All That Drama - 7. Chapter 7: Epilogue

The Dolby Theater was packed tonight, but then every night had been packed. There was an air of anticipation that could only surround the perfect time. Marriage, birth, the time you get your first car or buy that first house. So few times in our lives do we feel like we're going to scream to high heavens and puke at the same moment. I adjusted my tie in the mirror for the hundredth time even though I knew it was on straight.

I looked back at the reflection. Hector was pacing a hole in the floor and looking at me like I was so adorable to be this way. “Were you this bad before the wedding?”

“Yeah.” I proposed to Hector closing night of “Let Justice Be Done” which was two years ago. I did it in front of the entire audience, cast, crew, and my father and Nigel. His face had been so shocked, so pale and then so blotchy from the crying that started. It had taken me a long time to even get down on one knee since the show only ran for three months and I was nowhere near ready for that maneuver. He had to help me up when he said yes to a standing ovation. How many of you can say your proposal got that? How many of you would have had the balls to do it? Nike way, my friends, Nike way of life.

But he had said yes and in a few days we will have been Mr. and Mr. Anderson for one year. He chose my name, giving up Andrews, but occasionally we would fudge it a bit and say Andrewson. I had been a wreck, far more nervous than my first time on stage. Way worse than that first time we kissed in my dorm room. My father had to yell at me to sit down. Meg made sure I was calm before going to check on Hector, leaving me with Seth, my best man.

God it had been such a mess. Both of us had been walked down the aisle, Hector by his mom and me by Nigel. My dad was in the front row and would have walked me down the aisle save he didn't want to “give me away”. It was fine. Neither of us stood next to the other as neither of us was “the bride” and had to stand on the left. We stood, me with my arms around him, facing the gathering and the justice of the peace. We did separate for the vows, which I could not hear from the pounding blood in my ears. I half expected him to leave me at the altar like all of this had been his evil genius way of revenge. Thankfully he didn't.

“We should get going,” Hector said, not the least bit nervous about tonight. At least, not outwardly. Damn acting skills.

“Yeah. Tell me again I'm not going to faint.”

He laughed and took my hand. “You're not going to faint,” but his heart wasn't in it. He knew I was going to pass out. See, I had proven I was one of those guys. When the guy from Berkeley showed up, I fell out. When Hector got his award for best actor at the Ovation Awards in LA I was gladly seated but blacked out for a moment. It had been between him and a dynamite actor from the San Francisco area. Hector thought the other guy should have won for his role as Mephistopheles in Faust.

“Smart ass.” I took a deep breath and he led me into the room and to our seats. This was going to be the biggest night of my professional career. With a crowd of over ten thousand people my newest stage play was doing scenes for The Oscars. It was massively televised, so hyped up, and I was going to puke my guts out from nerves. The only reason the Oscar committee was doing this was because I co-wrote a script for an indie film that went global on Youtube and was up for best indie film tonight. It was something for someone who came from a small town.

The awards show was longer in person than on TV, but seeing snippets of all the great movies, listening to all the amazing scores, and listening to every person thank everyone else...it wasn't so bad. Then my part came up. I had to sit and watch the scenes, which would last about ten minutes while they changed sets around, and hope no one flubbed a line or missed a cue. I was a huge nervous wreck and sweating and only once did I wince, but it was because there was a small crash from offstage that did nothing to detract from the scene. It got some great applause. Not a standing O, but I knew it would be well received once the final show was running. Hector, through it all, remained pleasantly smiling and calm.

“See? They'll love it once it's ready,” he said to me. Then the camera guy came over for a closeup when they acknowledged me as the writer and I gave a smile and a small bow. It looked huge on the jumbo screen though.

“Is my head really that small?” I asked quietly to Hector. I knew I was broad shouldered, but I had never seen how broad really.

“Yes, now hush.” I laughed and kissed him.

We watched as each award was given out and then came the one for the indie films. I grabbed his hand along with my fellows who were in the film. The entire crew was here...all eleven of us. We had all had parts in it too. Even Hector, although he asked for a bit part. “Waking at Midnight, starring Lionel Roberts and Wanda Jones, directed by Gianni Bellini and written by Ian Oliver and Justice Anderson.” They paused as they opened the award. “The award goes to...Can't Sleep Without You!” There was some great applause and we all nodded like it was well deserved. And it was. I had seen it and the acting had been superb, the score amazing, and it did deserve this.

“Can we go home now,” I asked, feeling a bit let down and emotionally drained.

“Not yet, silly,” chided Hector.

“Now, for best script in an indie film. Can't Sleep Without You by Tasha Egen. Waking at Midnight by Ian Oliver and Justice Anderson. Europa's Circle by Warren Blum.” Again the envelope. “The award goes to...Waking at Midnight by Ian Oliver and Justice Anderson.”

I sat in shock. I couldn't move. I had just...I was being pulled to the stage, carefully as I still had my cane and would for the rest of my life. Ian was all smiles. “Wow. I'm speechless. Literally, I don't have one prepared.” The audience was laughing. “Thanks to everyone in the production and cast and mostly to Justice who was the best part of our team as he never let me give up.” I looked at him and nodded. “Also to my mom, my dad, god...yada yada yada.” He stepped aside and I stepped up.

Dear god, what should I say? “Wow is right. This...this is amazing. Thank to everyone really. I...I really don't know what to say other than that.” That got more laughter. “I mean their scripts were really good and yet here we stand. Lets hear it for the other authors.” I clapped and of course they had to follow suit, but the other guys acknowledged it graciously. We bowed our way back to our seats.

“So, Mr. Award Winning Writer, how does it feel?”

“You knew,” I accused Hector. “You knew the film was up for the award.”

“I did. I asked everyone to keep it hush since I knew you would win.” I laughed and kissed him. “That will look fantastic next to my Ovation.” He was right. We each had won an award in our fields, and they would be great to show off. Dad...I'm an award winning writer, I hope you're proud of me.

“Now the award for best supporting actor in an indie film goes to...a tie.” A tie was good. Usually. “Huh. Think we can get away with only giving them one? I mean they are married. Justice and Hector Anderson.”

This time I knew I fainted. I awoke quickly and Hector was laughing at me so hard as he pulled me back to my feet. By the look on his face he did not know we were up for this award at all. When we got up there I just looked out over the audience again. “Whoa, deja vous. I have the feeling I still have no idea what to say.” Hector laughed and so did they. “Except this time I know who to thank. My loving husband. Without him, all that drama that is our lives would have been without meaning. He's my inspiration, my muse, and my alarm clock when I sleep in.”

Hector kissed me...on world wide television. Awesome feeling. “Thanks to everyone who made this possible. My husband, the writers, the directors and mostly my mom who never once gave up on her son whose dream was to act on stage. And actually...Steven Crones.” I know I looked shocked. “Without him, I would never have really seen the beautiful person standing beside me. So, if you're watching Steven, thanks.” It was heartfelt too. He honestly wanted to thank him for all the bullshit, because all the bullshit led us to being happy together.

The movie won a few other awards which we stayed seated for. Best original score and best director. We only played the score, Hector on flute and clarinet and me on trumpet and euphonium. It was one of those nights. One of those times. One crazy and emotional ride. When we got home we looked at the awards in our hands and put them beside the Ovation Award on the mantle in our house. Ours and Nigel's, really, since Dad sold the mansion, gave me the money as a wedding present, and we bought a new place a few miles outside of Berkeley. A three bed, two bath that Nigel, still needing employment, kept spotless...who am I kidding? I would miss him so much and he would miss me. He just kept the place clean and did all the other things he had done all my life, but this time he did it because he was family and not just the butler.

We stepped back and looked at the awards. “They do make a nice display, Justice,” said Nigel. It had taken the better part of a year for him to stop referring to me as sir or Master Justice. Stupid butler training. “What's next?”

“Hmm...packing for our anniversary,” I said.

“I took the liberty.” I shook my head and gave him a hug.

“You don't even know where we're going. I don't even know where we're going,” I said. Hector had arranged it all and he said I would love it. He also wouldn't tell me a damn thing.

“You may not, but I do.” The smirk on his face was so classic. It was something only a person who knew you so intimately could pull off. “Hector told me all about it.”

I looked at my husband with a flat look. “Sure, tell the butler but not your husband.” They both laughed. I usually called Nigel the butler when I was feeling grumpy, but he would just laugh and make me tea. Adding cayenne pepper was usually his way of revenge. The phone range and I grabbed it. “Hello?”

“So, how many awards did you get? None of the indie stuff was televised.” It was Sarah.

“Um, Hector...how many did we win? The defensive line for the Niners is on the phone.” She cackled with insane glee. Sarah and Seth lived in San Francisco where she was in the Opera Chorus and Seth was getting his masters doing CSI stuff. “Well, He got best supporting actor in an Indie film.” I pulled the phone away as she screamed her elation. The guys just laughed. We all knew how she was.

“OHMIGOD put him on the phone!”

I handed him the phone and then went to the other room to get out of my tux. Nigel came in and picked it up to take to the cleaners, and when I looked at him funny, he just smiled and did it anyway. I fell onto the bed in my sleeping shorts and just sighed. I was tired but it was one of those times when everything was just perfect. The only thing missing was hearing Sarah and Seth laughing in the corner, Meg and Caleb arguing over who got to cook dinner, and watching Matt and Jason making eyes at each other since the two of them had started going out last fall. Even the guys from the Crowd would be looking around and laughing like sycophantic morons. But everyone was scattered, which is what happens after college.

Then I heard the high pitched wailing from the phone as it was brought into the room and tossed next to me. “You told her I got two?”

“Yeah. Seth's on the phone.”

I picked it up with a grin. “Hey little bro.”

“Hey big bro. Congratulations on the two awards. Sarah is doing an end zone dance.” I could picture it too and laughed. I watched Hector get undressed, me grinning as I saw he too had not been wearing underwear under his tux. He didn't bat an eyelash with Nigel in the room. He just held out the tux even as Nigel was reaching for it.

“Thanks,” he said. Nigel just nodded and whisked away to have the tuxes laundered.

“I can picture it. So, you can tell the guys that they can say they know two Oscar winners. All we need to do is get some Tony Awards and we'll be set.” Hector laughed and slid into bed beside me. “I'm going to let you go, Seth. Give kisses to Sarah for us.” I just hung up. I knew Seth would not be offended as he knew what we were about to do.

Sleep like rocks. We cuddled and fell asleep. Not long enough for me as we had to catch out flight. We left from SFO...to Hawaii. “Seriously? We're going to Hawaii?”

“Yup,” Hector said with a grin.

“Meg will be so jealous. She always wanted to go there. You just wanted some place to see me walking around shirtless all the time.”

“So?” He didn't deny it. He loved to see me without my shirt on and I have to say my upper body was still in great shape as I went to the gym twice a week. I was twenty-one, still in good shape even with the cane, and my husband still could not get enough of me. Great for me ego. “And I brought the shorts you like.”

“You did? The board shorts with the light blue floral print that ride low on your hips and show off that tasty tummy?” I nibbled on my lip, fighting the urge to drag him back and renew our membership to the Mile High Club. He knew what those shorts did to me, hugging that big ass and showing off his gently rolling abs.

“Yes, those.” He laughed as I popped some motion sickness meds. I get airsick when going over oceans we found out when we went to Europe for our honeymoon.

We landed and grabbed our stuff, getting leied on the way past the greeters. Hector grabbed a cab while texting and we were on our way to the hotel, which was a few minutes from the beach...like all places are in the islands. I was smiling as I looked out the window of the cab, wishing I had that last thing in my life: my loved ones.

Then I saw them. All of them. As we pulled up I saw Meg and Caleb were grinning at the shocked look on my face. Sarah and Seth were snuggling and waving. Matt and Jason were there, no shirts, and looking like poster boys for two very different groups. When the cab stopped I was practically pulled from the car and into a huge group hug. “Welcome to the Anderson Clan Reunion.” I laughed.

“Seriously...how are you all here?” I asked Meg.

“Hector said we needed a reunion for your sake. So we are having one.” I looked back at the satisfied, smug grin on his face.

I pulled him into my arms. “You're in trouble...”