Chapter 47

It’s Sunday morning, and Kaitlyn’s not quite awake yet. She moves a bit, and stretches luxuriously, enjoying the gentle rocking sensation. But she feels another sensation, an unfamiliar stickiness that suddenly brings her fully awake, an expression of wonderment on the wide-eyed face peering out through that disheveled hair.

Mmmmm ... wha? Whazzat? Sore! But it feels good, too ... Rob! Omigosh! Wow! I’m, oops, can’t roll that way, his leg’s in the way. Gotta pee!

Ahhhh! Better! Messy, though! I guess I, we, must have ... Ohhhh! We did! Last night! Us! Ohhhh! Gotta snuggle back in. Without. Waking. Himmmm ... there!

Yesterday was. Well, yeah. Ohmigosh! The longest, the best day of my life! I got married! To this guy! Okay, this naked guy (giggle!) lying here beside me!

Yesterday!

We got to the church early, because Mom hadn’t met Pastor Hector yet, and she wanted to chat with him before the ceremony. Yeah, I know, he said to just call him “Hector”, but that’s not how we were raised, so I still call him, “Pastor”.

Anyway, Rob and George weren’t there yet, so we got a chance to introduce Pastor Hector to Mom and Krista, and they just love him! If they moved down here, they’d go to this church just because of the people down here, him especially. Krista remembered seeing him at the accident, but she didn’t get a chance to talk with him then.

For some reason he did seem a little bit distracted for a minute, even a little nervous, but then I realized that Renee had come in with her mom, right behind us. I think they’re gonna make a great couple!

So, we chatted with him for a few minutes, and looked around at how pretty the church was decorated. Mom loved it, and she caught up with a couple of the ladies to thank them. Then we went off to one of the Sunday School rooms to get ready. Laurel got there, and she was even more nervous than I was! Somebody brought in the flowers, and Mom was finishing my hair. Lynette got a picture of her doing that, and I think it’s gonna be one of my favorites. Someone said she blinked, and Lynette should have taken another one, but Mom said she just felt a little clumsy doing my hair, until she closed her eyes!

Someone opened the door, and I heard Lynette holler, “No! You can’t be in here, Rob!” Heard an “Ooops!” So I knew he hadn’t backed out, anyway, (giggle!). I didn’t see him, but I could see the ladies across the hall in the fellowship room, getting it ready for the little reception they had planned for us.

Lynette kept on taking pictures, even when I was just sitting there in my undies! She said they always did that, and she couldn’t wait until our 25^th or 50^th anniversary party! Richelle laughed, and said, “You sure you wanna marry into this kinky bunch?” I told her that right now I just wanna get alone with Rob, without any bunch!

Mom snickered! MY Mom snickered!

And then it seemed like we waited forever! And I still didn’t feel ready, even when they came to the door to get Mom to go up front.

And the service was Right Now!

Daddy came and got me, and hugged me, and I just hung on to him. So big and strong, my daddy was, and I still knew that I was safe in his arms. He hugged me, then held me out at arm’s length, and looked at me for a minute, and I saw his eyes were all shiny, and I could see him say, “I love you.” I couldn’t exactly hear it, but I understood what he said. All my life I had heard that, so I knew.

We lined up outside the door to the sanctuary, and Senora Lopes started playing the songs we had chosen, and the girls started walking up the aisle to the altar. Laurel and Krista turned and looked at me just before they went through the door, and gave me the sweetest smiles. Then they walked down the aisle side by side, and I know it would have looked a little strange at one of those biggity, whooptydoo weddings uptown, but I love both of them, and I wanted both of them right there.

Ooops! Suddenly she’s playing that song! Our turn!

Hanging on to daddy’s arm was like hanging onto that big branch on the live oak in the side yard. It was strong and solid, and you knew it wasn’t gonna let you down when you swung really high. I glanced up at him, and he had that same proud, humble smile on his face that he always did, any time he had the chance to show off any of his kids. I hung on tighter, and finally looked ahead, at the man standing up there in front, and knew he was waiting there for me! And looking at me! And my legs went all rubbery for a second, but that live oak never even swayed.

Okay, two sides to this – here’s Rob!

I do! I do! IdoIdoIdo! And I did! And I’d do it again! There is no way to describe the thoughts and feelings, none at all. I was standing there, yeah, nervous, and it’s a good thing Hector and George were there with me, for support, because our friends started coming down the aisle towards us, and my mouth and throat went dry. There was Renee, and I glanced over at Hector, and saw his eyes were riveted on her. Then our two cops, Richelle and Suzy. I grinned and almost lost it, wondering which one was gonna stand on my side! Well, Kay had two Maids of Honor!

Then Krista and Laurel looking like they might be sisters, and I guess they are, in spirit. Both had the biggest smiles on their faces, as they took their sweet time coming down to the altar. I looked over past George, and saw Jake there, sporting the biggest grin you could imagine. Laurel must have spotted it, too, because she was blushing bright!

Then the sun came out even brighter, and there she was!

There was My Kaitlyn, standing there, next to my soon-to-be father-in-law, and for a few seconds it looked like it was her propping him up, instead of the other way around.

They finally got down front, and the music stopped. Hector went through the preliminaries, then asked, “Who gives this woman to be the wife of this man?”

This great big man looked at her, then me, opened his mouth, and nothing came out! Had to clear his throat twice, before we could hear anything at all! Then he finally got started, “When God gave Kaitlyn to us, Belinda and I promised Him we’d raise her, teach her, and care for her, until she found the young man He had already chosen for that purpose. Now with His blessing, her mother and I give her to Rob, who is that young man.”

He turned and kissed her then, and took our hands and joined them, hugged us both, and made his way over to sit next to Belinda.

The rest was just a blur, with Hector reading scripture and praying over us, and with us exchanging vows and rings. Then, after what seemed like forever, he pronounced us, “Man and Wife!”