Nothing Really Matters

“I’m not going to go inside with you.”

Three pair of eyes darted to her as she spoke from the backset of the car. Well, I looked at her through the rearview mirror as I navigated the crowded airport, heading towards a garage to find somewhere to park.

“Why?”
“Because we’re being followed and I rather the bloodsuckers put a little effort into their work.”

I had of course not even noticed that we were being followed and ether it seemed had Andy or Mingus, but if she said we were being followed, none of us were going to argue, because we all knew she was right.

“You’ve to get use to the press sooner or later, Lo.”
“I know that, Andy, but not on my wedding day… I will just find another way in and I will see you guys at the gate. Park at the underground garage.”
“Fine. Just don’t get stuck in security.”
“Scouts honor.”

I parked the car and watched as she collected her backpack from the trunk before turning to walk the opposite direction.

“Hey…!”
“What?”

She spun back around and looked back at me.

“You’re not getting cold feet are you?”
“Never… Don’t be so damn worried all the time, I’ll be fine. I’ll see you soon.”
“Look out for creeps.”

Andy said and she started to laugh.

“I kinda like underground garages. Don’t you, baby?”

She winked at me before turning her back to us and vanished between parked cars. Andy spun around to me, I must have been blushing because he grinned at me. I wasn’t sure at that point that actually like that she had gotten so damn comfortable around him.

“What did you do, Norman?”
“Oh, shut the fuck up, Andy.”
“No, I think I actually do want to know this.”
“Not gonna happen.”
“Why not?”
“Cause my son is standing right next to you!”
“Cover your ears, Mingus.”

Mingus just rolled his eyes at the pair of us and grabbed his bag before heading towards the exit, his attention on his phone.

“Underground garage, huh? Where?”

I checked to make sure Mingus was out of earshot before answering Andy. Getting our bags from the car before lucking it, we followed my son.

“At Tiffany’s.”
“What the hell were you doing at Tiffany’s?”
“Getting rings of course!”
“Right, sorry. Still trying to get it into my head that you’re getting married… What, she just let you shove her up against a wall or what?”
“Andy, for fuck’s sake… “
“What? Come on, give me the dirty details.”
“She started it. I’ll tell ya, she can be pretty wild and this morning was just… I don’t know what hell happened, but I think the bike and leather jacket turned her on pretty good.”
“Did you leave the bed at all last night?”
“Yeah, of course.”
“Ok, let me rephrase that. Did you do anything else then have sex last night?”

I grunted in frustration and tried to catch up with my son instead, but Andy wasn’t backing down. He was in such a good and annoying mood.

“I’m just so fascinated that you’ve the energy to keep going…”
“Me too…
“All night?”
“Pretty much.”
“Give me a number.”
“A number? You want a number…? Fuck, I don’t know, I don’t keep track.”
“Yeah you do.”
“Fine… Last night was probably close to the record. I think it was 10 times.”
“Are you fucking kidding me? You nailed her 10 times last night and she’s still able to walk upright?”
“What can I say? She’s the best kind of freak for me.”
“She sure is. A match made in heaven… Your record is more than 10?”
“Damn, Andy will you just stop with the sex questions?”
“Just that one, then I’m done.”
“Fine… Our first weekend down in Georgia, the second time around I mean. It’s the whole damn Daryl outfit. It was a 48 hour of just… Madness. I will let you do the math yourself.”
“You really are out of your fucking minds, you know that?”
“Yeah I know and I’m loving every second of it.”
“I beat you are…. Now, let’s get your married, bro.”
“Alright.”

I was grateful that she actually had chosen not to come with us when we arrived at the terminal and the press surrendered us. It was a new type of insanity that I hadn’t been use to. I was use to the paparazzi, but not this many and not this pushy. They all wanted to know the same thing. Who was she? How long had this been going on? If we hadn’t been ready to jump on a plane at that moment, I would probably have stopped and answered some of their questions, but as Mingus were already inside the terminal, I made my way through the sea of cameras, Andy close behind me. I lost Mingus from sight and although I knew he was able to take care of himself, I felt a bit panicky when I didn’t find him. He had what he needed to get through to the gates but I still picked up my phone and called him. No answer.

“What?”
“Mingus isn’t answering.”
“He’s fine, Norman.”
“I know that.”
“Come on, we need to move.”

Seeing as we had already checked in we headed straight to security check point. I still tried to call my son when Andy suddenly poked me in the ribs and pointed a few yards in front of us in line. He was there with her, laughing about something she said. They looked so at easy with each other. So contented. When they hugged for no particular reason it seemed besides actually wanting to, it made me all warm inside.

“Seems you’re not the only one being glad she’s back.”
“Yeah… “
“You need to talk to the press before things get out of hand.”
“I know. “
“Did you have a chance to talk at all?”
“Yeah. How the hell did you think we decided to get married?”
“I just thought it might just have been a heat in the moment type of thing.”
“She changed her name.”
“What do you mean?”
“You will see… Come on, move.”

We passed through security without difficulty and managed to catch up with the rest of our travel party at the gate. They seemed too occupied to notice us though, still talking and laughing. We got stopped on our way to join them by a group of fans who wanted pictures and although I really just wanted to go and sit down with my wife-to-be and my son, we stopped. I could see her watching us, but still keeping up their conversation going. We were rescued by the announcement that our flight was getting ready to board 5 minutes later.

“Vegas, huh?”

One of the younger women asked, smiling slightly as I looked at her.

“Yeah. Celebrating my kid’s birthday a little early.”
“Wish him a happy birthday.”
“I will, thanks.”

Once we were seated on the plane, the fact that we hadn’t slept at all, last night seems to caught up to both London and me. She leaned to my shoulder without speaking at all and put on a pair of headphones and was fast asleep before takeoff. I followed right after and slept through the entire flight.

...............................................

“What did he mean when he said you had changed your name?”

I turned to her in the back of the limo as we drove away from the airport. Mingus and Norman were both to occupied with something one the younger’s phone to take part of our conversation. To answer me, she handed me her passport. A bit confused I started to read through it. One time, two times and then on the third time my brain started to work again and I starred at her surname for almost a whole minute before looking back at her.

“I don’t get it… What does this mean?”
“Nothing really. I just changed my last name when I got my social security number back and there really wasn’t any other name I could think of.”
“And I guess this is why you suddenly decided to get married? He got too emotional, huh?”

I asked, knowing that what she had done probably meant a whole lot more to her then she realized.

“Something like that.”

She was absolutely stunning in a knee long red fitted dress and white converse. She had changed in the chapel bathroom and when she was done I was the only one left waiting for her.

"Wow."

She looked away from me, down on the floor, the insecurity etched on her face. It just made her even more adorable. She had never been wearing much makeup and today was no exception.

"Really?"
"Yeah, really. You look beautiful, Lo."
"What about all the...?"
"No one is going to be looking at your scars when wearing that, hon."
"Ok...Fuck, I'm nervous. I didn't think I'd be nervous."
"You should be nervous, it's a good thing. I almost threw up on our wedding day."
"Thanks for being here."
"Thank you for letting me."
"I never thought I'd be saying this but I'm really glad you're a part of this, a part of my life..."

She trailed off, tears in her eyes.

"Sweetie, you don't have to say it, I know. I'm glad to have you in my life as well. You make him happy and that's really all that matters. Don't let anyone ever tell you different."
"I love you, Andy."

"I love you, honey. Come on, let's not keep them waiting."
I held out my arm to her and she took a deep breath before taking it. It was a small chapel, probably fitted for 25 people at the most. A few white chairs of either side of a white long carpet. Sunflowers stood in tall vases every other step or so. Norman was at the end of the carpet with Mingus and a tall, skinny, black man in a white suit. The groom to be had dressed up in black jeans and a grey shirt. I could hear her gasp silently beside me when he caught her eye. After all this time I was still amazed she reacted to him like this. Like it was the first time she fell in love with him. Over and over again. I hoped it would always be like this for them. They deserved to be this crazy in love forever.

"Come on, man, don't you start crying."

He joked as we walked up to them and I had released her to hug him. The tears had come before I could stop them.

"Sorry... Will you take care of him for me?"
"I promise. But shouldn't it really be the other way around? That you ask him to take care of me?"
"Now, baby when have you ever needed to be taken care of?"

I kissed the side of her head before giving her to him and then took my place next to Mingus.
The ceremony was quick but yet beautiful and just long enough for the couple, who only waited for the "you may kiss your bride" part. Although it hadn't been just a kiss, they had made out for longer than were probably allowed when getting married, but I wouldn't have expected anything less from them. They had never just kissed as far as I could remember. The whole thing was over in 20 minutes and we were back in the limo.

"I can't believe you actually did this... Congratulations, guys."

They beamed back at me, she wrapped tightly in his arms.

"Thank you, Andy."
"You should probably hold on to these."

London took the license from him and put them security into her backpack. After a brief discussion about what to do next we ended up at Bellagio and the legendary Le Cirque restaurant. I couldn’t stop marveling over how much thing had changed the past six months. He had changed. He was different but still the same. It was a bit confusing. I guess he just became a better version of himself because of her. She, however, had made a whole 360. She had been so angry and insecure at first. Not even want to be touched or being too close to anyone. That was all gone now. Maybe it was because she was too caught up in what had just happened, but she didn’t even seem to care when she noticed an elder couple close to our table looked at her scared arms. She just smiled quickly at them before returning her full attention to her newly wedded husband. Nothing could bring her down anymore. She was finally in her happy place.