Chapter 7 – Bliss
Four weeks after I left D.C. a courier dropped a package off for me. It was from Sonja and included an open air plane ticket. Sonja was inviting me to meet her in LA to go to Disneyland of all places. I put in for leave and looked forward to our adventure to the happiest place on earth.
The call finally came and I boarded the plane for the short flight Sonja was already in Anaheim when my plane landed. She met me at the airport looking as beautiful as ever. As we walked to retrieve my weapon, she told me that she had chosen to wait in the terminal until I landed.
Once at the hotel we checked in and then made a quick detour to the bar before we went up to the room.
I have to be honest that the first thing that came to my mind was about the sleeping arrangements. I can only suspect that it was due to the slowing economy that she got the elaborate one bedroom suite that we had but that didn't guarantee that I would not be sleeping on the pullout sofa.
Our bags were in our room after we came out of the bar.
Sonja said "I'm going to hang up my clothes, how about you?" We did so in silence until Sonja asked "do you want the right side or the left side of the bed?
"Well", I spoke up, "it really doesn't matter as long as you're in there with me." With that she put her clock on the end table along with her cell phone charger.
We had an early dinner then made our way back to the room. There all the pent up passion, frustration and want came out. We talked about going to run the next day, but were still in the bed at 2 p.m.
The next day we did go work out and ran but succumbed to the passion when we showered together. Another day gone.
We made plans to go to the park where I had arranged for a special dinner. When we got to the park, we were met by a golf cart that took us to Cinderella's horse drawn carriage. After a ride around the park, we got out to a gazebo where an extravagant dinner had been plan. Of course the table looked like it came out of a fairytale. The dessert course consisted of citrus cheesecake.
As Sonja took her last bite I went over to her seat and knelt in front of her. "Marry me Sonja" I said. I saw the puzzled look on her face and replied "look Sonja, we'll just have to work it all out, but I know that I want you in my life forever."
I pulled the jewelry box from my jacket pocket. This was my grandmother's wedding band that I hope that you will wear after we are married. This matches the sparkles that I see your eyes when they tear up while you are watching a touching movie. One thing that the LaSalle money provides is access to items not always available to the general public. The engagement ring was a one of a kind and had impressed me when I walked into a shop while on a business trip to Mexico.
I couldn't breathe until she finally said "Oh Chris why would I make it so difficult? While my mind wants to convince me that this would never work, my heart is confirming that I love you more than any man that I have ever met. Yes, I will marry you." Well the Disney people must have been ease dropping because all of a sudden the song from the movie started playing "I Love You". I pulled her into my arms and we stood there just swaying until the song was over.
"So my beloved one, is there anything else that you want to see in the park tonight?" "No dear, I just want to get these shoes off". We both just cracked up. I paged the golf cart and soon we were back on our way to the lagoon and then to our hotel room.
We came back to the park two more days and really did the Disneyland tourist thing. We would have plenty of pictures for our photo album. I even got out to play a round of golf while Sonja went to the spa.
Flying out of Anaheim was just crazy. It was convention time and there were hundreds of people coming in to the city as she caught her flight back east. I left for 'Nola' three hours later.
We flew back to Alabama a month later and were married. You can get a license and married in one day. Our family and friends were disappointed that we didn't have a big wedding but we were just fine with a Courthouse wedding and honeymooned at the boarding house.
We had a lot of screen time to plan our life or at least try to. Quite frankly I thought that we kicked too many decisions down the street of life.
Two years into the marriage, we decided to have a baby. It took a whole year, but we were finally able to conceive.
Since she was 'benched' during her pregnancy, Sonja came back New Orleans the last two months of her pregnancy.
Sonja's mother came a week before the baby was due. I was secretly relieved that they had arranged for her to stay in the City with Miss Loretta.
I enjoyed being with her to do all of those things that a husband and an expectant father gets to do. I became an expert at back rubs. Sonja's feet were swollen up just horribly bad and she enjoyed the foot rubs as well.
Sonja was still driving after she arrived. The baby was kicking excessively. I could even feel her kick a couple of times while in bed. Sonja often spent the day with her mother these last few days. The house seemed cramped to me with all of the baby stuff.
Tammy laughed constantly at me. I jumped every time my phone rang. When Sonja went past her due date, I half way relaxed. King reminded me that the baby had to come out some time. And so we waited!
