Five Minutes To Midnight

by C. B. Stagg

  Waverly waved. “Hi, Vaughn. But, his name is Christine.”

  “Oh, no, you don’t… ” He poked at her belly and ribs until she giggled all her breath away as he carried her inside to meet even more of the family.

  “I’m Katy.” I offered my hand, but Vaughn bypassed it all together and pulled me in for a hug. “Oh… ”

  “Sorry, we’re huggers around here. I’m so happy to meet you. Welcome.” A commotion from across the street caught my attention as Vaughn waved a woman and two model gorgeous teenagers over.

  “Girls, slow down. Don't scare the woman. She may never come back!” The woman grabbed me as soon as I was within reach. “Girl, we are just so excited to meet you.” She pulled back, holding me by the shoulders while taking me in. “Christian’s never brought a girl home before. Never. And look at her, Vaughn… she’s stunning.” She looked me square in the eye. “You are stunning and way out of Christian’s league. I’m Becky, and these are my girls, Whiskey and Ruby Grace.”

  Both girls shook my hand politely but stayed close to their mother. Before we made it to the porch, I stopped the two women. “I have a confession to make. Christian’s told me a lot about you both. I know all about how you met your husbands, about the kids, your cancer,” I looked to Vaughn, “and your adoptions. The weddings. Everything.” I looked both women straight in the eye. “I admired both of you so much, even before meeting you, so forgive me if I’m a little starstruck. You’re both such amazing people with such incredible stories.”

  Becky was quick to stop my fangirling. “Well, yeah, we are kinda awesome.” Her smile was magnificent. “I’m sorry I can’t say the same about Christian. And while he hasn’t spilled any beans about today and what this meeting is all about, I want you to know that I see you as a hero. Christian was on the wrong side of right for so many years, and he says he owes everything to you. He changed because of you, and look at him now.”

  “He’s a preacher, who apparently has a beautiful woman at his side. You did that for him. So let’s all agree that it takes some damn fine women to handle the boys who grew up on this circle, and then let’s get inside. My boobs are going to burst if I don’t feed the baby, and I have a feeling there’s more to your story than Christian finding some long lost love in a diner down by the bay.”

  I followed the two women who were about to become my family inside the house, where they introduced me to their husbands, Casey and Jase, and to the rest of their children. And while they turned into the kitchen to start preparing lunch plates for the kids, Claire quietly arranged the children on the couch. Wave stood aside and watched. Once the kids were all settled into their spots, they stared expectantly at Waverly, the newcomer.

  “Well, get on up there, Little Fish.” Christian encouraged our daughter to join the pile. After a moment’s hesitation, Waverly climbed up by Ruby Grace, and they all smiled with their whole hearts as Claire snapped away with her camera, then took a few more with her phone.

  “Lunch time!”

  The photo op fell apart as the bigger kids made a beeline for the kitchen. But Waverly, having already eaten and seemingly a little intimidated, sought out her father. Like a moth to a flame, Waverly found her way into Christian’s arms, and they sat together in the rocking chair while the others got settled.

  I sat and watched the father of my children rock our daughter, allowing myself just a moment to mourn the absence of Wade. He would have been so loved by these people.

  Two older couples filed in the back door as the hullabaloo in the kitchen continued. One couple introduced themselves as Jase and Vaughn’s parents and the other couple as Becky’s parents. Both sets immediately headed toward the food, one room away. I was starting to think Christian had left out some important details when speaking of his close-knit family and neighbors.

  “Oh. My. God. Christian?” Becky stood staring at the two people rocking in the corner, with a baby in one arm and her empty hand covering her mouth.

  I smiled. Finally, someone noticed. I wondered how long it would take before the puzzle pieces started falling into place for the less-informed members of my future family.

  “What?” Jase asked as he stopped to kiss Becky on the cheek, leading the ever-growing group of adults into the living room. He was lucky she didn’t catch him rolling his eyes at her dramatic outburst.

  “Just look over there.” She slapped him on his broad chest and gestured toward the chair. “What do you see?”

  He looked. “I see Christian rocking a—” His eyes widened. “Oooohhhh.”

  Kyle clapped his hands in front of him, calling the family meeting to order. “Well, looks like it’s time to get started.” He and Claire took their seats on the hearth, having run out of room on the couch, love seat, and extra chairs set around the room.

  “All right, where do we start?” Claire’s question was directed at my guy, but Becky let us all know the direction in which she believed the conversation should go.

  “How about someone tells us where Christian’s been hiding his mini-me for the last few years?”

  Anticipating the train wreck this could potentially become, I took the bull by the horns. “In 2006, I met Christian at a bar. We both got completely smashed, and… “ I nodded toward Waverly, whose eyes were closed, but had a reputation of playing possum to garner information not meant for her ears. Receiving nods of understanding all around, I continued, “That’s Waverly, our daughter.” The sheer number of eyes on me was unnerving.

  “When I figured out I was pregnant, I ran away from home and went straight to College Station, looking for Christian. Through a series of miscommunications, I was told he was dead.” Still silent. Okay.

  “A few weeks shy of nine months from the day we met, in the wee hours of Christmas Day, I delivered twins. Our little boy, Wade, only survived a few minutes outside of the womb. Waverly, however… ” I gestured to the now sleeping girl on Christian’s chest, and they all turned to look just as he was kissing the top of her head.

  Christian took over. “Our son died from ARPKD. Waverly has it too, and needs a kidney transplant. As it turns out, my kidney is a perfect match, and in a few weeks we’ll be headed to St. Luke’s for the surgeries.” Several gasps met that news.

  “And tomorrow, after church, we’d love for you to join us right here in the backyard. For our wedding.”

  Nothing.

  No one moved a muscle, so I adjourned the meeting. “That’s it. That’s all the news.”

  More than one audible sigh of relief popped the giant balloon of tension in the room, and everyone started acting like themselves again.

  I, out of sheer curiosity, started asking the questions that would help me piece together the eclectic group of people I was about to join by marriage.

  Chapter 28

  Christian

  IT WASN’T FANCY, and it wasn’t classic. It was about as far from ‘traditional’ as one could get, but so were we, so it fit. As we gathered together in my parents’ backyard, surrounded by friends and family, the event more resembled a barbecue than a wedding.

  “If everyone could just pull up a chair and take a seat, please.” Pastor John rounded everyone up to sit in the scattered circle we’d created from mismatched lawn chairs and benches. The group was made up of the cul-de-sac gang, their parents, spouses, and kids. Of course, both sets of Katy’s parents were here as well. That had been a most interesting introduction, one we were assured we’d be filled in on later.

  “The bride and groom would like to say a few words before the official ceremony.” John sat between Janice and Roy, and I watched Cara Jo set her jaw, hyperfocused on us and avoiding John at all costs, an odd reaction from a woman who didn’t have a mean bone in her body.

  “Actually,” I clarified, “our ceremony, much like our relationship, is going to be somewhat unorthodox. Instead of us standing with our backs to you while Pastor John stands up there, asking us to repeat after him… we’d like to just tell you, and each other, how
we feel, why we’re committing our lives to each other, and what our dreams for the future look like.”

  We sat in bright red Adirondack chairs, side by side, shaded by large oak trees, and made our promises to one another for all to hear.

  “I’ll go first.” I turned to face my bride, taking her hands in mine. “I prayed for you, to find someone who fit me so completely. I prayed for you, and God said Wait. I did it again and again and as always, Wait. Then I met you, and God spoke again, only this time He said, What are you waiting for? Because in you, I found the one whom my soul loves.”

  I had to stop, to remember to breathe. I’d preached more sermons than I could count, but finding a way to communicate my love to the woman God had chosen just for me was an impossible task.

  “Today, Katy, I become yours. Your granter of wishes, your maker of dreams, and even your port in the storm. I am your humble servant. Your wish is my command. And I will serve you all the days of my life because you are my life, and without you, I am nothing.”

  I slid the simple diamond band upon her finger to applause and riotous laughter. Waverly wiggled on Cara Jo’s lap, anxious to get back to playing with her cousins.

  Leaning into Katy, I asked, “Did you like that?”

  She laughed. “It was perfect.”

  “Okay, now, quiet down. It’s Katy’s turn to declare her love for me. I’ve set the bar high, though. Not sure how she’s gonna follow that.” More laughs from the onlookers who knew my sense of humor well.

  “Okay, I think I’m ready.” She cleared her throat and sat up straighter. “Today, Christian, I become the keeper of your heart, protector of your soul, for in you, I too dwell. I dreamed of this day, knowing it would never come; yet still begging for a miracle. But our God is a powerful God, and it is true that through Him all things are possible. We were given a second chance, you and me, and I will spend my life sharing in your adventures, challenging your patience, and loving you with everything I have.” She slid the plain gold band onto my finger, and I scooped her up into my arms.

  John stood, smoothing his suit. “I now pronounce you man and wife. Christian, you may kiss your bride.”

  And, with a beautiful melody coming from Roy’s guitar and with those we loved most bearing witness, I finally, after six long years, made Katy West, Kaitlin Weston, my wife.

  Chapter 29

  Kaitlin

  “ALL RIGHT, WE’RE HERE. Now, pack a bag.”

  I eyed my husband through squinted eyes. “Why? We just got home?” I was dead tired, almost like I had been doing manual labor. I guess the avalanche of emotions over the last week had hit its crescendo with our wedding and I was definitely feeling the after effects like a hangover.

  “Well, that’s where you’re wrong.”

  As if on his command, Cara Jo walked in the door of the Airstream. “Hey, Peanut,” she half shouted, ignoring the adults in the room completely, “Let’s grab a bag and get you packed up. You’re coming to stay with Roy and me for a few nights.”

  Of course, Waverly bounced up from her bed where she’d been reading and quickly complied. Sleepovers were her second favorite activity, the first being anything that involved her daddy.

  My groom grabbed me around my waist. “Babe, you have exactly ten minutes to pack up anything you think you’ll need for one night away. Just one. Grab an outfit to go out in if you want, but if I have my way, most of our time will be spent on indoor activities.”

  I tried to pretend like I didn’t know what he was referring to, but the blush that painted my cheeks told its own story.

  Eleven minutes later, I was sitting on the passenger side of Christian’s truck while he kissed Waverly goodbye one more time. When he got in, he patted the middle seat and I scooted over, so close I was practically in his lap.

  “Okay, Mrs. Clark, you ready to get this twenty-four hour honeymoon started?”

  I leaned in closer and wrapped my arms around his neck, kissing his cheek. "Step on it.” I’d dreamed about this night for six years, I didn’t want to wait another minute.

  We left the diner and traveled back up the highway that led toward Christian’s church and his parents’ house, veering off less than ten minutes later to head back toward the water. Just as the salty scent of the ocean hit us through the open windows, we turned down a short gravel driveway that took us right up to a white cottage straight out of a fairy tale.

  It was a one-story structure, but up on stilts it gave the appearance of something far grander in scale. A whitewashed staircase led to a seafoam green front door, and the house had a porch that wrapped around each side, as far as I could see. Two large, front windows were adorned with navy blue shutters and the same navy blue had been painted on other wooden accents, creating a gingerbread house feel. But, the most startling part of it all was the sign in the yard, with SALE PENDING across the front.

  “Where are we?”

  Christian just smiled, putting the truck in park before opening his door and scooping me out. Bumping the door closed with his hip, he continued to carry me up the stairs to the front door, where he pulled a key from his pocket, unlocked it, then scooped me up one more time to carry me inside.

  Since first seeing the cottage, I’d wanted to admonish my new husband for wasting money on a honeymoon spot. Even close to home, these cottage rentals, so close to the bay, didn’t come cheap.

  Once we were inside, Christian’s footsteps were made heavier by the added weight of my body. He was still cradling me to his chest, and his footfalls echoed on the wood floor. The cottage was completely empty. Unoccupied. Ready for someone to move in.

  I knew this was no rental.

  His grin widened when he saw me side-eyeing him. I wanted to get down, to look around, but he bypassed all the common rooms, stopping at a closed door at the end of a short hallway.

  “Can you open that? My hands are kind of full.”

  I rolled my eyes and leaned in, grabbing the glass knob and pushing the heavy wood door into what looked like a master bedroom. Unlike the rest of the house, this room was at least sparsely furnished.

  “Christi—”

  He halted my question with a finger to my lips, turning me to face the most luxurious bed I’d ever seen in my life. It was made from dark cherry wood and tall too, something I’d have to climb into, rather than fall onto. It was smartly made up with stark white linens, accented with the same grey blue that covered the walls. But what caught my attention were the pillow shams, also white, but monogrammed. In the center of each was a large C, on the left a smaller C and on the right a smaller K—our initials. He set me down on unsteady legs.

  “Welcome to our new home, but more importantly, our new bedroom.” I stepped in further, pulling my new husband with me as I took everything in.

  “Sometimes I forget,” I said, spinning slowly before catching his eyes again once I’d made the full three sixty.

  “Forget what?” The smirk gracing his lips spoke of a man who knew exactly how his new bride would react to what he’d done.

  “I forget that you’re the one who makes all my dreams come true, even ones I didn’t know I had.”

  We stood frozen for a moment, just drinking each other in. Then he moved in closer, soundless on the thick, plush carpet, his gaze sweeping down my body, head to toe. And while I still had questions, I’d suddenly lost interest in discussing the hows or whys of the room in which we stood. I was in my new home, with my new husband, and nothing else mattered.

  With deliberate slowness, I pulled my groom toward me, at the same time walking backward until the backs of my knees hit the bed in the center of the room. And, as if his last thread of patience had just unraveled, a switch flipped in Christian. He spun me around, making quick work of my zipper and in no more than the beat of a heart, I was naked and, once again, standing before the man I loved. Only this time, he wasn’t just mine for a night. He was mine for a lifetime.

  “This is how it was meant to be.” He lifted me up and my
legs instinctively wrapped around his torso as he crawled up onto our beautifully made cloud bed. “Maybe if I had taken my time all those years ago, things would have been different.”

  As he reached for his shirt, I laid a hand on his to stop him. “Let me.”

  His breath caught in his throat as I worked my way down the buttons, letting my fingers graze the heat of his bare skin. Pushing the soft linen shirt off his shoulders, I leaned up and placed my lips on the soft skin at the hollow below his throat. He growled, pulling me up to meet his mouth as we both fumbled with the remaining obstacles that prevented complete skin-to-skin contact.

  “You make me feel like a virgin. I’m like a teenage boy, in awe of the beauty in front of me and unsure of what to do with her.” He stretched out beside me, naked as the day he was born and his crooked smile melted my heart like ice cream on a hot day. “I mean, I’ve spent so long craving you: your touch, your kiss, your body.” He let a finger trace a line from my shoulder, down my arm, and over my hip.

  I grabbed his hand, putting it flat against my heart. “Feel this? This heart racing, pounding, wanting to jump out of my chest to get to you? That’s what you do to me. Just thinking about this night does this to me.”

  I stared into his eyes and he sighed. “I just want this to be good.”

  In all the time I’d known Christian, he’d always been strong and confident, but his words, quietly whispered between husband and wife, told me that he, too, was nervous.

  “Good?” I cupped his jaw with my hand. “God, Christian, you’re perfect.” I pushed him onto his back, straddling his stomach. “So yeah, I’m pretty sure ‘good’ will be one of the many words I'll use when thinking back on what’s about to take place.”

  His laugh was quick and loud, from his gut as he flipped us both over, taking control. “That’s all I’ve ever wanted to do, Katy.” He kissed my forehead, eyes, nose, lips. “To be good enough for you.”