Having Adam along was actually a blessing and if every trip to
Texas included him, that would be fine with Charlie. He kept her from working
12-hour days and made sure she ate well. In fact, while she was busy with
meetings or working with the construction companies being considered, he looked
around and made sure they went out to visit some of the local sights. On the
two weekends they were there, he made arrangements for them to leave the town
they were in and travel to other areas to sightsee and enjoy Texas hospitality
and food. If Charlie thought Georgia barbeque couldn’t be topped, it was
because she hadn’t been to Texas. She was thinking she was going to have to
bring Mr. Eb to Texas so he, or his family members, could learn some new
barbeque methods and sauces.
Back home, the company’s projects were moving along nicely and
Charlie’s dad hadn’t been called on too often. In fact, she was positive he
felt a bit down about the fact she had things running so smoothly she could be
gone for a couple of weeks, checking in only by phone or email. Meanwhile, her
mamma had been busy looking at venues and checking dates for the nuptials as
well as making up a guest list that had to include every single person her
mamma and daddy had ever known, and that was without adding the folks Adam’s
family would want to invite. Charlie was so tempted to simply break her
engagement or elope, she could barely stand it, but Adam kept talking her out
of doing anything so foolish.
Adam talked to his parents and they’d decided they would come down
mid-February. Once that was settled, Charlie’s mom called them and insisted
they plan on staying with Charlie’s family. After all, they had more than
enough room and would soon be family. Until they had the big wedding meeting,
Charlie refused to do one single thing that was related to her wedding, which
annoyed the absolute hell out of her mamma. Charlie got around her mamma’s ire
by simply not answering her phone; and on one occasion, snuck out the company’s
back door when she learned her mamma had come by to have a chat.
It couldn’t simply be a meeting, it had to include food. Charlie’s
mamma invited everyone for an early dinner and went so far as to have it
catered by the company she planned to hire for the wedding. The food was
delicious and everyone approved Ruth Ann’s choices although Charlie really
wanted to call a halt to the idea of a sit-down dinner and have it be a lot simpler.
Unfortunately, Patricia and Ruth Ann had hit it off and worked together on the
menu, so any changes weren’t likely. Still, before the cake samples were served
for dessert, Charlie whispered in Adam’s ear, “Are you sure you don’t want to
elope? Please, please, please.”
Adam laughed and gave her a hug, responding, “How can you even
think about eloping? Just look at how happy our mammas are. They’d probably
give us such a spanking we’d be unable to sit for months. Now, just relax and
go with it.”
By evening’s end, a draft plan had been assembled. Charlie dreaded
to think how much longer it would take to reach a final plan, but she was
willing to keep you mouth shut and participate as required. But she didn’t plan
on doing anything beyond what was actually required.
The first thing on the list was to choose a wedding dress and both
her mamma and Adam’s mamma would participate before Adam’s parents went back
north. That meant Charlie had to carve out a day or two in the next week for
that purpose. Besides the two mammas, it would also include Sandi. The women
decided Wednesday would be a good day and Ruth Ann said she would call and make
an appointment. Then, after the fitting, perhaps they could all go to lunch.
Wednesday morning Charlie wished she had a prescription for Xanax.
It wasn’t that she’d ever taken it, but another friend relied on the medication
when her life got just a bit too overwhelming. Adam kissed her goodbye and
suggested she do her best to hold her tongue. “Remember, it may be your
wedding, sweetie-pie, but you’re not in charge.”
Charlie stuck her tongue out at him, climbed in her truck and went
to pick up Sandi. They’d meet the mammas at the bridal shop. When Sandi climbed
in the truck, Charlie wanted to sneer at her wardrobe, but she had no reason
since she’d dressed appropriately herself in a dress and heels. “I don’t know
about you Sandi, but I feel like a little kid having to participate in a
function I’d rather not.”
“Oh, c’mon Charlie, you know how much your mamma’s enjoyin’
this. After all, you’re her only child
and a girl at that. Just smile and think about great sex with Adam and you’ll
be fine.”
“Think about sex with my mamma
and his mamma both right there. Is that what you did?”
“Well, not when we were tryin’ on dresses because Les and I hadn’t
done the deed yet; but I certainly did fantasize about it when things started
to get under my skin. Course, I was all excited to be doin’ what we’re doin’
today, unlike you. You’re such a boy-girl.”
When they arrived at the bridal shop, the owner gave them each a
glass of champagne and had already pulled out several dresses for them to view.
There was no way Charlie was going to wear the one that seemed to have a hoop
skirt. She pointed to it and shook her head no. Another one had enough ruffles
for several dresses and Charlie sent that one back as well. She looked at a few
others and chose three to try. She even allowed her mamma to come into the
dressing room with her.
The first one was fairly plain, but felt uncomfortable once it was
on her body. The second one was so tight at the hem Charlie could barely move.
She couldn’t really see herself walking down the aisle. In that dress, it would
be more like mincing. She wasn’t too enthused about the third dress either. It
was fairly plain and simple compared with the others, made of satin with a
train made of lace. Charlie’s dislike was for the fact both dress and train glistened
with sequins and beads. She did like the sweetheart neckline, with small
shoulder straps and the bodice ended just below her breasts. From there, it
fell straight down, ending just a few inches short of the floor. The hem became
longer as it moved from front to back and the train was shaped like the
hemline. It was the one Sandi insisted she try.
Once she was all zipped and buttoned into that gown, she was
surprised to hear her mamma sniffle. She whipped her head around and there was
her mamma with tears rolling down her cheeks.
“Oh my Charlotte,” her mamma
almost whispered, “I really thought maybe I’d never see you in wedding white.
This gown is the one I know it. Now, let me dry my tears and we’ll see what
everyone else thinks.”
“Mamma, I guess I never really understood how important it was to
you to see me married off. I’m sorry I’ve been such a stinker, but I’m glad I
waited for Adam.”
“Me too, baby, me too. Now let’s wow Patricia and Sandi.”
And wow them Charlie did. She slowly walked into the room and
mounted the small platform and allowed the owner to arrange the sparkling
train.
“I knew that was the one the minute I saw it.” Sandi exclaimed,
walking around the platform. “With your hair down and a crown of white roses,
you’ll look absolutely perfect. Don’t y’all agree?”
Patricia added, “You’ll be absolutely beautiful on your wedding
day, my dear. I wasn’t sure about the glitter, but it suits you perfectly.”
Patricia and Ruth Ann hugged each other happily before Charlie
returned to the dressing room. While the two women celebrated and shed a few
more tears, Sandi helped Charlie remove her wedding gown. Then, it was Sandi’s
turn to try on various bridesmaid dresses.
Susannah, the bridal shop owner had assembled an assortment of
bridesmaid dresses and said, “Since the wedding gown has sequins and beads, I
thought perhaps simple dresses would be more complimentary. And, since the
wedding gown shines with different colors, perhaps an assortment of dresses
that reflect that shining would be gorgeous.”
Sandi came out of the dressing room in a sky-blue dress that had
silver threads woven throughout the material. Its shape was similar to that of
the wedding gown but the hemline ended just above the knee and followed the
oval shape to the back. She looked stunning with her lightly tanned skin, dark
hair and eyes. “That’s perfect for you Sandi,” Ruth Ann exclaimed. “And I see
exactly what you mean by having the dresses be complimentary. The silver gleams
nicely, but won’t detract from my baby’s dress.”
Charlie had lost her battle to keep the wedding party small, so
there would have to be an additional four dresses for the four women Charlie
had yet to invite to be part of her wedding. Ruth Ann looked at and selected
the same style dress but in a pale mint green, the material again shot through
with silver. “This will complement both the matron’s and bride’s dresses and Charlie,
you need to get your other four attendants in here for a fitting right away,
isn’t that right Susannah?”
“Oh, my yes. The sooner we have everything ordered and fitted the
better, especially if you want your June wedding.” Susannah gushed back. “And
don’t forget you’re going to need veils for everyone as well as shoes.”
“Don’t worry Ms. Marshall, I’m positive my mamma won’t let a
single thing slip by or slide very far down the schedule.” Charlie replied,
barely keeping her comment from being completely sarcastic. Crap, she thought.
Now I have to figure out which four women are going to be wearing those
dresses. She wanted bang her head on the adjacent table.
Sandi, sensing Charlie’s discomfort filled her glass with the last
of the champagne and told her, “Drink up sweetie. I know this will help ease
your pain just a wee bit.”
Charlie drank it down in practically one gulp and followed
everyone out the door. She still had to get through lunch an more wedding talk.
Maybe she’d just drink her lunch and let everyone else do the talking.
Amazingly, once they’d settled in and ordered their drinks and
lunch, talk did not revolve around wedding plans. Patricia asked Sandi about
her family and her kids and this led to stories not only about Sandi’s kids,
but Ruth Ann and Patricia telling stories about Adam and his siblings and
Charlie. It was a great lunch with lots of laughter and sharing and definitely
put Charlie in a better frame of mind until Patricia’s final comment about
children.
“Just think Charlie, in another year or two, you’ll be able to
share stories about your own children. Imagine just how much fun that will be.”
Beneath the table, Sandi pinched Charlie’s leg to keep the words
she was formulating from leaving her mouth. She knew Charlie wanted to wait for
several more years before getting pregnant. She also knew both the mammas would
undoubtedly be praying and hoping for a grandchild exactly nine months from the
wedding day, if not sooner.
That evening at dinner, Charlie regaled Adam with tales from her
day with the mammas and even told him how Sandi had pinched her. “She didn’t
want me to ruin lunch by exclaiming how I didn’t plan on having any kids for
years yet. I know my mamma’s anxious to be a granny, but your mamma already has
six. Why the hurry? I am so not ready to become a mamma myself.”
Adam looked at Charlie, his face serious. “Would it be that
horrible to get pregnant right away? I know I’m ready to be a dad and would
love to have a houseful of children before I’m too old to get down on the floor
and play with them. Or too feeble to scare the shit out of any boy that comes sniffing
around my girls.”
Charlie pushed back from the table and looked at him, her eyebrows
raised, eyes wide open. “Seriously? Seriously? You want to get pregnant right
away? You’re barely 35 and I’m just past 30. We’ve lots of time. And, a
houseful of kids. Sheesh, I guess we haven’t talked much about our future and
children, but I’m not sure I’m capable of being a mamma to more than one, maybe
two.”
“Oh, Charlie, you’d be great. I just know it. Look how great you
are at 4everything else. Look at how flawlessly your company runs.”
“Yeah, but I don’t want to give up working at my company. Just
now, we’re expanding to another state. Just imagine what I could do once that
Texas house is finished and marketed. Maybe the company could grow and become
something huge.”
“I have confidence in you Charlie. I bet you could be a great
mamma and end up on the Fortune 500 list if that’s what you wanted. And, you
know you can count on me always for all the support you’d need, not to mention
all the fun we’d have making them babies.”
“Aha, here we are back to sex. I’m more than happy to have all the
sex you want, but we’re going to keep on being careful, so don’t go poking
holes in your condoms or switching out my birth control pills.”
“Thanks for the ideas Charlie. Where do you keep your pins around
here? And, I didn’t know you were on the pill.”
“Well, I’m not, but I think I’m going to go see my doctor and get
some so you don’t get carried away. My wedding dress doesn’t have room for a
baby bump.”
Laughing, they got up, cleaned the kitchen and headed for the
bedroom. After a long sweet kiss, Charlie murmured, “Looks like we’re gonna be
practicing some baby-making. Just make sure you have a condom handy.”