Chapter Twelve
Happily Ever After
The days were flying by or they were dragging slowly depending on whom you asked. The days were very busy—everyone agreed on that. It was February 7 and only a week until the wedding. Penny’s family from North Carolina would be here tomorrow. They would need to schedule trips to Owensboro to get Mattie and Emily fitted for their bridesmaids’ dresses. Kathleen and Chrissy had already had their first fittings as had Paula Weedman. The guys had had all their fittings, too, and their tuxes were reserved along with their shoes and accessories.
The rest of Johnny’s family would arrive in only two days. Arrangements still had to be made for the rehearsal dinner and decorating the church and the basement for the reception. Their picture had been in the Ohio County Times-News announcing the wedding and inviting local friends to the “celebration of love." Chrissy sure did hope everything would go nicely and according to plan.
“Honey, where do you think we should have the rehearsal dinner?" If Chrissy sounded tired, it was because she was. She was too excited to sleep well at night and her days were extremely full.
“I’m thinking Red Lobster. They were very nice when we were there New Years’ Eve. How many of us will there be?”
“Well, let’s see. I have four attendants and so do you. That’s eight. The twins make ten. Our parents make fourteen. You have three grandparents and I have three; that takes it up to twenty. Oh, by the way, I talked to Mom and she and I agree that Aunt Genny and Uncle Jack should be treated as grandparents since they did raise Mom. Paula’s sister, Flora Mae, will be singing, “Wind Beneath My Wings" and she and we would make twenty-three. Is that it?”
“Aren’t we supposed to include the minister and probably his wife? What about the pianist?”
“Sure. That takes it to twenty-six. I wonder if we can get a group rate. That is quite a group. Why didn’t we elope? All this is surely getting to me, Baby. I know. I know. Our folks wanted this and we’ll be glad someday we have this to look back on. But right now, I sure do wish our wedding was yesterday.”
“Oh, sure; and so do I.” His voice was full of Irish brogue and sex.
“Oh, Johnny, I know where your mind is. But I agree. It seems as though it’s been forever. Hold me and kiss me. I love you." They were getting pretty heated up and then on the third floor, where nobody was supposed to be, a door slammed.
“I guess the ghosts are reminding us that Dad is just out in the shop and Mom and the twins will be back from the grocery soon.”
“Of course, you never know what minute Sean or Kathleen will walk in, either.”
“I still need you; so much.”
“Only one more week, Baby. Only one more week.”
Penny and the twins got home a few minutes later and Chrissy and Johnny helped unload the car and put all the stuff away. Chrissy went up to the third floor to check on everything up there. They had bought air mattresses and put them on the floor of each of the two top bedrooms after they had cleaned the rooms thoroughly. They had been spread with clean sheets, pillows, and blankets. There were enough quilts and blankets to make some pallets on the floor, too, for the children who were expected. The third floor bathroom had been scrubbed and stocked with toilet tissue and facial tissues, plenty of towels and washcloths, soap, shampoo and all the amenities. Everything had been done that Chrissy and her Mom could think of to make their expected guests comfortable. Chrissy, Candy, and their cousin, Megan would occupy one of the queen-size air mattresses on the third floor. Cousins, Mattie and Emily, would occupy the other air mattress on the floor of that room. Andy and his cousin, Butch would have the other third floor bedroom.
The four bedrooms on the second floor all had clean linens and blankets. They had boxed up all of Uncle Cliff and Aunt Lorraine’s clothes and things from the drawers and closet and put them in the storage area on the third floor. They had decided the Coy bedroom would be a good place for Uncle Bob and Aunt Carla Wroe from California to sleep. Uncle Jack and Aunt Genny would sleep in Chrissy’s bedroom. Ed and Penny would keep their own room. Uncle Webster and Aunt Faye would have the twin’s room and they would fix a pallet for Jenny.
Grandpa Wroe had had knee surgery some time back and stairs were somewhat difficult for him; therefore, they had turned the sitting room on the first floor between the bathroom and the library into a bedroom for him. That took care of all of Chrissy’s family who were coming to the wedding.
There wouldn’t be room for all of Johnny’s family at Lydia’s house if everyone came who said they planned to come. Johnny and Chrissy were talking about finding a place for everyone to sleep.
“Johnny, would it be terrible to let them stay in our trailer? There are three bedrooms and the living room couch. That would sleep seven. That might make it unnecessary for anybody to have to stay in Owensboro. Do you think that would be alright?”
“Sure, Baby, if you don’t mind that other people will have stayed there before we do. I had sort of looked forward to us being the first to live there, but I guess that would be rather selfish.”
“They wouldn’t actually be living there. They’d just sleep there and come up to the house for meals and everything. I know what you’re saying. I’d have preferred it being ours alone but this is special and they will be coming all the way from Ireland for our wedding.”
“Let’s do it. I wish we could sneak over there and make love just once, though, before anybody else stays there. Maybe we can arrange that just for a couple of hours.”
“That would be wonderfully special. I just can’t wait to be Mrs. Johnny O’Reilly.”
“We’d better change the subject again, Sweetie. I’d hate for your folks to come in the house and find me in a cold shower. That might be preferable, though, to finding us taking care of the alternative." They both laughed and hugged and sighed in resignation.
“Okay, let’s decide about your relatives and who will sleep where. It will be a lot easier to get everyone settled when they get here if we know where they’ll need to put their luggage.”
“Sure. Okay, my parents will stay where they are. Of course, Grandmother will keep her room. “Sean and I might as well stay where we are and my cousin, Frank, can bunk with us. There’s the one bedroom on the first floor and I think it will be easier for Grandpa Pat and Grandma Keara to stay in that room rather than going up the steps.”
“That sounds good. How many more couples are coming?”
“Well there’re Uncle Jim and Aunt Callie; Uncle Francis and Aunt Adriana; Uncle Chuck and Aunt Martina and all their collective offspring. Uncle Jim and Aunt Callie could have the room next to Grandmother’s and the younger kids could stay in the room next to the stairs where their parents would be able to watch after them. That would be Colleen, Nancy, and little Doreen if she wants to or she could stay down in the trailer with Uncle Chuck and Aunt Martina, whichever they prefer. I figured Aunt Doris and Uncle Al and Baby Betty Ruth could be comfortable on one of the air mattresses on the third floor next to Kathleen, Rose and Charlene.”
“That would leave the room across from them for Jimmy, Buddy, and Joey. The only leftovers to go to the trailer would be Uncle Francis and Aunt Addie at the far end; Uncle Chuck and Aunt Martina and maybe Betty Ruth in the middle bedroom and Uncle Morgan and Aunt Polly in the master bedroom at the other end. Did I get all those names right? I’m trying hard to remember all the names and who they go with. When they get here day after tomorrow, all I’ll need to do is put the right faces with the right names. There’re so many of them! And did we get a place for everybody?”
“There is a bunch of them alright but I do believe we got a place for every one of them. Oh, I’m so glad they could all come. It’s going to be a real problem, though, keeping them all fed.”
“Yes, I know and I’m going to need to stick around the house here a good part of the time to help Mom with all the cooking and cleaning she’ll be doing, too.”
“Well, Mom will help Grandmother, o
f course, but I am worried it might all be too much for her. So far, though, she seems to be enjoying it.”
“Will you be able to come down and meet all my family when they get here? We’re expecting them right after suppertime tomorrow evening.”
“I’m planning to be right here. I guess I’d better go on home now, though. I have to show my dad about feeding the livestock and milking the cows. Okay? I’ll see you tomorrow. I love you, Baby.”
“I love you, too. Call me later, okay?”
“Sure and I will do that.”
One long, lingering kiss and he was on his way home.
Chrissy’s alarm clock woke her early and she put clean linens on her bed and straightened the room for company. She took all her personal things to the third floor bedroom where she would spend the few days until her wedding. Her wedding day, she was thinking. In only six days, I’ll be a married woman. I’ll be Mrs. Chrissy O’Reilly. Cheeze, I’m nervous. Am I truly ready for this? I hope I’m not making a mistake. Can I really spend the rest of my life belonging to one man and be happy? I’ve never actually been anywhere or done anything with anybody else. How do I know for sure if this is truly what I want? I know I’m happy when I’m with Johnny; but what if we get tired of each other? I don’t believe in divorce. Have we been close enough to know if this is what’s right for both of us? What if he gets tired of me? What if, eventually, we have different interests and want different things in life? What about children? What if we can’t agree on how they should be brought up or what values they should be taught? What will we do in our spare time? Other than making love, she thought and blushed.
I do love him, though, and he makes me happy. I know he respects me and wants me to have all the things I’ve always dreamed of having. What in the world would I do with my life if I didn’t marry Johnny? But that’s sure not a reason to marry someone. I love him, I love him, I love him. I do want to marry him. Everything will be fine. I just know it. This is definitely what I want. There aren’t any real doubts. I’m just nervous, that’s all. Oh, well, back to work. We’re going to Ireland. What a wonderful thing for her. She still couldn’t believe it!!!
Candy interrupted her thoughts. “You said I needed to get my room ready for company, so I’m bringing my things up here like you said. Which room did you say would be mine up here?”
“Right here with me and cousin Megan will be here with us, too. Cousin Mattie and Cousin Emily will be sleeping over there in that corner. You know, I’m glad we’re going to be a little closer than usual for a few days before I leave. I’m going to miss you kids very much, you know?”
She caught Candy to her and hugged her tight. Soon they were both sniffling and Chrissy reached for her box of tissues. “I think we should have bought an extra case of tissues. At the rate we’re going we might need them."
“It won’t seem right without you here any more, Chrissy. Can I come over and stay at the trailer with you when you get back from your moon honey? ”She still hadn't mastered her use of 'can' and 'may.'
“That’s ‘honeymoon,’ Sugar. And, yes, you may come over to visit sometimes. And just think; you'll have my room here, now, and you won’t have to share a room with Andy any more. That’ll be good, won’t it?”
“Yeah, Mom says I’m getting ‘most too big for that anyway; but I’ll still miss you.”
“I know, Baby, but I’ll still be around and I’ll always love you and you’ll always be my favorite sister." More tissue time. One thing they were definitely going to need was a trash can.
Chrissy had almost the same conversation with Andy a short time later. He didn’t want her to leave, either.
“Why couldn’t you just marry Johnny and still stay here with us. Maybe he could move in here with us, too. That would maybe be real neat.”
“Andy, Honey, when two people get married, it means they will start their own home and their own family. If we stayed here, we’d still be part of this family and that’s not the way it’s supposed to be. Do you understand?”
“I guess, but I’ll miss you, Chrissy." His eyes were bright with tears and one or two slid down his cheeks as hard as he tried not to let them.
Chrissy hugged him as she had Candy and told him the same that she’d told Candy.
“I’m not going to love you any less just because I’ll be living over in the trailer. And I’ll definitely want you to come over and see us real often. Okay?”
“Okay, I guess. May I bring Dandy over to see you, too?”
“Oh, I’d be disappointed if you didn’t?”
Chrissy spent the rest of the day getting things ready for their expected visitors. They hurried through supper, cleaned up the kitchen, and did some last minute straightening up and cleaning. Then the excitement started.
“Ed, there’s a car in the driveway. I can’t tell who it is yet, but it’s got North Carolina license plates, I think.”
“It looks like Genny and Jack, I think. Yes, it is them." They were out at the gate by now. “Do come in. Hello!”
“My goodness, Mattie, is that you? And Emily, you’ve grown up so much in just a year. Come on in. It’s almost too chilly to stand out here.”
“Penny, are you sure you have room for all of us? Webster and Faye are right behind us with Jenny.”
“If they’re right behind you, we may as well wait out here for them—oh, and there they are! Oh, it’s wonderful to see all of you, again.”
“And there’s our little girl, Chrissy! And I’ll bet this is the lucky groom. Welcome to the family, young man.”
“Thank you Uncle Jack and how are you Aunt Genny? And, yes, this is Johnny." And there were hugs, hugs and more hugs.
They finally finished all the introductions and they did manage to get in the house before they all froze. Andy and Candy took Jenny into the living room to play games and all the grown-ups gathered around the fireplace in the family room to talk and get warm. About the time everyone got thawed out, the group from California arrived and had to be greeted Grandpa Fred seemed rather tired but he insisted he wouldn’t have missed his eldest granddaughter’s wedding for all the tea in China.
“Not for all the tea in China and then some,” he reiterated. “I just wish your Grandma Marcie could have lived to see this happy day. Mister O’Reilly, you do plan on making her happy, do you not?”
“Yes sir. I wouldn’t make her unhappy for all the tea in China and India put together.”
“Right answer! Right answer, young man." Everyone laughed.
“Don’t pay any attention to Gramps, people. He’s getting a little senile in his old age,” Uncle Bob declared, which prompted another round of merry laughter.
Chrissy asked the young people if they wanted to carry their luggage upstairs and she and Johnny went with them to show them where they would bunk for the next few days and where the bathrooms were and where all the supplies were kept. They had all talked for a while and the two families had got acquainted. Soon, Ed and Penny noticed everyone was beginning to yawn and they suggested they all get a good night’s sleep and continue to get acquainted and re-acquainted in the morning.
“Penny and I are planning breakfast about nine in the morning if that suits everyone.”
“That sounds wonderful." “Fine." Okay." “Sure." The assents were unanimous. They spent the next hour getting everybody settled and in bed.
Chrissy explained to Mattie, Emily, Candy, and Megan that she would be up to bed just a little later. She told them she and Johnny needed to make a few more plans regarding their wedding. Then Chrissy and Johnny took off in a fast jog for the trailer that would soon be their home. When they got there Chrissy reached for the doorknob to open the door.
“Just a minute, Christina. The bride gets carried over the threshold. Remember?" Johnny picked her up and carried her through the door, kicking it shut behind them, and on into the master bedroom. He put her gently on the bed and slowly began to undress her. His fingers shook slightly as he nervously unbuttoned her blous
e. She in turn helped him out of his shirt and then nerves were forgotten as they reveled in the textures, tastes, and touches that brought the height of pleasure to each other. They spent only a couple of hours there but they had made it their home. The home belonged to them and they belonged to each other.
Johnny walked her back to the Wroe house and saw her inside. When she got to the room on the third floor, everyone was sound asleep, so she quietly slipped into bed and lay there in the dark entirely too excited and happy to sleep. Johnny went back to the room he shared with Sean on Thorne Hill and also lay awake thinking of the life he and Chrissy would have together. Each of them somehow knew the other was awake, as well, and their thoughts were as one.
The next morning, despite the loss of sleep, they were both awake early. The folks from Ireland were supposed to be there around noon. All twenty-two of them had managed to book the same flight, which was amazing in itself. They had also arranged to rent a van through Enterprise that would seat fifteen passengers. They also rented a larger sport utility vehicle that would seat seven comfortably and would also make local travel easier.
As expected, the two vehicles pulled up in front of the house on Thorne Hill a few minutes after twelve o’clock. Of course, Lydia had never met any of them before, but she tried hard to make them all welcome and comfortable. If she was a little overwhelmed, nobody realized it except for Johnny and Chrissy. Chrissy had excused herself from the visitors at her house after breakfast and the chores had been finished. As she had started for Thorne Hill, she went by the trailer and made sure everything was in order from when they left the night before. They hadn’t turned on any lights because they might be seen from the Wroe house if anyone had been looking that direction. And the bathroom windows at the rear of the house all looked that direction. She found nothing out of place but she smoothed out the coverlet on their bed and daydreamed a little more, then hurried on up the hill and visited with Grandmother Lydia until the rest of Johnny’s family came. Introductions and getting everybody settled took the better part of an hour.
“Our plane got in a little early and we went on down to O’Charley’s and ate lunch. When we told them we were from Ireland, they gave us a nice discount on our meals,” Grandma Keara explained.
“They should have given you a big group rate discount, too." Johnny made everybody laugh. “Don’t you all think I did good finding a girl as pretty as any Irish lassie could be?”
Grandpa Patrick was quick to agree. “She is indeed a bonnie lassie, Johnny, my lad. I don’t quite understand how you managed it with you as ugly as homemade sin, but it’s apparent you did." He winked broadly at Chrissy and had her blushing.
“I do have a favor to ask,” Chrissy spoke up, nervously, “I knew you all wouldn’t get here in time to be wedding party members with fittings and all that to be done. But I would like to ask Rose and Charlene to help with the serving at the reception." She looked all around the room and smiled encouragingly at the two girls whom she was almost sure were Rose and Charlene.
Johnny spoke up. “We would also like to invite Jimmy and Frank to help with the ushering in of the guests and seating them, if you would be so kind.”
The chorus of assents assured them of their willingness to serve.
“Oh, I almost forgot. I thought maybe Colleen would want to make sure that everyone signs my wedding registry. Would you do that, Colleen?" She had made sure she knew which one was Colleen when she was first introduced so she could ask her personally. Johnny had told her that Colleen would be genuinely proud to be chosen to do that.
Colleen blushed shyly but smiled and agreed to participate.
“I guess the next thing is getting the luggage in and in the right rooms.”
“Listen, Johnny, I don’t feel right imposing on Mrs. Thorne. Why don’t several of us see if we can get reservations at a hotel in Owensboro? You can’t possibly have room for all of us, anyway." Uncle Jim was concerned about that despite Johnny’s assurances that they had it all worked out.
“You can’t see it from here but Chrissy and I have a mobile home to come back to after our honeymoon. It’s parked just over the hill and there’s a gravel road back to it. It has three bedrooms and there’s room on the floor in the living room, too, if we want or need it. There’re eight bedrooms in this house so there’s no need at all at all for anyone to go to a hotel. Besides we want you here so we can visit.”
“Indeed we do." Lydia insisted. “I’m anxious for all of us to get acquainted and become good friends. Please, Johnny, you and Bruce and Sean help them get the luggage in and into their rooms, while I check the ham I have baking. I think we’re going to have ham sandwiches and potato chips for the evening meal if that’s alright for you all. I do have some sliced turkey if anyone would prefer that and there are greens for a salad or dressings for the sandwiches, too.”
It took nearly an hour and a half to get everything where it belonged but everyone assured Lydia they would be quite comfortable.
“Sure and you can’t know how much we appreciate your hospitality, Mrs. Thorne." Johnny’s Aunt Callie was sincere.
“Please, call me Lydia or Grandmother. ‘ Mrs. Thorne’ sounds so formal and I want us to be friends.”
“’Grandmother’ sounds fine to me, Grandmother. Okay, everyone?”
Everyone chorused, “Grandmother” and after that, she was called only by that name.
The next two days were spent getting acquainted. The weather turned unseasonably warm and an impromptu picnic was put together and the two families converged at Chrissy’s house for more ‘getting acquainted.’ The puppies, Dandy and Brandi, had to be penned up to keep them from spoiling the picnic but they were still happy with all the leftovers they were given by the overfed picnickers.
Ed even got out the horseshoes and taught the visitors how to play the game. There was enough wind to make kite-flying fun for the younger ones, too. They had a game of croquet going in the front yard. Everyone had a wonderful time. And, of course, the food was terrific.
Chrissy and even Johnny were becoming more and more nervous, though. Johnny reminded everyone about the wedding rehearsal the following afternoon at three o’clock and the dinner at Red Lobster just after that at five o’clock. Since almost everybody was scheduled to be a part of the wedding, Chrissy had suggested to Johnny that they include the entire group. The way they counted, there should be about forty-five altogether. Therefore, everyone was invited to both the wedding rehearsal and the rehearsal dinner.
When they gathered at the church, the two ushers, Frank and Jimmy practiced seating the guests and asking each individual if they were a part of the bride’s family or the groom’s family. If they were just friends, the ushers were instructed to seat them on the bride’s side since there would be more of the groom’s family there. After all the aunts and uncles were seated, it was time for the grandparents to be seated and last of all the parents.
The groomsmen and the groom fanned out to the left of the minister. Then the pianist began to play and the bridesmaids filed in one at a time with the maid of honor coming in last and arranged on the minister’s right. The best man was on the immediate left and the maid of honor on his immediate right. The flower girl, Candy, came up the aisle strewing imaginary flowers with Andy following close behind her carrying an imaginary pillow with the rings attached.
“If it’s okay, I want to stand next to Johnny, ‘cause he’s gonna be my new brother." Andy was quite vocal about it.
“You have to stand where you’re told, Andy. He’s gonna be my new brother, too, but I can’t stand next to him. I’ve got to be on the girls’ side.”
When that was all straightened out to the amusement of the congregation, and Andy’s chagrin—he did indeed have to stand at the end of the line of men—it was time for the bride to come in with her father. Andy did feel some better, though, when the minister said he must stand in a line with the other men.
Chrissy’s knees were shaking so badly she didn?
??t know if they would hold her up—and this was only the rehearsal. She didn’t know what would happen tomorrow when it was the real thing. Tomorrow. Tomorrow it would all be over and she and Johnny would begin their lives together.
The rest of the afternoon and the meal at Red Lobster was mostly a blur. Chrissy was looking forward to going home and trying to relax. Then she and Johnny got the surprise of their lives. They had barely noticed when most of the men got up from the table and left. When they returned, they had their arms full of boxes, packages, bags, and parcels in colorful wrappings and tied with big, beautiful bows. She remembered wondering foggily whose birthday it was.
Everyone shouted “surprise” as they began to pile the gifts on a nearby table. Chrissy and Johnny suddenly realized the families had planned a surprise wedding shower.
“How wonderful!" Chrissy and Johnny murmured together. “All this, for us?”
“You all shouldn’t have done this. Your being here was all the present we expected.”
“Open them." “Open the gifts." Everyone was shouting at once. Aunt Doris had a paper and pen and informed them she would keep track of who each gift was from. Chrissy appreciated that very much because she would want to thank each family for their gift and she would have had no way in the world of remembering who gave her what.
They received coffee pots, can openers, electric blankets, sheets, towel sets, dishes, pots, pans, and silverware. There was a laundry basket with detergents, fabric softeners, bleach, and every other kind of cleaning supply imaginable. They opened gifts of canned vegetables, fruits, meats, coffee, tea, and all kinds of staples. They found boxed pasta, bread mixes, macaroni and cheese, sacks of sugar, flour, meal and more. Chrissy declared they wouldn’t need to buy anything else for at least six months.
Grandma Keara had made them a crocheted bedspread and an Irish blessing she had cross-stitched that would hang over the door.
There were so many other things, they were scarcely able to believe their eyes. Almost the last gift she opened was from Grandmother Lydia. Chrissy was totally entranced. The recipe book that Lydia had worked on continually from the day Johnny and Chrissy had set their wedding date was a treasure for sure. It was passed around the room and all the ladies declared their envy of Chrissy at having such an heirloom and the recipes all sounded delicious.
Finally, the last package had been opened, or at least, so they thought. Then Kathleen handed her a package she had kept hidden.
“This is from your maid of honor, Chrissy. May you have many happy years together." When she opened it, she found a very flimsy, diaphanous gown and peignoir.
“Okay, Chrissy, model it for us,” Grandpa Patrick yelled above the catcalls and ooohs and aaahs. Of course, as they intended, Chrissy and Johnny were both embarrassed to tears, almost. However, it was a beautiful set and the bride and groom were both looking forward to the following evening when she would wear it—at least for a few minutes.