by Sarah Markel
When Kelly came downstairs, Alex held out a chair for her. Kelly chuckled at the pillow that Alex had placed on the seat. With a blush, Alex apologized again and took her own seat. “Wow, honey. This looks great.” Kelly said, motioning to the plate in front of her. Alex had wasted no time with her preparation of the meal. She had quickly put together a batch of Kelly’s favorite strawberry crepes and paired it with sunny side up eggs and crispy, thick cut bacon. Smiling, Alex thanked her and the pair started their breakfast in silence. After a few moments, Alex spoke. “Baby, please don’t hate me for this, but I invited Karen to come with us to my mother’s today.” Kelly paused, a forkful of eggs halfway to her mouth, and raised her eyebrow. “I know I should have asked you first, but I wasn’t sure she would agree and I think she should be in on some of the wedding talk.” Alex said in a rush before Kelly could speak. Setting her fork back down, Kelly considered Alex for a long moment. Finally, she smiled. “That was very nice of you, honey. Do you think that she will get along with Mama? I really don’t want to have to break up a fight.” Alex laughed. “Baby, we won’t have to break anything up. Mama can handle herself.” she said, scooping up a bite of crepe. Kelly shook her head, “Alright. But if my mother sets Mama off on a tangent, don’t say I didn’t warn you.”
CHAPTER 29
Three hours later, Alex pulled the SUV up to the gates of Serenity Manor and waved at the guard as he waved them in. “They have a guard at the gate to their house?” Karen asked incredulously. Nodding, Alex explained. “My mother is one of the wealthiest women in the state. And my step-father is pretty well set in his own right. The guard is there more to direct traffic than anything.” Alex pulled the car up next to Angie’s minivan and turned off the ignition. Turning in her seat, she directed a warning at Karen. “This is my parent’s home, and I expect you to keep control of your tongue. My mother is not a woman you want to piss off, and if you can’t remain polite, you won’t be invited to have anything else to do with the wedding.” Karen gave her a slightly offended look. “Alex, I am not a child. I don’t need to be warned to be on my best behavior. I know how to act in someone else’s home.” she said. With that said, everyone piled out of the SUV. Dej and Zane raced each other to the door, and Alex chuckled to herself when they fought over who would ring the bell. When the adults joined the kids on the porch, Kelly lifted Dej so she could ring it. Alex watched with interest at Karen’s expression when Hank’s voice bellowed out of the speaker. “Open up old man! It’s the Pawpaw Patrol and we have a warrant!” Dej said happily into the microphone. A moment later, Hank opened the door with his hands held high. “Don’t shoot, Officer Dej! I’m unarmed.” Giggling, Dej ran into her grandfather’s arms. Holding the girl on his wide hip, Hank greeted the others as he let them through. “Hank, this is my mother, Karen Willis.” Kelly introduced after kissing the man on the cheek. “Mother, this is Alex’s step-father, Hank Davis.” Karen shook the man’s hand and congratulated him on his lovely home.
As soon as the door closed, Alex held up her hand to quiet the group. Using her fingers to count down from 3, Alex chuckled when she reached 1 and her mother’s voice blared out from somewhere in the depths of the house. “Alexis Renee, you better have my grandchildren with you!” Zane and Dej laughed and ran toward the sound of their grandmother’s voice. “Alexis Renee? What a pretty name! Why on earth would you choose Alex over that?” Karen asked as the group made their way down the hall. Alex shrugged, “My mother is the only one who calls me Alexis, and I only use the name professionally. Until a few years ago, I went by Lexie. After my first wife passed, Lexie didn’t feel right anymore so I started going by Alex.” she explained. When they reached the kitchen, Andrea hurried over to welcome them. After hugging and kissing Alex and Kelly, Andrea offered her hand to Karen. “It’s nice to see you again, Karen.” she said politely. Nodding, Karen allowed Andrea to guide her to a stool. While the kids went out to play with their cousins, Alex helped Kelly carefully onto a stool and flushed when she noticed the curious stares from the others.
“Is everything alright, Kelly?” Andrea asked with concern. Heat crept over Kelly’s face as she racked her brain for an explanation that wouldn’t embarrass her. “I fell and landed on my ass on the stairs.” she said, hoping her explanation would be enough. Looking at the concerned faces around the kitchen island, only Angie’s belied her disbelief. Taking her seat quickly and hoping to divert attention away from Kelly, Alex asked “So what’s on the agenda today, Mama?” Looking down at the notepad in front of her, Andrea frowned. “Well, I know you gals have decided on your colors already, so next is the flowers. I know you already narrowed it down to a few options, and Francine will be here shortly to talk with you about them.” she explained. After taking a few sips of her coffee, the woman continued. “Wes will be here at two to discuss the cake, Ryan is out back and wants to talk to you about the song selection, and after that the only things left are the catering and to make a decision on the location. We need to book the venue and catering service as soon as possible so that we don’t have to have a plan B.” Setting down her pen, Andrea smiled at the couple. “I can’t tell you how excited I am to be a part of this.” she said, reaching across the table to clasp her hands over theirs. Several weeks before, Alex and Kelly had approached Andrea and asked her to help with the wedding plans. Kelly had tried, but between work and the kids she had fallen behind and keeping up with her appointments had proved problematic.
“We can’t tell you how much we appreciate your help, Mama.” Alex said sincerely. Smiling at the women, Andrea wiped away a tear. Before the older woman could say anything, Hank walked in with a short, homely looking woman who carried a clip board. “Francine’s here.” he announced, walking through the kitchen to the back door. “I’ll be outside with the kids if you need me.” Waving off the man’s offer, Andrea pulled over a stool for Francine. The woman offered Andrea a kind smile and set her satchel on the table. “I brought a sample of your choices in the colors you picked.” she said, lifting herself laboriously onto the stool. Rummaging in her bag, the woman pulled out eight flower stems and laid them out on the table. “I brought one of each, in both colors, so you could see the vibrancy before you decide.” she explained. The women gathered around and listened quietly as Alex and Kelly studied each blossom. “I think I like this one the best.” Kelly announced after careful consideration. Taking the delicate daisy, Alex rolled the stem between her fingers as the considered it. Setting the flower back on the table, Alex smiled and nodded. “Great choice!” Angie said as the others clapped.
*****
“Oh, I just hate that wretched man!” Andrea growled. Wes Johnson had arrived on time, but over the course of the last hour he had proved himself to be almost completely uncooperative. Each time Alex and Kelly had shown interest in a cake design, the man would scoff and tell them how much better his signature design was. When Alex reminded him of Dej’s diet restrictions, the man had rolled his eyes and suggested that they just give the child some fruit instead of making a separate cake just for her. Alex reminded him of all the times he had worked with Dej’s diet restrictions in the past, and glared when the man reminded her of the time and effort a wedding cake required. When Alex had finally reached her breaking point and asked her mother if she knew of any other bakers they could hire. That had done it, Wes had changed his tone. With the design chosen, Wes had gathered his things and happily followed Hank out of the house. “He’s definitely a pompous asshole.” Alex muttered, making the others laugh. Wes Johnson, while totally unlikeable, was the best baker in this part of the state. He had won countless awards for his pastry work and had even baked for some of the biggest celebrities in the country. He had also made the cakes for all of Zane and Dej’s birthday parties, Angie’s wedding, and Alex’s first wedding. Shaking her head, Andrea refilled everyone’s coffee cups and pulled a cold cut platter out of the fridge. “I know we should wait until Marie gets here, but I’m starving. Dig in ladies.” she said, s
etting the tray on the table.
While the group was finishing their snack, Alex and Kelly excused themselves to check on the kids out back. Stepping out onto the deck, Alex circled her arms around Kelly’s waist. “How you feeling, baby?” she asked, rubbing Kelly’s stomach lightly. Chuckling, Kelly nodded. “I’m fine, honey. It’s going to be a few days before we can do anything, but I think we will survive.” she said with a grin. The pair stood where they were for several minutes, watching the children play. “Marie’s here.” Angie said, poking her head out the door. Taking a deep breath, the pair joined the others in the kitchen. “Bonjour!” Marie said happily, kissing both Alex and Kelly in greeting. “Bonjour Marie, comment êtes-vous?” Kelly said, returning the greeting in Marie’s native French. “I am wonderful, Kelly. And I am so excited to be a part of this wedding!” Marie exclaimed, hugging both women before taking her seat at the island. “Now let’s get down to business. Tell Marie what you would like to serve on your big day.” The woman said, taking out her tablet and preparing to take notes.
*****
A few hours later, Alex flopped down on the couch in her living room and let out an exhausted sigh. “You guys will have to fend for yourselves tonight. I don’t have the strength to cook.” she said dramatically. Chuckling, Kelly patted the woman on the shoulder. “I’ll order something from Donatello’s, they have that new protein-free menu for Dej.” she said. “I can’t believe how exhausting wedding planning can be when mothers are involved!” Alex said, throwing her hands in the air. “You would think it was those two who were getting married!” During the visit with Marie, Andrea and Karen had both lost their battles to stay quiet. This had led to an argument between the two over whether or not to serve roasted squash or eggplant roulade as the vegetable course. After several threats and curse words were exchanged, Alex had finally quieted them with the threat of hiring a taco truck instead. Both women had quieted down, but had spent the rest of the meeting glaring at her. Once Marie left, Andrea and Karen had gotten into it again while Alex and Kelly went over their song list with Ryan. “You can’t slow dance to a pop song!” Karen had said. “They can slow dance to whatever song they want! It doesn’t matter if it’s pop, country, rock, or a lullaby.” Andrea had argued. This time it was Kelly who broke up the argument. “If you two don’t sit down and be quiet, Alex and I are going to slow dance to The Song That Never Ends!” Both women quieted immediately, despite the laughter that erupted from Alex and Ryan. After deciding on the song they would both dance to with their fathers, they chose a song for the mother-daughter dance, one for the dance with their kids, and the song they would dance to together. Once they had squared away the other details, the only thing left to decide on was the location. Kelly had been just about to suggest a wedding on the beach, when Alex had surprised them all.
“Dinner will be here in about forty-five minutes.” Kelly announced as she came back into the living room. Plopping down next to Alex and resting her hand on the other woman’s thigh, Kelly handed her a beer. “Promise me something, honey.” she said, resting her head on Alex’s shoulder. “Promise me that when once this is over, we never ask our mothers for help again.” she said, her voice whiny. Chuckling, Alex patted her hand and kissed the top of her head. “I promise.” she said. Sighing softly, Kelly rubbed her hand over Alex’s bicep. “You really surprised me today, honey.” Glancing down at her, Alex squeezed her hand. “By asking if we could get married at Mama’s house?” she asked. “Yeah, Angie told me that when you and Callie were deciding on your location you wanted the beach, but Callie insisted on the park.” Kelly answered, looking up. Shaking her head, Alex smiled. “That’s true, but there was a reason I didn’t get my way on that. I have a really fair complexion, which I’m sure you have noticed, and the beach in Oregon is different than the beach in Florida in the spring time. Here the beach is cold and windy, and combine that with the salty air and the clear sky, and you have a recipe for Alex a la lobster. Same goes for during the summer, except add the heat to that and you get broiled Alex a la lobster.” With a wide smile, Kelly leaned in and kissed Alex softly. “I think a wedding at Mama’s house is a wonderful idea, sweetheart.”
CHAPTER 30
As spring segued into summer, anticipation began taking its toll on everyone. Up until the middle of June, Zane and Dej’s birthday had been a welcomed distraction. But once the big day had come and gone, Alex and Kelly had nothing to distract them from the nerves that had taken root in their minds. On the 4th of July, during Hank and Mama’s family barbeque, Ryan and Raul had come up with a great way to distract from the anxiety. “How well can you two dance?” Raul asked while the adults lounged by the fountain in the middle of the yard. “It depends on what you mean.” Kelly supplied. “I can slow dance with the best of them, but dancing to anything with a quick beat requires a lot of practice.” Raul thought for a moment, then leaned close to Ryan’s ear and whispered something. Kelly looked at Alex when Ryan’s face broke out in a huge smile. “That’s a great idea!” he said, patting his husband’s knee. Looking wearily at her brother, Alex raised an eyebrow. “Raul and I can give you all dancing lessons!” he said excitedly. Looking at Kelly, Alex asked what she thought. After a moment of careful consideration, Kelly agreed. The foursome talked out the details and decided that Ryan would work with Alex and Zane, while Raul would work with Kelly and Dej. After agreeing on three sessions a week for the rest of the month, the group went back to enjoying their last distraction before the big day.
*****
“Mom! Grampa is on the phone!” Dej yelled into the kitchen. Kelly had asked the child to answer her ringing phone while she was up to her elbows in soapy dishwater. “Can you put it on speaker and set it on the counter over here, please?” she asked. Obligingly, Dej did as instructed and went back outside to play with Carrie, Addy, and Anya. “Hi daddy.” she said, tilting her head in the direction of the phone. “Hi sweetheart. How are things going out there?” Kevin asked. “They’re going smoothly so far.” she said with a chuckle. “Mom is behaving herself. She got an apartment and moved out of the facility a few weeks ago. The staff were so thrilled for her to go that several of them came in on their day off to help her move.” Kelly heard her father’s failed attempt to stifle a laugh. “I wish I could have been there for that. Hey sweetheart, Kendall and I had a question we wanted to ask you two.” he added, his voice uncertain. Drying her hands on a towel, Kelly picked up the phone and placed it to her ear. “What is it, daddy?” Kelly leaned back against the sink and waited while her father had a muted conversation with her step-mother.
“We were wondering, sweetheart, if you are keeping your last name, taking Alex’s, or if you are planning to hyphenate?” he asked finally. Kelly took a moment before answering. “Actually daddy, you two are the first to know, but I have decided to take Alex’s name. We were planning to wait until the preacher declares us married to announce it, so don’t tell anyone else please.” When Kevin answered, she thought she detected a trace of hurt in his voice. “Alright, sweetheart. We were just wondering so we knew how to address the wedding gift.” Feeling a twinge of guilt, Kelly finished her conversation and told her father she would see him in two weeks.
“Babe, we’re home!” Alex called a few minutes later. She, Steve, and Zane had gone out for their final fittings with Marsha Jenkins. Slipping her phone into her purse, Kelly hollered out for the girls to come inside. “Alright, honey. We will be home shortly then.” she said, meeting the group in the living room. Now that Alex’s group was done, it was Angie, Kelly, and the girls’ turn to meet with Marsha. Giving Alex a quick kiss goodbye, the group headed out to Angie’s van. “I texted your mom, Judy and Chelsea to let them know we are taking the girls with us. They are going to meet us there.” Angie said as she started the van. Nodding, Kelly did her best to fight the wave of nausea that was slowly making its way up into her throat. She was excited to finally be done with the fittings that had increased in frequency over the last few week
s, but she was nervous about seeing the finished product. “Don’t worry, Kelly. Marsha is a wonderful dress maker.” Angie said as if she could read Kelly’s thoughts. Smiling, Kelly turned to her friend. “I know. I saw the dress she made for Alex when she married Callie. I’m just feeling a little overwhelmed with everything that’s going on. I mean, in three weeks I will be walking down the aisle. As much as I can’t wait for this to happen, my nerves are getting the best of me.” she said, her cheeks flush with color. Angie patted her on the knee and assured her that everything would be fine.