by Ian Finn
The song is pure perfection. The arrangement is complex, yet the boys seem to really be hitting the notes and keeping up with the melody. The lyrics are about how the kids want a home for Christmas. It’s their Christmas wish. And Nick’s is actually being granted this year. I can feel how well the song is emanating with the audience.
Our afternoon at the Morning Madison Christmas Special concludes with two more Christmas songs from the boys’ choir. A standing ovation follows and ends with the friends and family of Will going up on stage.
And one point during the clapping, Candy turns to me, and asks, “Okay, so are you and Zach going to have a spring or summer wedding? Because it’s never too early to start making plans, and I have just the ideal place for you. I can be your wedding planner. I love weddings.”
“Wedding?”
At first, I think she’s teasing me, so I give her a you must joking kind of look. Except she looks at me like she’s dead serious.
Zach and me, married? Isn’t it a tad early?
She looks me dead in the eyes, and says, “Oh honey, you should know by now I’m the party queen, and I don’t joke about parties.”
I laugh, telling her, “That’s probably a ways off, but I tell you what. You’ll be the first person to know when we get engaged.”
She puts one hand to her hip, and gives me a side eye.
“Well, duh!” she says.
Oh boy!
Well, I have to admit that she and Wes’s grandmother do know how to throw a party. And if and when Zach and I do marry, it will certainly be less stress if we have that end of it taken care of. And it will be more than fabulous to boot.
Zach then joins me as the taping of the show finally ends, and we all gather backstage. The first thing he does is give me a questioning look, then says, “Well? What did you think?”
I almost can’t believe that he’s asking. Doesn’t he know he hit it out of the ballpark? That it was a complete triumph –– a resounding success!
“Are you kidding? You nailed it!” I cry out, while embracing him.
While squeezing me tight, Zach whispers into my ear, “I love you.”
Hmm. Maybe a wedding with Zach isn’t quite as far-fetched as I thought. Is Candy onto something?
I then get up in Zach’s ear.
“I love you too,” I tell him.
Zach’s face is glowing after he hears this, as I’m sure mine is as well.
Father Joseph then approaches us and congratulates Zach. He whispers something into Zach’s ear, before walking away.
Now curious, I ask, “What was all that about?”
“He granted me my wish, by telling me I’ve fulfilled my duties at the church!” he says.
I become so excited and instantly go to hug him, but he doesn’t seem to be responding in the same way I am.
So, I look at him, questioningly.
“Is that all he said?” I finally ask.
“Not exactly. He said that he’d graciously accept a donation to the church for funding of the boys’ choir.”
I nod.
“Well, okay, isn’t that you wanted in the first place? To just pay him and be done with it?”
Zach nods, “Yeah…”
He looks at me stone-faced before continuing.
“And he also said that he wants me to be the permanent replacement for the boys’ choir director, who’s now decided to retire.”
Still puzzled about why he wouldn’t want to do something he’s so good at, I say to him, “Well, that’s kind of a compliment, hon.”
I study his face, then say, “Don’t you think?”
He then shifts his face from a frown into a big grin.
“You know what?” he asks, with more self-assuredness. “I am damn good it. Meet the new St. Patrick’s Boys’ Choir director!”
“That’s the spirit,” I say, giving him a kiss. “Merry Christmas!”
“Merry Christmas to you, too, my long-last love,” he says, as he gathers me into a strong embrace.
Eli comes running out from the risers and throws his arms around us, too.
“Good job!” I tell him.
“Yeah, you did great, son,” Zach says.
“Merry Christmas!” he says, joining us in our Christmas wishes.
“Merry Christmas, son,” Zach beams.
He bends down to kiss Eli on the head.
“Merry Christmas, dear Eli,” I tell him, never before happier that both he and Zach are in my life. “And happy new year, too. I have a feeling it’s going to be the best year ever!”
Epilogue
Ryan – About a year later
“Welcome guys! Great to see you again,” Cissy says, joyously greeting Zach, Eli and me at the entrance of their upstate cabin.
“Hello Mrs. Marshall; is Nick here yet?” Eli asks, clearly hoping that his friend has already arrived.
“Nick is here, he’s inside, and you’re welcome to go look for him,” Cissy tells him, whereupon he runs off.
She smiles warmly at us and gives us each a hug.
“Come on in, the party has already started,” she says, as we follow behind her.
This will be Zach’s third time at the Marshall’s annual Christmas party, but this will be my second time. After Cissy leads us into the great room, I’m not at all shocked to see the length the Marshalls went to, to make this a first-class affair.
A long, lush dining table is filled with poinsettias, candles, and Christmas ornaments, and looks as though it’s ready to be photographed to put in a magazine.
Just like last year’s out of this world, highly decorated Christmas gathering, this too has all the makings of an elegant, festive party.
Cissy tells us, “This year’s party won’t be quite as big as last year’s.”
I think to myself that that means it’ll just be a huge party, instead of a humongous party. I try not to chuckle out loud.
She then excuses herself, telling us she has to attend to the caterers. “Have a good time, boys!” she says.
The first people we run into, coming from the long hallway is Flynn, accompanied by his mom, Betty.
“Ryan, my love. Look at you!” Betty says, before hugging me. “I hardly ever see you anymore, since you’ve moved in with Zach,” she adds.
Which is only partially true. Betty is still Eli’s main babysitter, and since I’m usually the one to drop him off there, we do still see each other occasionally. Just not like we used to. And since I’m living with Zach almost full time now, I have less of a need to go to my apartment.
“Well, you might be seeing a lot more of us now that Eli’s out of school for the Christmas break,” I tell Betty.
During the school year, Eli often comes to my store after school, and stays with me until closing. Betty was able to see more of us during the summer months, but since school started up in the fall, we haven’t been to her house as much.
“Oh please. Drop him off anytime,” she says, before mentioning, “You know, I also sit for Nick now.”
“Terrific! They’ll love playing together at your house,” I tell her. Then I add, “You look great, Betty!”
Betty does look happier than I’ve ever seen her, I think to myself. Before she reunited with Flynn, I always felt as though she was trying too hard to act like she was happy. But now it’s clear to me that she really is.
It’s hard to believe that it’s been a full year since we were standing in this exact spot, where she reunited with her son. It’s a moment I’ll never ever forget.
“Make yourself comfortable, guys. Brent, Tyler and I are going to perform in a bit,” Flynn tells us.
Then he says, “Come on, mom,” as he puts his arm around Betty.
“I’ll talk with you later, Zach,” Betty says, before going off with Flynn.
Once we head further into the great room, Candy sees that we’ve arrived, and from across the vast open area, she screeches, “They’re here!”
This causes all the other guests to turn
and stare at us. I look at Zach like, what the…?
But Zach doesn’t seem phased at all by Candy’s brash announcement. You’d think after all this time, I’d finally say to myself, that’s just Candy.
I guess it’s still hard for me to understand why she seems to greet everyone as though they’re the guest of honor or something. Or like she hasn’t seen them in twenty years!
Candy begins to make her way to us, and Wes is right behind her.
They both greet us with hugs.
“Welcome, guys. Come and join the rest of us,” Wes says, while Candy takes my arm and Zach’s arm and walks in between us to a family room with a vast seating area and large, twenty-foot Christmas tree.
In an elevated area of the room sit Brent, Tyler and Flynn who are about to perform. When Brent spots us, he waves. Candy leads us to the seating area, where Cissy has already joined Frank, along with Darla, Wes, and Brent’s husband, Will. They, along with Duncan, Elijah and Alex, come to greet us with hugs.
“Look who’s here, everyone!” Candy cries out.
I laugh to myself, thinking that they all probably heard her the first time she screamed out our names. Less than three minutes ago. But no one seems to mind. In fact, they all greet us, happily.
After we say our hellos to everybody, Zach and I take a seat. A handsome waiter comes by to see if we want anything to drink, and there are servers walking around carrying trays filled with beautiful looking appetizers.
The musicians begin to perform, starting with the song The Twelve Days of Christmas. Once they get up to the twelfth day, each take their turn counting down, but Brent suddenly forgets which day he’s on and flubs up.
The whole room bursts into laughter, and his face turns bright red. He simply shrugs his shoulders, and they get ready to move onto the next song.
Before they begin, Darla gets our attention and asks Zach and me, “So, are either of you athletic at all?”
We look at one another, not exactly knowing why she’s asking or how to answer.
But before we can answer, Wes interrupts.
“Oh, Grandmother, please! You’re not going to try and recruit them now, are you?” he scoffs.
She barks back at Wes, with a dismissive frown, and says, “Oh, hush, grandson.”
Then she goes on to explain to us, “It’s a Marshall family tradition to have our games here up at the summer lake house.”
The lake house? Meaning they have more houses than this?
And that’s when Zach stops her and lets her know, “Oh yes! Wes filled me in. I know all about the games, Darla.”
I’m still a bit confused though. Games? Like poker… monopoly?
I ask Zach what she means by games, and he explains.
“Like real sports type things. Archery, running, rowing. Softball, even,” he says, studying my face for my reaction.
We both watch as Cissy and Darla begin a secret conversation that we’re unable to hear. But their eyes are both glued on Zach and me, studying us like we’re prized bulls they’re about to bid on in an auction.
Finally, Darla says, “You guys should join us. They will be sometime in July. It’s a whole weekend affair.”
Then, as if almost as an afterthought, says, “Why didn’t we invite them this past July?”
“They were vacationing in Chicago,” Cissy answers.
That’s right. We had gone to see some of my friends I’d left behind there. Everyone was so happy for me, and glad to meet Zach and see Eli again.
I’m thinking it was probably a good thing we weren’t there to mess up their big family reunion. While Zach and I may appear to be in shape, I doubt that either of us would qualify for these games, and we don’t consider ourselves athletes. I suppose if using the elliptical and treadmill machines at the gym means we’re athletic, then I guess we are.
But Zach seems interested, and tells her, “That sounds like it could be fun next year, assuming we don’t go to Chicago during that same time again. We’ll try to schedule around it. Thanks, Darla!”
She then goes on to explain that there are over a hundred relatives who participate, in what seems like an endless number of events. The more I listen, the more intrigued I become. Now, I’m not so intrigued that I’m thinking I’d love to participate, but I’m more interested in the fact that they seem to be so obsessed regarding these games.
And in July? In the hot, humid Wisconsin sun?
I may have to drop the news to my boyfriend that he could be flying solo on this one. Either that, or Eli and I will be sitting under an umbrella sipping iced tea and watching.
I have a feeling I’ll be roped in, though. And I’ll probably have a great time. The more I get to know the Marshalls, the more I realize just how unique of a family they truly are.
After another half hour or so passes, Cissy gets up and announces, “Alright. How about dinner, everyone?”
We, along with about fifteen or so other guests who I do not know, all gather around the huge dining table. The staff is meticulous in their waiting skills, and they’re genial as well. We start with soup, followed by a salad and a main course.
The food is outstanding, and during the meal, Frank stands up to toast the partygoers. He’s eloquent and congenial when he talks about his good luck and the gratefulness he’s been blessed with regarding his family. Then, I’m almost in shock when I hear him announce something.
“And now, a dear friend of ours would like to make an announcement,” he nods in our direction, and adds, “Zach.”
I turn to look at Zach, confused, not understanding what’s happening. Then he stands up and addresses the guests.
“A year ago, right around this time of year, a special person came back into my life. After almost fourteen years, I thought I had lost him forever. But through the grace of God, he, along with his son Eli, reappeared back into my life. It turns out that neither of us had ever really stopped loving each other.”
He then gets down on one knee and holds up an engagement ring.
“Once you realize that you want to spend the rest of your life with someone, you want it to start as soon as possible. And that person is you. Ryan Kelly, will you be my husband?”
By now my heart is pounding like a thousand drums.
“Yes!” I cry out, overwhelmed by what is taking place.
Zach places the ring on my finger, and I kiss my new fiancé on the lips. The adrenaline in the room is now buzzing, and the crowd begins to cheer us on with clapping and calling out.
Eli then comes over to join us, hugging each of us separately. And everything was being filmed by Wes, starting with Frank’s speech. Several people follow with toasts of their own, including Brent, Wes and Flynn. I’m almost in tears by now, from the unexpected emotions.
I begin to wonder how long Zach was planning to ask me. Not that it matters. I’m glad he waited until Christmas, as this time of year holds so much meaning for us. It couldn’t have been a more perfect moment, while we’re amongst all our lovely friends and beautiful surroundings.
After dinner, I spot Candy sitting by herself, looking at her phone. I decide to join her by walking over to her and seating myself next to her.
She momentarily refrains from looking at her phone, and I proceed to tell her, “Well Candy, I guess you have your work cut out for you, now that Zach and I are engaged.”
I say it in a half joking manner yet knowing full well that this will most likely be the reality.
She throws a scornful look my way, and shakes her head before saying, “Oh, Ryan, you really are a hopeless one, aren’t you? You honestly think that Darla and I haven’t begun preparing for your wedding already?”
Once again, Candy has left me speechless. But she’s right. I really am slow to learn when it comes to her. I’m probably the only person left in our group of friends who hasn’t fully caught onto her ways, and what she’s all about.
Now curious, I ask her, “So, just how much of the wedding have you already planned out?”
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But before she answers, she gets up, and tells me, “Follow me, Ryan.”
And she proceeds to walk to the entrance of the home, stepping outside onto the front patio.
“Why are we out in the freezing cold?” I ask, but she ignores me for the moment.
She then reaches into her purse and pulls out a cigarette. But before lighting it, she fixes her gaze on me, and gives me a warning.
“Don’t you dare tell anyone I’m smoking.”
Then she lights the cigarette, and blows out the smoke right into my face, before continuing.
“How much of the wedding have we already planned, you might be wondering? Oh, I’d say about fifty percent, roughly. You do know that I used to help Darla when she had her party planning business, right?” she asks, with a glaring gaze.
I nod, as I do recall hearing this from somewhere.
She continues, “Now, this doesn’t mean we’re doing everything, though. There have to be some things that I’m obliged to run by you and Zach.”
Suddenly, the reality begins to hit me that Zach and I really are going to be a married couple. I begin thinking about what Candy might be planning, and the specific things that Zach and I would want included in when it comes to planning our wedding: what suits we’ll wear, who will be in our wedding party, which season to have the wedding, and where we can honeymoon.
Candy takes a puff of her cigarette, then says to me, “But just because I’m going to let you make some of the decisions, doesn’t mean I’m going to approve of them.”
“What?” I say to her, somewhat confused.
I then give her a wary look and think to myself that this girl really has some balls on her. She’s going to approve or reject what we want at our own wedding? Jeezus! I really like Candy, but this just might be too much.
But after a few moments, she gives me a big grin.
“I’m only kidding,” she says, stomping out her cigarette, and picking it up to throw away the butt.
But before heading into the house, and in a much softer tone, she adds, “Sort of.”
While I follow behind her, I suddenly remember what I was going to ask her.
