Spiritual Networking

Spiritual Networking - Chapter 20

Chapter 20


Alexis had asked Millie to be Maid of Honor, and there were wedding facilities to visit, showers to plan, and for some reason they were not open at two in the morning. Consequently, this forced Millie to face her fears and venture outside. She found herself leaving her hoodie more and more often lately. Once or twice she panicked and hurried back to her apartment before a full blown panic attack set in, but for the most part she was becoming confident being outside.

Paul was a huge help. When he was able to go with her, he did. Nevertheless, some of these excursions were out of his realm. That is why Millie was driving to the bridal boutique at nine in the morning to meet Alexis and their mother to look at dresses.

With love in her heart and a prayer of patience on her lips, Millie opened the door to the boutique. Millie had not seen her mother since the dreadful evening at her parents house. Over the past few weeks, with confidence and courage building, Mary Anderson saw a dramatic change in her daughter.

Millie was not wearing the jeans and t-shirts that normally covered her. Today she wore a pumpkin colored sundress that brought out her skin tones perfectly. Gone was the hoodie that Mary detested, bare shoulders were seen and it even appeared that Millie had been out in the sun recently from the bronze highlights on her skin.

“Why darlin’ you look radiant!” Mary said as she gave her daughter a hug and accepted a kiss on the cheek.

“Thank you Mother,” Millie said with a smile.

“Mil,” having seen her sister regularly and even gone out with Millie and Paul, Alexis was happy with the changes to her sister’s self-esteem and appearance, “Charles and I were wondering if you and Paul would like to meet us for dinner on Saturday?”

“Sure. I don’t see any problems. Let me check with him to make sure he doesn’t have any plans.”

“So, this thing with the preacher is serious then?” Mary asked raising one of her eyebrows.

Millie took a deep breath and faced her mother, “PAUL is a minister, yes. And I love him. Mother, what is your problem with him? Or don’t you want to see me happy?”

“Well, I just don’t think he is worthy of such a precious girl,” Mary swept a strand of Millie’s hair from in front of her shoulder to her back, like she was brushing something unpleasant off of Millie.

“Mother, I don’t see why you think money is everything. Paul’s family is very well off, yet they don’t let their money rule their lives. They live on a farm and talk when they eat dinner and really know each other.”

“We talk. Yet, I can’t imagine someone living on a farm and being well off,” Mary said, “I mean common dirt farmers?”

“No. His mother always wanted a farm, so they left the city when they got married. His dad sold his business last year for quite a sum, but I don’t know and really don’t care how much. Money really doesn’t matter to me.”

“Well darlin’, money paid for your schools and your house and everything you had as a child. And money still pays for your gadgets and computers that you live on today,” Mary argued.

“But Mother, a man is worth more than the money he makes or doesn’t make. Paul is not driven by money. He doesn’t flaunt what he has and I like that.”

“We know nothing about his family. Where do they come from? What type of up bringing does he have?”

“Well, they are not dirt farmers, although hard work never killed anyone. They have values and morals and they are not stuck on traditions, although I’m sure they have a few they keep.”

“Mr. Thomas is nice, he retired early about a year ago and sold his buisness. I don’t know what he did, so don’t ask.”

“Thomas... Thomas... I knew a Thomas family once. He dated one of my best friends.” Mary shook her head remembering her youth, “Now Susie she was a pill. We would laugh so much at Pete and Tom, your Father I mean. Peter Thomas and Thomas Anderson were a pair.”

Millie could not believe her ears, “Peter Thomas? And Susan Thomas?”

“Yes, they did get married.”

“They’re Paul’s parents.”

“Why, I haven’t seen them in years. They moved and we lost contact with them.”

Before Millie had time to take all of this information in, Alexis came out of the dressing room with a wedding gown on. “Oh Lexi! You look like a princess,” Millie said, still trying to take in everything she had just learned, yet still support her sister on this special day.

“Mother?” Alexis asked.

“It is OK. But, I want to see the one with the lace overlay,” Mary said, dismissing her daughter and the salesperson. After a few moments, Mary said, “So, Paul’s parents are Susan and Peter.” It was said in such a way to confirm the new information for herself rather than question it.

Millie was still in silent shock of the news when Alexis came out again. The dress she was wearing was nice, but Millie liked the first dress on her better. This dress had long sleeves of lace and a higher neckline, it had a tight waist and did not compliment Alexis’ features.

“Oh darlin’ that is gorgeous! It reminds me of Grace Kelly’s wedding dress.”

“Mother, you can’t be serious. It looks terrible on her,” Millie spoke up without thinking, then she added, “Lexi, what do you think?”

“It’s OK, but I really like the last one better.”

As soon as Alexis was in the dressing room again, Millie finally spoke, “You knew Paul’s parents? Why didn’t you say anything before? He told you his name at art gallery and then again at dinner you had plenty of time to...”

“Millie, I have this boy trying to influence my daughter, and doing quite a good job of it. My worries were on you and him, not the names of his parents.”

“So, what are you going to do?” Millie knew her mother well enough to know something was coming, she just had not figured out what yet.

“Why darlin’ I’m gonna invite them to dinner at the club.”

“Well, I won’t be there. I hate the club.”

“Then you need to put on your big girl panties and get over it,” Mary smiled at her daughter. “You’ve overcome so many things the last few weeks with Paul, and this can be good practice for your sisters wedding.”

“Seriously? You are going to have the reception at the club?” The shock and horror was evident on Millie’s face.

“Of course darlin’, we wouldn’t have it any other place!” Mary was smiling now.

Alexis came out of the dressing room with dress number three on. She noticed the tension in the room and the look on Millie’s face.

Although she wanted to be there for her sister, she needed to get away from her mother and decompress. Millie also needed to absorb all the information she had just found out. Peter and Susan Thomas were once best friends to Thomas and Mary Anderson. If that wasn’t bad enough, not only was Alexis’ reception going to be at the club, but Mary Anderson in all of her caring and support, wanted to have dinner with the Thomas’ there!

“Mother, I can’t believe you. We will not have dinner with you there. I don’t see why you can’t understand that.”

“Fine! We will have it at our house,” Mary had a smile cross her face, “Besides, if Paul will one day be our son-in-law, we should invite them over.”

Finally seeing Alexis standing in front of the mirror, Millie gasped, “Lexi, that is beautiful.”

Alexis was wearing a strapless princess cut dress with a cathedral train. The lace overlay was embroidered with sequins and pearls, there was a wide periwinkle sash that began at the front waist and fastened on the back and trailed down to where the train began. She wore elbow length gloves and a tiara with a viel to finish the look. Millie had never seen her sister look so radiant.    

“This is IT!” Alexis declared with a smile on her face.

“I don’t know. I liked the other one.”

“Mother, remember this is MY wedding. I love this dress and I am not trying on anything else.”

Mary shook her head. She did not understand where she had gone wrong. Her daughters were changing before her eyes. They had not been this argumentative even as teenagers.

“I love it Lexi,” Millie agreed supporting her sister.

“And I love this periwinkle,” Alexis said, “I thought your dress could be periwinkle.”


After another hour, this time Millie trying on dresses, they found the perfect Maid of Honor dress in a matching periwinkle. Millie’s dress was also strapless and floor length, but where Alexis’ had a periwinkle sash, Millie’s had a white sash. There was a small trimming of beads and pearls at the top of the dress.

Millie escaped more discussion about Paul as she hurriedly tried on the dresses her sister had selected. Alexis was wonderful and did not bring up the discussions her sister and mother had earlier for Millie’s sake, knowing that her sister would tell her all about it later.

When Alexis and mother invited her to lunch, Millie told them that she had plans with Paul and would see them another time. It wasn’t a lie, she did, they were meeting at the coffee shop where they first met as soon as she called him to let him know she was on her way. He would have understood if she went to lunch first, and if it was just Alexis she would have gone in a heartbeat. She had met her quota on conversations with her mother today. Besides, she needed to go and tell Paul her revelation ... their parents use to be best friends growing up.



Paul had just sat down at a table with two cups of coffee when Millie walked in the door. He wasn’t sure if it was the sip of steaming hot coffee he had just ingested or Millie in the orange sundress that made his temperature rise.

She sat down on the sofa next to him calm, confident and with a smile on her face. She leaned over and gave him a quick kiss, too quick for Paul who tried to keep the kiss going by moving with her as she backed away.

“Paul,” she finally said panting for breath with her lips still tingling from their kiss, “I have news to tell you.”

Getting his attention off of her lips and focusing on the words that were coming out, Paul backed up a few inches away, but remained close to her tempting mouth. “What kind of news?”

“About our parents!” Millie went on, not giving Paul a chance to say anything or even comprehend what she was saying. “Our parents were best friends before they got married. Your mother was my mother’s best friend and your father and my father were best friends. Can you believe that?”

“Wow! How did you find this out?” Paul asked still dumbstruck from the news.

“My mother told me. She made a connection from your last name and said that they were all very close, but when your parents moved away it was difficult to stay in touch.”

Paul mindlessly played with Millie’s hair as he comprehended what she had said. After several minutes, he finally broke the silence, “I believe you, I just don’t see it. Our parents are polar opposites. I can’t imagine them having anything in common.”

“Well, at least Mother can no longer say that she doesn’t know your parents so you are not a good match!” Millie blurted out.

“Is that really the reason? I figured it was the pastor thing more.”

“That is one of the reasons, but the big one is that your family is not in my parents social radar. But, that was taken care of today by this announcement.”

Paul took out his cell phone and began to dial, “Up for a drive?”

“Where to?”

“The place that has all the answers... my parents farm.”





An hour later, Paul and Millie were walking into the Thomas house. Paul was not going to tell his mother the news over the phone, not that he didn’t trust his mother to tell him the truth, he trusted her more than just about anyone. For this news he wanted to see her reaction. He had told her how Millie’s parents had treated him and their aversion to having a minister date their daughter, so for this, he needed to see her face when she found out the news.

“Hey Mama, we’re here!” Paul called as was his custom when he entered the house.

“We’re back here Paul,” his mother answered, he could tell there was some amusement to her voice.  

Holding Millie’s hand, he led her to the back porch where he found his parents blushing and giggling like school children.

“Well, what do we owe this surprise visit to?” Peter Thomas asked with a lift to his eyebrow. “Hello Millie, nice to see you again.”

“Hello Mr. and Mrs. Thomas,” Millie replied and sat down in a chair next to Paul on the large porch.

“What would you say if I said the names Mary and Tom Anderson?” Paul asked. He and Millie had talked about how they would bring the subject up and decided that they had never told his parents her last name and so just ask if they knew the couple would suffice.

“Wow!” Peter said, Paul could tell his father was surprised because his eyes widened and his mouth dropped open a bit before he continued, “I haven’t heard those names in years. How do you know them?”

“Well, how do you know them?” Paul asked. Millie loved her parents, but revealing things too early might not lead to an honest answer. So, she sat quietly by trying to read each expression and word carefully.

“We were best friends in high school. But, we haven’t talked to them since,” Susan took a moment to think, “I guess since our weddings. When we moved here we lost touch. You know things are different now with the Internet, people stay in touch, but we didn’t have that option unless we wanted long distance phone bills and a trip to the city.”

“Man, we had some good times,” Peter lowered his voice like he was afraid someone would overhear him, “we were a bit wild and carefree in our youth. But, I guess getting married, starting a family and finding God does change a person.”

Paul had never really heard his parents talk about their youth much and he wanted to hear more. “So, tell us about it Pops.”

“Well, I remember once, we were at the country club that the Anderson’s and my parents belonged to and Tom and I took these potatoes with holes drilled down the length of them and we put them into the tailpipe of every parked car at the club. I thought we would get kicked out of the club, but Mrs. Anderson, Tom’s mother talked the club president down from his threats.”

After everyone stopped laughing Susan said, “You would have thought you boys would have learned after that prank. But, nothing stopped ya’ll.”

“No,” Peter laughed, “it didn’t. We regularly went around the neighborhoods and pulled up for sale signs and put them in our teachers yards. But the time the club had a fit was when we forked the eighteenth hole.”

“Forked? What’s that?” Millie asked.

“We bought thousands, maybe even a million or two plastic forks and we stuck them in the ground from the tee all the way down the fairway to the green and the hole. I don’t think they ever found out it was us. It took us hours, most of the night if I remember correctly.”

“Dad, I can’t imagine you doing that!” Paul said laughing.

“Well, I did have influence. Tom Anderson was a wild one in his day,” Peter said still laughing.

Paul and Millie gave each other a knowing look. She couldn’t imagine her father doing these pranks either. Susan and Peter saw the looks between Millie and Paul and finally Susan asked, “So, how do you know Mary and Tom?”

Millie chuckled, “Believe it or not, they are my parents!”