Listen to the song "Speak Now" by Taylor Swift before you read this. Any of you who know me know this song is special to me, the first time I heard it I knew it was the story of me and my husband. I'm not a huge TS fan, but this song makes me smile every time I hear it. Also, I did try and break up my husbands first wedding. I didn't show up at the ceremony or anything that dramatic but I went to visit him a week before, tried to talk him out of it and offered to come back to him and he told me, and I deserved this, to "Fuck off." LOL, I had it coming believe me.
I am not the kind of girl
Who should be rudely barging in on a white veil occasion
But you are not the kind of boy
Who should be marrying the wrong girl?
"You love Jenny like you loved Carol?" Merle asked as he and Daryl straightened their ties in the mirror the morning of the big day. Merle was convinced this marriage was doomed, Daryl was on the rebound from Carol when he met Jenny and in four months time they had met, fallen in love and got engaged. His brother was afraid he was going to be left again, it was all so clear to Merle. Daryl seemed happy, but not like he was with Carol.
"It's different," Daryl replied, "Its water under the bridge now..."
"How?" Merle asked.
"I'm over her, I'm moving on and she can have her life in New York City." Daryl answered, "If that's what she wants."
Merle considered that and he still didn't regret what he did, he could not abide this marriage, and he prayed for something to stop it. If God himself wasn't going to send lightning to strike the church Merle figured he'd call up a storm of his own. With any luck, a hurricane was coming that day and this wedding would be the only casualty.
"You driving?"
"Jenny said not to drive the truck, do you mind driving me?"
"What's wrong with the truck?" Merle huffed.
"She says its not a proper wedding vehicle."
"She know she's in bumfuck Georgia?"
Daryl chuckled, "She knows."
"Well that's good, I suppose..."
Merle waited till Daryl had left the room to get his shoes and he looked at his phone, "Come on cookie, Don't let me down..." He murmured.
"What are ya going on about?" Daryl called from the other room.
"Nothing," Merle shoved his phone into his pocket, "Nothing at all."
"Come on I don't wanna be late, Jenny says she's the one who's going to make the grand entrance."
"Whatever," Merle said, "You sure about this brother, I mean really sure?"
"I'm as sure as I can be," Daryl answered and that was not a good enough answer for Merle. Merle looked up at the sky as they walked out the door. It was a beautiful day and somehow there was gloom just around the corner in Merle's eyes.
This is surely not what you thought it would be
I lose myself in a daydream
Where I stand and say.
/
Don't say "Yes", run away now,
I'll meet you when you're out of the church at the back door.
Don't wait or say a single vow,
You need to hear me out,
And they said, "Speak now."
Don't say "Yes", run away now,
I'll meet you when you're out of the church at the back door.
Don't wait or say a single vow,
Your time is running out,
And they said, "Speak now."
The week before Merle had placed a phone call to the girl who had left Daryl four weeks and five days ago. Carol had answered right away and had been aghast when Merle told her the news, as he knew she would be. No one saw this shit coming, they weren't even properly broken up as far as Merle knew. He was under the impression they were taking a break and maybe someday in the future they would work it out. Daryl had been heartbroken though when she left, that was for sure.
But it wasn't like she had a choice.
"Better get down here sugar, if you feel anything at all for him, or it's gonna be too late." He had said and she had started to cry. It had not been easy to leave him and at the time it seemed like the right thing to do, her father was very sick and needed her help, and Carol had not wanted to tie Daryl down. But she hadn't known he would move on so fast, she hadn't.
/
Fond gestures are exchanged
And the organ starts to play
A song that sounds like a death march
And I am hiding in the curtains
It seems that I was uninvited by your lovely bride-to-be
She floats down the aisle like a pageant queen
But I know you wish it was me,
You wish it was me,
Don't you?
Merle was sure she wasn't going to show after all and at least he knew he had done all he could. Carol had seemed upset on the phone and spoke of moving her father back to Georgia, sooner rather than later and Merle was just sure she still loved his brother.
They were both so dumb and so stubborn.
/
At first, she wasn't going to come and just let things happen the way they were meant to be but at the very last minute, Carol knew she had to try something. She and Daryl had agreed to see other people because they were so far away from each other, but now she knew for sure no one else would do. It took her two days but she finally arrived on the morning of the ceremony. While Merle and Daryl were putting on their Sunday best, Carol was speeding into town like a bat out of hell.
I hear the preacher say, "Speak now or forever hold your peace."
There's the silence, there's my last chance.
I stand up with shaky hands, all eyes on me.
Horrified looks from everyone in the room
But I'm only looking at you.
The huge door shut with a start and the whole room turned and looked. Most people didn't know who she was, this girl with fiery red hair who was not dressed for a wedding. Daryl turned saw Carol standing there at the back of the church and his heart melted. He couldn't believe his eyes and suddenly he couldn't breathe. Once he was composed again he looked over at Merle and received a slight nod from his brother.
/
So, don't say "Yes", run away now,
I'll meet you when you're out of the church at the back door.
Don't wait or say a single vow,
You need to hear me out,
And they said, "Speak now."
And you say, "Let's run away now,
I'll meet you when I'm out of my tux at the back door.
Baby, I didn't say my vows,
So glad you were around
When they said, "Speak now."
/
They stood together staring at each other in the back room of the church and then they were in each others arms. Despite the pounding on the door from Jenny and her family, Carol undid the fussy bow tie he wore and helped him peel out of the shirt.
"This is crazy, Carol." He said kissing all around her face and bringing his hands up to cup her face and look into her eyes, "I can't believe you're here."
What he saw there made him know this was the right thing, this was the woman he loved.
"You didn't have to make such a grand statement Daryl," She giggled as they unbuttoned his shirt, "You could have just asked me to come visit."
His pants were next and they stopped to kiss again. Daryl went for the suitcase he had brought to go on his honeymoon and pulled out his jeans and t-shirt. He smiled up at her as he laced up the boots that were next to the suitcase.
"Are we really doing this?" She asked, and he took her hand as they slipped out the back door and to their surprise, Merle stood there with Daryl's car keys leaning against his truck that Jenny wouldn't allow him to drive to the wedding. Merle pushed off from the truck and met them halfway.
"You knew?" Daryl murmured to his brother and then it was all so clear, Merle had called her.
Merle nodded and Daryl hugged him, "Thank you." He said taking the keys and never letting go of Carol's hand as they ran to the truck.
Then Merle lit a cigarette and watched his brother run off to his destiny.
Thank you for reading.