***
Two hours into the wedding reception, the Hokey Pokey played as everyone moved about the dance floor. Nick and Piper danced next to Bob, who stretched out his arms and kicked up his legs in an enthusiastic, yet somewhat clumsy style. Kat and Flypaper danced across from them in the circle in a fun-loving way, laughing as they turned around and followed the instructions of the classic wedding song.
Chase and Cherie milled about the tables in the room, greeting each of the many guests with oversized smiles and hugs. She appeared radiant in her lacy white wedding dress, manicured fingernails, and high heels, which she exposed when she danced. Her highlighted honey-colored blonde hair was wrapped in a loose, yet dressy bun, matching the up-do that her mom was also wearing.
Her parents were also circulating about the room, meeting and greeting each of the guests. It was obvious where Cherie had gotten her looks, as she and her mom appeared as twins separated by a handful of years with their sparkling crystal eyes and fair complexions. Chase was a lucky man indeed, though he looked handsome as well in his tuxedo. The purple tie he wore matched his mother-in-law’s dress and the bouquets the bridesmaids all carried.
The room was tastefully decorated in an array of purples and silvers, with ivory-colored tablecloths and satin covered banquet chairs, adorned by purple placemats, and silver chiffon bows. Majestic purple, lavender, and sapphire-blue floral arrangements centered each table, emitting light scents of rose, lilac, and lily. Yet even more stunning than the interior decorations were the views of the mountainside, which could be seen from the large picture windows surrounding the banquet room. Absolutely stunning.
Piper spotted Clyde standing with his wife Beverly by the chocolate fountain. It appeared that he was trying to avoid making a mess of himself as he dipped pineapple slices into the chocolate and shoved the dripping pieces into his mouth. She looked a little closer and noticed that he had failed in his attempts at least twice as liquid chocolate was both on his cheek and on his suit collar.
Such a high brow. Fitting.
Chase’s mom sat at one of the front tables, surrounded by her sisters and their husbands. It was unclear why Chase’s stepdad wasn’t present, yet perhaps he had never received an invite. Chase had said earlier that he didn’t like him much. Or perhaps he had received the invite, yet chose not to attend. Chase had called him a fool. Or perhaps some other event conflicted with the wedding. Who knows?
When the song ended, Cherie’s parents took to the stage to make an announcement. Those on the dance floor remained as they listened to the message. Others in the room remained in their seats at their assigned tables. Chase and Cherie moved from the tables to the dance floor and stood next to Piper and Nick.
“Congratulations,” Piper whispered to Cherie.
“Thanks!”
Cherie’s mom took the microphone and said, “We would like to thank all of you for being here today for these very special moments between our daughter, Cherie, and our new son, Chase. We’re truly blessed to add Chase and his family to ours and look forward to many good years ahead.”
The crowd clapped in merriment as Chase and Cherie smiled.
She continued, “Cherie, do you remember that Mediterranean-style home in Azalea Paths that you said would be perfect for you and Chase?”
“Yes, of course I do Mom.”
“Well, William and I would like to share a surprise with you two. In six weeks, we’ll be closing on that beautiful home and that will be one of our wedding gifts to you and Chase. After we close, we’ll be upgrading the home according to your wishes. And if all goes as planned, you should be able to move in by the middle of April.”
“Wow! That’s awesome,” Chase belted out. “Thank you!”
“Thanks Mom and Dad!”
The crowd clapped again and cheered for the lucky new couple. Piper watched Chase’s grin as it expanded across his face, almost exploding in its excitement. She had never seen him happier, which made her again wonder whether he was in it for the money. Hopefully not. Then she thought of his texting habit, again wondering about the identity of the person on the other end. At least he wasn’t texting that night. Or, at least she hadn’t seen him texting.
“Congratulations Chase and Cherie,” Nick offered.
“That’s so generous of your parents. You’re very fortunate,” Piper added.
Others in the room high fived Chase as he skipped about the dance floor and returned the high fives.
After a few moments, Cherie’s father added, “Yet, Jeanne and I are giving this gift with one contingency.” He paused as he grasped the microphone and peered around the room. His darker complexion and deep set eyes contrasted his wife’s and children’s, yet his slender and relatively short stature didn’t. The crowd quieted and waited to hear more. Chase returned to his position standing next to Cherie.
“Like so many of you, Chase and Cherie have been blessed with many gifts in this life. Yet we feel that those gifts and blessings could better be used to benefit others, so our contingency is that you two give something back to the community.”
Chase gasped.
“You can’t fully appreciate love and compassion until you have witnessed how those most humble have overcome pain through forgiveness and love. The children in the Collins Foster Home are well positioned to share with you their experiences and the ways they’ve forgiven those who’ve hurt them by embracing love. Jeanne and I feel that serving them as mentors will benefit you and the children as both you and they grow and prosper in this life. Therefore, the contingency we have added to this gift is that you two will contribute eighty hours of your time volunteering at the Collins Foster Home prior to moving into your new home. Further, Chase, you may want to volunteer your cybersecurity skills to help the home protect itself electronically. We hope that the eighty hours we’re asking you to spend with them will set a fire in your soul, generating a lifetime of service. What do you say, Chase and Cherie? Are you ready to commit?”
Chase looked at Cherie as he drew a deep breath. “Seriously,” he said in a muffled voice, “eighty hours is a lot to ask. Do they know we work forty to fifty hours a week already?”
“Yes.”
“I guess we don’t have a choice then,” he whispered.
“We accept!” Chase and Cherie announced in unison.
“Wonderful,” her dad responded. “We look forward to hearing about your experiences in the coming weeks.”
The crowd clapped and a few shed tears. Piper wiped the moisture from her eyes as she looked around the room at all of the happy faces. A contingency. The Collins Foster Home. How brilliant!