Chapter 44
Chapter Forty-Four
As the afternoon progressed, Brad and I went from table to table, thanking our guests for their presence and support.
Between the McNallys, Cardusos, his landscapers, and our families and friends, we took our time to make each interaction personable.
Sometimes we took vacated seats at their tables since everyone was mixing and mingling.
It made me so happy to introduce him to Pop, Lucky, and Goldie from Charlie’s Diner. He told them about the many stories he’d heard about them, and they told him how much they missed me. I knew I’d never forget how they helped me through my grief.
Next, we spoke to Elsa Kroger, her husband, and members of the publication department at the magazine.
Each of them had so many nice memories of me—and I of them, but Elsa made it all memorable when she reminded how far I’d come as a travel writer.
“You’ve done well, going beyond your comfort zone, and now we’ll have a chance to experience Cancun, Mexico. I can hardly wait.”
Brad grinned in support of me. “We’re excited, too, and we leave tomorrow.”
“The trip is on us,” Elsa stated.
“No,” I said. “It’s our honeymoon, although I’ll write about our experiences.”
She extended her hand to our colleagues. “We’re covering the cost as our wedding gift and we wish the best to both of you.” Brad squeezed my shoulder as he expressed our gratitude.
My parents’ table included Heather, Wyatt, Alicia, Rita, and Aunt Marie. Most of them were up dancing, so we talked to Heather and my partially-deaf aunt.
“Thank you for being with us,” I said, reaching for hugs.
“I’m beyond thrilled for both of you,” Heather said, “yet wish I could have done more. Things are really crazy right now.”
“How was last night with Alicia?”
“Believe it or not,” she said, “it was fabulous. My daughter was herself again, and I haven’t seen that for a long while. Angela and I stayed up late, talking about her observations of Ali during their trail rides and conversations.”
“And?” I asked.
“My daughter is scared and feels alone.”
That didn’t surprise me. “What can you do about it?”
“We talked this morning and we’ve decided that she’ll move back to my home in Stone Harbor while she awaits the MRI scan. Her headaches went away when she stayed at Angela’s house, so she’ll visit with them whenever I go to see Wyatt.”
“She’s okay with that?” Brad asked.
“She’d like to try this arrangement,” Heather agreed. “Her father broke her heart these last few weeks when he made it clear that he’s too busy to include her in his life. First, though, we need to be assured that she’s well.”
“When’s the MRI?” I asked.
“This coming week, on Monday. Then, we’ll meet with the neurologist on Thursday. Hopefully, they won’t find anything for us to worry about.”
“I hope not,” I said. “How’s Wyatt with all of this?”
She beamed, watching as he danced with his grandmother. “He’s been wonderful. We all know Alicia didn’t want him in my life, but she and Angela often talked about her fears when they went on trail rides.”
“What’s that mean for Wyatt?” Brad questioned.
Heather smiled contentedly. “He and I are a couple, if that’s what you mean. I think my daughter’s ready to accept that fact, but we’ll be sensitive to her feelings.”
“Maybe he could stay with Rita on occasions,” I suggested. “Wyatt’s grandmother seems to also want his support.”
“We know and that’s the plan.”
Mom and Dad returned from the dance floor, laughing as they took their seats. “That disc jockey’s fabulous. He’s even been playing some of our favorite tunes.”
I chuckled, seeing their exuberance. “Didn’t you pick him?”
Mom gave a shake of her head. “No, he came as a package deal from Jim McNally. I did request a couple of songs from my generation when I communicated with him, and he has nailed it.”
“Jim’s been so very generous,” Brad noted. “It goes beyond my friendship with Shawn. My grandfather, who owned the local bank, offered credit to Jim’s father during their lean years. He was a nearby farmer who didn’t always have a profitable crop.”
“I was talking to Jim earlier,” Dad said. “Your taking donuts to him and his wife through the years has meant a lot to them.”
“They were like family to me.” A breath caught in his throat. “Anyway, I’m grateful for their support of us.”
After he took my hand, Brad and I moved to join our guests on the dance floor. He embraced me for a pseudo waltz, and I slid into his arms. “What are you thinking?” he whispered.
I gave a quiet chuckle. “When will everyone go home?”
He reached for my lips. “I thought the very same thing.”
Forty minutes later, we cut the cake so servers could distribute it.
I’d warned Brad that I didn’t want any funny business when we took our first bites, and he wholeheartedly agreed.
My mother had done a phenomenal job picking an exquisite cake with the perfect icing without a prior taste test. Everyone loved it.
Slowly, our guests stopped by with their farewells, though the diehards continued dancing until the disc jockey began to pull apart his equipment.
I knew Heather and Wyatt intended to drive back to Stone Harbor after the reception, and they’d transport Rita and Alicia.
My parents offered to help them load their bags and see them off, so we said our farewells at the fire hall.
I tightly hugged Heather. “I’ll be thinking of you this week.”
She laughed. “In Cancun? I seriously doubt it.”
“I will, and I want you to call or text me after Alicia’s tests.”
“Okay and thanks. I liked being a bridesmaid, not that I was able to do very much. Anyway, we appreciated that you included Wyatt—and we’ll reciprocate one of these days.”
I chuckled. “I’ll count on it.”
Brad shook Wyatt’s hand, agreeing with me, then leaned to kiss Rita. “Thank you for celebrating with us, and don’t sublet our Stone Harbor apartment. We’ll be returning soon.”
She grinned. “I’ll look forward to that.”
I hated to see them leave, but I understood. Dad went to get my car, and I turned to Alicia. “Thank you for being with us today. You had some great moves on the dance floor, which I hope you’ll teach me one of these days.”
She grinned. “Sure, though you did pretty good. I guess you need me to move out of your apartment.”
“Yes, please. Of course, you’ll have a week while Brad and I are in Cancun, then we plan to visit Rita and your mother.”
“Got it,” she said with a half-hearted smile. “I’d like you to know that I’ve had a really good time in Pennsylvania.” Turning to Brad, she added, “Your sister and her family are awesome.”
He nodded his agreement. “Yes, they are.”
They left with Wyatt to collect their bags, and Dad followed in my car to assist them. He’d return for Mom, Brad, and me.
The three of us felt energized, yet also tired. Mom talked to the caterer and gathered items they might have discarded, which gave me a chuckle. In my family, we never wasted food. The cake, however, was even more special and she made sure we took home every last morsel.
We stood near the entrance with plastic containers of food in bags while we waited for Dad, and called our thanks to servers clearing tables and the DJ packing up his wares. When he arrived, we loaded everything in the trunk, then Brad and I sat in the back seat. “You’re our chauffeur,” I teased.
“Gladly, honey. This was a beautiful wedding.”
I totally agreed. Silently, I thought it was better than my first, although I couldn’t put a finger on why. Perhaps, I felt more relaxed this time, despite the chaos. Maybe, I’d asked my mother to handle more of the details. Regardless, I thoroughly enjoyed the day.
Brad added his two cents. “I’m so grateful for all the two of you have done for us. Everything was absolutely perfect!”
“We’re so happy that you let us share your wedding day,” Mom said, “and we’re also glad to have another week to finish the projects here while you’re in Mexico. We’ll take you to the airport tomorrow and meet you when you arrive home.”
“Thanks, Mom. You can take us directly to Brad’s house,” I told Dad.
“Your house,” he clarified.
I turned to give Brad a kiss. “Yes, it is,” I agreed.