by Sara Mullins
“You did a fine job.”
Mama left the end of the walkway and headed toward her seat. Ben and Nicole paused to let her sit down. She took a deep breath then they stepped forward together, exiting the archway. She looked ahead to the water sparkling beautifully from the rays of the sun. Mark stepped in from the right to join the minister in front of the dock. Nicole admired his tux, an unusual yet handsome look for him, nonetheless. Then she looked down at his feet and chuckled. He lifted the toe of his boot and winked at her. His uncle and brothers lined up behind him. And Bentley stayed true to form, sitting obediently next to Mark’s side.
Ben walked with her, arm-in-arm, until they stood before Mark. He kissed her on the cheek then walked over to sit next to Mama. Nicole handed her bouquet to her sister and smiled at Ashley and Becky who stood behind the maid of honor. Then she turned to face the groom.
Mark examined her beauty from head to toe, grinning, so proud of the woman who stood before him. She blushed a little and stared back at him. The preacher spoke loudly, but his words faded behind them. They left everyone else with the minister and gazed only at each other, having their own silent conversation.
She tried so much not to cry and was successfully holding herself together until the first tear rolled down Mark’s face. This was too much for her already overwhelmed emotional state. She followed suit, almost as if he had yawned. They ran through the motions of the ceremony in a daze, obeying the preacher’s instructions. Months of agonizing preparation, feeling like the day would never come, had led to this moment. Mark waited patiently for his cue. When the words were spoken, he smiled at Nicole and stepped forward. His right hand lifted to her face, wiping away the tears. Then he kissed the bride.
“Ow!” his oldest brother howled from behind him.
Nicole laughed and Mark turned to look at his rowdy sibling. He grinned at him and shook his head.
“Way to go, little brother,” he added.
Mark looked back at Nicole. “Now what?” she asked.
“Let’s have some fun. Then I guess we’ll spend the rest of our lives together.” He shrugged and flashed his handsome smile.
“If you say so,” she replied.
The crowd followed Mark and Nicole toward the cabin. Next to it in the grass, a giant tent had been set up with nearly enough tables to seat half the town. The caterers drove up and started unloading the food. Next to the tent, a small stage had been constructed for the band, who had also shown up. They stood together and admired the scene in peace while they could. But the conversations and pictures caught up with them soon enough.
The crew from the veterinary clinic stole some of Nicole’s time to talk to her about how beautiful the scenery was. Mark’s brothers and a few guys from the shop talked about their dream cars and what kind of fish were stocked in the pond. She would glance at him occasionally to see if he had decided to scream and run away yet. ‘Cause, how, she wondered, did I get someone like him?
Joe and his family enjoyed their break from the always busy ice cream shop. Nicole danced with her sister and friends to the music and Mark smiled at her from afar. They enjoyed their cake and a dance together, while Mama blew her nose in between snapping pictures.
Most of the photogenic moments had started to pass and the wishful speeches had come to an end when Mark’s uncle walked up on stage. He took control of the mic. “Hey, everybody. I just wanted to say a few things real quick. For those of you who don’t know, I’m Mark’s favorite uncle…”
“You’re my only uncle!” Mark screamed.
“Yeah, well I guess that makes me your favorite,” he said. Mark smiled at him. “Mark moved here several years back to work with me in my shop. He’s the best mechanic I got.”
Mark looked down at the ground in modesty.
“I would do anything for this young man right here. And I must say, Nicole, he is damn lucky to have you. I’m not sure what you were thinking, but that’s beside the point.”
“Hey!” Mark shouted, spitting out half the gulp he had just taken in.
“Seriously, though, I love you guys. You’re perfect for each other. Like peanut butter and jelly,” his uncle said.
Nicole looked over at Mama who gave her a nod and a wink.
“So, uh, I’ve made a decision. Mark, I know you got a great house and piece of land goin’ on down there, but I wanted to know if you and Nicole would like to have this.” He held his hands out wide. The couple’s expressions turned serious when the reality of what he had said sunk in. “Hey, I’m never here anymore. You guys have been taking care of it for me, anyway. I really want you guys to have it.”
“Oh my God.” Nicole’s words mumbled through her hands as they covered her face. She looked at Mark in disbelief. He shook his head and walked over to the stage, wrapping his uncle in his arms. Nicole joined them and looked at her sister mouthing the words, Oh my God.
“There’s one more thing,” Uncle Jim said.
“More?” Mark asked him.
Mark’s parents walked up to join them on stage.
“Ni . . . I mean a little birdy, told me about this car that you’ve been working on that your dad gave ya.”
Nicole pretended to look at her bridesmaids, ignoring Mark’s gaze.
“We know how much that car means to you, and trust me, I know how much it costs to fix them up,” his uncle said.
Ben took the mic. “Mark, your mom and I wanted to give you something special. So, we took care of getting the car fixed up for ya.”
Mark looked at his parents in shock. His brother started the car up and drove it out by the tent. It had been conveniently hidden under a tarp behind the cabin. The black paint sparkled in the sun. The rumbling of the engine could be felt through the floor of the stage below them.
“Now, I know you wanted to do it yourself. I didn’t mean to take that away from you. I’ll get you another one to fix up if you want,” Ben said. “I just wanted you to have something you could . . .” Ben stopped short as Mark squeezed him tight. He held on to him for a moment, before moving on to his mother and uncle.
“When . . . how . . . how did you guys do this? How did I not know?” Mark said. Nicole grinned from ear to ear looking up at him. “How did you do this?” he asked her.
“Well, your uncle and I kind of parked a replacement in the garage and covered it up, hoping you wouldn’t notice. With all the wedding stuff going on, I crossed my fingers that you wouldn’t have time to go out and work on it. Your parents paid for everything and Jim and all the guys in the shop worked on it. I hope you aren’t disappointed that you didn’t get to do it,” she added.
“Disappointed? Hell, no. I can work on another one. I want to drive this one,” he exclaimed.
His brother tossed the keys up to him. “Wish granted,” Ben said.
Mark and Nicole looked at each other then ran off the stage together toward the car. “We’ll be right back!” Mark shouted.
“Take your time!” Ben yelled back.
The newlyweds sat in awe of the new interior. “Thank you so much,” he said to her.
“You don’t have to thank me,” she said. “They did all the work.”
“Yeah, but not without your help. You brought it all together.”
“It was the least I could do for the man that saved my life.”
Speechless, he took her hand for a minute then looked at the ignition. “You ready?” he asked.
“You have no idea,” she said.
He turned the car on. His brothers howled from outside.
“They are very interesting, aren’t they?” she asked.
“You have no idea,” he replied. He slowly released the clutch and gave it gas and they were on their way. He babied it down the driveway and the road until they reached the empty highway.
He stopped and glanced in both directions, then looked at her. She fastened her seatbelt and smiled at him. He grinned back, then gradually pulled out onto the road and stopped again. The side of his fac
e glowed orange from the setting sun. Clutch released. Accelerator down. Tire tracks behind them leading to the road ahead.
Epilogue
Rebecca walks back downstairs, both of her children watching her every move. She stands at the base of the steps and takes in the smell of the house. The wooden walls still emit the scent of cedar. Her daughter walks up to her.
“Mom?”
She looks up to her daughter, immediately breaking down in tears.
“Mom, it’s okay. Please don’t cry. If you cry, I’ll cry, then Charlie will have two crying women on his hands.”
Mom chuckles and dabs her eyes. “Oh Susie, I don’t know if I can do this.”
“You’re not alone. We’re here with you. Uncle Jack’s coming. We’ll all get through it together,” Susie comforts her.
“You’re right.” She sighs. “Okay.”
She walks over to the fireplace mantle and clutches the picture that’s displayed above it. A beautiful young woman wearing a white sundress is standing next to her handsome new husband. Her face is lit up and his is covered in icing. The piece of cake responsible remains in her hand. Their happiness radiates from the photograph to the world, an exhibit of love.
“Look at this,” Rebecca says to her children. “What your grandma and grandpa had was something special. The rest of us spend most of our lives dreaming that we will find this.” She turns to look at them. Susie stands in tears and even Charlie wears a somber look. “This is what I want you guys to have. When you find the person that makes you feel this way, don’t let them go.” She walks outside with the box under her arm and stands on the porch.
A truck pulls in and drives toward the house and parks next to her car. Rebecca’s brother climbs out. He walks up to the porch and holds her tight.
“Oh, Jack. I knew this day was coming, but I just don’t think I can do this.”
“We can do it, sweetie. We have to do it for them. This is what they wanted.”
“I know, it’s not that. It makes me proud to grant their final wish. I don’t think I can stay strong without them like I promised her I would,” she says.
He smiles at her. “I have no doubt that you can. You are strong. You have a lot of Mom in you.”
“Thanks, Jack. I appreciate that.”
They stand for a moment then he gets a puzzled look. “Are Charlie and Susie here?”
“Yeah, they’re here. They’re inside.”
They walk in the house and join the other two. Uncle Jack asks them the generic uncle-like questions like, “How’s work going?” and “You got any boyfriends yet?” The chit-chat carries on until Rebecca draws their attention to the box.
“Well?” she says.
Jack nods and they turn to walk out onto the back deck. Rebecca closes her eyes and breathes in the air coming off the water. She looks over at the cabin and thinks of her mother’s late-night storytelling.
“You know, I don’t think I ever told you guys this, but did you know that this is where your grandpa brought your grandma on their first date?” Rebecca asks.
“Aw, really? That’s so sweet,” Susie replies.
“Yup, he brought her here, and of course the house didn’t exist yet. It was just the dock and the cabin.”
“The dock has made it that long?” Charlie asks in shock.
“Meh, grandpa fixed up what he needed to over the years, but it’s basically the same. Anyway, he took her out on the boat to go fishing and she out-fished him right off the bat.” Rebecca laughs and shakes her head.
“I think she always did,” Jack adds.
“The best part, though, is that this is where they got married, too. Right there by that dock. When Dad died a few years back, Mom sat down with me and made one thing very clear. She told me that their wish was for the two of them to remain here forever. Together.” She opens the box. “That’s why we are here.” She hands one urn to Jack; she takes the other and sits the box down. The four of them walk to the end of the dock, stretching over the calm water. Rebecca and Jack look at each other, then open the urns.
“Dad, I want to say thank you for giving me all your knowledge and strength. You were my rock. And Mom, thank you for all your grace, support and sense of humor,” speaks Jack.
“You guys want to say anything?” Rebecca asks her children.
Charlie reticently shakes his head no. Susie says, “I’m okay, Mom. I wouldn’t really know what to say.”
“That’s alright. Um, okay. Well . . . Dad, I love you and thank you for the way that you always took care of Mom. You loved her, and us for that matter, more than any man I’ve ever seen. You were kind and gentle. And frankly, I know now that your head-over-heels infatuation with Mom has got to be the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen. And Mom . . .” Rebecca’s voice begins to crack. She exhales slowly and starts again. “Mom, I don’t know what to say other than you were my hero. You were the woman I have always wanted to be. You were strong, loving, and funny. You were an amazing wife and even more amazing mother and grandmother. I love you. This world will be just a little dimmer now that you both are gone.”
Jack looks at her sympathetically, waiting for his sister’s next words.
“I think that’s all there is to say, Mom. I believe you’ve been waiting for this day since Dad passed. Now you can be together again.” Rebecca gazes at her brother.
“We love you guys,” he says. He slowly leans forward, and Rebecca follows. They pour the ashes together into the water. She sobs and Jack holds her tight.
The group takes a few moments of silence before turning to head back toward the house. When they reach the edge of the grass, Rebecca says, “Give me just a minute.”
“Okay,” Jack replies. He places a hand on the shoulder of his niece and nephew and they walk inside.
Rebecca looks back at the water. She watches a family of geese swim up to the bank on the far side and waddle their way to the grass. The goslings give everything they have to keep up. They peck at the ground in the shade, not even noticing her across the water. Rebecca admires them for a moment, then takes her gaze back to the sunlight reflecting off the water. She smiles and whispers, “Goodbye.”
Dear reader,
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Acknowledgments
I send a special thanks to my family for believing I could do this.
To David, for your support and for being the inspiration for Mark. He would not have been the same without you.
To my mother, Susie; my sister, Carey; my mother-in-law, Joyce; and my friends Amanda and Sarah. Thank you for being my first readers. I am eternally grateful for all your feedback.
To The Next Chapter Publishing team for helping me publish my first book. I appreciate the opportunity you have given me.
About the Author
Sara lives in southern Indiana with her husband and three children. She received a Bachelor of Science in Biology from Purdue University and enjoys the outdoors. When she’s not camping or boating with her family, she loves expressing her creativity through writing, photography, and painting.
