A NEW DAY by Michelle T © 2000 FEEDBACK?: mtktmt@aol.com CHAPTER FORTY-THREE AJ and Michelle made their way downstairs arm in arm chatting quietly to find Howie and Patti in the kitchen laughing together while Patti hungrily munched on their leftovers. "Hey you! Congratulations." Michelle hugged Patti tightly, "I can't believe my baby sister is going to have a baby. How do you feel?" Patti grinned back and swallowed her mouthful, "I'm great! Morning sickness sucks, but I've never been happier." She cast her eyes towards AJ. "I'm very happy." He smiled back as Howie slapped him on the back. "Damn, Bone. Who'd have ever thought you'd be the first to have a kid and me be the first to get married? We always figured it'd be Kevin and Brian!" They all laughed and settled themselves around the kitchen table. Howie pulled another bottle of champagne from the refrigerator. "Patti, you drinking this?" She rolled her eyes and groaned slightly. "Damn, my timing is bad. Just a tiny sip and then I'll go alcohol free for the next ten years!!" "Howie, is this marriage going to be legal?" asked Michelle thoughtfully. He grinned and handed her a glass, "Of course, Carey took care of the blood tests first thing this morning." "Carey? How?" she asked surprised. "He snagged some blood samples from the hospital last night. By the way, how's your head?" he asked suddenly. "Fine, I almost forgot about it. How's your hand? Not that it was rendered useless at all today, that I noticed." She said winking at him. Patti slapped her lightly on the arm, while AJ threw Howie a high five. "Anyway, Carey took care of the blood test and AJ charmed a friend of his into going into work at City Hall and getting us a license." Howie beamed at his friend. "Wouldn't my signature have to be on an application?" asked Michelle laughing. "It is, don't you remember going there this morning?" asked Patti laughing while she grabbed a pen and signed Michelle's name on a piece of paper. "Are you serious? You forged my name? Holy Shit. You guys are too much." Michelle finished off her champagne and handed her glass back to Howie. "I suppose AJ signed Howie's name?" "No! I got the application before he came over here. His name is legal. Don't worry about it." AJ replied while heading into the living room and returning just as quickly with two suit bags. "And, here's your duds." Howie pulled both bags from him and handed Michelle one. "What do you mean?" "Just look inside," said Patti excitedly. Michelle placed the bag on the counter and slowly unzipped it. She gasped in shock as she slowly removed the dress from the bag. "Oh my god, you guys got me a wedding dress?" She turned to them incredulously. "I can't believe it. How did you manage all this?" She admired the ankle length white dress lovingly. "Jesus Christ, this is a Vera Wang!" She ran over to Patti and hugged her fiercely from the back, then AJ. "How did you get this?" Patti and AJ were laughing and Howie was staring in amazement at them. "Man, AJ, when I ask for a favor you sure do know how to fulfill!" AJ downed the rest of Patti's apple juice and stood up to put the glass in the sink. "Let's just say I have my sources!" The four friends sat around for another hour before Michelle dragged Patti upstairs to help her with her hair. AJ and Howie went out on the back patio and shared the remainder of the champagne. "Bone, thanks again for all your help today. I could never have pulled it off without you." Howie held out his hand to him. AJ clasped it firmly. "D, anything for you!" they sat silently for a short while lost in thought. "So, does this mean I have to move out of my own house now?" Howie laughed and choked on his drink, "Damn, Bone, you're gonna kill me. Of course you don't move out. You should have Patti move in actually. It's your house too and she should be with you. That is unless you want to move out." AJ shook his head. "Nah, it's big enough for ten people, let alone five. I think it would be good for Patti to have Michelle and Kimberly around more often, don't you?" Howie nodded, "It's settled then. You stay, Patti moves in. At least, now we'll have built-in baby sitters!" It was AJ's turn to swallow quickly. "Get real, D! What the hell do you think we keep Nick around for?" "You guys are so mean to poor little Nick." Michelle and Patti emerged from the kitchen in cut-off shorts and tank tops. "I thought you two were getting dressed." asked Howie eyeing them with laughter in his eyes. "We are dressed! I'm not putting that gorgeous gown on until the last minute. I'd die if anything happened to it." Michelle moved over behind AJ and wrapped her arms around his shoulders before whispering in his ear. "You ready?" He nodded and stood up. "Where you going?" asked Patti. "We're going to the cemetery to say good bye to someone special. Do you want to come?" AJ asked Patti softly. She thought briefly before shaking her head, "No, Babe, you guys go. I'll stay here and hold down the fort!" She kissed him sweetly. ******************************* It was almost six o'clock when the first guests arrived; Carey and Karolyn Ferguson. Kevin and Telly showed them into the studio and handed them each some champagne. "Well, Kevin, leave it up to one of you guys to invite us to a wedding at 6:00 in the morning and have everything together twelve hours later!" Karolyn smiled broadly at him. "I don't know what to say to that, Kar, we've never done anything like this before! All, I know is that when I get married, I'm going to make sure we have at least twelve months to plan, not twelve hours!" He said pulling Telly closer to him and smiling down at her. "We?" she asked with sparkling eyes. "We!" he bent down and kissed her lovingly. Kimberly entered the studio with Howie's mom wrapped around her, his dad following along, chatting happily with Nick. "Oh Kevin, can you believe, I get a new daughter and a new grand-daughter all in one day!" she said kissing him quickly. "This is so wonderful!"