CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE
(part six)
“I will pay you every penny back,” Jill said.
“You will not. I won’t let you.”
“But….”
“Dad was wrong, Jill. About so many things, just plain wrong. He never would have let me marry, Val. Never. Not because she wasn’t good for me or didn’t love me or even because she isn’t even Catholic. He wouldn’t let me marry Val because he was afraid. He didn’t want us to have friends or make connections here. He was afraid that they would get…”
“Discovered,” Jill said.
“You remember what happened?”
“I’ve always remembered what happened. But whenever I talked about what happened, I was told that I was wrong.”
Mike hugged Jill again.
“Do you want…”
“I don’t want to talk about that now,” Jill said.
“When you’re ready, I know someone who has all the answers about our parents.”
“Ok,” Jill said. “I can’t deal with it today. Is that all right?”
“Of course. What’s going to make this better, Jill?” Mike asked. “If I had known how hard it was to be with Trevor, but I would have helped you. I….”
“I know,” Jill said. ”I just couldn’t let you help. I mean, I begged Megan to let us get married. One week into it, I wanted to come home. I screwed up. Then it was one tiny step at a time into a complete nightmare. I….”
“And now?”
“I don’t know.” Jill sighed.
Mike nodded.
“What would you eat?”
“You know, I’d love to go to Pete’s. I really miss it,” Jill said.
“Let’s go,” he said.
“Do you mind….”
“I know how hard it is to believe, but normal people don’t care about paying for a meal or helping out. They want to do it.”
“Are you saying you’re normal?”
Mike laughed.
~~~~~~~
Sandy wasn’t sure what to make of Aden. Ever since she came flying down the stairs from Val’s apartment, 
he had this weird smile on his face. He was so awkward and odd that she was sure she’d offended him. He just held her hand like a prom date.
But she didn’t dare ask him in front of Sam.
Tucked into the blue dress, she was synched, bolstered, pressed and made up to where she looked like… a movie star. She was even wearing a pair of Valerie’s Christian Loubouton black pumps. Her toes stretched into the toilet paper Val stuffed into the toes. As long as she didn’t have to pee, or sneeze, she was in good shape.
Yep, Sandy was prettified.
And Aden was weird.
They dropped Sam in front of the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception on Colfax. The limo driver turned onto Logan Street before Sandy said something.
“You are acting very strange,” Sandy said.
Aden pressed the back of her hand to his pants.
“Oh,” Sandy said.
“I’m a little uncomfortable,” Aden replied. ”No blood flow to the brain.”
The limo driver pulled over on Logan Street to let them out.
“I’m not wearing underwear.” The driver opened the door for her and she scooted out of the limo. Under her breath, she said, “Can’t have panty lines.”
“Now, that’s just unfair,” Aden said.
Sandy giggled. Aden followed her out of the limo. Kissing her on the sidewalk, his hands moved to check the underwear promise. She grabbed his hands.
“You’re very beautiful.”
She smiled. Hearing the music for the wedding, they hurried down the sidewalk and up the stairs into the Cathedral where Trevor’s wedding was about to start.
Denver Cereal continues on Monday….
