“I love you too, Bennett.” She held on to the lapels of his tuxedo, wishing they were already alone but then suddenly he was pulling back and the noise of the crowd permeated.
They turned to face their family, hands entwined and hearts full. Eli and Kay stood next to them with their arms around each other’s waists. Katie immediately noticed Ridley and Jackson in the front row clapping and cheering. Next to them, Mark and Julia beamed, looking as proud as any parents could. Behind them Olivia sat with her boyfriend, King. They'd had dinner a few nights ago and Katie could already tell she'd found a new friend.
A sharp whistle cut through the air and Katie’s eyes swung to the opposite side of the yard where her family was. Mari was wiping away tears, arm in arm with their mother. Her husband Dennis was beside her, clapping heartily. Nelson whistled again, before pumping his fist in the air.
Everyone was happy.
Bennett grinned down at her. “Our family can get a little crazy. Are you ready for this, Mrs. Alexander?”
It was ridiculous how much she loved hearing that. Especially since this time around she had no doubts that this was the name she’d carry for life. As she looked into her new husband’s eyes, the entirety of their lives flashed through her mind: birthdays, anniversaries and several babies with her dark skin and his hazel eyes. A lifetime of joy and pain, successes and failures, and a bond that would transcend it all.
“I am now,” she whispered back.
?
As the music changed to something slow and heartfelt, Mark Alexander held out his hand to his wife. As his wife looked up at him, her eyes reflected the same love as when they’d first married over thirty years ago.
“Dance with me, my love?”
Julia had been running around all day, seeing to this and that, heading off disasters and doing whatever was necessary to make sure her two oldest sons had the perfect wedding. He’d helped as much as possible but the bulk of the credit went to Julia. But now that the cake had been cut, the bridal bouquets thrown, and the newlyweds seen off in a shower of rice and well-wishes, his responsibility was making sure that his lovely wife enjoyed the event she’d worked so hard on.
“I thought you’d never ask.” Julia accepted his hand and together they walked out to the dance floor.
The music flowed over them and Mark pulled his wife into his arms. She settled against him with a happy little sigh. It had been a truly beautiful day. It was also a bittersweet day as a parent. He looked around the land that had been passed down through generations of Alexanders and saw the results of a lifetime of hard work and community. Family, friends and everything in between was gathered together to celebrate the start of a new life for his two oldest sons. And Mark couldn’t help feeling a sense of accomplishment.
“We did it, my love. All of our boys are married and happy with wonderful families of their own.”
Julia patted his chest affectionately. “Did you ever think that all of this would come from flirting with your little sister’s friend while on summer break?”
Mark chuckled at the memory. He’d suspected as soon as he saw Julia that she was something special. And he’d known for sure when she’d put him in his place with her sharp tongue and fierce determination.
“I was smart enough to recognize a priceless gem when I saw it. Pretty good for a young country boy from Virginia, I’d say.”
As he spun her around, Mark caught sight of his brother on the other side of the dance floor. He’d called his brother the same day he’d told Bennett he would and they’d come to a tentative truce of sorts. When Stewart caught his eye, he nodded respectfully and then glanced away.
And Mark made a decision.
“I’m going to go say hello to Stewart and Lily.”
Julia raised her head in surprise. “You are?” When he nodded, she beamed at him. “That’s wonderful. I’ll come with you.”
Hand in hand, they walked across the makeshift dance floor to where Stewart and Lily danced, looking slightly uncomfortable. Lily caught sight of them first and tapped her husband on the shoulder. Steward turned and froze when he saw them approaching.
“Hello, Stewart. Lily, it’s lovely to see you again,” Julia greeted them both.
Mark squeezed her hand in appreciation. Considering their history, she had plenty of reason to hold a grudge but that wasn’t his wife’s way.
Lily held a hand to her mouth in surprise and glanced at Stewart. “Hello. Thank you for inviting us.”
“Of course. Why don’t we go say hello to Mama and Papa Alexander and let the boys talk?” Julia said, referring to Mark and Stewart’s parents, in town from Arizona for the wedding. She held out her arm and Lily took it gratefully.
Once alone, Mark and Stewart eyed each other awkwardly. Since he was the one who’d initiated the conversation, Mark pointed toward his nephew. “I heard Grant was profiled in The Virginia Chronicle for his volunteer work on burn victims. You and Lily must be so proud.”
Steward relaxed slightly. “Yes, we’re very proud of him. He works too much, which worries Lily, but he’s doing great things.”
Mark nodded. “We messed up along the way but our kids came out pretty great.”
Stewart laughed. “I can’t argue with that.” He hesitated before he extended a hand to Mark. “Hopefully we’ll do better going forward. Agreed?”