Week 12: MacGuffin

[kimschlotwrites]

 

Sunday, December 3, 2017

It finally happened. Brent proposed! After five years and ups and downs, he finally proposed. I can’t wait to be be Heather Barton.

We talked to our families and figured out a budget. No, I won’t get the wedding I dreamed about since I was a little girl. I can’t afford a bedazzled ball gown with a cathedral length veil. The flower hybrid I imagined just doesn’t exist. And did I really think the Harlem Boys Choir would sing me down the aisle?

I’m okay with not having any of that. The castle. That’s what’s important.

***

Thursday, December 7, 2017

I’m so excited! Tomorrow is the day. Brent and I are touring Claremont Castle, and putting a deposit down for the wedding. As I’ve written in this journal many times, we—or I should say I—already have a date picked out. Saturday, October 19, 2019. The day my grandparents got married.

How sweet would that be? Getting married on the same date and in the same place as my grandparents. I’m just so excited.

***

Friday, December 8, 2017

We’ve been home from Claremont Castle for about an hour now, and I’m still not sure what to do. The date, my date, is already booked. I’m devastated. Brent doesn’t seem as heartbroken as me. All he says is “It’s just a day. We can choose another.”

Why doesn’t he understand?

There is a small glimmer of hope. Grant and Chris. They are the ones who are in my spot at Claremont Castle. When the event coordinator left the room, I took a picture of her planner with the names and contact information of the couple. Brent didn’t notice. He was engrossed in something on his phone.

So, I have a phone number and email address for this couple. I tried searching Facebook by the email address, but the profile came up private. I plan on emailing tomorrow. Calling just seems crazy. But I may end up calling if I don’t get an answer in a week.

I’m starting to feel a little better. I can just picture it. I write a beautiful email, asking them if they would mind changing their wedding date. They would be so moved by my story, that the agree. We become close friends, and go to each other’s weddings. Maybe we’d have kids around the same time, and they would grow up together and be best friends. All because a date on a calendar.

***

Monday, December 11, 2017

My stomach has been in knots all weekend. First thing Saturday I emailed Grant. (At least I think it was him. His name was in the email address.) I checked my email just about every hour. Nothing. All weekend, no response.

I’ll admit the email wasn’t as...what’s the word...eloquent as I imagined. But it wasn’t psychotic. It was short and sweet.

I finally received a reply today while I was at work. I tried to wait until my lunch to open it, but I couldn’t concentrate on anything until I read the email.

Honestly, nothing has been resolved. He has questions. I guess it’s understandable. We’re going to meet for coffee this weekend and talk. He thinks it’s going to be a double date. But that’s not happening. No way am I bringing Brent. He has no idea what I’m doing, and I plan on keeping that way for as long as possible. He doesn’t understand how important this date is to me.

***

Thursday, December 14, 2017

Oh my God this week is dragging. Why can’t it be Saturday? I’ve chewed my nails off. I’ve barely slept this whole week. I’m both excited and nervous to meet with Chris and Grant.

I just hope it goes well.

***

Saturday, December 16, 2017

I DID IT!!! Oh my God. We’re getting our wedding date. I pulled it off.

Grant is awesome. It only ended up being me and him because Chris was called into work last minute. I guess they had booked the venue only a week before Brent and I tried to. They just chose it because they wanted a fall wedding in 2019. The day didn’t have any meaning to them. They already called Claremont to change the date. Because it was so far in advance, they could move it without losing money. I’ve already left a message with the event coordinator lady asking to “put me on a waiting list” for that date.

I did it!

***

Tuesday, December 18, 2017

It’s official! I’m getting married at Claremont Castle on Saturday, October 19th, 2019.

::Happy Dance::

***

Sunday, January 21, 2018

So, Grant and I are like best friends now. Crazy, right? We go out to lunch once a week, and we text all through the day.  We’re so close. I love him.

That sounds so much worse than it is! I love him in a friend way.  I’m not cheating on Brent with Grant. First of all, Chris has joined us a couple times for lunch. Second, Grant is gay. Chris is a guy.

They are such a cute couple. The times I’ve spent with them together they’re always holding hands, blowing each other kisses, winking at each other. It’s so adorable. You can tell they love each other.

I wish Brent and I were like that. I’ve been trying to hold his hand more, but he usually has them in his pockets, or holding his phone.

***

Saturday, February 17, 2018

Brent and I celebrated Valentine's Day tonight. I’m a bit disappointed. First of all, he left all the planning to me. I chose the restaurant, made the reservations. I even picked out his clothes for him.

At the restaurant, he complained that the service was slow, that the wine was overpriced, that the food was over cooked.

For a gift, I bought him tickets to see a band he likes. His response, “They’re last album sucked.”

You know Grant and Chris did for Valentine’s Day? They got a couples massage, and made dinner together. So much better.

Brent and I used to be like Grant and Chris. What happened?

***

Tuesday, March 13, 2018

I learned two new things today.

First, that Chris donated a piece of his liver to Grant a couple years ago. No questions asked. That’s true love.

And second, I don’t think I would do that for Brent.

Comments

[bleodswean]

Yikes! You did a great job capturing the changing moods and situations of this gal!

[kimschlotwrites]

Thank you!

[fausts_dream]

This is both amusing and a bit sad. Enjoyed

[kimschlotwrites]

Thank you!

[bsgsix]

So bittersweet. This works very well as a set of journal entries!

[kimschlotwrites]

Thank you.

The journal entries were a last minute decision. After five pages into the original version, and not even half way done, I decided to tell the story a different way.

[adoptedwriter]

I like the styling of this piece. (the diary entries) Unique and creative.

[kimschlotwrites]

Thank you!

Like I said in the above comment, that was a last minute decision!

[bellatrix_lestrange]

Loved this. You had me hooked from the beginning and I was intrigued all the way through <3

[kimschlotwrites]

Thank you!

[tatdatcm]

Fantastic capture of the mood and relationship changes through the months just with her short journal entries.

[kimschlotwrites]

Thank you!

When I first started to write it, it wasn’t in this format. But it started getting long, and boring. So I switched it up!

[rayaso]

The diary/journal entries worked very well. I thoroughly enjoyed this. I'm glad you resisted the temptation for her to drop Brent in favor of a straight Grant. Having an email not be psychotic is a pretty low bar.

[kimschlotwrites]

Thank you!

Like I said in the above comments, it wasn’t always supposed to be journal entries.

I was back and forth about the ending. I thought about having Heather fall in love with Grant and breaking off her engagement just to find out that he’s gay. I thought of Grant being straight abt them ending up together. This ending just sort of happened, and it’s my favorite.

[sonreir]

I thought (hoped!) that this would potentially end with Grant and the narrator getting together. I'm a bit saddened yet also relieved that it didn't! Instead we get insight into a failing relationship. I hope your narrator can find someone better!

[kimschlotwrites]

That ending was on my mind, too. I had a few different ideas on how to end it. This one won out!

[dmousey]

I hope you called that marriage off! Some people fall in love with the IDEA of a person, and not that person's true self.

Thanks for inking! ⛄❄🐁🐭✌🎀

[kimschlotwrites]

That wedding was definitely called off!

[megatronix]

Oh this is so well done, I like the journal entry format. I've just started dabbling with writing a new piece this way. Anyway, it's cool to read such a progression but then sad that she realizes what she's been chasing maybe isn't what she wants after all. Nice story telling!

[kimschlotwrites]

Thank you! The journal entry style was a last minute decision.

[murielle]

Aww! Happy, excited, disappointed, stressed, excited, frustrated, disappointed, disillusioned, sad. Well, actually the sad was mine.

You take us through all these emotions beautifully. Well done!

[kimschlotwrites]

Thank you!

[song_of_thea]

I did not expect that final update. What a progression this was. Seems like the narrator should run and find someone else to marry.

[kimschlotwrites]

She should! Especially since her venue is already booked! lol

[halfshellvenus]

I’ll admit the email wasn’t as...what’s the word...eloquent as I imagined. But it wasn’t psychotic.
Hahahaha!

This is such a clear picture of the dangers of obsessing over a wedding rather than focusing on the marriage itself-- and WHO you're marrying in particular.

At least it led her to the right choice at the end. Brent so clearly wasn't the one. Five years of dating might have made her think she needed to 'recoup her investment,' but no. Those were just five wasted years on the wrong guy!

[kimschlotwrites]

Yes! She was so happy to be engaged and get married it took her seeing a different relationship to realize that Brent was not who she wanted.

[static_abyss]

I love the inevitable descent in this piece and how you worked it. I feel sorry for Heather, but great story.

[kimschlotwrites]

Thank you!

[flipflop_diva]

This seems like a perfect example of 'be careful what you wish for ...'

I really enjoyed the format of this and the story itself. The journal entries worked perfectly to show her changing attitude. I guess at least she has Grant and Chris in her life now! Silver lining ;)

[kimschlotwrites]

Thank you!

I'm sure Grant and Chris will help her get through the break up.