Period of Adjustment

Chapter 9

"Piper! I need help with my hair!" Shayla called from my bathroom.
"Really, Shay? You're twenty-three, and you don't know how to use a curling iron?"
"Nope."
Shayla and Rian were standing at my house. Rian's still sleeping, and Shayla's standing in the bathroom, staring at the curling iron, in a pair of shorts and a bra. Clementine went outside with my brother to feed his goat. Brenton's staying Connor's, but he's coming to the wedding. My mom's making breakfast downstairs and Reverend Daniels is somewhere in Wetumpka.
In the two months it's been since Brenton asked me to marry him, I've pretty much been distancing myself from both him and Rian. Clementine noticed there's something wrong, but she hadn't said anything to anyone that I knew of. I hadn't even told Connor or Shayla about Brenton's proposal, and I tell them everything. Doesn't help that Connor would probably break out the shotgun, being the overprotective big brother he is. As far as Brenton knows, I'm still thinking about it, but Rian doesn't even know that he asked me to marry him. Even though Rian's in the picture, I'm actually considering accepting Brenton's offer.
"It's not that hard. It's like tying your shoes or rolling a joint."
"Great analogy. I can't even roll a joint."
"You can barely tie your shoes."
"Exactly." I took the curling iron from her.
"Now stay still before I burn you."
"Please don't. It's my wedding day. I don't want a huge red mark."
"Now I should just because you said that."
She dyed her hair black with random strips of bleach blonde right before we came down to Alabama. I curled her hair, and left random thin braids to look like rattails. I pulled the makeup box out from under the sink, and placed it on the counter. I carefully applied her makeup then sent her to find food. Of course she didn't because she came back into the bathroom while I was curling my hair.
"You don't have to curl your hair. I already told you that."
"I know but I want to." I pulled my auburn hair into a braid that rested on my shoulder..
"Why?"
"Between you and me?" She nodded and I shut the bathroom door. "It's for Brenton."
"Brenton?" She questioned.
"He likes my hair curly."
"Why are you curling your hair for Brenton if you're with Rian?"
"When we came down to help him move, he asked me to marry him." Her jaw dropped and her eyes popped.
"Are your serious?"
"Yeah, and I'm thinking about breaking up with Rian and accepting his offer."
"Does anyone else know?" I shook my head.
"Not even Connor. I haven't told anyone let alone Rian."
"Shit."
"Yeah." I said awkwardly.
I pulled my phone out of my pocket, and brought up the picture of the ring Brenton bought me. I snuck a picture of it while he was sleeping to show Shayla when I decided to tell her. I found it amazing that he still knew what I wanted after all these years. Everything I wanted was being handed to me on a silver plate, and I didn't know whether or not to accept it. If I didn't Clementine wouldn't have the family she should have, and I would feel guilty because I pretty much would've thrown away everything I wanted. If I did, Clementine would get what she needed, and Rian would guess I used her.
"Wow. Brenton bought you the exact ring you wanted, and you're considering declining his offer?"
"Rian would think I just used her, and Clementine would probably ask where she went if I were to accept Brenton's offer."
"Maybe you should ask Connor despite him possibly killing him."
"Probably. I'll ask him later. Right now, I have to go wake up Rian and we have to get dressed."
"Alright." I patted her shoulder and we walked out of the bathroom.

After several hours of helping SHayla into her dress, wrestling my two-year-old into hers, dealing with the red contraption I have to wear called a dress, and numerous attempts to wake Rian up, the four of us were standing in my kitchen. Shayla has to walk down the backstairs out to where my stepdad and Connor are. The archway has roses and caranations braided through the threading, forming a heart around the trees. The aisle is lined with pots of sunflowers, roses, tulips and caranations. The pots on either side of the archway contains violets and roses.
"Ready, Bryant?" I addressed her by her last name.
"Yeah." She breathed. "Nervous but ready."
"You'll be fine." I looked out the back door. "Go on, Clementine."
'"What if I trip?"
"Laugh it off. That's what I do."
"Okay."
Clementine grasped her skirt and her flower basket in her left hand as she used the railing to guide her down with her right. When she got to the bottom, she started throwing flowers at the other guests. Rian and I followed shortly after with our arms linked and a bouquet of roses and violets in my hand. Soon after, Shayla and her dad started walking down the aisle. Connor had a look on his face that gave away he was about to start crying.
"Who gives this woman to this man?" My stepdad asked.
"I do." Her father said and she handed me her bouquet as she took Connor's hand.
"Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today to witness Shayla Bryant and Connor Waters in holy matromony." Reverend began.
I gave Rian a look. She pulled a small remote out of her pocket. A large screen slowly started coming down, and Old Man Daniels stopped talking when he heard the whirling. Everybody stared at the screen, and I was trying so hard not to laugh at the fact that Rian gave me a michievous smile. The screen was my idea, and Rian was the only one who knew about it. Hence why she had the remote since I don't have pockets.
"What the fuck?" Connor and Shayla both looked at me.
"Just watch. Trust me. You'll love it. Go on, Reverend."
"But the scren-." I cut him off.
"Dad, keep going. Trust me."
AS my dad went on, everybody, including Connor and SHayla, had eyes on the screen. They were too focused on the screen to hear anything he was saying. They were completely mesmerized by the pictures. It got worse when the clips started showing.
"Piper Rosalyn, seriously?" Reverend asked me.
"Just go with it. There's only a couple." I completely lost it.
"Lord only knows how my daughter turned out to be like this." He said his thoughts out loud.
Everybody watched the clip I shot from when Connor asked Shayla to marry him. Clementine was standing right next to me when I shot that, but nobody could really tell. Connor wanted me to shoot it, but Shayla never knew about it. I looked up in the direction of my bedroom. Brenton's standing up there in a pair of shorts and a black button down with my laptop and a projector. I sent a smile up in his direction.
"Now, before my daughter interupts any farther, Rian, the rings please?" She handed them to him. "Thank you. Connor, repeat after me. 'I, Connor Waters.'"
"I, Connor Waters," he repeated. "take you, Shayla Bryant, to be my wife."
Connor and Shayla said their vows, but I wasn't listening. I had my mind wrapped around about what I was going to do about Brenton and Rian. I didn't even notice the wedding was over unitl I heard clapping and cheering. Rian, Clementine and I followed Connor and Shayla down the aisle then everyone else followed into the house. I slipped away from the party and went upstairs to my room.
Brenton was laying on my bed, staring at the ceiling, with his headphones in. My laptop was shut, and the projector was off. I just stared at him for several minutes before he finally noticed I was standing there. He took his headphones out and looked at me.
"You look beautiful." He told me.
"Thanks. You don't look so bad yourself, Walker." I sat down on my bed next to him.
"You looked like you were spacin' out down there."
"I was."
"What about?"
"You and Rian."
"Did you decide whether you're gonna marry me or not?"
"Not yet. I talked to Shay about it. She questioned why I didn't accept, and then told me to talk to Connor. I probably will."
"Why would you ask him?"
"Even the oldest kids need someone to look up to and get advice from, Brenton. I go to him with a lot of my problems and when I need some help. You should know that by now."
"Oh yeah.The role of the adopted big brother, who's overprotective of his little sister and always there for her."
"Exactly. But I'm leaning towards an answer." I got up.
"What?"
"You'll find out. I'm going back downstairs. Feel free to join."
"Maybe later."
"If you do, come find me. I'll probably have my answer by then." I went back downstairs.
When I got downstairs, everybody was mingling and congratulating the newlyweds. Clementine and Rian are in the corner, talking to my brother. Connor and Shayla are sitting at the table, talking to his mom and step-dad. Shayla's siblings are chasing each other around the living room. I let out a sigh as I notice the amount of people talking.
"Connor!" I called from the bottom of the stairs.
"Yo, little sis!" He called back.
"Can I talk to you a minute?"
"Sure." He followed me outside. "What's on your mind, Pipe?"
"Brenton asked me to marry him when he came down in December."
"Are you serious?"
"I told him I'd think about it because of Rian."
"Did you talk to Rian about this?" I shook my head.
"Shayla was the first person to hear about it, and I told her that this morning while I was curling my hair."
"What did she say?"
"To talk to you."
"What are you thinking about doing?"
"Breaking up with Rian and accepting his offer."
"Do it."
"Do it?" I repeated.
"Yeah. You wanna be with him, and you want Clementine to have both her biological parents together. Brenton wants to be with you, and he wants to be a father to Clementine. Everybody wins."
"Except Rian."
"You never know."
"Good point."
"So accept his offer."
"Shouldn't you be announing something about hunting him with an AR-15?" He glared at me.