NOTE FROM THE AUTHOR: This may be a short but sweet chapter, but I think I will wind this story up before I run out of ideas. On a personal note, I may be taking some time off the boards to deal with some legal issues. The details are in my profile, but suffice it to say, that I will need to focus on that more than my stories.
We're gonna jump ahead just a bit to the reception. Assume that Matt, Lita, Christy and the rest of the wedding party are all at the same table. It may sound a bit sappy, but I just felt sentimental:)
Chapter Ten—Time (Clock Of The Heart)
"Matt?"
The happy groom glanced up to see Emily smiling at him and Lita. She looked rather lovely in a lilac blouse and gray skirt, and her hair was neatly styled with the sides up. "I just wanted to thank you for allowing my staff and me to be a part of you and Lita's big day."
"Thanks, Emily. We really appreciated you pulling the strings like you did," Matt answered cordially, as the others at the table smiled and nodded in agreement.
"Least I could do," the hospital admin shrugged. She paused and glanced down at the radiant bride. "Lita, you looked beautiful out there."
"Thank you," Lita smiled, before she gestured towards her matron of honor. Anna pulled out a small envelope from her purse and passed it to Lita, who handed it to Emily. "Here's a little thank you present."
"A gift card to Zellers." Emily looked very pleased as she opened the envelope. "Thank you. I saw the cutest pair of shoes there the other day, so I know where this will go. Congratulations again." With that, she turned and headed back to her table.
So far, the reception was a happy and relaxed affair. The guests enjoyed the catered meal (especially the wedding cupcakes), and the atmosphere was one of happy, yet quiet celebration (after all, it WAS still a hospital). It was also a slightly truncated affair, since most of the talent had to turn in early before they hit the road for their next house show appearances, and the kitchen staff would be available for only a couple of hours.
Which meant that the groom, best man and matron of honor would have to give their speeches sooner than later.
"Jay, I hope I don't make an ass of myself," Anna sighed to her husband. Her speech, as well as everyone else's, was short, sweet, and courtesy of the Internet. "I mean, I just printed it out an hour and a half ago."
"I'm sure you'll do fine," Jay reassured his wife. "You're just like me. Get me in front of a camera or a microphone, and it's like someone flips a switch." That was true. Anna and her husband were rather quiet and soft-spoken in private, but in public, they could more than hold their own with friends and acquaintances.
"Just imagine everyone in their underwear," Matt chimed in. He caught the stunned look on Anna's face and said, "Uh...are you okay?"
"I just pictured Snitsky in his underwear," gasped the matron of honor, as the rest of the table burst into laughter. "It's not funny! Jay and I are giving him a ride back to his hotel later."
"Yikes! Snitsky in his underwear!" Tyson nearly choked on his cup of Pepsi, and Gail had to whack him on the back.
"Nothing positive about that visual," Adam snickered, before taking a bite out of his wedding cupcake. "This was a smart idea, cupcakes instead of cake slices. Jeff and I might do this for our own wedding."
"Thank the bridezilla who didn't want the cake," Christy smiled. "It would have been a shame to see it go to waste."
"Okay," Trish fumbled through her purse for a piece of paper and a pen. "Note to self; wedding cupcakes. That IS a good idea. No wasted cake, and everyone gets a nice size portion"
"Totally agree." Anna stood up and picked up a wireless microphone from the table. "Okay, it's showtime, folks," she sighed, before turning it on. She paused, and then spoke. "Okay, can everyone hear me?"
After some answers in the affirmative, Anna let her gaze sweep over the small crowd of wedding guests. Then, she grinned slightly. It felt like someone had flipped a switch, and the shyness suddenly evaporated. "Hi, everyone. In case you don't know who I am, my name is Anna Reso, and I'm Lita's matron of honor. I'm here because it's my surrogate big sister's wedding day. I feel a little outclassed, because Lita, you make a beautiful bride. But, it's not my day. It's your day, and it's Matt's day.
"Lita has been a great friend in so many ways. We've had a lot of fun together, on the road and off, and she's always been there for me when things were tough. Whether it was three in the morning or three in the afternoon she remained loyal to me. She was there like no one else has been there for me, besides my own mom.
"Fun times, yes there were many. Who can forget midnight apple bobbing?" That was met with some knowing chuckles. Anna took that as a good sign and continued. "And the Christmas party three years ago, when you and Matt introduced me to a smirky young man who told me how much a polar bear weighed...enough to break the ice." The matron of honor gazed down sweetly at Jay, who returned the smile and surreptitiously squeezed her hand. "That smirky young man is now my husband.
"We've come to know one another so well, that we have an understanding that goes beyond words. When Matt proposed in the middle of the ring on Sunday night, Lita didn't really have to say much to make it clear to everyone that Matt was The One. All the signs were there... the special looks ... the way her face would light up when he was around. It all felt right as it happened, it all feels right today, and I know that the life they have ahead of them will feel just as right as it does today.
"Matt, Lita, I can see you both making a success of everything you do together, especially in your marriage. I know you both have the foundation for a wonderful marriage: not just lovers, but lifelong friends as well." At that point, Anna gazed down at her surrogate big brother. She wasn't crying but her voice was thick with emotion. "Matt, I want to say thank you. You make things entertaining and exciting for the rest of us. Every one of us is proud to be your friend, and we'd do anything for you. You're a giving person, you're always there if we need you, and we just love you to pieces." A pause. "Even though you can sometimes drive us crazy."
After some more hearty laughter, Anna continued. "So I'm just as glad as I can be that you and Lita are married, and I hope that your road goes on forever and your party never ends. Good luck to you, Lita, and to you, Matt. Thank you for bringing color into our lives, and I hope there's plenty in yours for many, many years." She reached down and picked up her cup of sparkling cider from the table. Lifting it up, she announced, "Ladies and gentlemen, I'd like to offer a toast: To Lita and Matt, and a wonderful life together."
After the toast finished, Anna concluded with, "Thank you. And as much as I appreciate you all being here, there's someone else who is just as appreciative, if not more so. Please welcome the groom. My surrogate brother, Matt."
There was a nice round of applause as Anna took her seat again. "Did I do okay, guys?"
"You did great!" Jay smiled before he pecked his wife on the cheek. "I'm proud of you."
"That was lovely, thank you." Lita nodded, before reaching under the table to sneakily pick up the gift bag she'd tucked into her robe before heading over to the reception. In it, she'd packed a few special gifts for the wedding party; handmade crystal bracelets in colors to match the wedding for Anna, Christy, and the bridesmaids, and stainless steel cufflinks for Adam and Jay, and a pewter dragon pendant for Tyson (she knew Tyson would never in a million years be seen in a sport coat, so the cufflinks for him would be out of the question). She had Emily to thank for rushing downstairs to the gift shop to pick them up before the ceremony.
Matt waited for the applause to die down before he stood up and took the mic. "On behalf of my wife and I, we'd like to thank you all for coming here today and sharing our special day with us. Today's one of those occasions where it's good to be surrounded by people who are important to you. We hope you're enjoying it every bit as much as we are, and we'd like to thank you for your kind wishes, cards, presents and support.
"We decided to get married as a spur of the moment thing, and we know it was short notice, but Lita and I are really impressed by how many people rallied round to help us pull this off today. If you're not mentioned by name and that's most of you, please be assured that Lita and I are very grateful.
"I'm thrilled beyond measure to be able to stand here today with Lita. I know this sounds a bit cliché, but I never knew what was missing in my life before I met her. Lita has been a source of friendship, support and love. We've been through so much, especially the past few months, and to be able to celebrate today..." Matt gazed down and took Lita's hand in his. "...It means everything to both my wife and me.
"Christy, thank you not only for your kindness this afternoon, but for also giving me your beautiful daughter. I promise I'll take good care of her and of course do everything she tells me to! So Christy, we have a present here for you."
Lita reached into the gift bag and gave Christy a pastel colored box with a silver bow on top. The mother of the bride was pleasantly surprised as she opened up her gift. Happily, she mouthed, It's beautiful! Thank you!
Matt continued. "I also want to say thank you to the matron of honor, Anna, who put up with Lita and me for all these years. You have been there for us both. While Lita was recovering from her neck surgery, Anna was more than willing to give of herself without being asked. And she continues to give of herself to this day." Lita passed Anna another pastel gift box. "Lita and I feel blessed to have you as a friend and surrogate sister, so we have a special present for you."
"You got this for me?" Anna was genuinely surprised as she opened up her gift. A tiny squeak escaped her lips. "I love it! This is so cool!"
Jay looked over his wife's shoulder. "Put it on, Babe. Lemme see how it looks on you."
Matt smirked at his best man. "I can imagine that Jay, my best man is getting impatient to make his speech soon. Now many people don't know that Jay suffers from a rare medical condition which causes him to invent outrageous stories. He really does believe these stories to be true, so I'll thank you all in advance for for humoring him during his speech."
That earned a round of hearty laughter, and a playful punch on Matt's arm by his best man. "We have a gift for you, Jay, and for our groomsmen, Adam and Tyson," Matt smiled, as Lita passed the black gift boxes out. "Thanks for all of you being here." Jay nodded and smiled, as did Tyson and Adam; they all liked their gifts.
"And finally, I want to thank the bridesmaids. Gail, Trish..."Matt continued, as Lita passed out the remaining gifts. "...Thanks for calming Lita's nerves and helping in her preparation today. I'd also like thank you for getting her to the venue in one piece and on time, you've done a fantastic job. We have a small gift for each of you as well, as a token of our appreciation."
"Well, that's it from me for now, but, before I pass you over to my best man, Ladies and Gentlemen, please stand and lift your glasses and join me in a toast to bridesmaids, the groomsmen, and everyone else at our table. Thank you for everything..."
~~~TIME~~~
Jay gave his wife's hand a gentle squeeze before he stood up and took the mic from Matt's outstretched hand. "Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen. I'd like to start by saying that my wife Anna has proofread this speech, so if you
consider any of the material inappropriate, it's her fault." The guests chuckled as Anna gave her husband a mock glare.
After a beat, Jay began his speech. "My name is Jay, and as is traditional on these occasions, I'm here to welcome you all to this very special day, point out the fire exits and for those of you who don't already know Matt, give you a little bit of a background on why Lita would put up with him the way she does.
"Firstly, on behalf of the Bridesmaids, I'd like to thank Matt for his kind words. I think everybody will agree that the bridesmaids look absolutely gorgeous and Lita, can I just say you look stunning. While Matt just looks...well, he looks stunned." That earned some hearty laughter and applause. "When Jeff asked me to stand in as Matt's best man, part of me was honored, part of me was terrified, but mostly I was laughing inwardly that he and Matt finally admitted what we've known all along, that I am, in fact, the better man.
"Having never been a best man before, I had to spend several hours surfing the internet to try and find out exactly what my duties would be. I also came across several pictures of Paris Hilton, but that's neither here nor there.
"So apparently the most important thing I had to do was make sure Matt got to the venue on time, looking presentable, clean-cut and sober. Given how nervous he was this morning, the 'sober' part was a minor miracle, and as for the rest, well, I got him there on time…
"Some of you, incidentally, may have been surprised by how calm and collected Matt has seemed today – he seemed to have avoided the wedding day jitters and kept insisting I'm fine, I'm fine! all day. However, that's probably because none of you saw him at 10 o'clock this morning when he was lying facedown on his bed in his hotel room, in shorts and a t-shirt, with me and Adam rubbing his back and Tyson trying to get him to eat just a few more cornflakes."
The crowd busted up laughing, and Jay glanced down at the groom, who looked slightly annoyed, but was chuckling along with the guests. "Sorry, Matty, you know I couldn't resist. Anyway, where was I?"
"Matt was born on September 23, 1974; 23 years to the day the Seattle Mariners broke the record for most home runs in a year, and he shares a birthday with such notables as Harry Connick Jr, Mickey Rooney, and Miss America 1997, Michelle Tolson. None of these, however, have had any noticeable effects on either his musical talent, physical attractiveness or acting ability.
"I've known Matt for over half a decade, during the Brood days, and we had so much fun on the road, along with Matt, his brother Jeff, who's here with us in spirit, and my surrogate brother and friend for over two decades now, Adam.
"When I first met Matt, I was told that he was the "quiet brother." As those of you who know him can tell, he hasn't changed much. Maybe his hairline has—a little bit anyway!-but not him. Over the years, he's proven to be one of the best friends a guy could have. From sharing a room on the road, partying with him, and carrying him back to his hotel room when he's become a little too... ahem... emotional.
"While drunkenly singing karaoke in a hotel bar, he's been a fantastic friend. I don't say this about anyone but those who are my closest friends, but there's nothing I wouldn't do for him, and likewise, nothing he wouldn't do for me. In fact we spend our whole lives doing nothing for each other. By the way, I should just say that if he challenges anyone to an arm-wrestle later on, use your left arm. And if he grins and asks you to pull his finger, I'd advise you to leave quickly and quietly by the nearest available exit."
Matt smacked Jay playfully on the arm as the guests broke up laughing.
Once the mirth died down somewhat, Jay became a bit more serious. "When Matt first met Lita, I knew there was something special happening. Having been a bit randy before then, he was absurdly proud of never having bought a drink for a woman, so when he bought Lita a rose and a drink on Valentines Day four and a half years ago, we could tell it was something special.
"And when Lita and Matt introduced me to their surrogate kid sister, who would become my wife just two and a half years later, I knew that they were something special.
"They've now been together for a long time, and I can't think of a single couple more perfect for each other. She brings out the good side in him, which takes a lot of effort; in fact I'd say she's made him a better person since they've been together. Lita, I'd like to thank you on behalf of humanity for that.
"So to wrap this up, I'd just like to say that marriage is not about finding someone you can live with, it's about finding someone you can't live without.
"So if everyone would like to join me in a toast to the new Mr and Mrs Hardy, Matt and Lita. May your love be modern enough to survive the times, and old fashioned enough to last forever.
"Ladies and Gentlemen: The Bride and Groom."
~~~TIME~~~
Dr. Jarvis, a plump looking blonde doctor, stepped into her office to dial an important phone number. Two rings. "Yes, Dr. Yamamoto. This is Dr. Jarvis, I'm returning your call. Yes, yes, thank you. The new Mrs. Hardy is recovering quite nicely, thank you. She's going to be released tomorrow. Really? Well, this definitely is a game changer. She can still be released, no problems, right? Okay, that's good to hear. They'll definitely want to hear this..."
NOTE FROM THE AUTHOR: If this chapter seemed a bit choppy, apologies. I kinda wonder what kind of news Dr. Yamamoto has for Dr. Jarvis, as well as Matt and Lita. Rest assured, it's not anything bad or tragic, but like Dr. Jarvis said, it's a game changer.
The chapter title is Time (Clock Of The Heart) by Culture Club.
REVIEWS = LOVE
ATTENTION READERS: I'm going to take a break from this story. I've got some Writer's Block with this one, and plot bunnies abound with others. Don't worry-I WILL come back to this story-I just don't want to write something that I know could turn out better. Suffice it to say that there's a discrepancy with the DNA test on Lita's baby, and the test will need to be redone.