Epilogue

Aja and Jason sat holding hands in the back office behind the sanctuary at the Lucas Street AME church. He recognized the place as where he had set up his remote more than a year before. Sitting across from them at his desk was the pastor, wearing a red polo shirt. He sat, his hands tented.

“Aja,” he said, “I’ve known you a long time and you’re much loved by our congregation. I’m delighted you two have chosen here for your service.”

“I wouldn’t want it anywhere else,” she replied.

“I’m touched by your generosity,” Jason added. “For the church’s Ladies Club to donate the reception...”

“Everyone in this church acknowledges the enormous contribution Aja has made.”

“I intend to continue doing so, for as long as my abilities permit,” she added.

“This is the least we can do in appreciation,” the pastor continued. “Have you thought about what we can do to make your service yours, personally?”

“Well,” Aja replied, tentatively, “We don’t wish to offend ... Pastor, I lost my faith in God after the accident that claimed my parents.”

“I can understand how such an event can shake one’s faith,” he replied. “What I don’t understand is, if you’ve lost your faith, why do you continue to participate as you do?”

“I might have lost my belief in God, but I still love this church. I love its tenents and I love the congregation. I love you, for the good works you do. I do it for community, Pastor. It’s a way for me to keep connected to my roots, my heritage. This church was such a large part of my parents’ lives and I wish to continue to honor them.”

“I understand,” the pastor replied. “I have to think there’s some spark of faith that only needs the right breeze to re-ignite it.”

“I will say this,” she added, “My path crossed with Jason’s in such an unexpected way, I do wonder if it was mere chance or if our meeting was part of some larger plan.”

“Jason, what are your beliefs?”

“Jason is a committed atheist,” Aja replied.

The pastor regarded him. “I see you in the congregation every Sunday.”

“Participating is important to Aja,” he answered, “and, that makes it important to me. We want to share important events and traditions.”

“I can see you two are deeply and genuinely in love, and it is a beautiful sight. Tell me, Jason -- what would you need in order to believe in God?”

“Pastor, I don’t mean to be flippant. The sort of testable, verifiable evidence of the existence of a supreme being would, I’m afraid, put you and others in your profession out of business.”

“Touche,” the pastor replied. “The business of faith is belief in the unprovable; at least to those of a scientific mind. I will say that God has revealed Himself to me in a very personal way, and I have no doubt that He exists. I hope someday He decides to reveal Himself to you.”

If He truly exists,” Jason replied, “I hope so, too. I’m not holding my breath, though.”

“What we’re getting at, Pastor,” Aja continued, “is that we would like the service to emphasize community, tradition and spirituality.”

“Those are important facets of our faith, Aja. We should be able to focus on those. Have you thought about vows?”

Aja glanced at Jason. “This is something we’re still discussing. I would like us to recite our vows to each other; Jason would prefer to simply say, ‘I do.’”

“I think we’ll end up reciting vows to each other,” Jason interjected. “It’s what Aja wants. I just need to get over stage fright.”

“We can rehearse them if you’d like.”

“I think,” Aja replied, “we’d like to keep our vows secret from each other until the time comes.”

“Jake -- That’s Jacob Michaels...”

“Your TV station’s news anchor,” the pastor said.

“Yes, Jake has offered to coach me. So, unless I’m totally hopeless, let’s assume we’re reciting our own vows.”

“All right, we certainly can accommodate that. Will you be exchanging rings?”

“Yes -- two rings,” Aja answered. “Jason’s twin nieces will be ring bearers.”

“Twins?”

“Pastor -- they are the most adorable little girls. They’re six, going on seven.”

“It sounds delightful. As for music ... Thelma has volunteered to play the organ.”

“We can work out the musical selections with her,” Aja replied.

“For the processional...”

“We’re both orphans,” Jason interjected. “All four of our parents are deceased.”

“That is a pity,” the pastor remarked. “So there is no one to give the bride away.”

“We wouldn’t want that anyway,” Jason added. “Aja and I both are in our thirties. She is entering into marriage as an independent adult.”

“We can accommodate that, I think, in a way that’s affirming,” the pastor replied. “How many bridesmaids?

“Only a maid of honor, Pastor,” Aja answered, “my future sister-in-law Naomi Wilson.”

“My best man will be my brother-in-law, Ang Wilson,” Jason added.

“I think that covers it. We’ll schedule a rehearsal Friday after next. At that time we can fine-tune anything that requires adjusting. The following Saturday will be the big day.

“Thank-you, Pastor,” Aja said and she stood.

“One last thing,” Jason said, “Aja and I are entering into marriage as co-equal partners. We don’t want any hint of patriarchy sneaking into the ceremony -- no the-man-leads, the-woman-follows stuff. We make our decisions based on mutual respect, discussion and compromise, and neither of us holds veto power over the other.”

“I concur,” Aja added. “We have worked out our arrangement as a result of living together for the past year and a half, and it has been working wonderfully for us.”

“Very well,” the pastor replied, “I’m delighted to hear it.”

Jason paced in the pastor’s office. Ang sat in a chair. Both were wearing tuxedos; Jason had an orchid in his buttonhole while Ang wore a white carnation. “You couldn’t find a church in a better part of town?” Ang asked.

“This is Aja’s church from childhood,” he replied. “She assures me the neighborhood looks worse than it is.”

“I’ll take her word for that ... it looks plenty bad to me.”

“I believe her,” Jason replied, “but I wouldn’t want to be here after dark.”

“So, did you buy that tux or rent it?”

“I bought it. Aja and I decided it was time for me to have some grown-up clothes. At least a tux never goes out of style.”

“True -- all you need to update it is a new tie and cummerbund. I bought this one when I married Naomi. A bit of advice, Jason -- don’t gain any weight.”

He peeked out the door. “I can’t see how big a crowd there is. What started out as an intimate little event has ballooned. We ended up inviting lots more people, mostly on her side of the aisle.”

“Trust me, that’s how it always goes,” Ang replied.

“Aja’s so well loved by the church I think she ended up inviting half the congregation. It’s a good thing that the Ladies’ Club donated the reception. They’re providing a buffet of home-cooked dishes. Did you ever have one of Mom’s home-cooked dinners?”

“Yeah -- my arteries are hardening just thinking about it.”

“The Ladies are bringing enough food to feed a crowd of two hundred ... which is about right. I just hope the cake is big enough for everyone.”

“Cut it thinner. Say, where are you guys going for your honeymoon?”

“It’s a secret.”

“So, Aja doesn’t know?”

“No. The only hints I gave her were that she needed to pack a bathing suit and it’s a place we’re driving to.”

The pastor stepped into his office wearing his royal blue kaftan. “Five minutes, gents,” he said. “I’ll step out first, then Ang and then Jason.”

“Is Aja’s family in place?”

“Yes. Jason -- with the adjustments we made last night, I think this is going to be a beautiful service. “Let’s line up...” The pastor flipped the switch that Jason had used as an on-the-air signal, and Thelma began playing an improvised jazz prelude.

“Thelma’s quite a jazz organist,” Jason remarked. “I do think jazz is what sounds best on a Hammond B-3.”

The pastor kept an eye on his watch. He stepped out of his office and disappeared behind a curtain. Thelma improvised a coda to her jazz number and began playing the processional -- Handel’s Water Music.

Ang stepped through the curtain and then Jason. The pastor stood behind his altar and Jason joined Ang standing before it. Jason scanned the congregation. To his left he saw Oscar, Daymon and Phyllis sitting in the first row. Phyllis held Jason’s ten-month-old nephew, Bradley. At the back of the church, some pipe-and-drape had been set up to form a staging area for the bridal procession.

Naomi began walking down the aisle, followed shortly by the twins, wearing identical dresses and carrying cushions holding the rings. Thelma watched from her seat at the organ, elevated and to Jason’s right. When the twins reached the end of the aisle, the pastor made a palms-up gesture for the congregation to stand and Thelma segued into Beethoven’s Ode to Joy as Aja walked down the aisle. She wore a floor-length, strapless, white satin dress and a garland of white flowers on her head. Aja carried a bouquet of white roses.

She stood beside Jason as the pastor offered an opening prayer.

“We will have a moment of silent prayer,” the pastor announced, “for the departed parents of the bride and groom -- Gloria and Leon Morgan, and Mildred and Jacob Brown. I’m certain all four are looking down in joy at today’s celebration.” The pastor bowed his head.

He made a palms-down gesture for the congregation to be seated. “Aja and Jason have come here of their own will to be joined in marriage,” the pastor announced. “Marriage is more than the bonding of one man and one woman -- it is the bonding of families. Will both the families of Aja and Jason welcome, support and love the other?”

“Yes, we will, Phyllis announced loudly.

“We will,” Naomi and Ang said in unison.

A high-school-aged young man stood beside the Hammond organ. Thelma began playing “Today” and the young man sang it in a tenor voice.” Is he your protoge?” Jason whispered to Aja. “He’s quite good.”

“We have Derrick to thank,” she whispered in reply.

The song concluded, the pastor again stood by the altar. “Aja and Jason ... You came to me two weeks ago in order to finalize the details of your ceremony. You told me then that you are entering into marriage as co-equal partners. That warms my heart because I counsel couples whose relationships are in deep trouble. I advise them to do just that -- to become co-equal partners. It is not an easy thing to do. You will each find moments in which you must suppress your own egos for the benefit of your union. Your love for each other is strong enough to be palpable, but love alone won’t preserve your marriage. You have discovered on your own the secret for a lasting union. My charge to you is: Don’t ever forget it.” The pastor gestured for the twins to come forward.

Alicia and Alexandra stepped to the altar carrying the cushions on which rested the rings. The pastor picked up the ring from Alicia and handed it to Jason.

Jason looked Aja in the eye. “Aja Morgan ... my brilliant and talented friend, my lover, my confidant ... I take you to be my lawful wife. I promise I’ll walk with you and only you by my side as my equal partner. Together we will celebrate joys and overcome sorrows and tragedies, until death separates us.” He held her left hand and positioned the ring on her ring finger above her second knuckle. “With this congregation as my witness, I seal my promise to you with this ring.” Jason slid the ring past her knuckle.

The pastor then took the ring from Alexandra and handed it to Aja.

She looked Jason in his eyes. “Jason Brown ... my friend, my savior who led me from the wilderness ... I take you to be my lawful wedded husband. I promise to love you and only you. From this moment all that’s mine is also yours, including my heart, my body and my soul. I will cherish the bond we have forged as equal partners, for as long as we both shall live.” She took his hand and slid the ring onto his finger. “With this ring, I thee wed.”

“By the authority vested in me as an ordained minister, and under the laws of this county and state” the pastor said, “I proclaim you Jason and you Aja ... to be husband and wife. You may kiss.”

Jason slipped his arms around her and looked into her dark eyes. “Happy?” he asked.

“Very,” she replied, and they kissed to a standing ovation.

Aja sat in her wedding dress as Jason drove to the condo. He parked the car and walked with her to the front door. She unlocked it, then he lifted her off her feet and carried her across the threshold. The door closed and before it latched they were in a tight embrace and kissing. “Let’s get changed and hit the road,” he said.

“You told me we’ll drive to where we’re going,” she replied. “How long a drive is it?”

“About an hour and fifteen,” said. “It’s just three now. Check-in is at four and I have dinner reservations at seven.”

Jason carried their luggage to his car and set the bags in his trunk. He reached into his pocket, retrieved his car keys and offered them to Aja. “You want me to drive?”

“You have your learner’s permit. It’s a chance to get some practice.”

“All right -- so long as I don’t have to drive on the Interstate. I’m not ready for that.”

“We’ll switch off when we get there. Besides, freeway driving isn’t part of the road test.”

Jason sat in the passenger seat. Aja sat behind the wheel and fastened her belt. She adjusted the position of her seat and the rear-view mirror. Gingerly she backed out of the stall, put the shifter in Drive and headed onto the city street. “You’re gaining confidence,” Jason remarked.

“I am. I thought I’d have a panic attack the first time I sat behind the wheel, but I didn’t. I feel more relaxed driving than as a passenger.”

“You feel in control when you’re behind the wheel,” he remarked.

“You have been a good and patient instructor, Jason.”

“I think in no time you’ll be ready for your road test. Then, you’ll decide you need your own car and there will go my covered parking.”

“I’m sure we can come up with an equitable way to share the garage,” she replied. “You were right about finishing the basement. I’m not sure I agree with you that using your inheritance from your mom to finance it was the right thing.”

“I consider it an investment. We’ll recover that money when it comes time to sell the condo. Besides, it’s an investment we can enjoy. You can’t live in a bond portfolio. By hiring a contractor we got the whole thing finished in three months.”

“I do like having the extra living space, and a workout room with heat and AC.”

He pointed through the windshield. “The ramp for the Interstate is up ahead. Why don’t we pull into that filling station? I’ll top the tank and then I’ll do the driving.”

“Okay...”

Jason turned off the highway and onto a long driveway lined with pine trees. He drove under an arch that read, BristlePine Resort.

“We’re staying at BristlePine?” Aja asked.

“Actually, we have a room at their Spa Center.” Jason retrieved a brochure from above the sun visor and handed it to her.

Aja flipped through the brochure. “The Spa Center is the newest addition to the resort,” she read. “They pipe water from a nearby hot spring to feed the thermal pools ... there’s a rooftop spa that’s free for all Spa Center guests. It has both indoor and outdoor hot tubs. Jason -- that’s what I want to do. I want to soak in the outdoor hot tub.”

“The room comes with an oversized jetted tub. We can soak in that.”

“It’s not the same as being neck-deep in water, outdoors, with brisk October air and the leaves turning colors.”

“We have dinner reservations at seven, so I suppose we could work in a soak in the hot tub,” he replied and stopped the car under a porte-cochere. “I’ll go in and register.”

He hopped out of the car and headed into the building. “Reservations for Jason Brown,” he said.

“One moment,” the desk clerk said, “Deluxe suite for two.” She presented registration forms that he filled out and she ran his credit card. “Here are your pass cards, and here are your guest ID cards. You can use them to charge meals or spa services to your room bill. The Spa Center is behind the main lodge and has separate parking. Your room comes with complementary access to the rooftop spa. There are indoor and outdoor hot tubs, plus a fire feature.”

“Great,” he replied and returned to his vehicle.

“We drive around to the back,” he told Aja as he sat behind the wheel. Jason put the car in gear and followed signs to the Spa Center. They approached the main door and stepped inside. A concierge’s desk stood empty. Jason picked up a sheet titled Daily Events and gestured toward the elevators.

They rode to the fourth floor and he located their suite. Using one of the pass cards he opened the door and they stepped inside.

Aja’s jaw dropped. “Jason -- look at this room! There’s a tall, four-poster bed with curtains ... an infinity tub ... shower big enough for two.”

“The place certainly is amenable to a romantic interlude,” he remarked. “I’ll go bring up the bags.”

He rode the elevator to the lobby level and headed past the concierge. A middle-aged woman was seated at the desk and using the telephone.

Jason unlocked his trunk and stacked Aja’s overnight case atop his large suitcase. He rolled them toward the building. “Welcome to the Spa Center,” the concierge said as he rolled the bags into the lobby. “Can I call a bellman?”

“No, thanks -- I’ve got this.”

“Is there anything else I can do for you?”

“Yeah ... Can you confirm dinner reservations for Jason Brown at seven in the main lodge? We’re in room 457.”

“Very good, Mr Brown. By the way -- there’s a tunnel that connects the Spa Center with the main lodge. Just take the elevator to Lower Level 1.”

“Oh, okay ... good. Thanks.” He wheeled the luggage into the elevator and then into their room.

“Look here,” Aja said, opening the closet. “A pair of robes.”

“With the BristlePine logo.”

“We can wear these when we go to the rooftop spa. Can you find my bathing suit? I think I packed it in the big bag.”

Jason hoisted the bag onto the bed and unzipped it. “Here,” he said, handing her a large plastic zip-top bag containing a two-piece bathing suit. He found his bathing trunks and changed into them.

Aja emerged from the bathroom wearing a floral bikini. Jason scanned her up and down and let out a wolf whistle. “Can you do my hair in your braided bun?” she asked. “I don’t want to get it wet.”

“Sure. You do have bobby pins?”

“Always -- in my cosmetics case.”

Jason braided her hair and coiled it into a bun, securing it with some bobby pins. “Shake your head -- I want to make sure it won’t fall out.”

“Feels pretty solid.”

“Let’s try this robe.” Jason grabbed one and slipped into it. “Seems ample.”

“More than ample,” Aja said. He regarded her in the other robe and chuckled.

“You’re swimming in it.”

“That’s okay -- I brought my own cover-up.” She removed a floral wrap that matched her bikini.