Chapter 16: Preparation
The next morning began quietly. Sam and Jack had breakfast while they waited for Jacob to bring Charlie back. However, when Charlie and Jacob arrived, Charlie had plenty of energy to burn. He seemed to know it was a special day. Sam and Jack weren't sure how to tell Charlie they were getting married. Charlie already called Sam 'mom' most of the time. They had talked about it, and decided to tell Charlie and Jacob together.
After a morning in the park, the soon to be family shared a picnic. During the picnic, Sam and Jack told Jacob and Charlie about the engagement. Jacob was happy, but they both expected that; Jack had confessed to Sam about talking to her father before he proposed. Charlie was slightly confused at his father's news.
"You my real mommy now?" Charlie asked Sam.
"Yes Charlie, I am," Sam told the little boy.
"Yay!" Charlie climbed into Sam's lap and cuddled against her shoulder.
The rest of the afternoon went by quietly in the park. Charlie spent most of the time in Sam's lap. Jack, Sam and Jacob talked about the wedding and what would change in the coming months and years.
That evening, Sam, Jack and Charlie had a quiet dinner at the house. Afterward, they went outside and played in the backyard.
Sam and Jack had agreed that they wanted to get married sooner rather than later. Both knew that at anytime, one or the other could be reassigned to another part of the country or the world. It was clear that the situation in the Middle East was heating up and there was a good chance one or both of them would be called to duty in the area. Deep down, Jack knew that the likelihood of his team being sent into the area was great. If something happened to him, there was really only one person he wanted to take care of his son and that was Sam. He didn't know how to contact Sara, and his parents had busy lives, and would be able to give Charlie the childhood he deserved. He also knew that the only way for Sam to get Charlie was if she adopted him, and that was much easier if they were married. He also couldn't help but think that if he and Sam were married, they would have something to look forward to when they visited each other, besides the company at meals.
By the time Sam went back to Dover, only one thing had been decided for the wedding. It would not be in Las Vegas like Jack had suggested. Sam didn't mind having a small wedding, but she at least wanted to walk down the aisle, even if it was at a small chapel. It was finally decided that the wedding would be at the chapel at the Dover base. It would also be family only. Sam knew her brother Mark would not come, especially if he knew their father would be attending. When Jack tried to contact his parents, he received the message that they were out of the country and wouldn't be reachable for the next two months. Jack was slightly worried that his parents wouldn't even know he was getting married, but Sam promised they would call again to invite them.
Sam and Jack spent the summer planning for their wedding. Within three months, they had decided on a date, August fifth, when it would be, three o'clock, and where the dinner would be afterwards, The Pier House. Sam had decided that Jack and Jacob would wear their dress blue uniforms to the wedding. She had already found her dress; it was a simple strapless white dress that had flowery beading on the neckline and on the waist. As it turned out Jack's parents would not be able to attend the wedding, they were scheduled to attend an archeology conference in England for a Dr. Jordan and they were hoping to talk about some theories one of Dr. Jordan's assistants was actively pursuing about Egyptian gods. Jack had been able to reach his brother, and he would be at the wedding, as would his sister.
Jack, Charlie, and Jacob arrived in Dover on August first. They helped Sam finalize the last few tasks necessary for the wedding to go off with out a problem. Jack's brother arrived as did his sister with her husband, and they insisted that Sam and Jack should have some sort of bachelor/ bachelorette parties. Sam and Jack weren't sure, but Jacob insisted that they should at least go out for dinner the night before their wedding. So, the night of the fourth, Sam, and Kathryn went to dinner and a chick flick, while Jack, his brother Robert and his brother-in-law, Jim went to a bar for pool and darts. Jacob and Charlie went with the guys for dinner and then headed back to Sam's apartment for the evening.
The next morning dawned sunny and warm. Sam had decided the night before that even though she had just met her future sister-in-law, it would be nice to have the traditional matron of honor and best man. She had called Jack, and he had agreed with her, and asked Rob to be his best man, while Sam asked Kath to be her matron of honor. Both were happy to be asked and agreed right away.
While Sam was in the bride's room getting ready, her dad came to see how she was doing.
"You look beautiful Sammy," Jacob said as he walked in the door.
"Thanks Dad," Sam turned to look at her dad. The dress fit her perfectly. Jacob moved closer to his daughter to hand her a small box.
"This is for you, it belonged to your mom," Jacob said quietly. Sam opened the box carefully. Inside was beautiful necklace with an emerald cut sapphire that was darker than Sam's eyes, but just barely, with a trillion cut diamond on the top, all set in white gold.
"Its beautiful Dad, thank you," Sam thanked her father as she gave him a hug. She handed the necklace back to him so he could put it on her neck.
"Your mother wore this on her wedding day. It was a gift from her parents. She wanted you to have it for your wedding day," Jacob told her as he closed the clasp of the necklace.
"She's watching isn't she?"
"Nothing would stop her, she's proud of you Sammy," Jacob promised.
"Thanks for everything Dad, I really appreciate all the things you've done for me," Sam was touched by her father's promise.
"You're my daughter Sam, it's my pleasure. You ready to marry that flyboy of yours?" Jacob knew he had to change the subject or Sam would start to cry.
"I can't wait, Dad."