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California,
August 1983
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"You may kiss the bride." Toby smiled softly and lifted the vale off CJ's face. He noticed she had tears in her eyes. He gently wiped them away before he leaned closer and softly placed his lips on hers. She put her arms around his neck and kissed him one more time.
"Okay, get a room."
They stopped kissing and turned to David, Toby's brother and best man. They both began laughing and Toby kissed her lightly on the lips once more.
CJ walked over to the table where her parents where seated.
"Aren't you two going to dance?" She asked and nodded towards the floor.
She smiled at Toby who was dancing with his older sister, after dancing non- stop with her for half an hour.
"Maybe later," her father said and placed his hand over hers. "Claudia, are you happy?"
"Of course I am, dad!" She smiled. "This is going to be great. I can feel it." When her father didn't say anything she became worried. "Dad? You do like Toby, right?"
He smiled slightly. "Of course I do and I truly believe you couldn't gotten a better husband than he. It's just hard to see your only daughter get married, I suppose."
CJ leaned closer and kissed him on the cheek. Then she turned to her mother.
"How did you like the ceremony, mom?"
"It was nice. I just wish he hadn't wore those weird clothes."
"Mom! The clothes weren't weird. Only you thought so because you're so conservative! He let me have everything my way when it came to the wedding. The least I could do is let him wear whatever he wants. Besides it's his culture." A frown appeared between her eyebrows. "Does it bother you that he is Jewish?"
Her mother shifted in the chair and looked away. "Lets just say I'd been happier if you had married a Catholic man."
CJ stood up. "Well, I hadn't and that's what matters. Now if you'll excuse me."
She hurried to the bathroom. Once there she silently began to sob. She cursed herself for crying on her wedding day and that her mother was the reason. After she had met Toby in the bookstore one and a half-year ago she had completely changed. She refused to be ordered around by people like Janine and her mother. She didn't let her mother get to her anymore even if it had been hard when she had complained about Toby. The reason she had began crying now was that she had hoped that her mother would have backed off, if only for today, because it was, after all, her only daughter's wedding-day.
Someone knocked lightly on the door. "Claude?"
She couldn't help smiling. She had never met anyone like Toby. He cared about her in a way that was inhuman.
She opened the door and let him in. "Hey."
He stroked her cheek with his fingertips. "Hey, I saw you leaving."
"Yeah. I just needed some privacy."
"Do you want me to leave?"
She smiled slightly and shook her head. "No. Just stay here with me for a while, okay?"
He kissed her on the cheek. Then he put his arms around her and hugged her tightly.
TBC.
"You may kiss the bride." Toby smiled softly and lifted the vale off CJ's face. He noticed she had tears in her eyes. He gently wiped them away before he leaned closer and softly placed his lips on hers. She put her arms around his neck and kissed him one more time.
"Okay, get a room."
They stopped kissing and turned to David, Toby's brother and best man. They both began laughing and Toby kissed her lightly on the lips once more.
CJ walked over to the table where her parents where seated.
"Aren't you two going to dance?" She asked and nodded towards the floor.
She smiled at Toby who was dancing with his older sister, after dancing non- stop with her for half an hour.
"Maybe later," her father said and placed his hand over hers. "Claudia, are you happy?"
"Of course I am, dad!" She smiled. "This is going to be great. I can feel it." When her father didn't say anything she became worried. "Dad? You do like Toby, right?"
He smiled slightly. "Of course I do and I truly believe you couldn't gotten a better husband than he. It's just hard to see your only daughter get married, I suppose."
CJ leaned closer and kissed him on the cheek. Then she turned to her mother.
"How did you like the ceremony, mom?"
"It was nice. I just wish he hadn't wore those weird clothes."
"Mom! The clothes weren't weird. Only you thought so because you're so conservative! He let me have everything my way when it came to the wedding. The least I could do is let him wear whatever he wants. Besides it's his culture." A frown appeared between her eyebrows. "Does it bother you that he is Jewish?"
Her mother shifted in the chair and looked away. "Lets just say I'd been happier if you had married a Catholic man."
CJ stood up. "Well, I hadn't and that's what matters. Now if you'll excuse me."
She hurried to the bathroom. Once there she silently began to sob. She cursed herself for crying on her wedding day and that her mother was the reason. After she had met Toby in the bookstore one and a half-year ago she had completely changed. She refused to be ordered around by people like Janine and her mother. She didn't let her mother get to her anymore even if it had been hard when she had complained about Toby. The reason she had began crying now was that she had hoped that her mother would have backed off, if only for today, because it was, after all, her only daughter's wedding-day.
Someone knocked lightly on the door. "Claude?"
She couldn't help smiling. She had never met anyone like Toby. He cared about her in a way that was inhuman.
She opened the door and let him in. "Hey."
He stroked her cheek with his fingertips. "Hey, I saw you leaving."
"Yeah. I just needed some privacy."
"Do you want me to leave?"
She smiled slightly and shook her head. "No. Just stay here with me for a while, okay?"
He kissed her on the cheek. Then he put his arms around her and hugged her tightly.
TBC.