Chapter 34
“Why wouldn’t we want to hear about it?” Alexis asked. “Did something happen?”
“Well, he wasn’t really thrilled about it, he couldn’t accept it at first. Then, later, when he finally was starting to come to terms with it, he was killed by a warlock,” Pru explained quickly. Phoebe rested a reassuring hand on her shoulder, knowing that she was still mourning him.
“Wow,” Alexis said softly. “I’m sorry to hear that. How long ago was this?”
“A few years, but please, don’t let that discourage you. I’m sure your fiancee will be okay. He loves you, right?”
Smiling, Alexis nodded. “I sure hope so! I just wish I knew how to tell him.”
“Just come right out with it,” Phoebe suggested. “No use beating around the bush, right?”
“Oh yeah, I can see it now: ‘hey, honey? Now that we’re married, there’s something I should tell you. I’m a witch!’ Uh-huh, I can see that going over real well.”
Liz laughed and shook her head. “Just remind him that he’s a Quartermaine, but you married him anyway.”
“True, but I’ve already got the Cassidine thing going against me, so this is just one more thing to pile on him.”
“Ned doesn’t care that you’re a Cassidine, and I don’t think he’ll mind that you’re a witch, either,” Liz said, hoping to ease her fears.
Alexis smiled at her daughter. “Thanks. I don’t suppose Hallmark makes a greeting card for this sort of thing?”
They all laughed. “Yeah,” Piper said. “Right next to the ones that say ‘Sorry about that warlock that destroyed your house.’ I can tell you they’re becoming pretty popular around us!”
“All right, so I have to figure something out on my own,” Alexis said, shaking her head. “I wish I had more time.”
“Don’t worry, you’ll think of something, and I’m sure Ned will be fine with it,” Liz said, hoping to ease her fears.
“Thanks, honey,” she said, touched by her daughter’s concern. “Anyway, let me know when you have some free time, so we can get cracking on this thing. I can’t believe it’s on Saturday now!” She sighed, then looked up and smiled. “Hey, are you guys still going to be in town this weekend?”
They nodded. “Yeah, we don’t leave until Monday, why?”
“I’d like to invite you all to my wedding. It’ll be good to know I’m not alone, you know?”
“Really? I mean, you just met us!” Pru said, surprised by the invitation.
“Well, it’s not every day that I meet other witches. I can use all the support I can get!”
Piper grabbed Phoebe’s arm to warn her not to say anything about Lucky and Nikolas. They had agreed not to tell anyone, but she knew her sister was dying to say something. Phoebe turned and smiled at her, then looked back at Alexis.
“We’d love to go,” she said sweetly. “Just tell us where and when.”
~*~
Liz was off work the next day, so she decided to go to the gatehouse and give Alexis a hand with the wedding plans.
“Liz, thank God!” Ned greeted, opening the door. “Please, go help your mother, before she drives me crazy!”
Liz chuckled and walked into the house. “Is she freaking out already?”
“Yes, so hurry. She’s in the kitchen.”
“Thanks, I figured she could use some help.” She walked through the living room and into the kitchen. Alexis looked up from a pile of papers when she heard the door open, expecting to see Ned.
“Hey! I didn’t expect you here today.”
“I know, I thought I was supposed to work, but it turned out I didn’t, so I figured I’d come help you. What are you working on right now?” Liz asked, taking the seat next to her.
“Guest list. I don’t know how to get all these invitations out in time,” Alexis said, sighing in frustration.
“Why don’t you just call and ask them, like you did with the Halliwells yesterday? I’m sure everyone will understand.”
“No, we spent way too much money on these invitations to not use them. I don’t care if I have to go put them in everyone’s mailboxes myself, they’re getting them!”
Liz laughed. “Well, if you’d like, I’ll help. Hey, um, are you inviting the Spencers?” she asked, trying to sound nonchalant.
Alexis smiled. “I realize why you want them there, but I think it would seem a little strange, a Cassidine inviting the Spencers to their wedding, don’t you?”
Liz shrugged. “I don’t know, I mean, Luke seems to like you, and Lucky’s my friend. Plus, Nikolas will be there, and they’re sort of his family, too. I don’t think it would be so weird. I’ll even invite them myself if you’d like.”
“You know, you can always just invite Lucky as your guest. You don’t have to invite the whole family,” Alexis suggested.
“I know, but I think it would be nice to invite them all. Don’t worry, I doubt Luke will do anything.”
“Okay, you win. But you’re inviting them!” Alexis said. “I’ve got enough to deal with as it is, I don’t particularly care to listen to Luke crack jokes.”
“Okay, that that’s settled, what’s next?” Liz asked, looking at the mass of papers on the table. “Any news on our dresses?”
“I talked to Chloe this morning, and she said that she has a bunch of people on them now, so they should be done in time. Oh, and get this. The reception hall is booked on Saturday, so we have to have it at the Quartermaines!”
“You’re kidding!” Liz said, giggling at the horrified expression on her mother’s face.
“Trust me, I wouldn’t kid about that!” So, when do you think I should tell Ned? At the reception? Before the wedding? Not until the honeymoon?
I don’t know. Whenever you think the time is right. “Come on, let’s finish this guest list. You don’t want to be inviting people at the last minute, do you?”
Alexis frowned and glared at her. “Very funny. What do you call this?”
Liz laughed. “Sorry. I meant, waiting until Friday or something. Let’s just finish, and then I’ll go deliver some of them for you.”
“Fine, here’s a stack. We need to change the dates. Might as well get started now,” Alexis said, dropping a pile of invitations in front of her. “Have fun.”
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