Demon
Chapter 37

Ron

My heart is pounding, but it isn’t anxiety I am feeling. It is excitement, joy, love. I can’t wait until I see her again.

I arrived ridiculously early at the church, all dressed up in a black tuxedo. The pastor took pity on me and let me sit in the church’s little library, where I’m waiting for the other people to start arriving. He left me here since he had to go out and conduct the morning service. I’m sitting by myself with a book that I can’t focus on, looking like the most formally attired loner ever. I hear the sounds of the worship wrapping up, the congregation singing the final song along to the strains of the organ. After they all clear out we can set up for the wedding.

We won’t have a crowd. Just my family, Brenda’s parents and sister, and probably some other parishioners from the church. Old friends of Brenda’s Mom who can’t resist a wedding.

I’ve asked Gabe to stand up with me, and he very seriously agreed. I think that he feels the import of the position of best man. Natalie is very excited to act as Brenda’s bridesmaid slash flower girl - she had the image in her mind of spreading the flower petals, so she’ll do that then stay with Brenda at the altar.

It will be the four of us together as Brenda and I make our promises to each other. Very appropriate.

I hear the service finish up, then everyone goes outside to mill around and chat and have refreshments. I think there will be more waiting before anyone gets here, but Gabe comes in the door to the library. He looks remarkably grown-up in his dark suit and tie.

“Gabe!” I stand up and give him a bear hug. “I’m so glad you’re here! Is it time to go set stuff up?”

He grins and hugs me back. “No, they said I should come in here and wait with you until the ceremony starts. Grandma wanted to come early to talk to her friends after the morning service ends. She said she and Grandpa will set up the flowers and stuff.”

“Great, that’s us off the hook for all the work then,” I laugh. “Where’s Natalie?”

“She’s waiting with Mom and Aunt Caroline in the pastor’s office.”

I look at my watch, and see that there’s still about 45 minutes before our ceremony is scheduled to start. I point over to a shelf that I noticed earlier in the library. “They’ve got a chess set. Want a game to pass the time?”

“Sure,” he says, and goes to grab the box. I’m glad he’s here. The waiting suddenly seems much easier.

Caroline

Brenda and Natalie and I settle into the pastor’s office. He has an adjoining bathroom which makes it easy to ensure that Brenda’s hair and dress and everything are in order.

I haven’t seen Ron yet. I’ll have to stomp on any impulse I start feeling to sneer at him. He’s the good guy again, I have to remind myself. Not the creep who ditched my sister. Not anymore. Or at least that’s what she tells me.

Natalie is being so cute. She is just bubbling over with excitement, looking like a flighty little butterfly in her shiny yellow dress. She buzzes around the room, peeking through the door to see what’s going on out there, then coming back over to check Brenda’s bouquet, then sitting next to me to hold my hand for two seconds before she hops up again. She intermittently glances off to the side, looking here, there and everywhere, taking everything in.

I’m feeling like I need to make a bigger effort to visit more frequently. It’s been three years, at least, since the last time I was able to travel out to San Diego to visit, and I can hardly believe how much the kids have grown since then. I need to see them more often, or I’ll end up missing their entire childhoods.

It’s hard, though. I’m so busy at work. My real estate practice is thriving, after taking a couple of years to get off the ground. And Tom’s law office is so busy that he hardly ever gets home before 7 or 8. We’ve built a beautiful life in Bethesda, just outside of D.C., with a gorgeous home. Although to be honest we don’t spend as much time there as I would like. And of course, there hasn’t been any time at all to consider having kids of our own. Maybe someday.

In the meantime, I can enjoy my niece and nephew. I’m really glad that I was able to make it back this weekend.

I look at Natalie and see that her hair has gotten mussed with all the zooming around she’s doing. “Hey, Natty, want me to fix your hair for you? To be fancy for the wedding? I can put it up in a bun, kind of like your Mom has.”

She clasps her hands together in delight and squeals. “Oh, yes, please!”

I smile and pull her over, and get out the brush and comb that I keep in my purse. I have a couple of hair ties in here too. “OK, sit still for a minute, ok?” I start combing out her long dark hair, just like my sister’s.

Brenda observes with a smile on her face, while glancing up at the clock and tapping her foot. I give her a sideways smile over the top of Natalie’s head. “Relax, Sis, just a few more minutes, then you get to see the ‘man of your dreams’.”

We both bust up laughing. Just like old times.