Ariana heaved a sigh and stared up at her friend from behind her fingers. "Who will walk me down the aisle, Lisa?"
Lisa wanted to blurt out her parents' names but she knew what those two had done to Ariana. She wasn't sure Ariana would want her gambling father to walk her down the aisle at all. Nor would she be comfortable knowing her mother was somewhere in the hall unobserved. The woman might steal from every guest and get away with it. She was that good at it.
"We can get you hired parents that look so much like you that no one would ever question who your real parents are!" Lisa suggested.
To her, it was the perfect plan. It would even clear out the fact that Ariana's parents were scammers and criminals. People would only associate her with the fake parents from then on.
But the look on Ariana'sface told Lisa that Aria didn't buy the idea at all. She wouldn't want to hire fake parents for her magical big day.
"How about, we get Zion to walk you? He is your friend. He has been for a very long time and frankly, I think he will look good by your side," Lisa suggested again.
This time Ariana removed her hands from her face and shook her head. "No, I think Calhoun would want him to be the best man. He can't play the roles..." Ariana retorted.
"How about your brother?"
This brought even more pain to Ariana. She did have an elder brother but she had no idea where he was or what he even looked like. He had left home when he was only eighteen and no one had heard from him ever since.
"I don't know where he is Lisa," she said dejectedly.
"We can ask Calhoun to look for him. I am sure Calhoun has all the resources to do that. You don't have to worry at all!"
"No, Lisa. There is no use in doing that. I tried finding him on my own when I was working with Alice. But I couldn't find him. There is just no trace of him anymore. Besides, what if we find him and he refuses to do it?" Ariana asked and Lisa held her tongue.
"That will be truly heartbreaking for me. You don't want me going bridezilla on you on that day, do you?" Ariana added trying to ease the mood.
Lisa was trying so much to make her happy but it was just not working. She had to now cheer Lisa hope so she didn't give up on her as well.
"I guess the only option will be to rent parents then," Lisa mumbled blowing air from her mouth.
Ariana was quiet again as she thought about it. Why was she even afraid of bringing her real parents? She could pay them to behave accordingly and they would. It would be painful and cheap but they had given birth to her. It was the least they could do after everything they had done to her reputation.
"Do you think that it is the right thing to do? They are my parents after all. Despite their bad habits, they birthed me. Why should I rent fake parents?" She mumbled to Lisa.
"I don't know Aria. It is solemnly your decision and whatever you make, I shall support you but do you think Calhoun would want to see them?" Lisa asked and Ariana swallowed.
"Calhoun doesn't have a problem with them. If I explain things to him and I tell him that it is what I want, he will support me. The only thing we have to worry about is Lily and her family using it to taunt me in public."
"Oh, do not worry about that woman. We will put her in her place. Naturally, she shouldn't even come. But as shameless as she is, she will!" Lisa thought bitterly.
The few times she went to visit Ariana in Lawson's mansion she hated the way Lily treated her friend. "She needs to be constantly reminded that she is barely a daughter-in-law in that house!"
Ariana chuckled at Lisa's comment as she remembered how she had stopped Lily from laying a finger on her. Lily had been too shocked that day. Even when it got to a point, she couldn't speak.
"Well, that is by the way. I need to speak to my parents. Why don't you help me search for the best wedding photographers while I make the call?"
"Of course ma'am!" Lisa teased as Ariana walked to the kitchen to pick up her phone. She had finished cooking a long time ago. She had been cleaning earlier in the kitchen before Ethan and Lisa came in and she had to abandon her task. When she got back she decided to finish up her work before calling her parents.
This was to also help her get her thoughts together before she called them. She hadn't spoken to them ever since the incident with Ethan. As soon as Calhoun took her away she had never turned back around to speak to them until today. How would they be doing? Would they be in some kind of trouble? Would her father have changed from his gambling habits? Or would have her mother change?
Ariana finished with the cleaning and she rinsed out her hands. She then moved to the counter and picked up her phone where she had dropped it.
She dialled their number and closed her eyes. The number rang a couple of times and no one picked up. Her heart started to beat as she feared what might be keeping them. She was dialling her father's number for most of the time he was home with it or gambling but with his phone, for he always thought the lottery company might call to him he had won.
She tried it again and this time he picked.
"Hello, daddy?" She said with relief but the voice that replied sent her into another panic.
"Arry?"
There was only one person in the world who had enjoyed calling her that —her brother Daniel.