Chapter 16: Moving On

A week before the wedding, Andrea returned to work. Her jaw was tender but her spirits were good. The judge had issued the requested restraining order and Kurt Howell was warned in no uncertain terms what the consequences of violating it would be. He was facing trial for assault and, along with having pleaded guilty to assaulting me and resisting arrest, as well as the drunk and disorderly charge, he was in no position to try the court's patience. I had to hope that Andrea would be safe from him now.

Mom and Kim had been busy making the wedding arrangements. It wasn't going to be a big fancy ceremony but I got the impression that Mom was trying very hard to make this a special occasion. We would be married on February 12^th, a Saturday. Valentine's Day was a Monday and that was the first day of our Caribbean cruise. We would fly to Miami on Sunday and leave from Fort Lauderdale the next day, bound for several islands in the Eastern Caribbean. I was looking forward to ten days of sun and pampered luxury, not to mention the company of Kim.

I was pleased to see Andrea fitting in at the store as well as she did. She looked a little wan from her month long ordeal as her jaw healed but otherwise was bright and happy in her new job. I always got a nice smile from her when I was nearby. She was still a very attractive woman and I was sure that if she could get over her mistaken episode with Kurt Howell, she could find herself a man who would treat her with respect and love.

Kim was such a different person from Andrea it was impossible to compare the two. The physical differences aside, she was a wholly different personality. She exhibited determination, focus, a ribald sense of humor, self confidence, and yet tenderness when it was appropriate. She was a more complex personality than Andrea, but one that I had come to appreciate, enjoy, and above all else, love.

I already owned a tuxedo and decided to wear it to our wedding when Kim's father, Charles, declared he would walk her down the aisle in his tux. Len Murchison would be my best man and rented a tuxedo for the occasion. Kim went all out and bought three dresses for the bridesmaids and herself, all in a satin pale blue color that I really liked. The bridesmaids were, of course, Candice and Deborah.

There was a wedding party dinner on Friday evening and it was there I got to meet Charles Rampling. He was, as described, a delightful man. Well read, full of good humor, and pleased to see his daughter happy once more. He and Kim's brother Lou were very close and they made the entire dinner a fun occasion.

I had never pressed Kim to tell me about Lou, but I suspected he might be gay and not feel comfortable with revealing that. I was wrong. He was single but dating a very lovely woman who would be coming to the reception when she finished her work assignment. She was a police officer and in fact, a detective. I thought they made an interesting couple, considering how different they were.

There were twenty-six guests invited and almost all of them showed up at the church. Conspicuously absent was Helen Rampling, Kim's mother. I was delighted to see our housekeeper, Frances Ormstead, in the front row with my parents and the girls. She had been important to us during the last few months and I wanted her recognized.

The ceremony was almost disappointingly brief considering all the work and planning that had gone into the wedding. Kim looked spectacular as expected, but I was blown away by Candy and Deb. They had blossomed into very beautiful young women and looked every bit the part that afternoon. Their twin boyfriends would be joining them at the reception I was told, since they had weekend jobs and couldn't get away until mid-afternoon.

I found I wasn't particularly nervous before the ceremony. I was far more nervous on our first date in fact. When we kissed at the end of the service it dawned on me that I had realized my fantasy. I was married to Kim and we were together until death do us part. It was as if I had been holding my breath all the while waiting for this moment. I let go and gave her a kiss that she would remember for a long time.

The reception was in a small hall adjacent to the church. We had hired a pianist to look after the music for the dance as well as during the obligatory cake-cutting, etc. There were several congratulatory notes, one of which was passed to me in a sealed envelope. I recognized the handwriting and slipped it into my inside pocket to read later.

If there was one surprise it was the appearance of Helen Rampling. I made a special effort to thank her for coming. I was sure she wasn't at the church service, but she made the effort to be at the reception and that was an important signal to me. Perhaps there would be a thaw in the relationship between her, Kim, and her new son-in-law. She was pleasant and complimentary while still avoiding her ex-husband. Charles was wise enough to steer clear of her as well.

For her part, Kim was expressing her happiness by hanging onto my arm at every occasion. There were the obligatory dances with her father and my father, but otherwise she was always close by. She danced with Len when I danced with Frances and with Lou when I danced with our daughters, happily slow ones. It wasn't long before my knee was telling me it was time to take a rest. I had to space my turns around the floor generously in order to remain mobile.

The food was catered and very good. All mother's and Kim's planning had paid off with a wonderful day for us. There wasn't a single moment that I didn't feel our guests were enjoying themselves. We cut the cake and shared it with our friends and relations. There was very little left when that was done.

Candy and Deb's friend Vanessa caught the bouquet. I had a feeling it was a set-up, engineered by Kim and our daughters. John, Vanessa's boyfriend of long-standing, was looking a bit startled when she caught it. I wondered if he knew what the significance was. I was pretty sure the girls did.

The twins arrived a little after the cake cutting but soon got into the swing of things with the girls. They were allowed one glass of champagne, with adults monitoring them to make sure it was just one. I was sitting down more often now as my knee was beginning to ache. Candy and Deb must have noticed since they came over and sat beside me.

"Mr. Tyler," Deb said quietly. "Would it be alright if I called you Dad like Candy does. My real dad was 'Pop' to me, so it wouldn't be the same."

"Of course. I'd be honoured if you did. You are part of the family now, so it's completely appropriate."

"Thanks, Dad," she grinned.

"Candy, are you comfortable calling Kim, Mom?"

"I guess so. I can't think of another name for her and don't think it's right for me to call her Kim in public."

I nodded. She had clearly thought about it and had come up with no alternative but to call her what she called her birth mother.

"You know Grandma is going to keep an eye on you and the house while we're gone. You're both almost adults, so I expect you ... I mean ... we expect you to look after it and call them if you have any problems."

"Yeah ... we know. Behave!" they giggled to each other.

"I think that sums it up nicely," I grinned.

Kim and I had packed for our honeymoon and would spend our wedding night at the local airport hotel since our flight was early the next morning. It was late in the afternoon when we finally checked in and Kim decided to have a shower and change before we went down to dinner. I would follow her when she was done.

As I undressed, I found the letter I had slipped into my tuxedo jacket pocket and took it out. I was sitting on the bed looking at it. It was addressed to me in Andrea's distinctive formal handwriting. I wondered if I should open it, but then I couldn't resist. I unfolded it and began to read.

I flopped back on the bed and the tears came. I couldn't help it. On this day of happiness and celebration, I had been reminded just what had brought it all about. The cost had been high and I had been bottling it up inside me just how devastating our divorce had really been. I had masked it and hid from it and diverted my thoughts from it, but now, in just a few written words, it had all come back.

And that was how Kim found me, my arm over my eyes to cover my tears and the letter lying open on my chest. I felt her more than heard her as she picked the letter up and read it.

"Oh, my," she said softly. I felt her lie down beside me and then hold me. There were no words to share. She understood and simply stayed with me until my emotions were under control.

"Maybe I shouldn't have opened it," I said, looking up at the ceiling.

"Would that have made a difference?" she asked, whispering in my ear.

"No ... I guess not. It had to come sooner or later. I had to put it behind us at long last. No more ghosts. No regrets about us or the future, just the past ... and we can't change that."

I dropped my arm back on the bed and looked at the face of my new bride through blurred eyes. She had a comforting smile on her face and was gazing at me lovingly. I drew her to me and kissed her deeply, hoping to express my love for her.

"Better now?" she asked.

"Much."

I had never been on a cruise before and neither had Kim. The ship was magnificent, almost a city in motion. There was little we couldn't do to entertain ourselves. Our shore visits quickly became shopping tours with all sorts of various retailers being recommended by the cruise line. It didn't take long to figure out that it was all pre-arranged with the retailers.

We made an attempt to get souvenirs from each island for Brandon and the girls. I bought some local costume jewelry for Kim, along with an indecently small bikini that would look spectacular on her if only I could get her to wear it.

We took the local transportation to get around in order to save wear and tear on my knee. They were often small, gas powered over-sized golf cars with an open top for a sun shade. A couple of them were old modified mini cars from the sixties. Nonetheless, they were ideal for getting around the hilly islands and seeing the sights off the beaten track. The drivers, when we could understand them with their thick accents, were full of helpful information about their island.

The days seemed to pass by in a flash and I was almost wishing we'd taken a longer cruise. Almost because I was a bit anxious to get back to our home and the store. Perhaps next time. When our ship returned to Fort Lauderdale we were rested, sun tanned and well fed. Our nights and a couple of our afternoons were spent in the cabin making love as well as sleeping. We extracted every bit of fun and togetherness out of our honeymoon.

When Kim and Deb moved in after my second episode with my knee, we talked about the future merging of the two families. It wasn't much of a discussion since everyone agreed that my home was the most suitable for us with four bedrooms and a potential suite above the garage in case of visitors. The mortgage on Kim's home had been retired and her real estate agent was confident that even in this slow market it would sell promptly.

I insisted that it was her money and should be kept for her purposes. We weren't short of money in any case and Kim's investments were still making a modest return, even in the "down" economy. The insurance settlement from the construction company had been over four million dollars and she had taken some good advice to protect it for the future.

But Kim can be stubborn when she wants to be and in this case she worked her way around me by seducing the girls and Brandon with the idea of a swimming pool in our large back yard. Of course, that would also include a hot tub and that would mean expanding the deck as well. With four against one I surrendered, knowing full well that it would be pointless to resist.

With some rapid planning and a soft construction market, we had the plans approved and construction started within the month. The pool would be ready for the warmer spring weather. I'm not sure, but I got the feeling that Kim was as excited about the pool as the girls were. Or ... maybe it was the hot tub.

There are always surprises in life and I got one from a place I didn't expect; Brandon. Well, not Brandon directly, but Candy to begin with.

"Dad, has Brandon ever talked to you about what he wants to do after college?"

"No ... not that I can recall. Why do you ask?"

"Well ... maybe I shouldn't say anything ... but ... I think he'd like to work with you at Highland."

"Really? I had no idea."

"You know he's taking Business Administration with a minor in accounting, right?"

"Yes."

"Well, he thinks that's what he'd need if he went to work for you. He says he wants to keep Highland in the family."

I was shocked. Although he'd worked at the store before going off to college, he never indicated an interest in making it permanent.