26. Abbot
ABBOT
Abbot stands in the kitchen once Ned’s left to get Peggy, going over their hastily made list.
Their IDs, yes, they both have those. Ned’s certified divorce decree, which he thankfully had on hand.
It’s with him and Baxter, and soon Peggy will be as well when he retrieves her from school.
Abbot has the confirmation of the appointment at Portland’s city hall for this afternoon, one of the few available today just before the office closes.
He reads the instructions again. They’ll fill out the Intention of Marriage Application, then sign the license and give it to the officiant, who will legally marry them, get the signature of two witnesses, and return the license to the clerk within seven days.
In the end, it’s all very straightforward. How very simple to get married, it turns out. All this time Abbot has waited, and it’s a set of signatures and paperwork.
And apparently, Ned calling Beverly. He checks his phone again, but there’s no word from Ned, or from her, and he’s left wondering if they’ve connected yet.
And said what? He doesn’t even want to imagine.
It would be something, certainly, to miss his own wedding. To skip out on marrying Ned.
He won’t, he knows, but the itch at the back of his neck that started last night has yet to subside. A shoe will drop, and every time he pictures it, it’s one of Ned’s.
Dan comes down the stairs, buttoning his dress shirt. “What a day,” he says. “What a day today is. I just can’t believe it. What a day.”
“I’m so sorry for the lack of notice,” Abbot says. “And that you’ve had to leave work.”
Dan’s eyes are shining. “I used to be called out of work because Ned was sick and I had to pick him up early from school. This is such a treat. Such a surprise.”
“And really, I apologize that there’s no time to invite more family.” And that Ned’s marrying him, he nearly adds.
Yet today is Ned’s idea.
Abbot still can’t quite understand how Ned hasn’t up and left him yet.
“You have your lives to plan a big wedding.” Dan comes over to hug him yet again. “But it’s about what you two want. Not me, not Cheryl, not your father. This is you and Ned.”
“And Peggy,” Abbot says.
Dan squeezes him, hard. “And Peggy,” he whispers before he finally lets him go.
And Newbury, Abbot thinks.
Does Ned want this? No, he can’t.
But he said he did, and he’d kept his arm across Abbot’s waist all last night, and kissed him and kissed him.
And today is very much happening. Abbot straightens his shirt, looking down to see if it’s marred by Dan’s tears. It’s not, and though he has other clean shirts at home, he’s not entirely certain he has time to stop by his house.
So he’s wearing this to get married in, a light blue dress shirt and brown slacks he already had packed, and Ned was in a sweatshirt, though he’d hurriedly thrown a change of clothes into a bag.
Abbot’s father will have something appropriate to wear, of course. Peggy will be in her cape, Abbot assumes, and Liesl can put on whatever she’s brought that she likes the best.
And that’s that. Again, simple. Easy, nearly.
Abbot’s stomach flips over and he wonders if he’s going to be sick.
Or maybe that’s happiness. He’s marrying Ned and Ned is marrying him. Now. Today.
He pauses, letting the thought fill him before he shakes himself. He’s only getting married if they’re on time and have made it through this list. He pulls out his phone to call Pat, since Ned hadn’t crossed that off before he left. It’s written beneath Sign and send offer letters.
“Ned said you talked to Claire the other week,” Pat says when he answers, “and I think that was the key moment everything between us changed, so you and I need to dig deep into that conversation.”
“Ned and I are getting married this afternoon.”
A beat of silence comes down the line.
“She said she wanted to be with you,” Abbot says as Pat yells, “What?”
“So Ned hasn’t told you yet,” Abbot says. “She said there wasn’t a problem between you. Is there?”
“You’re getting married?” Pat shouts.
Abbot has to pull his phone from his ear. “Yes, in just a couple hours.” He checks over his shoulder to make sure Dan isn’t listening, and drops his voice. “Newbury needs documentation about our relationship to finalize Ned’s job offer.”
“Ned got the job? He got the damn job. You’re getting married. Fucking shit, man!”
“In Portland,” Abbot says. “So you should come.”
“I should come?” Pat lets out a loud laugh. “Yeah, maybe I’ll stop by.”
“Please do.”
“I’m fucking joking, I’m there, I’m in, what is even happening? I don’t care, I’m so excited.”
“Ned’s parents are driving up, and he’s on his way to Portland now with Peggy. My father is coming too, along with my sister.”
“So like an everyone’s-welcome elopement. I love it. Where? When?”
“At city hall in—” Abbot checks his watch. He has to go. “Two and a half hours.”
“No, that’s way too boring. I’ll do it. I’ll get ordained online and we’ll do it here.” Pat’s voice rises into a shout. “Hey! Listen up. We’re closing early today, private event.”
“Pat—”
“I’m literally pulling up the website right now. Can I write a speech? I’m writing a speech. Yeah, folks, sorry, get your orders to go, we are closing in approximately five minutes.”
“Pat. We can’t interrupt your day like that,” Abbot says as if they haven’t done exactly the same to everyone else in their lives. “You don’t need to close the cafe, let alone—”
“Oh, what a wonderful idea,” Cheryl says as she comes into the room. “Having it at Pat’s? I just love that.”
“Is that Cheryl? Cheryl, Ned’s getting married!” Pat yells as if she can hear him.
Again, Abbot winces, edging the phone from his ear. “Yes, she knows,” he says.
“I’m marrying him,” Pat shouts. “I mean, you’re marrying him-marrying him. But I’m marrying him. And you. This is the best day of my life.”
“Pat wants to marry us,” Abbot tells Cheryl.
She beams. “This is perfect. Let me talk to him. We’ll sort everything out. Pat, can you give me a call?”
“Call Cheryl,” Abbot obediently repeats.
“I’m doing it. Bye. Congrats,” Pat says and then Abbot’s phone cuts off.
Pat’s going to marry us, Abbot texts Ned, though he’s driving and likely won’t see it.
Abbot needs to be driving too, if they’re going to pick up the license in time.
He sends the café address to his father, considers adding more details, and then doesn’t. What else is there to say? We’ve decided on today, he and Ned already told everyone, and at least in the delight of the surprise, there haven’t been too many questions.
We’re inviting Chris and Susan, Abbot receives back from his father and yes, wonderful, why not have him take the initiative to invite others without asking Abbot?
Another message appears. This is Liesl, it reads, and then a selfie of her making a face in the passenger seat of the rental car.
He softens at that. Yes. Chris and Susan. He should have thought of them to begin with.
“You have everything?” Cheryl tips the phone away to ask as Abbot puts his list into his bag.
“I believe so.”
“I’m going to run an iron over Peggy’s dress and then we’ll be on our way too. If you think of anything at all, just let us know.”
“I will,” he says and slips out of the house.
It’s quiet in his car. Wonderfully so, and he wants to sit for a moment, but he checks the time and quickly puts the car into reverse.
He’ll hit Friday traffic getting out of the city, skiers heading to the mountains, families leaving early for their weekend.
And him, driving up to Portland yet again. Toward his wedding.
Excitement thrums through him. Married, to Ned. Who wants to marry him. Who suggested it.
Abbot still can’t grasp that in its entirety as he drives north like he has so many times in the past year, this trip nearly the same as any other yet so very, very different.
When he can, he taps his phone screen, half expecting a notification from Ned. I realized you’re a mistake, he’s ready to read, but it hasn’t come and he’s beginning to think it might not.
When he finally parks, he doesn’t have to run to make their appointment, but he does have to hurry, and he lets the buoyancy of the day carry his steps.
He spots Ned as soon as he opens the door to the office suite, him and Peggy sitting in chairs in the waiting area, the room beige and drab. Was he afraid Ned wouldn’t be here?
Yes, a bit, he realizes, but here he is, greeting Abbot with a smile.
Abbot has never pictured his wedding day, so this is good enough to fill in the blank, a worn carpet and a poorly framed picture of downtown Portland hung on the wall. It’s Ned. The details don’t matter. He wants to marry Abbot, which is impossible and true all at once.
“You made it,” Ned says.
Abbot lets the door fall shut behind him. He should say something significant, he’s sure, to Ned and to Peggy especially, but all he can manage is, “I found a parking spot out front.”
“We had to walk,” Ned says.
“At least it’s not too cold.”
“No, it isn’t,” Ned agrees.
Abbot perches on the chair next to him, his body humming. “Did you talk to Beverly?”
“I left a message,” Ned says.
So is she coming? Abbot could ask, but no, he doesn’t want to know, he’s sure.
Peggy swings her feet, her hands folded in her lap, looking around with wide eyes. “Will you own half of Baxter?” she asks.
“I—” Abbot looks at Ned for help.
He smiles. He’s happy. Right? “I want the front half.”
“Then you’ll have to feed him,” Abbot says.
Peggy giggles and Abbot relaxes back into his chair. Peggy’s certainly happy and of everything going on just now, that feels particularly important.
This is only for Newbury, repeats in Abbot’s head.
It is, but Ned said he wanted to marry him. Again, he examines that thought, and again finds it as warm and confusing as he has all day. “Ned,” he starts, but a woman comes out to greet them.
Abbot stands so quickly his chair scoots backward a few inches.