Morning of the Wedding
Gwen
On a late spring morning Gwen and the girls woke up early and headed to the salon where many of her friends were already waiting to help make her day as perfect as they could. They brought the mother to tears just by their presence.
"I could not ask for better friends than all of you ladies!" Gwen spoke though the tears as the ladies took her purse and jacket from her.
Kaylee, her assistant, directed Gwen to her seat. "What do you think ladies? Shall we go with the blond wig?" She looked around the shop.
"Kaylee, no weave." Gwen reached up and touched her assistant's hand and smiled. "Just as it is."
Her assistant placed both hands on Gwen's shoulders. "Okay but we get to do your makeup!"
The shop erupted in agreement with Kaylee's suggestion.
Gwen shrugged as she looked into the mirror at her daughters. "Chast - Harm, what do you think?"
Chastity and Harmony looked at each other and excitedly echoed each other. "Yes!"
Gwen nodded at her assistant. "Let's do it Kaylee!" Again the shop bursted into a festive atmosphere.
Chastity and Harmony sat in chairs in front of the mirror as well and had their long hair prepared as if they were princesses going to a ball. The morning flew by as the conversations seemed to cover every topic imaginable.
Then the ladies needed to know more about Jeremy and at first Gwen resisted but eventually gave in to her friends. Her hands moved away from her head describing the feeling before
she smiled.
"He - we were right next door all these years and never knew each other." Gwen sighed. "We assumed many things about each other." She laughed. "They were all wrong!"
Chastity made her way next to Gwen and spoke as she looked into the mirror. "Just when we thought he was running, he was really trying to save mom. Right Harmony?"
Harmony nodded her head. "He even brought my grandpa home to me and Charlie gets to stay with us forever!" The young girl raised her hands as the ladies laughed and awed at the sight.
"Jeremy and Austin have a new hobby together searching the stars at night." Again the mother of three shook her head. "He saved my boy. He really did." Gwen looked into the mirror at all her friends. "He loves all of us. Not just me." With tears in her eyes and with her girls hugging her she added. "He gave me life and saved my family. He hates this, but I call him my knight in shining armor."
Jeremy
Austin spent the night with Miguel, Pete and Jeremy. And as usual the men were not up early at all. In fact they had slept in.
Jeremy had not had a vision of Miguel Junior since he asked Gwen to marry him that October morning. But Harmony's late father was about to make another appearance.
"Hey Gringo." Miguel laughed joyously. "Gringoooo!"
Jeremy opened his eyes and witnessed a man aglow. "Miguel ~you ~ you look different."
"Si, yes Gringo, I am feeling much different. Amigo, my heart is bursting with pride. You have made Gwen and Harmony very happy and for that I am forever in your debt."
Miguel raised his arms and the cloak he wore glowed a golden hue. "I can rest now, Gringo. Muchas gracias. Oh, you may want to wake up now." Miguel softly laughed as he faded away.
"Boss, Boss!" Pete shook his friend.
"Jeremy!" Austin jumped on Jeremy's bed making sure he would wake. "You can't be late for this!"
Jeremy reached out and clipped Austin's foot and he landed next to him. "I'm awake!" He laughed as the teenager fell beside him.
"So what do I call you after today?" Austin looked at Jeremy waiting for his answer.
"You need to know that now?" Jeremy rubbed his face with both hands and looked at the teenager.
"Maybe, Old Man?" Pete laughed.
"Pumpkin - get out!"
"It's my house!" Pete rolled his eyes.
"Get out, please." Jeremy wanted to sort this out before the wedding.
"Okay okay." Before Pete could close the door Charlie bolted into the bedroom and onto the bed. "Charlie?"
"Maddie must be here." Jeremy looked at his old friend. "You may want to offer her some coffee - you know? As a good host."
"Yeah, right." Pete palmed his face. "My bad!"
"Okay, Austin." Jeremy sat up next to the teenager. "Last spring, I never knew you or your family. Now? Well, now I can't live without you guys."
Austin smiled.
"I never, in my wildest dreams, ever allowed myself to think I would have a family, Austin. And it would be an honor if you would call me, dad." Jeremy looked at the young man who only knew life without a father.
"I think I will go with, Old Man!" Austin laughed as he bolted from the bed with Charlie following close behind.
"That hurt, Austin." Jeremy grabbed at his heart as he laughed.
Austin turned when he stopped at the door. "Thanks for sticking around ~ Dad." He quickly ran down he hall past Madeline making her way to see the groom.
She knocked on the door. "Jeremy, are you decent?"
Jeremy snugged the comforter around his body. "Yeah, all good, Maddie."
Madeline entered the bedroom. "Coffee for the groom - compliments of Pete."
"Thank you, Doctor!" Jeremy happily accepted the mug and took a sip before setting it on the nightstand. Just the way he likes it." He checked the time on his cellphone. "I'm not late, so why the visit?"
Madeline revealed the other hand she hid behind her back. "I thought I would drop something off before the wedding." Without wasting any time she tossed a baseball cap at Jeremy.
"Hey, thanks Maddie!" Jeremy flipped the cap over. "Autographed by Vladdy Junior! Are you freaking kidding me?! This is awesome, Maddie!"
"Well you cried over the last one you lost so I thought I would replace it for you." Madeline smiled and checked her watch. "Better get ready! You have to be there first."
"Hey Maddie." Madeline stopped at the door. He smiled then spoke sincerely. "Thanks for everything you have done for me, Gwen and the kids. I really do appreciate it."
"I know." Madeline smiled. "Now get ready and make Gwen feel special ~ Dad!" She laughed as she exited the bedroom.
Jeremy looked down at the autographed Toronto Blue Jays baseball cap. "I have a signed Vladdy ball cap!!!" He snugged it onto his head. "I am wearing this every single day!"
The Wedding
With everything set for the spring wedding, friends and family members made their way to the newly constructed home outside of town. The rest of the town lined the country road leading to the family’s home. They planned a simple ceremony in the open on the lawn behind to the house. But the community would not be denied a glimpse of the event.
A large tent had been erected on the side yard just in case the weather turned bad. Under the tent were tables decorated with spring flowers, a sound system for the party after the ceremony, and a dance floor ready for celebrating.
Jeremy, Pete, Austin and Miguel Sr. arrived first. Jeremy and Pete dressed in their black tuxedos and lilac color bow ties. The two never wore a tie as adults but decided it was time to grow up - at least for one day.
Austin and Miguel were dressed in simple black suits with the same lilac colored bow ties as the groom and best man.
As the four men made their way to the Justice of the Peace at the back of the new home, Miguel looked towards the driveway. To his surprise the man saw his mother walking towards him. "Mama?" Emalina smiled. "But how?" He met and embraced his mother in front of all the guests.
"Hola, Miguel." Miguel's estranged wife showed herself. "Your bartender told me where you were. So I brought Emalina to see her great grandchild."
A soft smile came over the Mexican man. "Gracias, Marie." He nodded to the woman he still loved.
"Emalina?" Jeremy rushed to the woman who saved his life. He kissed her repeatedly before he hugging the tiny woman.
"Okay Amigo, she is my mother." Miguel shook his head.
"True but she is my savior!" Jeremy pointed out and Miguel nodded his head as he patted Jeremy on his back.
Just then the DJ played the wedding march song. The two men returned to their places beside Pete and Austin to wait for the ladies.
Harmony and Charlie were the first to appear and the guests awed at the sight. The young girl dressed in a full length lilac colored dress with a single flower from her mother's bouquet in her hair. Charlie wore a bow that matched the bow on the back of the young girl's dress.
Harmony tried her best to sprinkle the flower petals evenly but loved them so much she did not want to use them all. When Charlie noticed Jeremy she rolled a yelp but stayed close to the young girl.
Next to emerge from between the rows of guests was Chastity dressed in the same lilac color bridesmaid's dress holding a small bouquet. Her hair was up with two streams of hair dangling from the sides, framing her face beautifully.
Madeline, the maid of honor, found the smile she lost since her husband passed. She quietly spoke to him. "Hey Baby, thinking of you."
Gwen's smile radiated from a distance making Jeremy's heart melt. The simple but elegant white dress covered her shoulders and closely followed her curves.
Harmony arrived next to Jeremy and he crouched down to give her a kiss and to pet Charlie. Chastity arrived with a smile so beautiful even Austin took notice.
"Hey Chast." She looked to Austin expecting sarcasm. "Looking good, Sis!" She rolled her eyes but deep down it meant a lot to her.
Madeline looked at the men, clean shaven and well dressed. She smiled giving them all a thumbs up. "You guys actually clean up really nicely!" The guys laughed at her assessment.
Gwen arrived in front of Jeremy with tears in her eyes. He stepped forward gently wiping them away with his thumbs. He winked and mouthed the words - I love you, Beautiful. Gwen took a deep breath before exhaling.
Pamela, the Justice of the Peace, waited for Gwen and Jeremy to get into position before she stepped up to the microphone. "Welcome everyone!" A cheer grew from the guests making her laugh. "Alright, that's a little different but I like it!"
"Every ceremony is unique and today is no different. We are celebrating the union of two real survivors with stories that are truly inspiring. Which is exactly what love can do. So with that in mind let's go directly to their vows ~ Jeremy wants to party."
"The rings?" Austin proudly presented the rings to Pamela. Gwen gave her son a loving smile.
"Jeremy, do you take Gwen to be your lawfully wedded wife to have and to hold in sickness and in health, for richer for poorer, for better for worse, and forsaking all others, keep yourself only unto her, for so long as you both shall live?"
Jeremy looked deep into Gwen's eyes, slipped the wedding ring on Gwen's finger and replied. "I do."
"Gwen do you take Jeremy to be your lawfully wedded husband to have and to hold in sickness and in health, for richer for poorer, for better for worse, and forsaking all others, keep yourself only unto him, for so long as you both shall live?"
Gwen paused as the past year flashed in her mind then spoke for all to hear. "I most certainly do." She pushed his wedding ring into his finger.
"By the power invested in me, I pronounce you husband and wife. You may...."
Gwen and Jeremy did not wait for Pamela to finish and the two kissed for an extended period of time to the delight of the guests.