Chapter 15: Better and Worse

Because it was on Christmas Eve, the wedding was supposed to be a simple thing with just family. Just a few people standing under the willow tree out front and then dinner at home. At some point, however, it had spiraled completely out of Rachael's control. When they renewed the engagement, JD hired a wedding planner and gave the woman's phone number to both of their mothers. After that, Rachael was consulted about colors and preferences, but really was no longer involved with the planning.

It was supposed to be just her and JD. Maybe Marcus and Helen. Her sisters. Instead the wedding party included all of them plus Charles, Edward and all seven grandchildren. They were still in front of the willow tree but now they also had a tent that held 200 guests - that way they could serve the buffet outside as well. Apparently, outdoor weddings in December are not impossible. She had at least insisted and won on her choice of silk flowers; fresh flowers were just too expensive.

It was all costing a small fortune even so. 'We could have bought a car. Two cars.' She reminded JD almost daily. He simply shrugged. His mother was happy, her mother was happy and that was all he cared about. The whole month of December, JD seemed to be absurdly nauseatingly happy while Rachael stressed about the event. He had invited her whole family: first, second and third relations she had not seen since early childhood including one aunt still living in Puerto Rica. McElroys seemed to ooze out of the river to attend to wedding.

"You gonna be there?" he asked when she complained about it again.

"Of course; don't be stupid."

"Then wha'do I care who else comin'?" He kissed her nose and headed back to his office.

Helen and Marcus were in charge of the bachelor/bachelorette parties, both planned for the 22nd. That morning, a line split down the family - all the women moved into the family home and the men were mostly at Marcus and Candice's house. Less that an hour after JD had been 'thrown out', the seamstress arrived for the final fittings and Rachael saw her full wedding party for the first time.

The color of the day was pale green - willow green - and everyone was in a shade near it. Rachael's long sleeve white dress was embroidered with pale green willow leaves around the collar, cuffs, waist and hem and the veil was pale green with white leaves around its edges. As maid of honor, Helen wore the same shade of green with white leaves embroidered. Gabriella, Lucille, Gracie, Beth and Joan were in progressively darker shades. Jean wore a tuxedo; she would walk in with her sister and 6-year-old Robert but would stand on JD's side with Alex, Peter, Edward, Charles and Marcus. Not traditional, but not much at this wedding was. Rachael felt like she was either crying or giggling all day.

After the fitting, Hanna, Stacy, Candice, Elizabeth, April, Momma McElroy, Momma Sullivan - as she had become known - and Tanta Nilda joined them for lunch. The sixteen of them squeezed around the dining room table and talked about family and marriage and Rachael cried again. She could not seem to help her self and every little thing overwhelmed her. Her sisters agreeing that the dresses were pretty. Helen actually showing up for a wedding. All the hugging. And above all, that JD still wanted to marry her.

After lunch, she was sent to her room for a nap, which she resisted in principal, but she felt much better when she awoke several hours later. Hanging on her door was a garment bag with a "wear this" note taped to it. Inside was a white sheaf - barely more than a slip really - a pair of long white gloves, white lace stockings and a veil.

"Good grief!" Rachael thought and opened the door to set Helen straight only to find Hanna sitting there waiting.

"Helen said if-n you thinkin' uh wearin' somethin' else, you'd best think again. Even in Reedville, we kin throw a bachelorette party. Now go on an' git dressed; e'body waitin' on you."

"Why did I let Helen plan this?" Rachael lamented as she searched for bra and panties that would not leave badly visible lines. It took her nearly a half hour to dress and do her hair but when she was finished, she had to admit she looked good. "I'll have to wear this for JD next week, I think." She did not what she was packing, in all honesty. JD planned the honeymoon and but would not tell her where they were going. She stepped out of the room and froze. Just down the hall, Hanna had changed clothes and now wore a surprisingly tight short skirt. Stacy was helping her adjust her stockings and had a hand much higher under Hanna's skirt than the operation could need. Rachael heard Hanna groan then sigh and Stacy giggle. Rachael turned her back quickly and shut her door loudly. Behind her, she heard them gasp in surprise.

"Damn!" Hanna burst, "No wonder Uncle Julius look sa happy these days."

"Oh, yeah," Stacy agreed, "An' George say they a couple uh bunnies in the office."

"We are not." Rachael blushed at the comment. Neither woman looked guilty and Rachael did not want to ask about what she saw, "Come on." Stacy wore a pair of painted on jeans and a sequined halter-top. Similarly attired in the living room were Helen, Elizabeth, April, Gabriella and Lucille.

"Aunt Candice took the girls to a movie." April said, "Gracie is hot because she's going with them not with us."

Stacy shrugged, "She'll get over it. That one's gonna find herself in trouble, if she's not more careful."

"Like mother, like daughter?" April offered.

Stacy got a little indignant, "George an' me were different. We were in love."

Elizabeth snorted and April laughed.

There was a knock on the front door and Helen jumped up expectantly. Rachael looked around. There were already eight of them. She could not imagine whom else Helen invited.

It was a limo driver. "Thank Marcus." Helen said as they all piled into the far too spacious vehicle. "He seemed to think we'd indulge in a bit of spirits this evening and didn't want any one driving drunk. I didn't argue since..." She opened a bottle of champagne and began pouring carefully. They finished that bottle and a second toasting the bride, the groom, the driver and anything else they could think of during the two-hour drive to Richmond.

True to form, the evening started with dinner at a very nice strip club. Helen informed every employee that Rachael was a bride-to-be and provided pens for anyone who wanted to sign her dress with a name and phone number. By the time they left, Rachael was suitably mortified and the others in the group had collected a few numbers of their own. They worked their way through two more clubs before Helen accosted Rachael on the dance floor, away from the rest of the group.

Wrapped around her from behind, Helen nuzzled Rachael's hair then whispered in her ear, "One last time?"

"Oh, god." Rachael groaned, realizing that she had had far too much to drink to have any resistance to that. JD understood about Helen, he said. Hell, JD probably wanted Helen himself. Helen kissed her neck and she shivered. She started to turn around but stopped when Hanna danced in front of her and sandwiched Rachael between them. "Oh, god." Rachael groaned again; they were pushing all the right buttons and she would not see JD again until the wedding.

Helen and Hanna both took a step back as the others joined them. Hanna whispered something to Stacy and her eyes darted from Rachael to Helen and back to her sister-in-law. They both giggled giddily as Lucille slid up to Rachael and pulled her aside.

"Isn't she a little, you know, touchy-feely?"

"Who, Helen?"

"Yeah. I saw her and the other one you were dancing with..."

"Hanna."

"Yeah, they were in the bathroom and they were not shy."

"Oh." Rachael frowned and danced over to Helen, "You promised, hands off the McElroys."

"I promised hands off the married McElroy men."

"So?"

"Hanna's not 'men'. Or married. " Helen smiled, wickedly, "Come to think of it, neither is JD. Yet."

Rachael had time to roll her eyes before Gabriella and Elizabeth pulled her over to a table of guys having a bachelor party to get her dress signed. By this time, there were signatures on her gloves and stockings as well. Before she left the table, the DJ made an announcement about Rachael's signature dress. Rachael saw April wave from the booth just before a crowd of signers blocked her view. Someone handed Rachael another drink, and eventually, steered her back on to the dance floor - where she stayed until the club turned on the lights and all but swept the eight of them out at 2:30am.

Helen called the limo and Rachael stole a moment to dial JD's cell.

He answered on the second ring, "Ain't you 'posed ta be off fornicatin' wit yo' friend?"

"Same to you. You're not supposed to answer my call." she laughed, "I wanted to leave you a dirty message."

"Oh, well, then. Here, le'see if-n this young'un wants ta do that fo' me." He moved the phone aside and she could hear bad rock and loud voices in the background, "Honey, com'er an' talk ta mah wife." Rachael heard both Charles and Marcus react to that but the phone changed hands and a very young voice said, "Hello?"

"Oh my god!" Rachael laughed then noticed her group waiting for her, "JD is so drunk!" she thought for a moment then spoke to the girl on the phone, "Ok, here's what I want you to do: Blow him - right there in front of everybody - trust me, under those conditions, it won't take long. Then when you're done, tell him that Helen said she'd see him later." She hung up the phone and got in the limo.

Gabriella stared at her, "Did you just tell another woman to suck off JD? And what was the 'Helen' thing?"

"Oh it's all in good fun." Rachael laughed and took yet another glass of champagne, "He's probably too drunk to notice. Or remember. Hell, I'm probably too drunk to remember."

"Gabby, relax!" Lucille handed her sister a glass and took a sip from her own, "Ok, ok! Truth or Dare?"

The whole group chimed in and calls of "Bride first" rang out.

"Ok, ok, ok, ok, ok, ok." Rachael finished the wine and gestured for a refill. "Truth."

"Straight or Bi?" Hanna shouted out.

Gabriella was visibly appalled but Stacy slapped Hanna's thigh sharply. "She's just being bitchy because she thinks we're playing family rules."

"What's that?" Lucille asked.

Elizabeth answered, "Basically, ya'll can't refuse uh challenge an' e'eryone answahs all questions." She shrugged, "We spend a whole lotta time tagethuh so it ain't like we got uh lotta secrets 'round here."

"Very straight." Gabriella stated flatly.

"Very clear." Hanna replied smiling, "But the bride was 'posed ta answah firs'"

"Bi" Rachael admitted, "but Helen already told you that, I'm sure."

"Really?" Lucille was mildly shocked, "Since when?"