Bosco sat at Newark International Airport, tapping his fingers
impatiently on the arm of an overstuffed armchair. He glanced down at the
worn piece of paper he was folding into squares and then unfolding
continuously. It held the names of the people he was greeting on the flight
that was scheduled to land thirty minutes ago. Jimmy sat next to him,
sleeping silently. His chin was buried into his chest and clutched in his
hands were the photos of the family and friends.
"Flight 753, nonstop from Cincinnati, at Gate 86B, will be arriving in five minutes. Flight 753, nonstop from Cincinnati, Gate 86B, will be arriving in five minutes," an ominous voice announced over a loudspeaker. Jimmy snorted and opened his eyes at the sudden interruption.
"Good morning, Snow White," Bosco sighed deeply and stood up. Jimmy stretched his tall frame out on the blue fabric.
"Was that our flight?" he yawned. Bosco nodded. He walked over to the large window and sat on the sill. He glanced up in the air at the numerous Boeings he could see landing and taking off.
"What time is it?" Jimmy inquired, standing up. He joined Bosco at the sill, pressing his forehead against the cold glass. He closed his eyes tiredly. His breath made a small circle of fog around his head.
"2:00,"
"They were supposed to be here at 1:30,"
"I know. Weather in Cincinnati sucks, I guess,"
"Cheer up, man,"
"Why?"
"You're getting married in 48 hours. That should be enough to make you climb up on the window and sing in joy," Jimmy chided, punching Bosco on the shoulder lightly. Bosco gave Jimmy a withering look, then returned his gaze to the window.
"This isn't exactly the way I had our wedding planned. I figured it'd be somewhere along the lines of months of preparation, with a hundred guests, an over-priced cake, with tuxedos, wedding gowns, and flowers. All that shit," Bosco stated with a taste of bitterness. "I didn't really dream it'd be planned in 5 hours with a few dozen guests and my best uniform."
"At least she's wearing a white dress," Jimmy shrugged, trying to brighten Bosco's perspective. Bosco smiled gratefully. He wasn't trying to sound sour about this. He should be happy about this wedding. He was, but there was still the nagging sensation in the back of his mind that hissed Enjoy it while you can.
"Yea,"
"Hey, think of it this way. You're getting married to the woman you love and she's going to live. Just like a fairy tale, right?" Bosco fought the urge to laugh at Jimmy. Who did he look like, Joey?
"Yea, Prince Charming," he chuckled. Jimmy's face folded into a smile with the littlest hint of embarrassment.
"Is that them?"
"Yea, I think so," Bosco answered. The two watched in silence as a small airplane careened itself down the landing strip, toward the airport. After a few minutes a steady trickle of people climbed down the stairs. The men watched them disappear into a small stairwell that lead to a door to their right. Bosco snatched the photos out of Jimmy's hand and silenced his protest with one look. Jimmy folded his arms and leaned against the cool window. They expectantly waited until the door opened. Slowly but surely they emptied into the room. Most of the passengers were traveling alone and in business suits. Some were already on their cell phones, checking on their stocks or calling their bosses to let them know yes, they'd be in later. Bosco would spot an occasional casual person, but they didn't match anyone in the photos.
"There's one," Jimmy nodded at a young woman who stepped off of the stairs. She glanced around the room nervously, her eyes landing on Bosco and Jimmy for a moment before scanning the room again.
"More like there's all of them," Bosco said as three more people stood near her. They began to talk amongst themselves. Jimmy and Bosco compared the group to the list and pictures. Each person in the photos matched each person in the group.
"Jackpot," Jimmy whispered. They approached the group warmly. The two youngest women glanced wearily at the two, taking a step closer to the group.
"Are you here for Raeanne Spangler?" Bosco called out to the group. That got their attention. They replied with heralds of everything from "Who the hell are you?" to "What about Raeanne?".
"What my friend means is... Are you Darcy Spangler, Susie Tutt, Cassie Wedge, and Amanda White?" Jimmy smiled disarmingly. They gave one giant nod.
"Which one of you is Bosco?" the eldest woman, Raeanne's grandmother, asked.
"That would be me," Bosco raised his hand. He suddenly felt like a fourth grader under the stares of the strangers. "Maurice Boscorelli. Everyone calls me Bosco. This is Jimmy. He came with me because we can't fit six people and all their luggage into one car."
"You're Raeanne's ex?" a wide-eyed brunette asked. Jimmy nodded, suppressing his smile. She whispered to her friend in awe, "Wow."
"I'm Susie Tutt, Raeanne's grandmother," the one who demanded who Bosco was introduced herself, outstretching her hand to Bosco. Bosco shook it, then folded her into a hug.
"I'm Amanda White, Raeanne's best friend," the second tallest introduced herself. Her hair was a darker shade than the other young one, but not as dark as Susie's.
"I'm Cassie Wedge, Raeanne's best friend," the one who had gazed at Jimmy with wonder-filled eyes smiled.
"I'm Jimmy Doherty, Raeanne's other best friend," Jimmy laughed.
"I thought you were her ex?" Cassie wondered.
"You can be best friends with your ex," Amanda rolled her eyes. The last woman, Raeanne's mother without a doubt, stepped forward. She wore a poker face, her eyes full of worry. She glanced over Jimmy, then at Bosco. Bosco felt a lump form in his throat.
"I'm Darcy Spangler," she smiled warmly. "You're marrying my daughter."
"Flight 753, nonstop from Cincinnati, at Gate 86B, will be arriving in five minutes. Flight 753, nonstop from Cincinnati, Gate 86B, will be arriving in five minutes," an ominous voice announced over a loudspeaker. Jimmy snorted and opened his eyes at the sudden interruption.
"Good morning, Snow White," Bosco sighed deeply and stood up. Jimmy stretched his tall frame out on the blue fabric.
"Was that our flight?" he yawned. Bosco nodded. He walked over to the large window and sat on the sill. He glanced up in the air at the numerous Boeings he could see landing and taking off.
"What time is it?" Jimmy inquired, standing up. He joined Bosco at the sill, pressing his forehead against the cold glass. He closed his eyes tiredly. His breath made a small circle of fog around his head.
"2:00,"
"They were supposed to be here at 1:30,"
"I know. Weather in Cincinnati sucks, I guess,"
"Cheer up, man,"
"Why?"
"You're getting married in 48 hours. That should be enough to make you climb up on the window and sing in joy," Jimmy chided, punching Bosco on the shoulder lightly. Bosco gave Jimmy a withering look, then returned his gaze to the window.
"This isn't exactly the way I had our wedding planned. I figured it'd be somewhere along the lines of months of preparation, with a hundred guests, an over-priced cake, with tuxedos, wedding gowns, and flowers. All that shit," Bosco stated with a taste of bitterness. "I didn't really dream it'd be planned in 5 hours with a few dozen guests and my best uniform."
"At least she's wearing a white dress," Jimmy shrugged, trying to brighten Bosco's perspective. Bosco smiled gratefully. He wasn't trying to sound sour about this. He should be happy about this wedding. He was, but there was still the nagging sensation in the back of his mind that hissed Enjoy it while you can.
"Yea,"
"Hey, think of it this way. You're getting married to the woman you love and she's going to live. Just like a fairy tale, right?" Bosco fought the urge to laugh at Jimmy. Who did he look like, Joey?
"Yea, Prince Charming," he chuckled. Jimmy's face folded into a smile with the littlest hint of embarrassment.
"Is that them?"
"Yea, I think so," Bosco answered. The two watched in silence as a small airplane careened itself down the landing strip, toward the airport. After a few minutes a steady trickle of people climbed down the stairs. The men watched them disappear into a small stairwell that lead to a door to their right. Bosco snatched the photos out of Jimmy's hand and silenced his protest with one look. Jimmy folded his arms and leaned against the cool window. They expectantly waited until the door opened. Slowly but surely they emptied into the room. Most of the passengers were traveling alone and in business suits. Some were already on their cell phones, checking on their stocks or calling their bosses to let them know yes, they'd be in later. Bosco would spot an occasional casual person, but they didn't match anyone in the photos.
"There's one," Jimmy nodded at a young woman who stepped off of the stairs. She glanced around the room nervously, her eyes landing on Bosco and Jimmy for a moment before scanning the room again.
"More like there's all of them," Bosco said as three more people stood near her. They began to talk amongst themselves. Jimmy and Bosco compared the group to the list and pictures. Each person in the photos matched each person in the group.
"Jackpot," Jimmy whispered. They approached the group warmly. The two youngest women glanced wearily at the two, taking a step closer to the group.
"Are you here for Raeanne Spangler?" Bosco called out to the group. That got their attention. They replied with heralds of everything from "Who the hell are you?" to "What about Raeanne?".
"What my friend means is... Are you Darcy Spangler, Susie Tutt, Cassie Wedge, and Amanda White?" Jimmy smiled disarmingly. They gave one giant nod.
"Which one of you is Bosco?" the eldest woman, Raeanne's grandmother, asked.
"That would be me," Bosco raised his hand. He suddenly felt like a fourth grader under the stares of the strangers. "Maurice Boscorelli. Everyone calls me Bosco. This is Jimmy. He came with me because we can't fit six people and all their luggage into one car."
"You're Raeanne's ex?" a wide-eyed brunette asked. Jimmy nodded, suppressing his smile. She whispered to her friend in awe, "Wow."
"I'm Susie Tutt, Raeanne's grandmother," the one who demanded who Bosco was introduced herself, outstretching her hand to Bosco. Bosco shook it, then folded her into a hug.
"I'm Amanda White, Raeanne's best friend," the second tallest introduced herself. Her hair was a darker shade than the other young one, but not as dark as Susie's.
"I'm Cassie Wedge, Raeanne's best friend," the one who had gazed at Jimmy with wonder-filled eyes smiled.
"I'm Jimmy Doherty, Raeanne's other best friend," Jimmy laughed.
"I thought you were her ex?" Cassie wondered.
"You can be best friends with your ex," Amanda rolled her eyes. The last woman, Raeanne's mother without a doubt, stepped forward. She wore a poker face, her eyes full of worry. She glanced over Jimmy, then at Bosco. Bosco felt a lump form in his throat.
"I'm Darcy Spangler," she smiled warmly. "You're marrying my daughter."