AUTHOR`S NOTE: This is the tenth chapter of a multi-part story. Please read the first nine chapters before this one to understand the whole story. Please enjoy.
The summer wasn't quite like that British movie,
Four Weddings and a Funeral
.
You could consider it the Canadian counterpart,
Three Weddings, One Renewal of Wedding Vows, and a Confrontation
.
Lousy title? Probably.
The stories themselves, however, are plenty interesting.
********
Wedding, the first:
"Daddy?" E.J. asked. "Can you help me with my tie?"
"Sure, E.J., come here," Brad answered.
The boy, who would reach the age of four in November, ran over to his dad, tie in hand. Brad struggled to put it on his son, as he was squirmy and antsy, as young boys can sometimes be. He finally managed to tuck it under the collar of E.J.'s shirt and gently tightened it until the knot looked right yet would still be comfortable.
"I'm hot," E.J. whined. "Why do I have to wear this?"
Brad smiled at his son, trying to defuse his distress. "I know, buddy. I'm uncomfortable too. But it's a special day, so we have to dress nicely. Our good friends are getting married today!"
"Auntie Amber and Uncle Jamie?" They weren't really his aunt and uncle but for now Brad and Kellie's friends encouraged them to let E.J. and Kaitlyn think of them as such.
"That's right. Then next week it will be Aunt Jennifer and Aunt Heather, and the week after that Aunt Sandra and Uncle Marc!"
E.J. looked at his father with confusion. "Daddy?"
"Yes, E.J.?"
"How can two girls get married?"
Brad briefly turned away, feigning a cough, to hide the look of uncertainty on his face. Ah, the innocence of youth, he thought to himself as he wrestled with how to answer the question.
"Well," he told his son, "when two adults really, really love each other a whole lot, they get married. Most times it's a man and a woman, but it can be two men, or, like your Aunt Jennifer and Aunt Heather, two women."
"Did you and Mommy get married?"
"We sure did!"
"Did Mommy ever want to marry a girl?"
"No, I'm pretty sure she didn't."
"Did you ever want to marry a boy?"
Brad laughed gently at his son's inquisitive nature. "No, I didn't. I wanted to marry a girl, and once I met your mother I only wanted to marry her. But if two men or two women love each other a lot then it is perfectly fine for them to get married."
"Do Auntie Jen and Auntie Heather love each other?"
"Yes, they do, they love each other a whole bunch! That's why they want to get married."
E.J. thought about what his dad said, putting on his "serious face", as Brad called it. It was a look that never failed to amuse Brad. Before long, E.J. seemed satisfied, and he gave his dad a big smile.
"I wanna be like you and marry a girl when I grow up!" he exclaimed.
Brad smiled right back at E.J. and ruffled his hair. "That's great, son. But that's a long way away. You're much too young to worry about that now. Let's go see if your Mom and sister are ready!"
E.J. agreed and the boys went to check on the progress of the girls. At the request of his dad, the little boy said loudly, "Knock, knock!" and rapped his knuckles on the bedroom door.
"Just a minute!" Kellie said. She was just finishing brushing Kaitlyn's golden brown hair.
Kaitlyn and her family had recently celebrated her second birthday. She was leaving the toddler stage behind and was starting to look more and more like a little girl. Even at this young age people who saw her were convinced she would grow up to be an incredibly beautiful young woman.
Satisfied with her handiwork, Kellie looked at herself and her little daughter in the mirror.
"Mommy pretty!" Kaitlyn said in her squeaky voice, her angelic face beaming up at her mother's.
"Thank you, Kaity!" Kellie replied. "You're very pretty, too!"
The young girl said nothing, but her shy, sweet smile showed to her mother that she accepted the compliment.
Kellie opened the door and smiled at her two handsome guys. Brad broke into a huge grin at the sight of Kellie and Kaitlyn in their pretty, formal summer dresses, coordinated as they were to match the rest of Amber's bridal party. The kids, taking their cues from their parents, had smiles spread over their faces as well.
"There you are, my two best girls!" Brad exclaimed. He bent low to kiss his daughter and stood up to kiss his wife. "You two look gorgeous!"
"That's so sweet of you!" Kellie said happily. "And might I add, both you and E.J. look so handsome in your nice suits!"
To show how pretty he thought Kaity looked, E.J. gave his sister a kiss on the cheek. Kaity sometimes complained when her brother showed his affection because he sometimes overdid it. Most of the time, however, she enjoyed how special it made her feel. This time she just smiled and kissed her brother back before going to her dad's side and holding his hand. E.J. did likewise with his mother.
Kellie looked as if she would burst with emotion at the sweet display of love her children showed each other. Brad swelled with pride and love as well but couldn't resist taking a friendly little jab at his wife.
"Alright," he teased, "don't start with the tears, honey, or else we'll have to wait another hour for you to fix your makeup!"
Kellie laughed even as she reproached her husband. "You're so naughty," she said. "I'm going to get you for that."
Brad leaned in and whispered in her ear, "I sure hope so!"
