Just Between Friends (12 page)

     Alec just waved his hand in response, as he made his way into his.

                                            ***

     The big day had finally arrived.  At the Porter home, everyone was scurrying about making sure everything was ready.  The wedding would be performed at the church, but afterward the people would gather there for the reception.  They had prepared so many delicious dishes, but still worried they hadn’t prepared enough.

     Aunt Alice and Miranda were still busy in the kitchen when Mary walked in.  “I’m so sorry I haven’t been more of a help,” she apologized.  “Cassandra is my daughter.  I should be the one doing all this.”

     “Nonsense,” Alice exclaimed, “you must have your rest.  Cassandra understands that.”

     Being only five months pregnant, Mary was already tiring very easily, and had begun to retain fluid.  The doctor had advised as much bed rest as possible.  The whole family worried about her.  They had to see to it that both she and the baby would be fine, so they made sure she didn’t do anything strenuous.

     “I know she does,” she continued, “but it still doesn’t make me feel any better.  I always dreamed of the day my girls would be married, and how I wanted to be the one to take care of everything.”  She was beginning to weep.  “I can’t believe my baby is getting married.”

     Miranda walked over to her mother, and put her arm around her shoulders.  “Now, Mama, you mustn’t feel this way.  Cassie’s very happy, you know that.  It would hurt her to know you felt this way.  Come on now, cheer up.  Just think, in only four months there’ll be a new baby in the house, and you’ll still see Cassie a lot.  She’s not going to be far.”

     Mary wiped her eyes and looked at Miranda.  She reached out and patted her on the arm, “I know, honey.  I’m just a little emotional right now, that’s all.  It’s natural for us pregnant women.  I’ll be alright.”

     Miranda hugged her mother, “I know you will,” she agreed.  “Now enough about that, what’s Cassie doing anyway?”

     “She’s upstairs fixing her hair,” she replied, then laughed.  “I think this only makes about the tenth different way she’s done it.  She says she just can’t get it the way she wants.  She’s so nervous.  You’ll see one day.”

     With that, Miranda grew solemn.  Seeing this, her mother apologized.  “Oh, Miranda honey, I’m sorry.  How thoughtless of me.  I wasn’t thinking.”

     Knowing how her mother was feeling, Miranda tried to look happy.  “It’s alright Mama.  It just still hurts sometimes, that’s all.  I’ll be fine.”

     Aunt Alice had been quiet through all this, when she finally blurted out, “Okay, you two, enough of this sentimental nonsense.  There’s work to be done.  Miranda, help me set the tables, and Mary, if you want, you can finish making the tea.”  Each of them went about their individual chore and the time passed quickly.  Soon, it was time to leave for the church.

     As Cassandra descended the stairs, her father, Frank, took her by the hand and marveled, “Look at my little girl.  How beautiful you look, sweetheart!  Ben sure is one lucky fella.”

     There she stood, in her elegant ivory satin wedding gown with an attached wide gathered skirt. The neckline of the dress was trimmed with a hand-made lace ruffle.  Her hair was drawn up and to the back of her head, where it was arranged in soft curls.  She was truly a vision.

     With tears in her eyes, she replied, as she reached out and hugged him, “Oh, Papa, I love you!”

     “I love you too, pumpkin.  Never forget that.  I hope you and Ben will always be as happy as you are at this moment.”

     As she pulled free from his embrace, she determined, “We will be.  I have no worries about that.  I love him so much.” 

     “Well, all I have to say is, he’d better take good care of you, or he’ll have me to answer to.”  She only smiled, for she knew her father was only joking, his way of trying not to show the emotions he was feeling.

     Suddenly everyone else entered the room.  Aunt Alice announced, “We’re ready to leave now.  Come on you two.  Time’s a wasting.  Are you ready, Cassie?”

     Cassie’s voice quivered, as she answered, “About as ready as I’ll ever be.  We might as well go.”

     Each felt a tugging of sadness, knowing that today Cassie was leaving her childhood behind.  Soon she would become a woman, a prospect that made her very nervous.

***

     By the time they had reached the church, it was mostly full.  Cassandra, Miranda, Mary and Alice went through the side door of the building, then into the small room in the back.  Ben was already there, and as Miranda peered in, she could tell by the way he was fidgeting, how nervous he was. “Do you see Ben?”  Cassie questioned.

     “Yes,” Miranda giggled, “and by the looks of him, I hope he makes it through this.  He looks positively terrified.”

     “Well,” Cassie added, “he can’t be any more nervous than me.”

     Mary took her daughter by the hand, and feeling how clammy it was, remarked, “Honey, your hands are so cold.  Are you alright?”

     Cassie didn’t know how to answer that question.  She didn’t know if she was alright or not.  She was feeling so many things.  The butterflies she had had earlier in her stomach had gone, and now it felt as if her whole insides were constricting, she was so tense.  Finally, she spoke, “I honestly don’t know, Mama.  I’m a little dizzy.  Maybe I should sit down for a minute.”

     Miranda pulled up a chair for her and helped her sit down.  Knowing her father always carried a jug of water in the buggy, she said, “I’ll go out and get you some water, Cass.  I’ll be right back.”

     When she returned, and Cassandra had drunk the water, and had rested a few moments, she began to feel better.  As she stood to her feet, she still felt shaky, but advised, “I think we had better begin before I start feeling that way again.”  Then walking toward the door, and peering in, added, “It looks as if everyone’s here.”  Her hands were shaking so badly, as she saw her father walking toward her.

     Frank Porter approached his daughter, and offered her his arm.  “We’re ready to begin, honey.  Are you ready?”  She just nodded her head in response, as she laced her arm with his.

     The music began.  Mary and Alice went to be seated, as her father stood with Cassandra.  Miranda, being her maid of honor, went up the aisle first.  Alec, standing by Ben, as his best man, thought how beautiful she was.  He couldn’t help wishing she was walking up the aisle to him, but maybe someday, he thought.

     When everyone stood and faced the back of the church, Alec looked at Ben, who was watching Cassandra with such love, it radiated from him.  As Ben watched Cassie approach, he thought he had never before seen anything more beautiful.  She almost took his breath away.

     Ben was wearing a three-piece suit, with a cutaway front.  The waistcoat had no lapels and the front had a slight point at either side at the waist.   He pulled at his collar briefly, to allow air to flow, for he too was beginning to feel faint.

      Cassandra slowly proceeded forward, eyes unwavering from Bens. Upon reaching the front, the minister asked, “Who gives this woman in marriage?”

     Her father answered, “I do.”  He then kissed his daughter on the forehead, and she took her place beside Ben.

     The minister then began, “Ladies and Gentlemen, we are gathered here today in the sight of God to join together this man and this woman in Holy Matrimony.  Marriage is sanctified by God ….”  As he spoke, Ben stared at Cassie.  He loved her so much.

     As he became lost in her eyes, he hardly heard the minister as he asked, “Benjamin Lee Williams, do you take this woman, Cassandra Rose Porter, to be your lawfully wedded wife?  Do you promise to love her all the days of your life?  For better or worse, in sickness and in health, till death do you part?  If so, answer, I do.”

     Staring into her eyes, he answered, “I do.”

     Then turning his attentions to Cassandra, he asked, “Cassandra Rose Porter, do you take this man, Benjamin Lee Williams, to be your lawfully wedded husband?  Do you promise to love him all the days of your life?  For better or worse, in sickness and in health, till death do you part?  If so, answer, I do.”

     A tear was beginning to trickle down her cheek.  She had never loved Ben more than she did at this moment.  She spoke, “I do.”  She could hear someone weeping, and knew it was her mother.

     Beside Cassie, Miranda stood, trying to hide her own tears, tears of happiness for her sister and Ben, but also tears of sorrow.  For all she could think of as she stood there, was Steven.  She had had such hopes, such dreams.  Now, they would never happen.  She looked at Alec.  She loved him, but it could never be the same as it was with her and Steven.

     She was brought back to the present as she saw Alec hand the ring to Ben.  The minister then continued, “Benjamin, place the ring on the third finger of Cassandras left hand and repeat after me.  Cassandra, I give you this ring as a token of my unfailing and abiding love.  With this ring, I thee wed.”  Ben repeated each sentence, then, slipped the ring on her finger.

     The minister said a prayer over the couple.  He then said to Ben, “You may now kiss your bride.”  Ben reached out and took Cassie in his arms, and feeling a little awkward, being in front of everyone, made the kiss rather quick, but they both knew they would make up for it later.

     As they pulled apart, the minister announced, “I would now like to introduce you to, Mr. and Mrs. Benjamin Williams.”  Everyone stood and clapped, then made their way to the front to give the new couple their blessings.

     Mr. and Mrs. Porter and Mr. and Mrs. Williams, went to hug their children.  Mr. and Mrs. Reynolds, Samantha and little Sarah were there also.  They congratulated Ben and Cassandra, then went up to Miranda and hugged her.  Miranda could barely speak.  It had been so long since she had seen any of them.  She hadn’t even been to church in so long, because she hadn’t wanted to run into Steven’s family, for fear she couldn’t bear it.  Now, here they were.

     “It’s so wonderful to see all of you!”  She exclaimed.  “We were hoping you would come.”  Miranda really wasn’t being dishonest.  She had truly hoped they would come.  She just worried how she would respond to them, but she could see now she was going to be fine.  She had known it was wrong to stay away from them.  They were like family, the only link she had left of Steven, and she loved them all so much.

     Amelia Reynolds was the first to reply, “We wouldn’t have missed this for anything, you should know that.  We’ve missed you Miranda.  Please know that we still consider you a part of our family,” she assured her tenderly.

     “It’s just so difficult,” she tried to explain.  “I try so hard to get on with my life, but I’m not having a very easy time of it.  I’ve been afraid if I came over to your house, all the memories would come flooding back, but I can’t be that way anymore.  I’ve missed you all too much.”

     As she then looked down at Sarah, who was now five, she remembered the day she was born. Steven had come to her and told her he was an uncle. He had been so proud, and then they had gone to their special place, where they had always gone to be alone.  That day had been so special.  She would hold it in her heart forever.

     She swallowed the lump that had formed in her throat, then spoke, “My, look how little Sarah has grown.  Why, she was only about three years old when I last saw her.  She’s so pretty, Samantha.  She looks a lot like you, but a lot like Michael, also.  I’m so sorry about Michael.  I don’t think I ever told you that, being so wrapped up in my own feelings, as I was.”

     Samantha hugged Miranda and replied, “I understand.  We both know how the other feels.”

     “Yes, I guess you’re right,” she agreed.  “Well, we’d better join the others, or we’re going to be the only ones left in here.  You are all coming to our house for the reception, aren’t you?”

     “Of course we are!”  Amelia exclaimed.  “Now we’d better be on our way, or it’ll be over before we even get there.”