by Cee, DW
The few pictures turned into pictures with every person in attendance. With our wedding being a casual affair, groups of family members and friends joined in the photo op, or took selfies with us. When the sun was too low to continue, Bee and I went into the tent to party away.
“How did you come up with this idea?” Bee wanted to know even before we sat at our table.
“It started with my parents wanting to go on a family trip to Hawaii, and then with Jake desiring the same thing. While I was over at Jake’s, Donovan mentioned that if he had to do it all over again, he’d have a simple wedding in Hawaii and that got me thinking.”
“So it was my brilliant nephew who stirred up the creative-Nick?”
I confessed to the truth. “I did nothing but announce the plan to my family, and between Sandy, Barbara, Jamie, and Missy, everything was taken care of before I could convince you to leave for Hawaii.”
“What would you have done had I refused to come here?”
“Drugged, kidnapped, and forced you on the plane, what else?” I spoke as if those three were commonplace in my life.
“Uh-huh…” Bee smiled.
“Are you happy I did this?” What groom wouldn’t wonder if he would be in trouble for usurping a bride’s right to plan her own wedding? Bee didn’t speak for an uncomfortable while. “Um, you gonna answer?”
She didn’t say anything, but her face opened into the most brilliant smile. “I love you for wanting to plan a wedding for me. I thank you and your family for taking care of me. I do wish my mother could have been here, but I understand she was probably not an easy person to get a hold of.”
Shit. Her mother. What a loose end. “I tried to call your mom but her phone was disconnected. Her email also bounced back. I’m sorry. I wish this day could be complete for you, but…”
She held her spellbinding smile. “It’s all right, Nicholas. I know Mom, and she can’t be found until she wants to be found. She’ll be happy for me when she discovers I’ve finally landed a husband—five years my junior at that. There is nothing but feelings of joy and gratitude in my heart today.”
“So all of this is to your liking?” I looked around the tent and saw my family doing what they do best—loving, living, laughing.
“I could not have imagined a more perfect wedding than ours. And to be completely honest, as much as I wanted us married, I didn’t want to do the work to get to the wedding part. I’m relieved all the other women decided to take care of the details for me. I will need to know who I need to thank and for what. I’m sure every person in your family helped in one way or another.”
“After a very long wedding night, Mrs. Reid, I’ll give you all the details you want. For now, let’s go cut the cake, dance the night away, and take care of a few family traditions.”
“That sounds wonderful.”
I met Bee right before Jake and Emily married, and knew immediately there was something special about this woman. After years of fighting my love and lust, I was happy I gave in to my heart’s desire.
With Bee Lauren Reid and our families, I knew there was nothing we couldn’t accomplish together.
Epilogue BEE: Bee Lauren Reid
What a week we’ve had! I guess the better way to say it would be, what an incredible few years I’ve had!
When Nick and I met three years ago, I knew I wanted him in my life. Though I hoped for the best, realistically, we didn't suit. He was young and fun, and I was old and serious. He was all about figuring out life, and I was about living it and surviving the best I could. He had family surrounding and supporting him with his every decision, and I was a loner, happy to have Scott and Jamie’s family in the wings just in case I fell into trouble. We were two people who shouldn’t have worked, but we did.
Our attraction from the onset was undeniable, and that attraction kept us going for several years. What I believed was just physical, turned emotional as we fell in love. I supposed I was in love a lot earlier than my husband was with me, and I have no qualms about admitting it. I’m grateful for the love we found and for the life we are about to live until we die.
When Nick told me back in Hawaii that we were getting married, I thought he was kidding. When the warmth of his eyes explained to me that this was my fantasy come true, I was floored. The craziest part of it all was, this wasn’t my first surprise of the day or night. The gifts kept coming.
After spending a relaxing day with the Reid and Taylor ladies, and receiving another proposal, I went back to our room to find Missy and Taylor, who squealed like two teenagers at a One Direction concert.
“Bee!!! Can you believe you’re getting married today?” Taylor jumped up and down.
“Shit. I still can’t believe I’m getting married. Forget about the fact that my entire family and you two are here. Is Nat here, too?”
“Nat couldn’t make it. It was too last minute to fly in from Paris. She sends her love and added her touch to your wedding gown,” Missy explained.
In the excitement of it all, I’d forgotten the little fact that I didn’t have a wedding dress. “What do you mean, wedding dress? There’s no way you could have come up with a gown this soon. When did you know we were getting married?”
“I think Nick gave us like five days, Bee.” Taylor griped. “I haven’t slept in days! I tried to sleep on the plane, but I was so nervous about something bad happening to your dress during the plane ride; all I did was stare at the closet.”
“Thanks, guys. You two are the best designer friends anyone can ask for during an impromptu wedding.” I laughed.
“Nick was incredibly sweet and apologetic when he explained his plans to sweep you off your feet and marry you at sunset in Hawaii. I almost cried when he unveiled his plans.”
“Missy. This still feels like a dream. I don’t know what happened to my Nicholas, but I’m liking the change.”
“Well…Cinderella! Let’s get you ready for your ball.” Taylor walked over to our closet and brought out my wedding gown.
Since I was little, I’ve known what kind of wedding dress I wanted. I wasn’t the big, fancy ball gown type, or the lace gown lover. Whenever there was a wedding magazine within sight, I’d browse from cover to cover and always lean toward the retro dresses. When I finally put my idea into a drawing, I knew my design would be timeless.
“Thank God your dress doesn’t call for any beading, fine sewing, or working with lace.” Taylor pulled out my dress, and it was just as I’d imagined. Stunning! I loved, loved, loved it.
“How did you get this done in such a short time? I can’t believe you brought my vision to life.” I played with the fabric and itched to try on the dress.
Missy read my thoughts. “Let’s get it on and make any final changes.”
My girlfriends gave me proper lingerie for the dress, and once those were on, they helped me step into my wedding dress.
My dress was a simple one. It almost looked like a loose-fitted blouse tucked into a high-waisted skirt that was form-fitted to the hips, then draped into natural “pleats” falling down. Three roses in the front of the dress gave an illusion of a belt holding the two pieces together. The dress was more of a silky, gauzy, gray than a pure white. With a vintage headpiece holding the simple veil, I couldn’t have asked for a more perfect wedding dress.
Taylor said, “You must have known since you were a child that you’d have a beach wedding. This dress is the perfect laid-back elegance for this amazing resort. Nick is not going to know what hit him when he sees you.”
Missy added, “And I’m happy to say that it fits perfectly. Taylor and I worked on your dress, but it was Nat who sent you the veil. It took days to unwrinkle her creation.
“It’s perfect with the dress,” I sighed, admiring myself in the mirror. “Where’d the headpiece come from?”
Before anyone could answer, we heard a, “Can we come in?” before a deluge of women all ooh’ing and aah’ing surrounded me.
&nbs
p; “Oh, Auntie! You look gorgeous,” Laney exclaimed while holding both babies in her arms.
“Auntie Bee! Looky me.” Ellie twirled in a flower dress Missy and Taylor must have created. “You and me look purdy.”
“We sure do look purdy, my beautiful niece.” I kissed her pudgy cheek. “Laney, why do you have both boys?” Every woman had arms available to help, and yet she had both her kids.
“They’re a little needy right now. The plane ride and the time change are doing a number on them. They don’t want anyone else but me.” Laney was brave wearing her midnight blue dress I’d given her for Ashley’s wedding, while carrying both boys.
“I think my brother wants to start the wedding ASAP because he wants to catch the sunset as you both say, ‘I do.’” Jane nudged us along. “How can I help?”
I looked around, and there was nothing much to do. My wedding dress was a tad fancier than everyone else’s dress and only the tulle and gauze separated me as the bride. I had a lovely bouquet, and though I had no idea what else was happening tonight, I figured I was in good hands with the Reid ladies.
“Let’s get this wedding started.” The ladies rolled out as soon as I gave my blessing. “I assume your mom is the one to thank for tonight?” I asked Laney.
“Mom, Ma, and Aunt Sandy all worked hard. Donovan and I will be standing as your bridesmaid / groomsman, and Jake and Emily will do the same on Nick’s side. Even if you mind, too late. It’s all been decided.”
“I couldn’t have asked for a more ideal pairing.” I responded.
The closer we walked toward the wedding, the more excited I became. I had no idea what was in store for me, but a thrill ran up and down my body at Mach speed. The fact that Nick planned this day was incredible!
“Bee, you look beautiful!” Scott smiled. “I hope you don’t mind your old brother walking you down the aisle.”
“This day keeps getting better,” I exclaimed. “Who else would walk me down the aisle but you? If it wasn’t for you, Jamie, and all my nieces and one nephew, I would’ve had a miserable childhood.”
“I’m sorry your parents aren’t here today. They would have been proud of you.”
I didn’t know this to be true, but I didn’t want to disagree with my big brother.
“Thank you for always taking care of me.” I leaned in to hug him. “You’ve been a father to me since I was little. All these years, you’ve treated me no differently than your own five. That’s something I appreciated as a little girl, but now as a woman, I know how incredibly sacrificing that was on yours and Jamie’s part.”
Scott returned my hug, and we began our descent to the wedding area.
I arrived at the orchid filled aisle, and thanked everyone under this Hawaiian sun for my good fortune. My groom awaited me at the other end with the grin I so loved. His smile made me smile, and as hard as it was to walk down an aisle atop the sand, I practically ran to him.
“It took you long enough.” Nick whispered in my ear after he planted a surprise kiss on my lips.
“You try waltzing on sand. It’s not for the less-nimble.” I whispered back. “And what’s with the kiss before the pastor gives you his blessing?”
“It’s a Reid tradition, Jake started. You saw Donovan and Max do the same at their weddings.”
“You Reids sure do have a lot of traditions.”
“Wait until you see the reception.”
We had to stop talking when we noticed the pastor waiting for our conversation to end.
“Sorry.” I whispered one last time.
“Dearly Beloved…” were the words that led to our beginning as Mr. and Mrs. Reid. Even a month ago, I didn’t think a wedding would’ve happened this year. Shoot, even a few hours ago, I didn’t believe a wedding would happen this year, and definitely not today.
Only when the pastor announced us as Mr. and Mrs. Reid and encouraged us to kiss, did I believe today was real.
“You going to stay rooted here, or can we walk down the aisle as a married couple?” The gentle humor in his question made me giggle.
As if on cue, the twins, who were in Laney’s arms the entire wedding, began crying, and JR and Ellie broke into a mini-brawl over who was holding which parent’s hand. “I want you to know that the rest of my Taylor grandnephews will wonder why I didn’t have them all up with us during the ceremony.”
Nick laughed. “Ellie and James were the only ones invited, but the other three decided to crash the party.”
The corners of our lips were permanently turned north from here on out. We plastered our best smiles for the camera, and once in the tent, we could do nothing but grin like idiots because we were so happy.
“Are you happy?” My groom asked this very silly question of me.
I couldn’t believe he’d ask. I couldn’t believe he wouldn’t already know the answer. I definitely couldn’t believe he was looking insecure because my answer wasn’t as forthcoming as he expected.
It didn’t take long to relieve his worries about the surprise wedding, my mom’s absence, and my general well-being.
“What’s next on the agenda, Husband? Do we have fire-breathing dragons flying over our reception tent?”
“How about fire-breathing men instead?”
No sooner had Nick finished his sentence did the show begin. This was Cirque du Soleil, Hawaii-style. After a spectacular show and scrumptious dinner, the Reid family tradition began.
My brother was first to speak. “When Bee was little, she loved to make a mess. She’d drive Jamie crazy because wherever Bee had been, there were sure to be scissors, globs of glue, rulers, tons of paper in all shapes and colors, and markers. Bee kept all our kids entertained with her arts and crafts, but none of the six knew how to clean up.”
“Sorry, Jamie.” I mouthed to the woman who loved me like a daughter.
“I know this is a Reid family tradition, but seeing as how we now have two Taylors married to Reids, and seeing as how our newest baby produced the love of mine and Jamie’s lives, I think our families have blended completely.”
“I knew those twins would usurp the favorite list,” Becky called. “You promised to love all your grandchildren equally.”
“We did no such thing, Becky.” Jamie answered. “You and Al didn’t name your son after your Pa.” The laughter began.
“Jamie and I wanted to congratulate the two of you, and wish you a lifetime of happiness.”
“Thank you, Scott.” We both spoke.
“I know how disappointed you must be that your mother couldn’t be here.” Though I put up a brave front, Mom’s absence did bum me out. “I did finally get a hold of her a couple of days ago and she, too, was sad to miss your special day. If she wasn’t in such a remote part of this world, she would have attended your wedding.” I wasn’t too sure about that one, but I let it go. “One of the main reasons why I called her was to see if she could contribute something of herself to your wedding day, and your mother had the perfect answer. In keeping with the Reid tradition, and on behalf of your mother, I would like to present to you ‘Something Borrowed.’” I couldn’t even begin to figure out what Mom’s contribution could be to our wedding day. “The vintage tiara headpiece you are wearing was actually the one your mother wore on her wedding day. As different as you two are in personality and sense of responsibility, you have your mother’s sense of style.”
I touched my headpiece, surprised with this news. When Missy placed it on me, I didn’t think anything of it except for the fact that it worked perfectly with my dress. The seamlessness of my entire outfit made me think maybe Scott was correct. I supposed my sense of style had to come from somebody.
“You all right?” Nick whispered while Scott talked a little more about the history of my headpiece.
“Yeah. I would’ve loved Mom’s presence over the headpiece, but I guess I’ll take whatever she’ll give.”
When Scott finished, all his daughters and Jane walked up
to the front of the tent and addressed us.
Amanda started. “We know that the groom is supposed to carry on the tradition of ‘Something Old’ and ‘Something New.’ When we women brainstormed, we loved our idea so much, we asked Nick if we could ‘co-sponsor’ this tradition with him. Always the easy-going one, he had no problem sharing the spotlight with us.” Everyone clapped for my husband. “When we were younger, Bee always had an activity for us to do. We’d all come home from school and wait for teacher Bee to tell us what project we would be making. We made everything from duct tape wallets to paper wedding dresses.”
“Even Donovan, the only boy in our group, loved every activity because when not fighting and arguing, we all loved one another deeply,” Kelley spoke while reaching her hand out to me. I grabbed it with much affection letting her know how much I returned her sentiment.