"Footprints"
Episode #356
Previously
...
-
The guests arrived for Molly and Brent's "Black & White Affair."
- Trevor's presence at the party made Alex uncomfortable, while Lauren urged
Trevor not to give up on Alex yet.
- Sarah brought Diane to the party, but neither of them were thrilled to be
there.
- Molly and Brent announced a surprise: the party is really their wedding!
HARBOR HILLS COUNTRY CLUB
Molly Fisher stands back to examine herself one final time in the ladies' room mirror. As much as she loves the idea of doing something different for her wedding, she momentarily wishes that she were getting married in a church. The country club's restroom is as lavish as the rest of the facility, but a bridal room would be nice for these last-minute preparations.
"I really look okay?" Molly asks, her gaze fixed upon her reflection.
"You look wonderful," Camille Lemieux assures her. "Radiant."
Molly takes a final look at herself. She designed the pristine white dress herself, and Camille had it rushed into production. For as many wedding dress fantasies as Molly has sketched over the years, this one is remarkably simple. It is long and straight, with a clean that hugs the length of her body. More a dress than a gown, it is a sparkling white that contrasts boldly with her dark, swept-up hair.
The door opens, and Molly's eyes snap to find her mother entering the ladies' room.
"I was hoping I could see you before the ceremony," Paula says.
"Of course." Molly holds out her hands to draw Paula into a hug.
Paula stands back, still holding Molly's hands. "You look beautiful. You ... Oh, Molly."
A giggle escapes the bride-to-be's throat.
"I'm so happy for you," Paula says, beaming. "We all are. Why didn't you tell us?"
"Everything's happened so quickly. We didn't want a long engagement. It's been long enough." Molly pauses, her other news on the tip of her tongue. "Besides, how often do you get to pull off a surprise like this?"
Paula's smile broadens. "As long as you're happy, honey."
"I am. Mom, thank you."
"For what? I didn't even know you were getting married!"
"For everything! You and Dad, for being so supportive. Everything you've done for me ..." Molly turns to Camille. "And you, too, for giving me a chance to design, and for being such a good friend, and now for being my maid of honor."
"It's my pleasure," Camille says softly.
Molly is about to respond when the door opens again. This time, instead of rushing forward, she drops her hands to her sides and shares an uncomfortable stare with Sarah.
HARBOR HILLS COUNTRY CLUB
The final night of 2004 is an icy one, marked by a chill that refuses to dull. On the patio outside the banquet room where his wedding will soon take place, Brent Taylor stands with his hands buried deep in the pockets of his black coat. He stares out at the sky, which has achieved the type of blackness only possible in the dead of winter.
"I can't believe this day is finally here," he says.
His father, Bob, looks to Brent. "I'm glad you decided to tell us what was going on ahead of time. I'm not so sure that we would've flown up for a New Year's Eve party."
"It was too important not to tell you," Brent says. "And I figured you guys could keep a secret."
"I wouldn't have missed this for the world. You and Molly look so happy," his sister, Danielle, chimes in.
Brent continues to gaze out at the sky. "We are."
Bob's tone turns somber as he says, "I wish your mother could be here tonight. She would've been so proud of you."
Lips pursed, Brent ponders a response. He's known for his entire adult life that his mother would never see him get married. He thought he'd come to terms with it after marrying Sarah, but something is different this time: this is real. This is it. And he wishes that his mother were still alive to be a part of it.
"Oh, yeah," comes a voice from behind them. The three Taylors turn to see Josh joining them on the patio. "I bet Mom always dreamed about you marrying your ex-wife's sister."
Brent tries not to let the jab get to him, but Danielle and Bob both shoot warning glances at the youngest Taylor.
Josh laughs and puts up his palms in defense. "Joking! Just joking."
"Don't push it," Brent says. "I can still fire you and find another best man."
"We could dress Danielle up as a dude," Josh offers.
Danielle scowls at her younger brother, which only makes Josh's grin broader.
"You'd think you were all old enough that I wouldn't have to break up fights," Bob says.
Josh shakes his head. "Dad, we'll never be old enough for that."
"I know." Bob sighs, sending a rush of white air out into the night.
Brent pats his father on the back. "I'm just happy you're all here for this. It makes the whole night perfect."
HARBOR HILLS COUNTRY CLUB
Molly and Sarah share a tense stare before Sarah breaks the silence.
"I just wanted to congratulate you," she tells her older sister.
The comment surprises Molly, and she lets down her guard--a little, anyway. "Thanks, Sarah."
An uneasy silence drapes itself over the four women. Molly gets the sense that everyone is scrambling to think of something to say, something to lighten the mood and cover up the tension. But she feels the need to be more up-front than that.
"I know this can't be the easiest thing for you," Molly says. "But I appreciate you coming and dealing with this so well."
Sarah nods, then cracks an awkward smile. "It's going to happen, whether or not I'm okay with it. So why waste energy worrying about it, right?"
"That's a great outlook to have, Sarah," Paula says. She steps forward and adjusts the shoulders of Molly's dress, though Molly wonders if they even need adjusting.
"I wouldn't want to miss your wedding. You are my sister," Sarah says. "It's not like I expected to be your maid of honor or anything, but--"
A nervous jolt goes through Molly. "I didn't think you'd be interested, I mean, given the circumstances."
"Yeah, it is a little bizarre." Sarah appears to have more words perched on her lips, but they never emerge.
"I thought it would upset you if I asked," Molly explains.
Sarah dismisses the thought with a wave that looks, to Molly, a little too dismissive. "Nah. It's what sisters do, right?"
"Yeah." Molly falls quiet as she glances from Sarah to Camille and then back again. "I mean, if you want to--if Camille is okay with it--"
Camille offers a gracious smile. "Whatever you'd like, Molly. This is your day."
Molly looks again to Sarah, whose face, after a momentary delay, lights up with goodwill.
"I'd love to," Sarah says.
"Okay, then. It's set." Molly lets out a tiny laugh, one that sounds as uncomfortable to her ears as it feels in her throat. "Camille, you're sure you don't mind?"
"Not at all! Why don't I take Sarah outside and explain how the ceremony will go?"
"That's a good idea," Paula agrees. "I'll help Molly finish getting ready."
Sarah and Camille leave the ladies' room, and Molly turns around to check herself one last time in the mirror. Her mother's reflection looms over her mirror shoulder.
"You're sure this is what you want? Sarah standing up for you, I mean?" Paula asks.
"Yeah, of course," Molly answers. "Absolutely."
HARBOR HILLS COUNTRY CLUB
As he glances around the room, Jason sees nothing like any wedding he has ever witnessed. A reception, yeah, but not an actual wedding ceremony. The guests, in their black and white attire, are spread throughout the room in clusters of eight, seated at their tables as they wait for the wedding to begin.
He sits between Alex and Lauren. On Lauren's other side is Trevor, and the tension between him and Alex is palpable--and not in a good way. Jason cannot wait for the ceremony to start, just so he can disregard the weird vibe in the air. He smiles over at his parents, who are seated with Tim, Claire, Ryan, and Diane.
Maybe I shouldn't complain about how uncomfortable things are at this table, he tells himself as the string quartet's music suddenly pauses.
All heads instinctively swivel toward the back of the room, where the doors to the banquet room open. The quartet segues into Pachelbel's "Canon in D" as the abbreviated wedding party enters the room. First come Brent and the minister, who make their way quickly, nothing ceremonious about it. And then, side-by-side, Josh and Sarah appear in the doorway.
Jason does a double-take that feels like something out of Looney Toons. He searches the room and locates Camille, who he could have sworn was supposed to be Molly's maid of honor. Now she is seated at a table full of people whom Jason doesn't recognize, probably people who work with her and Molly at Objection.
Josh and Sarah enter the room, making their way down the makeshift aisle between the tables. Jason notices now that the aisle has been there all along, a path from the door to the front of the room. He hadn't noticed that the room was set up for the wedding before the guests even knew what they were there for.
He manages to catch his mother's eye, and with a look, questions what Sarah is doing in the wedding. Paula shrugs and smiles, one of those motherly "Everything is fine" expressions that have always driven Jason nuts.
Now Molly appears at the door. Her dress, while not a typical wedding gown, definitely looks like a wedding dress to him now. He still can't believe that they pulled off such a major surprise.
As the music lilts through the air, Molly makes her way toward Brent. She beams with every step that she takes nearer to him, and Jason can see the same excitement in the groom's expression. Brent looks as though he can't wait to have Molly beside him.
It strikes Jason, out of nowhere, that he has now watched all of his siblings--well, not Ryan, but still--get married. He is the only one left.
He feels Lauren's palm in his; he suddenly feels very hot, on the verge of sweating. He wonders if he can see himself in Brent's position, standing at the altar, watching Lauren approach him, waiting for her to join him so that they can be joined forever.
As he glances over at Lauren, she does the same. Smiling, she squeezes his hand.
HARBOR HILLS COUNTRY CLUB
There were a lot of things that Molly expected to feel on her wedding day, but nervous was not one of them. But now, as she stands before the minister, with Brent at her side and their loved ones gathered, she feels an uneasy tingle in the pit of her stomach.
It's as if she is waiting for the other shoe to drop. Every time that she and Brent have reached a milestone in their relationship, it seems that something comes along to disrupt it. Now, though, everything is perfect--well, almost. She wishes the minister had left his unfortunate mustache back in the 80s, but there's nothing she can do about that. And she would never admit this to anyone, maybe not even Brent, but Sarah's presence beside her feels off, too.
She gives her sister a sideways glance, in time to see Sarah throwing a look backward at Diane. They'd better not be up to anything ...
As she listens to the minister's voice, which sounds strangely distant to her, as though it isn't real, she brushes a hand over her stomach. She can't wait to share the baby news with their family and friends. She catches Brent's eye and can tell, from his quick downward glance, that he is thinking about the same thing. Everything has finally fallen into place.
"Molly and Brent have written their own vows," the minister announces, "and now they will share those vows with one another."
Molly swallows the lump in her throat. It has to be the adrenaline. She has waited years for this day; almost every moment of their relationship has been a struggle in one way or another. Is this really it? The obstacles have all moved out of their way?
"Brent," she begins, fighting her suddenly dry mouth, "as I look around right now, I can't help but think that this has to be a dream. There were so many times when I thought this could never possibly happen. It's hard to believe that the dream has come true."
She pauses, sharing a smile with her groom. She knows what she wants to say; she has been planning it since before they had a wedding date. But now that they are here and she is speaking off the top of her head, the words seem like a jumble, and she worries that she won't be able to say everything she wants.
She draws a breath before continuing. "But we really are here now, and that is a testament to what we share. As rare as it is to find someone who completes you, someone who truly is your other half, we've done that. The struggle is over, Brent. We made it."
The minister prompts Brent to proceed with his vows, but he doesn't do so immediately. He stares into Molly's eyes, holding both of her hands, seemingly lost in the moment. Molly wonders if he is as nervous as she is.
"It's fitting for you to talk about what we've been through," he finally says, "because tonight is our chance to wrap that all up and put it behind us. What better night to mark a new beginning than New Year's Eve? We have made it. Now we can move forward, together. There's nothing I want more than to be able to call you my wife, Molly. The dream is just beginning."
Molly's hands are still shaking as the minister continues with the ceremony. She can't bring herself to take her eyes off Brent, not even to look back at Sarah. Nothing bad is going to happen.
The rest of the minister's words are a blur to her, and when she says, "I do," it doesn't even sound like her own voice. She hears Brent say it, too, and then, seemingly out of nowhere, comes the moment she has been waiting for.
"I now pronounce you husband and wife."
The string quartet starts up again, this time with a more celebratory tune, as Brent moves in and kisses Molly. Applause fills the room as Brent's arms wrap around her and lift her off the ground. She kisses him back.
She hopes this dream never ends.
END OF EPISODE #356
Will
it be smooth sailing for Molly and Brent from here on out?
Were you surprised that Sarah behaved herself?
And what about Jason's thoughts on marriage?
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