to be called a fine example. “I’m the joy of my mom’s old age,” he said.
Grandma Hudson smiled behind her hand, but David’s grandfather laughed out loud. “I think I have just the thing for someone who spreads such joy.” He reached into his pocket and gave Jonathan a piece of hard candy.
Then Jonathan’s mother came to the door. She spotted him and spoke the dreaded words.
“Bedtime.”
“Noooo!” he objected, but between his mother and grandmother, he hadn’t a chance. As he kissed his grandmother, he felt David’s grandfather tug at his coat, and later found another piece of candy in his pocket.
By the end of July, the planning was done except for one detail that Jonathan’s mother found hard to arrange.
“You simply can’t wear your hair like that in the wedding,” she told Karen.
“Susan said I could. It’s her wedding.”
“When you get older, you will be so embarrassed to see those wedding pictures.”
“That’s my problem, isn’t it?” Karen stormed out of the room.
A week before the wedding, Jonathan hardly saw Susan, and when he did, she looked past him as if he wasn’t there. She slept until noon every morning, but he saw light coming through the crack in her closed door late one night when he got up because of a nightmare. That afternoon he overheard his mother and grandmother talking.
“She’s a nervous wreck. She’s worried because neither of them jobs yet. She’s worried about the wedding, worried about being married, worried because she’s worrying herself sick. You name it, she’s worried about it. I took her to the doctor, and he gave her some pills to calm her nerves, but now she won’t take them because she’s worried that they’ll be addictive.”
“We just can’t seem to get weddings right in this family.”
“I feel terrible. I tried to do it all for her so she could relax, but I guess that wasn’t the right thing either. She says it doesn’t feel like it’s her wedding. This should be the happiest time of her life, not the worst.”
“I’m sure it will work out one way or another.”
At rehearsal the night before the wedding, Jonathan finally learned his part in the wedding, and decided that he liked it. He got to carry a white shinny pillow that held the rings.
“Everyone will be watching you, but don’t be scared,” said Karen. “I’ll be right behind you.” Her hair was brown again, parted on the side, and combed straight. Jonathan hardly recognized her.
Susan didn’t eat anything at the dinner, and when Grandma Hudson and David’s grandfather took Jonathan home early, Susan came too, saying that she was exhausted.
Even though it was late, Jonathan couldn’t sleep after Grandma Hudson tucked him in. The excitement of the dinner, and thoughts of all those people watching him kept him awake. Finally, he got up and sneaked past the living room where Grandma Hudson and David’s grandfather sat together on the couch.
“Do you think it’s possible to love more than one person?” Jonathan heard him ask.
“Of course it is. I loved Bill, and I love my daughter, and grandkids, and lots of people.”
David’s grandfather put his arm around Grandma Hudson. “You know what I mean,” he said. Jonathan tip-toed into the family room and turned the computer on, but wasn’t quiet enough.
“Hey, what’s this?” David’s grandfather leaned on the doorway, arms folded across his chest. He slipped a candy into Jonathan’s hand, then sent him back to bed.
Jonathan usually was the first one up in the morning, but the next morning he found his mother sitting in the rocking chair in the family room wearing her bathrobe.
“Jonathan, come sit with to me,” she said. He climbed into her lap, and rocked in her arms for a while. Finally she said, “I don’t think there’s going to be a wedding today. Susan’s sick. I was up with her all night.”
“What will we do?”
His mother sighed. “I don’t know.” She kissed the top of his head.
What she did was to get both families together to decide what to do. She clattered around in the kitchen serving coffee and passing out muffins. Her eyes were red, and every few minutes she reached for a tissue.
“We’d better call all the guests,” Jonathan’s dad said. “If we split up the list, it won’t take long.”
“What will we do with all the food we ordered? And the flowers and the cake?” said Jonathan’s mother. “I don’t think we’ll be able to get any of our money back. It’s too late.” She burst into tears.
“Instead of a wedding, let’s just throw a big party,” said Karen.
“No,” said David’s grandfather. “I have a better idea. Let’s have a wedding.” He reached over and took Grandma Hudson’s hand.
Jonathan never completely knew how it happened, but at two o’clock, he stood at the church entry holding a shiny white pillow. His mother tried to explain it.
“You see, Susan and David are still going to get married, but later, when Susan feels better. We’ll probably do something in the park with just the families.”
“They’re getting married without the wedding?”
“That’s right. Grandma Hudson, and John Anderson are going to be in the wedding, but they won’t really be married. They’re flying to Nevada tonight and they’ll really get married there.”
“So no one’s getting married at the wedding?”
Jonathan’s mother sighed looking at Karen. “I guess that about sums it up.” Then David’s cousin took Jonathan’s mother by the arm and they walked down the aisle.
Karen leaned over and straightened Jonathan’s tie. Her hair was red and spiky again. “Isn’t this wonderful? It’s so romantic. Maybe when I get married, I won’t elope after all. I want to have a wedding just like this one.” She pushed him forward gently and whispered, “Your turn.”
Jonathan walked up the aisle, followed by Karen. When he got to the front, he smiled at his new grandfather and turned to watch as Grandma Hudson walked arm-in-arm with his father up the aisle. Everyone in the church stood up. When she reached the front, she took Grandpa Anderson’s hand and they turned and faced the minister. Jonathan glanced sideways at Karen. Tears ran down her face, and she dabbed at them with a tissue. But she still managed to grin and make a funny face just for him.
* * * * *
Also by Sandie Nygaard
How to Catch A Man
A romantic comedy of love, life, and the pursuit of man
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