Chapter 35

Today is August 19th, and it's Lory and Curt's 19th birthday. We were waiting to hear if Curtis was able to come home for Lory's wedding. Lory didn't want to celebrate her birthday until her brother came home. "He might not be coming home," I said when she refused to celebrate her birthday.

"I know. If Curt doesn't come home by Sunday morning, then I'll celebrate," she firmly stated.

"Okay, if that's what you want, that's what we'll do," I said, defeated. I didn't want Lory to hold out hope for something that might not happen.

Curtis arrived home in the early hours of the morning on the 20th. He wanted to surprise Lory for her birthday. I woke up as he deactivated the alarm. "Curt," I stage whispered. It was loud enough for him to hear but quiet enough not to wake up the household.

"Hi, mom," he replied as he hugged me. "I missed you."

"I missed you too. You've bulked up," I observed. Curt resembled his father Jeremy more than before.

"It was bound to happen," he joked. "Where's Julie?"

"At home asleep. You can't visit with her until tomorrow," I warned.

"Technically, it's already tomorrow," he smirked. "Is Lory in bed?"

"Yes. What are you planning?" I asked.

"I'm too wound up to sleep. I'll hang around in the basement until a more reasonable hour," Curt answered. He left his gaming systems behind when he left for basic training. "Then I'm going to sneak into her room and stare at her until she wakes up."

I grabbed his hand to lead him towards the kitchen. "Are you hungry?"

"I can eat," he replied. I quietly made him an omelette, toast, and coffee. Since I was already awake, I joined him for breakfast. Curt raised an eyebrow when I set another plate of food on the table. Michael joined us as I took my seat.

"Hi, Curt," Michael greeted him. "How was your first year?"

"Busy. I finished my second tour last week," he replied. "My CO gave me a week off to visit family before my next tour."

"You have around 17 months left on your contract?" I asked.

"Something like that. I'm thinking about joining the Rangers. General Rogers says I have potential," he replied.

"Ranger training is rough. Bulk up a bit more, and you'll do just fine," Michael advised.

"Thanks, dad." Curt loaded the dishwasher while I washed the pans.

We talked about basic training and his CO. He said the senior officers often took a second look at him. They commented about his resemblance to his father, Jeremy. Curt confessed it bothered him at first, but the more stories he heard about his father, the better he felt. Everyone he encountered respected his father.

"I'm going to wake up my sister," he said before sneaking away.

"He looks more like Jeremy now than before he left," Michael observed.

"I know. At first, I thought it was Jeremy entering the house. He's a handsome young man." Curtis is almost a spitting image of his father. The only difference is the shape of Curt's nose and the tightly curled hair. His nose was small like mine.

All my children inherited my smaller-sized nose. In all honesty, Jeremy's nose was a little larger than mine. Michael's nose is a little larger than Jeremy's nose. I giggled as I thought about noses. "What's so funny?" Michael asked.

"Noses," I replied. Michael raised an eyebrow as he silently questioned my sanity. I sighed before telling him my thoughts.

"Only you, Anie," he chuckled. "I can't disagree with you either. My nose is larger than your cute little nose."

"Today is going to be crazy," I stated.

"Tomorrow isn't going to be much better," he added.

"I know," I started to talk but was cut short by Lory's screams. "Shit. She's going to wake up the babies." Jace and Livie woke up crying.

Before Michael and I could run up the stairs, Curt and Lory carried the children downstairs. Jace was babbling to his older brother. Olivia had her face buried in Lory's hair. Her breaths hitched as her cries subsided. "Caw," Olivia cried.

"Who or what is Caw?" Curt asked.

"Me," he heard from behind him. "Did someone scare you, Livie?" Cal asked.

"Yaw," Livie replied as she slapped her sister. She leaned away from Lory to reach for Cal.

"Hi, I'm Cal. I'm renting the room in the basement," Cal stated.

"Curtis," my son said as he shook Cal's hand.

"Pleasure to meet you, sir. I'll get Livie some cereal for breakfast," Cal informed us.

"Thanks, Cal. Are you picking up the tent and chairs today?" I asked.

"Sure am, Steph," he replied before carrying Livie to the table.

"Come here, little man. What would you like for breakfast today?" Michael asked Jace.

"Pancakes!" he shouted.

"Yummy," Lory said as she followed them to the kitchen.

I grabbed the ingredients to make pancakes for Lory, Jace and Cal. Curtis helped by cooking scrambled eggs and sausage.

Cal was studying Curtis as though he was trying to place him. I removed the locket from around my neck, opened it, then passed it to him. He studied the image of Jeremy. "That's who he resembles," Cal exclaimed. "It was driving me crazy."

"Who do I resemble?" Curt asked, knowing Cal was thinking about his father, Jeremy.

"Ace. Jeremy Richards," Cal replied. "He was my CO before he joined the Rangers. Ace married a beautiful young woman before he left for training. It's a shame she passed away."

"Look in the other window," I stated.

"Ya. That's the photo Ace had in his wallet," Cal excitedly said. "Oh. You're Jeremy's widow. I thought you died."

"I'm very much alive," I joked. "I thought you would've already made the connection."

"You're more beautiful in person, Steph," Cal stated.

"Thank you," I replied.

Cal looked at my old photo a few more times, comparing it to Lory and Jace. He smiled before handing me the locket. "Lory and Jace resemble you more than I realized," he stated.

"It's bound to happen. Mallory and Jace are my children, after all," I joked.

"Smart ass," Cal mumbled.

"Ass!" Livie parroted.

"You're in trouble now," Lory singsonged.

"Sorry, Steph," Cal quickly apologized. I waved off his apology. It wasn't the first time Livie said ass.

"Have you written your vows yet?" I asked Lory.

"Still working on it. I'm trying to find the right words," Lory replied.

"You'll find them. I have faith in you," I stated. "We have a lot to do today."

"Are we picking up my dress?" she asked.

"Among other things," I stated. We need to pick Leon up at the airport. Michael was planning to make the airport run, but something else came up.

My wonderful husband was organizing a last-minute birthday party for Lory and Curt. I was bringing Curt with me when we drive to the airport. Hector and Lester will be on babysitting duty.

Mallory looked beautiful in her wedding dress. The bodice fit tight to her body with a v-neck stopping mid-breast. Thin spaghetti straps over the shoulders were more for decoration. Delicate ivory lace covered the A-line skirt. "I love the lace pattern," Lory stated. "What type of pattern is this?" she asked.

"It's an ivy lace pattern. Instead of the typical large flower design, it has small ivy vines with leaves," I replied, recalling the name the seamstress stated.

"You look beautiful," the seamstress exclaimed.

"Thank you," Lory said as she blushed. "My dress is gorgeous."

"I'm glad you like it, dear," she stated.

"How much do we owe you?" I asked. She never accepted the down payment when we selected the dress pattern.

"Oh. No charge, dear," the seamstress replied. Before I could offer her money, she added, "No charge for Ella's granddaughter."

"I'm not Ella's biological granddaughter," Lory protested.

"You are Ella's granddaughter in her heart. It's my wedding gift to you," she insisted.

"Thank you," Lory said as she hugged the older woman. "Please come to my wedding." I gave her the details to attend the wedding tomorrow. She promised to make an appearance tomorrow.

We stopped by home to secure the wedding dress in my closet. Curt was waiting beside the car when we exited the house. "Where are we going?" Lory asked.

"To pick up your groom from the airport," I replied. She squealed in delight.

"Do all women have to screech like that?" Curt asked. We ignored his question. I wondered if Julie screamed when he visited earlier.

Leon was standing in the pickup area where Binkie told him to wait. Lory jumped from the car and launched herself into his arms. He kissed her before wishing her a happy birthday.

Curtis moved from the backseat to the front. He was giving the lovebirds a chance to canoodle on the way home. Leon placed his luggage into the back seat. Binkie had the rest of Leon's belongings in one of our basement bedrooms.

"Happy birthday, Curtis," Leon said when he entered the car.

Mallory sat next to Leon and held onto his hand. They whispered in the back, attempting to catch up with each other. Time apart didn't change their feelings. I could see they were still in love.

When we entered the house, our friends and family shouted, "Happy Birthday, Mallory and Curtis!"

Binkie hugged his brother, Leon. I watched their silent exchange before Leon asked, "I know it's last minute, but Franc, will you be my best man?"

"It would be my honour," Binkie replied.

Sophia was Mallory's maid of honour, and Julie was a bridesmaid. Lisa is a flower girl, and Jace is the ring bearer. Livie was too young to participate.

Angie pieced together a chronological photographic timeline from Leon and Lory's birth to the current date.

Mary Alice created beautiful flower arrangements for the bride and attendants. She was also our DJ for the dance. I was happy Lory found a way to include her cousins.

The men decided to combine their wedding and birthday gifts for Lory. Hector and Manny gave Lory and Leon new laptops to use at school.

Binkie, Michael and I gave them a one-month honeymoon in Hawaii. The voucher expires in a few years. They leave on Monday for Harvard.

She cried when she opened her gift from Ranger, Tank, and Bobby. They gave Lory and Leon a fully furnished apartment condo on Kirkland, within walking distance to Harvard. "This is too much," she sobbed.

The remaining men gave them gift cards for groceries or cash. There was enough money to pay for their household expenses for their four-year program at Harvard.

"Thank you," I said as I hugged Ranger. "Lory and Leon can concentrate on school."

"We would've paid their tuition, but they both received scholarships," he replied.

Exhausted from our day, we decided to call it a night. The men found places to crash throughout the house.

Lory and Leon decided to share her room. They were getting married tomorrow anyway. Why bother waiting? I knew they slept together before he left for basic training. It wasn't their first time having sex, and I hope it wouldn't be their last.

I thought yesterday was crazy. Today was insane. A lot of activity was happening in my backyard. Cal, Michael, Lester and Bobby set up the tent and chairs they picked up yesterday.

Ella arranged for the caterers to deliver the food as the ceremony commenced. They placed everything in the kitchen in warming trays. Hector and Manny ensured the caterers didn't roam freely around the house.

Most of the wedding guests were our Rangeman family. Lory wanted Michael and Curtis to walk her down the aisle. I cried as my daughter walked down the path towards her gorgeous fiancé, Leon. He looked handsome in his tux.

Leon vowed to be her teacher and her student. Mallory promised to let him assist her, and she would be his assistant. He promised to love her unconditionally. She vowed to love him irrevocably.

I loved how they exchanged their vows. Leon and Mallory took turns reciting each line of their wedding vows. They finished by saying, I love you.

The officiant completed the ceremony. Lory and Leon kissed before the officiant pronounced them husband and wife.

We partied until 0200 hours. Lester arranged for a limousine to whisk the happy newlyweds to the honeymoon suite at the Ritz-Carlton hotel. I welcomed Leon to the family then kissed my daughter on the cheek.

Leon and Mallory returned home in time for an opulent lunch. There was enough food to feed a small country. I watched Lory fill out the online application to change her last name. She was adding her new last name to her old. After completing the form, she submitted her request.

"Would you be offended if I keep Ramsey as my last name?" Lory asked Leon. "I think it would be less confusing if we only have one Dr. Binkiewicz."

"I wouldn't be offended at all. You could always hyphenate your name, Dr. Ramsey-Binkiewicz," he suggested. "It would reduce the confusion."

Lory smiled before asking, "You wouldn't be offended, but it would mean a lot to you if I still used your last name?"

"Yes," Leon replied.

"Okay," she said before turning the laptop screen around for him to see. "I hyphenated my name. Harvard should receive my name change soon."

Michael and I drove the newlyweds to the airport. "Binkie and Manny have a few days off. They'll bring the rest of your belongings. Take this credit card to purchase your winter clothes," I said as I passed Mallory the credit card attached to my account.

"I can't accept this, mom," Lory protested.

I pressed it more firmly into her hand. "Yes, you can, and you will. Let your father and me do this for you," I insisted.

"Fine," she mumbled as she accepted the card. I laughed when she mumbled I was stubborn. It takes one to know one, I thought.