Can People Change?

Bill and his wife would fly to Vermont and be at the wedding. They had already booked their flight. Bill would be coming to help Elaine pack in the morning. He said some supportive things to Marie and asked her to tell me, "Welcome back."

By ten we were getting ready for bed. Marie did her normal ritual for getting ready, right up to the part of the ritual where she donned her nightgown. She held it in her hands and then hung it on the back of the door. She faced me and opened her arms. "Like what you see?"

I smiled and said, "Yes! Let's go to bed."

We were noisy on purpose, even though no one else was in the house. The alarm woke me, us, at six. I got up and headed for the shower. Marie didn't need to get up that early. When I was in the shower she joined me. We played as we got clean and we laughed. As I dressed she made me breakfast. She made French toast and put a jar of peanut butter on the table by my plate. I sat to eat fully dressed. She sat with me and stayed naked.

It was nice being home again, and it was nice that home was changing. Marie spent the day making phone calls and sending emails to all the people who had been invited to the wedding. She greeted Bill and Momma when they came for Momma's things. Momma didn't even speak to Marie. It took Bill less than ninety minutes to get all of Momma's things. Marie made a pitcher of lemonade and Bill drank some. While Marie was making calls she heard Momma huff and grunt a few times. She assumed they were editorial noises and didn't react to them. A few of the invited guests to the wedding made reservations for flying to Vermont, many did not. The ones who asked, Marie told the truth about why the wedding was moved.

Our flight to Vermont left at four on Friday afternoon. It was after midnight when we got to Vermont and after three by the time we got into our hotel room and bed. We were still a little tired when we got to the church at noon.

I was in a small room helping get things ready for the ceremony when Bill burst in and said, "You are not going to believe who's here!"

"Ok. Who is it?" He grabbed my arm and led me to the door leading into the front of the chapel. I peeked through the small opening and almost gasped. Sitting in the front row, bride's side, was Elaine. She was in a nice lavender dress and was all smiles.

"Does Krystn or Marie know she's here?"

Bill said, "Since you and I are the only ones out here who know who she is, I don't think so."

We went back to the room where Marie and Krystn were getting ready. I knocked and Marie opened the door a little. "I need to talk to both of you, right now. It's urgent!"

"Ok, come in." Marie opened the door and I saw Krystn as bride for the first time. She was radiant and beautiful. Marie was as beautiful to me but her dress was more subdued.

"Marie please sit for a moment." She sat next to Krystn. "Sitting in the chapel, front row, bride's side, is Elaine."

Marie jumped up and said, "No!"

"Yes. Bill saw her come in. Neither of us has spoken to her, but we both saw her."

"I'll be right back!" Marie said as she left the room.

Krystn looked at me and said, "What does it mean?"

"I think it means your Grandmother decided she loves you and your Mom more than she loves being right. Marie is finding the answer to that question right now."

"Do I look good enough to marry, Daddy?"

"You are the second most beautiful bride I've ever seen." We hugged. A knock came at the door. I opened it a crack and saw Adam standing there.

"Dad, I came to apologize to Krystn but since you're here may I apologize to both of you?"

I opened the door and they were each other's arms. Scott apologized for being an ass and for not believing what Marie and Krystn knew. Marie came back and she was included in the hugs, tears and apology.

I asked, "Adam, what happened? Less than a week ago you were never going to see your Mom again."

"Grandma called me and told me what she had done. She asked me to forgive her and forgive you. She asked me to help her get here."

A man I had known for less than a day stood in the doorway and said, "I've got a chapel full of people waiting for a wedding. Can we start the music?"

The women scurried for thirty seconds and then said, "Start the music!"

An hour later Krystn and Matt were married. Marie and I were married as well. I had the honor of walking Krystn down the aisle. I had the honor of marrying Marie. During the reception I got to dance with Krystn, then with Marie. A little later Elaine came to me and said, "I think it's customary for the groom to dance with the mother of the bride. I missed out on that some years ago because I was foolish. If you're willing to let me apologize for being an ass, I'd like to rectify that now."

At the end of the dance Elaine kissed me on the cheek. Tears ran down her cheeks. "Thank God for waterproof mascara."

"Oh, are you going to get some?" I asked. The look on her face was horrified. I smiled and she understood that I was joking. We both laughed. She put her arm around me and put my arm around her as we walked off the dance floor.

If this were a fairy tale it would end with, "They lived happily ever after." This isn't a fairy tale. There have been times when sixty-plus years of being a controlling bitch still motivate Elaine to attempt to run everything according to her way. There have been times when Marie has felt the urge to be her mother in the lives of Adam and Krystn. I have stepped into it a few times as well and I'm sure I will again. All that said, "They did live happily ever after, so far."