The classical band that had played Pachelbel's Canon and a background harmony during the vows sat still in their seats at the cumulation of the ceremony. Instead, upbeat music blasted from the speakers taking everyone, except the brides, by surprise. Until now the proceedings had been traditional and elegant as Lorna had desired, but now the fun began. Nicky had taken precautions to ensure that neither the cocktail hour, dinner, or party afterwards would be anything like the stuffy society weddings she had often been forced to attend as a child. She wanted everyone to have a good time.
Laughing loudly as they stared into one another's eyes, Nicky and Lorna joined hands and stepped down from the intrinsically detailed cherry wood altar they'd had built for their garden wedding. Nicky had spared no expense to give Lorna the day she had fantasized about since she was a little girl. Every element had a personal touch and the wedding coordinator's team had done their jobs well. Lorna was positively glowing, the sparkle in her eyes matched the diamond chandelier earrings Nicky had bought her for her birthday. She looked like a princess in a lace gown with a deep V-neck and a full skirt.
When their feet touched the red-carpet aisle runner, Nicky, in her tailored white pantsuit, leaned back to straighten the cathedral length train of Lorna's gown and smooth out her long veil which was like a river of tulle behind her. A smile stretched on her lips as she winked playfully at Lorna and then took her hand again. Nicky had refrained from looking around at the congregated group of friends and family during the ceremony, keeping her eyes keenly focused on her blushing bride, but now she looked over at Red, who was seated in the front row, and her face broke out into a wide grin.
"She's happy," Red almost sobbed, as she clutched Gloria's arm tightly and was helped to her feet. Alexei was sitting on his Grandmother's other side and he protectively placed a hand on her back until she was steady.
"And you're a mess," Gloria replied, taking in Red's watery eyes and flushed cheeks. "I never really thought you'd be the type to cry at weddings. You gonna be okay?"
"They both looked so beautiful and Nicky's just happier than I've ever seen her," Red said, ignoring the sarcasm in Gloria's tone. She reached her free hand up to caress Gloria's face. "You shouldn't speak so fast, darling. Look how red your eyes are."
"That's actually allergies," Gloria replied.
"To what?" Red blinked, her hand giving out powerlessly and falling down to her side. She was so used to this weakness by now that she didn't even skip a beat. "Maple trees?" she asked.
"I don't know," Gloria said, taking out a Kleenex from the large pack of them stored in her purse for Red. She quickly brought the tissue to her nose just in the time for a sneeze. "Something around here is bugging me though," she replied, "good thing I brought my Claritin." She pulled out a capsule of allergy medication from her purse and popped it into her mouth. Since it was Autumn, most of the plants in the garden were perennials, nary a flower in sight. Maple trees with their leaves changed in tones of red, orange, and yellow surrounded them. It was a beautiful and calming space, and Gloria seemed to be the only one affected by allergies.
Rolling her eyes, Red turned away from Gloria and busied herself craning her neck to keep the two brides in view as they danced their way up the aisle. Nicky and Lorna were taking their time. Having fun, they moved with the music and stopped at every aisle to chat and embrace their guests, most of whom began to spill out informally into the aisle and surround the brides. Everyone was laughing, eager to mingle and celebrate in a fun alternative to a receiving line. Though they had begun to follow carefully behind their aunts in the procession, Vera and Emilia had hightailed it over to their family instead when they found their path blocked anyway.
"Did I do good, Grandma?" Emilia asked breathlessly, bouncing over to stand in front of her while her hands twisted excitedly at the fabric of her golden gown.
"Red!" Gloria said sharply, with a touch of impatience when Red still continued to look over her shoulder at Nicky. She couldn't take her eyes off of her. It was such an emotional experience, watching the daughter she loved get married. She had missed out on attending her sons' wedding days and it was one of her biggest regrets.
"Hmm?" Red blinked, looking back into Gloria's annoyed face. "What?"
"Your granddaughter was just speaking to you," Gloria said, motioning to Emilia who was still shifting side to side in front of Red, waiting to be noticed and adored.
"You looked so beautiful up there, Emmy!" Red told her, watching as her youngest grandchild beamed at her words.
"Really?" Emilia giggled.
"Of course," Red replied, as she dabbed at her tearful eyes with a tissue. Pulling slightly at Gloria's arm that was linked with hers, Red started lowering herself back down into the comfortable wicker chairs provided, complete with wine red coloured cushions.
"And just between us," Gloria added in a hushed whisper, "I just have to say that you and Vera were by far the prettiest bridesmaids. I'm not so sure that Lorna's nieces' dresses did anything for their colouring."
"Where is Vera, anyway?" asked Red.
"Probably snuck off to change into a pair of jeans when nobody was watching," Alexei joked. "She doesn't even look like herself today."
"No, stupid," Emilie rolled her eyes at her big brother, "she's beside Daddy." She pointed over at her sister who was sitting in a vacant chair at the end of the second row, resting her head on Vasily's shoulder while they checked something on his cell phone together. They all turned to follow her finger and Red's eyes narrowed when she saw the phone out.
"You better not have been on that this entire time," Red told her son warningly.
"No, Ma," Vasily assured her, looking up from the screen with a wry grin on his face. "I just took it out now…" The music was beginning to die away as the place cleared out aside from themselves. The officiant had announced cocktails being served on a stone patio just a quick walk away, which was where everyone was headed.
"I saw those lovey eyes during the vows, V," Lida teased, walking across the grass towards them, pushing the empty wheelchair she'd moved discreetly to the back once Red had gotten settled before the ceremony. Pausing to stand behind her husband, she wrapped her arms around Vasily's neck and smiled. "Were you remembering how happy you were the day you married me?"
"Why would I do that?" Vasily teased, stretching up to catch his wife's lips in an affectionate kiss.
"Gross," Vera rolled her eyes, as she lifted her head off of her father's shoulder and got up to move a couple of spaces over into Luca's vacant seat. He, Yuri, and Maxim had all left their seats as soon as the ceremony had ended.
"Don't go too far with that, missy," Vasily told his daughter, pointing a hand lazily at the phone Vera still clutched. "You know the rule. No personal phones until you can pay for it yourself."
"This isn't my personal phone, it's yours," Vera corrected him. Leaning forward in her chair to rest her chin on Gloria's shoulder who was seated in front of her. Cocking her head to the side to bump Vera's affectionately, Gloria smiled. Vera always saved her sweetest moments for her, which was probably why Gloria had always had the biggest soft spot for her.
"Hard to believe it because you use it more than me," Vasily complained.
"So, maybe this is more of a dad not enforcing the rules issue," Lida said, swatting Vasily lightly on the shoulder. She gripped hold of the wheelchair's handlebars and pushed it over to Red. Emilia got out of the way, sitting down in the seat behind her brother.
"I just went back to see what's going on now and they're taking pictures down by the lake," Lida informed them all. "So, we should head over there."
"Okay," Gloria sighed. She helped Red stand up once again and then shuffle over to the waiting wheelchair that Lida was holding steadily, not that it could move much in the thick bed of grass. Once Red was settled, Lida deliberately stepped back and snapped her fingers to summon Vasily's attention. He'd been chatting animatedly with his son but jumped up to go help his mother at once. There weren't any paved paths in the forest setting that Nicky and Lorna had chosen for the venue. It was a lot of effort to push the wheelchair on grass so Maxim had tended to the task on arrival and now it was apparently his turn.
"Do we have time to grab a drink before we get our pictures taken?" Vasily asked, as he forced his mother's reluctant wheelchair through the grass. The wheels kept jamming but he made no noise of irritation as he used more effort to maneuver it in the direction of the loud carrying voices.
"No, just wait," Lida replied, walking behind him with their three kids. "Let's see what's happening first."
"Well I'm going to get myself a Gin and Tonic before I do anything," Gloria told them, "Want me to bring you back something, Vasily?" She was walking closely next to Red's wheelchair but halted when the heel of one of her shoes sunk deep into the earth for the second time. Muttering under her breath, Gloria lifted her foot to dislodge the shoe that was now caked with mud. While wiping off that one, her other heel pierced into the ground.
"Yeah, Vodka soda," Vasily told her, as she pushed the chair ahead. "Thanks."
"Just remember to put your glass down before the family photo," Lida rolled her eyes behind her husband's back. "That would be a classy shot…."
"We'd just look like fun people," Vasily retorted, "which is what Nicky would want from us."
"Does that mean I'm allowed to drink too then, Dad?" Alexei asked, breaking into step next to him.
"No," Vasily replied slowly. "You're not twenty-one. But Aunt Nicky said they designed a few signature drinks which don't need alcohol in them. Drink those"
"I let you have alcohol with me, starting when you were thirteen," Red reminded her son, propping her elbow on to the side of the wheelchair so she could support her trembling head. "And Gloria and I used to let Julio and Benny have a small taste of wine with us whenever we opened a bottle. That wasn't that long ago."
"Thirteen," Vasily shook his head, "what the hell, Ma?"
"It never hurt you," Red told him. "I just needed to make sure I was the first person you drank with so you'd know to be responsible. Taking the mystery out of it so that you wouldn't feel the need to go out with your friends and be stupid."
"Fine," Vasily gave in. "I'll order you one weak drink," he nodded at his son. "But don't tell your sisters because I just upped Grandma's homemade age requirement to fifteen."
"Lourdes and I used to drink together all the time," Gloria chimed in, catching up to the wheelchair in just her stockings, while she held her shoes in her hand. "Here, honey, will you hold these for me for a sec?" she asked before dropping the pair of heels onto Red's lap. She then proceeded to rip another Kleenex out of her large bag and sneeze into it again.
"When you were a teenager?" Red asked her curiously.
"Maybe even a little bit younger," Gloria smirked. "Like Em's age…. sometimes when we were bored we'd make up cocktails together at home. And she knew I went out and partied, but she never tried to stop me. Just always told me not to get in a car with anyone who had been drinking…. of course, all those shenanigans are probably how I wound up a teen mom."
"Yeah, do me a favour and don't pass that particular tale on to the girls," Vasily pleaded, glancing over his shoulder at his daughters who were still chatting with their mother.
"Oh, Gloria, don't you think he's cute?" Red asked, tilting her head back up at Vasily. "So overprotective and worried…. he's sort of reminding me of his father right now. Dmitri was always the fussier parent. I kept it all together."
"Then it must have been a chaotic house," Gloria teased, as she tucked a lock of Red's hair behind her ear. "because I'm afraid you've got several of your own quirks, my dear."
They approached a garden flatbed patio with a leading pathway concocted from large stones. Vasily let out of a breath of relief when Red's wheelchair began gliding easily again. He really wished Nicky had considered accessibility factors when picking a location in the middle of a field. But nevertheless, they had made it work. The landscaping for the cocktail setting was beautiful. The bar in the center of it all was built from large smoothed rocks. Guests were milling around with drinks in their hands and waiters were carrying around trays of hors d'oeuvres.
"Okay, that's where I'm headed first," Gloria told Red, pointing over to the bar. "Best thing about a wedding is all the free drinks."
"We need to go down to the water," Lida reminded her, motioning in the direction of the shaded lake where Nicky, Lorna, and a small group were gathered.
"This will only take a minute," Gloria replied. She took her shoes back from Red and slipped them back onto her feet. "And I need to find food anyway. I'm not supposed go too long without eating."
"Go," Red urged her, looking up at Gloria. She hated being so much lower than everybody else when they walked and she rode along in her wheelchair. Sometimes, despite everyone's best efforts, it was hard for her to make her voice heard when she wasn't on eye level with the rest of them.
"Just don't forget my vodka soda," Vasily reminded her with a wink, causing Lida to swat him on the arm and take the lead walking down to the lake. Vasily immediately started pushing the wheelchair behind her on the narrow trail.
"Nonna, I'll come with you and help carry everything," Alexei offered innocently. Like any typical teenage boy, he was far more interested in the food that standing around watching photographs get taken.
"Sure," Gloria nodded. She saw from the corner of her eye as Vera opened her mouth to speak and shook her head 'no' before the girl could even ask. "You two are bridesmaids so you should already have been down there," she reminded them. "So, go ahead and I'll bring you back some treats."
As the girls went to catch up with their parents, Gloria and Alexei walked into the crowd of wedding guests and headed straight over to the bar. "If you see a waiter holding a tray of stuffed mushrooms then flag them over. I'm hungry," she instructed him, before turning her focus to the bartender.
"Dad wanted a vodka soda," Alexei reminded her, as Gloria handed him a tumbler filled with what looked like coke.
"I know," Gloria replied, "but I only have two hands, we'll go back for his once we're done ours." She took a small sip from her cocktail and then smacked her lips together in satisfaction. Plucking the lime that was wedged on the rim of her glass, she plopped it into the drink and proceeded to stir it around with her straw. The ice cubes clinked against the sides.
"What-" Alexei sputtered, after taking a large gulp of coke and then swallowing it with a confused look on his face. "I thought this was just a pop?"
"Oh, I forgot!" Gloria laughed, "There's half a shot of rum in there. I thought you'd like to try it but you're not supposed to drink it so fast."
"Thanks for the warning," Alexei replied, eyeing his drink suspiciously.
"If you don't like it, I'll have it once I'm finished with this one," Gloria told him. She took a small sip from her straw again.
"No, that's not the problem," said Alexei. He brought the glass to his lips and took a very small cautious sip. "I was just surprised. Dad said he was going to get me one."
"Well, don't rat me out like you used to when you were little and I let you have candy before dinner," Gloria replied. "Do you remember that? Grandma and your mom had been cooking all day and we got into the bag of skittles I found when cleaning Julio and Benny's room."
"Yeah, that was fun," Alexei agreed fondly. He took another sip of the drink. Gloria had the tendency to be a bit too enabling with the grandchildren, a fact that had never ceased to annoy her sons, with whom she had always been very strict. It was one of the primary differences between being a mother and grandmother. The latter was a much more relaxing experience and one that Gloria really enjoyed. She liked spoiling them.
"That was good," Alexei said brightly, once he had drained all the liquid from his glass. "Can I have another one?"
"Not right now," Gloria replied, taking the glass from his hand and passing both of theirs to a waiter carrying by a tub of dirty dishes. "You're not allowed to get drunk until you're twenty-one."
"One more of these would make me drunk?" Alexei asked.
"Maybe," Gloria shrugged, "you seem like kind of a lightweight," she teased him. "Let's go find some food. We got to get over there before we get into trouble."
"Don't forget Dad' drink," Alexei reminded her.
"Oh, yes," Gloria nodded. "Alright let's split up. You go find something that looks yummy for us and take enough for your sisters too. I'll go back and order Vasily's drink, I want to get something for your Grandmother too, she's probably thirsty."
Alexei nodded and Gloria went over to the bartender. She ordered Vasily's vodka, a cranberry juice for Red, and a bottle of water in case the girls wanted something, she'd forgotten to ask. It was quite a handful to carry in her arms as she walked through the crowd looking for Alexei. She raised her eyebrows in surprise when she finally spotted him.
"Hey there," Gloria said uncertainly, as she joined her step-grandson who was chatting amicably with an older woman, seated at one of the white tables with a younger Latina companion. The older woman looked frail. She appeared to be several pounds underweight and the stretched smoothed look of her face looked unnatural when compared with the aged and crippled state of her hands. She'd obviously had some work done. Her hair was dyed blonde and she was dressed nicely in a blue pantsuit and a string of expensive pearls.
"Hey, Nonna," Alexei said calmly, "I got us some food."
"Good," Gloria nodded, "we need to hurry. The others are going to be wondering where we are." She made eye contact with the older woman and gave her a tight smile. "Marka Nichols, right?" she said, extending her hand formally to the person she had only seen before in Nicky's old pictures. "I'm Gloria Mendoza."
"It's nice to meet you," Marka said politely, giving Gloria a smile. "I know who you are. Nicky has mentioned you to me before in passing. How is your son? The one in the military?"
"He's fine," Gloria replied. "He's been stationed in California for the past couple of years. I think he likes it out there but we miss him." She shoved the bottle of water into her purse to lighten the weight in her hand and smiled at Alexei. "I didn't realize you two knew one another."
"We just met," Marka answered for him.
"I... uhhh…. accidently knocked her cane over," Alexei admitted awkwardly, motioning to the polished wooden cane Marka or her assistant had propped up against the table. "Sorry again," he said apologetically to Marka.
"Don't be silly," Marka waved his apology away with a dismissive jerk of her veiny hand. "I asked Alexei how he knew Nicky and he explained that he was Galina's grandson. So, I was just asking how she was."
"Ohhhh," Gloria swallowed, feeling her defenses prickle up like they did whenever she felt like people were talking about Red behind her back. She hated the way everyone wanted information or details about what was happening. Unless they were directly involved in caring for her, Gloria didn't think it was anyone's business. There were some things she didn't even bother updating Red's own children about because she felt their mother's privacy should still be respected. Lida was the only one in the family Gloria ever considered herself to be truly open about everything with, and that was because Lida looked after her and helped.
"Nicky doesn't tell me much," Marka explained.
"That doesn't really surprise me," Gloria said stiffly. "Nicky is very protective of her." She wasn't surprised to see Marka at the wedding, she knew that she had been invited, but it didn't change the fact that the mother and daughter had never been close. Nicky had grown up in the care of nannies, her family life had always been dysfunctional, and she had never really forgiven her mother for it. Their relationship was probably the best it had ever been currently but there was still very little warmth invoked. Nicky tolerated her.
"As she should be," Marka replied, looking slightly downtrodden. "I really owe Galina a lot, for everything that she has done for Nicky."
"She never wanted anything from you," Gloria told Marka. "She did it because she loves her." Glancing over at Alexei, she nodded down at the plate in his hands which was heavily laden with appetizers. "We should get down there," she told him. Then she looked back at Marka. "Maybe we'll have a chance to chat more at the dinner."
"We're not going to stay for the dinner," Marka replied. "I was just going to have a drink and then go home," she motioned to the glass of red wine set on the table,
"Well, this is just me talking, but maybe you should at least wait long enough to say goodbye to your daughter before you leave," Gloria said bluntly. "You know, so she at least knows you came."
"I don't think Nicole will even notice or care," Marka replied, looking sorry for herself. "She only invited me today out of pity. I came because I wanted to see her get married but she's made it perfectly clear over the years that I am not her family and I'd just feel like an intruder."
"Okay…." Gloria said, "Well, take care of yourself, whatever you decide to do. I'm sure Nicky and Lorna would like to have you at the dinner because they wouldn't have asked otherwise. It was nice talking to you-"
"I was sort of hoping I'd have a chance to speak with you today, actually," Marka said formally, while Gloria raised her eyebrows in surprise. There was a sudden shift in the woman's tone from self-pitying to eagerness. "I'm glad I happened upon you. Could you spare me another minute?"
"Uhhhhh…. sure, I guess," Gloria blinked. Turning to Alexei, she motioned for him to take the two drinks in her hands. "Can you manage all of this?" she asked him.
"No problem," Alexei nodded, holding one drink in each hand and balancing the hors d'oeuvre plate on the bend of his arm.
"Great," Gloria smiled at him. She popped a stuffed mushroom off of the platter and popped it into her mouth. "Tell Grandma I'll be down in a minute," she instructed him once she had swallowed.
"It was nice to meet you both," Alexei told Marka and her companion, while Gloria swiped another mushroom off of his tray. He glanced curiously at Gloria before he left, wondering whatever it was they were about to discuss. Then he carefully carried the food and drinks away.
"He has good manners," Marka said approvingly, as she watched Alexei's retreating back.
"He's a sweetheart," Gloria agreed, taking another bite. "And these are delicious," she added.
"The caterer for this wedding is the same one I used to hire all the time for the parties we used to throw," Marka said wistfully, overlapping her arms and then rubbing her hands over them as though she were cold. "Well now it's run by his son-Henry retired quite a few years ago. He used to bring Dawson along sometimes and he and Nicole would play."
"Ma'am would you like a jacket?" the young Latina woman sitting beside Marka suddenly asked. She hadn't yet spoken a word but had been keeping a close eye on her client and noticed that she had shivered.
"Yes, Consuela...thank you," Marka replied. Consuela opened the large bag she had carried along to take out a short Prada black jacket which she draped over Marka's shoulders. Her hands rested on her arms for a pause longer than they needed to. Gloria noticed it at once, because it was the kind of affection that they always made a point to give to Red, to keep their caregiving duties from becoming too robotic. This young hired woman seemed to care about Marka on a personal level. Either she was paid extremely well to fake it or she had somehow created a bond with Nicky's cold biological mother.
"She takes care of me," Marka explained unnecessarily to Gloria, giving Consuela's hand a pat while the young woman smiled shyly at the praise.
"That's nice," Gloria said simply. Pulling out a chair at the circular white table, she sat down and looked Marka directly in the eye. "What exactly did you want to talk to me about?" she asked. "I'm a little confused."
"Nicole doesn't come see me very often," Marka said matter-of-factly. "But anytime she ever has she always tells me a lot about how great her life is now and how she finally found a good family. I think she's trying to make me feel bad or jealous but it doesn't because I'm happy for her."
"Okay," Gloria said, looking more puzzled than ever.
"I made a lot of mistakes in my life," Marka confessed. She took another sip of her wine and swallowed, as though hoping that would quell her dark thoughts. "I didn't always see what was important until it was too late. I prioritized the wrong things…"
"We all have our regrets," Gloria said tiredly, glancing over to the edge of the patio to where Alexei had disappeared down the hill. She wasn't sure if she was even needed down there, besides to keep Red company, but she still was anxious to leave. She didn't want to hang around listening to the woes of Nicky's estranged mother, who for some reason seemed to have picked her out of the crowd to chat to. Or maybe Marka was just really lonely and would spill her story to anyone who would listen. It couldn't be much fun, living alone with simply hired help to attend to your needs, no matter how devoted and efficient they were. It couldn't replicate the beauty of having loved ones by your side, and Marka didn't have that.
"The one thing I got right in my life was making money," Marka continued. "I was damn good at my job and I made a lot of money at it...you know that I grew up poor?"
"No, I didn't know that," Gloria said, suppressing a sigh. She wished she had stolen more food off of the plate before Alexei had left and there didn't seem to be a waiter anywhere by her at the present time.
"Mhmm," Marka nodded. "My father was a mechanic and my mom was a secretary."
"Where I come from, we'd call that middle class," Gloria told her, with a bite of annoyance. She didn't understand why this woman would think a woman who had been committed to prison for food stamp fraud, just trying to get a little extra money to feed her family, would feel bad that Marka had started out in humble beginnings.
"They both worked all the time so I was left alone a lot growing up. I sort of raised myself. I worked my way through college and then into business school," Marka told her. "I guess I was more built to be career driven, then for motherhood, but when my biological clock started timing out I listened to my mother and had Nicole because I was worried I'd regret never having a child. And then I had no clue what to do with her when she was born."
"I see," Gloria exhaled deeply.
"I wasn't a natural mother," Marka admitted mournfully. "I knew I wasn't before I got pregnant but I had her anyway."
"Okay," Gloria nodded.
"I wanted to do right by Nicole," Marka insisted, "but she and I just clashed from the get go. She was so loud, so demanding, so boisterous. Even the baby nurse I'd hired after she was born said she was the most challenging newborn she could remember."
"Maybe she should have met my son, Benny," Gloria rolled her eyes. "He might have matched up."
"But you're close with your son?" Marka asked, and Gloria nodded. "See that's the difference between you and I," Marka sighed heavily. "You didn't wreck your relationship with your child just because they weren't what you expected…"
"Maybe not permanently, but we struggled a lot," Gloria replied. "I went to prison and missed out on ten years of their lives. You don't think that's going to cause problems? My two older daughters didn't speak to me for years and my sons suffered a lot because of my mistakes. Maybe the reason I managed to turn that around was by not playing the victim, but instead doing everything to prove to them that they were the most important people in the world to me. Did you ever do that for Nicky?"
Consuela fidgeted uncomfortably in her seat, shooting anxious glances at Marka as though questioning whether to put an end to this conversation before she became too upset. Marka looked taken-a-back, staring blankly at Gloria who leaned casually back in her chair and waited.
"No," Marka admitted slowly. "I suppose I didn't, but I tried my best."
"Our best is all we can do," Gloria reminded her. "But whatever we choose in life, we gotta own, which I think you're maybe starting to do. I don't know if Nicky is still holding a grudge or anything-I'm not the person you should be talking to about all of this-but in my opinion, if she is, it would be sort of ridiculous. I don't see what she should have to complain about. Things look pretty sunny from what I see."
"Because of Galina," Marka said seriously.
"Probably for a lot of different reasons," Gloria replied. "But, yes, she is very important to Nicky. Always treated her like one of her own and she's a great mom, so Nicky should consider herself lucky. Why?"
"It's just-I appreciate everything she has done," Marka said softly. "And I feel terrible for what she's going through now. Nicky's so distressed about it and I'm sorry she's sick."
"So am I," Gloria said quietly, folding her arms defensively across her chest and blinking a couple of times. She wasn't about to discuss Red's disease or prognosis with someone she barely knew. "I thought you said that Nicky didn't talk to you about this stuff?"
"She told me that she had Parkinson's disease," Marka replied. "And I know about that because one of my friends suffered from it. It's awful."
"Yes, it is," Gloria agreed quietly.
"I want to help," Marka said imploringly. Her eyes fixing upon Gloria's as she at last came to what she had wanted to say all along.
"Help?" Gloria lifted her chin and frowned. "How?"
"With whatever she needs," Marka replied. "Those hospital bills can add up quick and Nicky says you have insurance, but there's a lot that isn't included…."
"We manage," Gloria said plainly, because they did. Red saw a good doctor, they could afford all of her medications, and the wheelchair she had to use. Gloria wasn't worried yet.
"You know the worse she becomes the more expensive everything is going to be," Marka said knowingly. "In the later stages of my friend's life she needed round the clock nursing care, a feeding tube since she couldn't eat, a lift to get to the second floor of her house, a hospital grade bed because she couldn't sit up by herself and the nurses didn't always want to have to lift her-"
"Okay, that's enough," Gloria cut her off, holding a hand up to silence her and actually squeezing her eyes shut for a moment as though that could block out the horrifying mental image Marka had just painted. "Just stop-" Gloria almost panted. She always felt like she was informed and prepared for the inevitable until somebody said things out loud that felt like stabbings to the heart.
"I'm sorry," Marka said flatly. "I don't know what I'm doing…"
Gloria dropped her hand down to the table and opened her eyes to stare across the table at the frail old lady who had actually gone pink in the cheeks at how obviously upset her words had made Gloria. Marka was like a broken shell of the person Nicky had described to her before, much different than what Gloria would have expected. Marka had had everything going for her in a corporate world of money, power, and success, but nothing that truly mattered. She seemed to realize that now, a little too late. Despite what she had said about Red's prognosis, Gloria didn't think Marka looked much better herself. She seemed sickly and sad, and without any of the self-importance that Gloria had imagined.
"I just want to try and understand," Gloria said slowly. "You want to help Red because she helped Nicky? That's all there is to it?" Despite the pain of her words, Marka did know what she was talking about and Gloria wasn't about to turn away just because she was hurting. She'd thought a lot about what would happen when Red was bedridden and needed full support to move from bed to chair. Gloria certainly wouldn't be able to lift her and even though her sons could, they weren't always available. There was a lot of decisions to make.
"Giving people money is the only thing I know how to do," Marka replied. "Which is pathetic, I know, but at least that way I could be useful."
"What does Nicky say about all of this?" asked Gloria.
"I haven't discussed this with her," Marka replied. "She'd accuse me of an ulterior motive and I assure you there isn't one. But Nicole is programmed to believe the worst about me."
"Well, I don't think she would have anything bad to say about this," Gloria told her. "And maybe that's one of the underlying issues between you and Nicky-you think she's always seeing the worst in you, but maybe that's just because you haven't learned how to see the best in her. And until you learn to appreciate her for who she is, you two are going to always clash…. anyway, that's just my thought on the issue."
As Marka sat solemnly in her chair, Gloria stood up to make her departure. She had been gone for much longer than she had originally intended. "Will you accept my offer?" Marka asked, looking up at Gloria imploringly. "Please?"
"Yes," Gloria said carefully. She'd be a fool to say no and deprive Red of the best possible care she could receive. Gloria had no issues with Nicky's biological mother, she hadn't even spoken to her directly before today. But if there was one thing that Gloria knew, it was that it was wrong to judge someone their entire life for mistakes they acknowledged and were trying to amend. This wasn't Nicky's decision, it was Gloria's, and it was an offer she couldn't refuse even if she had wanted to.
"Whatever she needs," Marka reminded her, looking slightly surprised that Gloria hadn't needed more persuasion, but she was relieved she'd accepted. Donating money to help people or causes she cared about was what made Marka feel purposeful. She couldn't get warm to many people on a personal level. She didn't have that touch.
Gloria flashed her a tight smile. "Why don't you come down to the water and congratulate Nicky and Lorna before you go?"
"Should I?" Marka hesitated.
"I would if I was you," Gloria said seriously. "And I've been where you are. My daughter Valentina didn't speak to me for a very long time. She got married and had a baby and didn't even let me know that! I fought to be in her life by owning the ways I messed up with her and letting her know how much I wanted to do better. It's not easy, but we have a relationship now. Maybe I'm more of a friend to her than a mother, but the point is that I get to be in her life."
"Hmmm…." Marka hesitated. She turned to look at Consuela who had been sitting silently during their exchange. "Do you feel like going for a walk?" she asked.
"Of course, ma'am," Consuela nodded. Gloria waited as Consuela gave Marka her cain and gave her a hand up. Once Marka was on her feet though, she was surprisingly steady. She walked slowly but gracefully and Gloria led her away from the cocktail party and down the trail that led to the water. They could see the small group of family down below, and if Marka was nervous to be approaching Nicky's adopted and preferred family she didn't show it as she squared her shoulders. Consuela walked meekly by her side and the two talked quietly with one another while Gloria hurried on ahead.
"Kid, I need you to run the other way, alright?" the photographer said in a would-be-patient tone as a little boy with black hair that didn't look like it had ever been cut, raced in front of the camera and ruined the shot.
"See this is why we don't have kids." Nicky whispered, making Lorna giggle. Living for a few years with Franny while her nieces and nephews had been young had put Lorna off of motherhood as well. They were happy to just let it be them.
"Elijah, I presume," Gloria said dryly, as she sank down onto a stone bench beside Lida, off to the side of where the photographs were being taken. Red's chair was pulled up beside it and Piper and Alex were both standing in front of her, effectively blocking her view of the photoshoot while their tall frames cast shadows over her. This annoyed Gloria, but she was relieved to see that Red didn't seem overly troubled by their presence. Gloria knew that she had understandably been nervous about seeing old friends again, due to her current state, but things seemed to be going okay. Red looked comfortable. Just a little worn out.
"He's a little spirited," Piper informed her, "but isn't he cute?"
"Maybe," Gloria replied, resting her hand on top of Red's. "It was kind of hard to tell because he was running so fast, he looked like a blur."
"A blur that just ran in front of the brides again," Lida pointed out wryly. "Do you want me to go get him? Maybe the guys can amuse him down by the water. They found a turtle."
"I don't want him to get his wedding clothes all muddy," Piper replied, as she adjusted the spaghetti strap of her magenta cocktail dress. She smiled down at Gloria. "It's really good to see you again. We haven't seen you in ages."
"Yeah," said Gloria, "you've both been well?"
"Very," Piper nodded. "I was just telling Red and Lida about how I've decided to stay home another year so that I can spend more time with Elijah. I'll go back to work when he begins school next year."
"That's nice," Gloria said faintly. She glanced over her shoulder to see that Marka and Consuela had made it down and were sitting a little way away by themselves. "I ran into her on the patio," Gloria murmured into Red's ear as she pointed them out to her. "I told her to come down and congratulate Nicky."
"Well, there's no harm in that, I suppose," Red said, looking tired. She leaned back in her chair and craned her neck to see them better. "I was wondering why you were taking so long, but Alexei told me you were speaking with her and I thought that was odd."
"Yeah, it just kind of happened," Gloria replied. "We had a good conversation though. I'll tell you more later." She rested her chin against Red's shoulder while Piper, Alex, and Lida continued to keep up a steady flow of conversation.
"No, tell me now," Red urged her, shaking Gloria's arm lightly with a trembling hand. "What did she say?"
"I think she's lonely, old...I don't know," Gloria sighed. "To be honest I feel a little sorry for her. I think she really wants to be close to Nicky but isn't sure how to do it."
"She never cared about that before," Red sniffed, bringing her hands back into her lap, she clasped them together and then looked back over at Nicky who was joking around with the girls as the photographer put his camera down. "Nicky wanted her for so long but she was never available."
"People change," Gloria reminded her. "And she doesn't look well to me. I just think if Nicky refuses this final chance to have a relationship with her then she'll one day look back and regret it."
Red swallowed the metallic tasting saliva that had pooled in her mouth and then bit down on her bottom lip. "So, do you think you'll have more kids?" Lida was asking Piper and Alex, while Red looked back at Marka who was sitting on a bench away from them, with her eyes focused on Nicky. Gloria rubbed her hand back and forth over Red's arm as she stared at the disconcerting frozen face that hid a lot of emotions that Gloria thought she could still read.
"You should encourage her to be open minded," Gloria reminded her, as she gave her shoulder an encouraging squeeze.
"Yeah…" Red sighed, feeling a little dejected although there was no real need. She knew how important she was to Nicky and that would never change. Red had done more for her than anybody else ever had. It was just a little disconcerting now that she had nothing to offer and had been put into the position of always needed to ask for more love, more care, more help. But that was all the more reason to foster a relationship between Nicky and Marka. She needed Nicky to be alright when she wasn't around anymore.
Gloria could sense the mental workings of Red's mind and knew that she was processing what she had told her. She was glad she hadn't immediately come forward with the whole truth of what had transpired between her and Marka. She knew Red would probably be upset and refuse help out of pure stubbornness, and Gloria was not about to let that happen. Red's eyes had switched from Marka to Nicky. The love she had for that girl was not to be put into question and it was obvious all the more by how much Red had pushed to be a part of this day for her.
"I'm tired," Red admitted, her voice barely above a whisper. She didn't want to complain or put a damper on this day of all days, but she felt like she could have fallen asleep right then and there. Only with Gloria, did she feel like she could be truly honest.
"I know," Gloria kissed her cheek affectionately. "The dinner will be soon and then I think you and I will call it an early night, what do you say?" Red nodded her agreement. She had always known she wouldn't make it through to the end, and she had told Nicky just as much that morning. She was exhausted, but she was doing her best to be as present as she could be for this special day. Nobody could expect more from her than that.
"Oh, here they come," Lida called out with a chuckle. "And look ladies, Luca is bringing a little somebody with him." Everyone turned in time to see Red's three sons, son-in-law, and grandson coming back up the trail in their direction. Luca had Elijah's hand in his and was urging him along.
"Lorna asked me to bring him to you," he explained apologetically, as he led the little boy over to Piper and Alex. Yuri, Maxim, and Vasily were all wearing matching grins as they walked over and completed the circle of people that had been formed. Alexei sat down on the bench between Gloria and his mother.
"What was he doing?" Piper asked, sounding a bit defensive as she placed her hands on her son's shoulders.
"I think he kept running in front of the camera," Yuri spoke up. "But there's lots of space over here for him to run around, right bud?"
"Mama, I liked in the grass by the water," Elijah whined, tugging on Piper's hand. Piper smoothed his hair back and smiled around at them all.
"It's exciting for him," she explained to them. "He's never been here before so it's only natural he'd want to run around and explore." She looked back down at her son. "Maybe you can play over there in a few minutes?"
Nobody answered her open-ended question. Elijah stuck out his bottom lip in a quivering pout as tears filled his eyes. "I want to run there," he sobbed. Prying his hands out of Piper's light grasp he fell to the ground in a crumpled heap and began to pound at the earth in an unmistakable tantrum. Red made a sniffing noise of disapproval while Gloria glanced sideways at Yuri and shook her head at him, while he raised his eyebrows in agreement.
"Does it take you back, Gloria?" Yuri joked, trying to lighten the mood.
"Hell, no," Gloria shook her head. "Benny tried that once in a toy store and he learned pretty quickly not to cross me."
"Until he became a teenager of course," Red reminded her, before brushing the back of her hand over her mouth to wipe away a trickle of saliva that was threatening to dribble out.
"Yeah, but that was only because I wasn't there to kick his ass," Gloria retorted, leaning her head back to rest it against the handlebar of Red's wheelchair. "Once I came home we sorted it out."
"Hey, well the way I see it, you can't really call yourself a parent until you've carried a screaming child out of a store surfboard style on at least one occasion," Lida giggled.
"Did you ever have to do that with me?" Alexei asked his mother, his eyes widened in alarm as continued to watch the shrieking child on the ground.
"Oh, yeah," Lida exclaimed. "I let you go for a ride on this little carousel they used to have in the mall, and then you wouldn't stop screaming because I wouldn't let you have unlimited rides."
"I remember that day," Maxim chimed in with a smile. "We were shopping together and I just had to go into a nearby store and pretend to browse for a bit so people wouldn't think I knew you guys."
"Uncle of the year," Lida rolled her eyes. "Thanks for the support!"
"Alex, will you help?" Piper snapped, as she tried unsuccessfully to pull their son up by his arms, but Elijah had made himself limp like a rag doll. His legs wouldn't support him and at last Piper let go of his arms and stared down at her son is exasperation while he continued to roll around on the ground.
"I thought you said we were supposed to ignore bad behaviour so that he could correct it himself?" Alex said boredly, giving her screeching son a dismissive shrug. "At least he's getting it out of his system now so that he'll behave when we go inside for dinner."
"The guests up on the hill having cocktails are going to think we're wrestling with a bear or something," Nicky commented, as she and Lorna walked hand in hand over to their huddle. Her eyes danced around the group, as she clicked her tongue in count of all the people. "I think everyone's here now," she said finally.
"Yeah, we were just waiting for Gloria," Lorna nodded. She smiled at them all. "We want to take the family picture," she explained. "We already did my family. So, can you all go over to the water and we'll just group together. It will be quick."
Nicky walked behind Red's wheelchair and gently swatted at Gloria's head to get her to move. "I've got her," she announced unnecessarily, as she kicked up the breaks on the chair and turned Red around.
Gloria turned around to glare at Nicky in annoyance. "Keep that up girl, and I'll knock you into next week, wedding or not."
"Such a sweet old lady," Nicky teased, "I don't know why you have to be so grumpy all the time." Gloria rolled her eyes as Nicky began pushing Red away from the group. She wanted a minute alone with her. She hadn't had a chance to come over and see how she was coping until now.
"So, was I right or what?" Nicky chuckled, leaning forward to whisper in Red's ear after they'd walked a few feet away from Piper, Alex, and their tantruming son.
"About the boy?" Red asked. "He's a typical child, it's his parents who don't know what they're doing. If I had more energy, I'd set them straight."
"I know you would," Nicky agreed. "I was impressed by your restraint. Same with Gloria. I was sort of expecting her to step in and discipline their child for them but I guess she must be tired or something."
Red leaned her head back so that it brushed against Nicky's abdomen while she pushed her. "Did you say hello to Marka yet?" she asked her.
"I waved and she waved back," Nicky replied casually.
"You need to go over there," Red reminded her. "She came down here to see you. Gloria was talking to her before."
"Yeah, I will," Nicky sighed. "After the picture, I suppose duty calls."
Red shook her head in refute. "Before," she corrected her. "Right now. The picture can wait. Nobody is going to be able to smile anyway when it sounds like someone is having an exorcism in the background."
"Okay," Nicky exhaled heavily. "But I'm bringing you with me...not that you have a choice in the matter or anything." She leaned down to kiss the top of Red's head. "I'm just joking," she assured her, "but if Marka gets too irritating, I need you to come up with an excuse for us to leave, so it doesn't look like it's my idea."
"Who's that girl with her?" Red asked, as they got a little closer and she she stared into Consuela's face.
"Her helper?" Nicky guessed. "I'm not sure what her exact job description is. I guess she's like a companion? She lives in the apartment with Marka five days a week. They have a housekeeper to run things and a nurse stops by everyday for medical things. I guess Consuela just does the in between stuff...you couldn't pay me to sit around with that woman all day. I hope she at least gets paid well."
She shut up before they got within earshot and pushed Red ahead to the bench. "Hey," Nicky said heavily, lifting her hands from the handlebars of the wheelchair to rest them possessively on Red's shoulders. "Thanks for coming," she added.
"Congratulations, Nicole," Marka said gently, straightening up and toying with a button on her jacket. "You look lovely. So, did Lorna. I liked her dress."
"You probably wish I'd worn a dress too, huh?" Nicky asked, with a touch of defense in her tone as she glanced down at the white pantsuit she had worn.
"No," Marka shook her head. "You should wear what you want and I like it." Nicky blinked in surprise, and her fingernails scratched into the red fabric of Red's dress as she bristled herself for a criticism that didn't come. Even when Marka started out with good intentions, she usually managed to say something off putting that would put Nicky on edge. Perhaps it was Red's presence, or Gloria's advice earlier on, or maybe just because it was her wedding day and Marka didn't want to ruin it. But for whatever reason, Marka seemed to be choosing her words carefully right now.
"Nicky knew exactly what she wanted," Red said in her quiet voice. Her vocal chords seemed even fainter than they had been a few months ago. The changes in her tone were another side effect of the Parkinson's. She cleared her throat and went on speaking in a slightly stronger voice. "We went shopping together about six months ago and she had this custom made from her vision alone."
"It suits you," Marka nodded. "Since I know you never liked dresses…"
"Uhh...who said I never liked dresses?" Nicky blinked. "I never liked the dresses you picked out for me, but I always wore skirts when I got older. I just liked this more."
The hands holding her cane in front of her had tightened as Marka sucked in her breath. There always needed to be a battle between herself and her daughter and she didn't think she was always the one to be blamed for that. Nicky was the master of twisting her words to sound insulting or ignorant, when she hadn't even desired to do anything besides make harmless small talk. "So, those were your granddaughters getting their picture taken with Nicky and Lorna just now?" Marka asked, directing the question to Red.
"Two of them were," Red replied, shrugging her shoulders slightly to get Nicky to loosen the anxious grip that she had on her. She hated how much Marka's mere presence could put Nicky on edge, especially on a day like today when she should just be relaxed and happy. "The ones in the golden dresses were mine, and the other two girls are Lorna's sister's daughters."
"They look very pretty," Marka told Red, with a formal air. She nodded at her, taking in the red dress, the flattering makeup Gloria had helped her apply that morning, and the broach worn proudly at the breast, that Nicky had picked out only last night. "You look well."
"Not really," Red scoffed. "I've been better...but thanks, I guess."
"You look glamorous," Nicky told Red lovingly. "Look how you've got the bride moving you in your chair from place to place, you're like a Queen."
"Or a cripple," Red said dryly.
"Nah, it feels pretty regal to me," Nicky retorted. A silence fell between them all. Consuela shifted a bit closer to Marka on the bench and watched Nicky uneasily. The rare times she'd visited, Marka's daughter had always made her feel nervous. It wasn't because of anything Nicky did, it was just because the air was heavy with tension whenever she and Marka got together. Marka talked often to Consuela about her regrets and Nicky's messy history, which admittedly was stuff that a mother should probably keep to herself. Consuela would have been upset if her own mother had criticized her to random people all the time. However, she also spent enough time with Marka, much more than Nicky ever had, and could see the sincere good heart buried deep down. It was sad that Marka had never given her own daughter a chance to experience that.
"We should probably join everybody else," Red said, looking up at Nicky. "I don't hear anymore screaming so I suppose Piper and Alex finally got that little monster of theirs under control."
"Yeah…" Nicky agreed. She slid her hands from Red's shoulders back to the chair's handles and stared at Marka. "Thanks for coming down here to see me. Sorry I can't talk longer but I have like a million people to talk to and the dinner is going to start soon."
"That sounds like any wedding I've ever been to," Marka told her, with a small smile. "The bride never gets to take a break."
"Or the flower girl," Nicky said pointedly. "You always volunteered me to be the flower girl in every one of your friend's weddings just so you could get my picture in the social pages of the newspaper."
Marka frowned, "you didn't enjoy being a flower girl? I always thought it looked so fun…"
"I complained the entire day...every time it happened," Nicky replied dramatically. "Well, I guess you never heard me. You were always too busy shooting back sidecars and talking to random people to notice."
"I never got to be a flower girl when I was a child," Marka said quietly. "I always wanted to be one."
"Yeah, well you and me are nothing alike," Nicky replied, rocking Red's wheelchair back a step as she moved away.
"Believe me, Nicole, I know that," Marka said coldly, her hand brushed her dyed blonde hair behind her ear and she glanced over at Consuela. "I think it's probably time for me to get going…"
"Wait," Nicky sighed, "don't go okay...not like this. I don't know what exactly it is about you, but you just stress me out...I don't know."
"I can see that," Marka said calmly. "Which is why I will go so you can enjoy your day like you deserve to-"
"That's not what I want," Nicky said with a bite of impatience in her tone. Without intending to, she rocked Red back and forth from pure restlessness.
"Nicky, what do you want to say?" Red spoke up, and her thick accent was like a calm in an unyielding storm for her girl. Nicky could always depend on her to be there, to make her feel better. Even now. She stopped shaking the wheelchair at once.
"Well, before everything went wrong, I was going to ask you if you wanted to come be in the family photo with the rest of us?" Nicky spoke hurriedly, peering over at Marka uncertainty from beneath her thick black eyelashes.
Marka looked extremely taken-aback. "You want me in the picture?" she asked, as though uncertain whether Nicky's words had actually been directed at her instead of Red.
"You and me are family, aren't we?" Nicky shrugged casually. "Not exactly a very good one but you're here, and it makes sense. So why not?"
Marka shifted uncomfortably on the bench and for once seemed to lose a little bit of her composure. "I don't want to if you're only asking me out of obligation. You don't have to…"
"I don't do anything I don't want to do," Nicky interrupted her. "I asked you, so don't overanalyze it. Just say yes and let's get down there before Gloria comes over to yell at us for taking too long."
"Gloria can't yell at you for that," Red told Nicky. She rested her elbow on the arm of her chair and leaned her head against her hand. She tried unsuccessfully to stifle a yawn. "Gloria said she'd be back in a minute and was gone for half an hour, so she can't talk. But still, let's get over there. All of us," she met Marka's eye and stared at her resolutely. There was no animosity between either of them and there never really had been. Red had no clue about the gift Marka had given her through Gloria, but it had no bearing on her wanting to help reconcile some of the difficulty between her and Nicky now. If only to bring Nicky some peace.
"Okay," Marka nodded. "Thank you." Consuela gave her a hand standing up and then Marka used her cane to walk carefully down the stone walkway to the grassy plateau in front of the water, where Lorna, Gloria, and Red's children and grandchildren were waiting. Lorna's family had already headed up to join their relatives and friends on the patio for a drink, but Piper and Alex were trying unsuccessfully to capture their son. Elijah seemed to have recovered from his breakdown and was running on the grass as though he had never heard anybody say he couldn't.
"Everybody here?" the photographer smiled at Nicky as she struggled to push Red's wheelchair off of the path and up the slight groove to their prime picture spot. She was slightly breathless but she managed it. Consuela stuck close to Marka's side in case she needed assistance but once Marka had reached the others she backed away discreetly.
"Let's go up and see everybody else now, Eli," Piper called to her son. "I think there's candy waiting up there for you!"
"Candy?" Elijah repeated with interest.
"Great parenting, Pipes," Alex sighed. She nodded at her son. "You heard mama, let's go."
"Finally," Gloria heaved a sigh of relief, as she walked over to Red. She nodded ahead to where Piper and Alex were chasing their son up the hill. "I was about this close to saying something. The little brat tried to hit a chipmunk with a rock." She caught Marka's eye and gave her a smile. She was happy to see her. Glad that some small step forward had happened today. One thing Red's prognosis had taught her was that there was no time in life to waste, especially when it came to family. Gloria had been on a rollercoaster of emotional destruction until she had finally found a home and a family in Red. It was where she belonged and she was not going to let go until she was forced to.
Scooting around Gloria, Nicky hurried back over to Lorna and pulled her into her arms. They kissed and smiled at one another, until the photographer stepped forward to center them in front of the beautiful water. She needed to stand for this, so Gloria helped Red up out of her chair and guided her the few feet to Nicky's right. Nicky wrapped her free arm around Red to steady her and Gloria did the same on her other side so that she was protected and they could keep her from falling.
"Ms. Nichols, do you want to stand beside me?" Lorna asked in her sweet voice, with her red lips curving into an inviting smile.
"Alright," Marka said, slowly walking over to Lorna's side, surprised but pleased that she was actually being positioned near the center of the family photograph. "And call me Marka, not Ms. Nichols."
"Okay," Lorna smiled.
The rest of the family closed in so that they were all in focus and the photographer made sure that nobody was blocking anybody else before he began snapping away. It was disappointing to Red and Gloria that neither Julio or Benny had been able to attend, but they were grateful for what they did have right now and were happy. The corners of Red's expressionless lips tugged as a warmth rose within her. She felt joyful, which she hadn't felt in a long time and as she looked at the photographer with everyone else, she felt the stiffness in her face suddenly release it's hold on her and her mouth moved freely. It was only for a couple of seconds, but it was just long enough for the Parkinson's to diminish from her features as her emotions displayed on her face. And Red felt a fluttering in her heart to know that whatever came next, at least Nicky would always be able to look back on her wedding day and remember her smile.
Thank you for reading. And sorry if it's breaking your heart. The next chapter will jump forward a little bit.