Katie put on her dress and looked at herself in the mirror. She was elegant and graceful in her wedding dress. She smiled, but there was something missing in her expression.
The song The Wedding March began to play, resonating in the giant place of worship. Her mother smiled. She looked like a proud mother.
She adjusted the collar on Katie’s dress. “I’m so happy for you, Katie.” She held out a hand. “Shall we go?”
“Can I have a second?”
Her mother hesitated, but agreed. She left the room and Katie was left by herself.
The song stopped.
This is it, she told herself. I’m being a grown-up and doing what’s right. Steven is a stable man with a stable job. He loves me and we can be together. Things with him are easy. No drama at all.
She thought about Brandon. The song started again.
Brandon was my first love, but it’s all over now, she thought. Maybe all those emotions he aroused in me were fine when I was a teenager, but I’m an adult now. Adults marry stable people and lead stable lives in stable homes.
She looked at herself in the mirror again. An agitated and uncertain woman stared back at her. Her hair was beautifully coiffed, her face had on the proper amount of makeup and her lips were glossy.
But, still, she could not bring herself to be happy.
These are just pre-wedding jitters, she justified to herself.
Katie took a deep breath and went out the door.
Her mother was standing out there in a beautiful baby blue matron-of-honor dress. “All ready?”
Katie nodded. She slipped her arm in her mother’s arms and together, they went into the main area of the church.
Katie peered ahead and saw that the first few rows of the pews were filled.
A handful of people were there, but she did not recognize most of them. The ones that she did were people she had not seen in a long time: aunts, uncles, cousins, old colleagues, old classmates.
Tina was among them, standing in the pews with her hair still in her bob style.
And Stasha.
Stasha smiled at her from the first row, and then gave her a thumbs-up.
The Wedding March began again, reverberating through the church.
Her guests stood up and Katie felt dozens of pairs of eyes on her. Katie stared ahead and saw Steven in his black suit and an elderly priest in a green religious robe. They were flanked by a bunch of groomsmen and a couple of bridesmaids.
Katie put on her veil and the two began to walk down the aisle, Katie’s train dragging on the carpeted floor.
Steven smiled at Katie, and she managed a weak smile.
She arrived at the altar and her mother took a seat in the first row.
The priest smiled tenderly at the couple and cleared his throat. “Dearly beloved. We are gathered here today to join Steven Solomon and Katie Simpson in holy matrimony. Marriage is one of the seven sacraments and the church takes it very seriously. Marriage is also….”
The priest droned on, but Katie was not paying attention. Instead, she was staring at Steven through her veil. There was something about the way he was looking at her that made her feel uncomfortable.
He looked at her as if she were a prize, or a possession, like a beautiful new car he was about to take home. Not at all like the way Brandon would look at her.
Katie squirmed in her dress.
The priest was saying, “Before we begin, I will ask whether anyone knows of any reason that these two should not be joined in holy matrimony.”
Katie looked around anxiously, but could not see Brandon in the crowd. She expected someone to say something, but there was complete silence.
The priest continued, “Do you, Steven Solomon, in the presence of God, take this woman to be your lawfully wedded wife, to have and to hold, for better or for worse, for richer or for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, from this day forward, until death do you part?”
Steven held Katie’s hand and looked at her with sincere eyes. “I do.”
The priest then turned to Katie. “Do you, Katie Solomon, in the presence of God, take this woman to be your lawfully wedded wife, to have and to hold, for better or for worse, for richer or for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, from this day forward, until death do you part?”
She looked at Steven, but said nothing.
Steven’s eyes urged her on.
The priest coughed.
Katie still said nothing.
Steven took out the ring from his pocket. “Marry me and you won’t have to work. You’ll be mine.”
Katie was disturbed by his possessive tone.
Suddenly, they heard a commotion in the lobby of the cathedral. Someone was shouting, and then was pounding on the door.
Katie turned her attention that way. Anticipation coursed through her body. Just then, someone burst through the front door. Two security guards scrambled after him.
Katie pulled her veil over her head to see clearly.
It was Brandon.
Katie felt her body pricked with pins.
Brandon rushed toward the couple.
The wedding guests murmured among themselves.
Brandon’s face was still red and sore. He pointed at Steven. “Are you happy with him?”
His voice echoed through the building. “If you say you are, then I will leave you alone. If you are, then I will have taken care of you.”
Katie looked at Steven, who looked shocked.
The security guards finally caught up to Brandon. They grabbed his shoulders, but made no move to drag him out yet.
Stasha stood up and applauded. She was the only person applauding.
Katie’s mouth hung open. Her eyes were dazed. She turned toward Brandon. “It’s too late. I’m marrying Steven.” She gestured at the wedding crasher. “You and I weren’t supposed to be together forever.”
She turned toward her fiancé, who looked smug.
Brandon looked like he was socked in the stomach. He hung his head. When he looked up, his face was somber. “You’re wrong. We were supposed to be together.”
There was another silence. The only sound was the continued muttering among the guests.
Brandon pointed a finger at her. “Even if you don’t love me, I’ll love you still,” he said softly.
Steven pointed at the security guards. “That’s enough. Take him out of here.”
Brandon struggled against the guards, but one of them punched him in the stomach.
He doubled over.
Katie’s mascara ran all over her face, as if a crayon were drawing all over her.
She felt like a dress being ripped apart at the seams.
Suddenly, she heard a loud female voice among the guests.
“You’re an idiot!” the voice yelled. It echoed even louder than Brandon’s. “Can’t you tell how much he loves you?” At first, Katie thought it was Stasha, but then it turned out to be a blonde girl sitting in the last row.
The blonde girl called, “He built you a damn oregano farm.”
Katie recognized the girl. It was Liz, the girl from the photo.
As the guards dragged Brandon out the door, he grabbed at the air.
Realization struck her. Suddenly, it all made sense. The chapped and sore hands. The bad back. The tan.
The priest cleared his throat. “I will repeat. Do you, Katie Solomon, in the presence of
God, take this man to be your lawfully wedded husband, to have and to hold, for better or for worse, for richer for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, from this day forward, until death do you part?”
Brandon shouted over the priest. “If you change your mind, meet me at Taylor Park.”
Brandon was dragged out soon after.
The door slammed shut with a bang.
*
Chapter 18
Brandon sat on the bench at Taylor Park. He watched the gray skies grow darker. Soon, rain sprinkled on h
is head.
I did it, he thought. Now I can say I took action. Even if she doesn’t come back to me, I can live with no regrets.
He looked around. He was the only one in the park.
Then he looked at the parking lot. There were no cars.
He did not expect her to come anyway. He thought he would make one last grand gesture, just to let her know how he felt about her.
Brandon heard a car pull into the parking lot. He peered into the distance.
Someone was getting out. He felt alert, as though on caffeine.
The person came into clear focus. It was a middle-aged guy in a raincoat holding a little girl’s hand. They went into the elementary school behind the park.
Brandon’s heart sank.
Then, another car crashed into the parking lot. Totally ignoring the parking lines, it parked sideways and a woman in a wedding dress came out.
Brandon stood up, shocked.
Katie raced up the stairs and stood across from Brandon. Then, she approached. Brandon felt his arms go limp.
Katie held up her right hand.
Brandon saw a wedding ring, and winced. He looked away, biting his lips.
“Wait,” Katie said. “Look.”
He took another look. On her hand was the ring that he had given her.
A giant smile came over his face.
Katie walked across the path until she was just inches away from him. Suddenly, she was shy.
Brandon took a step until he was right in front of her. Suddenly, he was shy too. Rain continued to sprinkle from the sky. It pattered onto Katie’s face and Brandon couldn’t tell if she was crying.
Katie surveyed her first love. He was looking at her in a certain way. a way that excited her and a way that Steven never did.
Brandon made the first move. He reached in and grabbed her.
Katie kissed him so hard that she almost bit his lips off.
It stopped drizzling and the sun came out briefly, shining on the couple.
When they separated, they took a seat on the bench and watched the weak sun stave off the clouds.
Brandon said one word. “Why?”
“I was looking at Steven at the altar and I realized I didn’t love him like I love you.”
Katie ripped her veil off. “I’m through listening to my mother.”
Brandon took her hand. “What happened to it being too hard?”
Katie noticed and smiled. “You said that anything worthwhile was going to be hard.”
Brandon merely nodded.
Katie crossed her arms. “Why didn’t you tell me about the farm before?”
“I didn’t want you to think I was a poor farm boy when you were engaged to a fancy accountant. How can I compete with that? I wanted you to think I was ambitious, that I could provide for you.”
Brandon looked at the rocks on the ground. “I remember telling you I wanted to be a farmer and you laughed at me. You said you wanted someone ambitious.”
Katie squeezed his hand. “I was joking about that.”
“I took it seriously. And I made you a promise.”
“That’s the nicest thing anyone has ever done for me.”
“I’ll take you to see it.”
Brandon put his arms around Katie, who snuggled into him.
He asked her, “Why couldn’t we work it out?”
Katie paused. “I didn’t think it was supposed to be this hard. But when I was standing up there are the altar looking at Steven, I realized these feelings were exactly what I was missing.” She looked down. “And I was lying to myself all along. I told myself that I loved Steven, but I really didn’t. Not like I loved you.”
Brandon stood up, taking her by the hand. “Let’s celebrate. Let’s get on the trampoline.”
Katie smiled and pointed to her wedding dress. “In this dress?”
Brandon nodded, his old fun-loving demeanor taking over.
Together, they trotted around the park as another car pulled into the parking lot. When they heard a car door slam, they stopped moving.
A man in a suit got out and scrambled up the stairs.
They recognized Steven in his black suit. He looked like a serial killer hellbent on revenge.
He approached the couple and pointed at Katie. “Do you have any idea how much you embarrassed me?”
“I’m sorry,” Katie said. “But I can’t lie to myself anymore.”
Steven then glared at Brandon. “No one steals from me.”
Brandon stood in front of Katie, holding out his arms like a shield. “Get away from here.”
It was then that Steven took out a gun.
He cocked the revolver. “Get away from my fiancée, or I’ll shoot.”
Brandon thrust his chest out. “She’s not yours. She never was.”
Steven said, “I don’t care. If I can’t have her, no other man can.”
Brandon stood his ground, but felt a tap on his shoulder.
Katie peeked out from behind at Steven, who was scowling. She whispered to Brandon, “Let me go. I don’t want anyone to get hurt.”
“Don’t go,” Brandon whispered back. “I’ve lost you too many times already.”
“The guy has a gun.” Her voice was urgent now.
Katie pushed out from behind Brandon.
She held out her hands as though to surrender. “I’ll go with you,” she said to Steven. “Just don’t hurt anyone.”
Steven lowered his gun. “Do you really mean it?”
“Yeah,” said Katie. “I’ll go with you.”
Steven looked pacified. “OK.”
Katie moved beside Steven and turned around to face Brandon. Brandon was desperate.
Steven took Katie’s hand and they walked away.
Brandon stood there. A whirlwind of emotions ravaged through him.
A sudden intense anger rose in his chest. He was not going to let Katie go, not ever again.
He lunged at Steven. Steven turned around and the two of them fell onto the dirty ground.
A shot was fired from the gun.
The birds in the trees scattered.
*
Chapter 19
Brandon inspected himself, but saw no wounds. He also felt no pain. He looked over at Katie, who looked fine.
Brandon continued to struggle with Steven on the ground while Katie screamed at them to stop. Katie took out a cell phone and called 911.
Brandon pinned Steven to the ground and then elbowed him in the face. Steven thrashed his arms in an uncoordinated manner. He then tripped Brandon with his legs and Brandon lost his footing.
He sprawled onto Steven and Steven turned the table on him. He was now punching Brandon in the chest.
As Brandon defended himself, he searched for the gun. He finally saw a black glint in the sun. It was far away, out of reach.
Brandon socked Steven in the chest, but Steven kept on pounding him.
The two of them struggled on the dirt until they grew exhausted. Their actions slowed and eventually, the punching ceased.
In the distance, police sirens wailed.
Brandon saw that Steven was slowing down and so he pushed Steven off him.
Katie rushed to Brandon’s side. “Are you OK?”
Brandon inspected himself again. “I don’t think it hit me.”
Steven got up and scanned the ground for the gun. When he could not find it, he looked at the two of them. His face was bloody and his eyes were incensed. He looked from Brandon to Katie, and a moment of deep understanding struck him.
He shook his head. “Forget this. You two can have each other.”
Katie looked at him. “I’m sorry, Steven,” she whispered.
The sirens grew louder and Steven looked like a scared rat.
He spit out a trail of blood and then scurried off.
Katie knelt down and held Brandon tight, kissing him all over. “Why did you do that?”
His face was bloody, as though he was just in a boxing match. “I saw him take
you away from me. I couldn’t let that happen again.”
She hit him in the chest. “You could have died.”
“Never again.” He grabbed her hands. “We let too much time pass us by. We were almost strangers, Katie. Can’t you imagine? Us? Strangers?”
The tears that were Katie had been holding back were now overwhelming. They finally came, drowning her in a flash flood.
“You’ve come back to me,” Brandon said. He rested his eyes for a while.
She cradled him in her arms. “You never gave up on us.”
The rain had stopped. The sun was now bathing the entire park in golden hues.
*
That evening, Brandon took Katie to his farm in Langley. He showed her the cornstalks, and led her to the corner where a dozen oregano plants were in full bloom.
Katie waited until her eyes adjusted to the dark. When she saw the plants, she gasped and put a hand to her mouth.
An icy wind whizzed through the air. Katie shivered and Brandon put his arms around her.
She examined him. “That’s why you’re now so tan.” She grabbed his hands. “And your hands.” She rubbed his back. “And your back.”
He shrugged. “Small price to pay.”
He looked away, staring at the moon. “You said I was selfish. I didn’t want to be that guy anymore. After you left, I bought a farm and planted some oregano, but neglected it. And when you came back, I started planting them again.”
She reached in and hugged him.
Brandon stroked the back of her neck. “We can have pasta every night for dinner if you want.”
Katie closed her eyes, and pressed her face hard against his chest.
He whispered, “I’m not as rich as your fiancé.”
“Ex-fiancé,” she said. “And I don’t care.”
She then gripped his waist. “You never gave up on us,” she mumbled.
“I never did.” He stroked her hair. “I never could.”
*
Chapter 20
2011
Ashley listened in rapt attention. “I saw it coming.”
Katie shifted on the bed. “Did you?”
“Actually, you had me worried for a minute,” Ashley said.
Katie laughed.
Her daughter frowned. “So you did end up with your first love.”
Katie nodded. “Yes, but it’s not about first loves or later loves. It’s about how the love was proven. That means it’s real.”
Meet Me at Taylor Park Page 16
