Ichabod is pleased when Miss Mills and Mr. Riggs arrive on time for their second appointment with him.
"Don't say a word," Miss Mills says as she takes her seat.
"I had no plans to illicit a response," he says, with a tiny smile.
"Whatever you say, Crane. Are you ready to get started?"
The use of his last name didn't go unnoticed; he likes it.
"Absolutely. How are you two faring today?" He opens the binder he's curated for them. It includes possible venues, caterers, music, as well as other details for their upcoming ceremony. Each category is divided by tabs.
"We're both kind of tired, but hanging in," Mr. Riggs says. "What about you? I can imagine you get swamped with a lot of weddings."
"I understand that sentiment very well. Unfortunately, this business can be quite exhausting at times. There is often a bit to manage at once, but I handle it as best I can. Today, I am well. I only have one wedding to plan this month, which is yours."
"How many have you headed at once?"
"At most, I can work on two weddings. Normally, I plan 10 weddings a year. Depending on the details of the ceremony, I can manage a total of 12."
"That's not as many as I thought. Have you ever worked with difficult clients?"
Ichabod chuckles. "I have a multitude of stories I could share with you, Mr. Riggs, but I'm afraid we'd be here a while. Though I can tell you the last couple wasn't very pleasant to work with. It had more so to do with the bride than the groom."
"You dealt with a bridezilla, huh?"
"You have no idea."
"What's your—"
"Calvin, your reporter hat is on." Miss Mills laughs.
"Right. We're here about our wedding."
"Yep."
"You know I can get carried away. Here's my hat." He removes an invisible cap on his head and hands it to Miss Mills. She places it in her lap.
"I'll keep it safe for you."
"Does this happen often?" Ichabod says.
He's intrigued by their antics. Each couple he's encountered has a completely different language and ways of speaking and interacting with each other.
"It does," Mr. Riggs says. "Sometimes, I don't even realize I'm doing it. I'm always chasing a story. It's just a part of me."
"It doesn't even matter where he is either. He can literally start asking the cashier at the grocery store questions, and there can be a line full of customers behind us."
"That's very true," he says.
"How did you two meet each other in high school?"
"I saw her defending her sister from a bully; right then I walked up to her. I asked her what happened and why she did what she did. I wanted to know everything. She was so fierce to me." He pauses, grabs her hand. "I was in awe of her; I'll always be in awe of who she is."
Miss Mills blushes. "He really wore me down with all his questions. He asked about my childhood and everything else. I was so annoyed with him, but I liked that he wanted the answers and the truth about everything. That's why I fell in love with him."
Ichabod smiles at the two of them. Stars glint in their eyes as they gaze at each other. He loves when he observes a bride and groom who are so in love. He has the heart of a hopeless romantic, a quality about him that he can't rid himself of.
"This is quite a romantic story. I love tales about high school sweethearts. As much as I would love to know more about your history together, we must get back on task. I've created a list of contacts for venues, food, music, and all the like. You may browse through this binder to see if these suggestions interest you." He hands them the binder. "I'll jot down some notes as you call out what you like."
They nod as they attend to the information in front of them. They like Fredrick's Manor, and Ichabod writes that down. It's a large mansion that's been around for centuries in Sleepy Hollow. Nearly all the couples he's worked with have their weddings there. It's not too flashy, but it isn't too subtle either. It's very classic and can accommodate a small wedding party or a large one. There is a beautiful garden, where they can take photos or even have the wedding itself. The reception dinner can occur there as well. This is their only pick as they proceed to music.
"I love the idea of a live band that plays soul and jazz," Miss Mills says. "This one seems interesting. They play modern songs, too."
"We should add them to the list then."
"Would this be the All Tunes Band perhaps?"
"Yeah. Are they popular, Crane?"
"Yes, they are. I'll put them down as a possibility. What about food? Anne's is a wonderful caterer and so is The Good Shack. If you do not currently have any ideas for which bakery you'd like to order your cake to come from, there are four businesses listed, too. All of them have delectable desserts."
"One of my buddies on the newspaper just covered a story about Anne's. They recently won the Best Local Business Award. You think we should consider them, Abbie?"
She nods. "You can mark them down, Crane. Who do you suggest for a cake?"
"Personally, Sweets by Stella is my favorite. I hear she just added raspberry crème to her menu, since it's been frequently requested nowadays. Her chocolate cake is also to die for, I can assure you. Should I make a note?"
"Yeah. We'll definitely have to check them out."
"Do you have any thoughts about the aesthetics of your weddings, such as flowers, decorations, color schemes, etc.?"
"I don't have anything in mind right now. You, Calvin?"
He shakes his head and laughs. "I have no clue. Maybe my mother has some ideas."
Miss Mills quickly shakes her head. "We are not asking your mother a thing. We know how that'll go."
"She just wants to help."
"Help or control everything?"
"Oh, come on. We have to let her do something. She won't leave me alone otherwise."
"She can pick the flowers. That's it."
"Alright." Mr. Riggs chuckles. "I'll tell her."
"I'm serious, Calvin. Only the flowers."
"I got it, babe. Flowers." He laughs again.
Ichabod knows all too well parents of the bride and groom who want to hijack the entire wedding as if it belonged to them. He'll be sure to suggest compromises if their parents get involved.
"Well, it is still early in the process. You have a bit of time to think about decorations and such. What is your budget for this wedding?"
"We don't want to spend no more than $40,000," Miss Mills says.
Ichabod scribbles that down. "I will be sure we stay in that limit. Next weekend, I believe we should visit Fredrick's Manor. Would that be—"
Mr. Rigg's phone rings and he excuses himself.
"There are so many details to a wedding." Miss Mills sighs. "I'm starting to get a little overwhelmed."
"It can be very daunting, especially when clients can't make up their minds. However, you and Mr. Riggs are very straight forward and have particular ideas in mind already. It makes my job easier."
"I know it does. I didn't even want to have a big wedding to be honest. I was fine settling for the courthouse, a nice dinner reception, and a week-stay at a fancy beach resort, but Calvin loves a big ceremony. His parents had a huge one, and he wants to follow in their footsteps, so I'm doing this for him."
"That's very kind of you, Miss Mills, though it is important to get what you want out of the wedding as well. It's just as much your day as it is his."
Ichabod gathers that she's the type of woman to take care of others' needs and wants, but may often put her own aside. He'll be sure that doesn't happen during this planning period. His goal is for her to be nothing but happy on her wedding day and to have what her heart desires.
"Oh, I'll have a say. He knows I don't bite my tongue." She chuckles.
"According to our encounter yesterday, I sincerely believe that to be true. I don't think I'll test you again any time soon."
"I'm sure you won't."
Mr. Riggs returns; he's frowning. "Hey, Abbie. We gotta talk."
"What's wrong?"
"I just got a call from my editor. There's a protest breaking out in Chicago that he wants me to cover. A historically black neighborhood is being torn down and residents are being forced out of their homes. I'll have to fly out tonight."
Ichabod knows an argument is about to ensue. He's seen his fair share of spats and quarrels between a bride and groom. At certain points, he'll intercede. He doesn't permit name calling, profanity, yelling, or worse, verbal abuse. He'll even outright suggest that the couple shouldn't wed if their argument gets too out of hand. One time, he's even had to call the police for fear of one groom physically abusing the bride. He will not tolerate such behavior and will see to the safety and security of his clients.
He can see Miss Mills is upset by the way her lips form a thin line. "We just started planning our wedding, Calvin, and you're trying to chase a story. Really?"
"I can't control breaking news, Abbie. You're a cop. You should understand when emergencies happen."
"I get that. I do understand. You love your job and want to be there as soon as something occurs, but sometimes work has to take a backseat. I'm on desk duty from 8 to 4 now, so I could make time for this. Another officer has been covering the rest of my shift. We agreed that we'd put our efforts in this wedding and ease up on work. It's not fair that you're going back on your word."
"You can't put all the blame on me. What about Quantico? You'll be training at the FBI Academy for about 21 weeks whenever you hear back from them. What if you must report on our wedding day or our honeymoon? I'm not the only one sacrificing matrimony for my career."
"What am I supposed to tell them? That I just got hitched and need to reschedule? I don't think that's a good enough reason to hold off. And it's clear this meeting isn't a good enough excuse for you to stay either." She sighs. "How long will you be gone?"
"I don't know. Up to a week, maybe two weeks at most, depending on what happens."
"Well, we'll have to figure out a way to plan from a distance until you come back. I'll call, send photos, video chat. We'll find a way."
"I'm sorry, okay?" He tugs her from her chair. "I know how important this is to you. It matters to me as well. I promise to call everyday."
"Call when you land, too."
"I will. You know I love you."
"That's what all the journalists say."
He laughs and kisses her. "I'll be back soon."
"You better."
He nods and then turns to Ichabod.
"I'm sorry to have to bail like this. Please, keep me in the loop about what's going on."
"Rest assured, you will know news as it happens. This occurs quite frequently as well, so Miss Mills will be in great hands."
"Thank you, Ichabod." He then kisses Abbie's lips again and tells her he'll see her soon.
She nods and says okay.
"Have a safe flight, Mr. Riggs."
"I will. Thank you again." He leaves the office in a rush.
"Well, Miss Mills, it is just you and I in the meantime."
"Looks like it."
Often times, the bride or groom will be saddened by their partner leaving for work or for other important matters. He made it a habit to inquire about their feelings, as he knows this moment in their lives is a special one and to manage it alone can be difficult and lonely.
"How are you feeling, Miss Mills?"
"I'm fine." She proceeds to stand. "Calvin will return."
Ichabod also figures she isn't the one to wear her heart on her sleeve either. He can respect that she doesn't want to open up to him.
"You can confide in me, Miss Mills. At any moment you need a listening ear, I will be available to you."
She smiles small at him. "Thanks, Crane. You know, under all that haughtiness, you're not so bad."
"I have my moments."
"I'm starting to see it. So, our next meeting is going to be at the manor?"
"Yes, it will. I will e-mail you the date and time once I speak to the lady who manages the events there. You shall hear from me in about a day or two."
"Okay. I'll look out for that."
"Very well. I believe this concludes our meeting for today. Unfortunately, we didn't get a chance to discuss what season and date the wedding will occur, how many guests will attend, and invitations, as Mr. Riggs had to leave. However, you can talk with him regarding these matters and inform me when we meet at Fredrick's Manor or anytime beforehand."
She nods. "I'll have that for you. Thank you again, Crane."
"You are very welcome, Miss Mills."
He watches her leave his office. Normally, he's sad for the bride or groom when they are left to plan the details of their wedding alone, but for some reason, he is especially empathetic toward Miss Mills and will seek to make this experience a memorable one for her.