It's All Good and Getting Even Better

As she woke up from the most sensational dream, Shane McInerney instinctively reached towards the other side of the bed in search of Oliver. Her mind, in its waking state, had momentarily tricked her into believing that she was already married, and Shane was disappointed to find that Oliver was not lying next to her, waiting to merge his lips to hers. She grabbed her cell phone off the bedside table and noticed that it was only 7:16 in the morning. Letting out a deep sigh, she sat up in bed as she began to come to her senses.

Today was not just any day—it was New Year's Eve and her wedding day. Before the night was over she would be making a vow to Oliver and they would be forever joined together in more ways than one. She felt butterflies dance in her stomach at the thought of what was to come. After their wedding, there would be no more waiting and no more holding back. She would finally get to show Oliver exactly how much she loved him and they would fall asleep in each other's arms every night for the rest of their lives.

When Shane had returned home from the rehearsal dinner the night before, she had been too excited to go to bed. Rita had joined Shane and her family for a last-minute girls' celebration at Shane's house and Norman had waited until midnight to pick his wife up. Prior to Rita's departure, Shane had been delighted when Oliver had made an impromptu visit to spend a few precious moments with her. Once he and Rita had left, Shane then convinced her mom and Alex to stay up with her until well after two in the morning, and all they talked about was Oliver. She knew that today was going to be long and she really should try to get some rest; however, she never wanted to slumber without Oliver beside her again.

After resigning any attempts at sleep, she got out of bed and freshened up in the bathroom. Once she felt presentable, she made her way into the kitchen and found her mother sitting at the table sipping coffee.

"Good morning, Mom!" Shane cheerfully greeted her houseguest and then poured herself a cup of hot coffee. "Did you sleep well?"

"I did, considering the minor jet lag." Ms. McInerney's heart leapt as she observed her daughter closely. Shane was so elated that she looked as though she were floating. "How are you feeling this morning, my sweet girl?"

"I can't believe that today's my wedding day." Happy tears sprang to Shane's eyes as she sat down across from her mom. She was silent for a while as though she were deep in thought and then suddenly she looked up, her bottom lip starting to quiver slightly. "Oliver and I have been through so much together. I never thought that we'd have this." She couldn't contain her emotions any longer and began openly sobbing. Ms. McInerney quickly got up from her seat and scooped her daughter up in her arms.

"I love him so much, Mom, it scares me. I've never needed anyone before the way that I need him." Shane's words were muffled into her mom's shirt. "I feel like I can't breathe without him, and I couldn't ever handle losing him."

"Oh, Shane.…" She pulled back so that she could look Shane in the eyes and gently wiped away the tears streaming down her cheeks. "Oliver isn't going anywhere. I've never seen a man look at a woman the way he looks at you. You two share a love for each other like nothing I've ever witnessed before." Shane was starting to calm down at her mother's words and had stopped crying. "Now, my darling daughter, today is the happiest day of your life. No more tears, unless they're happy ones." Mother and daughter smiled at each other and then heard persistent knocking at the door.

Shane quickly wiped her face with a paper towel so that it was free from any lingering tears and walked to the front door. She was pleasantly surprised to find a delivery man holding a dozen yellow roses for her. She exchanged brief pleasantries with the man and he was quickly on his way. Shane shut the door and then picked up the enclosed card, a blushing smile quickly creeping up her face as she read it to herself.

My Darling Shane,

You are the first thing on my mind when I wake up every morning and my very last thought before I fall asleep each night. My heart is full of anticipation, and my deepest desire is to make you my wife in every way possible. I will be missing you all day and cannot wait to see you and dance the first of a lifetime of dances with you as my wife.

I love you—and I love us.

Oliver

"Oooh Shane! From the look on your face, that must be juicy!" Alex exclaimed as she walked into the entryway, catching her sister off guard. Shane jumped slightly and quickly closed the card from Oliver, holding it closely to her heart. "Come on, little sis, let me read it!" Alex behaved like a kid in a toy store.

"Alex, would you stop torturing your sister!" Ms. McInerney scolded as she joined her daughters in the family room. "She's in love. Let her be."

"Thank you, Mom." Shane glared at her sister, Alex quickly returning the look with an eye roll.

"What's on the bride's agenda before the wedding?" Ms. McInerney changed the subject to keep her daughters from bickering.

"Well, I have to pack, and I could use a little help." Shane blushed as she thought about the intimate clothing she would be bringing along with her that Oliver would soon see her wear. "At twelve-thirty, we're meeting Rita for lunch at a new restaurant across town. After we eat, it's off to the salon for hair and makeup, and then we need to be at the church by five to get dressed."

"It's already almost nine and it sounds like there's a lot to do." Ms. McInerney instantly walked towards the kitchen. "I'll get breakfast ready and you girls can start packing." She disappeared around the corner without giving her daughters a chance to argue.

"Before we start packing, I want to call Oliver to thank him for the flowers." Shane grabbed her cell phone off the coffee table and quickly hit the talk on the last number called. She was disappointed when he didn't answer, but she knew he must be busy with preparations for their honeymoon and she would get to talk to him soon enough. She set her phone down and then led Alex to her bedroom to start preparing for her trip.

Oliver stepped inside the newly built house, closing the door behind him. As he surveyed the living space before him, he smiled in satisfaction. This would not be their every-day home but rather an escape from reality when life's circumstances called for such—but its main purpose for the immediate future was to serve as the place where Oliver and Shane would come together for the first time as husband and wife. Oliver had considered many options and spent much time contemplating where he wanted them to spend their first night together, and a hotel room simply would not fit the bill.

The house was Victorian-style and held a traditional charm with modern amenities. He was sure his soon-to-be bride would appreciate its appeal. The space was not huge, yet it could fit a family of four or five quite easily. Whoa, O'Toole, you're getting a little ahead of yourself there. Oliver chuckled to himself as he realized once again, that long-term family plans for the future still had yet to be discussed between the two of them. Of course, immediate plans had been handled and he wasn't worried about any surprises in the very near future—but as he walked through the house and looked about at the empty rooms, he could picture mini vacations with little ones talking loudly and giggling as they played.

He stopped at the doorway of the master bedroom and knit his brow. The delivery truck with the furniture was scheduled to arrive at nine o'clock, but it was nearing nine-thirty and there was no sign of them yet. He sighed. Maybe it was time to get a cell phone after all. His current location was nearly one hundred miles from Denver, and he had left his house so early that morning that he did not call Shane as he usually did. He had decided not to wake her, especially since they had a long day and night ahead of them and she could use the rest. But by now, she should have received his bouquet of flowers, and hopefully that would suffice for his morning communication and she would be busy enough with preparations that she wouldn't question his missed call.

The open, empty room before him harshly dragged him out of his wayward thoughts and back into reality. The furniture must arrive today. If it didn't, they would be sleeping on the floor or on the living room sofa, and neither of those options was even close to ideal in Oliver's mind. He checked the linens in the spacious master bath once more and ensured that the jacuzzi on the attached back porch was working properly. The only things left to do must wait until after the bedroom set had been placed in the master suite. Oliver walked out of the room, down the hall, and stepped out onto the front porch. He took a seat on the porch swing he had installed a few weeks prior, then watched the road and listened for any signs of approaching vehicles.

Oliver wanted to kick himself for not having selected the bedroom furniture sooner. However, it had been a complex decision for him, and he had searched and searched until he found one that looked like it would suit their tastes perfectly. While purchasing, he was informed that today was the earliest delivery date. Going by the motto that things seem to arrive right on time as needed, Oliver had proceeded to schedule the delivery for that morning. He was now grateful for the distraction, too, as the wedding was not until late that evening. Even with all he had to do, he would not be able to keep her out of his mind. He had wanted so badly to stop by her house on his way out and wake her, just to feel her in his arms once more. The thought of being able to do that every morning for the rest of his life nearly brought him to tears. He was grateful beyond words that Shane had agreed to become his wife.

As he sat on the porch swing, he considered the future—their future. It was exciting and full of hope. He could not wait until later that night, when he would bring her to the place he had prepared for them. He eyed the front door and imagined carrying her over the threshold. While he was traditional by nature, there were a number of wedding traditions that seemed silly to him—the bridal bouquet toss, for instance, and of course, the superstition that the groom shouldn't see the bride before the ceremony on their wedding day. That one would surely make him irritated by the time the sun had set. But carrying her over the threshold—now that was a tradition he was eager to uphold. He had never held her in his arms in such a fashion, and he was certainly looking forward to it.

The sound of a truck in the distance captured his attention, and he found himself offering up a prayer of hope that this was the delivery he had been waiting for. Sure enough, a minute later, the truck pulled into the gravel drive and Oliver walked out to meet the delivery men where they had parked.

After offering to assist and instructing them where the furniture should go, Oliver went to the kitchen to retrieve a Yoo-Hoo and bottled water for the workers. He looked at the refrigerator and suddenly had a thought. After the ceremony, they would be staying at the house for a little more than twelve hours before their flight was scheduled to take off. That wasn't a very long period of time, especially considering that they would likely be distracted by other things, but what if either or both of them needed nourishment before heading out? They were miles from any eating establishment, and honestly, Oliver couldn't see them wanting to fit an outing in their schedule within their first few hours together. Maybe he should stock the fridge and pantry with snacks to tide them over. They might not have much chance to eat at the reception that night either, seeing as how they would be in the spotlight. Oh! Thinking about the reception food reminded him of their meeting with the caterer, and Oliver sighed with relief. She had informed them that she would put together a meal and an assortment of goodies in a large basket for them to take with them. Surely that would be enough to last them the remainder of the night and the next day before they boarded the plane.

Now that the furniture had arrived, Oliver was much more at ease. They would have everything they needed for the night ahead, but he still had much work to do to create the perfect atmosphere for their wedding night. As soon as he signed off on the delivery and the men were on their way, Oliver began to set his plan into motion.