Chapter 22: Getting Married and Other Stuff

I would never dream of saying this to Dory, but getting married was almost an interruption in my life. We, the staff and I, were so involved in getting the store ready for the grand re-opening that I was feeling more than distracted when guests for the wedding arrived in town and Dory and I were expected to greet and entertain them.

I think part of my frustration went back to a conversation that I had with Paul Ildebrun several weeks earlier. I had talking about how it wouldn't feel much different when Dory and I were married. We were already living as man and wife.

"That's true, you are," Paul agreed. "In fact, in the eyes of the law, Dory is your common-law wife. Because you both contribute to the household and both live and eat and share the same bed together, you are considered legally married under Common Law. You probably didn't notice, but when you filled out your tax form, there was an opportunity to have Dory as a legal exemption under that status."

"I guess I knew that, but never thought about it. Well, I'll still feel better when we are formally married. It will mean a lot to our families and to us."

"I'm sure it will," Paul agreed.

There wasn't going to be a bachelor party, but Paul, my father, Bobby Paulson, Jonathan Moir, and my brother John did take me out for a "last supper" as they called it. Bobby organized a people-van to get us to and from our homes to allow us to celebrate without worrying about driving. There was nothing crazy about the evening, but we did have fun, told stories (some about my parents I'd never heard), drank some really good ale, and generally had a good time.

I hadn't seen my brother, John, for two years, and then only briefly when he was on his way through to a job in the Yukon. He was living in Alberta now, working in the gas fields on the eastern edge of the Rockies. Something to do with sulphur extraction and making good money by the sound of it. There was still no sign of a significant woman in his life. He seemed committed to the bachelor existence and wasn't unhappy with his lot. We couldn't have been much different in our outlook, but we still got along well and it was good to be able to spend a few days with him.

I knew the women had chosen to fete Dory in a similar way, getting together at The River House for a party that included my mother, Nana, Miranda Ildebrun, Penny Moir, Simone Paulson, Phyllis Yardley, and my sister Pamela. They would have a good time together and they used the same people van service to escort them.

Pam was entering her first year at the University of Victoria. She was considering two majors, Marine Biology or Oceanography, both of which were offered in various specialties. She would spend her first year deciding which direction to take. Our brief trip to Ucluelet and Johnstone Strait had convinced her that this was her calling. She hadn't wavered a bit since then, and her grades in her final year of high school had earned her two bursaries that would help her achieve her goal. She would be boarding with friends of my parents to help keep the costs down, but I knew that wasn't an issue any more since Dad had cashed some of Grandad's discovered stocks and put a sizeable amount aside for her education.

Bobby Paulson revealed that the "club" had dissolved when Merilee White had threatened to expose all the members. She had been trying to seduce another man after her failure with Dory's father and it had backfired badly when that man, Doug Chalmers, had refused her advances and insisted that Merilee be refused any further involvement with the group. Apparently, Merilee's parents agreed with Doug and their daughter didn't take it well. Her threats were taken seriously and it was decided that this particular group would break up and go their separate ways. It was unclear what would become of Merilee, but her parents insisted that she would not be talking about anyone whom she had encountered at the meetings.

The wedding day dawned cloudy but with a promise of sun that afternoon. I hoped so. Dory deserved it. We'd gone through a lot to get to here and I wanted it to be perfect for her. We had decided not to wear tuxedos, so my dark blue suit, and a new shirt and tie would be fine. Dory was wearing a beautiful white gown she and her mother had picked out weeks ago. When Bobby escorted her down the aisle in the little church, she looked absolutely radiant, smiling broadly at the assembled people in the pews.

The service was over before I realized it. We had said the words, but Paul was right. We were already married before this. Our commitment wasn't any greater with the blessing of the church or society in general. We were deeply in love with each other and this ceremony was more for the benefit of our families and friends.

The reception, like the wedding, was small and intimate. Eddie and Arnold and their wives had arrived that morning by float plane. Fewer than fifty people were at the ceremony, and only one or two more at the reception. It was held under a canopy in our back yard. Happily, the weather forecast was right and the sun came out while we were in the church and the warmth and the slight sea breeze made the afternoon perfect.

My parents, Nana, and Pam all left on a three day holiday to Ucluelet on Monday morning. Pam had convinced them that it was a trip to remember and I was sure they too would think so afterwards. The Paulsons left midday Monday for a brief holiday in Victoria. Dory, Phyllis and the rest of the Surgenor staff would meet on Tuesday to begin preparations for the new school year. How was it that we were the only ones not going off on some celebration?

Eddie, his wife, and Arnold's wife left Sunday afternoon to go home, while Arnold stayed to help with the reopening of the market. Eddie would return for the ceremonies. It had been a hectic three weeks, but I could see we would make it on time. The painting and the new floor and freezer cabinets made a world of difference inside of the store. It seemed like we had added more lighting, even though we hadn't changed a thing. The outside would be finished this week, weather permitting. So far, our luck was holding with warm sun and light breezes.

The new sign went up as planned on Thursday. The cleaned front windows displayed the Under New Management and Grand Reopening September 2^nd signs. Two local councillors agreed to attend the opening and the pancake breakfast we arranged. Our staff would be wearing new light green smocks with their names embroidered on the vest pocket. I watched them trying the smocks on several times and saw smiles to go with the new look.

Our suppliers and Eddie would attend the event along with Arnold and me. The local paper had responded with a nice story and photographs to help promote the event. Of course, we had placed a full-page ad in their paper featuring our specials and pictures of our staff. That went over big internally. They began to understand they were "somebody" in the Top Valu world.

Promptly at seven-thirty on Tuesday morning, our staff was assembled and ready as we got the pancake breakfast underway. Bacon, juice, fresh cut fruit, tea and coffee were also served and I was pleased at the number of people who showed up to help us open the doors at eight o'clock. I had already inspected the store that morning. Arnold and I had arrived at seven o'clock and we didn't find a thing that needed fixing or changing. It was as good as it could be and we shook hands in congratulations for getting it done just the way we wanted it.

The breakfast ended at ten o'clock, but the customers kept on coming throughout the day. I couldn't tell the old from the new, but our staff seemed to recognize many of them and that was good. We had suppliers providing samples to our customers and, just as we had in Vernon, we attracted people who were just curious about what the market was like. The new sign outside had big Valley Farm Market letters on top, with A division of Top Valu Foods below it. The place looked great, outside and in.

I saw a lot of smiles on our staff that day, something I was counting on. I wanted them to take pride in their jobs and this was a way to get that feeling confirmed. I also saw a lot of smiles on our customers as well. That was even more important. I wanted them to have a first-class experience and come back again. It looked like we were off to a good start.

When we closed and locked the doors at six o'clock that afternoon, not one single one of the staff had left. I took the opportunity to talk to them.