Everything worked out just like Byron's lawyer had said. Nick got off on probation and was not allowed to touch any drugs with a ten foot pole. He would have to go for drug testing each month. It was a great relief, knowing he would be forced to stay on the straight and narrow by legal means."Are you not going to come out from under there?" Emily asked.Her brother was lying on the floor wrapped up in a blanket."No, I'm good."Nick was just hanging out at home and vegging out most days, and Emily didn't pressure him to do anything. She knew he had been through a lot, and she wasn't mad at him anymore for what he had done. Deep down, she knew he had a good heart."Pam is coming over, just so you know," Emily reminded him.He made an indecipherable noise. Emily shrugged. Pam was tough enough to deal with anything, much less someone acting a little weird.Pam didn't bat an eyelid when she saw Nick huddling away on the floor."Are you cocooning away from the world?" she asked.
Living together as a couple started out very good on the first night. Emily brought some of her stuff over, and they had drinks on the balcony to celebrate her arrival.The next morning morning, Emily wanted to spend some time on her sketches but kept being distracted by Byron traipsing in and out of her room between work meetings and chatting about random topics. It was hard to get angry with him for interrupting because he was so happy to see her there. But did he have to come in nearly every half hour and interrupt her workflow?Finally she tried to tell him gently that she wanted to get some work done."You're right," Byron said at once, "I should have thought of that! How about you keep your door closed, and I'll knock if I have something important to say?""Sounds good," she replied.It was going to be a process of adjustment since she had previously only come here to hang out and play, not to live.The sun came out in the afternoon, and Emily rolled out her yoga mat in the
"Okay, Mr. Real Estate, come in," Emily said.She wasn't sure what he had in mind, but she was so glad to see him again.They sat down at the kitchen table, and Byron opened up a folder filled with pictures and information on various homes for sale not far from her current place."I think you'll find these more than satisfactory," he said, "they're in your favorite neighborhood, and you'll enjoy the quiet, tree-lined streets and closeness to the beach while still being within easy reach of downtown. Maybe you and your boyfriend could make a new start there together?""You want to buy us a new house?" she asked. It seemed too good to be true!"For you and Mr. Pomeroy, yes," Byron said, not dropping his real estate agent act."Is Mr. Pomeroy okay with leaving the familiar comfort of his suite for a whole new house?" she inquired disbelievingly."Yes, we've talked about it, and he is quite happy to do it.""But would he really be happy away from the bustling downtown core?" Emily
Pam came out of the change room in a dress that did not suit her at all. It looked like it wouldn't suit anyone. It had a short skirt that gathered in at the hem, making her butt look comically big. The neckline seemed to have some sort of paperbag-like fabric sticking up all around her chest. The whole thing made her look like an over-decorated puffball. "Okay, I know this is a bit unusual," Pam said, "but I really like this one. What do you all think?"Pam's mom and dad, sister and several friends including Byron and Emily sat around in a semi-circle as the bride-to-be stood in the center. Everyone stared at her, most people humming in uncertainty. No one dared to say that it was horrible."Haha! April Fools!" Pam exclaimed, laughing uproariously, "Isn't this the worst dress ever? I just wanted to see your faces when you saw it.""Pam!" her mother reproved, "You're being silly. And Laurent is probably not impressed with you making fun of his dresses.""It's fine, it's fine," th
Emily was glad when Pam called her the next day to say she changed her mind about making ugly bridesmaid dresses."Sorry," Pam said, "I don't know what I was thinking. I feel like a bad person.""No, it's okay," Emily said, "You're probably nervous before your big day.""It's true, my hormones are driving me crazy. So, what are we doing for your birthday?""Uh..."Emily had hardly given it much thought, but her birthday was coming up. Since she had been occupied with Pam's wedding plans, she wanted to enjoy a low-key birthday. She cleared her work schedule for the whole day and asked Byron not to plan any surprises. She half suspected him of organizing a scuba-diving expedition or some other extreme adventure, but all she wanted was to spend a relaxing day at home or lazing on the beach and maybe see some of her friends."Let's meet up in the evening for drinks," she said."Okay, I'll see you soon, birthday girl."Emily went back to browsing bridesmaid dresses online, looking f
After spending the day with Byron and the new dog, Emily put on a shiny evening dress and got ready to meet the girls for drinks.Byron was nearly asleep and happy to let her go out by herself. After 'playing' with him for a while, she had quite exhausted him and left him to recover from his pleasant daze.Meeting up with her girlfriends at a neighborhood bar made for the perfect ending to her day."I have a new dog!" Emily blurted out when she went to order drinks with Pam. "I wanted to name her Sandy because I met her on a beach, but then to make it more interesting, I called her Shandy.""That's awesome," Pam said, "you've waited so long to have one!"They waited to get the bartender's attention, but he was swarmed with customers."I might also have something new..." Pam said."What is it?" Emily was intrigued. The bartender turned to them, and Emily ordered a gin and tonic while Pam ordered ginger ale. Emily started to understand what was likely going on.Pam leaned close
Byron found the right moment to approach Pam at the rehearsal dinner for the wedding. The restaurant was filled with dozens of people for the bridal party, and everybody wandered around the table, talking to long-lost cousins and friends. While Emily was catching up with some pals from Toronto, Byron went over to sit beside Pam."Could I ask you a question confidentially?""I think I know what your question is," Pam said, "and you've come to the right person."They stepped away to sit in a corner of the room at a small table."I noticed Emily never likes to rush into commitment," Byron began, "but lately I wonder if she's ready for more. I caught her online shopping for wedding dresses. And with you, her best friend, getting married, maybe she'd be disappointed if I didn't propose to her. But at the same time, I don't want to do it if she's not ready.""Wow, your overthinking is almost as bad as Mike's," Pam remarked."Can you blame me?" he replied, raising his arms in a defeat
Byron felt partly responsible for breaking the news. Maybe Pam was right about not telling Mike since it seemed like the news of the pregnancy did make him more nervous. On the other hand, maybe if she had told him sooner, it wouldn't have caused so much excitement right before they were about to say their vows.He wasn't sure if the bride was already at the church, so he called Emily. It turned out they were all still at Pam's house getting ready, so he said he would meet them over there."Have you decided to become a bridesmaid instead?" Emily teased."Yeah, something like that. I always thought I'd make a good bridesmaid."He couldn't let her know that he spilled the beans. Somehow, he would have to get Pam alone without anyone knowing what was going on.The house was bustling with people, and Pam's mother greeted Byron as he entered."Come in! The ladies are right upstairs," she said.As Byron climbed the stairs, he heard women's voices and a lot of giggling. One of the voic