“I knew you guys had something going on!” Dr. van Buren exclaimed to his daughter and future fake son in law.

“You two are perfect for each other,” Lizzie said in excitement.

Why couldn’t Lizzie have come into the picture before she hit 18? Dr. van Buren was afraid that him dating would strain his relationship with Caroline. Caroline was happy when she found out that he had been dating. She always wanted him to go out and have fun but as his daughter she felt it wasn’t her place to nag him about it. Lizzie had a daughter around Caroline’s age that never took the time to visit her. Caroline couldn’t even remember the way she looked because she had only seen and met her once.

“I’d be so happy to help! I know an Italian guy who makes the best tasting wedding cakes and...”

Lizzie was filled with excitement that her stepdaughter was getting married. She was the daughter that she wanted her biological daughter to be. Lizzie seemed nice enough and it was a shame that her daughter resented her because Lizzie divorced her husband. It was a selfish deed for children to make their parents feel bad for finding love.

“What dress will you be wearing? Oh my god, can I shop with you?”

“Of course you can!” Caroline exclaimed as she gave her a hug.

Austin watched as his second family celebrated the news, but he wasn’t sure how he was going to break it to his parents yet or if he was even going to tell them. It would be unusual to have his parents absent from the wedding though and if word got out that they weren’t invited, his mother would have his head. If he tells his parents, there is no real way to hide it from Jeanine. Did he really care about her? He did love her at a point in time but now, he wasn’t so sure.

“In two weeks? We have so much to do!” Lizzie exclaimed.

“You all had better get to work” Dr. van Buren said excitedly. “You two were really too old to be playing around,” he added on.

“You mean we are too old to be playing around,” he thought.

He and Jeanine hadn’t exactly started wedding plans yet and here he was ready to plan the fake one. In an essence, Austin began to believe that he had proposed to Jeanine out of propriety. After all, he was almost 40 and living as a bachelor was becoming old yet, he never moved in with Jeanine. He liked having his own space. It was possible that Jeanine was just excited to be engaged so that she could keep with her flock of her pretentious friends. All they did was try to keep up appearances. Watching them interact was like watching episodes of Downton Abbey.

Caroline and Austin went to her apartment. They both sat on the couch next to Barkie the Beagle.

“First things, first. We have to find a venue.”

“I thought this was happening at your dads place.”

“Right. I can’t do this in a church. I don’t want to lie right in front of God right below the alter.”

If that were to happen her luck could easily digress to worse than what it already was. Their plans were interrupted when Jeanine called.

“She has the worse timing,” Caroline thought.

Austin had gotten up and walked away so that he could have some privacy. He made his way into Caroline’s room. Caroline followed closely so that she could get a listen. She was never really nosy when it came to Austin because there was no real need to be investigative. He had always told her everything. Today, was different though. He had gotten up and walked away to have a conversation with his fiancée this time. That was out of the ordinary.

She couldn’t believe it, but she had gotten up to eavesdrop on her best friend’s conversation. Careful not to get caught, she walked slowly, grazing her feet along the carpet until she made it just outside her bedroom.

“No, not tonight Jeanine...”

“Well you should’ve told me earlier because I’m here with Caroline.”

“Because she’s going through a tough time, Jeanine. She needs me.”

“No, don’t say that about her.”

“I don’t bother you when you’re with your group of male friends. Why are you bothering me about the only real friend I have?”

“No. Robbie is your friend, not mine...he’s a jerk that’s why.”

“You always want to stay out late and party. You act like you’re fresh out of high school. I’m not going so I can be a trophy to your friends...”

At that point, Austin had begun to make his way back to her direction. Caroline couldn’t tell if he was just pacing or really returning back to the living room to sit with her. She didn’t want to take any chances. She rushed back to her sofa and reunited with Barkie.

It turned out to be a false alarm because about 5 minutes later he still wasn’t in the living room.

“What the hell, Jeanine!” he yelled out.

Caroline may have wanted him for herself but she never wanted to be the reason his relationships were strained. She loved him that much and she knew that he’d be a good husband one day. Even if it wasn’t her.

“So have you come to a decision about the venue yet?”

He came back with a smile as if he wasn’t just having it out with Jeanine a few minutes ago. Unlike Caroline, Austin was good at hiding but the fact they were going back and forth made her nervous. Sure couples argued, but she didn’t want to be the butt of the argument.

“Caroline, whenever you do get it in a real relationship, don’t let anyone control you. Make sure they love you for you. You deserve it.”

Where did that come from?

“Thank you, Aussie,” she said, out of pity for her best friend.

“Go check on Jeanine, Aussie. I’ll be fine. I’m just figuring things out.”

“I want to be here for you.”

“You do enough for me already, Aussie. Plus this is a woman's thing. I can call Lizzie and you can come back tomorrow morning.”

Austin locked eyes with Caroline. She was sincerely an amazing person. If Jeanine had been half as sincere as Caroline maybe they would be happier. Two long years with Jeanine felt like a lifetime to him but decades with Caroline only seemed like two years.

“Go,” she demanded.

“And thank you,” she said followed by a graceful kiss on his forehead.

On that note, he smiled and left. She wanted him there and he wanted to be there.