Pop: Chapter 16b

    I head over to the small catering crew that set up to the right of the tables.  They only brought three servers, as this is a fairly small affair.  The food is set up just to the right of the tables, along the moveable wall dividing the space.  The wall is blocking us off from where the soccer meeting was.  This floor's rooms are smaller than the main space on the bottom floor, but it is still fairly large.

   The crew saw me coming.  It just takes a couple of returned nods to get them to start the plating process.

    I go back to the crowd of people around my Dad, while nodding towards the women a few yards away.  Sam is already at the table.  Odd

    "Hey, everybody.  Since everybody who's going to show up is here, I talked it over with the minister and we're going to start the dinner now.  We'll finish up the rehearsal afterwards.  If that's okay with you all?"

    More nods all around, as everyone slowly heads over to the tables.  The Fairbanks get the table on the far left.  My friends and their wives get the table on the right.  Dad and Miguel sit at one of our table, next to the minister, while Addie and I sit in the middle, with Sam alone at the other end.  There was just enough room to sit Jim and his wife too.  Pretty small group, but the actual wedding and reception should have a better turn out.

    The servers come around with the food.  We decided to go with serving just one dish, with some sides and a dessert, all at once.  We felt that it would save time and money going the quick route. Having alternate options would have to wait for the big day.  If we could have had a full-fledged rehearsal, we might have gone with another idea, but this will do nicely.

    I barely notice the rather bland chicken, slightly limp green beans, and plain roll.  The blueberry shortcake is a winner though.   Too bad I can't have more than a few bites.  Clean eating is not for everyone.

    After it looks like most have finished eating, I stand up and start my speech.

    "Thank you all for coming tonight.  I wish we could have had the rest of the wedding party here, but we had to make due with what was available."

    I hear a stifled laugh from the table on the right.  Probably Rick.  He wanted us to keep the original wedding date, no matter what.  He actually said that we should forego the honeymoon, just to make sure everyone showed up.  I think he had vacation plans for that week, but I could be wrong.

    "Addison Fairbanks.  I love you so much.  I am honored to be your future husband.  I'm sorry we'll have to wait a few more weeks to make things official, but what is a few weeks compared to a lifetime."

    Addie blushes while the rest of the party claps.

    "Mr. and Mrs. Fairbanks, let me thank you for allowing me to join into your wonderful family by marrying your only daughter."

    "Please, call me Jack," my future father-in-law calls out.

    "Wallace, let the man finish," his wife chides.  

    Yeah, his full name is Wallace Jackson Fairbanks, but only his wife uses his first name.  For some reason, Jack suits him better.

    "Russel, Ken, and Mike.  You have been protecting and watching out for your sister your entire lives.  Let me honor you for your service, and let me take such a precious burden from you hands."

    Addie's brothers fist bump each other across their table.  Considering the almost ten year difference from Russel to Mike, and surprised the three of them are so close.

    "Dad, I may only have been with you a few years, but my life has been so much better for having you in it.  I'm proud to have you as my father.'

    He says nothing, but I can see him mouth 'I love you too Chris' as he raises his glass towards me.

    "Rick, Pete, and Will.  I'm not sure I would've have gotten through high school without your friendship.  We may have had some bad times after, but the four of us will always have that bond.  And you too, Jim.  You were the one who brought all of us together.  While you weren't there for long, you started me out in the right direction."

    Jim looks down, rather sheepishly, as I mention him.  He probably shouldn't have come tonight.  He'll be all right.  I'm sure.

    "And lastly, Sam.  I never realized how much I needed a brother in my life until I met you.  We didn't start out on the best of terms, or the best of ways, but we're family, and nothing will ever tear us apart.  We will always have each other."

    A brief grimace crosses Sam's face.  He shuffles around his seat.  Tries to get up, hesitates, and then stands.

    "I have to say this.  Addie, I apologize in advance.  You're a good woman, but you have to know.  My brother cheated on you last night.  He spent the night and slept with that man, Jim."  Sam's pointing straight at him. A wicked grin starts to spread across his face.

    What? The? 

Pop: Chapter 16a

     It's not just my mother who won't be showing up.  None of Addie's bridesmaids could make it either.  All of them had to work today and couldn't even fly it for the night.  That includes her maid of honor, Esme Jenkins.  She's a meteorologist out of southern Alabama.  Mobile, I think.  Anyway, she was all scheduled to fly in today after the morning news, when she got called in for a tropical system that's forming in the Gulf.  Could be upgraded to a storm by tomorrow.  If it is, then it will be named "Esmeralda."  Yeah, she has to cover that one.  If the wedding were still this week, they all would have made it, but I guess we're forced to make due.

    At least Mr. and Mrs. Fairbanks could make it in, as well as all three of Addie's brothers.  They will be helping out to fill my groomsmen.  Otherwise, the bridesmaids would be double the number of groomsmen.  Jack and Jill, their real names, really, seem to be getting along with Dad.  Her brothers do too, although only Pete is talking to them.  Russel is the oldest.  Married with two daughters.  His wife is a teacher in St. Louis and couldn't get off for the final days of the school year, so she stayed behind with the girls.  Ken is barely a year younger than Addie.  Divorced, no kids.  I don't know if he is seeing anyone, so I doubt he'll be bringing anyone to the actual wedding.  Mikey is the youngest, by five years.  Just got his Master's in Education.  Maybe that is why he and Pete are getting along so well. He's the one who was playing his last season of basketball when I met Addie.  Second tallest in the room, next to Sam, who's still keeping to himself.

    Addie is in a clutch with the four other wives, possibly trying to get some hints about what will be happening next.  Maybe comparing notes on husbands.  Maybe getting ideas for her bachelorette's party.  Her party got moved to next week.  In Vegas.  Yeah.  Lucky her.

    I run into Reverend Johansen before I can make it to the my Dad and the Fairbanks'.

    "My, my, my, Mr. Burton.  It looks like your father is here.  Should we go on with the rehearsal, or should we wait to see if anyone else is showing up?" the reverend asks.

    Wesley Johansen was the new minister at the church where I sometimes attended back in Lexington.  I started going there for major holidays after my sophomore year, when I decided I didn't want to go back to my mother's home unless I really had to.  I hate to admit it, but I was kind of lapsing there the last few months before I moved to New York.  Maybe once a month.  I didn't even know the old minister had died until I started asking about the venue.  Wes started about a year ago, but he barely looks old enough to be Sam's age.  In fact, he just turned twenty-five before he was hired.  Not really comfortable with someone so much younger than me being the official, but I am managing.

    "No, no one else will be arriving.  I just got a call from my mother, and she had, uh, some car issues.  She's fine, but she wasn't able to get to town in time."

    "I'm truly sorry to hear that," Wes says as he grasps me in an 'affirmation' hug.  He's just a little taller than me, so the hug comes off as slightly less awkward than it should have.  He's also the only one here without a dress shirt on.  Just a polo.  I hope he's not that casual for the actual ceremony.

    "No, that's fine," I add as he finishes his hug.  "However, I think we should get to dinner before we finish up the rehearsal.  We've already gone over most of it, save the vows.  Since there's going to be a second rehearsal the night before the wedding, it might be best if we start eating now so that the food will be warmer."

    And before any storms hit.

    But I don't tell him that.  Don't want to worry him for nothing.

Pop: Chapter Sixteen

    "I'll tell everyone what happened.  Goodbye, mother."

    I turn off my phone while a watch Addie's family crowd around my Dad.  As expected, he arrived about fifteen minutes late.  Even Pete arrived early, and he had to drive all the way from Morehead. But not my Dad.  I told him to try and leave early so he would get here on time, even with moving the dinner up an hour.  At least he seems to be getting along with Addie's family.  Almost everyone came.  It really does seem to be ...

    "Dude, anything wrong?" Will asks as he comes up beside me.  

    I had stepped to the side to take the call.

    "Sort of.  My mother just called to inform me she won't be able to come to the dinner tonight."

    "I hope she's all right.  Was it car trouble or something?"

    "No.  She heard about the weather forecast, as well as a wreck on the Parkway, so she decided that she shouldn't be driving this far."

    "She call you from her car?'

    "Landline, back at home.  She doesn't use smartphones."

    "She still live at your grandma's house?"

    "Yep."

    "That's at least three hours away."

    "More like two-and-a-half the way she drives."

    "So, if she called you from her house."

    "Yes."

    "And that's hours away."

    "Go on."

    "Then that means she..."

    "Never left.  She wasn't planning on coming here tonight at all.  I tell you, my mother is one real mother."

    Will waits a few seconds before asking, "Has she even met Addie?"

    "No, not really.  I've managed to get to speak over the phone for a few brief calls.  I even got them to see each other on FaceTime once."

    "Wow.  I took Nora down to Florida to meet my parents a few times before we got engaged, but you are so, I can't begin."

    "Well, my mother has always managed to find a way to wiggle out of every meeting.  Mind you, I don't think she hates Addie or anything, it is just that my mother and me have had problems for years.  I mean, Addie and Dad get along great, from the first time they met two years ago."

    "Why do you use 'mother' for her, but 'Dad' for him?"

    "Analyzing me?"

    "Hey, it's my job.  Literally.  Sometimes I can't help it."

    We both chuckle a bit before I respond.

    "Back in seventh grade or so, my mother began to insist that I use 'grandmother' whenever the three of us were out in public.  She said she didn't mind, but my mother insisted.  So, to keep things straight, I used 'mother' for her.  I used to call her 'Mom, but that never really fit her.  'Considering what I found out what both of them did to me when I was a kid, she's lucky I'm still talking to her at all."

    "As for Dad, it just suits him.  I know that you and the guys usually used 'Pa' around your own fathers, but that just didn't fit for me. Maybe it's because we never met until I was an adult, that I chose 'Dad' for him.  Sam uses that too, so maybe I picked it up from him.  Whatever.  I may have only known my father for a few years now, but he will always be Dad to me."

    Will smiles at me before responding.

    "Hey guys!  What's up?" Jim walks up behind Will, startling him.

    "Oh, hi bro. Chris just found out that his mother's not coming tonight." Will manages to mumble.

    "Ah man.  Sorry to hear that.   Are we going to start the rehearsal now that we know everyone's here?"

    "No.  I think we'll have the dinner first.  With my Dad being late, I think the caterers will appreciate being able to leave early.  Besides, I think my future father-in-law is getting hungry.  I'll just check in with him and the reverend to see if that will be okay with them."

Pop: Chapter 15b

    "Funny you should ask that," I say as we reach the bottom of the stairs, "as the wedding was originally supposed to take place tomorrow."

    "What happened to change that?"

    "Well, I am a best-selling author.  Maybe you caught my interviews on morning television earlier this week?"

    "Nope.  Can't say I have."

    Sam had a partial smirk, the way only eighteen year old boys can get away with.  Otherwise, he was keeping silent, leaning against the wall as we were waiting to open the door to the basement story.

    "Anyway, Addie and I had everything planned out.  We were going to have the rehearsal dinner tonight, the wedding Friday evening, spend the rest of the weekend partying and then go on the honeymoon trip Monday morning for a week.  This was all planned out back in December."

    "I also had a book tour planned for this winter and spring.  It was going to start in New York this past February.  However, the first week of events had to be cancelled due to a massive snowstorm."

    "Norbert," he says.  "I remember seeing that one on TV.  Shut down the city for almost a week."

    "Well, those first dates had to be made up."  I skip by the fact that I think winter storms should be given names.  Stupid really.

    "My publisher rescheduled dates starting next Friday, right in what was supposed to be the middle of my honeymoon.  They didn't reach out to me or my agent until everything was already set in stone.  A few choice words were exchanged, but I couldn't get the dates changed. I'm just glad that they had left the past week free so I could go to Sam's graduation."

    Sam doesn't even nod his head.

    "Fortunately, we still had the make-up date for the third Saturday in June.  Unfortunately, you were booked that entire week for a convention.  What's worse, the church is running a vacation bible school that week as well, so we couldn't hold the dinner there either."

    "What about the reception area?  Couldn't you hold the dinner there?"

    "Nope.  Outdoors, right across the street from the church.  Won't be set up until that morning.  So, we decided to just keep tonight's date for the rehearsal dinner and have a smaller, more informal meeting the night beforehand to make sure we've got everything figured out."

    "On the bright side, Sam has a special orientation meeting tomorrow at UK, so that works out best for us.  No conflict of interests.  I also got to schedule some extra dates on my tour for the Lexington area this week.  I hated that I wasn't originally going to come here, since I still consider here my home."

    Sam gives me the eye and huffs as I say this.  Better get going before he does something stupid.

    I open the door and let them through, Sam still staring at me sullenly.  I hear something a few doors down as a woman pops out.  Basic black business attire, but with heels high enough so that she towers over Mr. Phillips and almost over me as well.

    "Lee Anne.  I was wondering where you had run off to.  How's everything coming along in the commissary?"

    "Everything is coming along perfectly, sir." I could tell that Lee Anne was feeling a little condescending to her boss.  "The caterers are finishing up the food now, and will take it upstairs as soon as the cleaning staff finishes up.  Mr. Burton?"

    "Yes," I return the look she finally gave to me.  Neither one of us tries to shake hands.  A slight nod is more than sufficient.

    "We have partitioned one of the second floor rooms for your party.  We kept it separate from the soccer meeting, but the cleaning staff will make sure that no one accidentally disturbed anything.  The caterers will take care of any cleaning afterwards, while our crew will finish up first thing in the morning.  You won't have to worry about anything.  One of our aides will even be here to lock up."  She ends in a genuine smile. 

    "You won't have any problems tonight."

    Famous last words.  I just hope she's not wrong.