"Oh, Janet! Congratulations!" Tears were in Terri's eyes as she embraced her friend. "So when are you getting married?"
"We haven't set a date yet. Oh, Terri, it was so romantic! He took me out to this fancy restaurant to ask me. He wanted to get married right there and then at Caesars Palace, but I told him I didn't want to get married without you and Jack being there. This ring was his grandmother's. His grandfather gave it to her before he went away to war." Janet turned the ring around and around on her finger, admiring the way it sparkled.
"A family heirloom - that's even more special!" Terri enthused.
Jack arrived a few minutes later. "Whew, what a day!" he exclaimed. He saw that both girls were sitting on the sofa, smiling at him. "Hey, what's up?"
"Janet has something important to tell you," said Terri.
Unable to restrain herself any longer, Janet held the finger with the ring on it up. "Well." Jack frowned. "When did this happen?"
"Last night, in Las Vegas," Janet told him.
"So you're definitely gonna marry the tea sipper, then."
"Oh, Jack, don't talk about Leslie like that! He's a wonderful man!"
"And you think he can support you on a ventriloquist's salary?"
Janet snorted. "You sound so nineteen fifties! In case you haven't noticed, I have a job, too!"
Jack propped his chin on one hand and stared into her eyes. "Yeah, and what's gonna happen when you have a baby? Child care's expensive, you know!"
"That's way down the road! We haven't even talked about having a family yet, but when that day comes, I'm sure we'll be able to work something out."
"I just wanted to make sure you'd thought it all out first."
"I appreciate your concern, Jack, I really do, but I am a big girl now, you know."
He fake pouted, so she hugged him and kissed his cheek.
That weekend, Janet and Terri went shopping for dresses. "Oh, I love this!" Janet exclaimed when she saw a floor-length white dress with tiers of white lace and a red ribbon belt about the waist.
Terri raised and eyebrow. "Off the shoulders?"
Janet shrugged. "Sure, why not? Leslie will love it!"
Janet's parents and younger sister Jenny flew in from Indiana several days before the wedding was scheduled to take place, and Leslie and Janet went to the airport together to meet them.
"It's so nice to see you again, darling!" Ruth Wood exclaimed as she embraced her daughter.
"You must be Leslie." Roland's eyes gave Leslie a quick appraisal.
"It's a pleasure to meet you, sir." Leslie smiled as he shook the older man's hand.
"It's good to know my daughter's marrying a man who knows how to speak the language properly," Roland remarked.
"The proper version of it, anyway," Leslie quipped. They both laughed.
"Oh, Janet, I could just listen to him talk all day!" Ruth exclaimed.
"So could I!" Janet replied.
"Do you have any younger brothers?" Jenny asked.
"I've two of them, one here and one back in London," Leslie told her.
"Could you please introduce me to the one who lives here?"
Leslie laughed. "Sorry, but there's already someone he fancies."
"Aw," Jenny pouted.
Leslie and Janet accompanied Janet's family to the motel and helped them get settled in, then returned to the apartment.
"Just imagine," Leslie said as he gave Janet a hug and kiss outside the door. "In less than a week's time, we won't have to bid one another good-bye at the end of the day anymore."
"I can hardly wait!" Janet replied. "There's only one thing about it that I think is kind of sad."
Leslie frowned. "What's that?"
"That your family can't be here too."
"Ah, Janet, it's so sweet of you to think of them, but Mum and Dad understand. They send us their best wishes, and I promised to send them plenty of photographs."
The day of the wedding finally arrived. Reverend Snow had graciously agreed to perform the ceremony, and Chrissy and Cindy were both in attendance. Terri and Nigel sat happily holding hands. The sofa and coffee table had been temporarily moved to make room for several rows of folding chairs, and Reverend Snow stood facing them, with Leslie standing across from him.
Organ music began to play, and Roland escorted Janet down the aisle to stand beside Leslie, who was clad in a black tuxedo. She wore the dress she'd admired, and Leslie's eyes nearly popped out when he saw her. He couldn't believe how lovely she was.
"Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today to join this man and this woman in holy matrimony," Reverend Snow began. "If anyone has reason to object to this union, let him speak now, or forever hold his peace."
He paused for a moment, then continued. "Do you, Leslie Stephen Bennington, take this woman, Janet Ruth Wood, to be your lawfully wedded wife, to love, honor, and cherish her, for better or worse, for richer or poorer, in sickness and in health, forsaking all others and cleaving only to her, until death do you part?"
"I do," said Leslie.
"Do you, Janet Ruth Wood, take this man, Leslie Stephen Bennington, to be your lawfully wedded husband, to love, honor, and cherish him, for better or worse, for richer or poorer, in sickness and in health, forsaking all others and cleaving only to him, until death do you part?"
"I do," said Janet.
"May I please have the ring?" asked Reverend Snow.
"The ring?" A look of panic appeared on Jack's face as he searched his pockets, then began to pat his clothing in desperation. "Oh my God, the ring!"
