The air was warm, but not so hot as to be uncomfortable. The tall palms swayed in the light breeze and the sun streamed down through the green fronds. The sand was damp and cool beneath my bare feet. I wore a comfortable pair of beach shorts and a shirt that would have made any surfer proud. The boat ride out had been one big, fun party with all of my favorite people aboard. I was thirty years old and about to have everything I’d ever desired.
I stood nervously at the altar that was made of flowers and seashells. Holly and her mother had built it, with the shells they’d found on their many excursions to the beach. The baby loved the beach and Holly told me all the time that he was going to be some kind of seaman when he grew up. I didn’t know about that, but I did know that our little man was going to have every advantage and more importantly an abundance of love. He could be anything he wanted and I would love him all the same.
I glanced again along the aisle made of flower petals. Holly had wanted everything to be natural and organic. Her friends and her had set it all up and today was the first I’d seen of it. They had done a beautiful job, I felt like I was standing in the center of paradise. Right now though, I was waiting for my own paradise to walk down that aisle, and it seemed like it was taking forever. I have to admit that although I’ve come a long way, I still had some residual abandonment issues. I tried not to, but for a second I let my head go back to that dark place, the one where Cecile left me and took the baby with her. I held my breath and closed my eyes and reminded myself that Holly wasn’t going to do that. We had worked through our issues. Nonetheless I was nervous until at last I heard the sounds of soft music and I looked up to see Holly’s mother being escorted down the aisle by Myra’s husband. Mrs. Valentine was beaming. I think today was a day that she had at one point given up on ever being able to attend, and here she was, a vital part of it. Myra’s husband was a good guy and we had become close. As the father of four little ones, he’d also been a great resource for me when it came to taking care of my own.
Next, Rose came down the aisle on the arm of a friend of mine who was one of the ushers. Rose was a nice lady, and she had finally left that mean man she lived with. Holly and I helped her get set up in her own place and not long after that, we heard a rumor that she was dating none other than grumpy old Joe. None of the staff at the café would confirm or deny it, but from the way they looked at each other when Holly and I had them over for dinner and Joe’s sudden change from an old grump to a virtual picture of sunshine, I’d say it was a safe bet.
Myra came next, escorted by my best man. I had thought long and hard about who I would ask. But it was always obvious who it should be. This man was much older and very distinguished looking. His hair was still mostly dark with just a touch of gray at the temples. He had dark eyes that seemed to dance when he smiled. He looked as happy as Holly’s mother to be here, I’m sure it’s a day he thought he’d never see as well. His name is Gregory Scott and he is my grandfather. The story of how we came together after so many years of bad blood is a long one, but let me just say that the woman who is about to become my bride was instrumental in bringing a family together.
Finally, with all the bit players in place, the wedding march was struck up and a white carriage covered with white flowers and lace was pushed down the aisle by Joe, who actually cleaned up very well. He was wearing a Hawaiian shirt and khaki shorts and he was barefoot like me. Inside the carriage was Eric, mine and Holly’s son and the light of my life. Next to his mother, he was the best thing that ever happened to me. I couldn’t even look at him without my chest puffing up with pride. He was beautiful and smart…at one year old he was already walking and he said “Da Da” at nine months. I cried that day almost as much as I did the day he was born. He was trying to climb out of the carriage now and my grandfather went and took him. The old man’s smile lit up the entire island when he looked at the sweet little boy.
Holly had asked Joe to walk her down the aisle. That brought him to tears. One of the reasons I’d picked her almost two years ago to be the mother of my child was the way that everyone around her seemed to fall in love with her. They all loved her in different ways, Joe like a father, Rose and Myra like a sister. But, because of that I should have known that I wouldn’t be able to resist either no matter how hard I tried, and most of the time I can’t even remember why I did try. I regretted all of that wasted time. This past year had been the happiest of my life. I had gotten into therapy, reluctantly, but because Holly asked me to. I learned things about myself that I never knew, things that surprised me. Most of all, I learned how to forget the past and move on, knowing that because one person had hurt me before it didn’t mean the next one would do the same.
I looked at her now on Joe’s arm. She was wearing an off-white sundress with a wreath of beautiful flowers in her pretty dark hair that hung in curls to her shoulders. She was so beautiful, she took my breath away. I wasn’t a big believer in the supernatural, but sometimes I couldn’t help but wonder if it were fate that had led me to that café the first time I’d gone in there and saw Holly. I look at her now and I feel like we were destined to be here together. I can’t even imagine being anywhere else.
HOLLY