really cute café that we go to regularly. He sipped his water.

"Yeah?"
"So, you know I'm maid of honor and everything. Well, um, the best man is someone I know."
"Ok?"
"We dated. But it was really short!"
"Oh that pen pal thing, huh?" he asked. I was waiting for him to look angry, but he looked more amused if anything.
"Yeah."
"Well, that was years ago, right? I'm not worried. I trust you. You're a big girl," he reached over and squeezed my hand and I smiled at him. He had his black hair messy that day and his ear rings in. He also wore a plain white shirt, showing off his tattoos on his upper arm. He's usually wearing long sleeves since he can't have tattoos showing in his profession.
His blue eyes glistened behind his thick black rimmed glasses, and his lip ring resting on his bottom lip. He was breath taking.
"Yeah," I said relieved. I rubbed my neck with my hand, a nervous habit I had picked up.
"Schools out, so less stress. We'll have this wedding, the beach, maybe some concerts. it's going to be a good summer," he said. I nodded in agreement.
"Yeah." I looked at my watch. "Shit, babe, I gotta go. Sara wants me to meet her at the bridal shop to make sure our dresses fit right." I kissed his cheek and headed to my car to go to the shop. When I walked in, Sara was already wearing her beautiful dress. It was all white with lace on the skirt and beads on the top part. It was sleeveless with an open back.
Fortunately, she didn't go with any cliché ugly brides maids dresses. They were all a sky blue color and it was a high-low and sleeveless. They decided to make mine this way too except they added a dark blue belt to it with a flower that would rest on my hip. I noticed Sara start to cry.
"What's wrong? It looks amazing," I reassured. She's been crying a lot these days. Remember when I said she was being weird? I told you.
"I know! It's so beautiful," She whined. "I want Adam to see-"
"NO!" The lady helping us and I shouted in unison.
"Do you want bad luck?" I asked sarcastically. Her eyes widened and she shook her head.
"I'm thinking gloves," the lady murmured to herself. I nodded.
"Yes. The ones that go all the way to your elbow."
"Perfect," the lady smiled and gave her a pair of long white gloves.
"Beautiful," I whispered.

**

After we tried on our dresses again, which fit perfect, I followed her back home. She went straight to her room for the computer to face chat with Adam and talk to him about how perfect everything was going.
As I was walking to my room, I over heard her talking to Adam about something. I paused, hiding slightly to listen.
"You need to tell her," I heard Adam say.
"Maybe we don't have to do it that way."
"My mom says that's the only thing she's asking for. I don't know why, it makes no sense, but she says it's her tradition to have the parents dancing together along with the bride and groom, and the best man and maid of honor."
After I heard him say that, I was drinking some water, which was a big mistake. I started choking, spitting water everywhere. I heard Sara say "hold on" and came out to see me coughing and hacking.
"I was just walking to my room," I choked out. "I swallowed wrong."
"Ok," she said, and turned to go back into her room, but this time she shut the door. I walked into my room and laid on my bed, drumming my fingers on my stomach. What the hell kind of tradition is that? I was praying Sara would object, let the parents dance, that's fine. What's the point of the best man and maid of honor dancing though? There was none.
I took out my notes to try and pass some time. I studied all of the patients I saw, which were a whopping three. Cindy says it's better to start that way so I don't get overwhelmed and confused with who has problems with what. I liked to study the notes I took though, hoping to figure some explanation on why they felt that way on that day, and how I can help them help themselves feel better.
I noticed Laura was showing progress. She's had less thoughts of suicide and self harm, her grades are raising from D's to almost straight A's. She was a rape case, her step father. Her mother still doesn't believe her and blames her most of the time for his incarceration. Her improvement didn't start until she started to slowly open up to how she felt about everything and what had happened.

**

I woke up to the birds chirping the next morning, my notes scattered across my floor and bed. I must have dozed off without realizing it. I could hear Sara's awful singing voice in the kitchen. It was safe to say I had absolutely no idea what she was singing, it was that bad.
"Hey sunshine," she greeted.
"Too early." I moaned, sitting down at the table. She walked over and set a cup of coffee down with milk and sugar.
"It's never too early darling! School is done for the summer and I am ready to relax!" I raised my eyebrows while sipping my coffee. "Which probably wont happen until after the wedding." She finished. I nodded.
"Still too early."
"Change of plans," she said, turning to stir some eggs in a pan. "Adam's coming a little earlier than two months."
"And how much earlier?" I asked. I started picking at a spot on the table.
"Tomorrow," she muttered.
"When?" I asked, making sure I heard her right.
"Tomorrow." She said more clearly. "Eggs? You love eggs!" She said.
"Wait wait wait. Tomorrow?! We don't, why? Is he-"
"Eli will be with him. I can make bacon, I know you love bacon."
"Quit trying to make me feel better with food! It's working slightly, but tomorrow!?" She nodded and scrunched her face.
"I'm sorry." I held my hand up and shook my head, looking at the floor, then rested both hands on the table, taking deep breaths.
"It's okay," I said slowly, raising my head and looked at her. Her once blonde hair was now brown, to her shoulders but pulled into pig tails. Her string to her robe was dragging on the ground.
"I'll live," I said finally. "I can do this. It's only a couple of months. I won't have to see him until rehearsal."
"One more thing..." She added. I groaned. "You may have to dance with him..."
"What?" I asked. I already knew this, but hoping she had changed Audra's mind.
"I tried talking to Audra but she won't budge."
"Ok. That's fine," I said through gritted teeth. "I will be in the shower." I sat up slowly, and started to make my way to my room to grab some clothes and took a long hot shower to clear my head.
An hour later, Mark arrived to hang out a little before he went to work. We watched TV and sat on the couch together, my head on his shoulder.
"Did you get your wedding outfit yet?" I asked him. He nodded and kissed my head.
"Don't worry, I have it all covered, shoes and all."
"Ok, one less thing for me to worry about."
"You should've hired a full time wedding planner so you two wouldn't worry."
"I've tried telling Sara that but nope."
"So I was wondering," he asked, twisting to turn and look at me. "how is their honeymoon going to work out?" He asked.
"What do you mean?"
"You know..."
"Ew. I don't know and I don't really care. I'm sure they have it figured out."
"I still find it weird."
"Well that's your problem," I snapped. So far he was the only person I've met that found Adam strange, and not in a good way. He was into the bible and strictly too. I had to beg Mark to come to the wedding with me.
"Sorry," he snapped back. I rolled my eyes and sat up straighter. "You're mad now?" He asked as if there was nothing to be mad about.
"I'm just tired of your remarks."
"What? I was just asking-"
"Yeah but you didn't have to add on you thinking it's weird. It's normal to wonder but you know how I feel about this topic. Adam's a good friend and a good person and if you can't accept that it's really not going to change his mind, or Sara's or even mine."
"What has gotten into you?"
I sighed loudly and rubbed the back of my neck. "I'm just stressed, that's all."
"I'm sorry I really am, just don't take it out on me."
"You are impossible," I said softly. "Maybe you should just leave."
"Fine," he said standing up. "Call me when you aren't stressed," he said holding finger quotations and he left, not forgetting to slam the door. Sara walked out of her room.
"What was that about?" She asked. I shook my head. I had never told her how he felt about Adam and how he pushed on how wrong it was. I understood people thought it was wrong, and that was fine. The problem I had with him was him trying to make ME think it was wrong.
"Nothing."
"Didn't sound like nothing," She said joining me on the couch. I took a deep breath and started telling her about everything he felt, and about me begging him to come to the wedding. She looked confused.
"He can't help it though, I mean he is a guy."
"I know," I said nodding. "He's just stubborn, it's how he was raised."
"Well, Adam said there's people out there that don't approve."
"There's tons of people out there that don't approve. That's their opinion. The only opinion that matters to him is his family and you." She smiled and gave me a hug before standing up.
"Thanks for telling me."
"You're very welcome." I took out my phone and saw I had a text.
"Sorry I'm an ass, come outside?" Mark text. I opened our apartment door and he was standing there with his hands in his pockets. He smiled when he saw me.
"I'm sorry baby," he said, pulling me into a hug. "I'll be honest, I don't like it, but he seems like a cool guy and if he makes Sara happy, that's all that should matter." I smiled as I snuggled into his shoulder.
"I'm sorry for kicking you out."
He leaned down and kissed my lips. I was still debating on if I should tell him Eli and Adam were coming in the next day, but decided against it.
I'll worry when the time comes, I thought to myself.
I have got to stop thinking that way.A