part 12
The next night every inch of the Pub gleamed and glowed with the evidence of their hard work. With the unexpected donation from Victor, the bar was declared open, and the kitchen out did itself. Despite the underlying nervousness around the recent news, everyone worked just as hard at enjoying themselves as they had at readying the eatery. But Sami couldn't calm down. She wanted everything to go smoothly, every bite and every drink to be up to her grandparent's high standards, for these people, especially for these people who had brought so much of themselves and their memories here tonight. And most of all she watched her aunts, her cousins and her siblings, most of whom had long memories of the Pub at its best, for their reactions.
"You're going to jump out of your skin." Lucas told her, walking up to put his arm around her shoulder.
"I am if you keep sneaking up on me." Sami protested. "Lucas, I thought you knew how important this night is to me."
"Not as important as tomorrow night, when you've got paying customers." Lucas laughed, and ducked as she swung one of the new menus at his head.
"Very funny. Do you have any idea how much we spent on advertising this reopening? And we have the best word of mouth publicity possible. This place has always been the best casual spot in Salem."
"I disagree." Lucas grinned. "The upstairs here is a lot more comfortable, and I don't need a shirt or shoes to eat there."
"Keep this up and I'll change the rules." Sami said, but his laughter was infectious. "No Generals Allowed."
"Sami, is my son disturbing you?" Kate asked, walking up to the couple.
"Constantly." Sami answered, enjoying Lucas' wide eyed response.
"Then let me get him out of your way for a little while. Laura has some new ideas for the Horton Foundation and Lucas needs to hear them. Go on over and listen to her, Lucas, just because I was okay about your engagement doesn't mean you get to ignore me the rest of your life."
"I don't ... I ... Mom!" Lucas yelled, sounding to both women amusingly like his son.
"You know, I can't believe how often I've said this lately." Sami grinned. "Thanks, Kate."
"Keep it quiet, will you?" Kate laughed. "I'm trying to rebuild my reputation as a tough executive type."
"Oh absolutely. What's going on at Basic Black these days?"
"Glad you asked. We're getting ready for the yearly corporate luncheon, and I want to bring it over here. Those suits and all our new interns could use a relaxed atmosphere. I'm looking at a date before Halloween. How much a plate have you figured for that kind of event?"
"Fifteen dollars a plate, lunch. Thirty for dinner. And that's a discount rate for a family business."
Sami immediately replied.
"Deal. I'll firm the date and fax you tomorrow. And Sami, if no one else has said it tonight, I think Roman would be smiling all over his face to see all this." Kate said, with a touch of sadness that had never left her eyes.
"I know he would. He had this thing about tradition, I dunno, kinda an Irish hang-up." Sami laughed. Roman had been a major point of their old disputes, but now he'd become the bond between yet another pair of former enemies.
The night went on like that, and Sami's confidence blossomed with the smiles and congratulations she got. So many people she loved, so many people who'd been broken hearted by their losses, and came back whole and hale to fight and love another day were gathered together here that it almost scared her. But the plague was over, they were safe from that threat, at least, and their future, although hardened by grief, was looking better every day.
Looking around the Pub, Sami counted off the happy, healthy faces of friends and kin, treasuring each one in her heart of hearts. Brady had managed to get Chloe here for the weekend. Phil Collier was in from LA, trading tales of the woman they both loved with Shane. Cassie was sitting between Belle, Rex, Mimi and Phillip, looking like she'd never seen this many people happy at once. Liz Curtis and her kids were singing along with a Pub song that Sean had taught every returning customer. Tony was chatting with Nicholas, Hope, Carly, and Billie, and another newcomer, who'd slipped in as quietly as she once entered Salem. Greta was here, Sami realized, hugging Hope, and Billie, and curtseying to the other 'princess' in the room. Lucas, with a mug of straight ginger ale in one hand was gesturing excitedly with the other while he talked to Laura and Will, Kayla and MIke. And Kim was the one who took Sami by complete surprise, when she walked over to kiss John on the cheek and raise her mug of ale, to make a toast.
"Hush, now, all of ye!" she called out, tapping a spoon against her mug. "I'm standing to sing the praises of the people who made this grand night happen. Those who are with us, and those who are lookin' down on our joy and sadness together. My Da and Ma opened this Pub more years ago than some of the young ones here have yet lived. And they did it after a cruel hearted man set their market afire. And they did it with the help of a man I will always, always think of as another brother. It was their dream and their joy for many years after, and we were all blessed to have them walking the earth that long a time.
But tonight, because of this same dear man, who if he wasn't should've been born an Irishman and a Brady, Our beloved brother John, has made it possible for the Brady Pub to live on in joy and pride for many, many more years to come. But even his generosity was not enough to make this night happen, that took the wisdom of my parents, and the determined love of their granddaughter, and as surely as I stand here tonight, that same granddaughter, Samantha Gene Brady"
"Oops," Sami called out, laughing. "Now I know I'm in trouble!:
Hush ye, Lass, Now, as I was saying , my loud mouthed niece over there., has done the most healing thing after this nightmarish summer that anyone could possibly have done for us.. She's brought us all together again, in joy, in song and in love, to re-open and re celebrate our lives and our loves, Together we made the Pub shine with all the love my folks ever put into it and more. Together we restored ourselves and our souls to make this place a home again. And together in our futures, wherever they may take us, will always, always bring us back here, to know that love, and that joy, to share our griefs and our sorrows. To know each other and know our real strength is in each other. And I'm happy to be the one to tell ye, if you haven't already heard, that our own Sami Brady has made her new home here, where my brothers and my sister and I grew up, with her own darling son, and the man she's chosen for her own heart. And that will be the starting up of the grand Brady tradition all over again. Gentles, all, I give you Sami and Lucas!"
Happy chaos now erupted as the whole crowd echoed Kim's good wishes. Lucas was seen trying to duck and cover, but Kayla had him firmly by the collar and soon delivered him to his blushing bride to be.
'Running out on me already?" Sami teased him quietly.
"Me? Not at all. I was just feeling somewhat ..."
"Outnumbered? You are, General, you are. I took a head count earlier, On your side of the families you've got Phillip, Kate, Mike, Robin and Jeremy, Laura, and Billie, and if you stretch a point, Hope and Zach. But on my side I've got Kim, Kayla, Andrew, Stephany, Jeannie, Cassie, Rex, Belle, John, and Shane, And my money's on Tony, Meems, and Greta swinging my direction."
"Oh you've got Tony and Greta? Well, I happen to know that my brother Phillip is winning the heart of at least one of your sisters. So that brings Belle or Cassie over into my camp. That pretty much evens it out, when you consider Tony's my boss and thinks very highly of me., these days. Huh, what are they doing now?"
A clinking, clanging sound filled the room and Sami laughed and shook her head at the crowd, all standing and tapping spoons to glasses.
"Hey, that's for the reception!" she called out. "We haven't even locked down the church yet."
"Have the wedding here!" Cassie called back, laughing. "I hear there's tons of crash space upstairs!"
Sami turned to Lucas who suddenly grinned as a thought crossed his mind. "We could always elope."
"No way, Buster. I've waited all my life for a real, all stops out, high gear wedding to a man who knows me inside out and loves me anyway. So, Lucas Roberts. We're either calling on Tod Curtis to do the deed here and now, or we're tying the knot with every tradition and ritual I can find., on Thanksgiving.., or as close to it as we can get."
"Thanksgiving? Yeah, you mentioned that a couple of times, now. But I don't get it." Lucas admitted.
"Because," Sami smirked, "once our part of that wedding and reception are over, I'm going to make you the most grateful man in Salem."