Chapter 5: Ever After?

Life went on and we became a family. Carmen and I took turns cooking. We set up a joint checking account where I put four hundred dollars a week into it and Carmen put in her two hundred. We paid the utilities and bought food out of that account. We decided that any major purchases we would talk over first. So far, there was nothing we really needed.

I would usually stop at Joe's for lunch but go when Carmen could sit with me for a few minutes. We were really like a married couple only we didn't argue and made love every chance we got. I remember our first time in the hot tub. It was a good thing we had a good filter. When it came to making love, Carmen was the greatest. It might be that I loved her so much and that definitely makes sex much better. The only time we had to watch it was when Mandy was home on some weekends. We would ask Mandy to watch the kids while we went elsewhere. We're pretty sure that Mandy caught on but never said anything.

Time was flying by and it was almost time for Mandy's wedding. She asked Carmen to be her maid-of -honor. It made Carmen cry; she said she never had such close friends and family. Mandy would have liked Molly to be her flower girl but she thought she should ask one of her nieces, which she did.

It was a very hectic time leading up to the wedding. Mandy had graduated from college and we were planning this wedding and my girlfriend was the maid of honor. At least the weather had warmed up and I was able to open the pool. Whenever Mandy and Carmen ran around doing wedding stuff, the kids and I just got into the pool. The pool was a great babysitter, and all I had to do was be there.

The closer to the wedding it got the more I thought about Carmen and me. I loved these kids and I knew they loved me. I was going to surprise Carmen at the wedding. I had to ask a couple of favors but I was hoping everything would work out. Carmen and I had not talked about getting married since Christmas Day.

The day of Mandy's wedding, I got into my tuxedo. Brad and Rob were both in the wedding party. Janice and Gail were also. Everyone was dressed up and the wedding would begin in a few minutes. Carmen had to run around as the maid of honor. I didn't have much to do but I talked to Carmen's kids. I told them that they could come up front and sit with me. Mike, Mark and Molly all sat in the front row. Of course, Molly sat next to where I'd be sitting. I told them they had to be quiet and just watch the wedding. I told them I had to leave and walk back and then walk Mandy down the aisle. I just hoped they would listen. Everyone in the family was in the wedding party.

The music started and Ross, Brad and Rob were standing up front with the minister. Janice was the first to walk down the aisle. When she got down to the front, the kids waved to her and said, "Hi, Aunt Janice," at least they said it low. Gail was next with the same result, "Hi, Aunt Gail," she said hi back to the kids softly. The kids were excited because their mom was coming down the aisle. "Hi, Mommy, you look pretty." They were a little louder when they said it. Carmen was smiling but held her finger to her mouth to hush them a little. The flower girl and ring bearer came next. They were Janice and Rob's kids so the kids kept waving to them. All the kids of both families were smiling.

The music changed and down the aisle came Mandy on my arm. We both had tears of joy running down our cheeks. As Mandy and I got to the front of the church, I heard Molly say rather loudly, "Wow! Aunt Mandy looks like a princess."

You could hear a few chuckles from the crowd and I saw a smile on Mandy's face. You don't get a much better compliment than that. I backed up and sat down. I looked up and there was my family. My daughter Janice, my daughter-in-law Gail whom I treated as a daughter, and then my beautiful girlfriend whom I truly loved. There stood my baby girl getting married and my future son-in-law, off to his right was my son Brad and my son-in-law Rob. It was rounded off by two of my grandchildren as ring bearer and flower girl. My other two grandchildren were seated with their other grandparents.