Mended Fences: Will love and kindness be able to mend the fences broken by intolerance? (Mended Hearts Book 2)

by Sarah Markel

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  Alex stared in awe at the sight before her. She drank in the view of the woman who was about to be her wife, and silently praised Marsha for her abilities. Alex felt her face split into a wide smile as Kelly walked arm in arm with her father. The dress that had started out as a blank white canvas a year ago, had been transformed into something that belonged in a bridal show. The long, A-frame silk dress complimented and accentuated each of Kelly’s luscious curves. Strips of beaded lace, alternating between emerald green and sapphire blue, stretched from the top of Kelly’s left breast down to the curve of her right hip to form an elegant sash. A tiara, accented with genuine sapphires and emeralds, sat atop Kelly’s sable hair. A thin silver necklace adorned the woman’s neck, with a small sapphire and matching emerald hanging from the chain and coming to rest about an inch above the woman’s cleavage. When Kevin took her hand and placed it in Kelly’s, Alex released the breath she had been holding. “You look stunning.” she whispered with admiration. Kelly felt her face flush, but for the first time, she did not try to hide it. As Kevin turned to take his seat, Alex and Kelly turned away from their guests to face the man standing at the dais in front of them.

  “Ladies, Gentlemen, and Happy Homos.” Terry began, staring out at the gathered crowd with a smile. Listening to the people chuckle, helped to calm his nerves. This was the first full wedding that Terry was to officiate since he received his ordination the previous summer. He had been thrilled when Alex and Kelly had approached him and asked him to marry them. “We are gathered here today before God, to join these two women in Holy matrimony.” Sharing a smile with his husband, who was seated in the front row off to the right of the aisle, Terry took a deep breath and continued. After speaking for a few moments about the beauty of marriage, Terry turned the floor to the women. “Our beautiful Brides have chosen to write their own vows for today. Alex, would you please begin?” Smiling at her friend, Kelly turned her attention to the woman standing next to her. With both of Kelly’s hands in hers, Alex took a deep breath.

  “Kelly, for four years I lived my life on autopilot. I went to work, took care of the kids, and repeated that routine every day. After Callie died, I thought I would never find happiness again. Then, one sunny Friday afternoon, you walked into my office and my whole life changed. From the first time our eyes met, I knew that things were about to change. Suddenly I found myself feeling things that I thought I would never experience again. Over the last two years, you have shown me what it feels like to be loved.” Alex squeezed Kelly’s hands gently and fought to keep her voice steady as her emotions tried to overtake her. Taking another deep breath, she continued. “Kelly, I vow from this day forward, to love you no matter what. I vow to support your decisions, consider your opinions, and honor our commitment. For every moment of the rest of our lives, I swear to you, I will do everything in my power to make you happy. I want to be the reason you smile when you think no one is paying attention. I want to be the thought running through your mind when you bite your lip and play with your necklace. But most of all, I want to be the woman who gets to wake up each morning next to you and thinks, ‘Wow, that’s my wife.’ Thank you, Kelly, for being willing to love me through all of my faults and insecurities. I love you.” Applause thundered from their guests as Alex finished and Terry motioned to Kelly.

  “Alex, ever since I was a child, I have always wanted to be a wife and mother. I had spent the majority of my adult life trying to accomplish that goal, to no avail. It seemed that no matter what type of woman I was in a relationship with, none of them wanted anything beyond the physical. Then I met you. That first day in your office, I was instantly smitten with you. There was just something in your eyes that made my skin tingle and my heart race. It had nothing to do with your appearance, although I will admit that you weren’t exactly the type of woman I usually went for.” Kelly paused for a moment as the crowd laughed. “From the first time our eyes met, I couldn’t get you off my mind. Everywhere I went, I found myself wondering what you were doing. Right away, I found myself looking forward to the next time I would see you. I had never felt that way before, and I found that just the thought of your smile could lift my spirits. Standing here today in front of our friends and family, I make this promise. I vow that no matter what we face in the years to come, whether it’s watching our son go off to college, or watching you intimidate the helpless child that takes our daughter on her first date, I will be there to offer you all the love and support I can. I know you still carry love for Callie in your heart, and I will never try to push that away. My only hope is that my love and commitment to our life together will be enough to make you happy until the end. I love you Alex, and no matter what, you can count on me to be there, to be your lover, your friend, and your partner in everything you want to do.”

  Wiping a tear from his cheek, Terry addressed the women before him. “Alex, do you take this woman, Kelly Shane Taylor, to be your lawfully wedded wife? To love her, to honor her, and to support her without hesitation, in sickness and in health, until you draw your last breath in this life?” Alex leaned down and accepted the ring that Kevin Junior offered her. Sliding the thin gold band over Kelly’s left ring finger, Alex nodded and stated firmly, “I do.” Turning his head, Terry spoke to the other woman. “Kelly, do you take this woman, Alexis Renee Walker, to be your lawfully wedded wife? To love her, honor her, and support her without hesitation, in sickness and in health, until you draw your last breath in this life?” Kelly smiled as little Kevin handed her the ring. Meeting Alex’s eyes, Kelly slid the ring on and nodded. “I do.” she said, her voice threatening to crack. Terry eyed his friends lovingly and made his final pronouncement. “Then by the power vested in me, by the state of Oregon, I now pronounce you… stuck with each other. You may kiss the bride.” he finished as the guests laughed. Alex chuckled and pulled Kelly to her. Staring into her new wife’s eyes, Alex pressed their lips together for their first kiss as a married couple. Everyone stood and cheered as Alex and Kelly sealed their promise. When the couple parted and turned to their guests, they raised their joined hands in triumph.

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  “Baby, before we start dancing, I want to give you your wedding present.” Alex whispered as they prepared to take their seats at the slightly raised bridal table. Kelly smiled at her wife and nodded. Alex led the woman to her seat and promised to return in a moment. When Alex hurried off, Raul walked over and leaned down to kiss Kelly on the cheek. “Congratulations, Sis. Everything is all set. You two will dance with the kids, then your mothers, then your fathers, before you take the floor to dance with each other. After that, we will take care of Alex while you do your part.” the man explained. Kelly nodded and thanked him, placing a kiss on his cheek. She and Raul had been working on Alex’s wedding present for weeks, and now that she had managed to get everything right with the presentation, she hoped that her wife would like it. When Alex returned a few moments later, Kelly felt tears spring to her eyes at the sight of the three people who had joined her. It had been years since she had seen them, and she had lost hope of ever seeing them again. Standing quickly, she walked around the table and accepted the hug that the older woman offered. “Margaret… Paul… I am so glad you are here!” she said through the lump in her throat. Standing aside, Margaret motioned for the other woman in their group to stand next to her. Kelly swiped at the tears that cascaded down her cheeks when the young woman who looked so much like Kristen smiled at her. Hello, Kelly. The woman signed with her hands. Hello, Grace. I’m so happy to see you here. This is such a wonderful surprise! Kelly replied through sign. Alex watched happily as her wife silently reconnected with the niece she had never known.

  A short time later, after Grace and her parents had visited with the newlyweds and taken their seats, Karen approached the bridal table. Setting a box in front of her daughter, she smiled at the pair. “I know it’s not typical, but I would like you both to open this together. Alex, I can never repay you for all that you have
done for me, but I hope that you know how eternally grateful I am to you. I literally owe you my life.” Swiping at the tears that ran down her cheeks, she turned to her daughter. “Kelly, if I could go back in time and change the way I acted, I would do it in a heartbeat. I hope you both like the gift, it took many hours of digging to find the right ones, and I hope that you will accept this as a peace offering. I will do whatever it takes to remain a part of your lives.” Karen watched nervously, as Kelly lifted the lid off the box and pulled out the bubble-wrapped bundle. She kept her gaze focused on their faces as they pulled away the protective bubbles and, and smiled to herself at the small gasp of surprise that escaped Kelly’s lips. “Do you like it?” she asked as the pair looked over each of the six framed photographs before them. Karen had spent months going through her photo albums to find Kelly’s hospital photo, and one of her during each of her first five years. Standing, both women came around the table and hugged her tightly. “Mom, it’s perfect.” Kelly whispered happily. “We’ll hang them up as soon as we get home.” Alex said, giving the woman a tight squeeze.

  The thump of someone testing a microphone drew the attention of the newlyweds. “I would like to invite everyone to take their seats, please.” Andrea said into the microphone. The woman waited patiently while the crowd sat at the tables. When she had everyone’s attention, Andrea continued. “While we enjoy the wonderful meal, prepared by our favorite caterer Marie Cartier, my daughter Angie would like to offer a toast to the happy couple.” Andrea motioned to her daughter and handed over the microphone as the crowd applauded. When the applause died down, Angie cleared her throat and began.

  “When we were kids, my twin sister and I used to talk about our future. I remember one day when we were about thirteen, we were laying right here in this yard talking about what made the perfect husband. I was rambling on about how many muscles he would have, and Alex said something that stopped me mid-sentence. I asked her to repeat herself, and when she did I was stunned. My sister had said that, for her, the perfect husband would be a wife. I remember sitting there and staring at her in disbelief, my immature teenage bran trying to grasp what she was saying. When it hit me, I remember shrieking and wrapping my arms around her. I was so proud that she came out to me first. When she married Callie, I remember seeing the way Alex looked at her, and seeing the love radiate between the two. When Callie died, I was worried that I would never again see Alex look at someone, or see someone look at her, with that much affection and genuine attraction.” Angie stopped for a moment to gather herself. When she was certain that she wasn’t going to cry, she continued. “When Kelly accepted my offer and moved out here, I was completely surprised. It only took a few short days for that look to come back into Alex’s eyes. I was shocked when after only a few more days, Kelly was returning that look. Here we are now, celebrating these two women as they begin their life together. Alex, Kelly, I am confident that I can speak for everyone when I say, I wish you all the best on your journey through life, and I hope with all my heart that you two will grow old and senile together, living out your remaining days as residents at Serenity Home.” While the crowd cheered and laughed, Angie made her way off stage and over to hug her sister and sister-in-law.

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  As the sun fell lower in the sky, Ryan took the microphone and addressed the crowd as the catering staff began clearing the tables. “Ladies and Gentlemen, at this time I would ask that you all direct your attention to the dance floor as Alex and Kelly dance with their children.” Cheering happily, the crowd gathered around the wooden dance floor that had been brought in for the wedding and placed near the fountain. Zane and Dej quickly took their places on the dance floor, facing each other with a smile. Alex and Kelly approached from opposite sides of the floor. When they reached the children, Kelly held her hand out to Zane as Alex did the same to Dej. As the children took their mother’s hands, Barbara Streisand’s If I Could began to filter through the speakers arranged around the yard. The crowd watched quietly as the pairs danced flawlessly around the wooden stage. “They sure do make a beautiful family.” Hank whispered to Andrea, hugging his wife closely. Nodding, the woman smiled to her husband.

  As the mother-child dance came to an end, Ryan made another announcement. “Please bear with us folks, you will all be invited to dance once the family finishes their special selections. Up next, the beautiful brides will dance with their mothers.” The crowd once again applauded as Karen and Andrea took the stage to replace the children. “Kelly, I am so proud of you! And I can’t wait to show off the wedding pictures to my friends back home.” Karen whispered as she took her place with her daughter. Kelly felt her heart swell with happiness at her mother’s words. She really does accept me! The woman thought happily. Alex saw the look on her wife’s face and her respect for Karen grew by leaps and bounds. “I think she finally gets it, sweetheart.” Andrea said with a chuckle. “I hope so, Mama. I don’t know what I’m going to do if she hurts Kelly again.” Andrea gave her daughter a knowing glance and the two began to sway as Wind Beneath My Wings was played. While she swayed around the floor with her mother, Kelly looked out at all the smiling face watching them. Her heart soared at the looks of love and excitement that were offered. When the music ended, Alex and Kelly bowed to their mothers and took a moment to embrace each other before the next dance.

  “Alex, thank you.” Kelly whispered to her wife. “For what, baby?” Alex asked, a look of confusion on her face. Kelly gestured to their guests. “For giving me a family. And for having a part in reuniting me with mine.” Alex beamed and kissed her new bride. “How did you find the Ashland’s?” Kelly asked, genuinely curious. Alex chuckled. “I begged Hank for his poker buddy’s phone number. The man is a private investigator and I told him what I could remember about them.” she replied with a shrug. Kelly chuckled and kissed her again. “Thank you, my love.” As Hank and Kevin made their way to their daughters, Heartland’s I Loved Her First flowed through the crowd. “I am so proud to be your daughter, Hank.” Alex said to the man as they danced. Hank’s face cracked in a wide smile and tears filled his eyes. “I think that’s the first time you have referred to yourself that way, Alex.” he managed. Alex smiled at the man who had done so much for her over the years. “Hank, um… would you mind if I called you ‘Dad’?” Alex flushed as she spoke. She had been thinking of how to approach the man with her question for months. She had spoken to her mother and her siblings about it, and they had all agreed that she would know when the right time and place would be. That morning, while talking to the picture she kept of her father, Alex had come to the decision. Daddy, I can’t expect my children to treat Kelly like their mother if I’m not willing to do the same with Hank. You will always be the daddy I have the fondest memories of, but I think Hank deserves the title of Dad now too. She had told the image of the man she missed every day. As the song ended, Hank embraced Alex in a tight hug. “You can call me ‘Dad’ if you want, Alex. But you don’t have to. I respect the fact that I will never replace your father, and I am fine with you calling me by my name if you prefer. But there is something you should know.” the man said, his voice raw with emotion. Curiously, Alex looked at him and waited. Swiping at the tears that were flowing down his cheeks, Hank smiled. “I don’t consider you and the others my step-kids. From the first time I met you, you have all been my children.” Alex felt her own tears moisten her cheeks as she placed a kiss on the older man’s cheek. “Thank you Hank.”

  As Ryan announced the couple’s first dance together, Alex and Kelly stepped up to each other. The sun was almost set now, and the warm summer breeze felt nice against the exposed skin of the guests. The muted lighting that had been strung above the yard provided the perfect amount of illumination for the evening. Smiling at each other, the brides began their slow, rhythmic dance to the song that held so much meaning to them both. Alex chuckled to herself when she noticed that many of their friends had taken their spouses hands and were swaying in place to Mary Lambert�
��s She Keeps Me Warm. Neither woman said a word, but the two spoke volumes through their eyes. When the song ended, the two kissed while their friends cheered and clapped. When they parted, both women waved their guests onto the dance floor to join them.

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  “Alright folks,” Ryan began a short time later. “Our beautiful Kelly has a surprise for my lovely sister. If you would all take your seats, I am quite positive that you will all enjoy this as well.” While the crowd left the dance floor and reclaimed their seats, Raul took a chair and set it at one corner of the dance floor. Jon, Lee, and Raul coerced a confused Alex into the chair and placed a blindfold over the woman’s eye. “Relax sis, it’s only for a moment.” Raul said with a chuckle. Nodding to Kelly, the man gave the go ahead. Kelly nodded back and headed toward the garage. She had been able to keep her nerves at bay all day, but now that the moment was upon her, she felt the anxiety coming back. Last year during their family trip to the Bahamas, Alex had told Kelly that her absolute favorite movie was Grease 2. She had explained that when growing up, she used to imagine Michelle Pfeiffer singing Cool Rider and dancing for her. As she retrieved the item she had bought for Alex, Kelly chuckled at the memory of Raul’s excited response when she asked him to teach her the dance. Apparently the man was also a huge fan. When Kelly returned to the back yard, Jon and Lee ran to help her place the gift in the middle of the dance floor. The cheering that erupted from the guests made her smile, and the sight of the woman she loved waiting patiently, emboldened Kelly and while Jon and Lee were busy getting the gift situated, Kelly ran into the house to change.