The Dance

*26*

'Emma, have you lost your mind!' Emma's sister Randee's voice came screeching over the phone. 'Have you been hypnotized or something? This doesn't seem like you at all!'

'Hi, Randee, good to hear from you!' Emma responded sarcastically. 'I hope everything's okay.'

'Yeah, I'm fine, but you have lots of explaining to do! This whole situation is ridiculous!'

'Why do you say that? Do you not trust my judgement? I assure you, I've given this decision a lot of thought and prayer. So has Prince. The timeline is rather compact, but I don't have any serious concerns. We both feel this is the right step for us. Honestly, I never planned to remarry, but apparently God had other plans.'

'How can you even bring God into this? You're acting like some sort of starry-eyed teenager instead of a mature woman! I thought you were more level headed than this. I guess I was wrong.' Emma started to respond, but Randee cut her off with more of her diatribe.

'Wait a minute, did you say Prince? I didn't think you'd call him that, I thought you'd call him his real name.'

'Randee, I'm bringing God into this because this is something Prince has been actively praying for, and I have real peace about. I'm disappointed that you don't understand my decision, but I'd still love for you all to come to the wedding. Prince has been working with his assistant to make sure flights and lodging are coordinated for you all. Please say you'll come. Perhaps when you've spent some time around him, you won't be as concerned about my choice. And yes, Prince is his given name, and what I call him. When we marry I will be Mrs. Prince Rogers Nelson. The press and his original record company shortened his professional name to just his first name years ago, and it stuck.'

'But, you're turning your life upside down for this man! What kinds of changes is he making? None, I bet.'

'I really don't know why this worries you. Prince has already made changes in how he does things. He's always been someone who made decisions without consulting anyone, and he's making a conscious effort to include me in all sorts of plans going forward. I'm sorry we haven't had a chance to talk until now. Perhaps you could come up a day or two early so we could have some time face to face? Bob and the kids can come, too. The girls are flying up Wednesday, maybe that would work for you.'

'I'll have to talk to Bob about it. Everything happened so quickly, and you weren't available to talk to. I couldn't believe what I was seeing on TV and reading in magazines.' Randee sounded a little calmer after hearing Emma's explanations.

'Randee, you know me better than anyone. You know how committed I was to Gene, and you watched me grieve when we lost him. I never would have met Prince if the girls hadn't given me the gift of that trip. If he wasn't someone I could see spending the rest of my life with, I never would have accepted his proposal.

'In case you forgot, Gene asked me to marry him two months after we met, and we didn't see each other every day during that time because my degree plan kept me so busy 24/7. I put him off for over a year, since I didn't feel I'd spent enough time around him to have a true understanding of who he was. Prince and I have been almost inseparable since the beginning of July. I've seen him in all sorts of situations, and feel just as comfortable with him as I ever did with Gene. On top of all that, the girls are thrilled for me, and thrilled with him. If they had had any objections or concerns, I would have taken that very seriously. Trust me, I truly believe this is the right path for me at this season of my life.'

'Okay, Emma. It helps to hear all this from your lips. I'll talk to Bob and get back with you. I don't think we'll be missing the ceremony. It just wouldn't be right.'

'Thank goodness! I would have been so sad if you hadn't been there. You, Bob, and the kids are my family. I want you to get to know Prince so you can come to love him, too. Let me know if adding a couple of days before the service will work for you and your family's schedule. Dillon is officiating, and he and Barb are coming, so you can catch up with them, too. We're flying out together on Thursday, so if y'all could come up Wednesday, we'd have some time just for us.