Chapter 29

Presidents Day dawned cloudy and blustery. There was a storm front hovering off the coast, coyly teasing the weather forecasters about if, when, and where it would decide to come ashore.

The warmth and love inside the church made everyone inside forget the weather outside.

Sandy Goodwin attended to Barbara and Sammy, as they first helped Sammy into her bridesmaid's dress, then Barbara into her wedding gown.

Barbara's brother Scott ensured Raul and Bobby were safely in their tuxes, and he and his fiancée Teresa dashed from room to room to coordinate the entry of the principals into the sanctuary.

Raul's cousin John Ramirez, and his frequent police patrol partner (and Sandy's current love interest) Pete Riordan were the ushers (although Pete unfortunately would have to leave to cover a night shift, before the reception would be over). Patty, Collette, Dave, and Julie had arrived early; the girls batting their eyelashes at the grinning ushers in order to stake out a pew up front.

They were chatting while they waited for the church to fill and the service to begin. Patty was the first to spot Morton as he approached their seats. Collette felt her suddenly tense up and go on full alert status. She looked back up the center aisle to see what had caused her friend to react that way.

Morton was coming down the center aisle, accompanied by a very pretty girl who was holding his hand. She somehow looked familiar to Patty, but she couldn't quite place her. She had brown hair and a slender athletic looking body, which seemed to glide down the aisle next to Morton. There was something different about Morton, too, but she was so distracted by his companion that she couldn't tell what it was.

Collette could see white in the knuckles of Patty's hand that gripped the seat back of the pew.

"Easy girl," she whispered in warning to Patty. "Wait to see who she is."

Patty turned to look at Collette with intensity strong enough to melt metal. "Well who the f... heck can she be? She's holding his hand," she whispered back to Collette.

Collette didn't reply; instead she began gently rubbing Patty's back in a soothing pattern.

Morton and the girl arrived at their pew.

"Hi ya'll," he said softly. "This is my sister, Leticia. She's been wanting to meet you guys, and we thought this would be a fun way to do that." Collette felt Patty immediately relax. Patty realized sheepishly that Leticia had looked familiar because of the family resemblance to her boyfriend.

They entered their row, and stepped over everyone's feet on the way to sit on the end next to Patty. As they passed each person, Morton briefly introduced them to Leticia.

As they passed in front of Collette, she exclaimed in true straightforward Collette fashion: "Hey, what happened to your glasses? You're looking good, Morty!"

When they were seated, Morton gave Patty a quick peck on the mouth.

"Surprise," he said with a smile. "My sister here persuaded me to finally try contacts."

"Wow, Morton. You look really good! Not that you didn't before," she hastened to add.

"Hi Patty," said Leticia. "I'm so glad to meet you. Morton can hardly talk about anything or anyone else these days, so I just had to come."

"Nice to meet you too," replied Patty. "Morton had told me he had three beautiful sisters."

Leticia playfully slapped Morton's arm. Morton responded by looping an arm over Patty's shoulders, and the other over Leticia's.

"Now I want my two best girls to get along," he said with mock seriousness.

"I was serious about him talking about nothing but you, Patty," said Leticia. "And he has so much more energy since you two met," she added, reaching up to affectionately rub Morton's hand that was resting on her shoulder.

At that comment, Collette's attention, which had been only partially directed to the conversation next to her, now turned and focused on Morton and Leticia. Dave on the other side of Collette noticed her twitch, and also began listening to see what had caught his sister's ear.

"Is that so," said Patty with a smile.

"Absolutely," replied Leticia. "I'm usually around when he comes home from seeing you, and it's amazing how he's just raring to go. It's all I can do to keep up with him while he talks about you!" She gave her brother a kiss on the cheek, while still rubbing Morton's hand.

"Really," said Patty with delight. She could see that Morton was beginning to squirm. "What does he say?"

"Well, I'm afraid most of it isn't suitable to repeat in church, Patty," Leticia said with a wink.

"Oh, god," moaned Morton.

"Well, he says that too," said Leticia with a giggle.

"We're definitely going to have to talk some more," Patty said to Leticia conspiratorially.

Collette and Dave watched as Leticia smiled invitingly at Patty. "I think I'd like that Patty. I think I'd like it a lot."

She noticed Collette and Dave looking interestedly at her over Patty's shoulder. When Morton and Patty turned to look at each other again, Leticia looked across at the two siblings and gave them a wink. She was rewarded with slow grins appearing on their faces as they looked at her under her brother's arm.

Their attention was then diverted by the pastor, followed by Raul, Bobby, and Scott entering from stage right. They took their places on the dais, looking expectantly towards the rear of the sanctuary.

The girls exchanged knowing glances, as they all wordlessly observed that Bobby looked hot in his tuxedo.

As Pete Riordan completed his usher duties by opening the doors at the back, the organist began playing the bridal march, and the entire congregation rose as one, turning to look as Sammy and Barbara entered the church.

Bobby and Raul gasped as they looked at the two visions coming towards them.

Sammy was wearing a dark blue, strapless, floor length dress. The material seemed to shimmer as she walked slowly and gracefully down the aisle. Her hair was piled on top of her head, her elegant neck exposed. It was a look few had ever seen on her before. Though they didn't know it, both Raul and Bobby had the same thought: this girl has become a beautiful woman.

Their eyes then shifted to Barbara.

She was glowing.

She was radiant.

She was joyful.

She was an angel in white.

Her eyes looked neither right nor left to acknowledge the well-wishers that surrounded her. They were locked with Raul's eyes. And the happiness the two exchanged as they beheld each other, infected all present. Smiles erupted on everyone's faces, as they observed and felt the love between the intended, so visible to all of them, the invited witnesses to their joy.