| 37. The Way Things Are 12:03 pm Meg walked into her father�s house. �Daddy?� No answer. He�s probably in the music room. She put down her bags and walked up the two flights of stairs. She slowly entered. Her father, at times, reminded her of the phantom of the opera, always poised at the piano bench, always playing out a new mysterious and haunting song. This song, however was one she knew; it was from Cats. She smiled and watched her father lose himself in the music, the way all composers do. She�d inherited her love of music from her father, her passion for the arts from her mother. Of course, lately, that was all she�d gotten from her. Beth had married Reginald Cartier`, a much younger dancer, a month before, not long after the divorce was final. Garrett, however, was married to his music. He had been promoted to director of casting at the Met and found himself writing an opera. He hadn�t heard from Beth since the last day in court while they were settling on the divorce; he was able to keep the house and half of their money in savings, while she kept the other half, the family car, a Lincoln Navigator, and got alimony checks every month. Meghan�s career had flourished in the last year. Her debut album had sold nine million copies, and her sophomore release sold one-and-a-half million records the first week, putting her among the likes of Britney Spears, Eminem, and NSYNC. Her summer tour had finished a month earlier, and since then, she�d been planning the wedding. Paul, Gabe, Seth, and Kevin had remained on tour with her throughout her first and second tours. Chad, however, became Christina Aguilera�s guitarist, mysteriously, after the Gold tour. Of course, Meg didn�t protest. She simply assumed that Christina was the one he�d �found comfort in� and let bygones be bygones. Soon after, they broke up, as Christina fell in love with one of her dancers. Chad started his own band and she hadn�t heard from him since. Thoughts of the Gold tour caused her mind to drift to Jill. Poor baby. Leukemia had taken her life three months after Meg left the hospital in Chicago, longer than she was expected to live. Fortunately, Meg was there when she died and sang at the funeral. It was a beautiful one, though it crushed Dionna, who now worked for Rob. The last year had been the most trying, but successful one of her life. She was 20 years old, engaged, a millionaire, and world-famous. She�d been interviewed on 20/20 by Barbara Walters when her remission was made public, had four videos retired on TRL and two number-one-singles on Billboard. She�d even been offered a role in a movie version of �The Phantom of the Opera� starring opposite Antonio Banderas, JC Chasez, Celine Dion, and her old friend Jessica Simpson. Filming began in a month. If I�m lucky. �Darling?� She quickly came to and asked, �Yes?� �When did you get home?� her father asked, hugging her. �About a minute ago.� She smiled meekly. �We need to talk.� Garrett frowned and nodded. They walked down the hall into the study. �How was Hollywood?� he wondered, once they had sat down on a plush couch. She said nothing for a moment, as tears choked her, and just looked down. �It�s back.� She looked up. �The cancer�it�s back. Dr. Harless says he doesn�t think this time it�ll be that easy. Back with a vengeance, he says.� She sighed. �I�m screwed, basically.� �I�m so sorry, Meg.� �I don�t understand it, Dad, all I ever wanted to do was sing, just sing at the top of my voice and have people applaud me. I don�t care about selling records, I just want to sing. I don�t ask a lot of God, and still I get cancer.� �It happened for a reason. Everything happens for a reason. I might be better off financially if I had never met your mom, but I wouldn�t have gotten you out of the deal.� He smiled. �Your cancer is what strengthened you and Paul�s relationship.� He paused. �Had your crazy mom not enrolled you in voice lessons, you wouldn�t have gotten the role of Christine, you wouldn�t have met Rob, you wouldn�t have a record deal, and you wouldn�t know Paul. Everything all works out in some form or fashion, though we may not see it.� She sighed. �Why are you always right, Dad?� �Because I�m Dad. It�s my job.� He smiled. �Now give me a hug.� 38. Blessed Assurance 12:53 am �I�m glad you�re here, Paulie,� Meg whispered, snuggling closer to him on the couch. �I�m just glad to be with you again.� He kissed her forehead. �I�ve missed you.� �Do you think we should postpone the wedding?� �Do you?� �No.� �Then we won�t.� �Good.� She kissed him. �Just two more weeks, baby.� �You ready?� �I�m kind of excited about the night after the wedding, myself,� he joked. She laughed, �You horn dog.� �Well, I�m a little bit more excited about seeing you walk up that isle. What�s your dress look like?� �It�s�white.� �Well, yeah, but�� �I can�t tell you, it�s bad luck.� �No, me seeing it is, but talking about it isn�t.� �I want you to be surprised!� she protested. �That�s what makes it all worthwhile.� He shrugged. �Yeah.� He paused. �Listen, I know the next few months are going to be really hard on us, but�I think we�ll make it.� �You�re so confident.� �And why not? We�ve done it before, we can do it again. We�re cool like that.� She laughed. �Yeah, but you�re not going to have an IV up your arm for three hours a day, four days a week.� �But I�ll be there while you do.� He smiled. �We�ll make it, baby. I know we will.� She smiled. �Thank you for loving me.� �Thank you for letting me. You know how hard it is having a crush on your best friend who�s going out with a friend of yours?� �No, but I�ve heard about it many, many times from my dear fianc�e` Paul.� He laughed. �And I will continue to tell you if you ever think that I�m not desperately in love with you as much now as I was a year ago.� |