Epilogue
Two and a half hours later, Terry and Jason returned to the area which had been transformed from a wedding chamber to a banquet hall. It was surprising that the tables and chairs flanked by two enormous banquet tables could create such a significant change. The usual process of introduction took place with loud and boisterous cheers for the members of the wedding party, but none as heart warming as those saved for the bride and groom. There was no head table. Terry and Jason elected to sit at the centre of the room with people all around them. During the evening they would get up often to join a table for a few minutes to share a laugh or thank people for their participation.
Terry had changed from the formal gown of her wedding to the white dress which she originally intended to wear. As she told Jason, 'I am going to dance. I don't want to spoil my gown.' She was no less beautiful in the stark white simple dress with a full ¾ length skirt. A shorter bolero top allowed freedom of movement and warmth if the night became chilly. Jason also changed out of his riding dress uniform into the current officer's dress uniform. He looked handsome and elegant. White gloves gave him a distinguished air.
A few other guests had been invited to the reception. Senator Joe Maxwell and Diana Bennett arrived. They wanted to attend the wedding but a previous commitment made them later than planned. Some friends from California arrived, as well as wives of Jason's men.
Patrick still played the role of gracious host, welcoming friends, family and acquaintances as they entered the big tent, many surprised by the delightful country setting. Once everyone was seated for supper, the introductions began. The air of expectancy generated by the unusual circumstances of the musical wedding had everyone wondering if the reception would be the same.
Indeed, it didn't take long for Eric, the self appointed master of ceremonies, to announce that anyone wanting kisses from the bride and groom would have to sing for the privilege. In lieu of song, they could recite poetry or dance. There were murmurs of surprise and excitement generated by the prospect.
Unknown to those who were not familiar with Jason's family, Philippe was a sound engineer. He owned a large recording company in LA and had arranged all the music for the wedding, rehearsing with Jason and Terry until they felt comfortable with their performance. He provided a numbered list of karaoke songs from which guests could choose to sing or dance. His DJ, a professional young man with a big smile and quick hands was ready with a song in seconds.
To round out the wedding performance, Terry and Jason decided to dance first before eating. Shortly after their entrance they performed a traditional and beautiful wedding dance to Kenny Loggins ballad, For The First Time. They separated and stood apart for a special song from Gloria Estefan, Along Came You, in which both invited young Vladimir to join his parents on the dance floor. Never one to shy away from the limelight, the young toddler, now dressed in a suit, was lifted between his parents for a special turn on the floor.
The most challenging time came when Jason asked his parents to find someway to dance and make it work. So far, during the proceedings, each had been as civil as they could, avoiding any rehashing or competitiveness. Sandy was still inclined to whine about Vladimir having more access to the baby but accepted, outwardly, that distance made the difference. So as not to embarrass her son she went to a rather elaborate but pointed song hoping to convince everyone except herself that she had indeed moved on.
There was no doubt that the mother of the groom was an extraordinary dancer. She was both graceful and svelte. She went to the dance floor with her former husband to an old Michael Bolton tune, A Time For Letting Go. She danced part of the time with Vladimir, part of the time with Philippe before being escorted to her husband Hugh. The pacing of the music and the various transitions from one partner to another beautifully showcased her long dormant talent but did not quite convince anyone that she had forgiven her former husband for loving another.
Dinner was served with much fanfare. It held a mixture of Southwest and Spanish cuisine, with some spicy textures for those who could handle it. Laughter flowed as freely as the wine and it didn't take long for inhibitions to loosen up. Some of the younger people did a creditable job of belting out their favourite tunes. It was soon noted that the kissing performance was directly related to the applause, leading everyone to strive for better performance.
Catherine, who had been engrossed in a conversation with Senator Joe, decided it was time for her to do something which she had never been able to even consider. Vincent's features had always forced their love story from the public domain into an underground fissured mentality. Life was limited to a much smaller sphere of acceptance. However, the wedding weekend was not occurring in the middle of New York society and to her recovered mind, the hidden lifestyle no longer appealed to her. She was happy to have had the opportunity to make a public excursion with her beloved husband. The chance to be bold in a less intimidating environment than Manhattan, and declare her love, was too tempting to miss.
Catherine had lived with music all her life. The ability to carry a tune was within her. The words and music were supplied. All she needed to do was step up to the makeshift stage. Even as her mind listened to Joe talk about the program which the governor hoped would involve Catherine's active participation, her eyes strayed to Vincent, who had been listening and smiling at her side, then to the stage.
'Excuse me Joe. There's something I have to do.' There had been a performance lull. It was the moment of decision. She made her way to the stage.
She nodded to the DJ and gave him the number of the tune she wished to sing, before addressing the crowd.
'I offer a loving toast to the bride and groom tonight. They both know that I wish them well. I am here tonight because Terry cared enough to help me fight my way back from the living dead. I love her dearly. I am however going to dedicate my song to the beacons of light which guided me to Terry's voice and enabled my recovery. To the bride and groom and to my husband, Vincent and my son, Jacob.'
She began in time with the music and continued singing by heart, a piece well remembered in her life.
When I fall in love. It will be forever, or I'll never fall in love.
In a restless world like this is….
Love is ended before it began and too many moonlight kisses, seem to fade in the warmth of the sun.
Her soft voice contained a loving sincerity which could not be denied. Only she and Vincent knew and understood the meaning of those moonlight kisses, which had been denied her during their chaste and often yearning courtship. At the end of her song, she smiled in the direction of her husband who jumped up and was at her side in a heartbeat, kissing her as she had always wish, in front of everyone.
Applause was significant and the bride and groom were charged with matching the sincerity of the kiss with one of their own.
Flushed with her marital 'coming out' moment, Catherine returned to the table knowing that she felt strong and reassured about taking on more challenges in the future.
Jacob watched with fascination as his mother sang from her heart. The shift in her persona over the two days they had been away was astounding. What Jacob had always wanted was for his beautiful father to step out of the dungeon of the tunnels and take his rightful place, above or below, but having the choice to decide. He never imagined that his biological mother would have a part in making that dream come true but his happiness overflowed at this event even more than his own wedding, which had been to be a happy enough. That was just a perception. Everyone wore a mask. This was truly a place where his parents were openly together and happy.
He looked at his smiling wife. Her face was one of serenity. The weekend had been good for her too. He knew that she had a better than average voice and encouraged her to sing. In her happy, unguarded moments she was always singing something. He wondered if there was any song which she didn't know. Cathy balked at his request.
'Why don't you go up Jacob?'
'I will never be able to sing like you do.' He kissed her cheek and smiled in a way which she could not resist.
'Alright but I am not going to dedicate this to you. You already got a shout out from your mother.' she flounced off with a mock pout.
The dinner was almost over. It seemed that the bride and groom had spent the better part of it kissing. At the start, the announcement that there would be no response to glass tapping, did not discourage anyone. Apparently there were a lot of budding entertainers in the audience. When Cathy made her way to the DJ, she would be one of the last. The person in front of her was a dancer, performing a unique twist on the flamenco. He wasn't particularly skilled but he was humorous and got a good round of applause and a quick peck for his efforts.
Cathy never gave a thought to how she would sound. Once on the stage and standing in front of everyone she felt as if the tableau had been created in slow motion. She heard little. The sounds faded from her consciousness. She wondered in a moment of panic if she were going to faint. From some distant place, she heard herself say, 'this song is dedicated to my mother Lena. It was her favourite.' Suddenly Cathy could say no more. Her throat felt tight. She looked at the DJ, hoping to tell him to forget it but he started the music and she missed her cue. Cathy apologized and tried to focus but no sound came out of her mouth. Embarrassment was creeping up on her. She became mortified by the position in which she found herself. Mercifully, the DJ did not restart the music, but the silence stretched out.
Two men rose in response to this moment of vulnerability. Others had cried while singing but no one had been frozen in time. Before Jacob could leave his chair, wondering what had prompted him to create this unfortunate situation, Philippe was at her side.
'Do you normally sing this song a cappella?', he asked gently.
'Yes,' she whispered in response, staring at Philippe as if she was seeing him for the first time. A memory came to mind. She set it aside.
Philippe picked up an electric guitar and sat on a nearby stool. 'Start when you are ready,' he said sitting smiling in encouragement.' I'll catch up.' And, he did, supporting her through the song Sweet Dreams, a Patsy Cline original. .Cathy did indeed have an incredibly beautiful voice. For some reason she poured so much emotion into the verses, as if the meaning was somehow attached to her from her mother's own anguish. No one heard the anguish of Lena's unfortunate life only the beauty of her daughter's voice, filled with emotion.
She ended on a soft note, drawn out to its sweetest source. Those who had previously heard the country music songstress, would believe that Cathy had just channeled her pitch perfectly.
Jacob, who had subsided with the rise of Philippe, could not believe that his wife was capable of that level of performance. She sounded like a syrene. He certainly felt mesmerized by the seductive beauty of it. As he watched her, his eyes were able to see something extant to the shape of her body. In an oval light just beyond her body he could clearly see images as yet undeveloped which signified a connection outside of the here and now. It was the first time, that what he could see in dreams, became a living vision in front of his face. He didn't know if the pattern could be duplicated in others but it appeared to be divine in nature. He wanted to shake it off, as if it was merely the glowing aura of his wife but he couldn't.
The shimmering pattern became a life like tableau. The look and feel of the people were real in his sight line. Jacob was aware that only he could see the images. It was like the history of his wife's ancestry flowing like a slow motion movie. He was astounded. Something about the music, the voice and the love he felt for his wife opened a door into his mind, showing him skills which were about to unfold in his life. He hardly had time to fathom the depth of it before Cathy was finished. The sound of silence was followed by thunderous applause. She turned to look at her accompanist with a grateful smile. The feathered light moved from Cathy to Philippe and back in waves.
'Oh my God!' Jacob uttered. He shut off the vision in his head and rose to welcome his wife back to the table. Tears filled his eyes. It was not time to reveal knowledge to Cathy. It may never be the right time but he would play it by ear. The weekend had been wonderful. Hardly any events marred the delightful wedding. Soon they would all return to Manhattan to pick up the pieces of their lives but Jacob knew that things would never be the same.
This story is dedicated to the many couples I have married over the years. It has been a real fun part of my life. I have never attended a wedding like this one but someday I hope to officiate at such an event. I never fail to be moved by the beauty of love expressed on the day when two people declare their commitment to each other, openly to family and friends. It is such a profound moment and well worth the effort that couples put into their special day. I hope tol be back to write more about the Wells family in awhile but if not, I am happy to end on this uplifting story and a little teaser for the future.
Vetivera