Chapter 28
I wasn’t sure how six weeks could feel like both six months and six days, but that was how the rest of April and May went. Sadie had her second birthday. Lacey felt terrible she couldn’t be here for it, but Margo came. I invited her to the wedding, and she respectfully declined. It would’ve been very hard on her, I knew. She again gave me her blessings, telling me she was sure Sadie would grow up in a close and loving home.
I got Matthew’s room finished. If I ever lost my job as an engineer, I had the back-up skill of painting walls. We got word that the hospital where Lacey used to work had an opening in the ER for the twelve-hour day shift. It was the only day position open in the entire city, and she accepted. She would be starting in mid-June.
The plans for the wedding were mostly in Lacey’s hands. She’d asked the old set-in-his-ways minister to marry us, and he agreed. She reserved the park and rented around forty chairs for the guests. We were having food catered to the park, including chicken and fixings. Everything was very casual, and we wanted our kids to be a part of it. Matt was old enough to follow directions, but we all knew Sadie had a mind of her own, so we hadn’t quite decided what we would do. Lacey begged me to let her find Sadie’s dress.
I shopped for a new casual tan blazer and a white knit shirt to wear under it. It would be a no tie, yes jeans affair, and I’d wear the brown leather sneakers I had in my closet.
Rather detailed plans were in place for the trip out and back. I’d fly out with Sadie. Now that she was two, she needed a ticket too. She’d be coming back with my parents, while I stayed an extra day to help load their belongings, then drive back in the rental truck. Lacey would remain behind an extra week for Matt to finish school, then the two of them would drive to Wisconsin the following week in her car. The thought of her and Matt making the drive by themselves did not sit well with me, but Lacey assured me she was perfectly capable of handling this on her own. I didn’t have much choice but to let her. My vacation time was maxed out.
I reserved a room at the same motel as my family members and friends. The Petroviches also made it for the wedding, which was sort of essential as they were going to be our witnesses. There were no worries about me seeing my bride before the wedding, because we were together constantly. The morning of the wedding, I picked up our rental truck and brought it over to Lacey’s mom’s place. We decided our little family would all dress there and ride over to the park together.
We had also spent a couple of hours beforehand at the park, making sure the chairs were set up the way we wanted them and covering the picnic tables with white plastic after scrubbing off the tops and seats. Lacey put together a couple of vases with a few flowers as our only decorations. We had fancy cupcakes coming with the food instead of a cake.
Everything was set. Lacey had a couple of friends, Sophie and Claire, who agreed to hang out at the park and make sure no one happened by to disrupt anything. My parents kept Sadie for me that morning. Ideally, she would have squeezed in a late-morning nap, but that didn’t happen. She was a little live wire when we picked her up to grab a burger for lunch.
The wedding was set for two. When we got back to Rachael’s house, we were in full time-to-get-ready mode. Both showers were put to use. Thankfully, Mom had bathed Sadie ahead of time. The girls were up in Lacey’s room, taking forever. When Matt came down, he had on new jeans and a sports coat and new Nikes. I gave him a fist bump and told him he looked better than the groom.
Finally, there were footsteps on the stairs, and the girls appeared. Sadie wore a pink, high-waisted, sleeveless dress that had a big bow tied in the back and the tiniest white sandals. Her hair, finally long enough to style a little, was all soft curls and pulled off to the side in a clip that had real flowers on it, lily of the valley and baby’s breath. I had tears in my eyes. She looked like a little cherub.
And Lacey!
Her hair was also in soft curls and pinned to the side in a slightly more elaborate clip than my daughter’s. Her flawless face and her smile mesmerized me where I stood. I couldn’t move. She wore a floaty white skirt which hung below her knees. Her top was sleeveless, in the same gauzy white fabric as the skirt. It had a V-neck with some tiny buttons down the front. She spun around to reveal the back, which had intricate cut-outs between her shoulder blades. She looked stunning.
“Oh my God,” I raved when she stood before me. “Just beautiful!” We kissed, keeping it low-key with the kids and all. Her hands ran up my chest inside the jacket.
“I always told you, you clean up nice, Michael.” She smiled right into my eyes, and I bit my lip, nodding back at her. Sadie tugged at my pant leg. I picked her up, kissing that baby-soft cheek.
“Wow, how does a guy get so lucky to have two such gorgeous babes?”
Matt let out a snort, and his mother turned her attention to him, finding a forgotten sticker on the back of one of his pant legs. Tearing it off, she practically strip-searched him to check every inch for more.
The florist delivered the flowers: lilies of the valley and baby’s breath accompanied by stems of green. Just a little sprig for Matt and me as boutonnières, a miniature bouquet for Sadie, (kept out of her reach for fear she would shred it before we even got there) and a dainty, larger one for Lacey. We looked like we were going to a wedding. Or something.
Sophie called us from the park to say that the guests were already accounted for, and the minister kept looking at his watch, waiting for her to signal him that we were on the way. Rachael took a few pictures, then it was time to go. Arthur drove her while the rest of us loaded into Lacey’s car. My heart pulsed in my ears as we made the short trip to the park, my hands a little clammy on the steering wheel. The air was warm with an occasional clean mountain breeze.
We had a parking place roped off for us so we wouldn’t have far to walk. We got out of the car, and I took Sadie out of her seat and hurried around to take Lacey’s hand. When I put Sadie down, Lacey gave her the flowers, and she shoved them into her face to smell them. I took her picture, then dropping my phone in my pocket, I took Sadie’s hand, squeezing Lacey’s hand in my other. She held Matt’s hand along with her bouquet. The four of us walked up the aisle to where Reverend Barclay awaited us.
So many happy faces as we went by. We tried to go slowly, but Sadie tugged at my hand to make me go faster. Then she spotted Papa in the onlookers and tried to get away to go to him. I picked her up and carried her the rest of the way. Once we were in front of the minister, I put her down while he welcomed everyone to our special day. The day our two separate families would become one.
I struggled not to be nervous. I tried to concentrate on her, even while my other hand was being yanked on by Sadie, who I didn’t dare release. Ahead of time we decided that one of my parents would step up and take her to sit with them before we actually got into the ceremony itself. But before that could happen, I heard Pete snickering, then all the guests joined in.
Glancing down, I found my daughter holding her dress up over her head with her free hand, her flowers abandoned on the ground. Lacey and I burst out laughing, too. Nothing like a little comic relief. I motioned for my dad, then squatted down to straighten the dress and give her back her flowers. Picking her up, I kissed her cheek and handed her to my dad, then grinned down at Lacey, shaking my head, thinking, you have about ten more seconds to turn and run, lady.
We spoke our traditional vows, short and to the point. We exchanged rings, then each of us gave just a brief line.
“I promise to be an example to your son by the way I treat his mother, and I will love you both unconditionally,” I professed, looking at her, then Matt.
And she replied, “I promise to love Sadie as my own and always be there for both of you, forever.”
The Reverend Barclay had us seal it with a kiss, and we were both beaming as he called us “Mr. and Mrs. Michael Jarrid.” I took Lacey by the shoulders and leaned in for another kiss and she kissed me back.
Immediately, she broke from me to get Sadie, and I stepped over to Matt, giving him a fist bump. Then I bent down and hugged him right off his feet as I whispered, “Thank you for sharing your mom with me. I love you guys.” Though I probably embarrassed him half to death, I kissed his cheek. What I did notice was him hugging me back.
We shared embraces with Julie and Pete then went right over to the families. Mom was crying, as expected. I couldn’t stay by her for long, or I would have been too. It only took a few minutes to visit with everyone, then I turned Sadie loose to play with Savannah and the others.
Easing back on the bench of a picnic table, next to where Pete and Julie were, I pulled Lacey into my lap. Pete handed me a beer and I chuckled. “Nothing but the best for us. Do you want something to drink, Lacey—Mrs. Jarrid? I think the champagne didn’t arrive yet.”
She stole the bottle from my hand and took a swig, handing it back.
She smiled at me, putting her hand on the side of my face. “I have everything I want.” She kissed me, and I gazed dreamily into those chocolate peepers.
“Oh brother,” Julie moaned, “we’ll see how long that lasts.”
“Be nice, Jules, it’s our wedding day,” I defended. “Let us wear our rose-colored glasses a little while.”
“No! Da-dee!” Guess who was laying on the ground, screaming and kicking because one of the other kids dared to touch the flowers she had once again tossed aside? Lacey stood up and went to the rescue. That rosy glow already beginning to fade.
As we relaxed and visited, Tom and Sheri came over, and Tom pointed off toward the edge of the park. There, walking hand in hand along the sidewalk were Matt and Kellie. “Kellie has never even talked about a boy before.” Tom appeared a little unsettled.
“And girls still have cooties as far as Matt is concerned,” Lacey said, her forehead wrinkled. “Should we be worried?”
“Guys—they’re nine!” I piped in. Touching Lacey under the chin, I added, “It’s his first crush, let them be.”
Smiling, she nodded and took my hand and kissed it. Digging out my phone, I took a picture of the pair, looking so innocent and sweet.
We ate, serving ourselves at the buffet table. At least Lacey and I got to be in the front of the line. The food was outstanding. Everyone got enough to eat, and the beer and soda were still going strong. Our room for the night required us to drive to another town, so I cut myself off after a couple. We gave Sadie’s car seat along with her bag of belongings back to my parents, who were keeping Sadie for the night.
Mom took this chance to hold my face in her hands. “I’m so happy for you, Mike. I’m excited for the four of you to start your lives together. It’s going to be so much fun.”
“Thanks, Mom.” Then she hugged my wife. My wife!
Aside from an occasional tantrum, I thought Sadie held up really well for a two-year-old. She rubbed her eyes and whined when I handed her back to my dad after saying good night and exchanging our usual barrage of kisses.
We were grateful that everyone made the effort to share our special day, and when I got a little emotional speaking that sentiment, I told Pete to shut up before he could say anything.
~ ~ ~
The card slid into the slot, the light flashed green, the door handle turned and I pushed it open. With Lacey in my arms, I carried her inside, leaving our bags sitting out in the hall. Gently setting her on the bed, I stared intently into her eyes for a second as I whispered, “Oh my God, I love you so much.” Then I left to bring our things in and lock the door.
Coming back to her, she touched my cheek as I reached down and picked up her legs, one at a time, and removed her sandals, then kicked off my shoes. She ran her hands up under my shirt, and my lips found hers, then her collarbone and lower, igniting that familiar fire she kindled in me.
~ ~ ~
On Sunday morning, we had to get back to reality. My family and the Petroviches were all heading for home. My parents were taking Sadie, and I could only hope that she would travel well for them. My brothers had already departed. It was difficult to say good-bye to everyone else, especially Sadie, even though I knew I would see them in a few days.
We spent the day packing up Lacey’s things and loading the truck. The pieces of Matt’s bedroom set slid into the back, along with almost everything else he owned, leaving him only a laundry basket of clothes to last the week. Lacey had already bought a couple new decorations for his new room at my house.
With the three of us it was daunting, and they wouldn’t be there on the other end to help unload. Graciously, Mark and Tom had already offered their assistance. I planned to leave first thing Monday morning.
Lacey’s body pressed against mine as I held her with my cheek resting against the side of her head. “I already miss you so much I can’t stand it.” My head lifted, and I sought out her mocha eyes. “I love you, Lacey. Our wedding seems like a dream. I can’t believe it really happened. I’m so ready to start this life with you and Matt!” I squeezed her, picking her up, and she let out a little gasp as her feet left the ground.
“I love you, Michael. It’s going to be an adventure—I can’t wait. We’ll see you Monday at the latest, maybe Sunday . . .”
Our lips met. It was a good kiss, a kiss that makes you lose your breath but gladly suffer the consequences.
“Tell Matt I love him, and say bye to your mom and Arthur for me. I love you.” With that, I was off.