Chapter 20 #2
“I’m just glad I was here for her. It’s been a couple of weeks, and she has everything she needs at Willowgrove, even though I offered to bring her to my house.
She’s doing much better. She’s on a new medication that’s working well.
Um, also, there’s something else I need to tell you.
If you still have internet later today, we can call you again.
She’ll be here for, well, for my wedding.
” I said it quickly, hoping the speed would ease the shock of the news.
“I’m sorry, son, the connection must be bad. It sounded like you said your wedding,” my father said, squinting like he always did on these infrequent calls. He needed glasses but refused to get them.
Sitting up in bed and pushing my hand through my wild bedhead, I said, “That’s exactly what I said, Dad.
It’s a long story, but I’ve met a woman.
Her name is Renata Valenti. She’s from Italy, and she’s amazing, beautiful, so smart and is a believer.
I met her on a video call with Vicky months ago, and I think I fell in love with her instantly.
She came to visit and once I got to know her, there was no way I was letting her go.
Ren is the woman I want to spend my life with. ”
My voice was calm, and I chuckled as I spoke, my parents’ faces still confused as they looked at each other, then at me.
They were gone so often, they barely knew my friends other than Niko, but I was pretty sure they’d heard me talk about Vicky at least once.
It was another reminder of how little they knew of my life the last few years.
“So she’s in San Diego?” Mom asked.
“Yes, she came here for a type of long vacation, and I don’t know, Mom.
She’s, she’s the one. It started off as something else and changed almost instantly.
Like I said, it’s a long story. Grammy and I believe God brought her here, that we were meant to meet.
For me to find the woman I didn’t even know I needed,” I said, my voice dropping at the last two words as the thought took hold in my chest.
God loved me so much that He brought this incredible woman here just for me. This didn’t mesh with the feelings I’d been battling that He was angry with me, but my thoughts were cut off when my mother spoke.
“Mike, wait, you’re getting married today?”
“Yes, it’s today.” Her pained look cut through me, and I knew where they were going with this line of questioning.
“I, I don’t know what to say. It’s so soon. But if she makes you happy, then we’re happy for you,” she said, tearing up again. “We can’t wait to meet her.”
“She sounds amazing, son. If we wrap things up, we could possibly be back in about a month. You couldn’t wait a few more weeks until we could get back?” Dad asked, his eyes pleading. We both knew this was breaking my mother’s heart.
“I’m sorry, Dad. The immigration process is complicated, and we didn’t want to risk her being unable to stay if her visa expired, which was only for a month.
I had no idea how long it would be until we heard from you or your exact return date.
” I grimaced as I continued. “And I wanted to make sure Grammy would, you know, be here.”
Mom bit her lips together and nodded. “I understand now. I know how important Grammy is to you, how close you both are. And with her health scare, I um, it makes sense you wouldn’t want to wait.”
Her voice trembled, and Dad pulled her in tighter.
It was no secret in our small family what my grandmother meant to me and how I treated her as if she were my mother.
It was never meant to hurt Mom, but she and Dad had chosen their lives, and sometimes I felt left behind.
Clinging to my grandmother came naturally from childhood experiences.
I had always hoped that Mom would understand since Grammy was her mother.
“It’s just that it was important for her to see me get married. I do wish you were both here, too. But Grammy has been bugging me about it for years, tired of waiting for me to give her great-grandkids,” I said, trying to use humor to break the tension.
Dad smiled weakly. “We understand, Mike. After that scare, I can see why things are happening so quickly. You know we would have dropped everything to be there had we been able to call sooner.”
I wasn’t sure what to say because I didn’t really believe they would’ve done that, so I just nodded.
He didn’t look any more convinced that I believed him than I did.
He looked at Mom and then back at the camera.
“We can stay here at the base camp for the night to have internet access. Your mom and I would love to meet your Ren and see Grammy. Be there for the wedding even if it is just by phone. We wouldn’t miss it. Son, I’m so sorry we’re not there.”
My heart ached as it always did where my parents were concerned. There were whole villages of people who loved and depended on the work they did there, but their chosen vocation meant they’d missed so much of my adult life. I loved them greatly, but had forced myself to accept their absence.
“I wish you were here, too,” I said sadly. “And yes, I can have one of my friends call you so you can see the ceremony. It would mean so much to know you’re watching.”
Mom wiped more tears away, her voice breaking again. “We will not move from here until we get the call, Mike. No matter what time it is, no matter what happens. I love you. I love you so much.”
Her declaration that nothing and no one would move them from that spot meant she was choosing me, and before I could stop myself, I started to cry.
“You have no idea what that means to me, Mom, Dad,” I said through my tears. Maybe God was starting to heal something in me.
When I wiped my wet cheeks, I realized they were both crying too. I wasn’t sure whether it was the stress of hearing about Grammy and the knowledge that they were missing my wedding, or the three of us silently grieving what had been missed for so many years, or probably a mix of both.
After promising to save the number they’d called from and doing the math with the time change, I hung up with them, my heart strangely eased.
Ren and I had decided to keep with tradition and not see or talk to one another until the wedding, but I fought the urge to break that promise.
She had quickly become the first person I wanted to talk to in the morning and the last at night.
But more than that, after the emotional phone call with my parents, it was my soon-to-be wife that I wanted comfort from.
I picked up my phone several times but decided not to reach out. In a few hours, I’d go to Luke’s house, where the guys would be until the wedding. Vicky insisted that Ren, her parents, and the girls get ready at her house.
Sliding out of bed, my thoughts went to our unconventional wedding night that was to come later that day.
Ren and I had both agreed that coming home together felt right.
My heart quickened at the thought of her calling this home and I looked around my room.
As I made my bed, I asked God to give me patience to wait for my bride to feel what I felt. Love.
Her bedroom had been updated to make her feel as comfortable as possible, having gotten some ideas from Vicky that would make Ren feel at home.
Design books, as well as some fiction ones, candles, and new bedding and towels.
I kept it simple so she could do her magic like I knew she would once she was settled.
I remembered our conversations about how she’d never been in love before. Being around her parents for the last few days, I could understand her hesitation, but she’d said yes to me, saying she trusted me, and I wasn’t going to give her any reason to change her mind.
About an hour before the ceremony started, I watched as Niko comically paced Luke’s living room. “Aren’t I supposed to be the nervous one?” I asked, laying my suit jacket over the kitchen chair.
He looked at me, his eyes wide. “I have no idea how you’re not, man. It’s suddenly hitting me how fast this has all happened. You said you confessed to Ren that you’re in love with her, but she didn’t say it back, Mike. Has that changed?” He ran his hand over his face.
I walked over to him and squeezed his shoulder. “Niko, I know you’re worried. And, no, that hasn’t changed. But I’m willing to wait for her.” He searched my face as if trying to decipher if I was telling the truth.
“Listen, I know I asked Leyla to marry me quickly after we met again, but she said she loved me as soon as I did. I just don’t want you to get hurt. I mean, what if it takes a long time for Ren to get there?”
My best friend was analytical, not only because he was neurodivergent, but also because he was a brilliant scientist. And this equation didn’t add up for him. As a scientist myself, it shouldn’t for me either, but there was a quiet peace that I was holding onto.
“I need your support in this, Niko. I need you by my side. Everything else will fall into place. I know it.”
He nodded a few times. “I can do that. I’ll always do that. You’ve always been there for me and I’m right here, man. Right beside you. I mean, I see it. I really do. The two of you have something out of the ordinary, but it would help me not worry if she were on the same page.”
“She will be,” I said confidently. My attention drifted off, my mind going back to my parents.
“Hey, are you okay? I’m sorry, Mike. I didn’t mean to freak you out,” Niko said, worried he’d caused me discomfort.
“No, no, you didn’t do anything, dude. Promise. I’m just thinking. That phone call with my parents kind of threw me,” I said, walking to the kitchen to get us both a bottle of water. When I couldn’t call Ren after speaking to them, I’d called Niko.
He blew out a deep breath. “I can only imagine. I’m sure they really wish they could be here.”