Chapter 45
Chapter Forty-Five
Dad had loaded the bags I’d packed for my move to Brad’s house, then helped unload them at my new home. I didn’t bring all of my belongings because Mom offered to gather them for me through the week. She insisted she needed something to do while my father worked with the contractor.
In one suitcase, I packed a casual outfit for the evening; my nightgown, robe, and slippers for later; and what I’d wear on the plane the next day.
The other one held my toiletries and clothes for Cancun.
Rita had teased about my sparse wardrobe, though I’d reminded her that I’d left some things in her upstairs apartment.
Dad and Brad carried my bags inside, while Mom helped me maneuver out of the car without tripping on my gown.
When they gave their farewell hugs at the entrance, Brad and I told them how much we appreciated all they’d done to make our wedding so very memorable.
They turned to leave, hand-in-hand, and I closed the door, feeling a momentary twinge of guilt for deserting them.
Brad wrapped his arms around me and murmured his love in my ear before his lips found mine. When they traveled to that soft spot on my neck, I reached to pull out the pins holding my hat and veil in place. That may have been the signal to head upstairs.
We helped each other out of our wedding attire, tossing our clothes to the recliner in the corner. We were in no hurry to hang them properly because we had other things on our mind.
Afterwards, lying side-by-side on the bed, Brad’s fingers intertwined with mine. I think we may have both dozed briefly until the honk of a car’s horn startled us. “What the heck?” he muttered, reaching for his boxers on the floor. I searched for my panties as well.
He hurried to the window facing the driveway. “You’re not going to believe this! It’s Mike and Angela, and they’re carrying boxes to the door.”
I laughed. “You’d better put on some clothes and go get my smaller suitcase. I don’t think they’ll want to see me like this.”
Muttering, he pulled jeans and a tee shirt from his dresser.
“This happened to my parents on their honeymoon,” I said with a lighthearted chuckle. “Now I understand how they felt.”
“I’ll send them away,” he said, slipping into his shoes.
“You don’t have to do that. We’ll have more private time in Cancun, and you mean a lot to your sister.”
He gave a quirky grin before running downstairs to answer the insistent knock on the door. I heard him greet our visitors with a brotherly taunt, then he brought my suitcase upstairs. “They’re carrying in the gifts we left at the fire house.”
“That’s so thoughtful. You can help them, and I’ll be down in a few minutes.”
He shook his head. “They’re giving us a going-away party, and your mom and dad will be here shortly.”
“Are you kidding?” I yelped, pulling on my slacks. “Whose idea was that?”
“According to Mike, your mother ordered party foods from the caterer, and it evolved from that.”
I raised my eyes to the heavens before saying, “I know she means well. Let’s go open our gifts and celebrate.”
Besides cartons of food and wedding gifts, Mom brought several shopping bags of items I treasured from the apartment, such as framed pictures, two photo albums, and a jewelry box my parents had given me for my eleventh birthday. I thought it was sweet that my mother knew what meant the most to me.
She bustled around the kitchen, pulling out platters I didn’t know existed, while Angela, Mike, and Dad juggled presents that needed placement on the dining room table. I could only laugh.
“We thank you,” I said, tongue in cheek. “I suppose we can tell our children and grandchildren how my parents and our in-laws crashed our wedding night.”
Dad leaned to whisper, “It was your mother’s idea.”
She challenged him. “I only ordered the food. You wanted to bring over the gifts.”
He disagreed. “Angela and Mike were kind enough to bring them from the fire hall.”
I gave each of them a kiss. “It doesn’t matter. We appreciate all you’ve done to make this day so special.”
“Then, let’s open those presents,” Dad exclaimed.
As dusk turned to darkness, Brad and I took places of honor on the sofa, and Angela presented us with each gift. Many were envelopes containing a card and money; others were appliances and household items we didn’t know we needed. We appreciated all of them.
When Mom replaced the presents with trays of food, Dad asked, “What did my sister give you?”
I looked at the list I’d created. “Aunt Marie gave us a check for $100.00. That was so kind of her.”
“Oh, for heaven’s sake, she could have spared more cash.”
“We’re grateful for her gift,” Brad remarked. “I invited her to dance this afternoon, and we had a nice conversation.”
Dad smiled nostalgically, thinking out loud. “She’s a good egg, and I’m happy she came. In fact, your mother and I will take her home tomorrow after we drop you off at the airport.”
“You’re going to be busy this week,” I teased.
“We’re hoping we won’t miss you so much.” His eyes caught mine and I knew why Mom called me “daddy’s girl.”
It surprised me that I could be hungry again, but the aroma of hot wings, boiled shrimp, mini quiches, and various salads drew me toward them. “I can’t believe you ordered all of this,” I told Mom while the men filled their plates. “How did you manage to keep everything a secret?”
“The taste-testing for the reception was the tricky part,” she replied with a grin. “I was so worried they’d spill the beans.”
“Well, they didn’t, so you put one over on us. I can’t believe I’m even ready to eat again.”
Angela chuckled. “We hoped you’d have already worked up an appetite.”
I didn’t bother to answer that, although I figured she knew.
The men began to talk about the second-floor renovations to Quality Landscapes, while the gals conversed about everything related to my honeymoon. Angela told my mother how we decided on Cancun, and I explained how we picked two other destinations I could use for my travel articles.
Mom laughed. “I don’t think I need to worry about you any more, honey.”
I reached for her hand, smiling. “I guess it’s normal to care so much. I know you and Dad wanted me to live with you after Tony and Chet died, which I appreciated, but I needed to figure everything out on my own.”
“And it all fell into place. We’re happy for you, honey.”
I sat back on the sofa, watching my husband interact with my dad and brother-in-law, while Angela and Mom chatted with me about future journeys and their joy that I’d found love. I felt accepted and cherished, and that meant so much to me. I couldn’t have wished for more.