Matt's concentration was suddenly thrown off by a persistent knocking at the front door, which was rather unexpected with it being six in the evening on a Wednesday night. Matt had shortly arrived home from the office and had been assisting Grace with her math homework at the dining table. Karen, not too far away, humming blissfully over the pan of boiling water that would cook the penne pasta dish they'd be shortly having for dinner to perfection. He initially brushed off the approaching footsteps up the stairwell, assuming it was his neighbor, but alas there was a visitor waiting on the other side of their door. One who was perspiring substantially and out of breath from the trek up to the top floor. The lingering trace of cold cuts, cheeses, and mustard tipped Matt off on the identity of their unanticipated guest.
"Honey, can you get that?" Karen poked her head up from tending to the pasta and asked, mid stir.
Matt obliged and scooted his chair out from the table, interrupting Grace's reading of her math problem involving adding and taking away from a far too large supply of apples for one person.
With each step, Matt's curiosity was lessened as his hunch was all but confirmed for the identity of their guest. Opening the door he was greeted by none other than an enthusiastic Theo Nelson - Foggy's brother. "Hey, Matt! What's up buddy," he remarked, casually leaning on his arm which was extended up against the side of the door frame. His composure calmed down to some extent once the door opened, but Matt was still picking up on traces of Theo's nerves.
"Theo," Matt inquisitively arched his brow, "What brings you here?"
"And at dinner time on a school night, nonetheless" Matt smirked hearing Karen mutter that statement under her breath, fully aware that he'd be the only one to catch it.
In a moment of haste, Theo let himself in and made his way into the living room. "I was just passing by and wanted to catch up," he stated in passing. Matt sensed him caught up in a nervous lie and could tell that this was not the true intention of the visit, but ultimately shrugged it off for now and followed behind.
Grace, growing bored of her assignment, snapped her head up at the sight of Theo and jumped out of her seat to run to him with a grin on her face. "What's up Mini Murdock!?" he bent down to intercept the incoming clash, picked her up and spun her around in the air. "Tornado!" he boisterously announced over Grace's elated squeals. Matt clenched his fists, fingernails scraping at the skin of his palms, as a rush of uneasiness overcame him. Theo was notorious for excessively roughhousing with kids. Matt had recalled his first Christmas at the Nelson's during his freshman year at Columbia and meeting Theo for the first time where he had been playing with his young nephew and accidentally throwing the four-year-old off his back while letting the young boy ride him like a horse. Theo had considerably matured from back then, but sometimes he couldn't always help himself.
"Careful there." Matt sternly let out a shaky breath out of apprehension, this in term signaled Theo to slow down his spinning to a halt and gingerly lower Grace back to the safety of the floorboards below.
His daughter's heart rate returned back to normal as she started catching her breath from all the excitement of her uncle Theo's visit. Karen shot Matt a skeptical glance from her husband's reaction, but ultimately brushed it off. "So, Theo, how's it going? What's new?" she asked, trying to alleviate the tension in the room.
He stepped forward and settled up to the barstools across from Karen, "Oh, not much. The shop is doing really well! I am actually thinking of starting catering with our sandwiches," he proudly remarked, tapping his foot happily on the base of the stool.
"That-" Matt walked up behind and placed a reassuring hand on Theo's shoulder- "is a great idea! Perfect opportunity to grow Nelson's Meats."
Pivoting to face the fridge, Karen wiped her hands on her apron before opening the door and grabbing three beers. "This calls for a celebration!" She slid one bottle across the island to Theo and was about to do the same with Matt's, but stopped herself and ended up placing the other in Matt's hand as to not raise any suspicion if Theo happened to notice that Matt had managed to perfectly catch an unexpected object zooming his way.
The crisp sound of the bottle caps popping off the chilled beverages rang in Matt's ears, but something else had caught his attention. "Daddy?" Grace inquisitively cocked her head to the side and pulled on her father's pants leg, requesting to join the grown-ups. She apparently had enough of sitting alone with her assignment - which she had not touched since Theo's arrival.
Obediently, Matt extended both arms and picked up his daughter by her petite waist and placed her gently on his lap. She sat on her knees giving her enough height to take a peek at the meal that Karen was still in the process of preparing. Licking her lips, she gazed at the noodles swirling in the sauce pan when Karen poured in the marinara sauce, Italian sausage, and sprinkled spinach into a delicious harmony of flavors. Absent-mindedly, she arched her back and reached out to cherry pick some left over pasta that remained unattended in the pot.
"Ah, not yet, sweetie." Matt instinctively pulled her swiftly back into his lap in efforts to save his daughter from burning her hand on the scorching metal pan, he was still able to detect the steam evaporating off its surface through the molecules in the air.
She grunted out in displeasure, which Theo took instant notice of. He swiveled his chair to the side facing her and Matt, "Actually, that wasn't the only good news I had to share," he stated in amusement.
This had piqued both Murdocks' interests. Karen, eager to find out what he had to say, set down her wooden spoon, tucked her loose hairs behind her ears and leaned forward to listen in. "And what's that exactly?" Matt arched his brow and smirked, reciprocating the excitement bubbling out of Theo.
"Becky and I are getting married!" he announced, slicking his hair back to give his idle hands something to do, barely able to contain the wide smile which beamed across his face.
Karen gasped, raising both hands to her mouth. Matt's jaw dropped, he definitely was not expecting that reveal, and little Grace was left unfazed, not knowing why her uncle's statement caused this kind of reaction from her parents.
Matt and Karen had been aware of Theo and Becky's relationship since they first began dating about six months ago. She was a baker from New Jersey and they had met at a culinary convention in New York City, and thus the butcher and the baker hit it off. Before dating Becky, Theo wasn't known to keep and maintain a girlfriend for such a long period of time, thus why the Murdocks and the rest of the Nelson clan were surprised to come to terms that the longtime bachelor was eying to settle down; however, no one could expect it to happen this fast.
Karen was the first to speak, after registering the new information. "Oh my God! That's incredible, congrats Theo!" She turned the knob of the stove top to off, extinguishing the gas flames, and scurried around the island table to engulf Theo in a hug. "Wait," she broke away, "when exactly is the big day?"
"Um," Theo rubbed the back of his neck, hesitant to answer, "the end of next month."
Matt chuckled, thinking this was a joke, recalling back on the process and amount of work it took to organize his and Karen's own wedding - how could they possibly plan one in under thirty days?
He was silenced after feeling his wife's hand rapidly swat his ribs, urging him to take the situation seriously and to not appear rude towards their friend. "Wow," Matt cleared his throat, "Theo, that's amazing! We're so happy for you both." He then raised his beer and waited for the groom-to-be to cheers his drink which was followed by an amplifying shrill clinking sound between the glass bottles.
After the enthusiastic adults settled down, Theo explained the situation further and added some intriguing details. "Well, you see, I wanted a low key wedding. I'm a simple man: just stop by the courthouse and you're in and out in a jiffy to get the job done. However, Becks was unfortunately not on board with that plan," he reluctantly admitted.
Karen scoffed, "No shocker there." She was in disbelief that he would even think that would ever fly.
Theo rotated his stool in her direction, "Yeah, I instantly regretted proposing that idea - believe me. The next morning I ran to the store and bought all the flowers and chocolate they had in stock to make it up to her."
"Good thinking, man," Matt added, taking a sip from his beer, thoroughly enjoying this amusing tale.
Theo shamefully nodded but continued on with his story, "With the courthouse shot down, I still wanted to marry her as soon as I could after she said yes when I popped the question over dinner last week, so I got her to agree on a smaller wedding and was luckily enough to stumble upon a an opening at a Hilton in Jersey on a Saturday at the end of October. I pulled the trigger, with her permission of course, and booked the banquet hall for the ceremony and reception and half the hotel for all our guests!" He was certainly proud of this feat. Matt picked up on his heart basically pounding out of his chest.
Slowing down, Theo finally took a swig of his beverage and glanced down at an unamused seven-year-old who was resting her head on the palm of her hand which was propped up by her elbow on the table."But," he sighed, "I digress - the main reason I am here is to ask a certain little miss a very important question." He poked her stomach which resulted in a chuckle from the girl, pulling her into the conversation.
Her face lit up. "What!?" she asked, bursting in anticipation.
"Well, you see, all my nieces are well into their teenage years and would not appreciate the opportunity as much, so I need someone to fulfill a very special role for the wedding." Theo paused. Both Karen and Matt looked down at their daughter, well aware of what he was going to ask, and awaited her reaction.
"Grace Murdock, would you do me the great honor and be the flower girl in my wedding?" He affectionately asked. There was nothing but silence between them for a moment, sensing her apprehension he made a reassuring effort. "Don't worry too much about it, you'll be a natural! Plus," his tone changed and smugly added, "Preston will be right there behind you as the ring bearer."
That had definitely sealed the deal. Eyes widening, she leapt off Matt's lap and into Theo's. "Okay!" clinging her arms around his neck. Her mood shifted for a split second while letting go of her grip, "Wait, what does a flower girl have to do?" She questioned skeptically, after coming to the realization that she had never even heard of the term before with no prior wedding experiences under her belt.
The remainder of the evening was spent explaining official flower girl duties to an inquisitive Grace as the four of them enjoyed a meal together in celebration of Theo's upcoming marriage.
The following weeks consisted of vigorous preparation from the Nelson side, getting everything in order with a ticking clock leading up to the big day. The whole nine yards had to be considered from renting out the tuxes, buying decorations, finalizing the flower arrangements, sending out the RSVP invitations, ordering the food, drinks, and cake. As for the Murdocks, they offered up their assistance to help the young couple in any way they could; however, the mothers of the bride and groom had quickly taken the reins and politely declined.
It wasn't until the weekend before the big day that the Murdocks began their arrangements. "We're home!" The door to their apartment locked behind Karen as she deposited her keys into the adjacent bowl in the entryway. Matt had been in the process of finishing up some laundry and paused his monotonous folding tasks upon their arrival. Grace was happily swinging a department store bag around her arm at her mother's side, excited to share the details of their mother-daughter shopping excursion to her father.
"Daddy, guess what?!" she impatiently proclaimed, seeing her father emerge from his room. Grace carelessly dropped her bag on the floor and dug inwards to pull out a pair of silver glitter ballerina flats with a delicate bow tied on the top and shoved them in his open palms.
"I got sparkly shoes!" She did not manage to wait any longer than two seconds for his response, as the excitement quickly took over. He traced his fingers slowly around the glossy curves of the small child's shoe and felt the texture of the glittery undertone against his fingertips. "Wow," he let out a breath before returning them back, "they must be very special. Did you have a fun time out with mom today?"
"Oh we did," Karen huffed, answering for the both of them with exhaustion straining in her voice as she slid her two armfuls of shopping bags gently on the couch. Two of which were housing her and Grace's dresses for the wedding. It took her a good amount of persuading for Grace not to hold onto her dress during their walk back - which she was extremely insistent on. So, the compromise resulted in grabbing a cupcake from the bakery on the way home and letting her carry her shoe bag.
Grace followed suit and less delicately tossed her single shoe bag on the couch which Karen fortunately intercepted from wrinkling any of the clothing items it had potential to clash on top of. Karen then made her way to the kitchen and twisted open the cap of sparkling, flavored water, lifting it up to her lips, beginning to relax from their long outing.
"We went to so many stores and got dresses, shoes, pretty necklaces, mommy got some things called tights, and-" she paused briefly, trying to recall anything else from their excursion- "Oh, I got a cupcake too!" she cheerfully declared. Matt smirked, already aware of the fact from picking up on the red velvet crumbs that remained under the beds of her fingernails and the vanilla buttercream frosting that was stuck to her teeth.
That, however, wasn't the only change he detected. From the moment his girls returned he was put off by the sound of Grace's hair brushing against the top of her shoulders. For the longest time, his daughter had been adamant about growing out her long locks that she had, since this morning, been approaching her waist. He had grown accustomed to brushing and braiding it, but now there was a considerable amount that had been chopped off. "Are you sure that's it?" he stated skeptically, turning to Karen whom he also noticed got a less intense trim than Grace, which he was thankful for since playing with his wife's hair was one of his favorite pastimes.
Grace's face lit up and audibly gasped, suddenly coming to terms that she forgot one last very important detail. "I got a haircut!" she basically shouted from the rooftops. In fact it was so loud and shrill that Matt could hear the fluttering of pigeons' wings being spooked from perching on the rooftop above. "See, daddy!" she took his hand and forcefully pulled him down to her level. Once eye to eye with his daughter, still clutching his hand, she drew his reach closer to her head and allowed him to thread his fingers through it, getting a good feel for how much hair still remained.
"Mommy got one too," she rocked back and forth on her heels, with a grin proud to share the news. "Go feel it!"
Matt and Karen walked over to each other, steps falling in sync, until they closed the distance between each other meeting in the middle. Grace silently watched her parent's exchange and held her breath in anticipation of what would unfold. His hand instinctively slowly rose upwards softly caressing her cheek then inched further back to stroke her hair which was ever so similar and silky smooth as their daughter's and tucked it behind her ear before running his fingers downwards assessing the length difference. Karen's pulse sped up and her cheeks flushed with blood, as she held in a sharp breath. She was lost in his eyes, enjoying the tender moment that she allowed herself to get swept up in. One of which she was awakened from as quickly as she fell into it.
"She looks so pretty" Grace interposed, before scurrying over to them both, leaning against Karen's legs.
Karen blushed from all the attention. "Oh, I don't doubt that for a second" Matt whispered in a groveled undertone and affectionately took both of her hands in his, rubbing circles on the the top of her palms with his thumbs - reassuring the fact. He was well aware that many people pitied him for not being able to see the true physical beauty of his wife, some would even be bold enough to tell that to his face. However, he knew from the beginning, ever since the first time they met in that musty precinct holding room, he sensed not only her outer beauty, but her inner beauty too.
He's heard time and time again from Foggy in the early days of their firm, when Karen was initially acting as their secretary, that she was physically attractive. Hell, he was reminded of that fact on a daily basis anytime when out with her in public with her - picking up on the second glances and elevated heartbeats of the other men passing by. Before they were together in a relationship, it would make him tremendously jealous, which he never showed on the surface. Forced to be made known of other's interest in her would eat him up inside. It wasn't until after they re-established the firm when they both figured out their relationship by re-building trust and coming to terms with their suppressed feelings. Now when they walk hand in hand in the streets, rings adorned on each of their fingers displaying their love and vows to each other, unsurprisingly not much really changed from how passerbyers react to her existence. Matt, however, had changed and his jealousy was extinguished allowing himself to walk with his head held up in confidence and in pride knowing that she was his and no one could take her away.
"Oh!" Karen exclaimed, releasing her hands from his, remembering something suddenly. She stepped past Matt and leaned over the back of the couch pulling out a bow tie from a Macy's bag under the pile which was finely wrapped in thick tissue paper. She turned back around to face her husband and deposited the small piece of fabric in his awaiting hands. He traced the outline of the cut edges with his fingers and gave a warm smile.
A couple of days after Theo had surprised the Murdocks on their doorstep, he invited both Matt and Foggy out to lunch - to which both law partners were bemusedly skeptical of. Sitting down indulging in burgers and fries from a quaint diner down the block, Theo asked his brother to be his best man. However, moments afterwards he then turned to Matt and offered the invitation for him to stand at his side next to Foggy as a groomsman in the wedding. He hesitated for a second, overthinking the kind gesture, but in truth - Theo and Matt had gone way back since his freshman year at Columbia joining the Nelsons for countless Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays. Their friendship began to grow further during their temporary stint of the Nelson and Murdock office housed in Nelson's Meats where Theo, Matt, Foggy, and Karen would enjoy many sandwiches together during lunch breaks.
"It's maroon, right?" Matt inquired, fading out of his recollection to that day at the diner.
Karen swiftly snatched it back and delicately wrapped it back up in the box to savor and keep pristine for the big day. "Yup," she replied, popping the 'p' self assuringly. One tiny detail that Theo and Becky had forgotten to mention only a couple days before this impromptu shopping trip was the color theme of the ceremony. Apparently, that tidbit of information was the only item that had been overlooked from the wedding planning committee and they forced Theo and Becky to come to an agreement quickly to relay the news to the florist, the wedding party, and the decorator. Karen had previously asked Foggy out of curiosity when the time came to start thinking about Grace's wedding attire if there were any special instructions or preferences for her dress, but since nothing had been relayed by the wedding committee at the time, he confidently noted that anything was fine betting on the simplistic and carefree nature of his brother, thinking it would be no big deal.
Fast forward to the current moment where Karen frantically but successfully managed to return a robin's egg blue sun dress for a more sophisticated maroon A-line dress for her daughter while picking up Matt's groomsman tie which she was planning to do last minute anyways, since there was no stipulations with the standard black tuxedo that he had planned to pull out from the depths of his closet. While out and about Karen decided to splurge and buy herself a new olive maxi dress with sheer puffed sleeves that she couldn't take her eyes off of in the store's display window. Thankfully Grace concurred that the dress was a must have which solidified her thought process and resulted in Karen surrendering her credit card at the checkout counter. It was definitely a treat-yourself kind of day.
Things were finally starting to come together and the Murdocks felt as prepared as they possibly could, well two out of the three of them at least. Grace had been eager and thrilled, basically counting down to the day where she'd get to walk down the aisle as the flower girl. All was well until she asked to watch a video online showing how flower girls typically walk and how many petals they threw at a time to get her method down beforehand. With no real concept of a wedding, Grace had grown anxious and fearful of somehow messing up on her important duties, not wanting to let down Theo and Becky.
Shortly after watching a handful of videos with her mother on YouTube, her nerves unexpectedly increased, which was the complete opposite outcome that this exercise was intended for. Karen knew exactly what she needed to do to give her daughter the confidence to walk down the aisle, and that was to get some practice under her belt via a dry run wedding march.
The day before the wedding the family of three was extended the invitation by Sister Maggie to join a potluck dinner for patrons of the church and anyone in need of a warm meal, as the weather was starting to take a turn. Karen took this as a perfect opportunity to conduct her plan, and sure - the perk of not needing to cook for a night was just the icing on the cake. After the sermon and a rather delightful dinner that consisted of homemade chicken noodle soup, freshly baked sourdough bread, and tiramisu for dessert which left their bellies and hearts full from the food and the company, the Murdocks stuck around to help clean up.
"Whew," Maggie wiped the sweat beads that transpired off of her forehead from manning the soup station during the event, "What a great night!" She was not only satisfied with how many people had showed up, but even more overjoyed that her son and his family had attended.
Matt shook a large black trash bag open, making his way to clear off the paper plates and plastic utensils that were discarded on the fold out tables. "Indeed, tell Sister Harriet that she did an amazing job with the soup - by far the best chicken noodle I've had in a while" He licked his lips, still savoring the taste.
"Hey!" Karen disputed with an outcry, herself in charge of packing up the leftovers in tupperware and saran wrap. She was acting offended by his comment, but knew that her chicken noodle soup could never compare to homemade since what she had made for her family came out of a can. "No, you're right," her tone shifted apologetically, taking back her allegation, "it was delicious, please ask her for the recipe, if you can?" she requested, admitting defeat.
"Will do," The nun pleasantly responded, folding a plastic chair up in her arms to store away in the closet. She then turned her head in the area of the room where her granddaughter resided.
Grace, who was sitting in her seat at the corner table, waiting for her parents to finish up to go home, resulted in shredding up her used napkin unenthusiastically to pass the time.
The older woman tried to engage with the seven-year old, "Grace, you want to do a very special job for me?" The girl's eyes slowly raised up from her activity downwards to her grandmother. Once Maggie knew that she had her attention she posed a question, hoping it would lift Grace's spirits. "Can you run into the kitchen and grab the plate of chocolate chip cookies to wrap up? I think Sister Clarissa left some extra in there." She winked, hoping Grace would take that as an excuse to snag another cookie.
"Sure thing, Grandma!" Before she knew it, Grace was gone in a blink of an eye and quickly scurried to the kitchen.
Matt shook his head disagreeably to himself tying up his now full trash bag, his efforts trying to wean his mother from offering his daughter sweets as a bartering tool was so far unsuccessful. He could hear Grace eating one, no wait, now two cookies thinking she was getting away with it. "Mom, we talked about this."
Maggie hummed as if she didn't know what he was referring to, "I don't recall such a conversation," she raised an eyebrow smugly.
Karen then chimed in, "Oh, let it go, honey. Your mother means well." Maggie smiled, glad she had Karen on her side. Matt huffed, coming to terms that he really was outnumbered - this was not some court case where he could make his argument win by using logic.
Grace suddenly burst through the door. "Here they are, Grandma!" She grinned, proudly displaying the ceramic platter of cookies above her head, almost losing her balance as she opened the swinging door with her hip since her hands were quite full.
"Thank you, my dear," Maggie took the load from her granddaughter and set it carefully on the table. She then looked around, inspecting the scene - Karen had sealed up all of the food, Matt had taken two bags of trash outside to the dumpster, and she was on her last table of breaking down chairs. "Looks like most of our work here is done, I appreciate all your help, but you guys are fine to go if you want," she dismissed them, content with their clean up efforts.
Grace lit up from the good news and twirled around excitedly, "Yay, finally!", gearing up to go home, she rushed back to her seat to grab her pink puffy coat and slipped both arms in, then marched to the back door that led out to the side street. She stopped in her tracks at the threshold and flicked her head back, noticing that none of her parents were following suit. "Come on, slow pokes, let's go" she ordered, stomping one foot firmly in irritation and gesturing over her shoulder to the door.
Karen took a couple steps forward to stand next to Matt and put both hands on her hips. "Grace," she said frankly then paused, giving her daughter a chance to calm down. "What if we practiced your flower girl walk before we head out? I mean we have a perfectly good aisle right out there?" Karen nodded her head to the pews in the opposite direction where Grace was heading.
"Sounds like a great idea to me," Matt added, leaning against the cane in his hands, hopefully his agreement to his wife's suggestion would convince Grace to stay. He wasn't in the know on Karen's plan until now, but he ultimately thought it would do her some good. His daughter's tendency to over complicate and stress over the unknown could be put to rest and calm her wedding jitters which had been the cause of many nights returning from patrol feeling bad for his daughter tossing and turning restlessly in her sleep.
She contemplated it for a minute, even though Grace had been set on leaving as soon as possible, the idea of having her family help her perfect her flower girl walk outweighed the want to curl up on the couch and watch TV until her bedtime.
She bowed her head and drew in a sharp breath, "Ugh, ok" she responded begrudgingly, taking off her coat and tossing it over her shoulder as she dragged her feet past her parents and to the door that led out to the pews.
Both parents smiled to each other out of relief and grabbed each other's hand to catch up to their daughter.
Grace stood alone at the beginning of the aisle, her eyes widened feeling daunted by the large span of length between her and her father who was standing at the end playing the role of the groom. Her breaths hiked up, imagining the pews full of strangers with all eyes on her. Matt picked up on the wave of uneasiness that took over the previous calm, collected, and semi-tiresome girl. "It's okay, Gracie, just take a deep breath and walk slowly over to me. Just keep your focus on me and you'll be fine - I swear," he assured affectionately. She followed his instructions and drew a large breath in and tucked both sides of her hair behind her ears before exhaling. "Ready whenever you are, sweetheart," Karen cheered on from her seat halfway down the aisle and gave a reassuring thumbs up.
Now feeling confident enough to begin, she lifted her right foot up to take her first step down the narrow path, but suddenly heard a voice calling out in the distance - "Wait, wait, wait!" It was Maggie who was approaching with a large yellow salad bowl cupped in her hands. As she neared her Granddaughter, Grace peaked inside, unable to contain her curiosity. During her inspection, she scrutinized the twenty or so wadded up pieces of newspaper which jostled inside.
Maggie detected the overwhelmingly confused look on her face, "They're fake 'flowers' for you to practice your rhythm throwing them down the aisle," she flashed an encouraging smile.
"Uh," Grace hesitantly picked one crumpled paper ball up and felt the jagged edges in her hand, "thanks," she then took the bowl and resumed her position, pivoting to face her father.
Sliding into a pew towards the back, Maggie took a moment to relax and watched the scene unfold before her in admiration. Karen too was also just a mere observer in her seat down the aisle as she had no part to play in this made up wedding scenario. Shifting her gaze back and forth from her daughter slowly striding down the way and dispersing newspaper pieces which littered the floor to her husband who looked so handsome standing there in his fitted jeans and blueish gray plaid flannel. She could tell Matt recognized her affectionately eyeing him up and down, so he flashed a charming smile her way that made her weak in the knees. She chuckled to herself, allowing herself to zone out by getting lost in her own distractions.
"Mom! What's wrong, why are you laughing?" Grace was about to walk by her mother and thought the reason behind Karen's laughter was her fault as her self consciousness took over. Karen's composure did a 180 and regained seriousness, not wanting her daughter to take anything the wrong way. "Oh, no sweetheart. You're doing awesome, daddy just made me laugh, not you." She vouched, placing both her hands securely on her daughter's shoulders, soothing Grace's distress, which seemed to be working. "So sorry, keep going, baby."
Just like that Grace's first attempt was complete and she was rewarded with an eager high five from her father. "Ok, I want to do that again, I think I need to go slower this time," she was set on perfection and marched back to where Maggie was stationed, collecting the trail of paper back in the bowl as she ascended upwards.
Matt shrugged, perplexed why the first go around wasn't sufficient enough, wanting to head home himself as it was nearing sundown and he had planned to do some routine surveillance tonight.
Karen picked up on this. "Be patient, let her go again all she wants, you don't want her stressed at the wedding," she sighed, "trust me because it will most likely be you she'd want dealing with it." Karen whispered to herself for only Matt to hear. He rolled his eyes in reluctant agreement and fixed up his posture, readying himself for round two.
The second go around went much smoother, largely due to the absence of interruptions from the audience. This time Karen fell silent but not as a result of focus on her daughter, instead her mind drifted off into a fond memory. One which was triggered by the vibrant hues of color which seeped through the stained glass windows as the sun set against the churches' walls. Blinking from the harsh beams of light, she was suddenly transported back in time to nine years ago; however it felt like only yesterday, where she herself was walking down the very same aisle with an absolutely radiating Matt waiting until the distance between them was negligible. Everyone's eyes were on her as a hush fell over the crowd when the church doors opened and she began to walk inside. She was focused on her soon to be husband who had cocked his head and smiled. Matt standing there breathless, overwhelmed by her presence with his senses going into hyperdrive.
Tears began to well up in her eyes forcing the vivid daydream to turn into a blurring watercolor painting in which all the colors bled together until it was abandoned. She snapped back into reality. A trail of stray tears fell from her face which she dabbed with the sleeve of her white knit sweater, trying to mask the flood of emotions that had just washed over her.
"Are you ok, mommy?" Grace asked, noticing her mother crying from the corner of her eye while bending over to pick up a piece of paper that fell by her seat. In a moment's notice, Matt was by her side sporting a furrowed brow out of concern.
"Karen, what's wrong?" He placed a comforting hand on her shoulder.
She sniffed and rubbed her eyes in an effort to resume back to her normal self, "It's okay, I'm all good," she unsuccessfully convinced her family before standing up to her feet. Matt took this as a sign and urged the two of them that it was about time to get going. He made a mental note to speak with Karen about it later. The Murdocks had made their way out after saying their farewells to Sister Maggie and went home to rest since they had a very big day tomorrow - well, at least some got more rest than others.
"Um, hello, we are checking in for the night. Name should be under Murdock." Matt leaned his cane up against the granite reception desk for a moment while he fished out his wallet from his jacket pocket and swiftly pulled out his ID.
The Nelson family graciously reserved rooms for their guests since the wedding was somewhat out of town and it was extremely convenient as both the ceremony and the reception were held inside the hotel. When they officially RSVP'd through Theo and Becky's wedding website, the thought never even crossed Karen's mind to consider claiming a room with dual beds. She knew that there was absolutely no way that Grace would sleep alone with Matt and herself sleeping four feet away. A cute and snuggly intruder would without a doubt sneak in under their covers, so there was really no reason to deprive another party of more accommodations.
Somehow, out of sheer luck, the family of three had arrived late enough - but not too late where they'd miss the ceremony, that they were not bombarded by any of the wide brood of Nelson family members. Matt could hear the familiar muffled voices of Foggy's family which carried through the walls of what had to be the ballroom down the hall. "No, no, no - that goes over there," He smirked to himself upon realizing that Marci's voice was reaching through over the others'. She was overzealously directing where decorations go while everyone else was in a frenzy putting the final touches on the table settings. His facial expression subsided when the receptionist timidly placed the room key card in Matt's hand that rested on the counter.
With a chime of an elevator ding, the Murdocks were up and on their way to their room. Grace was actively taking it all in, technically it was her first time spent out of Hell's Kitchen and in a hotel. The farthest she's ever been away from her own bed would be the Nelson's apartment during countless sleepovers with Preston which occur more often than not, since both couples had an agreement to take in the kids when the other needed some childfree alone time.
During the ride up, Grace was practically vibrating with anticipation unable to contain herself. Karen scoffed amusingly and squeezed her daughter's shoulder trying to suppress the ball of energy that resided inside her. To her dismay, her attempt was unfortunately thwarted as soon as the doors automatically slid open and Grace bolted ahead blissfully unaware of where she was even going.
"Left!" Karen's voice echoed through the long corridor as she caught a glimpse of Grace approaching the fork in the hallway. Before she turned the corner, the last thing Karen saw was Mr. Monkey peeking out of the haphazardly zipped book bag that bounced carelessly on her back.
Since they were staying just for one night, only one suitcase accompanied them on their trip which Karen towed behind her, wheels smoothly rolling down the carpeted floors. Matt's hand naturally found its way interlocking with his wife's that was previously dormant at her side. They both walked content in each other's company with their linked arms swinging back and forth "I think she may have passed our room," Matt frankly remarked, giving her hand a small squeeze. Grace's headway had slowed to a stop reaching the end of the hall where she was left motionless, curiously looking out the window in awe at the unfamiliar cityscape before her propped up against the window sill.
Karen didn't answer as she was deeply focused on scanning the room signs which she counted silently in her head until they found their destination. "321, 323, 325 - here we are!" The wheels of the suitcase squeaked to a halt which caused Grace to snap her head back down the hall to where her parents stood. "Honey, over here. We've got to get ready, don't want to be late." The insistent tone of her mother motivated Grace to cease her gazing wonderment and retreat, backtracking her steps to enter the threshold of the doorway after her father had swiped the card in the reader.
Harsh cleaning chemicals and remnants of detergent wafted through the air and escaped into the hall. Matt took a moment hoping it would dissipate, but he was knocked off balance and stumbled into the room as Grace recklessly ran through his legs and crashed landed right on top of the mattress. "This is totally awesome!" she proclaimed after falling into the comforter which engulfed her like a cloud.
Karen checked her watch, noticing the time. "Ok," she clapped, "let's start getting ready, we need to get the both of you down in half an hour," she urged, trying her best to keep them on schedule as a result of their untimely arrival. The wedding party had to convene before the other guests were expected to take their seats to take pictures outside in the quaint garden. Mother and daughter quickly took over the single yet spacious restroom to start their prep work. Matt didn't have too much to do besides get changed which he did first and then spent the remaining time relaxing on the armchair that sat by the window, soaking up the warm rays that hit his face as he waited for his girls.
"Ouch, mom that hurt!" Apparently Grace's new haircut, even with its shorter length, was just as wild to comb through as before. It was quite entertaining listening to Karen trying to detangle the knotted jungle that was their daughter's hair. Matt smirked as he played with the cufflinks that his mother had gifted to him on their first Christmas together after being reunited. They were once his father's which she had kept as a reminder of the life she had left behind, but felt it fitting to pass them down to her son to carry a piece of Jack with him. They were red opals with gold trim that he had purchased after his first big win in the ring right after him and Maggie had wed. Matt only broke them out on special occasions, not wanting to scuff them up or potentially lose them.
Twenty-five minutes later the bathroom door flung open and he breathed out a sharp sigh of relief before rising up from the chair. He noticed a slight variation in the air which had to be from Grace's persistent twirling, she was quite fond of her new dress. "Look daddy, I'm a fairy princess!" She climbed up on the bed and jumped off into her father's arms - one's which would always catch her.
"You clean up nice, Mr. Murdock," his wife coyly remarked. Her heart had skipped a beat when she first saw him in his dapper black three piece suit beaming in the sunlight. After setting Grace back on the carpet, he met her gaze, "Why thank you, my dear, but I'm sure it will be you turning all the heads tonight, Mrs. Murdock." He smoothly shot the compliment right back at her, rubbing his fingers on the lacy fabric of her dress sleeves .
A smile tugged at Karen's face. She was enjoying the moment so much that she had no words to reciprocate, especially since the words she wanted to say couldn't necessarily be said among the presence of smaller ears which were definitely listening. Instead, she decisively gave Matt's bow tie a firm yank to securely cling it around his neck which also acted as an excuse to pull him in for a quick peck on the lips. Afterwards she adjusted the tie in the slightest manner to straighten it out, leaving her final touch on his look as if leaving her signature on a piece of artwork. She had a tendency of leaving him breathless.
Suddenly, all heads were turned at an alarming and tenacious series of knocks on their door. "Murdock, you in there buddy?" It was Foggy, most likely picking up Matt and Grace to start heading outside.
Karen smoothed down the wrinkles in Grace's dress that had come forth from her twirling show the best she could and ran her fingers once more through her hair to tame it as a last ditch effort. Rushing out the door, Matt took hold of his daughter's hand and followed his best friend down the hall. "Don't let her get her dress dirty before the ceremony, Matt!" Karen poked her head out the door announcing the request to her husband while putting her earrings in - she still had to finish getting ready herself, but thankfully she had more time to spare before heading downstairs, so she hopped in the shower.
The photography session went without a hitch, at least as well as it could. Since the wedding party was on the smaller side - 8 in total including the bride, groom and the kids, the photographer took advantage of everyone's cooperation and reduced pictures to a half an hour.
During that time there was only one close call even with Matt's watchful 'eye'. He was standing in line with the Foggy and Theo for a guys only shot in front of a roaring fountain that sat in the center of the garden grounds. The rushing water behind him acted like static that dampened his surroundings. After they had taken about ten shots until the photographer deemed she'd got something good enough to work with, he put some distance away from the fountain in haste, which his ears had thanked him for.
While making his way back to the group, his senses finally returning to normal, he was caught off guard when he recognized his daughter gasping in an inhale through her teeth. Herself and Preston had been chasing each other around the grounds to pass the time and overcome their boredom which was exponentially increasing while waiting around for the adults to be done. Her heart was racing from the thrill and joy of playing with her best friend, but in a moment's notice it halted for a brief instant. Matt immediately sprinted to her side. Before Grace could even realize that she was falling from tripping over a loose stone below her feet with a trajectory straight into the soil patch around a plot of roses, she was scooped up in her father's arms.
Holding his daughter close, he noticed everyone's gaze on him. They all stood in shock after witnessing a blind man come out of nowhere and save his daughter from falling. To everyone, except for Foggy of course, it was a miraculous feat. He stood like a deer in headlights, sweating nervously, trying to think of an explanation to give.
"Wow, Matt! That was so lucky. Thank God you were so close by when that happened." Matt smiled sheepishly and loosened his tie, allowing him more room to breathe, as his faithful friend saved the day. He could always count on Foggy to come through. "A father's instinct- strong with this guy, blindness can't even stop that," he playfully nudged Matt with his elbow in the chest. The other's seemed to go along with it and eventually brushed it off resuming with the shot of Becky, the maid of honor - her sister Nicole, and Rebecca - her best friend from college as her bridesmaid at the fountain.
Wiping the sweat that formed on his brow, he was relieved to dodge what would have been a rather uncomfortable situation. "Daddy, put me down!" Grace protested, Matt almost forgot that she had been in his arms until she spoke up and started squirming sporadically.
"Ooof, ok, you're getting too heavy anyways," he sarcastically exaggerated as he lowered her to the grass below. Karen better thank me for this later, he thought to himself after fulfilling her wishes and almost making the wedding party suspicious of his blindness to do all he could so that Grace wouldn't ruin her outfit before the ceremony.
When the time had come for the wedding guests to start flowing in to take their seats, Karen felt somewhat off, like a piece of her was missing without Matt at her side. They had been married for a little over nine years now and she had become so accustomed to have him in such close proximity arm in arm together, but alas he had other obligations that stole him away from her. A hint of jealousy sprouted from knowing that their daughter was with him as well, so she was completely alone. Her intrusive thoughts were soon eradicated upon seeing a familiar face. "Hey, Karen. Over here!" Marci waved and signaled her over. Karen smiled and headed to the second row on the right then schooched in, sticking close to the aisle. She instantly felt more at peace while chatting with Marci who was in the exact same situation as her with both Foggy and Preston away.
The crowd abruptly came to a hush as the double doors closed behind them and soft piano music started to fill the grand hall. Karen and Marci turned their heads in sync, following their gaze on Theo who came from a back door and stood alone under the archway that had been decorated with white roses and green foliage finely twisted around the centerpiece with vines. He had been awkwardly standing there for a couple minutes and bouncing his leg restlessly from the anticipation of seeing his bride enter through the double doors that acted as a barrier to the next stage of his life. Not to mention the overwhelming amount of nerves he must have been feeling being the center of attention for the time being.
Ten minutes had passed and Karen suspiciously flicked her head back, wondering what was going on that could possibly be holding up the ceremony - hoping and praying that it wasn't her daughter. At times like this she wished that she possessed Matt's abilities and could listen in to what was happening behind closed doors. She then shuttered at the thought knowing how much of a burden it was to bear just from second hand experience from being with Matt all these years.
Thankfully, what was the speculation of Karen's worry was not the case. Becky and the rest of the girls were holed up in the bathroom in a frantic attempt to fix her veil that had regrettably gotten torn on the metal posts of the gate that lead out of the garden. That left Matt, Foggy, Preston and Grace who were passing the time waiting in the lobby for the women to return. Foggy kept checking his phone looking at the screen for the time and answering the persistent texts from Marci inquiring about the situation.
"The girls are getting restless, it seems like there is plenty of gossip going around from people speculating. So far the top one is that Becky's got cold feet. Preposterous!" Foggy shared the updates from his wife as soon as they came in to Matt who sat by his side. "I should go in there and reassure Theo, I bet he's going crazy!" Foggy went to stand fired up in frustration, but was firmly pulled back down by his friend. "No Fogs, don't do that. If you do then that will give people false hope that the wedding is going to start if they see the best man walk down the aisle."
Matt could tell that Foggy was in deep contemplation by his advice. "Are they still trying to fix the veil?" Foggy asked, relying on Matt's senses to spy and give a progress update to ease his worries. Matt shifted in his seat and tilted his head to one side, perking up his ears to hone in. "Yes, but they're close. Rebecca just returned with a sewing kit," Matt confidently disclosed.
A heavy sigh escaped Foggy's lungs, "Ugh okay, I guess we can wait, if it's not going to be that much longer," he said, fiddling with his corsage, slumped on the couch.
Grace and Preston kept to themselves a few feet away. Preston, who sprawled out on the tiled floor, mindlessly twisted the tassels on the pillow that would carry the ring in his fingers - the ring which Foggy kept in his suit pocket for safekeeping to guarantee that his son wouldn't lose it before needing to transport it down the aisle. Grace, however, wasn't as calm as her father and Preston were. In fact, she had been feeding off her Uncle Foggy's apprehensiveness. Pacing back and forth in the lobby, shoes squeaking with each pivot, swinging her flower basket back and forth, worry was gnawing away at her. Even with the practice rounds under her belt, she took this extra time waiting to overthink every little detail.
It was hard for Matt to ignore his daughter any longer now that he was done consoling Foggy. "Grace, sweetie, come here," he softly tapped the arm of the couch. She grudgingly came forth and was promptly pulled up into her father's lap. "You got this, kiddo," he soothingly kissed the top of her head, "just remember what we practiced. I will be right there waiting for you and Preston will be following close behind. Plus, when you're done you get to go sit with mom for the rest of the ceremony." Matt knew that she was missing Karen from being apart for so long and hoped that the friendly reminder of her support system would lift her spirits.
"Yeah, I guess," Grace unconvincingly admitted with a huff and leaned her head back into his shoulders.
As a last result he decided to barter and offer her something that his wife would not condone, but she wasn't here at the moment. "Hey," he whispered in her ear so that Preston wouldn't overhear, "no matter what happens, after this is all over you can eat as much dessert as you want, I promise." He truly was his mother's son, feeling hypocritical after just shaming Sister Maggie for doing the same thing last night. "But, truly there is nothing to worry about, it's going to go great."
Grace perked up, thinking of all the cake, pie and cookies that she was going to get her hands on later in the night. Just as she was about to confidently reply that she was ready to go in there and do her job, Matt whipped his head behind him "They're coming." Just like that Becky, Nicole and Rebecca zipped down the corridor, heels clicking, with a patched up veil in hand elegantly floating behind the bride being supported by the other two women.
"Sorry about that, guys. We are all good now. Thanks for being so patient," Becky confessed, in a frantic tone. She was clearly stressed out from that little hiccup, but she persisted nonetheless. Matt, Foggy and the kids bolted up to attention. Feeling pressed for time, they each took their child's hand and allowed the bride to lead the way.
Behind the very same closed doors that Karen and the rest of the guests had been so intently focused on, the wedding party was lined up in their positions awaiting the wedding march to sound. Matt was second from the front of the train paired up with Rebbeca, who was a nice person from the short amount of time he had gotten to know her, but it was apparent that he'd rather have Karen at his side. He exhaled in dismay, thinking to himself that he'd have to wait until after the ceremony where he could finally not have an excuse to hold his wife close for the rest of the night. Not wanting to keep anyone waiting any longer, Foggy was given a thumbs up from Becky to queue up the music and open the doors.
Silence fell over the restless crowd and Theo's composure did a 180. He looked up with pure excitement and affection, craning his neck and peering his eyes to get a glimpse of his beautiful bride. Foggy and Nicole lead the procession, falling in step with the music. A moment later, it was Matt and Rebecca's turn to make their way down the aisle. Once in the room, he tuned out Rebecca's over excited thumping pulse and sharpened his senses onto Karen whose heart began to flutter upon watching her husband stride down with such poise and allure. He flashed a smug smile as he passed his wife. "Ok hot stuff, save some of that Murdock charm for later," she giggled under her breath.
Parting from Rebecca, he veered off to the right and settled into his final post adjacent to Foggy. Gasps echoed around the room, as the music had become louder and more emphasized, alluding to the bride's upcoming appearance. But first it was time for the flower girl to shine. When the doors opened in front of the seven-year-old, indicating her release, her eyes expanded in bewilderment at the sight of the hundred or so heads pointed in her direction, she was startled frozen in place. Come on, sweetheart, you can do this, Karen contemplated going up there and alleviating the situation. However she didn't have to, as Preston surprisingly stepped up to the plate and gave her daughter a comforting hug and what had to be some words of encouragement.
"We can go down together if you want?" Preston thoughtfully offered with an encouraging grin, as he pulled away from the embrace. She simply nodded and reached for his hand in solace. The flower girl and ring bearer took their first step in unison through the threshold and beamed to the adoring crowd. Grace was the first one to let go of his grip, remembering that she had to delicately sprinkle the white rose petals down the aisle.
Sticking to the overall plan, by keeping all focus on her father ahead of her helped immensely. He was her beacon in the sea of unfamiliar faces. Finally reaching the end, she stood obediently by Matt, looking up for his approval which was granted in the form a sly low five. She then waited for Preston to deposit the rings to the officiant and the two of them were dismissed and were on their merry way to their mothers who welcomed them with open arms and laps. "I'm so proud of you, baby," Karen kissed Grace's forehead.
The hard part was done - at least in Grace's mind - so she sat back and allowed herself to relax and enjoy the rest of the ceremony. Watching in awe as Becky elegantly glided down the aisle with ease and radiance, she knew that this wedding was something she'd never forget.
After a delectable dinner of either salmon, steak, or chicken fingers in the case for the kids meal, the DJ had been pumping out upbeat party music which had gotten many people on the dance floor. None of those however included Matt Murdock. No amount of alcohol could convince the intrepid blind lawyer that he had enough faith in his dancing skills or lack thereof to 'tear it up' on the dance floor. Plus Matt was taking it slow with the drinks, limiting himself to only two, since he still had a seven-year-old who was having the time of her life wreaking havoc with Preston and his cousins under his supervision. No matter how hard his wife begged, and pleaded, pulling his arm to the point where it would dislocate to the direction of the conga line which snaked around the room, he wouldn't budge and firmly planted himself in his seat with an unamused expression. Matt felt more comfortable fulfilling the role of a watchful observer rather than making a fool of himself trying to attempt to possess rhythm.
As the evening progressed, the music choices fortunately shifted to Matt's relief. The DJ decided it was time to slow things down, which was more in his area of expertise.
"May I have this dance?" he pushed his chair in towards the table and bowed, shortly after offering his hand out to his wife. "Why of course," Karen followed his ruse, giddily biting her lip in delight.
The couple were found swaying in each other's arms to the melodic slow tune that had washed over the banquet hall like the tide. Feeling at peace in each other's company, the world around them began to shrink until it was a bubble engulfing just them two. Karen instinctively wrapped her arms around Matt's neck and rested her head on his broad shoulder. Matt took the opportunity to pull her in closer, as he firmly latched himself behind her waist and relaxed his clasped hands on the small of her back.
Karen closed her eyes and was suddenly lost in the soothing sound of his heartbeat that lulled her into a trance. She envied that he got to listen in to hers all the time, which made intimate moments like these so cherished. For a second she didn't register that Matt was speaking to her.
"For the short amount of time they had to plan and put this wedding together, it ended up exceeding my expectations. The Nelson's really knocked it out of the park," he confessed, truly enjoying his time so far.
"Hmm, oh yeah," Karen responded in a daze.
He took her short response as a sign to let them return to enjoying their moment in silence, so they continued softly rocking in a sea of tranquility. The song had ended, however the next was something similar and did not interrupt their flow. Karen was not aware yet, but something was stuck on Matt's mind from yesterday at the church. This may not be the best time, but it was eating at him and he couldn't keep it in any longer.
"Honey?" he shifted his posture upwards, clearing his throat, "Can I ask you a question?"
She noticed his change in tone, but ultimately brushed it off, "Mmm huh, what is it?" nodding.
He took one hand off her lower back and stroked her hair, which caused her to purse her lips in a smile that gave himself the confidence he needed to pose his question. "I can't stop thinking about last night during Grace's practice sessions," he paused, trying to think of how he could dance around the topic so as to not upset her, but decided to just go with the more direct route, "...and you in tears."
She cringed, thinking back to that emotional outburst, and guiltily ducked her head in Matt's chest, as to hide away from the shame. He tightened up, unsure how to approach it any further, feeling his wife's cheeks warm up in embarrassment.
After collecting herself, she lifted her head up ready to face him eye to eye. She let out a deep breath calming her nerves. "Oh that," she started twisting her wedding ring around her finger subliminally behind his head, "I was just remembering our wedding day and seeing you there standing in the same exact spot brought me back. I guess I was just so over sensitive that the tears started flowing uncontrollably."
Matt let himself take in her confession, which in no way was what he was expecting - his mind went to the worst case scenario figuring that something was troubling her, so he was relieved that was not the case.
"Oh sweetie," Matt kissed her forehead, "you don't need to apologize, that is such a thoughtful sentiment, I love that… and I love you even more so."
Karen allowed herself to stifle a humbling laugh before reciprocating the kiss, but this time going in to capture his lips in desperation.
"Actually," she added as they parted, "It got me thinking…do you think it would be a good idea to have a vow renewal ceremony? I mean something small of course, but next year will be our tenth anniversary, which is a pretty notable milestone, and-" she was cut off as Matt picked her up and spun her around in the air.
"I think that is a wonderful idea, you are amazing, I love it!" Matt excitedly loudly proclaimed. Needless to say it was apparent that he was fully on board with her plan. It was obvious to the crowd too. He promptly put her down sensing that most gazes were on them after making quite the scene in the middle of the dance floor.
Matt laughed nervously, attempting to ease the tension, but focused his attention back on Karen. "You know what, I think I know a perfect little girl who'd love to be a part of the ceremony too" he smugly led on, raising a quizzical brow.
"Speaking of the devil," she eyed him speculatively, "I haven't seen her running around here lately, you got a location on her?" she proposed, surveying the room for a flash of glow sticks racing out of the corner of her eye, which all the kids were wearing.
Matt perked his head out and scanned the area, "Oh, ok, I got her," he stated confidently once picking up on their daughter's position , "she's in the other room at the dessert table stuffing her face with cake and cookies. Seemingly all the kids are all hyped up on sugar and are planning to play hide and seek."
"Great," she irritably huffed in Matt's shoulder, "that's just what we need. She's on a sugar rush and now it's going to be impossible to get her to bed." Karen was initially not looking forward to ending the night with the only reason being having to stop dancing in Matt's arms, but now she was dreading dealing with a sporadic seven-year-old past her bedtime.
"No worries, honey, I'm on it." Matt assured, kissing her temple. He felt heroic taking on the burden of the tough task to appease his wife; however, he strategically failed to mention that he was indeed the one who allowed their daughter to go crazy at the dessert table in the first place…some secrets were worth keeping.