Some newlywed couples (Stu and Didi, Howard and Betty, and Drew and Charlotte, the last of whom has just had a daughter) attend a wedding at a multiplex wedding mall, where several weddings take place at once. Who is this wedding for? Why, Charles Finster and Melinda Cavanaugh, of course!

It was the spring of 1986. Chas and Melinda, as of yet unmarried, were attending a wedding. Surrounding them were their good friends Howard, Betty, Drew, Charlotte, old Lou, and, seated right next to Melinda, Minka. The groom: Stu Pickles. The bride: Didi Kropotkin, who was being led in by her father Boris to Mendelssohn's "Wedding March."

The congregation was amazed to see Didi in her bridal dress, so white and beautiful.

Chas sighed, "Isn't Didi radiant?"

"She sure is," said Melinda.

Then, Minka whispered to the two young lovers, "Can you believe that we had to spend three days looking for our Didila? She really had cold feet!"

Chas and Melinda had to stifle their laughter upon hearing that.

As soon as Boris had led Didi down the aisle, he stood by, taking his seat next to Minka.

The reverend spoke to Stu, "Stuart Pickles, wilt thou have this woman to thy wedded wife, to live together after God's ordinance in the holy estate of matrimony? Wilt thou love her, comfort her, honour, and keep her in sickness and in health; and, forsaking all others, keep thee only unto her, so long as ye both shall live?"

Stu answered, "I will."

The reverend turned to Didi and spoke, "Didila Kropotkin, wilt thou have this man to thy wedded husband, to live together after God's ordinance in the holy estate of matrimony? Wilt thou love him, comfort him, honour, and keep him in sickness and in health; and, forsaking all others, keep thee only unto him, so long as ye both shall live?"

Didi answered, "I will."

The reverend then said to Stu and Didi, "Then by the power vested in me, I now pronounce you man and wife. You may kiss the bride."

And Stu and Didi kissed each other amid the cheers of the congregation. Minka herself shed tears of joy as Boris gently patted her back. They knew their daughter was happy with her new husband.

As Stu carried Didi down the aisle, Didi tossed her bouquet to her friends. Melinda reached for it, only for it to be caught by Betty, who cried out, "Look, Howie! I caught the bouquet!"

Howard replied, "That means we're gonna get married one day, and very soon too!"

Melinda was disheartened, until Chas said to her, "Don't worry, Melinda. We'll also get married someday."

For Chas and Melinda, "someday" proved further away than they thought. All through 1987, they saw Howard and Betty's wedding, during which Betty carried Howard down the aisle after tossing her bouquet, and Drew and Charlotte's wedding, during which Drew carried Charlotte as she tossed her own bouquet.

But by the time they were 30 years old, Chas and Melinda, while they had been dating for nearly two years, were still unmarried.

However, all that was about to change…

It was in November 1987. Chas and Melinda were at the mall, looking for a place to have some lunch, when they came across Drew and Charlotte, who seemed to be shopping for baby clothes. It didn't take long for Chas and Melinda to see why: Charlotte was pregnant, and she was telling Jonathan all about it on her cell phone. Chas and Melinda knew that Drew and Charlotte had been married for a few months now, but it seemed all so sudden to see Charlotte pregnant already.

"How long have you been pregnant, Charlotte?" asked Melinda.

Charlotte tried to remember, but she had been working so hard she barely had enough time off her phone to have a decent conversation, let alone remember how long she had been pregnant. So, Drew reminded her, "Three months, Char."

"Three months! Yes!" Charlotte recalled.

"Congratulations," Chas said with a smile.

But Drew noticed a sad look in his red-headed friend's eyes. "You okay, Chas?"

Chas sighed, "Well, it's just that Melinda and I are thirty years old, and we're not even married yet."

"Not even married?" gasped Charlotte. "That's what happens when you get too attached to each other!"

"What do you mean?" asked Melinda.

Charlotte said to Melinda, "You guys are still young. There are plenty of fish in the sea."

"But none like Charles." And Melinda kissed Chas' cheek, making him smile genuinely.

What did Charlotte know about what Melinda saw in Chas? After all, Charlotte's own husband, Drew Pickles, was a handsome man, soon to be the father of her baby. But Melinda loved Chas because he was such a sweet guy, and Chas loved Melinda because she was such a caring young lady. All that time they had spent dating was so they could get to know each other before getting married…

Six months passed quickly, and one fine day, on May 12, 1988, Charlotte's water broke! She was about to give birth! They were now in the hospital together: Stu with Didi, Chas with Melinda, and Lou too. Drew was inside the delivery room with Charlotte.

In the waiting room, Chas was furtively holding a small box in his hand. As he pocketed it in his pants, he heard Lou shout, "Can you believe this? I'm gonna be a grandpa!"

Melinda, seated next to Chas, turned to Stu and asked, "How do you feel, Stu?"

Stu, even more excited about this than his father, cried out, "Well, you know, very excited! I've never been an uncle before!"

"And theirs was a lovely wedding," Didi added.

"Is it really gonna be a girl?" asked Chas.

"That's what the doctors said," Didi replied. "I even got this box of cookies for the occasion. You want some?" She showed Chas and Melinda a box of pink cookies shaped like female symbols.

Stu, Chas, Melinda, and Lou each took a cookie to snack on as they waited.

While Stu was jumping up and down like a little kid, eager to meet his newborn niece, Chas gazed at Melinda. He was nervous, not knowing what to say to the woman he loved.

He turned to her and said, "Melinda…"

But Melinda said, "Isn't this exciting? I never had any siblings to fondle over, so this will be my chance to see a baby up close and personal."

Chas replied, "Um, yes… I'm an only child myself, but what I was going to say is that…"

"Of course, Stu here appears to be more open about his excitement."

Indeed, he was. Stu sighed, "How long does it take a woman to give birth anyway?"

"Stu, be patient," giggled Didi.

"Has Drew settled on any names?" Chas asked Stu.

Stu replied, "I suggested Trixie after our late mother, but Drew thinks Angelica would suit her better. He told me that any daughter of his would be a little angel, so Angelica Pickles."

"It has a nice ring to it," Didi smiled as she held Stu's hand. "If we have a daughter, we can name her Trixie if you want."

Stu smiled fondly at her, "Thanks… I love you, Deed, but there's no love like the love from your own mother."

Time passed slowly. As Chas gazed at Melinda, and Stu at Didi, they all wondered how Drew must be feeling at that moment. And Chas himself looked at the box he had been holding, wondering how he would put what he was about to say to Melinda.

Finally, after several hours, the doors broke open, and Charlotte was holding her baby in her arms. She was being pushed in a wheelchair by a nurse, and by her side was Drew, her proud husband. And Drew had every right to be proud, because he was the father of a baby girl, swaddled in a pink blanket.

And the mother was doing fine. In fact, Charlotte was talking to Jonathan on her phone, which was rested upon her shoulder: "It's a girl, Jonathan! Her name's…"

Because she forgot her own daughter's name, Drew whispered into her ear, "Angelica."

Charlotte continued, "Angelica… What? No, don't be silly! Of course, I'll be back in the office to-morrow! You can look forward to it!"

And when Chas, Melinda, Stu, Didi, and Lou saw Drew and Charlotte's baby girl Angelica, they instantly fell in love.

"Oh, Charlotte," said Didi. "She's beautiful!"

Baby Angelica looked up from her mother's arms and saw her Aunt Didi holding a cookie in her hand. She grunted, trying to reach for the cookie, but Didi chuckled, "No, you're too little to have a cookie."

And Angelica began to cry. Not getting the cookie broke her heart.

This embarrassed Chas, who said to Melinda, "Um, now may not be the proper time or place."

"For what?" asked Melinda.

"We'll discuss it later."

Stu was covering his ears to block out his niece's crying. "She's got quite a set of pipes, doesn't she, Drew?" he shouted.

Drew replied loudly, "You can't blame me! I don't know where she gets it from!"

Chas was also covering his ears. "Anything we can do about it?!" he screamed.

Presently, Melinda got an idea. She asked Charlotte, "May I hold your baby?"

"Much good that'll do," sighed Charlotte as she handed Angelica to Melinda.

Melinda cradled the fussy baby in her arms and began to soothe her, "Sh… sh… don't cry, Angelica. It's nice to finally meet you. You are such a sweet little baby, and your mommy and daddy are lucky to have you for their daughter."

At these words, Angelica stopped crying. She then smiled and lifted her tiny arm to touch Melinda's face.

Upon seeing this, all who were present were amazed and uplifted. Tears welled up in Drew's eyes. He and Charlotte knew that it was their baby girl that Melinda comforted.

As Melinda gently handed Angelica back to Charlotte, Stu asked Didi, "How does she do that?"

Once Chas, Melinda, Stu, Didi, Drew, Charlotte, and Lou were out of the hospital with the newborn Angelica in Charlotte's arms, Chas led Melinda to a nearby fountain.

It was then when Chas asked Melinda, "I've been meaning to ask you, how were you able to comfort Angelica? She was crying up a storm!"

Melinda calmly replied, "Well, my parents and I used to raise baby farm animals when I was little. It's just instinct, I guess."

"You would make such a good mother," Chas sighed.

"And I'm sure you'd make such a great father, Charles," Melinda whispered.

Chas then knelt before Melinda and said to her, "Melinda, I may not be the strongest, richest, or even the most handsome man…"

"Charles, are you doing what I think you're doing?" Melinda asked with budding joy.

"Melinda Cavanaugh," said Chas as he looked her dead in the eye and opened his small box, revealing an engagement ring, "will you become my bride?"

Melinda's heart fluttered as she looked into his eyes. She was so happy that someone she could truly love and trust just asked her that question. She had dreamed of this moment right from the age of nine, but she never expected to hear it spoken so sweetly and beautifully. With tears of joy in her eyes, she embraced Chas and cried out, "Yes! I would love to become Mrs. Charles Finster!"

And once Chas placed the engagement ring on Melinda's finger, he returned the embrace…

Not long thereafter, in June 1988, Chas and Melinda's wedding was about to be held at the Chapel of the Bells multiplex wedding mall. Among the other guests, Stu, Didi, Drew, Charlotte, Angelica, Howard, and Betty were joined by Stu and Drew's father, Didi's parents, Chas' parents, and Melinda's father.

"Ah, how time flies, Marvin!" sighed Shirley. "Our little boy Charles is finally getting married! Why, it seems like only yesterday he was running around with a diaper on his head!"

"That was only yesterday, Shirley," Marvin replied. "He told us about the time he and Melinda tried their hand at babysitting Angelica."

"Oh, yeah," Shirley chuckled.

Presently, Chas the groom entered, dressed in a black-and-white tuxedo, this time with a red bowtie. He said to his parents, "Mom, Dad, how do I look?"

"You look handsome, Charles!" said Shirley joyfully.

"That's my boy!" cried Marvin. "You're finally settling down!"

But Melinda's father, Christian, seemed to look a little sad, although no one noticed in all their joy over the upcoming nuptials.

On an aside, Charlotte, who was cradling Angelica in one hand and holding her cell phone in another, was talking to Melinda the bride, who was wearing a light pink wedding dress and veil.

Charlotte asked, "Are you sure you wanna marry a man like Charles Finster? I mean, no offense, but he's so… frail, and pasty-faced."

Melinda replied, "I'm pretty sure, Charlotte. Charles is very sweet, and he has such a big heart."

"But you could have married Chad from accounting. He's a big, strong man with dominance. That's how Drew won me over. And Chad from accounting still has his appendix."

"Charlotte… I only want to marry Charles. We're already at our wedding ceremony."

"Okay, okay…" said Charlotte, and she returned to her cell phone to talk to Jonathan: "I'm at another friend's wedding now…"

Later, in an outdoor courtyard which one of the doors led to, Chas, as the groom, stood at the altar in front of the minister. It was then when Melinda, as the bride, was led in by her father Christian as a chorus sang the famous Bridal Chorus from Lohengrin:

"Treulich geführt ziehet dahin,
wo euch der Segen der Liebe bewahr'!
Siegreicher Mut, Minnegewinn
eint euch in Treue zum seligsten Paar.
Streiter der Tugend, schreite voran!
Zierde der Jugend, schreite voran!
Rauschen des Festes seid nun entronnen,
Wonne des Herzens sei euch gewonnen!
Duftender Raum, zur Liebe geschmückt,
nehm' euch nun auf, dem Glanze entrückt.
Treulich geführt ziehet nun ein,
wo euch der Segen der Liebe bewahr'!
Siegreicher Mut, Minne so rein
eint euch in Treue zum seligsten Paar,
zum seligsten Paar."

Once he had led his daughter to the altar, Christian returned to his seat, biting his finger to try to hold back the tears.

It was then when the minister stated, "Dearly Beloveds and Honored Guests: We are gathered here this day in the sight of God and the company assembled to witness the giving and receiving of the marriage vows. Marriage is an institution ordained of God and is not to be entered into lightly or in jest and only after much consideration."

As the minister thus spoke, Marvin and Shirley noticed that Christian was weeping. Marvin said, "Calm down, Christian. It's just a wedding. Don't think of it so much losing your daughter as gaining a son, our son."

"I can't help it," sobbed Christian. "Melinda looks so much like her mother."

The minister turned to Chas and asked, "Do you, Charles Finster, take this woman, Melinda Cavanaugh, to be your lawfully wedded wife, to have and to hold, in sickness and in health, in good times and woe, for richer or poorer, keeping yourself solely unto her till death do you part?"

"I-I do," stammered Chas as sweat poured down his face.

The minister turned to Melinda and asked, "Do you, Melinda Cavanaugh, take this man, Charles Finster, to be your lawfully wedded husband, to have and to hold, in sickness and health, to love, honor and obey, in good times and woe, for richer or poorer, keeping yourself solely unto him till death do you part?"

Melinda beamed, "I do!"

And the minister stated, "By the power vested in me, I now pronounce you man and wife. You may kiss the bride."

And as Chas kissed Melinda, the orchestra began to play Mendelssohn's "Wedding March."

Nearly all of the guests cheered for the new bride and groom as Marvin took a photo of Melinda kissing Chas in return. It would be the photo Chas would always treasure.

Once their photo had been taken, Chas took Melinda in his arms and carried her to the reception hall as she tossed her bouquet to her bridesmaids. Naturally, the bridesmaids scrambled to get it!

During the reception, Chas cut the wedding cake and fed Melinda the first slice. From there, after Chas had gotten himself a slice of cake, the rest of the wedding guests got to help themselves. Among all the other guests, Stu, Didi, Drew, Charlotte, Howard, Betty, Lou, Boris, and Minka each got a slice of cake to consume.

Once Chas had finished eating his slice, he saw that his father-in-law was crying his eyes out. He and Melinda approached Christian, and Chas said, "Don't cry, Mr. Cavanaugh, unless you're crying tears of joy?"

Melinda looked at Chas and said, "My dad always cries at weddings. And do you really think his tears are so joyful?"

Christian gave a sad sigh. "How can I be happy when I'm thinking about my own wedding? I remember it well back in December of '56. I stood by the altar with my bride by my side. The minister said those exact words you heard. You two may have married on a bright and sunny day, Melinda, but your mother and I married with the first snow of the season. We had a winter wedding.

"Then, Melinda, you were born, and your mother and I raised you as well as any parent would, until your mother died four months shy of our tenth anniversary…"

And again, Christian wept bitterly in spite of the joys surrounding him.

This made both Chas and Melinda very upset. They no longer had any appetite for wedding cake.

"There, there, dad," said Melinda as she stroked her father's quivering shoulders.

Chas approached Melinda and said, "Gosh, Melinda. That's awful. I sure hope I don't cry like that at weddings."

"I'm sure you won't," said Melinda reassuringly. And as soon as she had calmed her father down, she turned to Chas and asked, "Shall we have this dance, Charles?"

Chas smiled and said, "I'll be glad to, Melinda."

And so, Chas and Melinda began to dance to some romantic music the pianist was playing, while Christian smiled through his tears, because he knew that his daughter was happy in spite of his own pain. As for Marvin and Shirley, they just smiled, because they were proud of their son for taking up a wife.

What a joy for young Charles Finster his wedding to Melinda was! Like Drew and Charlotte before them, this newlywed couple was soon to start a family of their own…