From This Day Forward
Chapter Six
Stepping out of the shower on the morning of her wedding, Stephanie wrapped a soft towel around her body. Zora Leon, the wedding stylist and make-up artist, would be arriving at the villa around noon. So Stephanie wrapped her dripping hair in a towel and padded into bedroom to prepare for her arrival. Glancing at the empty bed, Stephanie missed her fiancé's company. Nela had reserved a separate room for Ranger the night prior, upholding an important wedding tradition. Ranger would not see his bride-to-be until she walked across the grassy knoll of the private beach to meet him at the wedding arch.
Stephanie picked up her cell phone and called Ranger. She wanted to hear his voice.
"Yo, babe," Ranger greeted Stephanie in a low, seductive voice.
Stephanie smiled into the phone. "Your voice sounds really nice right now. Did I wake you?"
"I've been up for an hour. What are your doing?"
"Just got out of the shower."
"Do you need help drying off?"
"There are some traditions we can't break. What are you going to do with yourself for the next few hours?"
"Feed Krumpet, grab breakfast, and then get a hair cut and shave. I've been invited to a wedding."
"What a coincidence!" Stephanie said. "I've been invited to a wedding, too."
"You want to be my date?"
Smiling again, Stephanie said, "I'll be ready at three o'clock."
"I'll be there waiting for you, babe."
By twelve-thirty p.m., Nela and Zora were buzzing around the villa, taking care of business. Nela's ear was glued to her cell phone, contacting the photographer and marriage officer, making sure they were both prepared for the wedding. Zora had a hand full of Stephanie's hair, straightening her curls with smoothing lotion and a flat iron. Stephanie had decided to go with a sleek, elegant up-do for her wedding, in hopes of warding off any unexpected hair calamities.
Sitting in a chair in front of the mirror in the bathroom, Stephanie watched as Zora worked patiently with her hair. The stylist was getting each and every strand of hair sleek and shiny.
"You have stubborn curls, chile," Zora said in a Jamaican accent.
A transplant from Kingston Jamaica, Zora had been a wedding stylist on the Salt Cay Island for 15 years. And just like Nela and the photographer, Zora's services were included in the wedding package.
"You're doing a wonderful job," Stephanie said, admiring Zora's skills.
Gazing at her reflection in the mirror, a twist of longing coiled in Stephanie's stomach. Years ago, during her first wedding, this scene had included her mother and grandmother. Zora was a nice lady and all, but Stephanie was missing the familiar comfort of the matriarchs in her family. If they were here now, they'd be the one's fussing over her hair and make-up, driving her crazy in a loving kind of way. Stephanie was tempted to pick up the phone and call them, just to hear their voices.
Nela popped her head into the bathroom and smiled. "I'm going to check on your husband-to-be. I'll be back in a few minutes."
"Tell him I said hi," Stephanie said, giving Nela a finger wave.
"Keep dat head still, chile," Zora scolded Stephanie, sweeping a silky mane of hair into an up-do with the precision of a surgeon.
"My bad," Stephanie said, watching Zora carefully. "You're amazing."
Zora smiled at her handy work. "I know dat, gurl."
Placing gold, butterfly shaped hairpins on either side of Stephanie's head to hold the strands in place; she pulled a sleek shock of hair over the right side of Stephanie's face, just above her right eye, molding the style in place with a light mist of holding spray. Standing back a couple of steps, Zora stared at Stephanie through the mirror.
"Look at you, chile! You look beautiful. And you don't even have dat dress on yet."
Stephanie patted her hair and smiled at her reflection in the mirror. "I love it. It's simple and elegant. This is exactly what I wanted for my beach wedding."
Zora was ten minutes into the make-up part of her session when Nela popped her head into the bathroom again.
"Oh my goodness, Stephanie, your hair is beautiful! I told you Zora was the best on the island. Now let's push it into high gear, Zora. We have to get Stephanie into her dress."
"How's Ranger doing?" Stephanie asked Nela.
"As cool as a cucumber," Nela said through a smile.
Stephanie smiled proudly as Zora swiftly rubbed a silky, naturally hued foundation into her skin, adding a hint of blush to her cheeks. By two o'clock, Zora had Stephanie's face glowing and beautiful. And by two-fifteen, Stephanie was standing in the middle of the bedroom, wearing a nude colored, strapless lace bra and matching lace thong panties. Stephanie stepped into the dress and Nela and Zora carefully pulled the supple material up over her hips, pushing her arms through the thin straps.
"Turn around, chile," Zora said, rotating Stephanie's body so she could adjust the straps of the dress across her back. Hurried hands smoothed and pulled at the dress as Stephanie focused her attention on the front of the gown, smoothing the material with her hands. Then a pair of hands took Stephanie by her shoulders and turned her around, and she was suddenly staring at her mother and grandmother.
"Surprise!" Helen and Grandma Mazur said in unison, smiling wide. Stephanie let out a little shriek and covered her mouth with her hands, eyes wide with astonishment.
"Oh my God! What's going on? Where did you two come from?"
Grinning from ear to ear, "Helen said sheepishly, "We hope you're not upset. Ranger wanted us to surprise you."
Stephanie felt a rush of relief sweep over her body, like a wave from a tsunami. Words couldn't describe how happy she was to see these two women standing in front of her. Tears sprung to her eyes and Zora gasped in horror.
"Oh, no, chile! We don't have time for another round of make-up!"
Ignoring Zora's worried plea, Stephanie wrapped her mother and grandmother in her arms and the women held her tight. She was trying hard to keep it together, but a single tear made its way down her face, in spite of her efforts. Zora rushed to the bathroom for her make-up case, her heels clicking on the tiled floor.
"You're not mad at us for showing up, are you?" Grandma Mazur asked Stephanie. She was wearing a salmon colored, chiffon dress with a string of pearls around her neck and pearl clip-on earrings to match.
Helen was equally stunning in a cream colored dress made from batiste material. She had small gold hoops in her ears, cream colored pumps on her feet, and a dainty handbag to match.
"I've been thinking about you two all day," Stephanie said to her mother and grandmother. "I'm so glad you're here."
Zora quickly dabbed at Stephanie's face with her make-up sponge, fussing under her breath. Wearing a smile as wide as the Grand Canyon, Nela looked on, admiring the surprise family reunion while Helen and Grandma Mazur carefully inspected Stephanie from head to toe.
"You're a beautiful sight," Grandma Mazur said, smoothing out Stephanie's dress.
"Simply stunning," Helen agreed, grabbing Stephanie's shoes off the bed. She bent down and pushed her daughter's feet into the champagne colored heels.
"When did you get here?" Stephanie asked her mother as Nela and Zora quietly slipped out of the bedroom, handing over the reins.
"Friday night," Helen said, giving Grandma Mazur one pearl drop earring to put in Stephanie's ear while she put in the other.
"We're staying on an island ten miles from here," Grandma Mazur said. Turks Island."
"After you left the villa yesterday morning, Ranger came to get all of us."
Looking toward the bedroom door, Stephanie said, "All of whom?"
Helen looked sheepish again. She really didn't want to ruin Stephanie's day.
"Your father and Ranger's parents are here, too. Armena is hiding in the hallway. She said if you were upset about us being here, she'd be the first one on the boat back to Turks Island."
Stephanie beamed with delight. Her father was here to walk her across the white sands, and Ranger's parents were present to finally witness their son's commitment to a settled existence. Life couldn't get any better at the moment.
"Armena, get in here!" Stephanie yelled through the bedroom door.
Armena opened the door and peeked into the bedroom. "Are you okay with us being here, honey?"
"Please get in here and give me a hug," Stephanie said. "I'm thrilled that you're all here."
Armena stepped into the room and looked Stephanie over. Then she put a hand over her mouth and her eyes welled up with tears.
"You're so beautiful. I can't wait to see my son's face when he lays his eyes you."
Blinking rapidly, Stephanie swallowed hard. Zora was going to kill her if she messed up her make-up again.
Stephanie embraced her mother-in-law and kissed her cheek. Armena's long, straight hair was pulled back into a neat bun. She was wearing an organza dress, the color of a pink rose. Like Grandma Mazur, she also had on a string of pearls.
"How long has Ranger had this planned?" Stephanie asked the women.
"A few months back," Grandma Mazur said through her dentures. "He thought it would be nice to at least have a few members of the combined families here for support. Don't worry, though, it's just the four of us. You'll see everyone else at the reception back home."
Stephanie was far from worried. At the moment, she was elated to have all the parents in tow to witness her and Ranger's wedding ceremony. A private wedding had initially seemed like a good idea. But once she was on the island, finalizing the wedding plans, she longed to have her family near. For months, Ranger had worked behind the scenes, making sure their big day would truly be special. He'd made her one very happy woman today. And she hadn't even said I do yet.
"I can't even find the words to say how happy I am right now," Stephanie said, glancing at her support team. "How do I look? Am I ready to go?"
"You're ready, sweetie," Armena said.
Grandma Mazur grabbed the blue handkerchief of the bed, Helen took her daughter's hand, and then all the women escorted the bride out of the bedroom.
At two fifty-five, the women arrived at the wedding site in Balfour Town, pulling up in two separate golf carts. Stephanie, Grandma Mazur, and Helen, who was at the wheel, climbed out of one, and Armena, Nela and Zora angled out of the other. They all fussed with Stephanie's dress while Zora made sure her hair was still in place. After Nela placed a bouquet of tropical flowers in Stephanie's hand, they all walked toward the grassy knoll.
Already in place at the arch, Ranger stood next to his father. Ernesto was dressed in a casual, light gray suit with a white dress shirt open at the collar. And Ranger, waiting patiently for his bride, looked like he'd stepped right off the cover of a special beach wedding edition of GQ magazine. Strikingly handsome, his silky, dark hair was freshly cut, and he was wearing a
3-piece, Irish cut linen suit, tailor made to fit every muscle on his body. The suit's ivory hue complimented Ranger's smooth, brown skin perfectly. A white dress shirt with a champagne colored tie completed the remarkable ensemble. Krumpet was asleep on the grassy knoll. Apparently, he'd attended one too many weddings on the beach.
The marriage officer, a stocky man in his mid-sixties, watched from his place under the wedding arch as Frank walked up the small incline of the grassy knoll to escort his daughter to her groom. Like Ernesto, Frank was also wearing a casual suit a couple of shades darker than Ranger's ensemble. He had on a cream colored dress shirt, but no tie.
As the women handed Stephanie off to her father, he took one look at his daughter and gathered her into his arms, giving her a warm hug. A man of few words and restrained emotion, he said, "You ready to make this walk again?"
"Yes. I'm ready."
Stephanie linked arms with her father and they walked together across the white sands toward the arch.
There were no chairs on the beach, so the family stood in a semi circle around the wedding arch, along with Nela and Zora. The photographer, a tall, thin man with a thick head of light-colored hair, was already recording Stephanie and her father as they walked toward the small crowd.
Zoning in on his prize, Ranger seemed to stop breathing as Stephanie slowly approached him with her father on her arm. She locked eyes with her man and everything around them seemed to fade. For a beat, it was just the two of them, on a beautiful beach, gazing into each other's eyes. It wasn't until Stephanie reached his side that Ranger came out of the trance he seemed to be in. Frank threw him a look that silently said, "Don't screw this up," and then he kissed Stephanie on her cheek, taking his place by his wife's side. This was the second time he'd given his daughter away, and he wanted it to be the final time.
Ranger kept his eyes locked on Stephanie as he covered her hands with his.
"Are you okay?" He asked Stephanie in a whisper, making sure the surprise wasn't too much."
"I'm ecstatic," Stephanie said, glowing under the rays of the island's sun. "You've made me very happy."
His eyes dark and passionate, full of adoration, Ranger brought Stephanie's hands up to his lips and kissed them gently. "You're beyond beautiful, babe."
"You're quite a vision yourself," Stephanie told Ranger. "Are we going to do this or what?"
Ranger looked at the marriage officer and nodded his head lightly.
Twenty minutes later, after the standard vows were shared, and the rings securely placed, the marriage officer declared Ranger and Stephanie man and wife. Then he gave Ranger permission to kiss his bride. Without a second of hesitation, Ranger pulled Stephanie into his arms and gave her a kiss that made her toes curl inside her Via Spigas. And he didn't let her go for a while.
"We don't have all day," the marriage officer finally said, smiling as he glanced at his watch. "Break it up!"
Stephanie reluctantly pulled her lips away from Ranger's mouth, using a thumb to gently wipe lipstick off his lips. Glancing at her husband with a seductive stare, Stephanie silently teased Ranger with her eyes.
"Boy, the temperature just shot up one hundred degrees," Grandma Mazur said, fanning her face with her hands as everyone stood laughing and clapping, surrounding Stephanie and Ranger.
Ranger's lips spread into a megawatt smile and he kissed Stephanie one more time for good measure. The marriage officer raised both hands, quieting everyone down to make the official announcement.
"Ladies and gentlemen, I now introduce to you, Mr. and Mrs. Ricardo Carlos Manoso!"
Claps, hoots and hollers arose from the small audience, and Stephanie and Ranger took it all in, fully absorbing the reality of the moment. Finally, it was a done deal. Joined together as one, on a beautiful island with their family, Stephanie and Ranger were now man and wife. Wide awake and excited by all the clapping, Krumpet ran around in circles, chasing his tail, barking, and jumping up and down. The photographer gracefully moved around the crowd, recording the joy from every angle.
Ranger wrapped his arms around Stephanie's waist, pulled her tight to his body, and said, "Congratulations, Mrs. Manoso. I love you."
Encasing her arms around her husband's neck, Stephanie smiled and said, "Mrs. Manoso loves you more."