by W. Ferraro
He was surprised at her admission, but knowing Mae and the loving person she was, it really didn’t surprise him, assured in the knowledge that this would be the person that Maggie would want him to share his life with. He kissed her softly on her lips as they both paid their final respects for today to Maggie.
As they climbed back into the Tahoe and headed home, they held hands and rode in comfortable silence.
As they drove toward the house, Seth looked over to her and just felt completely blessed she came to him after all this time. When they were nearing the driveway, Mae asked why all the cars were there. Smiling wickedly, he remained silent. As he parked and got out, he could see that everything was set up exactly how they planned. Everyone was there awaiting their arrival. Mae climbed out while holding Seth’s hand and looked at him with gleeful curiosity.
“Well it’s about time, I’m starving!” Robyn yelled from the railing of the deck. With Bryan behind her, he just shook his head. Mae walked toward the bottom of the steps and noticed all the kids, some she recognized others she didn’t playing in the yard as well as adult familiar faces. Tina was there with some other nurses and administrative staff from the Cancer Center. Leo and Robert were with them as well. There were tables and chairs set up all over the place some filled some empty. Dylan and Wes came down the stairs toward them, followed by Robyn and Bryan. Seth and Robyn’s Mother introduced herself to Mae and engulfed her in a warm hug. She promised they would get a chance to talk later and how she looked forward to getting to know Mae so much more. Christine and Molly were there with their spouses as well as Kathy and Joe. Liam was entertaining all the grandkids with the help of his and Lynne’s son, Steven and his wife, Ginny.
Mae turned to Seth and kissed him, “What is all this?”
“Consider it a Welcome Home party, for now.” He said keeping the last bit much softer than the rest.
Soon Mae was passed from person to person, all telling her how happy they were she decided to stay and hoped she would recover quickly from the accident. When Mae was sure she had hugged and kissed everyone, she searched out Seth. He was talking with the kids, quietly again. Knowing that something was definitely going on, she announced her own presence with a rather loud clearing of her throat.
The kids quickly scattered as Seth brought her to where the food was being served. Before she decided to eat, she wanted to go change into something a little more suitable for company. She quickly returned wearing a cotton sundress with flip flops and piled her plate high and dove in to the wonderful food, fantastic people and happiness of the day.
When everyone was done eating, Seth walked over and took Mae by her hand and asked her to join him and the kids. Curious to what was about to take place, she happily took the place between the kids and Seth, as he addressed everyone.
“Thank you all for coming on such short notice. We know that it wasn’t easy for some of you to get here, but we appreciate your efforts, especially considering the day.” He spoke with a huge smile across his handsome face.
“First I want you all to witness as I tell this gorgeous woman to my right, how I will forever be in her debt that she did all that she could to keep Megan safe.” He turned and looked directly at her as he continued, “I could never thank you enough for that.” He kissed her lightly on the lips then as the crowd cheered and said their own thanks.
“Secondly, I wanted everyone here to watch as I did this”, and with that Seth bent down on one knee in front of her, while holding both her hands and looking into her eyes as he said, “Mae, this time with you has been an awakening that I didn’t know I needed. You’ve filled a placed that I thought would remain empty for the rest of my life. Not only have you captivated me, but my children as well. It was a unanimous vote, when we all spoke; we love you and want you to belong to us forever. Where you go, we go, whatever life holds, we want to be together, always. Will you do me the honor of becoming my wife and mother to the three most precious things in my world? Please.” Just then Conner handed Seth the box holding the four diamonds in a simple gold band.
Aidan spoke his piece next. “Each stone symbolizes one of us, since we all want you in our family, we thought it was fitting to each be on your ring, so every time you look at it, you’ll know each one of us, loves you.”
“You’ve brought joy to us all and we can’t imagine our lives without you. We experienced it already and we never want to do it again, so please Mae,” Conner said as he kissed her cheek.
“Today is the day that I wanted to give you your gift. So here it is.” Megan handed Mae a rectangular shaped gift wrapped in pink tissue paper. “Go on open it!” Megan instructed, unable to hide her excitement.
Mae eagerly opened the gift and was shocked to see the picture from Megan’s school, she had drawn, framed. Not able to contain the tears another moment, they rolled down her cheek.
“Happy Mother’s Day, Mommy.” And with that Megan wound her hands around Mae’s middle and hugged with all of her might. She was soon joined by Aidan and Conner, all wishing their mother, a Happy Mother’s Day.
Overcome with such emotion, Mae cried and laughed not able to let go of them. Oh how she loved these children. And how she silently promised Maggie, she would guard them with her life.
“I don’t mean to interrupt, but we are waiting for an answer.” Seth said emotionally as he too was overwhelmed with the picture they made. Conner and Aidan stepped back, to make room for Seth, but they remained a tight circle.
“It would mean everything to me to join this family and nothing would make me happier to share my life with all of you. So yes, I will marry you and I’m honored by your gift of sharing these wonderful kids with me.” She kissed him as he slid the ring on her finger.
The onlookers erupted in cheers that engulfed them all. After everyone had given their personal congratulations, champagne was passed around. Mae couldn’t help but continuously look at the band that now adorned her finger. It was more beautiful than she could have ever imagined. What it signified was everything she dared hope for and she would never forget the sacrifice that was made for this very thing to happen.
It was this thought that Mae was thinking when Seth roused her to the present. “Well, soon to be Mrs. Finn, ready to begin the next chapter?” taking her hand and bring it to his lips, first kissing the back of her hand and then the ring that she wore there now.
“To begin the next chapter, we need to end this one.” Mae said as she wound her arms around his neck and enjoyed this private moment.
“And how do you recommend the ending of this one?” Seth said loving her with all that he had.
“The same way we’ll start the next one, together, with our kids, with nothing but our dreams ahead of us, and sealed with a kiss.”
They kissed to seal their promise for today, tomorrow and forever.
EPILOGUE
The warm June sun was shining brightly off the water. The yard was decorated with a large white tent over to the side and the thirty chairs were set up in small rows in front of the gazebo. Everyone was busy with last minute details. Mae wanted to be helping not kept up here by an insistent, pushy soon to be sister-in-law.
“You know, you’re damn lucky, I love you so much Mae. Most women would be a tad bit perturbed that you managed to pull together a wedding in six weeks; not to mention just shy of my own nuptials in three weeks, which I’ve been planning for sixteen months,” Robyn said with just the right balance of testiness and love.
“Well since everyone will be talking about your impending wedding, as the Wedding of the Century, I had to get my own out of the way.” Mae said sassily to her best friend.
“Touché, love.” Robyn said making sure Mae’s simple white strapless gown’s train was crease free. The simple ribbon and embroidering of green along the bodice and edging was just right. Her long dark hair was kept down since she wouldn’t be wearing a veil just a simple band of white flowers with a small hint of green.
Robyn’s own emeral
d green satin garden dress matched perfectly to Megan’s miniature one. Their red hair was complimented by the color and tied in nicely with the small bouquet of white roses each would carry.
“Mae, it’s just about time.”
Mae turned as her father entered the room. He wore a simple suit with a jewel green tie. Mae walked over and placed his single white rose boutonniere in his lapel. They were quickly joined by her mother, who looked lovely in her deep lavender pantsuit.
As they walked out to the deck and the small band began to play Pachelbel’s Canon in D, Mae watched as first Megan, then Robyn took their places next to the gazebo. Seth stood with Dylan and Wes as well as Conner and Aidan, all in light suits with their own jewel green ties. Once his eyes found hers, they never wavered.
As Mae and her father descended the stairs and made their way to the gazebo, Mae’s own smile was reflected in Seth’s.
“Who gives this woman in matrimony?”
“I do.” Mae’s father answered, placing her hand in Seth’s and saying, “You take care of my girl.”
“Yes sir,” Seth said, believing fully in this vow as well as the ones to come.
As they stepped up into the gazebo to recite their vows to each other, Seth asked the woman he loved with all his heart, “You ready?”
“I’m ready for all of our lives to begin together” And they spoke their vows in front of here and above.
