Chapter 48

The wedding ceremony and the reception that followed was the biggest social event in Chicago in years. Although each of the girls had been planning for her own small wedding, in the event there was a multiple wedding in the cathedral: Cindy married Dan, Cathy married Ken, Kelly married Kevin, Susan married Mike, and April married Ron. When the couples were lined up at the altar, everyone — even the professional photographers — agreed that they were the most beautiful girls they had ever seen. The day was one filled with vignettes.

Cathy was dressing in Cindy's apartment. It had been funny with two brides dressing in a single unit. She had just put on a pair of white bikinis and was pondering her gown when the doorbell rang. She looked through the peephole and opened it for her mother. Although it had been less than a week since they had been together in New Orleans, her mother already looked different. Vangie was beautifully dressed as the mother of the bride.

Returning to her bedroom, Vangie said, "Darling, could I look at you this once? I only found my daughter five days ago and I'm losing her already. Cathy, I can't imagine a more beautiful bride than you are today. Just think! Tonight you'll be with Ken. Are you eager?"

Cathy went to her mother, set herself down on her lap and hugged her. Then she eased away and said, "Mother, there's something you should know. I have no birth-control devices at all, and Ken promised he won't have any, either. Does that bother you?"

"My darling daughter, nothing could thrill me more! It sounds like I may be a grandmother pretty soon, though." She smiled warmly and added, "Honey, I think you're going to prove to be very fertile. That doesn't bother you, does it?"

"Isn't that what it's all about, Mom? Raising a family?" Then her face fell and she said, "Mother, I'm scared about tonight! I think it would be better if I were more experienced."

"Don't worry, honey," Vangie said. "It won't hurt too much. Honest!"

Cathy shook her head rapidly and said, "Mom, that's not the problem. I'm afraid Ken is going to be disappointed. I really don't know what to do!" Then she brightened and added, "Of course, it could be much worse. If it hadn't been for the last month at Cindy's, I wouldn't have known anything! Speaking of which, how are you making out with Jan? You look good, but I can't really see the difference."

"I think I'll survive," Vangie replied with a grin. "I understand what you mean about lovemaking now, though. Those two are simply beautiful together. You can't see it, but I'm only wearing a fraction of the makeup I used to, and if today weren't your wedding, I wouldn't be wearing any at all. It's funny, too. They're treating me the way they treated Cindy on the first day — I sleep on the floor in the kitchen. But I end the day so tired, though, it doesn't even matter. I think I could fall asleep curled up in the oven."

Then she shook her head and said, "Darling Cathy, I want to apologize to you again for being such a god-awful mother to you. Now that you're about to marry a terrific guy and go off together, I find out how wonderful you are." Her tears were flowing as she concluded, "God! You had to put up with an awfully sorry excuse for a mother!"

Cathy, still sitting on Vangie's lap, put her arms around her and hugged her tightly saying, "Regardless, you're my mother and I love you very much! Honest, Mom, I do. I won't comment on anything else. All I will say is that I'm the fruit of your loins. I have to love you the same way I have to breathe. I really do."

Vangie's tears had stopped as she looked at her daughter with incredulity. "You really mean that, don't you?" she said. "God, thank you! I certainly don't deserve the love of such a wonderful person, but I'll take anything I can get." She grinned and said, "Now, lady, you're not getting any lighter, you know. And you're wrecking my nice new mother-of-the-bride dress!"

Cathy winked, jumped up and finished her dressing.

Breaking with tradition, Cindy insisted that her new mother, Mary, ride in the limousine with her father to the church. Mary looked at Cindy and just shook her head but with her eyes gleaming. "Darling," she said, "You're utterly exquisite today. I have never seen a woman look so happy in my life!"

Don couldn't resist the opportunity to tease his daughter for the last time. "Honey," he said, "there are two things that concern me. First, you're so nervous. Second, will you make me a promise?"

Cindy was completely relaxed and knew she looked it. Raising an eyebrow she asked, "Promise?"

"No quickie at the altar rail? Promise?" he asked with his eyes dancing.

"Pooh!" she exclaimed, "You're no fun! Of course you're a banker so what can you expect?" Then she daintily stuck out her tongue and then grinned.

As they neared the church, she took her father in her arms and hugged him tightly. She said, "Dad, I think I said it before, but I want you to know I meant it: A girl couldn't have a better father than you. Will you kiss your single daughter one last time?"

"Aren't you afraid I'll spoil your makeup?" he teased, but took her into his arms and kissed her soundly. Then she also got a very warm kiss from Mary as the limousine pulled up to the church.

Standing in the vestibule of the church, April looked down at Ronnie. The little boy was being entrusted with no less than five wedding rings which were on a little pillow he was to carry. He looked up at his mother and said, "Mommy, you look so beautiful! Will Daddy be living with us from now on?"

Tears were in the corners of April's eyes as she nodded and said, "Yes, he will, Ronnie. Are you happy?" The boy just beamed his sunshine smile.

April looked up at John Smith standing beside her. He was escorting her down the aisle acting in place of her late father, and she could see he was nervous. Smiling warmly she said, "John, thank you so much for what you're doing today. I very know it's very hard on you, but I want you to know how much I appreciate it!"

John was jerked out of his reverie. He was genuinely shocked by April's words. He shook his head and said warmly, "April Jefferson, you don't understand one damned thing! Do you know what I was thinking? I was thinking about the honor extended to me of escorting the most beautiful young woman in the world down the aisle on my arm. A girl who's the daughter of one of our nation's heros, the daughter of a genuine queen, and a princess in her own right. And who am I? A dumb ex-jock and ex-addict. I was wondering how I ever got so lucky."

April looked up at him and said softly, "John, I want to thank you for what you've done for my mother. I used to hear her crying in an agony of wanting. Now I still hear her cry," she said with a warm smile, "but now it's the joy of satisfied passion. It's what I see and hear with Cindy and the Stewarts. It's the sound of a woman's fulfillment."

In spite of her smile, tears trickled from her eyes as she added, "She loves you very much, John Smith, and I want you to know that I do, too. I never knew my father, but I'm sure, wherever he is, he's going to be very proud to see me go down the aisle on the arm of a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame ... a gentle giant who I dearly love. Thank you, Dad!"

Smith was genuinely astonished. He looked down at April and could see the warmth and the tears in her eyes. Slowly he bent down and kissed her softly full on the mouth and then held her tightly. He whispered, "April Jefferson, you have just made me the happiest man on the face of the earth! That you could even speak of me in the same breath as your father is the nicest thing you could ever do. April, I love you very much ... nearly as much as I love your mother."

Then he carefully wiped the tears from her eyes and said, "A woman couldn't possibly look more beautiful than you do today. I know you'll be very happy!"

At the altar, Mary lifted back Cindy's veil and kissed her sweetly. Then she gave Cindy's hand to Dan and returned to the pew. Cindy looked at Dan for the first time that day and her heart leaped. Why do I feel this way? she wondered. It's not like I haven't been sleeping with him constantly. Why? Dan was in a morning suit and looked incredibly handsome.

In fact, she thought, I have never seen him look so good! He took her hand and squeezed it, telling her he understood. There was intense love and gratitude in the look she gave him as they went, hand in hand, up to the altar for the Mass and their exchange of wedding vows.

When the ceremony was over, there was an impromptu reception in the vestibule of the Cathedral for those who were unable to attend the formal reception. Cathy was standing beside Ken and next to Vangie and Ed, looking over the crowd. She realized that most of the Bears — certainly all who were still in the Chicago area — had attended. There were also a great many people she recognized as customers of the Special Lending Division who had come to see the wedding of most of the members of the unit's senior management.

Cathy was feeling warm and wonderful, thinking of what was to come that night. Her earlier fears had been allayed when she saw the love in Ken's eyes when they were at the altar. Then she heard a woman's voice with a wonderful Irish lilt in her speech say, "Excuse me?"

She jerked herself back to the present and saw a beautiful auburn-haired woman standing in front of her. She realized the woman was nearly as tall as she was. When she had Cathy's attention, she extended her hand and said, "My name is Colleen Callahan. You don't know me, Mrs. Bradley, but I knew you when you were just a baby. I wanted to come and give you an Irish blessing for your wedding. You're such a beautiful bride!"

Cathy turned to her mother and said, "Mom, here's a woman you should greet. She knew me when I was just a baby. Her name is Colleen Callahan." As she said it, Cathy knew the name was familiar — a name she had heard for the first time very recently but she couldn't place it.

Vangie was talking to Ed Bradley but spun around when she heard the name. Seeing the woman, she let out a cry, ran to her and hugged her tightly. Tears started to flow as she kissed the woman and just held her murmuring, "Colleen! It's been so long! I was talking about you just a few days ago." She moved back, held the woman at arms length and looked at her.

Colleen Callahan was a tall, truly beautiful woman with wavy auburn hair that was longer than shoulder length, emerald-green eyes and a beautiful figure. However, there were worry lines around her eyes. Her clothes were very inexpensive, but Vangie realized that they were very tasteful and very well cared-for. Moreover, she had a flair for color and accents that she used to get the greatest mileage from what she had.

As she held her and looked into her beautiful green eyes, she shook her head sadly. "Colleen, would you believe it? This is the first time I realized you have green eyes? All I remember now was my disgusting behavior towards you: having you strip to the waist to inspect your tits like some cow!"

Vangie looked up and saw another young woman — a young Colleen — standing in the background. "Who is this, Colly? It can only be your daughter." Again tears flowed as she added, "Would you believe it? I don't even know her name! She lived with us for two years but I could only think of her as competition for your milk!"

Turning towards Cathy, Vangie said, "Darling, I want you to meet the woman who, more than anyone, is responsible for you being the way you are. Honey, Colleen was your nurse for the first two years of your life. She fed you, changed you and loved you!"

Cathy didn't understand her reaction. She went to the beautiful woman and hugged her while she could feel her tears start to flow. Meanwhile, Vangie had gone to the other young woman and said, "Welcome! You have to be Colleen's daughter. You lived with me and I saw you grow from infancy but I don't even know your name."

The girl extended her hand and smiled, but Vangie could see there was no warmth in it. She said, "How do you do, Mrs. Collins. I'm Maureen Callahan, and I'm very pleased to meet you."

Vangie ignored the extended hand and took the young woman in her arms and hugged her tightly. She whispered in her ear, "Young lady, it's apparent that you're a great deal more objective than your mother is. You know how shabbily I treated her. Darling, all I can ask is that you'll give me the chance to earn your forgiveness."

Stepping back, she held the girl's hands in hers and looked into her eyes whispering, "Will you? Please? Maureen, I'm not asking for forgiveness. I'm only asking for the chance to try to earn it. Is that asking too much?"

Maureen Callahan was completely taken aback. Although her mother had never spoken ill of Vangie Collins, the girl had pieced together enough of the events during her infancy to have developed an abiding hatred for the woman. She had followed Mrs. Collins in the society pages and national magazines even after they had moved from New York to Illinois.

Everything she had ever seen or read confirmed her opinion that Vangie Collins was a selfish airhead who cared nothing for anyone else. Yet this woman's behavior today was totally out of the pattern she had observed. She looked at her and saw incredible love in her eyes. There was something else. She could see the pleading there, too, as the woman just looked at her and waited.

Maureen smiled — it was a real smile, this time — and said, "Mrs. Collins, there is absolutely nothing to forgive. My mother has told me thousands of times how you took us in when she was penniless with a newborn infant and took care of us. She told me that, without you, we might never have made it. How could I possibly dislike you?"

Shaking her head, Vangie smiled wryly and said, "Because you recognize the truth behind what your mother was saying. You know that I was the most selfish excuse for a human being on two feet. I suspect that even though you were only a tiny infant, you knew that your mother was being treated like an animal ... a human cow. You know that your mother was being far too forgiving to me, for whatever reasons. You were more objective and far more accurate in your assessment."

She continued to study the girl closely and saw something in her eyes and bearing. "There's something else, isn't there? Your mother wants to do something that you don't approve of. What is it, Maureen?"

The girl's eyes widened but then she temporized. "I didn't think you were so perceptive, Mrs. Collins," she said coolly. Then she exclaimed, "I told her we don't need any of your damned money!"

Vangie let the subject drop and turned towards Cathy. Colleen was holding her at arms length and was just looking at her. As she watched, Cathy moved close and just hugged the older woman. She whispered, "Mom, I'm so scared! Tonight is going to be just awful."