Chance Encounter

by Jerry Cole

  “I love you,” I breathed before kissing him again. We stayed there in the candlelight until Hayden felt like he was composed, then reentered the front room to our family with anxious looks on their faces. I held up his hand with the ring, and they swarmed in for hugs and congratulations. The rest of the guests gathered around to see what was going on, clapping when they realized it was a proposal.

  We celebrated with champagne, clinking our glasses together to more cheers.

  “I hope I didn’t rain on your parade. It just seemed fitting.” I held Hayden’s hand later that night at Jackson’s place as we all relaxed with a beer.

  “Oh, my God. We’re getting married in two months. There’s no parade. This was a perfect night for it. You met there.” Amy snuggled against Jackson as he kissed her hair. “I wish I could’ve been in that theater. It was so romantic with candles everywhere.”

  “You two saw it?” Hayden asked, raising his brow.

  “We did. We liked the candles so much and the vibe that we thought we might get married in there.” Jackson grinned, and we all stared at them.

  “I mean, we can set the stage up nice with lights and candles. Maybe one of those arches with flowers and lights. We wanted an evening wedding anyway, so why not there? If you would be comfortable with it, we could have the reception in the main room.”

  Hayden gazed at them thoughtfully, twisting the bottle in his hand. “I think that would be amazing. There’s never been a wedding there, to my knowledge.”

  “I’d love to be the first,” Amy said, leaning in to kiss Jackson.

  “Let me talk to a few people. Can you cancel the hotel?” Hayden asked, and she smiled. “You already looked into it.”

  “They can fill the spot easily. They’re one of the most wanted wedding venues, but I want something unique,” Amy confessed, making us all laugh.

  “I’ll get on it tomorrow. I think they’ll love the idea.” Hayden settled against me, smiling at me before he gave me a soft kiss.

  “Where are you going to get married?” Amy asked, smiling at us.

  “I haven’t even thought of that. Any ideas?” I asked him, watching as he blushed.

  “I don’t know. We’ll plan something, but for now, I just want to bask in this glow,” he admitted, kissing me.

  We headed home in a while, hugging Becca again at her door. I led Hayden by the hand, unlocking our door. “Thank you for tonight,” he said, hugging me once the door was closed.

  “You made me the happiest man in the world,” I told him, kissing his lips. “I love you so much.”

  “I love you.” We went right to bed to have fiancé sex. It was rougher than it had been in a while but so fulfilling. It completed me in a way that nothing else had, and nothing ever would again. At least, until he was my husband.

  Gram talked about weddings all through next Sunday dinner. With a past at the theater, she was thrilled with the idea of a family wedding there. We all saw her come to life again, planning it, as well as her energy level rising.

  By that, I mean she was talking about both weddings. I hadn’t even set a date with Hayden yet since we were focused on Jackson and Amy. He got involved in their marriage, as did the girls. They were going to be Amy’s maids of honor, walking down the aisle with the sweetest little flower girl the town had ever seen. Both girls would walk with her since she was so young, holding her through the brief ceremony if needed.

  On the night before the wedding, we decorated the theater with twinkle lights and candles. To brighten the theater up, some of the stage lights were used. The entrance was similar to the night of the proposal with Hayden, only with several photos of the bride and groom and one big engagement shot for guests to sign.

  There was an arch in the center of the stage, draped with dim lights and flowers. Rose petals in cream and pink covered the stage, cleverly using the wedding colors before the girls walked out in their dresses. Jackson asked me to stand with him, as well as Hayden. There would be friends and family on Amy’s side there, but Gram was Jackson’s family. He asked her to walk him down the aisle, making her cry over breakfast one morning.

  The girls were dressed in flowing, knee-length deep pink dresses, while Ava wore a soft pink dress. She was lost in the ruffles and her curls, but she looked angelic. Gram wore a dress in a slightly darker shade than Becca and Mari, and it was a lovely shift dress. She got to join the girls in a spa day before the day of the ceremony, and hair and makeup on the morning of the wedding while they enjoyed mimosas.

  I walked on the stage with Jackson, Gram, and Hayden, standing beside the arch as we laughed and joked. The pastor that we asked to perform the ceremony stood just under the arch and back a step, watching as the guests arrived, totaling fifty people. Amy had a good-sized family who had kids. They were all there in the seats, and I smiled as I watched the kids look around with parents yelling at them to sit down.

  This was my life now with my niece, and I loved it. There was a time when this might have bothered me, but it was a perfect day now.

  The sound of a piano filled the theater, and everyone settled in their seats. Lights shone onstage in soft white, as well as on the left entrance. Two girls in pink walked in through the door, both carrying flowers and holding Ava’s hand. She looked around in awe, waddling forward with her mothers as they climbed the steps to the stage. Once there, the girls took their spots, and Mari picked up Ava to hold her.

  Another song started, played by the pianist just behind the curtain. A violin joined in to play Canon in D as Amy stepped out, wearing a flowing gown in white that hugged her curves and flowed behind her. Her father was beside her, looking nauseous. They walked the aisle as she smiled at guests, then climbed the stairs. Her father kissed her cheek, then shook Jackson’s hand before joining her mom and Gram in the first row.

  The pastor began the ceremony, which was short but almost too sweet. The bride and groom stumbled over their vows in tears, finally saying the words that would bring them to being married. Ava decided that she wanted Gram in the middle of things, and Mari giggled as she set her down on the floor, telling her to hurry.

  When he pronounced them husband and wife, the couple kissed, pressing together as if their lives depended on it. We all cheered as they split apart, watching as they hugged the girls and then us.

  Jackson and Amy led the way to the lobby, greeting the guests there as music played throughout the room. There was food from the same caterer and drinks by the same two guys that worked the anniversary event.

  “This went great. I think it was the perfect place to do it,” I told Hayden, watching as the newlyweds grinned and kissed each other one more time.

  “I wouldn’t be surprised if this caught on. They could charge a small fee for the use of the theater, and the couple can do what they want with the decor.” Hayden looked like an idea was forming in his head, making me chuckle.

  “Just one more thing to keep your baby going,” I told him, kissing his cheek.

  “I already looked into permits and everything for this. Why not?” He asked, wrapping an arm around my waist. “I might even want to get married here.”

  “Yeah?” I asked, and he nodded.

  “Smaller. Maybe just family. I don’t know that many people, apart from my coworkers.” Hayden shrugged, smiling at me. “I’ve also thought about something on the water. I’ll plan now that we have some free time.

  Gram danced with the girls and even Ava. Jackson danced with Amy by themselves to their song from their first date, and then she danced with her father to a sappy country song. They both cried.

  When Jackson danced with Gram, she was openly crying as he whispered something to her. I couldn’t help but do the same, thinking back to all that she did for us over the years. She was a mother and father since none of our parents fulfilled those roles. She was everything, and everyone clapped as they parted at the end of the song.

  Chapter Eighteen

  Hayden

  I watched as Gray spun G
ram slowly around the room, smiling and laughing with her. The emotions were clear on his face as I took him in. There was sheer happiness and some reminiscent sadness as well. I knew that he was thinking back to childhood when she raised him, loving him so completely.

  “What a day,” Becca said as she came over to me, holding a sleeping baby.

  “Are you just going to hold her while she sleeps?” I asked as she smiled.

  “Maybe. I feel like I missed a lot of time with her,” Becca said, blushing as I raised a brow. “We didn’t have her since birth. She’s getting so big now.”

  “It was meant to be this way.” We sat down on some wide chairs, and Becca leaned back.

  “That was an amazing wedding. This, too.” She waved a hand around the crowd. “I can see this becoming a thing.”

  “Gray and I were just talking about that,” I told her as she smiled. “I’ll have to put together a business plan.” This had just cost the price of the food, drinks, and decorations.

  “They probably wouldn’t close down for special occasions, otherwise.” She laughed, smiling at me. “This is one of those moments that I feel like life is racing by.”

  “It is,” I agreed, taking her hand as Benny Goodman filled the room. We both gazed at each other. “Gram.”

  “You’re getting married next, and this kid is only getting bigger.”

  “Are you going to get married?” I asked, and she looked around the room.

  “I want to ask her soon. I think it was in the works before Ava, but that took all of our energy. We’ll wait for yours if you two ever decide when. I’d like a ring on her finger.” Becca looked at me. “She’s the one. I knew it when we met.”

  “I knew it that first visit. You glowed with her, and it was so obvious that she was crazy about you. You managed a long-distance relationship, the move, and getting a whole new family. You even adopted a baby practically overnight. That’s a lot, but you two are made for each other.” I smiled as she thought back over their relationship.

  “We have been through a lot,” she murmured as I laughed. “I guess a proposal and wedding seem like nothing.”

  “Well, not nothing,” I corrected as Gray walked over with a smile.

  “Do you two want to dance?” He asked, looking between us. “You deserve a special dance just as much as anyone else here. I can hold Ava.”

  “I think that’s a great idea,” Becca said, slowly standing as he took Ava from her. I kissed him and took Becca’s hand to lead her to the dance floor. We got down to Prince and some cheesy but necessary wedding songs, joining Mari in the center.

  “Where is Ava?” Mari asked Becca, leaning in to kiss her.

  “Gray is holding her over there,” I told her, pointing to the seat they were in. “She had a big day.”

  “I can’t believe she had to go to Gram right at that moment.” Both girls laughed, and I chuckled along with them.

  “I think it was a perfect day.” The crowd erupted into cheers as a popular song came on, and we moved to the beat.

  Everyone headed home after midnight that night. I locked the doors, knowing that a cleaning crew would be in the following morning so we could open up. Jackson took Amy to a hotel in Seattle on the water for a one-night stay in the honeymoon suite. We all went home to the apartment building, settling into bed for the next ten hours. Becca and I both had the day off to recover, and Mari was working a little from home.

  We got out of bed at eleven, showering, and going to Gram’s place for breakfast. The girls were already there, helping her cook as Ava toddled around the apartment. She had toys there in the spare room, knowing to go right to them to play.

  “Yesterday was beautiful,” Gram said, once we were seated at the table with full plates.

  “It was a great wedding. I hope they’re having fun in the city,” Gray said, reaching for his favorite coffee. Jackson planned out a great day for them if they made it out of bed. He also planned a tropical honeymoon later, but there were some work issues at the moment.

  “They’re not in a city they live that close to. Amy has seen plenty of Washington,” Mari said, blushing as she looked at Gram. “Sorry.”

  “I married someone too, you know. I remember the excitement, and I hope it’s always beautiful for all of you when the time comes.” Gram smiled, and we watched her go into the past.

  “You’ve never dated since then, have you?” Becca asked, and Gram shook her head.

  “I had kids that didn’t want to raise their kids. I did that, and in that process, I realized that no man would be like he was. We had forty years together. I’m content with life.” She smiled, sipping her coffee. “I have three beautiful daughters now, three sons, and a sweet little granddaughter. My heart is overflowing with love.”

  “You’re making me cry, Gram.” Becca wiped a tear from her eye as Mari gazed down at the table. “I don’t know what we’d do without you.”

  “I feel the same way,” she told us, meeting our gazes as emotion washed over us. “I love all of you so much.”

  We enjoyed the day off together, going back to normal the following day. Jackson and Amy arrived home late the second night, welcomed by roses, dinner, and a chocolate cake in their fridge. He had to get back to work and even take a trip to Florida this week. Amy agreed to join him, so she could see some old friends that didn’t make the wedding. They would be gone for two nights as something of a second honeymoon since he was getting them a good room.

  They did have dinner with Gram before they left again with all of us. It was filled with laughter and love. They all moved on to my wedding to Gray, asking what we planned. I told them the theater worked out well for Jackson and Amy, but we weren’t set on it quite yet. It was the place that we met, though. It meant a lot to me.

  I returned to work, and everyone was excited about the idea of having weddings there. It would require closing down, so we’d keep it to one weekend day. We’d have to charge an amount that would make it financially stable for closing. We would need certain permits with the city to have regular events. It would require some research, but we’d get it done.

  I decided to recommend the caterer and bar service that we used for every inquiry about using the space for an event. It didn’t necessarily need to be a wedding, but that made sense. In addition to recommending them, I’d print out a few local hotels as well as some of the local restaurants. One of the women I worked with used to be an event coordinator, and she offered to fill that position with each booking. She could handle things on the back end, taking care of small details so the bride didn’t lose her mind more than she already might.

  Every day, it seemed like this was going to work, and two weeks later, we were set up for events. We only kept Sundays open for them, adding one more performance to Friday and Saturday to make up for it. We’d stay closed either way on Sunday, but I felt that this would go over well. A theater with this history in the near-original condition would draw people in.

  “Great call, Hayden,” Mari told me, patting me on the back. “I think you did a lot of good for the town.”

  “Thanks.” I smiled, looking over some will call tickets for tonight on the computer in the office. “We’re all set for tonight. There are a few tickets left to sell at the window.”

  “We miss you at night, you know.” Becca smiled with her entire face as I nodded.

  “I miss nights, but I also love being at home with my man.” She shook her head as I blushed.

  “You and Mari have changed so much before my very eyes. I love seeing you both so happy.” Mari brought Ava to the theater to see Becca on calm nights, and everyone adored her.

  “It’s a trip to think about sometimes,” I admitted, closing down the program.

  I told everyone to have a great night, heading home to figure out what Gray wanted for dinner. I found him with Ava, sitting on the couch watching some obnoxious cartoon. “Are we babysitting tonight?” I asked, and he shook his head.

  “Mari is sick, and Becca
went to get her some medicine before work. They asked us to watch Ava for them. I hope you don’t mind since we had plans for dinner.” He raised a brow at me, and I smiled at the baby as she reached for me.

  “Did we? I get so excited about having dinner with you that I forget that. We could still go somewhere or maybe order takeout. Ava eats pretty well off our plates at the salad place.” I said, smiling at her as she burst out in giggles. “She’s not sick? What’s wrong with Mari?”

  “She said it’s the black death, but I’m thinking the flu. She’s resting as much as she can since she came home early from work, but that’s not easy with this one running all over the place.” Gray smiled at us. “Ava’s fine.”

  “Let's take her to the salad place and pig out.” It was one of those restaurants that offered salad as well as several other kinds of food that you paid one price for. Ava was free, and she ate a lot of the stuff there. “We have a car seat for her.”

  Eating and watching Ava carefully as she ate, I filled Gray in with the new business venture of the theater. “It’s perfect. Mari will act as an event coordinator and handle everything that has to do with the theater. We’re going to recommend that caterer and bar service we’ve used twice, and I’m talking to them to see if there can be a discount for using all three of the services in a package. Nothing crazy, but enough to make people want to spend more. I’m designing fliers for all of it.”

  “You are such a great manager, Hay. That theater just took a big step forward because of you.” He sipped his soda, watching as Ava shoved a sweet potato in her mouth with a squeal.

  “It just fell into my lap with Jackson and Amy’s idea. I would never have thought of it otherwise,” I stabbed some salad, chewing slowly. “That was such a great night.”

  “The wedding? It was,” he agreed, as he prepared his baked sweet potato. “I can’t wait for ours.”