“Don’t forget the rainbow ribbons trailing after her.” Fern giggled. “It was a beautiful ceremony. Dad walked her up the aisle, he held onto her hand and brought her IV pole with him. The nurse and doctor that came with her were walking behind keeping an eye on Wanda. They made it up the aisle and Mom was the matron of honor, Christopher’s father was his best man. The ceremony went off without a hitch, and afterward, we all had cupcakes and Kool-Aid in the church basement.”
“What happened afterward?” Emily asked in fascination.
“After the ceremony, Wanda had to go back to the hospital. It was another year and a half before she went into remission. But three months after the wedding, Christopher’s father was transferred, and he left. I don’t even know where he went. Wanda slowly but surely got better, but it was a long hard road.”
“Have I met her?” Emily frowned at Douglas.
“You did. Remember the blonde you saw me with at the restaurant just before we went on our first date?”
“That fat chick? I didn’t think someone like that was your style.” At her comment, everyone sucked in their breath and watched in horror as Douglas froze and oh so slowly turned his head to his girlfriend.
“What did you say?”
“That fat chick with you. I saw you in the restaurant and followed you. I knew she wasn’t your type, so I didn’t have to worry, but I followed you anyway. Why you catered to her every whim, I never did understand. She was so unremarkable that I forgot about her. Except for her size, in my opinion, she was quite chunky.”
“Oh shit,” Fern said, and looked between her mother and husband. Before she could try to smooth things over, they all watched as Douglas pulled his cell, made a call and they all heard.
“Yes, I need a car to come to one forty-nine Pine Avenue. It’s a blue house with black trim. If you can get here in ten minutes, I’ll double the fare.” He hung up and looked at Emily. “Your Uber will be here in ten minutes. I suggest you be outside waiting for it.”
“What the hell, Douglas. Why are you like this? I’m not going anywhere.”
“Because you called my sister a fat chick. No one, absolutely no one, disrespects my baby sister like that. You don’t know her at all.”
“I know that if she’d take care of herself, she wouldn’t be so fat.”
“Aunt Wanda isn’t fat.” Brian jumped to his feet and put his hands on his hips as he glared at Emily. “She’s healthy.”
Emily snorted and was too foolhardy to realize she was talking a losing battle. “Please,” she snorted the answer and waved her hand in the air in a dismissive way as she continued to speak, “From what I saw she was a beautiful woman, but if she’d go on a diet maybe she could lose twenty pounds, only then could she be a knockout, but from what I saw, she was just a chunky woman.”
“There are circumstances about her weight,” Douglas said through gritted teeth. “And in case you didn’t grasp the concept, we’re over. I’m breaking up with you. Now please leave my sister’s house.”
“Over some fat chick, get real.” She snorted and laughed. “I’m sorry, but that’s so immature of you,Dougie. There is no way in hell, someone would have circumstances that would prevent them from losing at least twenty pounds.”
“When Wanda was thirteen.” Angie began. “She started getting sick again. The doctors had warned us that there might be a possibility of complications in the future. When we realized she was getting sick, we thought the Leukemia had returned. Far from it.” She wiped her tears, and it was Douglas who took up the story.
“She had kidney failure. She went on dialysis, and she went on the transplant list. For six months she was practically at death’s door. Again. When all hope left us, we had a donor. She went into surgery. We lost her twice during that transplant operation, but she came back to us. She’s on medication for life, so she doesn’t reject the donor's kidney. So yes, Miss Holier than Thou, judgmental, stuck-up bitch, that you are portraying here now, there are circumstances. And for your information, a size sixteen is not fat. At least she eats. She’s alive and living her life the way she sees fit.” He paused when they heard a horn beep. “There’s your ride.” He turned his back on her, and it was Brandon who helped her from her chair and escorted her to the front door.
“He can’t be serious.” She protested.
“He is. My wife, her parents, and her brother protect Wanda from everyone, even if she doesn’t realize it. As do I. The way you talked about her was demeaning, degrading and none of your concern. Just a word of advice from an ex-friend. Leave Douglas alone. When you maligned his sister, you lost him. I’m sure sometime in the beginning of your relationship hesaid something along the lines that his family means everything to him and that he won’t tolerate anyone who disrespects them. Now you learned the hard way. I wish you luck, Miss Brown.” He opened the door and gently pushed her out, but just before he shut the door, he said, “And don’t be calling my wife to get back on Douglas’s good side, that’s the worst thing you can do. Those two will fight to the death to protect Wanda. As will I. The best thing you can do is forget that you ever knew Douglas Perkins or any of his family members. That would be the most beneficial to you.” With that, he shut the door in her face and stood there and watched through the window as the devastated woman got into the back of the car that had arrived for her.
“She’s gone,” Brandon said as he walked back into the dining room. “I made sure she got into the car.”
“Thanks,” Douglas said, and sighed. He looked at Brandon’s parents. “I’m sorry if I sounded harsh, but I can’t stand self-righteous bigots. That’s what she was. In my eyes, Wanda is perfect. She may have her flaws, and I’m not immune to them, but to survive what she did at such young ages, I will always fight to the death for her.”
“Understandable,” Jackie said. “So, where is she now?”
“No clue,” everyone said and laughed. “Oh, we all talk to her at least once a week, but when she was eighteen, she went to college and received a two-year degree. However, she didn’t know what she wanted to do with her life.” Randall chuckled. “For a total of eight years, four when she was very young and another four while waiting for the transplant, her life wasn’t her own. It was doctor’s orders left and right. She came toAngie and me when she graduated from college and said she wanted to go out on her own. That she needed to find herself, she said once her head was screwed on straight, she’d let us know.
“She calls us every week, and even though I haven’t seen her in almost two years, she sounds great. Still, no clue what she’s doing.”
“I saw and talked to her last week.” Douglas grinned. “Skype. She looks great, happy, and healthy, and she glows. Her eyes looked like she did when she was younger and up to something.”
“Like she had a secret.” Fern laughed. “I haven’t seen her this well in ages. When I asked her what she was up to, she said it was a surprise, but it might take her a couple of years to complete it.”
“She also said that she received a clean bill of health from her doctors a few weeks ago.” Douglas joined in again. “Whatever she’s doing, it’s working for her.”
Brandon, Brian, and Douglas began clearing the table, and Jack stood to help, “I only have one question.”
