Fifty-nine

THE TRIPS ARRIVED on the first. The baby didn’t. They’d spent the winter months in South Texas. They’d stopped in Oregon on the way and caravanned to Seattle with the Oregon family in tow. Not just Oke and Ken, but everyone else, too. The only ones who didn’t come up were Dusty and Lilith who volunteered to stay back and take care of the animals.

Gifts were coming in all week. It didn’t seem like there were a lot of gifts when Lissa and Melody got married, but maybe I wasn’t paying attention. Oke passed me a bag of weed that would last our household for a few years. Our art friends kept dropping by with paintings, sculptures, music, and even a live dance on our front lawn. A couple neighbors stopped by to find out what was going on. When they found out we were getting married Saturday, they congratulated us and Dad invited them to stop by Friday night for the bachelor party.

Bachelor party?

“Tada!” Melody announced when we got to the church for the rehearsal. All week she’d promised that Thursday night the family would see the wedding present she’d been keeping hidden from us. And it was beautiful. “I couldn’t let the two of you be the only ones in the family doing church art,” she laughed. We walked into the church and just stared at the eight flowing banners that hung from the A-frame rafters on either side of the sanctuary. The curved backing of the chancel was hung with a woven tapestry that combined both Melody’s weaving and her fabric dying. The chalice and circles logo was prominent as were other symbols of marriage and family. Beneath the chalice were embroidered the words, ‘Bigger than both of us.’ For our family, that meant a lot.

We ate at the same hotel that night and shared toasts and good-natured ribbing. Kate and I were getting married. Every time we looked at each other we saw a silly grin. It looked a lot better on her with that megawatt smile. God! I love her. When I looked at her, my breath caught in my throat. I love Melody. I love Lissa. I love Wendy. I am a fool for Kate. My Kitten. Love doesn’t even begin to cover it.

“Wasn’t I just here a year ago?” Dad asked as he raised a toast. We all laughed. Even having held the rehearsal dinner down to the official wedding party, there were nearly thirty of us. “My son ... My son. He has made me so proud to be a father.” Dad was choked up and so were the rest of us.

“Kate ... Katarina, we love you,” Dad continued. “I first saw Kate the day before Thanksgiving almost three years ago. She held Tony’s hand as they came out of the kitchen with Damon. There was an electric arc where their hands touched. It took two seconds for Melody and Lissa to join them. The arc went up a few thousand volts when Damon said, ‘She’s our girlfriend.’ The first words I said to you Kate were, ‘You’ll be another one of our daughters.’ We are so happy you found your way to Tony and that the two ... or three ... or five of you are together.” Melody leaned across Lissa next to Kate to kiss her and Wendy leaned across me to catch the other cheek. Lissa and I leaned back to kiss. It must have looked strange.

“You can all drink to that, but I’m not going to shut up yet,” Dad continued. “The next day, on Thanksgiving, we got the sad news that Melody’s father passed away. We’d been introduced to Wendy at dinner, but in the turmoil that followed the news of Harold’s death, I noticed her for the first time. She was simply there where she was needed. Comforting, helping, cleaning. But I heard something that broke my heart. I didn’t understand why she hated her father. A month later, she arrived with Tony and Kate at our house for Christmas. She was frightened, burned, frail, and I understood. I’m no mystic, but when I saw her between Tony and Kate as they came into the house, I thought, ‘She is the glue that will hold them together.’ We want you to know, Wendy ... all three of you ... all five of you ... that Deborah and I love you.”

Wendy launched herself at Dad and gave him a big hug. I heard her say “Thank you, Daddy.” There was clinking of glasses until Kate and I kissed. Wendy’s lips joined ours. Everybody could just go away and leave me with my lips pressed to theirs.

“My baby is getting married,” Oke said. He held up his glass and it was apparent that he was not going to or was not able to say anything else for his toast. Gypsy stepped into the breach.

“The Joker and his Queens,” she said. “I knew you ... all five of you ... the first time I met Tony. It was the look in my Katarina’s eyes, though, that told me this was her match. I am a mystic, Saul. In all my years, even as a child in a gypsy camp in Romania, I have only once seen a person draw four of any rank, in a row. I knew Kate and Tony were involved with two others from the beginning. But I had no idea who the fourth queen would be. Then I met her on New Year’s Eve. It was obvious that this is the boy my daughter was meant to be with. And this was the girl that would hold them together. This is the woman my daughter was meant to become. I love you so much, Lyubitshka. You are the spirit I brought from the gypsy camps to America. Fire, passion, and enough love to embrace your whole family.”

Wendy went down the line kissing Melody, Lissa, Kate, and me thoroughly. Then she stood beside us with her glass raised.

“I’m so happy to be part of this family. I hate talking, but like at the dedication of The Wall, I can’t keep silent. They give me courage. I fell in love with Kate, I worship Tony, and I adore Melody and Lissa,” Wendy said as she stood beside me. “In my heart I have married each of you. Melody, you showed me strength and confidence I didn’t know it was possible for women to have. Lissa, you are still the most beautiful woman I have ever met. You are a most wonderful caretaker and mother goddess. I can’t wait to hold our little girl in my arms if she ever decides to make an appearance.” Lissa moaned.

“Kate, you saved me. You saved me when you gave me friendship and love in a way I didn’t know existed. I discovered it wasn’t just a little girl love, but real caring and devotion. I will always love you, Kitten. Tony, you will always be my hero. You showed me that the love and protection I craved weren’t to be bought with my broken body, but were freely, selflessly given. You loved me the way I am. My world revolves around the two of you. And you showed me a world so much bigger than I imagined. I love you. I love you both. I love all four of you.”

We pulled Wendy to us as people clinked their glasses and Kate and I both kissed her until the room got quiet and we realized we’d taken entirely too long. Even then, we pulled Wendy into our laps and held her as people had more coffee or wine and socialized.

The party Friday started about four when Grandpa Ken, Grandpa Leo, Papa Oke, Papa Jim, and Papa Dave rolled one of the biggest drums I’d ever seen into the back yard. This was quickly followed by a bunch of smaller drums and various musical instruments. Dad and Oke had gone door-to-door through the entire neighborhood inviting our neighbors to the bachelor party and explaining that it would be loud, but promising to end by eleven o’clock. I was a little worried about what kind of reception they would get, but they came back smiling.

I didn’t think the Moms had prepared all the food, but there weren’t any Costco platters on the spread. I recognized my mom’s specialties, including pies and German chocolate cake. The Oregon Mommas and Grandmas were busy in our big kitchen all day. Lexi and Jack set up the champagne bar. And people started showing up before Kate and I had finished changing clothes. It took us a little longer than necessary to change as neither of us could keep our hands off the other.

From the time the big drum started to rumble about five o’clock, the party was in full swing. I met neighbors I’d never seen before. People from school came in and as soon as they did the dancing started. Father Michel and Father Andrew showed up, wearing their usual black slacks but with Hawaiian shirts. I heard my bride squeal and turned in time to see her launch herself at Erika as Gerhardt and Clarice came through the gate behind her.

About seven-thirty, I heard a piercing flute melody transcend the drums and spun to find Amanda leaning over Oke as he strummed his strange guitar. Behind her, Karl gave me a thumbs-up.

I hoped someone was keeping track of who was there and would let me know who I missed or met sometime later.

At precisely ten-thirty there were three solid beats from the big drum and it all went silent. We’d promised the neighbors the party would end at eleven o’clock. I sure hoped some of these folks would be around on Sunday so I could spend some quality time with old friends. I turned to collect Kate and saw her looking over her shoulder at me as she was led away by Melody and Lissa. Wendy was approaching and as soon as she had my eye, she touched her tiger-eye stone.

“This is not a good time for this,” I moaned to myself. But Wendy had already turned to head for the lower level room we’d jokingly called servant’s-quarters. I hoped none of our other guests had already crashed there for the night. At least half a dozen were staying. Well, better go and get it over so I can spend the night with my bride.