Twenty Four Weeks - Episode 16 Part 1 - "Twenty Seven" (PG)
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unrehearsed, honest, damn funny. There was no garter throwing, no tossed bouquet. There was a photographer though, and I’m impressed by the attention Quinn is given to this event. I’d have just had a few people over, and that was what I was expecting when we first spoke of exchanging vows again.
The music slows, and I take her out onto the floor. Everyone gives us room. We move together, in step, in time. I can feel our daughter between us as we dance. The three of us. Quinn has her chin on my shoulder and she holds me tight. It is right, it is wonderful. We are one again, the same person, renewed, restored.
I feel a tap on my shoulder and Quinn’s father cuts in. He’s smiling at me like he’s proud. It’s a look I’ve not seen on him.
Quinn dances with her father. She’s getting a little too big for any of the energetic songs that the DJ has been playing. I’m sitting by myself, just watching her, nursing a beer.
“Hey, Judd,” someone says. Chloe.
I smile.
“I’m not going to make fun,” she says, and so I let her sit down next to me.
“Some party,” she says.
“Quinn does know how to throw them.”
“Can I say something?”
“Go ahead,” I say. I don’t look at her, my eyes are still locked on my beautiful wife, so full of life, so full of joy.
“I know that it’s been a little weird between us the last few weeks.”
“Yes. It has.”
“I just wanted to say that I’m sorry for you know... the kiss, grabbing you... making fun.”
“Thanks.”
“Wade told me about what happened between you all. That must have been hard.”
“It was.”
“But you found each other again. I think that is the bravest thing I’ve ever seen. I admire you, Judd. I admire both of you. I just wanted you to know.”
“I appreciate that.”
A hand descends upon my shoulder and I’m distracted from watching Quinn. I look up and find Wade starring down at me.
“What are you two talking about?” he asks us.
“I’m stealing your wife away from you,” I tell him with a smile.
He grins back. “And it’ll serve me right too. Hey, look, if you two are going on another one of those marriage things, we’d like to come along too, right babe?”
Chloe nods enthusiastically.
All around me are people that I know, people that I love and who love me. I’m amazed at it all, because four months ago the circle was so much smaller. I see my sister and Horey coming towards me. She’s been drinking, maybe too much. Horey is holding her up. He’s not allowed to drink, I suppose, due to his medications.
“Wade-f-ing-beau-fort,” she says. “Imagine my surprise at seeing you here.”
“Wendy Altman,” he says back.
“You remember me?”
He puts a hand up to his perfect nose, makes a play at straightening it. “How could I forget?” he says with a smile.
“I heard that Judd was working with you again, but I refused to believe it until I saw it with my own eyes.”
He shrugs. “We have an understanding.”
“Oh, yeah?”
“Yeah. I love my wife, and he loves his.”
She comes to me, kisses my head, and then wobbles her way back through the crowd dancing in the centre of the room. Horey smiles, nods and follows her.
The song ends and people are clapping Quinn and her father. She pulls away and walks over to us.
“I’m done, “she says. “Take me home.”
This would be the perfect time for Wade to say something inappropriate, but he can’t because Chloe grabs him and silences him with her lips. Maybe she did it to save me, but I think the foolish girl really does love the big jerk. Quinn takes me by the hand and leads me around the room. We say our goodbyes and leave them to party on into the morning. There are going to be some seriously sore heads at various workplaces tomorrow.
The carpark isn’t far. She’s holding onto me like she’s afraid I’m a ghost and will dissipate into the night air at any moment. I feel the same way. I would never have thought that this could have been us seven months ago – when I was blissfully unaware of what Quinn was doing. I would not have thought that we could be like this, this close, even closer than when we started on this mad life. I would, not in my wildest dreams, believe that we could be here after I knew the truth.
And yet, here we are.
The amusing thing is that I can look at her now and not see what she has done. I’m not thinking of what she was doing for a year. It’s like he was just a boyfriend that she had before me, that I walked in on them accidently. Now she’s in love with me and not him, and everything is new and right. Everything has fallen into place. She’s finally found the one that she is meant to be with, and it’s not him.
It’s me.
We sit in my car. Both of us are exhausted and exhilarated all at once.
“Did that just happen?” she asks me.
“It did.”
“God I love you,” she says. She doesn’t move. She doesn’t kiss me. All she does is say it. The sheer simplicity astounds me. How those four words could convey everything she feels right at that moment.
“I love you too,” I say to her, and every cell of my being is saying it too.
“Take me home, Judd. Take me home and make love to me.”
I don’t need to be told twice.
To be continued…
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