Remember Dreams

by Ginny Sterling

  A fog machine had been set up, filling the pathways between the rose bushes and greenery with a mysterious effect. Candles were suspended in jars from the tree limbs, giving off a soft and otherworldly glow. An occasional candle flickered in the distance, sitting at different points on the fence. All of her friends stood in a long line among the bushes, dressed in costume, including Ben’s parents and several other couples she didn’t recognize.

  Lily was wearing a plain gown that looked like a gothic princess. Daisy and Eva were both dressed in Halloween costumes as medieval wenches. Ava, Cora, and Leia were wearing white Princess Leia costumes for the simplistic white gowns. The men were dressed in homespun woven shirts and each person stepped to the side, bowing as she and John walked forward towards them.

  Lily thrust the bouquet into Marigold’s hands as she passed. Realization came slamming home, as she realized exactly what was going on. The bouquet, the elusive notes, their friends…

  Was Ben here or was this a sick prank?

  She craned her neck to see over Colin’s shoulder and froze. Her legs wouldn’t move without collapsing under her.

  “C’mon now, your knight awaits his fair lady… and he’s waited a long time for you,” John whispered in her ear.

  Marigold looked up into John’s eyes and saw his wide, encouraging smile. Tears burned at her eyes as she looked forward, once again, this time seeing Ben standing beside a pastor… in costume.

  Her fairytale prince looked to be wearing a chainmail shirt and holding a helmet under his arm as he waited by a makeshift pulpit. It appeared hastily made and spray-painted, complete with a bright blue feather duster sticking out of the top. It was obvious his costume was homemade, but she didn’t care in the slightest.

  The fact that he put this much effort, this much thought, into this moment said more than words could ever express. Her very first letter to him had said that she imagined walking through the mists, escaping into another world.

  A world with him.

  Abigail and Jeffery both kissed her on the cheeks and nodded, before stepping back to rejoin their friends, who were standing along the aisle she’d just walked down. Several were dabbing their eyes, including Mike Cooper and his wife, Cora. For an abrasive know-it-all guy, it was humbling to see him so touched that he was teary-eyed.

  Marigold turned to look at her groom once again. Her eyes drank their fill as she committed this moment to memory. Ben’s dark eyes held hers and his face looked nervous as she stared at him in disbelief and wonder.

  She didn’t look away as she stepped forward, towards her future, and then turned to look up at John. He nodded in approval; his own eyes glassy with emotion.

  “It’s not every day that I get to giveaway the bride,” John uttered softly. Marigold couldn’t help the smile that exploded onto her face as she nodded in agreement, hot tears of happiness overflowed her lashes and travelled down her cheeks.

  The man had taken care of Ben overseas, been a brother to all of them, and now was instrumental in her happily ever after. She could never thank John and Lily enough for introducing her to Ben.

  “It’s not every day that I’m getting married.”

  “Ben’s a great guy. He’ll be good to you.”

  “He already is,” Marigold said aloud, looking directly at Ben. He smiled softly at her and extended his hand. Marigold placed her fingers on his and felt his hand trembling. How long had he planned all of this?

  “You never said a word,” she whispered, staring up into his dark eyes.

  “It’s because I’ve always known that we belong together, since you kissed me,” he admitted.

  “Who gives away this young woman?” the pastor began.

  Marigold looked at John expectantly since he’d said he was giving away the bride and was stunned to see everyone in the gardens raise their hands at once.

  “We all do. She’s part of our family,” John replied, smiling.

  “Very well,” the pastor said easily, nodding. “Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today to celebrate the marriage of these two people.”

  His voice carried on for several moments before Ben took her hand and held it before him. A simple old-world style, wide, filigree band was in his fingers, waiting to be slid onto her hand.

  “I, Benjamin Marcus Watson, take thee, Marigold Ann Riley, as my lawfully wedded wife,” he hesitated and looked at her nervously, his eyes suddenly alit with panic, before taking a deep breath and continuing.

  “I wrote out something fancy but it slipped my mind the moment I laid eyes on you,” Ben admitted, as a tear tracked down his cheek. He brushed it away and smiled at her sheepishly.

  “I’ve never seen anyone so beautiful, both inside and out, as you are. You have a way of seeing the real me, the man I want to be for you, and love me for trying to be that guy. I’ll never be perfect, but I will love you with everything I am, for as long as I breathe. You are the sweetest dream that’s ever come to pass. I have waited forever for a moment like this… with you.”

  Ben slid the ring into place on her finger. It fit perfectly – just like him. He was always meant to be here with her, by her side. He wasn’t just her love and her life, he was her soul and her everything.

  “I don’t have a…” Marigold began, and felt Ava tap her on the elbow. She handed her a large, narrow band that matched Marigold’s ring. Glancing at Ben, she smiled in stunned silence, wondering again how long he’d been planning this moment.

  He’d bought wedding rings?

  The rose seed from Afghanistan?

  The bouquet?

  Had he been planning this all along? Had their friends helped this entire time? It was humbling to realize that he’d been taking steps towards this moment for ages… just to give her everything.

  “I, Marigold Ann Riley, do take you, Benjamin Marcus Watson, as my most beloved husband. I promise to love, honor, and cherish you every moment of every day. I’ve never met anyone so noble, so wonderful and considerate, as you are. Each moment I spend with you, you make me feel like there is no other woman in the world. You treat me like I’m infinitely precious to you. I have also dreamt of a moment like this… with you,” Marigold said softly, slipping the matching band onto his finger.

  “I love you,” he breathed, reverently.

  “And I, you.”

  “By the powers vested in me by God and the State of Texas, I now pronounce you both, man and wife. You may kiss your bride, Mr. Watson.”

  “Finally,” Ben breathed and stepped forward, dropping the helmet made of cardboard onto the ground at their feet. He gathered Marigold into his arms, pressing his lips onto hers.

  He held her there for several minutes, kissing her tenderly, as the world disappeared around them. She heard some ornamental music start up in the distance that reminded her of a Renaissance festival.

  “Good gravy! Is he gonna spend the rest of the night kissing her or can we eat? I’m starving!”

  “Mike!”

  “What, Cora? I said I’d behave the entire ceremony, but it’s over, and I swear those trays of food are screaming my name. Hody? They calling your name, too, buddy?”

  “Yes! Leia made the sandwiches and they look great. In fact, she slapped my hand several times when I tried to sneak one. It’s still red from it.”

  “No, it’s not. Don’t say that.”

  “Did you see the cupcakes? Mercy!”

  “Someone made cupcakes? I thought we were having cheesecake tonight? Ben said he wanted a chocolate cheesecake for Marigold. Maybe he just said chocolate… I don’t remember now.”

  “No, cream cheese. It gives Jason gas.”

  “Ugh, really? Do we have to discuss that?”

  “Meh, it’s true.”

  “Lily, is Rose still asleep?”

  “Yes, she’s a perfect angel and we couldn’t be luckier.”

  “Agreed. My little princess is perfect.”

  “So’s mine,” Hody quipped. “Oww, baby! I’m trying, I swear. Luke i
sn’t a princess. I was talking about you, sweetheart.”

  “Try harder. The wedding isn’t over.”

  “Can I please be? OMG my stomach is chewing on my spine – I’m starving to death slowly over here.”

  “Can someone tell me when we plan on eating, because Luka needs his shot.”

  “Meh, he can wait. OWW! Dang! You women can get mean… OWW! Stop that! A little help, Luka?”

  “You can’t keep your trap shut, can you?”

  Marigold and Ben laughed against each other’s lips, smiling. He took her hand and led her into an open space of grass as music began to play softly in the background. She wrapped her arms around his shoulders and began to sway gently with him. Ben leaned down, as if he was unable to keep from indulging in the moment, kissing her. He finally broke the kiss, pulling her tightly into his arms, just hugging her as they danced. She felt his shoulders tremble under her hands and knew he was touched.

  “I love you, Ben.”

  “Keep dancing sweetheart, Hody will never let me live it down if he knows that I’m an emotional mess right now.”

  “He’ll never know,” she promised, stroking his hair at the nape of his neck, resting her cheek on his shoulder. “This is our moment and I’m kind of partial to my emotional husband.”

  “You unman me, wife,” he joked, sniffing and wiping his eyes.

  “I sincerely hope not,” she blurted out and then threw back her head, laughing aloud. Ben grinned easily, picking her up and spinning her around in the center of the garden.

  “I’ll be perfectly fine tonight for my little bride – I assure you.”

  The music played for hours.

  Everyone was dancing, laughing, and cutting up together. Lily stepped away for a bit to feed Rose and John went with her. Ava was sitting on a chair beside her husband, who was proudly holding his son against his chest, ignoring the spit up on his homespun shirt. Aurora was wearing her Tinkerbell toddler costume, bobbing up and down to the music, carelessly yawning, as it was past the little girl’s bedtime.

  “Could I have this dance?”

  Ben’s father, Jeffery, stood there patiently, smiling at Marigold. She saw Ben step back and sweep his mother into his arms, dancing her around as he watched Marigold. Jeffery held her at arm’s length, dancing politely and smiled at Marigold.

  “He loves you so much.”

  “And I love him.”

  “I know,” Jeffery said, smiling. “We’ve known that our son found the girl he loved once he’d called to tell us about you. That weekend that he came home to tile the floors for us, the entire time he talked about wanting to meet you. When he’d returned from finding your florist shop, he cried.”

  “He was scared he’d blown his one chance to meet you. I haven’t had to comfort my son, my grown son, like that since he broke his arm when he was ten. You are good for him, Marigold, and he would do anything for you.”

  “You know, I knew I loved him the moment he walked into my shop that day,” she admitted. “I felt so guilty, like I was betraying him by thinking he was handsome… and when we met again in person? It was so hard on me not to tell him my feelings.”

  “I told him he was a nitwit,” Jeffery laughed, smiling at her.

  “Can this lovestruck nitwit cut in?” Ben said, grinning.

  “Yep. Welcome to the family, Marigold. Ben, call us sometime next week and we’ll all get together. Love you, boy.”

  “Love you, mom and dad.”

  “We’ll get the candles and see ourselves out.”

  Marigold looked around, startled to see everyone else had left. They were the only ones left there in the garden. She felt a flush of joy unfurl in her stomach as Ben pulled her back into his arms, cradling her.

  “I love knowing you are my wife and can’t help but feel like the luckiest man on earth.”

  “I have to admit that I’m sincerely impressed by all you’ve done today. Does this mean you are here to stay?”

  “I’m never leaving your side, ever again,” Ben vowed.

  “So, this means when you kiss me…”

  “I never have to stop…” he said quietly, taking her hand, and walking her towards the house. He swept her into his arms and Marigold twined her arms around his neck as he carried her over the threshold.

  “Welcome home, husband.”

  Tobin stared at the house from behind the steering wheel of the rental car. Tonight’s wedding had been so touching and he was glad for his friend. Watson had fallen for the woman a long time ago and kept pretty quiet about it until recently. Marigold was completely smitten with the man and he was happy for her. They were both good, loving people. Tobin couldn’t help but feel jealous as the new couple danced together during their moment of bliss.

  He wanted his own special someone and had been pressuring Lily to set him up with someone, to the point that John told him to back off. Tobin knew Lily was pregnant again; she burst out crying for no reason, making him feel like a heel until she’d told him. She was going to tell John tonight when they got home.

  The lucky man had taken a chance writing Lily and it had paid off for him… and truthfully… it had paid off for all of them but him. Their close-knit group was growing by leaps and bounds, full of happiness and love. It was his turn now. He would need to put himself out there, take a chance, and see what it brought him.

  “Knock, knock!”

  He turned to stare at the woman standing there in a bright blue Elsa Disney princess dress for the costumed gathering of friends celebrating. Her white blond braid lay over her shoulder and to his surprise, she reached up and yanked it off, revealing dark brown hair colored with several ruddy streaks of auburn, that she quickly ruffled with her hand.

  “My ride left and I wanted to see if you could give me a lift to Lily’s house? That’s where I parked my car at so we didn’t have a bajillion other vehicles everywhere on the street.”

  “Who are you?”

  “Tabitha… think Bewitched, but not,” she said with a smile and shrugged. “I don’t have to wiggle my nose to get what I want, nor anything else. If you can’t give me a ride, it’s okay, just don’t get creepy thinking about it.”

  “No, I imagine you don’t,” he said, feeling a smile spread on his lips at her outlandish behavior. “I’m Brandon Tobin.”

  “Tabitha Mason. Nice to meet you, soldier.”

  “Brandon,” he corrected automatically, doing a doubletake. He was startled to see her winning smile as she looked at him, taking a seat and putting on her belt.

  “I hear you are looking for a pen pal, Brandon...”

  Epilogue

  October

  “I’m so nervous!” Marigold whispered, clutching her husband’s arm as she watched the judges. “I can’t stand it anymore. Let’s go.”

  “Honey, don’t you want to stay and see who places? You’ve been trying this for years.”

  “Yes, and there will always be next year or the year after. I think I’m going to be ill if I don’t calm down.”

  “Marigold, breathe,” Ben grasped her hands in his, smiling tenderly at her. She was a mess and couldn’t sleep last night, nearly tripping over Paladin, who slept on her side of the bed protectively.

  She’d found Ben pouring over books at the kitchen table and stood there for several moments, proud and touched by the man she’d married. He was studying to become a doctor, taking up a different field of work, all together.

  He’d been pushed into enrolling in college by John, in order to use the loophole as his excuse to get out of the military. Once he’d started classes, he was driven. He was studying to become a pediatrician.

  When he’d told her, she nearly wept at the tenderness in his eyes. He wanted to be a good father and take care of them in every way possible, she thought, rubbing her still flat stomach. He was such a wonderful man and she didn’t have to win the ribbon at the Rose Festival.

  She already won it all… just by loving him.

  This year, third p
lace in the Rose Festival goes to Marigold Watsons for her submission of a hybrid tea, named The Watsons Rose. This lovely rose has a sweet perfume, with double corollas, large rose hips, and the flowers are clustered on the branches. A lovely, heady, unexpected mix that quite took the judges by surprise.

  Second place in the Rose Festival goes to…

  Marigold had stopped listening as she stared at Ben in sheer disbelief. His proud smile and dark eyes held hers as she slowly began to comprehend what the announcer had just said.

  She’d just placed.

  “The Watsons Rose?” Ben said, smiling at her tenderly.

  “It’s our rose. I couldn’t exactly call it ‘The Contraband Rose’, could I?” she whispered hotly, looking around.

  “No, you couldn’t,” he laughed, pulling her into his arms. “Shhh, honey, you aren’t supposed to talk about it.”

  “Ohh! Oh! OH! OHHHH! Mari!! Ben!! They called your names!” Lily and Cora burst through the crowd, hollering wildly and waving their arms.

  “You won! Watsons Rose won third place! They called your name!”

  Several people, all of their friends and family, came out of the crowd to surround them. They were all patting them on the back and cheering them on excitedly. Marigold only had eyes for Ben as he nodded in support.

  “Go get your award, love.”

  “Come with me.”

  “No, this is your moment.”

  “This is our moment,” she corrected, smiling at him and laying his hand on her abdomen. “I think everyone in the Watson family should go up to enjoy this moment.”

  “Does this mean what I…” he said, stunned.

  “Now which one of us is going to be the doctor someday?” she teased, smiling at him, and throwing her arms around his neck and kissing him on the cheek. “We now have our own precious rose to pass down to our children.”

  “I love you.”

  “And I you.”

  Remember Home (Lawfully Gifted)