The Shooting Star

The Shooting Star

Chapter Ten: Wedding Preparation

The following days were busy ones for both girls. Phone calls to parents and friends, Velma busy with repairs to the 'spirit', Daphne working with the planners for the upcoming wedding. Fred had been released, followed by Shaggy a few days later. Either by accident, being busy, or as a practical joke, Daphne had indeed made reservations for Shaggy and Velma for one room, one bed. It was changed immediately.

The big day was fast approaching with all four friends busy with fittings and last minute preparations. Fred and Daphne had settled on an afternoon beach wedding, taking advantage of Bermudas wonderful weather and 'blushing' pink beaches. They had also moved their reservations to another hotel for a little privacy after the wedding.

On the occasion of one of those fittings Velma stood on the raised platform; having a 'discussion' with the seamstresses. The dress had been designed to be worn strapless but Velma wanted straps added.

Marilyn Dinkley knocked and entered, listening for a short while before saying,

"I stopped by to invite you to lunch" she told her daughter, then turned to the head seamstress, "Go take a break and let me talk to my daughter, maybe I can be of some help", turning back to Velma she said, "come on down, you can have a break too."

"Okay, what's with the straps?" she asked Velma.

"I want straps but they don't want to do the little extra work!" an exasperated Velma said.

"Why do you want straps on a strapless gown is what I meant?"

"I've always been self conscious about my breasts, you know that. Going strapless just magnifies the problem."

"And two little straps will change that? Who will be looking at your breasts?"

"Every guy there!"

"Of course they will; they're men. I'm guessing Shaggy will be your escort?"

"Yes, of course."

"You know what all those men will be thinking? They will see a beautiful, young, and vibrant woman, and then they'll see your arm resting on Shaggys' arm and say 'What a lucky guy, I wish I was in his place.' "The decision is yours of course but you want to know what I'd do? I'd take the attitude of "Look! But I'm with my man and nothing you can say or do will change that fact.' I'd make Shaggy so proud he was my escort he'd beam with pride. Now, let's get this fitting done and have lunch, I'm famished.

The fitting finished, Velma slipped into a black, white and yellow diagonal striped sun dress with matching horizontal stripes and lace across the bodice and joined her mother.

Marilyn had picked a shaded table with a beautiful view of the ocean and the sound of the surf in the background.

"Where's Dad? Isn't he joining us?" Velma wondered, looking around for her father.

"No, he's on an errand. He's looking for something that hopefully doesn't exist" Marilyn laughed.

"You got him out of the way so we could talk!?"

"Guilty. Did you make your decision on the straps?"

"Yes, I thought about what you said but my decision was based on something you and dad taught me, to be proud of whom I was and of my accomplishments. I admit I may not have always done that. I did make a change on the dress but I'm not telling anyone. You will have to wait."

'Your mother may be old but she's not blind yet…I've observed certain things since we arrived…is there something going on between you and Shaggy that your dad and I need to know about?"

Velma took a deep breath, exhaling slowly, stalling for time. 'What was going on between her and Shaggy and how to tell her mother?'

"There is no simple answer to that question. Mom, let me tell you about three things that has happened on this trip. First, Shaggy performed one of the most heroic things! He stayed at the wheel of the 'Spirit' with an injury that would have made any man faint. Yes, he's told me he loves me which scares the daylights out of me.

The second occurred a few days after he was released from the hospital. We usually meet for breakfast but he wasn't there and neither Fred nor Daphne had seen him. I was near panic mode, thinking something had happened to his leg. I decided to walk the beach before sounding an alarm.

I found him far down the beach, too far. He had walked as far as his leg would allow. I sat down beside him, telling him how worried I had been. He asked me to look toward the ocean and tell him what I saw. I said all I saw was a lot of water and beach. He pointed at a dead sea gull. 'Did you see the gull?' he asked. 'No, not until you pointed it out' I told him. He said that when he arrived the gull was injured and that the other gulls were pecking it to death. With his injured leg he tried to help but was helpless to stop the other gulls. When the injured gull was dead, they just left.

He asked me if I'd go back; find a box big enough for the gull and plastic to wrap the box. When I got back, he'd climbed an outcropping, digging a grave. Mom, the pain must have been excruciating. He wouldn't let me help, wanting to bury the gull himself. I watched this man I've known my whole life place that dead bird in the box so gently you've thought it was a baby. He wrapped the box in the plastic, climbed back up the outcropping and buries the box…where are the Kleenex when you need one?"

"This is turning into a two box story…waiter! Could we have two boxes of Kleenex?... thank you." Marilyn corrected, then turned her attention back to Velma who continued.

"When he finished, he climbed down, limped over, reached out his hand and said ' It's done…we can go now'.

The third thing I want to tell you about happened just yesterday. We were on the beach when he said his leg was tired so we stretched out on the sand. I wasn't paying attention at first. As we talked he'd drawn a heart and put our initials in inside like a little boy carving initials in a tree.

So that's it…mom, you and everyone else knows Shaggy as the guy afraid of his own shadow, who eats everything and anything in sight. I've been privileged to see glimpses of Shaggy he won't let Fred or Daphne see. I've seen him impress a battle hardened combat veteran to the point of calling him a soldier without an uniform, I've seen him show compassion for a dead bird that no one would even notice and I've seen him like a little boy."

"And the problem is…?" her mother asked, prompting more.

"The problem is…I've always looked at Fred and Shaggy as my older brothers. Shaggy has changed that. With him telling me he loves me I can never look at him as a friend or older brother!

The problem is…after all I told you, he'll hold me, kiss me, and my mind becomes mush. And then he'll pull one of his famous antics that will make me laugh till my sides hurt. Is that love? To shiver all over when he takes my hand, to want to cry over his compassion for a dead bird of all things, to want his kiss even though it's thrilling and scary at the same time? Is that how you felt with dad?"

"Felt?" Marilyn asked. "Velma, would it surprise you to know your dad can still make me feel that way. Sometimes when we are out on the 'Spirit' and the days work is done, I like to take my 'desert' coffee out on the aft deck and watch the water and the dolphins play. Your dad will come up behind me and put his arms around me, just hold me. I look at my watch and an hour has passed that felt like ten minutes. Yes, your dad can still make feel that way.

The thing to remember, Velma, isn't that you've seen Shaggy do these acts but the fact that he's allowed you to see those acts. I think what scares you, isn't Shaggy, it's that for the first time you have a real man in your life that really loves and adores you and you don't know how to handle it and maybe that's my fault.

Velma, I've watched you blush at the mere mention of his name, I've seen you look for him across a room then drop your eyes when he looks back, I've seen him touch the back of your chair if he thinks someone is watching or caress your hair and touch your shoulder if he thinks no one is watching. I've seen you caress that hand on your shoulder with your cheek. I've seen you break out with the brightest smile when he enters a room. If that isn't love, I don't know what is! Now, off you go, Shaggy has been peeking around the corner at us for a while; waiting not too patiently for you. He's either shy or polite to interfere. I do want to tell you one more thing…I approve of Shaggy based on what you've told me today…I'll be proud to call him son. Now, get out of here and go see him!"

She watched her daughter skip down the steps, meeting Shaggy as she neared the corner of the building. She noticed her husband of twenty five years approaching rose and walked slowly toward him. Throwing her arms around his neck she said in not too low of a voice, "Harold Dinkley, I love you"

"Marilyn! What's gotten into you and in front of all these people?"

"These people be damned. I love you and I'm feeling frisky, what are you going to do about it?" she whispered in his ear.

The End of book one: The Shooting Star