Chapter 18: Wedding

“And this, my dear, is why you get paid the mucho dinero,” Estrella grunted as she lifted the Marshall amplifier from the back of the SUV. Placing it on the ground for a moment, she looked towards the stage. It was a bit of a hike, since the area between the parking lot and where the band was setting up was now closed off to any vehicles.

Picking up the amplifier, she started walking. It really wasn’t heavy, just awkward in size. She had only gone a few steps when she heard a voice.

“May I assist you with that?”

Turning, Estrella appraised the man who had spoken. “Thanks. That would be most welcome!” He was shorter than her 5’9’ frame. His dark brown hair was cut short, and there was a smile on his face. “This was accidently left behind when everything was loaded up to get here this morning,” she gestured to the amplifier. “Since I’m the ‘roadie’. I got to go back and get it.”

“So, not a musician in the band?” Reaching down he grabed the handle on the top of the amplifier with his left hand and lifted.

“Nope. More like I just help keep an eye on things,” she grinned. “Estrella,” she held out her hand. “And you are?”

“Smitten.”

“Nice to meet you, Mr. Smitten.” It was a corn-ball line, but he was cute, in his jeans and button down shirt.

“Actually, you can call me Alex, should you wish to be less formal.” He studied the woman in front of him. My goodness she was attractive. Long legs were encased in black skinny jeans. Up on top, she wore a black polo. Over the left breast pocket “GNO” was embroidered, while on the back “It’s okay, I’m with the band!” was scripted in stylish white letters. Dark hair fell to her shoulders and her eyes were a startling brilliance that seemed amused at his inspection.

Continuing, Estrella showed him where to place the amplifier. One of the band members would position it to where it would later be used, and instruments plugged in for the sound check once everyone was tuned up.

“I don’t think I have ever heard of this band. Are they local?” Alex studdied the group. All females ranging in age from late teens to early twenties.

“Yes. They are really talented and the girl over there is named Jenny. Her mom is sort of the band mentor. Between her and a few other local musicians, they keep their feet grounded while they do this and not let fame go to their head.”

“So the mom is also a musician?”

Estrella decided to have a bit of fun. “She works at a local radio station.” Pausing, she held a hand over one ear and continued in a mock announcer voice; “You’re listening to the morning show, with Cindy and Roberto, on KAT-Country, 103FM!”

Alex had a blank look on his face. “Sorry, not familiar with it.”

Estrella laughed. “That’s okay. Here for the wedding?”

Alex smiled. “My sister.”

“Oh how wonderful! Which one?”

With a bemused look on his face, Alex grinned. “I could say ‘the beautiful one’ but since that describes them both, I’ll just say she’s the short one, like all of us in the family! We tried to get them to come today, but Bilbo, Frodo and Samwise couldn’t make it.”

Estrella couldn’t help but burst into laughter.

The wedding celebration was being held at a winery known as Sueños Celestiales Viñedos. They had worked to make this a true day of ‘heavenly dreams’ for the brides, their families and friends. The catering staff had made sure that the foods would be varied in flavor and heritage, and great attention had been placed to make sure any food allergies were researched. Each item on the menu had a full list of ingredients, so everyone could be sure to not have a possible reaction. Cases of wine were chilling as were several kegs of crafted beer. For guests who declined alcohol, there was choices of iced teas and sodas to enjoy. (Brandi had offered to see if she could work out a discount with assorted distributors on the drinks, but she was told that everything was taken care of.)

The band was done setting up and announced that they were going to do a quick sound check to ensure everything was ready, before taking a break until later in the day. Music flowed, as the voice of Jenny Willetts crooned ‘La Vie En Rose’...

Hold me close and hold me fast,
The magic spell you cast.
This is la vie en rose.

When you kiss me, heaven sighs,
And though I close my eyes,
I see la vie en rose.

When you press me to your heart,
I’m in a world apart,
A world where roses bloom.

And when you speak, angels, sing from above.
Everyday words seem to turn into love songs...

Give your heart and soul to me,
And life will always be,
La vie en rose...

As the gentle lyrics faded, a screaming guitar solo erupted that would have done Chuck Berry proud, followed by the lyrics to ‘Johnny B. Good’.

Alexander Winters stood off to one side and shook his head as the raucous music played. “Damn, she wasn’t kidding!”

Tears shimmered in Lupe’s eyes, for multiple reasons. “Oh, Mama, thank you so much for being here. You have no idea how much this means to me.”

Two days prior, Sylvia and her other daughters arrived in Lodi. This time, however, they had taken a room for the visit at a local hotel. Sadly, Hector chose not to join them. He remained as stubborn as always.

Sylvia hugged her daughter, tears in her own eyes. “I told you nothing short of death would keep me away. Since the day you were born, I knew that one day, I would see you a beautiful bride, married to someone special!” Pulling back, she smiled. “Not quite what I had envisioned, but the love and joy is the same. Brandi is a wonderful woman, and I believe that the two of you will have a lifetime of happiness together.”

“Rosa always was the one to be unconventional, in our family!” Felicia giggled.

The four of them were in a small conference room at the winery. It was one of two ‘Ready Rooms’ that had been set up for each bride. Brandi, Danielle and her two grandmothers were in the second room, fussing away at last minute details.

The previous night, the families had all gone out to a celebration dinner. Stories were shared about the couple, by the family, that were amusing, and in a few cases, slightly embarrassing, but all in good fun.

“You folks know my parents manage a small ranch and board horses,” Danielle stated. “Well, when Brandi was four, she decided that she was not going to wait for her papa to get finished for the day to put her on one of the ponies to go riding. She snuck out to the barn and decided that she wanted to ride a big old fellow named Jester. No idea how she did it, but she stacked two bales of hay together, climbed up and got on him. Then he decided to take a stroll around the paddock with her, bareback.”

“How adorable!” Felecia gushed.

“More like ‘how terrifying!’,” Danielle continued. “He was a Tennessee Walker, really tall, and had a nasty disposition. I freaked out because if he didn’t turn around and bite her, he might rear and toss her off. She was half the size she is now and he weighed over a thousand pounds!”

“Obviously she didn’t get killed,” Karmen laughed. “What happened?”

“My father and two hands came running with lassos to hold him in place so I could grab her.” Danielle closed her eyes remembering. “Craziest thing I ever saw. He was just strolling the paddock, making sure she stayed on him. When we got there, he came over to the fence and stood while we grabbed her. Once she was safe, he cantered off to the other side of the paddock and then took a roll in the dust.”

“I bribed him with an apple first,” Brandi smiled. “We made a deal.”

“Deal or no, missy, your stunt took a few years off my life!”

“Well, this one, over here,” Sylvia pointed at Lupe, “decided that she was going to see if she could run away and join the circus when she was eight.”

“Oh, mama! I did not!”

“Well, maybe not the circus, but close enough. There was a street festival in town and we took the family. There were the typical rides and attractions and a small midway. In one small tent there was a magician doing tricks. Cards, colorful scarves and what-not.”

Lupe blushed slightly.

“Standing next to the magician was a girl in a cute little outfit that while not ‘X’ rated, was a solid ‘R’ rating. Just enough showing to distract the audience.”

“It was pretty! All the sparkles and ribbons!”

“Right. So after the girl gets into the box and vanishes, the show is over and we leave. Well, her father and I each thought the other was watching her and she slipped away. Talk about panic! We found her a few minutes later back at that tent. The girl assisting the magician was talking to her and even had one of the feathered headpieces on her.”

“Her name was Monica.”

“Yes, and I’m sure she was very nice. But I swear I was ready to have the gates locked as we searched for you!”

“Kids teleport,” Jason laughed.

“After that, we saw a pet supply table and her father purchases a six foot long dog leash that we attached to the belt loop on the back of her jeans. In fact, we got two more for her sisters!”

Jason looked over at the girls, and included Alex and the other sisters in his gaze. “I am not going to say that parental blessing of ‘I hope your kids are as bad as you!’ because of one simple reason.”

He paused, then continued.

“Because we grandparents have to babysit them.”

In the other Bride room, Danielle stood to one side as Brandi was fussed over by her grandmothers. The fact that Brandi was getting married once again, to another woman, was of no concern. Nana Winters and Nana Morgan were making sure that every single detail that would make Brandi as beautiful as possible was being taken care of. They had met Lupe along with her family and welcomed them with an open heart. Even now, plans were being made to include all the members of the new extended families to get together for celebrations.

“Sweetheart? I’m going to pop down the hall and see how Lupe is doing. I will be back in a bit.”

“Remind her that I love her!”

“If she doesn’t know that by now, she never will!”

Danielle softly knocked on the closed door and was admitted. “How are you feeling?”

“Excited, and frightened,” Lupe said in a soft voice. “This is a day I have dreamed of for years. Brandi is so wonderful and I can’t believe that she wants me for her wife. At times I fell like I’m not good enough for her. She is perfect!”

Grabbing a chair, Danielle sat down next to the trembling bride. “Funny, Brandi said just about the same thing to me last night about you.”

After the celebration dinner the previous night, Lupe had gone back to the hotel suite with her mother and sisters. Sort of keeping with ‘the couple not seeing each other before the wedding’ tradition. Jason and Alex had gone to sit on the back porch and relax, while Danielle and Brandi sat out front for ‘girl talk’.

“Lupe, I’m certain that you and your mother have had many conversations about how marriage is.” Gathering the young womans hands in her own, Danielle continued. “I want to share with you something that my mother shared with me, many years ago, on the morning that I married Jason. It has helped me many times over the years.”

Looking up, Lupe nodded.

“I’m certain that you have heard many times the phrase that a marriage is a ‘50-50’ thing. Well, it isn’t.”

The others in the room were silent.

“Oh sure, ‘50-50’ implies that everything is equal and you share the load together. But that isn’t true. Each of you need to give ‘100-100’ to the marriage. Every day, give it everything you have to make it work. No slacking off because you expect the other to be there to take up any of your slack. There will be days when life is good, easy, and no troubles. And then there will be days when that isn’t so. Each of you must be willing to prop the other up. Support them. Give that much more, if needed. There have been times when I’m in a funk, and Jason will be there to give more love and support to me until I’m back to my own 100%. Or times when I will have to give 150% on my own to compensate for Jason, because he is having troubles. If both of you do this with an honest and open heart, your marriage will be on the right track

“Communication is one of the most important things in a marriage. If one of you has a concern, tell the other. Don’t let it fester until it explodes and destroys everything. Don’t keep secrets, because when they come to light, the results could end your marriage as quickly as what happened when Brandi found out about Christopher and that other girl. Had he come to her and confessed his cheating, Brandi told me she would have forgiven him once. However, that never happened. As a result, their marriage ended and there was a lot of pain. The blessing of that was it set a series of events into motion that allowed the two of you to meet and fall in love.”

Danielle slipped off the chair and knelt on the floor in front of Lupe, still clutching her hands.

“I’m begging you. Begging you. My baby has given her heart to you. Please, do everything you can to keep it safe from pain. I truly believe that she loves you more than she ever loved Christopher.”

Quiet sobs were heard throughout the room.

“Your love brought my daughter back to me. Jason, Alex and I can’t thank you enough!” Leaning forward, she embraced Lupe. “You are indeed the daughter of my heart.”

By now, tears were flowing uncontrollably from all five women.

“I swear I will love her until my last breath.”

Jason and Alex were standing off to the side under an awning, watching as guests arrived and mingled. Soon, everyone would be seated for the ceremony. The men were dressed for the day, Jason wearing a light charcoal suit, the tie a cobalt blue, to match the dress that Danielle would be wearing. Alex was in his ‘Dress Whites’ as befitting a Naval Officer. A number of women had given him more than a passing glance, since he looked so handsome.

“I’m glad you were able to get here today. I was worried that you would be out at sea.”

Alex laughed. “Dad, the only way I’m going to be ‘out at sea’ will be either for occasional training, or fishing.” Alex had been stationed at the base in San Diego. Because of his degree, he had been assigned to help run the base physical plants. He was part of a team that ensured that the power, water and waste-water for the base was taken care of, beyond what the city and state utilities could handle. “What is that old saying? ‘Join the Navy! See the world!’ but it seems the ‘world’ is San Diego. It didn’t take that long to drive up here at all.”

“I’m surprised you didn’t fly.”

“Between the TSA nonsense and the waiting, it would have been around the same amount of time. Just easier this way. It was a relaxing drive.”

“Hey, Sailor! Buy a girl a drink?”

Alex turned and saw Estrella grinning at him. “Only if I’m allowed a dance, once the reception starts.” She was still in her ‘Roadie’ clothes, but Alex liked what he saw.

“Sure thing. Once the dancing gets started, I should be near the stage. Just look for me there.”

“Perfect, oh, Estrella? This is my father, Mister Smitten Senior. Father of the bride. Well, one of them anyway!”

Jason was looking at his son and then Estrella. “I’m sure someone will fill me in on this later,” he thought, holding out his hand. “A pleasure to meet you.”

“And you as well! Now if you will excuse me, I need to track down a few last minute items for later.” As she headed off, Alex took a long look at the delightful curves that filled the skinny jeans that Estrella was wearing.

“Good grief. You’ve been here just two days and you already have a romantic interest!”

“Relax! I just met her this morning and all I know about her is that she helps her friends in the band lugging stuff around. I’m sure that nothing will come of it.”

Rolling his eyes towards the sky, the father muttered; “And your mother says that I’m the one who is supposedly clueless!”

“Mom? Did you have a chance to read the changes I made on the lyrics?”

“Yes. It fits perfectly, staying with the theme of the song.”

“Thanks. Can you do me a favor and sing it with us later?”

“Only as a duet, sweetie. You know how that goes.”

“Awesome!”

Pulling into the entrance to the winery, Hector Marquez parked his car, and hoped that he was not too late. Getting out, he made a few inquiries and was directed to two men. He saw one was in a suit, while the other was in some sort of military uniform.

“Excuse me. I’m trying to find Rosalinda Marquez. Where is she?”

Both Jason and Alexander knew at once who the stranger was, based just on the name of “Rosalinda’ instead of ‘Lupe’.

“And you are?” Alex asked.

“Her father. I need to see her before a mistake happens that might not be correctable.”

‘El Oso’ suddenly emerged and Jason scowled. “Listen, buddy, I know all about who you are and what type of asshole you can be. If you’re saying that Lupe getting married to my daughter is a mistake and you’re here to start trouble, you can either turn around now and leave, or you will discover how the phrase ‘scrapped off the pavement with a shovel’ will apply.”

A shiver of fear ran through Hector. Though they were of short stature, the men in front of him looked like they would have no qualms about beating him to a bloody pulp.

“No! No! You misunderstand! A father needs to walk his daughter down the aisle at her wedding. I’m just here to beg forgiveness and try to talk with her before the ceremony.”

“Keep an eye on him” Jason told his son. “I’ll be right back. And don’t get any ideas,” he growled.

Slipping inside the door and striding down the hallway, he knocked on a door. “Sylvia?” he kept his voice soft. “Can I see you for a minute?”

Sylvia stepped out of the room, closing the door behind her as Danielle and the three girls giggled inside, waiting until the start of the ceremony. “What’s going on?”

“Unexpected guest. He decided to crash the party at the last minute. He’s outside. Alex is keeping an eye on him.”

“Dios mio. Of all days, he pulls this stunt. Take me to him and please don’t tell the girls he is here.”

“Three minutes. Talk fast.”

All the words that Hector had rehearsed in his mind during the long drive to Lodi fled in an instant. He had come to the realization that his actions were almost criminal in the mental abuse he had heaped on his wife and daughter. He loved his wife. He loved his three daughters. He was well aware of the fact that his family could easily leave him, based on anger and disappointment.

“I was wrong,” he sighed.

Sylvia looked at him with a hard stare. “That’s it? You come here to say ‘I was wrong’ and expect that everything is forgiven?”

“No. What I have done is unforgivable. I am well aware that when we return home, I may not have a home to return to. A man should be at his daughters wedding. Today is that day for her, and I’m not a part of it. I accept that. All I want to do before she walks down the aisle, is that I can talk with her, tell her that I am so sorry for all the pain I’ve created for her. Then I will leave.”

Sylvia opened the door and looked at her three daughters laughing together. “Felicia, Karmen, please wait outside. We will be with you in a few minutes.”

Lupe was as surprised as her sisters. “Mama? What is it?” Sylvia opened the door and Hector stepped into the room, tears leaking from his eyes.

“PAPA!!!” Lupe screamed and ran to her father, wrapping him in a hug. “You came! You came! Prayers answered!”

Hector just stood, holding his daughter as sobs wracked him. “Mi hermosa flor, look at you! A woman on her wedding day. Your intended is fortunate to have you as hers.”

“We are fortunate to have each other!” Lupe stood back slightly. “Why did you decide to come?”

“Several strong conversations with your mother took place. In the end, she told me that what I said or did would not change this day for you and that I was a horrible person for acting the way that I had.” He looked up at Sylvia. “As I told your mother outside, I just wanted to come here today and tell you that I love you, I was wrong, and I’m so very sorry. I know that I can’t be forgiven for the way that I acted.”