The One who got Away

Joan smiled, looking into Sherry’s eyes. I can certainly see what he sees in this young woman. She’s beautiful inside and out...truly. “Well, I just thought I would share that with you before things got too far along. I know we haven’t exactly had a chance to really get to know one another….and that’s alright. We’ll certainly have plenty of time for that

now. That’s just the first thing I wanted to share with you.”

“Well, I appreciate it, Misses McWaters,” Sherry said. “And I must say I’m looking forward to having you as my mother-in-law. Maybe you could come and stay for a couple months.”

Joan scoffed then shook her head and rolled her eyes. “Yeah...right. If I came and stayed for a couple of months, my son Darren would probably pack up in the night and run for the hills… Well, I guess I should say cornfields. Aren’t many hills in this state like that.”

Sherry laughed. Flatness was certainly the middle name for Northern Indiana. “Well, maybe a couple week then.”

Joan giggled. “Yeah, well, we’ll see. But there’s just one more thing. I must say I kind of have a bone to pick with you, young lady.”

Sherry tensed up. What did I do? Would she judge me for having given my child up for adoption? Was she about to insist that she agree to a prenup, if Darren was even thinking of such? “Yeah?” she said, hesitantly.

“I hope you don’t think you were going to plan this wedding to my son without any input from me,” Joan said. “I really hope that’s not what you were trying to do, dear.” She looked over at Sherry, sternly but playfully. “Please say that isn’t so, Sherry.”

Sherry looked away, trying to not smile. Only a few seconds later, she jumped up off of the bench then headed for the door. “Actually, I was just about to get Darren to give me your number so I could call you and get you in on things.”

Joan smiled and playfully squinted at Sherry as she stood up, clutched her purse, then followed Sherry back into the house. She joined her future daughter-in-law and the wedding planner and got caught up on everything that had been done up to this point.

***

Light snow showers spanned across the Ft. Wayne metro. Nearly a week ago, children were let out of school for winter breaks. Christmas tree lights tangled around the branches of trees lining downtown streets. Malls had been packed with shoppers, snatching up gifts at a good prices. The jingling of Salvation Army bells and the clanking of coins landing in donation buckets could be heard in front of basically every grocery store. With the Christmas spirit seeping into everyone’s hearts for the end of the year, Sherry’s own heart had swelled in new ways. Her wedding day approached faster than she thought. And with the help of Joan, the wedding planner Jeanette, and mother nature, this day was shaping up to be something any woman would have dreamed of as a little girl...and would remember fondly for the rest of her life.

Make-up artists and hair stylists swarmed around Sherry in her dressing room shortly before the ceremony was due to start. Guests shuffled into the church, placing their gifts down on the table in the entrance way to making their way to the sanctuary. Sherry worked to block out the noise and focus on the woman in the mirror. She held back tears, as to not mess up her makeup. Periodically, she would have to fan her face to keep it dry.

Shortly after the stylist finished with Sherry’s hair, it now lying back with curly at the ends, the dressing room door opened. Chrissy jumped over to make sure it wasn’t Darren. The last thing they wanted was for the wedding to start off on a bad foot. When she saw it was Darren’s mother Joan, she smiled and graciously welcomed the woman into the room.

When Joan pushed the door closed, she stopped in her tracks and smiled. “Sherry,” she said, practically gasping from the sight. She looked at her future daughter-in-law in the mirror. “You are so beautiful, Sherry. Truly, just stunning.”

The makeup artist backed away from Sherry for a moment so she could hug her guest. Sherry then sat back down in the chair and looked straight ahead, at the mirror. Joan, having shed her cold business persona, pulled up a chair and plopped down next to Sherry. “Okay, so I was thinking,” she began. “You’re going to be marrying my son, Darren. So, I figured it would be best if I give you a little guide on how to deal with McWaters men.” She chuckled. “And I only say that because I had to figure it out… Nobody ever told me a thing, even though I think my mother-in-law, may God rest her soul, was clearly holding back.”

Sherry laughed and looked ahead into the mirror as the stylists and makeup artists worked their magic. She listened to her mother-in-law-to-be spill as much marriage advice as she could. They laughed together in ways Sherry would’ve never imagined when meeting this woman. There were moments Sherry would look down at her hand and twist her engagement ring. She thought about Gabriel as well, who was supposed to be out in the sanctuary, cradled in his other grandmother’s – Donna – arms. She had come into the dressing room early when Sherry first started getting ready for the day of her life.

Jeanette buzzed around at the last minute trying to make sure everything was done and that everyone was ready to fulfill their roles. She even went as far as putting Darren up at the alter and telling him he had better not go walking off. By the time she got back to the dressing room, Darren’s mother had been finishing up her lesson on marrying a McWaters man. The woman kissed her son’s choice for a bride on the forehead then told her that she would see her out in the sanctuary.

When the door opened for Sherry to walk out then head to the alter, her heart pumped in her chest. She clenched her flowers in her hand so nervously that Jeanette had to rub her shoulders then tell her there was nothing to be nervous about. Everyone around remind her of just how beautiful she was.

The music started; the crowd stood up and looked on anxiously. With the train of her dress dragging against the red carpet, Sherry felt as if she were floating down the aisle. The sun, seeming extra bright from the snow-covered buildings and houses up and down the street, illuminated the sanctuary. People smiled and nodded; cameras flashed from every direction. No matter how many times she practiced this aisle walk during the rehearsal, she was still overcome with fear that she would be that bride who would trip and fall flat on her face just seconds before stepping up to the groom.

Sherry nearly sobbed from seeing her sister Leah up at the alter, waiting next to Chrissy. Seeing her family sitting out in the pews to her left was just unreal. The seats were packed. So much more of her family turned out than she would’ve ever imagined. Sherry then looked ahead and into Darren’s eyes. She smiled; he smiled. It wasn’t long before he extended his arm to help her up a couple of steps then into the alter. Sherry handed her flowers to her sister Leah then turned toward Darren. The groom pulled the vale from over Sherry’s face and smiled. It took every bit of his strength to keep from leaning forward and kissing the bride prematurely.

Time slowed as the minister expressed his happiness in seeing this couple wed. Joan had arranged of his childhood priest to come to Ft. Wayne and perform the vows, so there was also some sentimental value to the situation as well. For Sherry, responding to each vow was nothing like seemed on television or in the movies. She felt the eyes watching her, but she only had eyes for Darren. Even though they hadn’t kissed yet, she could feel their souls already floating out of their chests and embracing one another in the foot of space between the two of them.

Darren was the first to repeat after the priest. “I, Darren McWaters, take you, Sherry Calhoun, for my lawful wife, to have and to hold from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and health, until death do us part.”

Sherry’s turn then came about. She wanted to jump up and down with excitement, but knew she would probably fall over because of her heels. “I, Sherry Calhoun, take you, Darren McWaters, for my lawful husband, to have and to hold from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and health, until death do us part.”

The priest finished the vows and officiated the ceremony then watched as Darren slid the official wedding ring onto Sherry’s ring finger, pressing it up against the engagement ring. “...And you may now kiss the bride.”

Darren leaned down and kissed Sherry as if he’d been waiting years to do so. Sherry threw her arms up around his shoulders as she practically fell into their embrace. The crowd roared with applause

. Finally parting lips, the new husband and bride turned toward their guests and smiled. People rushed up for congratulations, hugs, and pictures. Donna walked up with Gabriel. Both with new leafs in life, Darren and Sherry looked into their smiling sons eyes.

“Come on, I got a idea,” Sherry said, pulling Darren’s hand toward the aisle.

Before Darren could say anything, he found himself being dragged down the aisle by the bride. The guests looked onward, wondering what was happening and where they were going. They crowded into the aisle and watched as Sherry pulled her husband into the church’s foyer. She then pushed the door open and people followed, pulling their phones out.

“What are we doing out here?” Darren asked. His cheeks stung from the cold air.