((AN - Two things; first, I know the tradition would be dress whites. Anyone who knows me however knows I am an absolute sucker for the dress blues and since this is my happy place, blues it is! :) Second, I know there are technicalities/legalities that would need to be said/incorporated into a certain part of this chapter. I was going for flow rather than reality... Please don't hate on me too hard for leaving out wording that I know in the real world is really important. We're happily ensconced in Middleton here, not in the real world and I'm taking some liberty by focusing on vibe versus vocabulary.))
Chapter 11 – At Last…
"Oh, it looks like a dream!" Harriet commented as she looked around the large courtyard behind Grey House. Abigail had gone all out with the floral arrangements while Cassie and Grace had ensured that a canopy of twinkle lights hung precisely spread out above. The small archway that George and Sam had erected for the ceremony to take place under was draped in flowers and stood perfectly against the backdrop of the woods. "You have beyond outdone yourselves." Impulsively she hugged Cassie, then Grace and finally Abigail. "I can't thank you enough for making this day happen for Mac and Harm."
"It's our pleasure, truly," Cassie replied. "We may not have known them long, but they've become such a wonderful and important part of all our lives. It's an honor to be a part of their day."
Bud smiled at Cassie. "I don't know how you finally got through all that stubbornness to help them get here, but you ladies are miracle workers."
"Sometimes it's more about finding a way around than through. Once you're on the other side, how you got there doesn't matter as much as who you're there with," Abigail mused as she looked around. She spotted a rose that had shifted in its vase and meticulously repositioned it.
"Very well said, Miss Pershing," AJ commented with a grin. "Beauty and wisdom; a combination not to be underestimated."
"You are too kind, Admiral Chegwidden," Abigail blushed ever so slightly as she answered him. She made the mistake of making eye contact with him. The way he looked at her caused her stomach to flip and her heart to race. The flush in her cheeks deepened as she looked back at the arrangement she didn't actually need to adjust. She'd never met someone who she couldn't maintain eye contact with, but there was something about the way AJ looked at her which overwhelmed her each time. The way he would lock eyes with her was somehow both intense and gentle; she was unaccustomed to the way that gaze made her feel. She wasn't sure how she felt about how easily he could throw her off her off balance.
"Oh my gosh," Grace's chin dropped down as she looked across the driveway where Harm, Sam and Nick were walking towards them. "I'm sorry, but who are you and what have you done with my brother?" she gently poked her elbow into Nick's ribs as he stepped up beside her and she took in the suit he was wearing. "I have to admit, you clean up nice, Radford."
"Thanks Grace," Nick replied as he smiled. "You look awesome, Sis."
Cassie smiled widely. Grace and Nick had developed a much deeper bond in the last few months and had quickly decided that they didn't need to use the "step" when referring to each other. The fact that they already considered one another siblings was more than she had hoped for, especially given how strained their relationship had been when she and Sam had first gotten engaged.
Looking around at those gathered, Cassie couldn't help but notice how wonderful everyone looked. George in Air Force dress blues, AJ, Bud and Harm were, at Mac's request all, in their dress blues rather than whites. Mattie, Harriet, Abigail, Grace and herself all wore gowns of various shades of blue. Even Sam and Nick both wore dark blue suits. She slipped her arm around Sam's waist and leaned her head on his shoulder. She smiled as she noticed that Harm's fingers seemed particularly twitchy, tapping rapidly against his leg as he did his best to stand still. "So how was your run?" she whispered into Sam's ear.
"Which one? The fourteen miles in the middle of the night or the twelve miles at the crack of dawn?" Sam whispered back and kissed her temple. "I'm just glad we turned back before we made it to Indiana."
"AJ's right; you're a good sport, Sam Radford," Cassie murmured to him.
"Thanks, tell that to my knees," Sam whispered with a wink.
"I have a fresh batch of malabathrum in the kitchen if you need need a compress later," she chuckled quietly as she gently squeezed him.
"Oh good, Martha and Tom are here," Abigail commented without looking over her shoulder. A few seconds later their car pulled into the drive.
"How do they do that?" Bud asked looking at Sam.
"Some things you just don't question, Bud," Sam shrugged. He'd long ago given up trying to figure out how all three of them always knew just a moment before something was going to happen.
"Oh, you all have done it yet again." Martha gawked at the courtyard. "Cassie, I am going to have to talk to you about renting out Grey House for when Tom an I have our vow renewal ceremony next summer. I can't imagine a more perfect setting!"
"You are more than welcome to have your renewal here, Martha," Cassie smiled back. "You look lovely."
"My goodness, I feel like I've stumbled onto a military base!" She looked around at all the uniforms.
"Hmmm… Looks like I better keep the Navy jokes under wraps; I seem to be somewhat outnumbered," Tom quipped as he stood beside her in his Army dress greens.
"I didn't realize you had served, Tom." Harm nodded respectfully to him.
"Oh, yes, a lifetime or two ago. Been a while since I've had such a prestigious event to attend to be able to get the dress greens out of mothballs."
"Middleton will have to start hosting more galas because you look impeccable in uniform," Martha said admiringly. She smiled warmly at him and tucked into his side. "As do all of you gentlemen, of course."
"Ooh, Stephanie is here!" Grace turned a beat before Stephanie's truck pulled in off the street. Despite their rocky start on the day Mac had first come to Middleton, they had become friends and Mac had insisted that she attend the wedding rather than merely catering it.
"They all do it…" Bud rolled his eyes and chuckled. "How does that not mess with your head?" he asked Sam.
"You get used to it," Sam smiled with a casual shrug. It had taken him a while to adapt to never being able to walk into a room without one of the Merriwicks in his life knowing he was there, but now it was just part of life.
Stephanie gave her staff a few brief instructions before joining the others. She smiled as she walked up to everyone. "I hope I'm not late."
Cassie, Abigail and Grace all looked distant for a moment then looked at each other and smiled.
"Not at all. In fact, I think you're right on time," Abigail commented.
"Admiral, I do believe your presence is required inside," Cassie remarked.
"Martha, front and center; Harm, Bud, you too," Grace added as she gestured towards the archway.
All three Merriwicks began moving deftly about, guiding people to their places and attending to final touches. They moved in a way that was almost dance-like; fluid, coordinated, deliberate and utterly captivating in the flawless precision of each action without exchanging so much as a word to one another, instinctively knowing what needed to be done.
"Good lord. I've seen teams on deployment that were nowhere near this tight," AJ muttered, impressed with the way they were executing the tasks at hand. "Sam, never cross these women," he warned jokingly.
"Oh, believe me, I know better than to take on the Merriwicks," he smiled as he looked around at his family. He smiled proudly as he saw Nick helping Grace without even a hint of bickering. His son had truly transformed in the time since they'd come to Middleton. No longer the moody, rebellious, challenging teenager that he had been when they first moved here. Now he was a thoughtful, for the most part helpful young man. Sam credited the women in his life for a significant part of that change. Cassie and Grace had been remarkably good influences on him. Even Abigail had worked her Merriwick magic with Nick, though she kept more of a distance and was more likely to quietly hint at something than offer him direct guidance.
He had noticed that Abigail seemed slightly distracted these last few days. Usually she was almost laser focused, it had made her a very effective office manager, but could make her a little much to deal with on occasion. She was also much quieter this week. He'd never known Abigail to hold her tongue; one of her best and worst qualities was that she said exactly what she felt needed to be said, whether people wanted to hear it or not. She still spoke her mind, of course, if she hadn't been speaking up at all he probably would have insisted on doing a full workup on her, but when she did she often spoke with a softer tone than he was used to hearing from her. As he watched her now, he caught her looking in AJ's direction and blushing when the retired admiral looked back at her. 'Abigail never blushes' he thought to himself. He smiled as he realized that there was something between them.
"You're a lucky man, Sam. You have a wonderful family," Harriet said to him quietly.
"I am extremely lucky," Sam agreed. It wasn't only Nick who had been changed by the women. He had to admit that since they had all come into his life, his entire world had shifted. He'd never been a neglectful father by any stretch of the imagination, but their influence had led him to finding a much better balance between work and home life. He couldn't imagine his life without all three of them in it now.
Cassie and AJ went upstairs and Cassie knocked on Mac's door before opening it. Her hand went to her chest as she saw Mac in the wedding dress.
"Sarah, you look stunning," Cassie said quietly as she walked over to her. "I had a feeling you were just about ready."
"I have been in combat, sat on the bench and argued in front of the Supreme court; my hands have never shaken this badly in my life." Mac looked hesitantly at Cassie. "Did he show up?"
"Of course he did; he's outside right now, looking every bit as anxious as you are," Cassie assured her. "Now there is just one last thing. Or rather, four somethings." Mac looked at her curiously. "So, we have something old," she slipped a delicate gold bracelet onto Mac's wrist. "Something new," was a simple, single strand tiara that Cassie nestled into Mac's hair adding just the slightest hint of sparkle to her chestnut locks. For "something borrowed," Cassie deftly tucked Elizabeth Merriwick's handkerchief into the folds of the fabric surrounding the stems of the bouquet. "And something blue," Cassie picked a single deep blue rose from the vase beside the bed and slipped it gently into the bouquet in a conveniently sparse space. "I hope you don't mind that I took the liberty of assembling these for you."
"Cassie, I can't thank you enough for everything." Mac hugged her tightly. She took a deep breath and felt a sense of calm wash over her. After a few more moments she took another long, slow breath and the last of her nervousness melted away. "Okay, I'm ready," she smiled and realized her hands had stopped shaking.
Cassie just nodded and left the room. When Mac walked out AJ's expression softened in a way that she'd rarely seen. "You look beautiful, Mac." He held his elbow out to her.
"Thank you for doing this, Admiral," Mac smiled up at him. "I can't imagine anyone I would rather have walking me down the aisle."
"It is my absolute honor."
Cassie slipped out the back door and smiled at Harriet as she walked past her and took her seat beside Sam. The chairs had been set up in something of a semi-circle rather than rows, so that everyone was gathered around the archway where Harm and Martha stood waiting. Bud stood just behind Harm and smiled widely a few moments later when he saw Harriet come up the aisle. Once Harriet was standing across from Bud she looked at him and smiled back, blushing slightly.
Without Martha saying anything, everyone stood.
When AJ and Mac stepped into view at the end of the aisle, Harm's breath caught in his chest. He'd been expecting to see Mac in her dress uniform; the soft ivory gown she wore took him by surprise. It fit her perfectly, clinging to her form as though it had been custom made; simple and fanning out slightly just below where the fabric caressed her hips, the outer lace layer drew just enough attention to accentuate her body without being overdone. The delicate lace cap sleeves drew the eye down from her shoulders to the neckline which dipped modestly between her breasts. She looked like a goddess. He barely noticed the tear that slid down his cheek as she approached on AJ's arm.
AJ shook Harm's hand when they reached him, then he kissed Mac on each cheek. He placed Mac's right hand in Harm's left then clasped both theirs with his. He simply nodded to them both before stepping aside to take his seat. Once he had, Martha gestured to everyone else to do the same. Cassie held Sam's hand as they settled in.
"Family, loved ones, friends, today is a truly auspicious day, for we gather together here to witness the marriage of Harmon Rabb, Jr to Sarah Mackenzie. Now, at the request of the couple, the ceremony will be kept brief. From what I understand, today has been somewhat of a long time in the making and they are eager to finally make things official."
Everyone including Harm and Mac, chuckled quietly.
"Lao Tzu once said that being deeply loved by someone gives you strength, while loving someone deeply gives you courage. Sarah and Harm have found their truest strength and deepest courage in each other. There is no greater gift in this life than finding someone who champions you when you are at your best, and loves you most fiercely when you are at your worst." Martha looked at Tom as she spoke and her smile softened. After all their years together, ups and downs which neither could have ever anticipated, when he looked at her, she felt like her heart were going to leap out of her chest.
"A little bird found the following reading," she smiled broadly as she slipped on her reading glasses and took a breath before continuing. "Your soul, so restless, so old, so pure. You left your land to sail for distant shores, and find what your heart wished for. My love, no matter where you are, when you find yourself adrift and alone, let the fair winds and following seas bring you back to me, for in my arms you will always be home," Martha stopped for a moment to smile at Cassie as she finished the piece.
"I take it the little bird in question was a Nightingale," Sam whispered into Cassie's ear as he kissed her quickly on the cheek before turning his attention back to Martha. "Nice find."
"Well, there goes my shot at making it through without crying." Martha quickly wiped a tear from her face. She took a breath to steady herself. "It has been said that the key to a successful marriage is falling in love many times, always with the same person. If that truly is the secret, I feel confident that you two will be setting the gold standard for generations to come. The rings please, Captain Roberts." Bud handed the rings to Martha . "For centuries, a simple, solid band has been used to represent the bond between husband and wife. This is because like love's truest form, there is neither beginning nor end." She passed Harm's ring to Mac and hers to him. "Harmon Rabb, Jr do you take Sarah Mackenzie to be your lawfully wedded wife, to love and cherish, to have and to hold, in good times and in challenging times, forsaking all others, for as long as you both shall live?"
"I absolutely do." Harm smiled widely as he slipped the ring on her finger.
"And do you, Sarah Mackenzie, take Harmon Rabb, Jr to be your lawfully wedded husband, to love and cherish, to have and to hold, in good times and in challenging times, forsaking all others, for as long as you both shall live?"
"I absolutely do." Sarah echoed his answer as she slid Harm's ring onto his finger.
"Then by the power vested in me, I officially declare you, at long last, to be husband and wife. Captain, you may kiss your bride," Martha slid her glasses off and brought her hand to her chest as Harm and Mac shared their first married kiss. "Friends, it is my great honor to present for the first time, Captain and Mrs. Harmon Rabb, Jr."
Harm and Mac turned to face their friends, beaming smiles on their faces.
"It's about damn time," AJ commented loudly as he stood and applauded. Everyone laughed and cheered. Harm went to shake AJ's hand. "Congratulations Harm, I couldn't be happier for the two of you," he said as he pulled him into a quick hug, the sincerity in his voice was unmistakable.
"Thank you, AJ," Harm replied quietly.