The next few days went by excruciatingly slow. The only time Maelynn left the Chateau was to withdraw all of her money from her bank account. It was a precaution against her father cutting her off financially. 

Other than that, she and JJ just hung around. She got high for the first time the day after the accident, and skinny dipped for the first time then as well. It was a shitty idea and felt gross. The water by the Chateau wasn't ideal for much, naked swimming being one of the things. That was one thing she was happy to cross off her bucket list. 

Call her paranoid, but two days after the accident, she started to feel like something was going to go wrong. Maybe it was the fact that her twin had just died and her whole family had pretty much turned their backs on her, but it wasn't something she had ever felt before. 

'JJ?'

He looked up from the food she had made for breakfast. It was Pop Tarts. Very classy. 'Yeah?'

'We should get married.'

'Huh?'

She smiled. 'You have a fake ID, right?'

'...Yes.'

'I do, too. We should get married.'

'Mae,' he reached across the table for her hands. 'I would love nothing more than to marry you, but we have no time to plan and barely enough money.'

'I don't want anything fancy. Just a dress and some sort of ring.'

'Are you sure?'

She nodded. 'Of course I'm sure!'

He smiled and came around the table, kneeling on the floor and grabbing her hands. 'Maelynn Jane Cameron, will you do me the honor of becoming my wife?'

She grinned and leaned her forehead against his. 'Yes.'

They both stood up and kissed. It was one of the happiest kisses she had ever received from him, and only the second time she had really smiled for a few days. It was nice. 

'We're gonna get married!' he cheered as he picked her up and spun around. She laughed and held on for dear life. 

'We're getting married.'

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They spent a few hours wandering the island in search of an appropriate dress for Maelynn. JJ was going to re-wear his tux from Midsummers. They looked and looked, but they somehow couldn't manage to find anything. She settled on her dress from Midsummers as well, which she had somehow managed to get from her house. It wasn't exactly your traditional wedding dress, but this wasn't really a traditional wedding. Nothing about their relationship was exactly traditional. 

Maelynn bought some mascara and a better facewash while they were out, as well as a hairbrush and other toiletries the Chateau was lacking in. JJ watched as she browsed through the different products. He later explained that he was confused about the difference between them all. She just laughed and told him not to worry about it. 

'None of it even makes sense to me; I just used whatever Sarah told me to use.'

'Ah.'

They went straight back home and got all spiffed up - each took a shower and got in their nice clothes. Maelynn let her hair dry a little and then tucked the front pieces back before putting her dress and makeup on. JJ admitted that he didn't understand the bowtie and had made a waiter at Midsummers help him with it. Maelynn chuckled and did it up quickly. 

She had given him a wad of cash and ran off, leaving him to pick out a ring for her as a surprise. She found a simple band of gold for him, with one small diamond in it and an engraving on the inside. It read: the last dream of my soul. It was part of a quote from a book they were made to read in grade ten, A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens. She found it fitting for him. 

They rode to the nearest church with their hands entwined, their hair blowing in the wind and smiles on their faces. She had tucked his ring, her phone and her fake ID in one of her pockets. The fake ID had actually been Rose's idea. She knew full well that Sarah and Maelynn were getting into drinking around fifteen, and Rafe or her always booted for them, but she trusted the two of them enough to purchase the ID's without Ward knowing. That had brought her and Maelynn noticeably closer. 

JJ stroked his thumb across her knuckles. He was nearly vibrating with excitement. He had thought it himself - he'd make her Mrs. Maybank. 

They were married in the middle of the day by with the priest as the officiant and a law clerk as witness. They signed every form and certificate they needed to legalize their marriage with shaking hands and huge smiles. Everything worked; just as they had known it would. 

JJ carried her out of the church like the bride she was and put her in the truck gracefully. She used the phone she had tucked away to get the song she wanted blaring on the radio: Always Forever by Cults. JJ smiled at her. 

'It's perfect.'

'Just like you!' she replied as she poked the tip of his nose. He grabbed her hand and kissed the ring he had put on her left hand. It was a gold band with diamonds in the shape of a flower - smaller ones surrounding a bigger, shinier one in the center. She adored it. He loved his as well. 

'Where to, Mrs. Maybank?' he asked as he started the truck up. 

She giggled. 'Anywhere and everywhere, Mr. Maybank.'

As they drove off into the distance, Maelynn couldn't stop the weird feeling of something being wrong. What could be wrong? She had just married the love of her life! Still, it knotted in her stomach the rest of the day and night, when they 'consummated' their marriage. 

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'Mae?' JJ called from their room. Maelynn stood in the kitchen, a frying pan with eggs in her hand. 

'Yeah?'

'Are you making food?'

'Yes, JJ.'

He rolled out of the bed, landing on the ground with an audible thump. Maelynn chuckled and carefully slid the eggs onto two plates with toast and grapes already on them. She had taken it upon herself as the first one up to make food. JJ wasn't the most fantastic cook, anyway, so it was really a win for both of them. 

His arms wound around her waist as he kissed her cheek and smiled. 'Good morning, love.'

'Morning, handsome,' she replied, turning to face him. He pressed his lips to hers softly, caressing her sides. In turn, she wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled the rest of him as close to herself as possible. They began to sway from side to side the longer they kissed. 

'You're my wife, Maelynn,' JJ whispered. Maelynn nodded and kissed his nose. 

'And you're my husband, JJ.'

'Maelynn Jane Maybank.'

She laughed and buried her face in his neck. 'That sounds so silly. Mae and May.'

'I think it sounds perfect,' he replied, bringing a hand up to cup the back of her head. 'Maelynn and JJ Maybank. Wife and husband.'

'Husband and wife.'

'Pogues for life.'

She laughed and kissed the side of his neck. 'Alright, my husband, we should get started on those eggs before they get cold.'

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'JJ!' Maelynn yelled. There was panic evident in her voice, so he obviously bolted outside to her. 

'Are you hurt? What happened?' he demanded frantically. She shook her head and grabbed his hand. There was a rustle in the bushes, and suddenly, out popped a kitten. A little mostly-black kitten with white around it's eyes and mouth. 'Oh.'

'We have to help it.'

'Mae-'

She turned to look at him with her most pleading eyes. 'Please, J? Pretty please?'

He looked between her and the kitten twice before sighing and throwing his hands up. 'Alright. Let's get it inside.'

Maelynn squealed and picked it up, tucking it right in to her chest and staring down at it. JJ came closer and petted it hesitantly. His wife simply smiled as he got more comfortable, eventually holding his arms out for it. She passed it over swiftly. 

'Stay still,' she said as she pulled out her phone. JJ grinned as she snapped a picture of him and the cat. 'New background.'

'What are we naming it? Wait, is it a boy or a girl?'

'Let me see it's stomach.'

He turned the kitten. Maelynn smiled. 'Girl, it looks like.'

JJ smiled. 'What do you want to name her?'

'Cassiopeia.'

'Bless you.'

She laughed. 'No, JJ. That's the name. It's a constellation.'

'Oh. Sounds perfect.'

'Yay!'

They took the kitten inside and found some milk and fish, making sure she had enough to eat before going out with her. They took her to the pet store and got tags, a collar, proper food, a litter box, and every toy she showed interest in. The cashier smiled warmly at them. Apparently they had a newlywed glow. 

Cassiopeia took no time at all to get used to her new parents, taking turns between playing and napping on them. JJ got most of both. This pleased Maelynn; it made JJ so happy that she couldn't care less that he was the favorite. 

When sundown came, they took Cassie out to watch the sunset. Maelynn put her on her head and posed for JJ, though it ended with her just breaking out into laughter. He made it his background. 

'I'm going to see my family,' she said after they ate. JJ stopped with a beer halfway to his mouth. 

'Why?'

'I need to sort things out, J. It feels wrong to leave everything how it is now. Plus, I want to talk to Wheezie.'

'Do you want me to come?' he sat up. 'I'll come with you.'

'No, it's alright. I know you only like Wheeze. I'll be fine. I'll just talk to them a little and then come home to you, I promise. You won't even notice I left.'

'Of course I will.'

She sighed and went over to him, sitting on his lap and pulling him into a kiss. 'Watch Cassie and make sure she doesn't get out while I'm gone. Don't drink too much. I'll be home soon.'

He pulled her closer and wrapped his arms around her back. 'I love you, Maelynn Maybank. Always, forever.'

'I love you more, JJ Maybank. Always, forever.'

They kissed one more time before she left. It's important to note that there was many ways this interaction with the Camerons' could've gone - this is simply one. 

She set off with the knot in her stomach feeling tighter than ever. It almost made her sick. She felt even worse when she saw another pair of headlights coming from the opposite direction. Rafe. Must've run out of coke and needed more. Selfish bastard. 

Though she tried to keep all of her focus on the road, the rising ball of worry coming up into her throat began to distract her. Maybe if she hadn't been trying so hard not to vomit, she would've realized Rafe was on the wrong side of the road. Maybe she could've slowed down, or pulled away, but that's not what happened. 

She noticed far too late that Rafe was directly in front of her. He looked to be asleep at the wheel. She blared her horn, but it was too late. 

Rafe hit her head-on. 

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1938 words. 
written august 23/21.