RIO GRANDE WEDDING

by Ruth Wind

  She kissed his cheekbones, his nose, his mouth, touched his forehead, his hair. "I love you, Alejandro."

  And they joined with holy carnality, laughing when they slipped and nearly fell, and slid to the floor to finish, and in spite of the cold floor, in spite of the awkwardness, they swelled together, and both of them were weeping when it was done.

  Alejandro rested his forehead in the curve of her neck, and breathed his thanks to the fates. To his sister, to his father, to the fall of the Mexican economy, to Josh for shooting him, to everything that had played whatever tiny part in bringing him here, to this woman. His woman.

  His wife.

  The sound of a huge engine sounded outside, and they both startled, then skittered apart when a knock came on the door. "Just a minute," Molly cried out, and dissolved in laughter when she tangled the leg of her sweats inside out. Alejandro shoved his hair out of his face and fastened his jeans. Leaving his shirt unbuttoned for the moment, he helped Molly up, smoothing her gown down, widening his eyes in laughter.

  "Knock, knock!" Josh called from the living room. "Special delivery!"

  Molly shook her hair out of her face and looked up at Alejandro, as if asking his approval. She had a red mark on her neck, bold and plain, and touched it, shrugging.

  "What are we going to tell him?" she whispered to Alejandro. "In here!" she called out.

  Josh carried his shrouded bundle carefully. She wasn't heavy – in fact she was almost painfully light. But the cold air was a danger to her lungs, and the hospital had fretted over it. He promised to keep her head and face covered and Josefina had promised to follow orders exactly. So now, she curled in his arms, her blanket up over her nose. "You can take it off now, honey," he said.

  "Is this my house?" she whispered urgently, her eyes wide.

  "Yep." He heard a sound of giggles, quickly hushed, and slowed just a bit. "You know what?" he said, stopping entirely.

  "What?"

  "Maybe we aren't going to have to do any tricks." He grinned as another throaty, satisfied laugh came from the kitchen, and a sound of scuffling, and the lower laugh of a man. "What do you think?"

  Josefina gave him an impish, knowing grin. "Put me down."

  So Josh was trailing behind a strong little girl who strode down his sister's hallway in her bunny slippers, and he had a chance to observe it all. Molly, her hair a mess all over her shoulders, her sweats on inside out, her feet bare and a love bite on her neck the size of Texas. Alejandro, his hair even wilder than Molly's, his shirt buttoned crookedly.

  It was the expression they both wore that got him, though. Rushed and beaming. And then—

  "Hi, Tío," Josefina said, and held out her hands. "Here I am."

  If there had been even the slightest of lingering doubts in Josh's mind about Alejandro Sosa, they were erased in that instant. The man, plainly overwhelmed, simply fell to his knees and opened his arms. Tears streamed down his dark face as he hugged the little girl. "Welcome to your new home, hija," he whispered against her hair. "Welcome home." He turned to Molly, who had crouched beside them, his eyes shining, and kissed her, in front of the world and Josh and his niece.

  "Uh, Josh," Molly said. "There's been a change of plan?"

  Josefina reached out a tiny hand and put it on Molly's shoulder. "Don't worry, Molly. He knows you are in love."

  For one moment, Molly stared at him, obviously worried. He crossed the room and hugged her. "I knew last night, kiddo."

  He turned and held out a hand to his brother-in-law. "Congratulations."

  But Alejandro snared him with his free arm and gave him a hug. A little surprised, Josh resisted at first, then realized it felt pretty damned good to be included. To be inside, to have family who cared, and he managed to hug a little in return.

  "Thank you, brother," Alejandro said.

  * * *

  Epilogue

  «^

  Molly could scarcely contain her impatience. She had been to the window a dozen times in ten minutes, peering out to the road, and pacing back into the kitchen. The little scruffy dog, a ratty terrier mix, followed her back and forth. Josefina finally took her by the hand and said, "We should maybe wait on the porch, huh?"

  Molly laughed. "Yes."

  But as they stepped outside to the brilliant spring day, Molly squealed. "There it is!" She pointed, and even found herself jumping up and down in her excitement. "Look!"

  Even Josefina was impressed. Her mouth dropped. "It's so big!"

  "Yes it is."

  The crew of construction workers across the way heard the engines and all of them stopped, too, to watch the rare spectacle of a house moving down the road, turrets and all. The windows were boarded carefully, and the road had had to be widened, and even then, it took a whole contingent of cars before and behind to keep the passage free for the huge moving job.

  As it lumbered toward the foundation waiting for it, Molly sank onto the steps and covered her mouth.

  "Why are you crying, Mama Molly?"

  Molly brushed the tears off her face. "I'm happy," she said. "Did you ever want something so bad and you were just sure you would never get it, and then you did?"

  Josefina nodded, very soberly. Her hand moved on her dog's head.

  "That's how I feel about that house. I've wanted to live in it since I was just a little bit older than you."

  Josefina looked at it nervously. "I like my room now, though."

  "I know." She took her hand. "You like the curtains, but I promise I can move them into a new room when we get it done." She pointed. "You see that round part, with windows all around?"

  "That's going to be my room?" Josefina guessed, and looked at Molly with wide eyes. "Like a princess?"

  Molly laughed in delight. "Exactly like a princess."

  Alejandro jumped from a truck in order to direct the driver to level ground. He waved his hat wildly at Molly and Josefina, and even over the noise, they could hear his cry, "Whooo – eee!"

  "Molly?"

  Grinning, she looked down at the little girl. "Yes?"

  "I think I'm already the princess. And you're the queen, and Tío is the king."

  Molly laughed, a warmth and richness in her heart. "You know what? I think you're right."

  Josefina sighed. "Everything is going to be just fine."

  "Just fine," Molly agreed.

  Never perfect, but always just fine. Life was full of miracles.

  * * * *