Chapter 41: One Wedding (Mary)

We had the wedding on Friday before the mid-semester break. Sigrid's and Tom's folks flew in with her minister the night before. I'd met Tom's dad when he came down to see the house. He took a look at what we'd done and shook his head.

"Now, Doug," his wife said, "It's warm and clean. Don't ask for too much."

"No, hon. I meant they've worked wonders."

We all went out to eat. The Sorensons were great, warm folks, and their minister was nice, serious and lots of fun.

Anne put it right to him. "You happy with this ceremony, Al?"

"Well, I have to admit I wouldn't have suggested it. But considering the circumstances, I think it is a far better solution than a lot of couples manage. And to my mind, it's a moral solution to a real issue."

The next morning we gathered in the living room. We'd moved the mattresses downstairs. The floors shone with their new finish, the sun beat through the windows — we opened the inner doors and an outer window for fresh air.

Sigrid wore a white Mexican wedding dress made of alternating bands of starched white cotton and wide lace through which her skin glowed. Tom wore a boring old blue suit, but no one had been able to talk him out of it. Actually, he looked great.

The minister stood to the side of the fire we'd laid just because it looks so great. Most of the service was the old familiar. I loved Sigrid's changes.

"How come you two to this ceremony of marriage?"

"We come together, each of our own will and desire."

No Foresakings, but after their own vows, they turned to the rest of us.

"We, Tom and Sigrid, take you, Anne, Alex, Mary, Saul and Will, to be our spiritual and physical spouses, from this day forward, for better, for worse, in sickness and in health, till death do us part."

We returned the same vows. Al pronounced us all men and wives.

When we worked it out that Friday, Saul had said, "The rabbis wouldn't hear it. But it satisfies me."

The moms and dads gave us all a great wedding luncheon. We took them to the airport, and when they had left we gathered in our incredible home and I made some spicy spaghetti putanesca.

"To encourage the lovers," I said. I'd read it somewhere.

Saul had organized a big jug of red wine. We'd changed into not much of anything to eat around our old Salvation Army table. It felt great to be together.

After Anne served cappuccino nudo Saul rose at the end of the table. "As one cause of all this craziness, I think today is one of the greatest in my life." Everyone agreed with that.

"I just want to tell our honeymooners what the rules are, so we all know what's what. Sigrid, Tom, we will shortly escort you to your bridal chamber, such as it is. It will remain your private space until you invite one or more of us in to join you. Or, until one other thing happens. Sigrid, you helped us put the mattresses back in front of the fire just now. Thanks for your help. But the next time you set foot on the Big Bed, you are fair game; the honeymoon is over. Okay?"

Sigrid stood up in her turn, her wine glass in her hand. She had removed her panties for coffee and for the first time since work on the house began, was totally nude.