A NEW DAY 
by Michelle T
© 2000
FEEDBACK?: mtktmt@aol.com

CHAPTER FORTY-SIX

The excitement level rose as Michelle and Howie left their friends to go 
upstairs to get ready.  AJ ran quickly after them and guided a protesting 
Howie down the hall into his own room.

"D!  Let her get ready on her own.  Since this isn't your normal wedding, you 
could at least follow one tradition and not see her in her dress until she 
walks down the aisle."

"Yeah, but. . ." Howie looked back longingly at a smiling Michelle and 
grinned when she shot him a quick wave and shut the door quickly behind her.

Patti soon joined Michelle and swiftly changed into the red slinky dress AJ 
had picked out.  "Man, I just bought this dress and now I'll barely have any 
time to tease Bone in it, before I get all fat."  She stood before the mirror 
on the back of the closet door and eyed her physique critically. 

"You goose, you'll probably be able to get back into it right after the baby 
is born.  With your metabolism, I'm sure you'll lose the baby weight right 
away," Michelle perched on the edge of the bed and looked at her sister 
wistfully.  "Patti, I love you."

Patti caught her eye in the mirror and dropped her hands to her side before 
cocking her head slightly, "I love you too.  Are you okay?  You look funny.  
And, I never heard you say those three little words more in the past six 
months than you have in my whole life and I'm not just talking about you 
saying them to me." 

Michelle watched her turn and advance towards her and felt a horrible pang in 
her heart.  -- My little sister and I've hurt her again!  Except she don't 
even know it.  Please don't let her find out about AJ and me, it's not right, 
but it's for the best.  She deserves some happiness after all these years of 
being without a family.  God, I hope AJ really does love her, I hope she 
knows what she's getting into.-- 

Michelle shook herself out of her inner thoughts and stood to gather Patti's 
hands in her own.

"Thank you,"

"For what?" Patti asked confused.

"Just for being a great sister and a great friend.  I hope your life turns 
out as happy as mine has.  You deserve it and I just want to tell you again 
how sorry I am for abandoning you before."

"Stop.  That's all behind us now, isn't it?" Patti hugged her quickly and 
placed a soft kiss on her cheek.  "We've got to bury our ghosts too, just 
like AJ did.  We both had a few tough years and now we're going to push them 
way deep into the back of our minds."

Michelle nodded and hugged her again quickly, "Ok, excellent advise! And, 
yes, you are absolutely right.  I've been saying 'I love you' constantly, but 
how can I help it being surrounded by so many incredibly wonderful loving 
people? You look fabulous by the way.  AJ has definitely improved your sense 
of style, I see."

Patti laughed and looked down at herself and then twirled around, "Yes, he 
has!  He's so great!  I'm still overwhelmed that he wants me and this baby." 
She shook her head slightly, "I guess some things will just take you 
completely by surprise."

**************************

Kevin paced nervously around the patio, a glass of wine in his hand.  

"What's up with you, cuz?" Brian asked coming out from the sliding glass 
doors leading to the studio, "You've been pacing back and forth out here for 
the last fifteen minutes."

Kevin avoided his inquiring look and sat heavily on the stone bench flanking 
the pool, "Damn, I don't know Brian."

"It's what Kim said, isn't it?" Brian asked softly sitting next to him.  
Kevin shrugged his shoulders resolutely.

"Kevin, why didn't you tell me sooner about you and Michelle in Key West?  I 
thought we shared everything," the slight hurtful tone in his voice caused 
Kevin to look at him.

"Rok, I'm sorry.  I don't know, I just couldn't.  It was the first night we 
met and we both had some regrets and guilt the next morning." He took a sip 
of the cool red liquid, "But good ole Howie was his usual peaceful, logical 
and wonderful self that he always is.  He accepted it and even made us okay 
with it."

Brian stared in amazement at him, absorbing Kevin's slow words, "What?"

"That's not all, either.  When I took off at Christmas, Howie tracked me down 
and sent her to me."

"Holy shit!  Kevin, I don't believe this.  Howie sent his own girlfriend to 
comfort you?"  Brian saw Kevin's eyes start to glisten as he nodded.

"He understood our connection, he encouraged it.  He knows how much we needed 
each other to deal with the past and our actions.  Damn it, now I can't help 
but wish it was me upstairs getting ready instead of him." He placed his 
glass on the ground and buried his head in his hands.

"Kevin, I thought you were in love with Telly?"  

"Me too. . . Fuck, why today?  Why is this shit coming into my head today?  
For god's sakes it's their wedding day!" he choked out the words painfully.

"Listen, Train, calm down.  You can't do this.  I bet it's just because Kim 
said she thought it would end up being you that's thrown all these thoughts 
at you," Brian placed his arm around Kevin's shoulder supportively.  "You're 
just confused.  You won't lose Michelle as your friend just because she's 
marrying D.  Damn, if he's been so supportive of your relationship all this 
time, why would he stop now?"

Kevin looked at him, torn and confused, "I don't know.  We haven't been 
together since Christmas.  I haven't been jealous or envious all these 
months.  I've loved Telly, I told Michelle not a half hour ago to go for it 
and make Howie the happiest man in the world, what the hell is wrong with me?"

Brian didn't know how to respond.  After a few silent minutes, he sighed 
heavily, stood up and faced Kevin.  "Kev, no matter what you do, don't fuck 
this up for them today.  I'm sorry, I don't mean to sound like a prick, but 
think about them.  Despite what went on this weekend, they've been so happy 
together.  You know that!  Let them have their happiness for as long as they 
can."

Kevin clenched his hands together and blinked away the tears threatening to 
spill.  "And what do I do, Rok? Sit on the sidelines and watch them live 
happily ever after?  How the hell am I suppose to do that?"

"Think about Telly, Kevin!  You've been with her almost a year now!  Do you 
want to hurt her? A couple of hours ago you practically proposed to her.  
Snap out of it for crying out loud!"

Kevin remained silent, lost in his thoughts, until he heard footsteps 
approaching, "Hey, guys, why the long faces?"

Telly.  She stood before them, in her icy blue dress, blonde tresses swept up 
into a French twist, smiling dazzlingly at them.

Kevin felt a half smile tug at his lips and forced it into a full blown one.  
"Hey, Babe, have I told you how beautiful you look today?" Brian watched him 
cautiously.

"Thank you, Darling," she said softly as she reached over and hugged him, 
"Now, what were you two looking so sad about?  Today is a happy day, right?"

Brian sensed Kevin's hesitation, "It's a great day, Tel.  We're just set 
adrift on memory bliss.  It's not everyday one of our best friends gets 
married!"  He smiled brightly at her and nudged Kevin's foot with his own.

"Yeah, Babe.  We're just acting like a couple of mothers, crying out of 
happiness." Kevin stood up and caught her hand, "Well, I guess we should get 
in there." He shot a baleful look over her head at Brian.  Brian nodded 
slightly and gave him a thumb's up.  --Oh man! What the hell do I do to help 
him?-