by K L Finalley
Jacqueline turned her back to Elet and whirled to look for Mallory, but she, too, was staring at Alex. In fact, everyone was. She wore no veil. Instead, her natural hair was braided across the top of her head, adorned with ribbon, and finished in a cascade of curls that billowed behind her. She wore a strapless, lace sheath dress that had textured flowers on it. In the sunset, it seemed opaque. As Alex and her father sailed up the stairs, Elet walked to meet her. When she passed, Jacqueline saw the string of buttons that held the dress closed began below her shoulder blades. With lifted eyebrows, Jacqueline looked for Mallory who made eye contact and winked at her. As Alex's train entered the arch, Jacqueline and Olive joined Elet and Alex and the ceremony began.
In Jacqueline's thirty-five years, she had attended several weddings. Family. Friends. Colleagues. Friends of friends. Plenty of people had gotten married, and, in most cases, Jacqueline had sat, or stood, anticipating the reception. In this moment, under the arch, with the sun beyond the horizon, she listened intently to the minister. She nodded in agreement that marriage was an act of complete faith. That they were pledging more than just love. They were pledging loyalty and devotion. That life would not find them always in the best of states, but their commitment was to be held during difficulties. She had agreed. She had conceded that a wedding was one of life's most phenomenal experiences, because of what it represented and how amazing it was for loved ones to bear witness to that love. She was thinking all of this when Elet nudged her. Her first thought was to say, What? Then, quickly, it dawned on her. He wanted the ring. She slipped her hand into her pocket, retrieved it, and handed it to him; then, she placed her hand into her left pocket. Thoughts flooded her mind. Thoughts about love, about a future, about rings. She had never given a wedding too much thought. It was something other people did and she attended. She hadn't been against weddings. In fact, she had enjoyed them. She just hadn't contemplated them. And, as she stood under the arch contemplating love and marriage and weddings, she heard applause. When she blinked back from her thoughts, Elet and Alex were locked in a kiss. She beamed. It was their first kiss as a married couple. It was that moment that things that had been years in the making ended and the minister presented Mr. And Mrs. Elet Walden who locked arms and headed down the stairs. Knowing her role, Jacqueline collected Olive, locked arms with her, and followed them back down the aisle, down the sidewalk, past the Pavilion, and to the wooded area chosen for the pictures.
Once they arrived there, they could hear the guests being escorted from their chairs and into the Pavilion for cocktails and pre-dinner delicacies. Jacqueline had released Olive who beelined to Alex. But, not Jacqueline. She would see the bride later. She waited for Mallory.
"Don't you look cute," she heard Mallory say.
"Me? You look incredible," Jacqueline grinned. Mallory spun around, so Jacqueline could see the back of the dress. "I didn't know it crisscrossed in the back until I was walking out with Olive. That's...great. I can't wait to take you out in it."
"I can't wait, either," Mallory came closer and placed her arms around her neck. The two kissed softly. Pulling her lips away and resting her head upon Jacqueline's chest, Mallory whispered, "I missed you this morning. I woke up all alone."
"I wanted to say goodbye, but you were sleeping so well. I didn't want to wake you up."
"If you two could let go of each other long enough for pictures, we could get this wedding thing wrapped up for ya," Alex teased. Holding Mallory's hand, the two rejoined the wedding party.
~~~~~~~~~~~~
The Grand Ballroom was decorated with the same motif every wedding reception shares. There were high ceilings and yellow-glow chandeliers. There were round tables draped in several white table clothes with complimenting chairs covered in white with salmon chair bands. In the center of the massive room, there was a dance floor. At the northernmost end, there was a long table intended for the wedding party. After Jacqueline and Olive were introduced by the band, she proceeded to her spot at the table. She did not stop and speak to mutual friends or converse with Elet's or Alex's family members. Instead, she cruised to the table and sat down. Second seat on the left of center. She sat and watched Mallory enter the room. Her smiling face made Jacqueline smile. She watched as Mallory stopped to speak to co-workers. She hugged their spouses. She spoke to Alex's mother and father. She complimented Destiny and Kelsey's flower girl dresses. Holding her slip dress in one hand, her personality wafted around the room. Jacqueline felt it and placed her hand in her pocket.
Eventually, Mallory made her way to Jacqueline. "Why are you sitting over here all by yourself? Are you okay?"
"I'm great," Jacqueline replied. There, that phrase was again.
"You're great?"
"Yup," Jacqueline reached up and touched Mallory's face.
"Don't! You'll mess up my make-up." Jacqueline laughed and pulled her close. She had planned to kiss her, but the room sprang to its feet as the newlyweds were announced. Standing and clapping with the others, she was happy to see how happy Elet and Alex were. There had been moments along the journey that had clouded their future. But, in the ballroom, all was well; and, that felt amazing. The happy couple waved to their guests and headed to the table.
It seemed like moments between their arrival and the band leader's announcement for the toasts. Tiny slips of paper unfolded in various parts of the room. Mr. Stevens, Alex's father, went first. His heartfelt speech warmed the crowd. He recollected stories of his young daughter. He recalled seeing her off to various stages of life. He remembered when Elet paid his first visit to their family home; and, he wept when we admitted the joy he and Mrs. Stevens felt when they heard of the engagement. When his speech was finished, Mallory's makeup was ruined.
Then, Olive strolled to the microphone. She told funny moments to lighten the mood. She talked about the horrible dates that Alex had been on. She recalled all the men who had done her wrong, the ones who had not been for her. Then, in a sweeping motion, she proved how only Elet had been the right one.
Then, it was Jacqueline's turn. The band leader stumbled to announce a toast from a Best Woman. Jacqueline pushed back from the table and approached the microphone in the center of the dance floor. "I would like to thank all of you for joining us here tonight. In the last few hours, I have come to really appreciate the beauty of a wedding. It's not the dress or the haircuts or the suits or the cake. It's the love they share for each other and we share for them. I'm not going to give a big speech that embarrasses them or makes you all laugh. I'm not going to make my girlfriend's makeup run." Then, she walked to the wedding party table and faced them. "Elet is my best friend. I love him like a brother. There is nothing I wouldn't do for him. I had never seen his eyes light up like they did the day Alex walked into the restaurant we were at. And, I never saw them dim the way they did when he found out that I knew her." She laughed. "Don't worry. I didn't know her like that. Never. Ever. Alex was a friend. Really. Just a friend. A friend that became a sister to me. I am so happy that they've made it, because their love helps me understand what true love means. I love you both and I wish you all that love can offer. Cheers." She raised her glass to them and the guests followed.
When she returned to her seat, she was met with hugs and kisses from Elet and Alex, but out of the corner of her eye, she saw her wilted Mediterranean salad. The vinaigrette had left the mixed greens limp. Her olives were doused in too much oil and had weighed down the tomato. Staring at it, while wrapped in Elet's strong embrace, she knew it would never have been eaten. She decided to await the second course. As she adjusted in her chair, Elet's mother appeared.
"Hello, Mrs. Walden. You look very nice." Jacqueline had meant it. Her knee length champagne-colored dress was elegant.
"Thank you, Jacqueline. You look very nice as well." Jacqueline wasn't certain if Mrs. Walden had meant that. She was aware of her concerns with Jacqueline being in the groom's party. Standing in front of the table, she leaned forward to speak to Elet in private, i
n as private as a person could expect at a wedding reception with a hundred and fifty guests. She explained to Elet that she wanted him to be certain to talk to his aunt and uncle before they left. As he began to explain that he would be do his best to speak to everyone, Jacqueline's chicken saltimbocca was delivered. She didn't want to be rude and eat in front of Mrs. Walden, so she pulled the plate out of the way. The smell of the cheese and the demi-glace drifted into her nose causing her stomach to roar. Every moment, Elet spent discussing the volume of people at the reception and the limited amount of time left in the evening was a moment that Jacqueline contemplated picking up her plate and joining the violinist at the table in the back of the hall. Before she could eyeball an open seat at her table, the aunt and uncle approached the wedding party table. Wanting to hug Elet, each tried to tilt over the food towards their nephew. They explained how they had traveled for days through the flooded plains of great forests to attend the ceremony and would soon be leaving on the backs of their loyal, pygmy goats to complete the arduous journey back to their mountainside cabin. Somewhere in the middle of the story of their odyssey, Jacqueline reared back in her seat and surrendered her chance to enjoy her meal.
Until she heard, "Honey, will you come down here and sit with me?" From the other end of the table, past the tale of the ten-year pilgrimage, Mallory beckoned her. Upon hearing the summons, she snatched her plate from the table and crept to her salvation.
"Thank you," Jacqueline murmured as she arrived with her plate in hand.
"Hi, there you. I saw you down there and thought you might like to join me," Mallory said.
"I didn't know you had room for me."
"Always," Mallory replied as she leaned over and placed her head on Jacqueline's shoulder. Immediately, the two withdrew into their own world. Mallory tasted Jacqueline's chicken and Jacqueline sampled her pork loin. They were busy switching starches as the newlyweds cut the cake. They remained oblivious to the wedding reception until Jacqueline heard Elet speak. They both looked up and saw him standing on the dance floor holding the microphone. Alex sat in the center of the maple parquet floor in a chair. "What's he doing," Mallory asked.
"She didn't tell you guys?"
"Tell us what?"
"They've decided to give each other wedding gifts."
"In front of all of us?"
"Yup."
"Why?"
"Beats me," Jacqueline said and stabbed a piece a pork on Mallory's plate. They hadn't paid a great deal of attention to Elet's speech. They knew the key point. He was sharing his life with a wonderful woman, but they had missed his heartfelt comparison between the diamond solitaire in the pendant to sparkle in her eyes. Instead, the two sat at the wedding party table, holding their plates, sitting side by side, questioning their dinner choices.
"Oh, look, it's her turn. I wonder what she got him."
"I can't believe she didn't tell you guys that they were doing this," Jacqueline pointed to them with her fork.
"Not a peep. I wonder what she's gonna give him," Mallory took Jacqueline's plate from her and placed it on the table next to hers. While Jacqueline would have preferred to continue eating, she didn't resist. She slanted back into her chair, extended her legs under the table, placed her arm around the back of Mallory's chair, and the two listened.
Alex was speaking to Elet, but she was facing the crowd, "Since we decided to exchange gifts, I've spent weeks trying to figure out what to get you, baby. I thought about expensive sunglasses for our honeymoon, but I knew you'd lose them. I thought about getting you an expensive watch, but you'd never wear it. You already own all the art supplies you want. And, your mom gave you your dad's cufflinks." Then, she faced him. "I mean, what do you give the most wonderful man in the world?" She touched his shoulder as she walked past him to the wedding party table and retrieved a small box. "A man who never asks for anything too expensive. A man who wears clothes until they're rags. A man who doesn't play golf and doesn't want a giant TV." She handed him the box. He flipped it over in his hands. He shook it. He held it up. Guests yelled out possibilities.
"Tickets to a Bucs game?"
"Cash?"
"Condoms?"
"Gift cards?"
Alex shook her head. "Finally, I realized I couldn't buy him anything. But, there was something I always wanted to give him and what better place to do than here. Our wedding reception." Elet bent his head to the right and stared at her. She removed the microphone from her mouth; and, softly, she looked at him and said, "Open it." Carefully, he removed the ribbon and pulled off the box top. His brow furrowed. His head leaned forward. He looked up at her, then he looked back down at the box. He squinted his eyes. He brought his hand up to his face and used his thumb and forefinger to wipe away his tears. He held that moisture on the bridge of his nose for a second. Then, like a flash, he bolted from the chair to her. The chair tumbled backwards from his force. Alex looked petrified as the six-foot-tall blond man raced towards her in his full steam. Nearing her, he dropped to his knees and slid across the dance floor. When he reached her, he clasped his arms around the waist of his new wife and she responded by stroking his hair.
The room fell silent. Jacqueline was sitting on the edge of her seat waiting to be let in on the secret. Mallory was holding her arm. Mr. Stevens was standing as if he feared that Elet might have assaulted his youngest child. Josephine had her hands closed and pressed against her nose and lips. Elet's aunt and uncle missed the event. They were already outside preparing the goats. Then, Alex spoke to the band, "Drum roll please," and she tapped Elet on his head.
He pulled his face from her dress and screamed, "WE'RE HAVING A BABY!"
And, the room went wild. There was clapping. There was screaming. The band started to play. Friends and family rushed the dance floor to congratulate them. It was pandemonium.
But, in the back of the room, against the wall, Jacqueline smiled a far-reaching smile, a smile so big that it made her cheeks hurt. Mallory had let go of her arm and had turned to face her. Jacqueline could see the tears in her eyes. Using her napkin to dab them, she said, "Let's get some air." Mallory nodded in agreement. Holding her hand, the two walked along the backside of the ballroom wall into the corner and slipped into the night’s embrace.
The December night quieted their invigorated spirit. The two walked along the wooden path behind the ballroom without saying a word. Jacqueline placed her hand in her pocket and closed her eyes listening to the clickety clack of Mallory's heels beat about the wooden boards.
"I didn't see that coming," Mallory admitted as she reached for Jacqueline's hand.
"Me either, but you know what? It feels right."
"Yeah, it does. It explains a lot, too. She was sick in Baltimore, remember?"
"She said it was the plane."
"She hasn't had a drink in months," Mallory reminded Jacqueline.
"I wonder how long she's known."
"Weeks? Months? Who knows? But, it was the perfect surprise," Mallory released Jacqueline's hand and held onto her bicep. "You know, that arch is beautiful." While it was not planned, they were walking towards it. It sat as it had for the wedding on the wooden path above the steps south of the Pavilion. The lights, the decorations, and the chairs remained as they had hours ago.
Arm in arm, Jacqueline walked Mallory up the wedding aisle to the bottom stair. Once there, Mallory released her and walked up the steps alone. Jacqueline stood in the dewy grass and stared at Mallory, in the moon's glow, under the lights of the arch. The day had been perfect. She hadn't felt anxious. She hadn't felt preoccupied. She hadn't wondered about her future. She hadn't daydreamed. In fact, things had never felt more certain, more clear. Standing on the grass, she knew that she couldn't craft a moment better than this moment. She had been weighed down by the content of her pocket for months. She had been trying to create the perfect moment; but, finally, she realized that it couldn't be created. It had to just happen. And, better yet, the moment was happening. With her hand in
her pocket, her finger ran around the shank. She felt the prongs and the stations. As her forefinger ran over the crown, she started up the steps. With her eyes on Mallory, Jacqueline bit her lip, took a deep breath, and counted to five in her mind.
When she reached five, Mallory, who had been smelling the roses, turned and faced her with a half grin. "You look so serious," she teased.
Before anything else could be said, Jacqueline tugged at her pants leg and went down on one knee.
CHAPTER ONE
The blinds inside the penthouse condominium were open while Jacqueline dried the pans she'd used to cook breakfast. As she swirled the dish towel around the inside of the stainless-steel pan, she stared out at the bright sky. Years ago, when she was searching for a place to call home, her life was different. She was a single, professional woman in her twenties who was more focused on her career ambitions than she was on her personal life. She started her search at the beach, but she never found a bungalow or condominium with all of the amenities she was seeking. She knew she didn't want to spend time building a home in a subdivision or remodeling a place. But, she had heard about condos being built in Downtown St. Petersburg and thought that it was a possibility worth exploring. She visited the real estate office. And, while she didn't fall in love, they had offered everything she could imagine. A penthouse condominium was available. It had a wraparound balcony, an anteroom, and a private elevator. It sat above nightclubs and restaurants that she visited. And, she was sold.
In those days, she would park her Laredo in the parking garage across the street from her building and walk to meet colleagues for dinner or drinks or both. Then, in the wee hours of the morning, she would stroll, or stumble, home. It wasn't hard to rise in the mornings and replay the routine for a few days until the Sandman called her home. Recalling these memories, she wasn't ashamed of those antics nor did she regret them. They were a chapter in her life, but that chapter had been closed.