by Amy Isan
“When is the wedding going to be?”
“We haven’t decided yet.”
Hugh finally lent his opinion. “What about this summer?”
I blinked. “This summer? Like, next month?!”
“Yeah! What about July?”
I faced him, “July would be beautiful...” I admired the ring. “July 22?”
He clapped his hands together. “Done.”
“I can’t believe my daughter is getting married,” my mom said, her sobs cracking her voice. I hugged her tight.
“Mom, you’re going to make me cry,” I said, my own voice cracking. “You’re contagious!”
“Why don’t you boys go distract yourselves, I wanna talk to my daughter alone,” my mom said, still leaning over my shoulder. My dad asked Sam and Hugh if they were into woodworking, and led them out to the garage.
“You know what?” my mom said after they left, regaining her composure. “I bet you’d fit in my wedding gown. I still have it you know.”
“Really?”
“Yeah, follow me,” she said, leading me into her room.
When the bedroom door was closed, she pulled out the white gown from the closet. It was wrapped in plastic, and I was already stunned by how much it seemed to glow. It almost had a pearlescent look to it. She took the plastic off and held it out to me.
“It’s... gorgeous,” I said. I took it in my hands, feeling the fabric.
“Let’s see if it fits.”
I stripped down to my underwear and pulled the dress onto my body. It was strapless, with fringed decorations on the sleeves and bottom. A lacy texture covered it all over, and the neck and back were deeply cut. As I popped it over my hips, it hugged me like a glove.
My mom beamed. “It’s perfect.”
I started to cry, and I looked at her.
“I can’t believe you still have this.” I looked in the mirror, admiring how snug it fit against my body.
“I still remember my wedding day with your father. He looked so sharp in his tuxedo. He insisted he buy it, and I thought it was stupid. Of course, he looked way better than anyone I’ve ever seen in a tuxedo. We had a little ceremony outside, with blossoming cherry trees and a gentle breeze coming off the ocean. I think only your grandparents and our closest friends were there.”
“That sounds... like the kind of wedding I want to have.”
“A smaller ceremony is a lot more... manageable.” She grinned. “I can’t believe... this is all happening.” Her voice shook.
“Mom...” I started to take the dress off, and my mom stopped me.
She wiped her tears away. “Let’s just admire it for a little bit, it really takes me back.” I put my arm around her as we looked in the mirror. My mom and I were cute together.
“I love you, Mom,” I said. I couldn’t remember the last time I said those words to her.
She bit her lip, fighting back tears again. “I love you too, Caitlin.”
It was good to have a mom again, and to really feel like a daughter after so long.
Chapter 14
We booked the date: July 22. It was a perfect day, and the venue we picked was a little cheery orchard by the sea. They said they always had fantastic July weddings.
Hugh flew back over to Nevada at the end of June to get some of his staff members to start taking over the reins of the solar project. He hadn’t yet finalized the entire design, but everyone was really nervous about something going wrong and the entire project putting the company under.
“I’m not worried about it,” he told me. “These things have a way of working themselves out. Someone has to be on the forefront of technology, and it should be us.”
After he got back, we were eating breakfast at a little local restaurant. It was quiet and intimate, which was a bit of an oddity for a place that closed at two in the afternoon and was only known for its breakfast. Mainly the eggs benedict.
“We can’t stay in your hotel if we’re going to be married and living together, Hugh.”
He scratched his face. He had let a little stubble grow in, so it sounded like sandpaper. “I know, I’ve been thinking about that too. We should start looking for some place to buy.”
“Oh man. I’ve always wanted a fixer-upper to tinker with. My parents’ house used to need some work.” I sipped my water.
He nodded. “I’ve thought that too. My dad always was improving things. It’d give me something to do when I’m not busy with the company.”
I nodded, “And it should be kind of close to the university. Should we really buy something?”
“You mean we should rent huh? I think I can figure something out. Don’t worry about it too much.” He thought for a moment, “I still can’t believe your mom wouldn’t let me put the deposit down on that orchard for the wedding. She’s certainly stubborn.” He grinned at me.
“Well, she’s not the only one. You guys fought about it for almost an entire day after all.”
He chuckled, shrugging his shoulders. “Have you thought about our honeymoon?” he asked.
“Honeymoon...? A little bit...”
“What were you thinking? Just remember, we can go anywhere for however long we want.”
“I don’t really know if I like the idea of a honeymoon really.” I took another bite of my food, milking the moment. I could feel his eyes on me.
“What do you mean?”
“Why can’t our life after getting married be our honeymoon? That’s how I feel. We should strive for that kind of tenderness and love that the honeymoon is supposed to give you, but for the rest of our lives.” I looked up at him, and his blue eyes dug into me. I felt a bit weak from looking at him. He had this aura, a power over me.
“That’s beautiful. I like that,” he whispered. “I think we can do that. I can do that. But we’re still going somewhere too.”
I sighed, a laugh on my breath. “Okay, fine. Let’s go to...” I looked around the room. “Venice.”
“Done.”
I reached over the table and grabbed his hand, giving it a squeeze. “No matter where we go though, it’s like you told me when you proposed: I want to grow with you, not just grow old with you.”
He squeezed my hand back, and I felt a lump in my throat.
We got our check, and left to go hunt some houses. We figured we’d try to focus on a thirty minute drive from the university, that would give us a ton of room and a nice sized house.
I imagined a place tucked near the cliffs by the sea, with the cool breeze wafting the scent of fresh ocean through the windows. The laundry all line-drying and smelling clean and a little salty. That was my dream.
After driving around for a couple of hours, we came upon a little two story house at the edge of Bangor, near the cliffside coast.
It was square and blue, colonial-style architecture. Dark purple shutters lined each of the white windows. An impressive yard and garden stretched the hundred yards to the cliffside, and a small light house was a couple of miles down the coast.
We made a call to the banker that was selling it, and we got a showing that day.
It needed a lot of love, some parts of the inside were breaking apart, and some of the wiring needed to be redone. The plumbing was in good order though, and the hardwood floors were in amazing condition. They just needed to be mopped up a little.
The kitchen window overlooked the ocean, and you’d be able to watch the sun rise most of the year. The banker told us that the yellow-blue light filters into the kitchen and bounces off the tile, spreading all throughout the house.
The stairs were wooden and old, but were serviceable. Nothing was completely irreparable.
Upstairs, across from the master bedroom, were two smaller bedrooms. The decoration and wallpaper showed that they used to be kids’ rooms, and I felt a twinge in my heart when I saw them. The outline from a crib was still imprinted on the floor in one of the rooms.
I squeezed Hugh’s arm, and he smiled. I dug my head into him, hiding my tear
s.
I fell in love immediately, and Hugh offered to buy the house. The banker couldn’t believe it, saying that they had been trying to sell the house for the last decade, but no one wanted it.
***
We met later at the bank. The agent told us it would take a couple of weeks to finalize everything, but he would personally delivery the keys to us when it was ready to be taken over.
“How many weeks exactly?” Hugh asked him.
“When were you wanting to move in might be a better question.”
“Well,” he slipped his arm around me, “we plan on getting married near the end of July, so would it be ready by then?”
The banker thought for a moment, and nodded. “Just give me an address to drop the keys off, and I’ll see what I can do. The biggest hurdle is making sure everything goes through with the current owner, and so on. I’m sure you understand.”
Hugh nodded, and we thanked the man and left. We headed back to his hotel and started talking about the life we were going to build together. Just a couple of weeks and we would be there.
***
Aaron, Vicky and I were having coffee one afternoon, chatting about random stuff, when Vicky asked me if I was excited. Thankfully, Vicky and Aaron got along really well, which was nice. I was worried that Vicky would be too much to Aaron.
“Excited for what?”
“Your wedding!” She looked astonished. “You know it’s only two weeks away.”
I panicked, feeling caught unaware. “What? What the hell?”
“Yeah, are you ready at all?”
I looked around the coffee shop and my mind raced, trying to tally up all the things we still had to do to make sure everything was ready. I spoke out loud during the process, just so the two of them would know what I was thinking.
“Well, we got the venue already booked, the floral arrangements set up, which was easy because of my job. I have a dress, Hugh already owns a tuxedo... can you believe that?” I counted on my fingers, lingering on each one as I checked the list off mentally. “We already sent the invitations out...” I stared at the ceiling and tried to think of anything else. “That’s pretty much it. It’s a small wedding.”
“Good, I’m just... I was worried you know?” Vicky seemed a little disappointed. Aaron slipped his arm around hers, and patted her hand.
“Worried? You don’t have to be! I should be if anything.”
Aaron sipped his coffee. “You’re not? What about cold feet? Doubts?”
“Nope, nope. I’m extremely confident in everything. These last couple months has been a turnaround you know?”
Aaron thought for a moment, looking into his coffee. “You’re right. I’ve never seen you so happy, so full of life. To be honest, Cat, I’m glad you got help. I was starting to think I’d have to stage a one-man intervention.”
“I have to admit, I’m a little jealous,” Vicky said. “I’m way older than both of you, and I’m still not married.”
“I’m not either,” Aaron said. “Besides, I don’t know if I want to be anyway.”
“Why?” Vicky wasn’t a big fan of coffee, so she was drinking some chai tea. “I think it’s romantic.”
“Sure, but there isn’t a reason to just want it outright I think,” Aaron said. “You have to have the right person, at the right time in your life. Wanting to get married without someone in mind is like...” he thought for a moment, “wanting a business without an idea. It’s just the thought of being an owner that counts, or in this case, being married, not that lifestyle.”
Vicky nodded a little, relenting. “Maybe you’re right. Still, I don’t think that means we can’t be happy or maybe a little jealous of the slice of happiness Caitlin has earned for herself.”
They both nodded and mumbled in agreement. “Does Hugh have a best man?” Vicky asked.
“I think he’s bringing his old boss, Scott. I’ve met him briefly.”
“His boss? Are they actually friends?” Aaron blurted out.
I stared at him and set my coffee down. It was just grounds at that point. “His old boss. They’ve known each other for a long time. I’d say Scott is kind of like a mentor to Hugh anyway. Closer to friends than coworkers that is.”
Aaron leaned back and picked up his biscotti and took a bite.
Vicky brightened up, “Let’s get out of here and do something. Shouldn’t we be throwing Cat a bachelorette party anyway?” She prodded Aaron out of his dejected mood. Aaron sat up in his chair and nodded.
“Oh shit I almost forgot,” he said. “I don’t really know if I can be involved in that whole thing anyway.”
I shook my head, “I really don’t need one, it’s okay.”
“No, I won’t take no for an answer. You can’t get married and not have a bachelorette party, I think even Aaron agrees with that,” Vicky said. He shrugged.
I relented, raising my hands to say I gave up. “Alright, alright. Just remember, no alcohol.”
***
I woke up on the morning of July 22 with blurry eyes. The night before, Hugh and I made an agreement to not see each other until the ceremony, so I stayed at my parents’ and he stayed at the hotel.
It was weird waking up for my wedding day in a bed I slept in during high school. I had plenty of time to get ready and down to the venue, my mom and dad were carpooling me there. So I was kind of dependent on their readiness.
My mom knocked on my door and stepped in. She was already completely dressed.
“What are you doing still in bed? Don’t you know what day it is?” She rushed over to me and started to yank the covers off me.
“I know what day it is! I don’t see what the rush is, it isn’t until three anyway. I barely slept last night you know,” I snapped back. I stretched and tried to wake myself up a bit more. I didn’t have to do much though, just saying the time of the wedding was enough to get my heart racing. I was going to be Mrs. Evans. I couldn’t believe it.
I beamed. My mom must’ve known what I was thinking, because it got to her. “I can’t believe you’re getting married!” she cried, sitting down on the bed and hugging me.
I patted her and squeezed her back. “I know, me neither mom. Now I really do have to get ready though.” I threw my sheets off and made my way to the bathroom. A power shower was in order.
***
After getting cleaned and freshened up, my mom came in to help me do my hair. We decided on a braided style. We curled it in long strands, then loosely braided it into three big braids. Then we braided that one last time to let it hang down the middle of my back. My bangs were clipped up, and a purple flower was set into my hair. We put on the wedding dress, which still fit like a glove. We put on a bit of purple eye shadow as a final touch to accent the flower.
“Hopefully he doesn’t have a heart attack at the altar when he sees you,” my mom teased. I rolled my eyes.
“He’s not seventy,” I said. “But he will be one day, huh?” I thought about middle-aged Hugh, and even if he turned from a muscled businessman to a wrinkled, sweet, old man, I’d still love him. My eyes misted over
“This is why they invented waterproof makeup,” my mom said. “Just for weddings.”
***
I changed back into casual clothes, but left my hair done up. As we were getting ready to leave, the doorbell rang.
“I hope that isn’t Hugh,” my mom muttered. My dad answered the door while I hid behind the stairs. The realtor from the bank was there, gasping for breath. He held a key in his hand.
“Hello? Can I help you?” my dad said.
“I’m from the bank,” he said, gasping. “I have the key for the property on Seaside Crescent, for Mr. And Mrs. Evans.” He held the key out, and my dad took it. I came out from my hiding place, and the realtor recognized me.
“Oh! I’m glad you’re here. I just got the paperwork finalized this morning.” He paused when he saw my dress hanging on the stairway. “Oh my god, is today your wedding day?”
I no
dded, “Yes it is.”
“I couldn’t have made better time then. I hope you enjoy it.” He waved goodbye and left. My dad handed the key to me, and I clutched it tight, unbelieving that it was the key to my house.
“Hell of a way to start your wedding day isn’t it?” my dad said.
***
Because the ceremony was just a small gathering of people, it wasn’t desperately urgent we get there exactly on time. Which was good, because we ran a couple of minutes late.
My mom rushed me into the dressing room. The venue actually had a honeymoon suite too, but thanks to the key I had hidden away, we wouldn’t have to use it. I slipped back into my dress, and my mom helped fix up my hair. Vicky and Aaron were there, both on the verge of tears.
“I thought you didn’t believe in marriage?” I asked Aaron.
He shook his head. “Just because I don’t believe in it doesn’t mean you don’t look absolutely amazing right now,” he answered. I laughed, which made Vicky cry a little harder.
“We’re already running late you two, just try and keep it together.” My mom said, of course, through her own watery eyes.
I was quivering with excitement. I was really getting married.
***
The pastor started the ceremony, and the music started. The venue really was well equipped, providing a vine covered arch and seating for plenty of people. The grass was thick and green, and the orchard stretched over the gentle hills. It was surprising, I had no idea there were orchards in Maine. Vicky and Aaron kissed me on the cheek and wished me luck, then disappeared out of sight as they walked down the aisle, escorted by some of Hugh’s other friends he had invited along.
My dad locked arms with me, and smiled. His eyes crinkled at the edges, and he looked like he was going to cry too. Just seeing him like that almost sent me over into tears as well.
“Dad, don’t cry...”
“I’m not,” he insisted. “I’m just so happy for you. And proud. Proud of my daughter.” He kissed me on the forehead and squeezed me. The wedding march started, and we came out of our hiding place. The dress didn’t have a train, so I didn’t have to worry about anyone carrying it for me.
