The Bucket List - Ep. 2

Inspired by the true story of Eileidh Paterson

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iJEoTHJMJME

Contains some upsetting themes

"Mikaela, Lou! Come over here, I think I've found somewhere to have the wedding..." Sophie called, peering at her computer screen.

Lou poked her head around the corner from in the kitchen with Mikaela sitting in her arms. She walked into the study and crouched down next to Sophie.

"Where is it?"

"About half an hour from here. It's got a big open meadow and low-level hedge maze at the back. There's toilets and a hall for the ceremony."

"It pretty!" Mikaela shouted.

"Is there a contact number?" Lou asked.

"Erm yes, let me just scroll down... A-ha! Here you go..."

Lou rapidly typed the number into her phone and, placing Mikaela down, walked over to the window.

"Hello, I am making an inquiry concerning booking your hall in-"

"Windenberg" Sophie said.

"Your hall in Windenberg. Is it possible that we can come and look?"

Sophie and Mikaela waited nervously.

"Today?"

They nod furiously.

"Yes, that will be perfect." Lou says, "We'll be there in about an hour. Thank you!"

Lou slips her phone back into her pocket.

"Let's go!" she cries.

50 minutes later, they slowly pull up outside the hall. The engine falls into silence. Sophie climbs out of the car first and is greeted by a woman standing by the door.

"Hello, are you the woman who made the booking?" she says.

"It was my step-mum who made the booking," Sophie answers, gesturing towards Lou who's getting Mikaela out of the car, "but we've all come to look."

"I see..."

Lou walks over holding Mikaela's hand, "Hi, sorry we're a bit early..."

"Oh that's no problem! Better early than late. Come-" she stutters for moment as she sees Mikaela's lack of hair but quickly regains her posture, "Come in!"

The woman ushers them into the hallway where she turns to Lou.

"This is the main entrance way. You didn't say on the phone, what event would you like to book the hall for?"

"A party for daughter Mikaela..." Lou says smiling and hoping she doesn't have to explain.

"No Mikaela!" Sophie whispers chasing Mikaela as she runs towards Lou and the woman.

"I'm getting married!" Mikaela shouts.

"Really, how exciting?!" she woman replies looking strangely at Lou.

Sophie grabs Mikaela's hand roughly and pulls her away.

"Ignore her, the party's going to be themed around cinderella's wedding... She gets confused..." Lou quickly says.

"Why do you actually want the hall? Something about this isn't quite right..."

Lou feels a tear trickle down her cheek.

"What's wrong love? Are you okay?"

Pulling tissues out of her bag, Lou replies, "Yeah I'm fine. Mikaela, I can tell you noticed, you stuttered, she has cancer. We're writing a bucket list for her... She wants to get married..."

"Oh dear, you poor woman and your poor family, i couldn't deal with any of my girls being ill and they're the same age as you. You are so strong to be doing this for her, I respect you. And your little girl is so so brave..."

"Thank you." Lou says, stunned by her reply.

They walk into the main hall where Mikaela and Sophie are already looking.

"There are enough chairs for all your guests and we could easily make an aisle down the middle-" the woman begins

"Oh no, ignore Mikaela. She gets overexcit-" Sophie mutters

"It's fine Sophie... she knows..." Lou says calmly, looking at her step-daughter.

"Oh..."

"Like I was saying this will make a perfect place for the ceremony..."

"Can I have fairy lights?" Mikaela asks quietly .

"Of course..."

They walk through into the garden area.

This is nice isn't it Mickey?" Sophie says, cradling Mikaela.

"You and all your friends can run around and play games like hide and seek. It sounds good doesn't it?"

Mikaela nods half-heartedly.

"What's wrong Mickey?"

Mikaela buries her head in Sophie and whimpers, "I wasn't supposed to tell the lady was I?"

"No, but its fine now because she understands. You made the right decision."

"But, but she noticed that I didn't have any hair. She looked at me funny." Mikaela begins to cry.

"Aww baby, it's okay. She didn't think it was weird or ugly. She was amazed by how brave you and mummy are. I heard her!"

"You did?" Mikaela says lifting her head slowly.

"Yeah I did..."

Mikaela stares at Sophie, then leans upwards, kissing her on the cheek.

"Love you Soph Soph"

"Love you too Mickey..."

They invite Brandon and his mum around to tell them their plan and ask for permission. At 3 o'clock, the doorbell goes off and Lou runs to get it.

Opening the door, Mikaela runs through her legs and hugs Braydon.

Damon and Sophie come down from upstairs and all of them sit down on the sofas.

"I haven't seen you since the babs were proper tiny Lou!" Braydon's mum (Jade) says, "I am so so sorry to hear about Mikaela."

"Thanks Jade. That's actually one of the reasons we invited you around."

"Mikaela, why don't you show Braydon your new bedroom upstairs? We need to have a grown-up talk." Damon asks

"Okay..." Mikaela replies cheerfully, leading Braydon out of the room.

"Do you want me to do this babe?" Damon asks, now addressing Lou.

"Yeah... Thank you"

"Jade, Mikaela's chemo failed and that was our only chance of curing so to speak; and because that didn't work, Mikaela's only been given 3 months to live." Damon sighs.

"Oh that's awful. I had no idea I'm so sorry."

"No it's okay. The school know but we didn't want them telling any of her classmates yet because we don't know what effect it'll have on them." he nods at Sophie.

"We don't want this to be any more sad than it has to be to we helped Mikaela write a bucket list so that she can still make the most of her life. Along with lots of other things was that she wanted to get married... to Braydon" Sophie says.

"What?!"

"That's what we thought too. She said they were engaged and everything. It's okayy if you don't want to, we would totally und-"

"Yes. Whatever makes your little girl happy. Braydon 'loves' Mikaela, he talks about her everyday and how they're gonna get married."

Sophie, Damon and Lou all smile uncontrollably, "Really?" they say in unison.

"Yeah, it'll be amazing for him. But there's one thing..."

"Go ahead"

"Braydon will want to ask Mikaela, if that's okay?"

"Of course! I'll go and get them." Sophie says.

1O minutes later, Damon, Lou, Sophie and Jade are all watching nervously from the hallway.