The Wedding

Saturday May 12, 1990. 2pm. That's the date and time they chose. A simple but elegant wedding. Mark had found the venue, The Kimpton Hotel. Mark chose the black and white theme of the wedding saying it had a class to it. Aliss wanted more color and after some discussion he did allow Aliss a sprinkling of her favourite soft yellow on her maid of honors dress, for Janice. The flowers had subtle yellow blossoms with white roses.

Aliss had to have conversations with her friends who argued that black dresses in a wedding was depressing but Aliss convinced them of the simple class of the theme. The wedding was quiet, subdued, and beautiful. Aliss was overwhelmed with love for her handsome husband and wanted to please him at every turn.

The honeymoon was in St Martinique. They enjoyed sailing on a catamaran, snorkeling and days on the beach.

While they were away news came of a shooting at Montana State University that rocked the city. Generally, a peaceful city, this event changed the face of TV and newspapers for weeks to come. The ensuing car chase ended in a circle K service station with the perpetrator's vehicle crashed against a gas pump. Mark was distracted by the story and his interest in gathering information about it interfered with some of their sightseeing plans. When Aliss broached the subject of missing plans, Mark told her to go without him. But Aliss, again wanting to please Mark, chose instead to stay in the hotel with him.

The rest of the honeymoon went according to a carefully created schedule. Soon enough, they were back in Bozeman at Aliss's apartment. They had planned to return to her suite and then start looking into purchasing a home together.

With excitement and anticipation, Aliss started perusing homes with her husband. Mark, a newly licensed physician, wanted a home with a sizeable office, courtyards for tennis or at least the land to build one in the future, and a minimum of 6 bedrooms. His plan for 4 children was agreed to by Aliss as well.

The neighbourhood had to be right, the school district must be the best, and it had to be close to the Bozeman Deaconess Hospital for Mark to get to work. His plan, eventually, was to open a private practice but for the next few years he would work in emergency medicine at the hospital. Aliss's only request was a swing in the yard for her children.

Soon enough a house was purchased, and they moved in. Mark immediately started renovations and had his tennis courts added outside and a gym was created out of a portion of the basement. The rest of the basement included at large bathroom, sauna, wine cellar and storage. All these rooms had locks on the doors.

Mark was always encouraging Aliss to expand her wardrobe and select more from the finest clothing they could find. He would frequently choose the colors and styles, saying that they complimented her figure better, and sometimes told her that longer fabrics slimmed her. Aliss wasn't one who liked spending too much money on herself and frequently was uncomfortable paying for these expensive items. Mark scheduled regular salon appointments and even had hired a personal trainer for her, who would come to the house to train Aliss. She didn't really like it but what's the use of a gym in the house if you don't use it, after all.

They had a professional housekeeper come in. Aliss never seemed to keep it tidy enough or clean enough for Mark. He had a way of admonishing her that didn't quite border on abuse, and he always ended his 'conversations' with. "Only the best, my love."

After 2 years of marriage, Mark finally agreed to have their first child. It didn't take long for Aliss to get pregnant. It was at this time that Mark started to show his controlling nature to a more extreme extent.

As a physician, he had easy access to all of Aliss's medical records, he chose the gynecologist, the pediatrician, and the room at the hospital for the birth of the baby. During the pregnancy he hired a dietician to create the perfect meal plans for Aliss. He had her exercise routine changed in ways to prevent any potential risks. Soon enough, the nursery needed renovations. Mark spared no expense and before Aliss was even 4 months pregnant hired a nanny to help with the baby. Aliss disagreed with the need for a nanny, but Mark insisted. He quoted, "only the best, my love."

As the pregnancy progressed Mark encouraged Aliss to take a leave from work. This leave was to be open-ended in case she decided not to return to work at all. Mark had a good income, and they didn't need her to work at all. Aliss knew some of Mark's childhood and although he wasn't too bothered by it, she wanted hers to be different, hers to be a home with love and caring. She wanted to stay home and raise her children. Surprisingly, Mark agreed.

Early one Sunday morning, Aliss woke to a wet bed.