Happily Ever After? Chapter 7

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The family attends cousin Melissa's wedding. Joan receives an exciting new job offer. The whole family somehow becomes involved in the decision making process.

Chapter 7

In My Life

Seeing Bobby like that reminded me that the new school year was rapidly approaching. Bobby was a pop-warner football hero and bigger than Sam himself. Not really taller, just wider by half. He seemed to recognize us both and didn’t go ballistic at my own appearance. I was hopeful for the new year.

The rehearsal dinner turned out to be more fun than the actual wedding. Things had turned about for Mom and Aunt Melissa. Now it was Mom comforting her sister. The closeness that they’d once shared as children had been rekindled. I was so happy for both of them. Of course, I began to wonder if I’d ever get my room back, but that would be a small price to pay. I began to make a list of arguments to present to Aunt Mel as to why she should stay. She’d become an integral part of our lives in a short period of time and we really needed her here with us.

Mom took care of Aunt Melissa as she drank herself into oblivion. She took great pains to assure my cousin that all would be well for the wedding. If Melissa had any concerns regarding her father’s absence, they weren’t showing. She was flying high in anticipation of the vows she would speak on the morrow.

It was fun meeting Melissa’s friends from work and old college cronies. It was easy to see that she’d told them all about me and Sam. They were all accepting and seemingly happy for the love that I shared with my husband. It seemed the bridesmaid’s gown that was Susan’s hand-me-down was a bit large in the waist. I giggled when I tried it on. Melissa cautioned me not to say anything to her. We shared a laugh and Mom promised to make the slight alterations for me when we got home.

When we finally arrived home it was after eleven. Aunt Alice was up and waiting for us. She seemed a bit annoyed at not having been invited to the rehearsal dinner. "Joan, your friend Darla called and said that if you arrived home before midnight that you should give her a call."

What could Darla want that would require a call this late in the evening? I put all thoughts of worry aside and ran for the phone. "Darla, it’s Joan, what’s up?" I said into the receiver when she answered my call.

"Joan, you have to be over at my house at nine o’clock tomorrow morning," she said in a commanding tone. I thought about telling her that it would be impossible, that the wedding was at two and I needed time to make myself beautiful. In the end I simply told her I’d be there and hung up the phone. Perhaps I should have sought an explanation, I thought to myself as I headed up to bed.

I was up at seven and busily at work by seven thirty. A load of laundry and a quick going over in the kitchen. It seemed both Sam and Aunt Alice were following my lead in keeping the kitchen clean. My mind began spinning as I grabbed my bike out of the garage and made my way to Darla’s.

What could she possibly want at nine o’clock on a Sunday morning? Fred greeted me with a smile at the front door and ushered me down into the basement. Darla sat behind her drum kit and thanked me for being prompt. "What’s going on?" I just had to ask.

"Well kiddo, we haven’t practiced in a few weeks and I thought we’d take an hour or so to do a bit now," Fred said with a huge smile on his face. I hadn’t brought any equipment with me, but Fred has us covered in that department. He put the CD on the stereo and we listened to it once. I was intimately familiar with the tune and told him so. An hour later we had it nailed. I wanted to keep going, but Darla urged me on my way. I smiled at her and hugged them both as I made my exit.

Back home Sam was all excited about the wedding. He was reading the paper as I came in with the sports pages open on the kitchen table. It seems the Waves had managed to eek out another victory. There was a brief mention of Sam’s absence. The official story had it that Sam was done for the season due to an ankle injury. The look on his face told me he didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. I felt like it was all my fault. I hugged him close and told him I was sorry one more time. He reassured me that I had nothing be sorry about and insisted that he wasn’t. The manner in which he delivered the words had me believing him.

We spent half an hour playing in the shower together. We were acting like a couple of kids. I smiled as I realized that’s just what we were. I swatted his behind with a towel when we’d finished and he quickly grabbed it away from me and returned the favor. If we hadn’t been pressed for time, I know just how we’d have spent the rest of the afternoon. I told Sam I’d be back in a little bit and went home to see if Mom had made the alterations on my gown.

"Well, the princess has finally arrived for her fitting," Aunt Mel greeted me as I walked through the door. I was a bit taken aback by her comment. There was no joy in her eyes. Perhaps familiarity did breed contempt?

"Is something wrong?" I asked not really caring one way or the other. I was getting tired of absorbing the emotions of those around me. Aunt Melissa ushered me into the sewing room where my gown was hanging in the closet. Unlike most bridesmaid’s gowns this one was beautiful. Clearly meant specifically for the occasion, but definitely worth the cost. I tried it on and it hung just perfectly. The low cut square neck showed just a hint of cleavage. I smiled at my reflection as I realized for the first time that my breasts were finally beginning to emerge. With the addition of my beast forms, it would look absolutely perfect.

Aunt Melissa couldn’t help it. She smiled at me as I turned this way and that in front of the mirror. I was at a loss though as to what to do about shoes. All I had were my black pumps and my white ones. While black does go with everything, it doesn’t when the other bridesmaids would be wearing matching shoes. Just as this realization sunk in, Mom came bursting through the door. She plunked down the shoe box on the sewing table and muttered, "I hope these fit."

I laughed aloud and jumped with joy as I removed the lavender shoes from the box. They did indeed fit perfectly and I smiled and hugged both Mom and Aunt Mel in turn. I felt so pretty as I stood there smiling at my reflection. Aunt Melissa insisted on doing my makeup. She told me she didn’t want me upstaging the bride and threatened to give me a bit of a clown face. I smiled wider than any clown ever had at hearing her words and let her go about her work.

She finished my face, made a mad dash to get herself ready and was out the door in half an hour’s time. Perhaps Aunt Melissa’s need for her baby sister had been just what Mom needed. I had no worries about her getting inebriated that afternoon. I helped Mom get ready and didn’t ask her if she minded if I wore my diamond studs. I knew what her reply would be. Still, I decided that it was the right time and the perfect occasion to wear them.

We headed over to Sam’s just after one. The Peters were ready as well. Fifteen minutes later we arrived at the church. Sam was led away to take care of his usher’s chores and I went to congregate with the other bridesmaids. Aunt Melissa needn’t have worried about me looking prettier than the bride. That simply wasn’t possible. Fred had designated himself the unofficial photographer. I smiled happily as I watched him taking pictures of the proceedings.

I was somewhat saddened as I compared Melissa’s wedding to my own. Still, all in all ours had been a perfect affair. Besides, I wouldn’t trade Sam for anyone else in the universe. It was the people that made the occasion, not the surroundings. I found myself rethinking those thoughts as we arrived at Bostwick Manor. I’d never seen anything so magnificent in my life. I had no idea that such places even existed. Simply put, it was a Palace. The band was playing as we made our entrance. Crystal chandeliers hung everywhere. The enormity of the place and the staff in attendance was beyond imagination. I couldn’t begin to imagine the cost of such extravagance.

Sam and I made our way to the wedding party’s table. For a moment, I felt as though I didn’t belong there. As we made our way to the table of honor, I spotted Dad and Doreen. Given her appearance, I was surprised they’d made the trip. I’d not really heard from either of them since our wedding several weeks ago. I wasn’t sure how to proceed. I was almost grateful that Uncle Harry hadn’t arrived. At least Mom and Aunt Melissa could be there for each other. They spoke a language of their own. It was almost as if they were twins themselves.

Darla appeared with Fred everywhere as he busied himself taking pictures of the event. With his camera hanging in front of him, a beer in his right hand and Darla in his left, he made the rounds. He had a self-assurance about him that was unlike any I’d ever known before. He smiled at me and asked me if I remembered the song we’d rehearsed that morning. Like I was going to forget it?

The wedding band was first rate. I’d guess that the band alone cost more than my entire wedding. Sam took it all in stride. He refused to be impressed by anything. I’m sure he’d have been a lot more excited if Derek Jeter and Mariano Rivera were in attendance. In a way I was glad of his lack of appreciation. It helped keep me grounded.

As the band played and everyone milled about I beckoned Sam to come with me. I didn’t want to do this alone. Dad remained seated with Doreen who appeared unable to move about. I let go of Sam’s hand and gave them both hugs. Part of me felt like a traitor for welcoming them. I suppose the invitation had been extended thinking that they wouldn’t have the guts to actually show up. Still, I envied Doreen the radiant glow of an expectant mother. I smiled briefly as I thought of my sister.

"Well Doreen, how’s it going?" I asked in as serious a voice as I could muster.

"Everything’s going according to plan Joan, and you?" It seemed we were destined for small talk this afternoon. That was fine by me. It just didn’t feel right getting too close to them at the moment. Dad shook his head sadly as Sam told him of his inability to finish out the season with the Waves. We made our apologies and went to join the rest of the wedding party who began gathering at the table. I felt a huge sense of relief as we arrived back at our seats. I still hadn’t determined the reason for Dad’s change in attitude.

Toasts were made, dinner was served, and dancing ensued. But for the awkwardness of having my parents there, I was having a wonderful time. "So, are you ready to play, Joan?" Fred asked me. Ready to play? What the hell was he talking about? It seems Fred was friends with Mike Watkins, the drummer of the band, and he’d received permission for us to go up and play a song.

I shook my head violently from side to side as Fred grabbed my hand and pulled me up on the stage. Darla eagerly took her place behind the drums and Fred made the introductions. I was half-numb as I donned the Fender Jazz Bass handed to me. Darla counted us off and soon we were singing "In My Life" (The Beatles) as the wedding couple danced alone in the middle of the room. Fred’s voice and my own merged magically. I wasn’t used to taking a back seat when singing, but I doubted I could have sang lead on that song nearly as well as Fred.

Enthusiastic clapping ensued when we finished with urges for more from the audience. We politely declined and made our way down from the stage. I felt a rush standing up there on the stage with a bass guitar in hand. The only possible comparison would be --- really great sex. Fred noticed the look of awe on my face, hugged me gently and kissed me on the side of the head. Neither Darla nor Sam became jealous by his actions.

"So, do you want to play in that battle of the bands, or not?" he asked me as we made our way back to our tables.

"What do you think?" I replied as I jumped up and down gleefully. Darla and I shared a special hug before separating. Sam took my hand, spun me towards him and kissed me gently on the lips.

"You were wonderful sweetheart," he said graciously. With my heels on, we stood eye to eye.

"Sam, you are wonderful," I whispered softly into his ear.

Mom and Aunt Melissa kept each other in check. I could tell that Aunt Alice felt a bit out of place. As if she’d come here to support Mom and Mom gave all her attention to Aunt Mel. Surely she could understand the special needs of my Aunt that day? Grown ups, I thought and shrugged it all off.

I congratulated myself as we made our way home. I’d not had a cigarette nor a drop of alcohol the entire time. Actually, I missed neither of those particular taboos. The ladies all gathered at the kitchen table on arriving home and began chattering endlessly with cups of coffee firmly entrenched in their hands.

As much as I loved the dress, I was happy to take it off and put it in the closet. It was ten o’clock on a Sunday night and all I wanted was some alone time with Sam. I put on my jeans and my wedgies and ran across the street to see what he was up to. Sam was already perched in front of the TV with a bag of doritos in one hand and a bottle of coke in the other.

"Want to go for a walk?" I asked him. He didn’t even think about it. He jumped up from the couch, put the chips away and we made our way out the door. I thought for a moment that perhaps we should inform the Moms, but in the end I decided that we were simply entitled to some time alone.

There was only one place to go at this time of night where anything would be happening. He smiled at me wordlessly and led me towards the boardwalk. The smell of cotton candy in the air leant a certain crescendo to the day’s events. He held me close as we made our way among the throngs of vacationers. Soon we were in the arcade and I was exchanging a dollar for some dimes. Although it was one of the busiest times of year, the dime games were once again unpopular. In fact, half a dozen of the machines had been converted to the quarter variety. I guessed that before long the ten cent games would go the way of the dinosaur.

I didn’t kow-tow to Sam as we began playing. We were tied at two games apiece as we began playing our fifth and final game. I just knew I could win that series. Knowing all that Sam had been through, I eased up in that final game. No, I didn’t throw the game exactly. I just didn’t try as hard as I might have under different circumstances. Sam never doubted for a minute that he’d won of his own accord. I smiled up at him and hugged him tightly.

I stopped and purchased some cotton candy whose essence had captured my spirit earlier. Yes, I was aware that it was nothing more than spun sugar, but it tasted heavenly. Sam and I sat on a bench surveying our surroundings as we fed each other bits of the confection. Part of me still worried that Billy would rear his ugly head. I wasn’t worried for myself, but for Sam. I still wasn’t sure if I’d meant the threat I’d issued to Billy not long ago, but I hoped he wouldn’t call me on it.

We finished up our treat and continued walking. He looked at me cross-eyed as I purchased tickets for the carousel. He helped me up on my brown pony and took his rightful place on the white charger. We held hands and hummed along with the organ music that purred in the background as the ride began to spin.

"Are you tired yet sweetheart?" I asked knowing what a long day it had been.

"I’m not too tired to eat," he replied and laughed. We stopped off at Fratelli’s and bought a slice each. We ate our pizza and stared longingly into each other’s eyes. I sometimes found it hard to believe that we really belonged to one another. I was reminded of that old saying: if something seems too good to be true, it probably is. Fortunately, our own relationship seemed to lie somewhere outside the field of probability.

I hugged him tight as we finished our food and made the short walk home. Home…I finally realized that home was wherever Sam was. I felt very comfortable with that realization. I stopped him several times along the short walk home just for a hug.

Monday morning. Only two weeks of summer vacation left. I’d yet to line up any jobs for the week. I was feeling lazy, but knew I had to sock away as much as I could while I could. I did a bit of vacuuming, made Sam’s breakfast, cleaned up the kitchen and made my exit. I was more than a bit surprised to find Mom and Aunt Mel sitting at the kitchen table when I walked in.

"Don’t worry Joan, it’s an official day off. I requested it months ago," Mom said and smiled up at me. I grabbed a cup of coffee and joined them. The smoke was enticing and I gave in to the urge. I had one burning question within me. ---What happens now?. I had no idea how to broach the subject. Auntie M and Mom seemed to be having a grand old time, but I could sense a certain sadness between them. I wanted to know, but I was afraid to ask Aunt Melissa when she was going home. I was afraid she might tell me.

"So, what’s on the agenda for today?" I offered as a hopeful alternative.

"Joan, Mr. Hospin called. He wants you to stop in to see him this afternoon," this from Mom. I sat there thinking that a call from Mr. Hospin could only be bad news. Although I didn’t work for him specifically, I wasn’t sure how much work I could generate on my own without his help. Mom noticed the look of worry on my face and told me not to worry. My own look in return suggested inquisitiveness. She laughed and told me that he sounded happy when he called.

If that was the case, why then didn’t he simply request that I phone him? The worry within me continued to grow. I reasoned that the only way to find out would be to get my feet in gear and make my way down to the store. Both Mom and Aunt Melissa shared a secret smile as I said my goodbyes. Obviously something was going on. Minutes later I stood outside the front door, almost afraid to walk inside.

Finally, curiosity got the best of me and in I went. Mr. Hospin greeted me with a huge smile upon his face. My worries evaporated quickly. "Mr. Hospin, it’s good to see you. My mother told me that you wanted me to come down?" He eyed me carefully as if trying to decide just what and how much to tell me. I had no idea what was going on.

"Joan, you enjoy what you’re doing, yes?" he asked rhetorically. The knot that had loosened in my stomach just moments ago began tightening up again. "I’ve got something of a project for you, if you’re interested," he continued. Of course I was interested, but I found myself wondering why all the cloak and dagger stuff in his attitude. My eyes lit up letting him know that I wanted to hear more about this particular challenge.

"Joan, are you familiar with the old Ryan Inn?" he asked me. Familiar with it, hell, I’d walked past the place at least a thousand times. When I was really little it had been quite attractive but in recent years it had fallen into disrepair and the guests it attracted seemed to resemble its exterior.

"I know the building well," I replied cautiously. I stood my ground and waited for him to continue.

"Well, the building has been sold and the new owners asked me if I could recommend someone to do the painting. It seems they plan on restoring it to its former glory. Now, there are plenty of professional contractors who’d give their eye teeth for this job, but the new owners are friends of mine and I wanted to offer the work first to someone who did quality work at a reasonable price. Do you think you can handle it?" As he finished speaking he held out a key to me. I’d never been inside the building before.

My first instinct was to tell him that there wasn’t any job I couldn’t handle. He stood there with his hand extended and waited for me to reply. A smile danced about his eyes. Clearly something was going on here. "Mr. Hospin, would you mind if I surveyed the premises before giving you a final answer?" I asked reaching out to take the key from his palm. He smiled at me in return and told me he expected nothing less. He went on to say that this job would be very different. No color selections had been made or quantities of paint purchased. The winner of the contract would be making all of those decisions herself.

Panic once again came at me out of nowhere. Did the new owners have any idea that the person making these very important decisions was a fourteen year old suffering from severe gender confusion? I had to laugh at myself. Clearly I was making more out of this than was warranted. Mr. Hospin eyed me curiously as I struggled to stop laughing. I told him that I’d be back by five o’clock with my suggestions and my bid. That put the smile back on his face. I headed back home with my feet floating several feet above the ground.

"Did everything go alright at Hospin’s?" Mom asked me as I walked through the door. I plopped myself down on a kitchen chair and stared at the two of them blankly. Mom and Aunt Melissa eyed me expectantly.

"Well, he has this incredible job offer for me. I have no idea what it entails exactly," I said holding out the key in my hand. My mind ran off in various directions as I stared down at the key. "Do you remember the old Ryan Inn?" I asked gently. Mom smiled at me and informed me that she and Dad had stayed there when they first came to Ocean years ago. I went on to tell them as much as I knew about the potential job. Mom suggested that I eat something, gather up Sam and we’d all go and take a look at the building in a little while.

I got up numbly and made my way across the street. Sam was immersed in his reading when I walked in. "Are you going to make me some lunch, or are you going to let us starve?" he asked playfully and patted his belly. I kissed him gently on the cheek and went off to the kitchen without a word. There were only two weeks left of summer vacation. In my mind’s eye, the Ryan Inn grew until it became the size of the White House. I turned my concentration to making Sam’s lunch. Preparations finished, I called Sam in.

He made no complaint and quickly joined me in the kitchen. "What’s wrong Joan?" he asked as I sat across from him eating silently.

"Finish your food sweetheart, we’re going on a little trip after lunch." I didn’t know what else to say. I cleared away the plates and ran to grab a pen and notebook. Sam didn’t press me for details. He simply did as I’d requested. Soon, Mom and Aunt Melissa were sitting in the driveway with Mom nervously tapping her hand on the horn. Sam and I quickly made our way out to the car..

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Comments

Wow, Couple Cooperation...

has entered the tale pretty solidly now! Joan and Sam are acting the way they should be at last! Second chapter in a row too! The feel of the mood they generate is warm and comforting. It feels like they found their medium. Now the next stages involve securing going to school as they are and surviving what could be a very trying time in their lives. I'm hoping for the very best for our two characters :)

*Hugs Darla*

Sephrena Lynn Miller

Happily Ever After

Terrific chapter Darla, Almost as many twists and turns, not to mention puzzel pieces as Matilda has.

Let me make a guess at something, Dad and Doreen bought the Old Ryan Inn, a belated wedding present. Joan will do the renovation, then she and Sam will run the place.

Mind you, just a guess.

Hugs & Giggles
Penny