Chapter Forty-Three: Goodbye, Beth:

On the night before I left for France, I looked online to see who met a purchase for my apartment yet. Ah, I have two buyers for this place. I chuckled to myself. Well what do you know? Somebody actually wants this place after all! I’ll have my realtor friend meet with them and sort all of the rest. Only thing left to do.

I reached over for my phone.

“Hello?” I asked. “You still want to go to France? Be ready at six in the morning, okay? Good deal. Bye.” I flipped my phone closed. That’s done. Now just wait for tomorrow to come.

-Weeks Ago-

I drove up to the church where Kitty’s wedding was to be held. This was it; the final goodbye. This should mean nothing to me. Yet, this feeling just won’t leave me. I shook my head.

Let it go, dumbass!, I thought. She’s marrying someone else for crying out loud! I breathed in hard and let go of the steering wheel. Come on; just get it over with already. I walked out of the car and went inside.

For some reason, I didn’t go in through the front way. I wander all the way to the cemetery of the church. I frowned to myself. Me at a church? I think Hell has frozen over. The last time I was in a church was… well, never. Heh, kind of funny in a way that I won’t understand get right now. I don’t even think that I want to. I don’t even know if my family even tried to drag me to church when I was younger.

My thoughts were interrupted when I heard someone sobbing behind the tree behind me. I paused as the crying sounded too familiar.

“Are you alright?” I asked.

“Yes,” a woman’s voice lied in between sobs. “I’m perfectly fine!” I couldn’t help but to smirk to myself.

“Aw, come on now,” I said. “The bride isn’t supposed to cry on her happiest day!” Kitty peeked from behind the oak tree at me. I gave her a small wave without turning around.

“Hey there,” I said. She gave me a little nod.

“Talk to me,” I said. “Why are you crying?” She tried to speak as she sobbed.

“Take a moment if you need to,” I said. The bride nodded as she whimpered again.

“Why am I doing this?” she asked. I paused at her question.

“Get married?” I asked. Kitty eyed as tears filled her eyes again.

“Yes!” she wailed.

“Okay,” I said. “Wipe your eyes first. You’ll ruin your make-up.” She nodded behind the tree and wiped away her tears. I waited for her to calm down long enough to talk to her.

“Now,” I said. “Why did you agree to marry Brian?” Kitty sniffed for a moment.

“It seemed right at the time,” she said. “Oh dear!” The bride lowered her head and shook it.

“What is it?” I asked.

“I did it again,” she complained. “I just rushed into a decision on impulse!” Kitty turned around to face me.

“I’m always the same!” she wailed. “All of my life, people had the need to just control me. I went along with it until now. I just… I just wanted to be my own person for a change!” She lowered her bouquet of white lilies and roses.

“Let me come away with you,” she pleaded. “Choose me!” I shook my head.

“I can’t do that,” I said.

“Why not?!?” she whimpered.

“Why do you love this Brian guy?” I asked. The bride took a moment to think about this.

“Well… he’s funny, sweet, really good to look at, plus he’s really different from most of the people I met in my life,” she listed off.

“Different, how?” I asked.

“He doesn’t try to control me at all,” he said. “Brian lets me be my own person.”

“So in other words, a good man?” I asked.

“Yes,” she said.

“You said yes to marrying him because you love him, right?” I asked. Kitty nodded at me with her mascara ruined on her face.

“And you are sure he’s a good man?” I asked again.

“Yes!” Kitty insisted. I put up my hands with my back still to her.

“Then, marry him,” I said. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw the shocked look on her face.

“Michael…” she murmured.

“I am not a good man,” I told her. “I know this because I have been with myself for a long time. Good men are hard to find. Marry him and be happy.” Kitty didn’t speak for a long moment.

“Michael…” she repeated.

“Just do it,” he said. Kitty stood quiet for a long moment.

“Can you at least turn around and hold me for one last time?” she asked. I smirked as I crushed my cigarette against the tree.

“Sure, whatever,” I said. I turned and hugged the lovely bride for close to ten minutes. She stood on her tiptoes and leaned into my ear.

“Thanks, Michael,” she whispered. Then, I let her go and watched her walk into the church. I waited before walking in behind her.

The ceremony turned out rather nice. Beth Monroe and Brian Albarn tied the knot at three p.m. on April third, 2011. For some reason, I couldn’t help but to smile to myself the whole time. Somehow, I actually did something good for her for a change. I sat back in the pew as the new couple walked by to their reception at Lafayette Square.

Goodbye, Beth Sarah Monroe-Albarn. May she finally be happy and her own person at last. There will never be another like her.