Chapter 14: Vows and Contractions

8:15am December 31st

Kate turned on her side, closed her eyes, clutched her pillow firmly and tried to breathe through the contraction. It didn't last long, but it was strong enough to raise beads of sweat on her forehead. That was the strongest one she'd had. She had been having contractions off and on for two days now and was quickly tiring of it.

She had become so concerned about it yesterday that she had called the doctor she had been seeing before she moved to Seattle and asked is she could see her. The doctor examined her and said the contractions were false labor. Based on her exam, Kate had another seven to ten days before the baby was born. She could be wrong of course, she told Kate, but all of the signs pointed to several more days before she would really be in labor. Until then, Kate should keep track of the contractions. If they became regular, she should call. Kate kept close track of the contractions and, although she had been having about three per hour, they were very irregular and generally mild. Most were so mild she barely noticed, a few, like this last one, took her breath away. Just wait another day, baby, she thought. Daddy and I are getting married today.

The last week had been a flurry of activity. Kate and Jack got up the day after Christmas and quickly began making plans for a wedding. Jack insisted that he talk to Bob and officially ask for Kate's hand in marriage. Kate found that romantic but silly. "What's he going to say, Jack? 'No, I prefer she doesn't marry you despite the fact that she's about to have your baby.'" Jack realized how ridiculous it sounded but explained that he had a daughter and hoped her fiancé, presumably Chase, would afford him the same courtesy.

They then went to talk to Kim, who was thrilled with this sudden development. Jack was pleased that his daughter was so accepting of Kate. He talked with her privately and gave her the wedding ring he had given Teri twenty years ago. She already had Teri's engagement ring which she often wore on a chain around her neck. Jack had kept the wedding ring in his dresser drawer since the day he buried his wife. Even while he lived with Kate, the ring sat in a box in his dresser where he would stop and look at it periodically. Now he was giving it to Kim, it wasn't fair to Kate for him to keep it any longer. He would never forget Teri or stop loving her, he told Kim, but he was entering a new chapter in his life.

After talking to Kim, they called the minister from Bob's church and asked him to perform the ceremony. He was available on New Year's Eve at 2pm so the time was set.

They hastily called the few friends and relatives that they hoped would share the day with them. There were 18 in all who would be attending. Kate had even convinced Grace and two others from her office in Seattle to fly down in the company jet for the event.

Finding a caterer on New Year's Eve, even during the afternoon, could prove to be difficult, but without their even asking, Tony's father volunteered to do the job. It was his wedding gift to them. Kate stopped at an elegant bakery and ordered a very non-traditional wedding cake, then went to the florist. She finally ended up at a maternity boutique on Rodeo Drive to find a suitable dress. Well, white is out of the question, she thought with some amusement. She ended up with a navy blue dress that fell from the shoulders. It had a large white collar and a red scarf at the base of the "V" neckline and pearl buttons from neckline to hem. It was conservative and understated and the dark color minimized her size which seemed to increase exponentially over the last couple of weeks, if only in Kate's mind.

Kate lay in bed fifteen minutes waiting for another contraction. None occurred and she could smell the warm aroma of coffee wafting up the stairs, so she decided it was time to get up.

Bob sat at the kitchen table trying to read his newspaper, Riley sat at his feet. His housekeeper, Rosita, had made a nice breakfast that he was currently having trouble eating. He wasn't sure why he was so nervous, Kate's wedding should not be causing an attack of anxiety. All of the details were taken care of and he certainly approved of the marriage. If it had been up to him, Jack and Kate would have married years ago. No, this anxiety had nothing to do with Kate and Jack. It was all of the bad memories that these wedding plans had conjured up. Although this simple wedding could not be compared to the one that had been planned for Marie almost four years ago, he still could not help but think about the day his life changed forever. He sat at this same table drinking his coffee that morning, too. He watched with amusement as his daughters flitted around making last minute arrangements. He remembered wondering, not really caring, what the final bill for the wedding would be. He knew it was outrageous, but nothing was too much for his daughter, especially Marie. Marie wasn't like Kate, Marie needed to be coddled and taken care of, or so he thought. He still couldn't believe how that day came crashing down around him. He remembered Tony arriving to question Reza. He was so upset that the government would profile Reza and think he had any connection with terrorist activity. Of course, he had to admit, when Marie started dating him, Bob had Reza checked out by some contacts in the CIA. Little did he know that Reza was no threat to U.S. security, but his daughter was.

Bob looked up, his train of thought thankfully derailed, as Kate walked into the kitchen. She looked like she hadn't slept. "Good morning, Sweetheart." He said standing and pulling out a chair for her. "Sit, I'll get you some coffee." He walked to the counter and poured the coffee into a mug. "You look tired, Kate. Did you get any sleep?" He asked as he handed her the mug and the cream pitcher.

"Not much," Kate answered shrugging her shoulders. "I just couldn't get comfortable. It didn't matter what position. Then if I did by some chance find a comfortable position and drift off to sleep, I'd have a contraction and it would wake me up."

"Are the contractions still irregular?" Bob asked as he reached into the warm oven and pulled out the omelet that Rosita had made for her. Riley got up and moved closer to Kate. He knew she was a softie and would be likely to drop something on the floor for him.

"Yeah, about three an hour, but irregular. I had two within five minutes a little while ago and one of those was really bad, and I haven't had one since. It's been at least 20 minutes now." She looked at the huge omelet and wondered how Rosita thought she could possibly eat all of it. I'm eating for two, not five, she thought. "Hope you're hungry, Riley. I'll never eat all of this."

"Your mother was the same way. She had contractions for days before you were born. She looked about as miserable as you do." He smiled at the memory. "And she got through it, you will, too. "

"Yeah, but she wasn't planning a wedding at the same time." Kate said. "I know," Kate said without prompting, "that's my own fault. When Jack suggested getting married this quickly, all he wanted to do was go to the courthouse. I should have listened to him."

"Oh," Bob said as he refilled his coffee mug. "Jack called a little while ago. Chase and Tony are picking him up at 9 o'clock. They're taking him for a haircut and they should be here around 10. He wanted to make sure Kim had brought his suit over from his condo. I told him that she had. He said if you need them to pick anything up just to call him."

"I think all we need is the groom!" Kate said with some amusement in her voice. "You have a limo going to the airport to pick up the people from Seattle and Jack's sister-in-law from San Jose, right?"

"Taken care of" Bob answered. He watched as Kate's face clouded over and she grimaced slightly. "Contraction?"

The expression cleared several seconds later and Kate checked the time. "Yeah, not bad though. Almost a half hour since the last one." She ate a couple of mouthfuls of eggs before deciding that she was full. "I guess I better go upstairs and put some clothes on. My hair appointment is at 10:00 and I get a manicure and pedicure right after that." She laughed wryly. "I hope Jack appreciates the pedicure, because I can't even see my feet."

1:45pm

The guests had all arrived and were mingling on the patio. For December, it was a little warmer than usual with temperatures in the 70s and lots of warm sunshine. It was so nice, in fact, that Kate decided to take advantage of the good weather and have the wedding outside. Roving waiters carried glasses of champagne and trays of hors d'oeuvres around to the guests. A string quartet was playing quiet background music. Despite the circumstances and the small number of guests, the wedding had all the trappings of a high society event.

Jack was in a bedroom upstairs getting dressed. He had now tied the same tie four times, each time finding something he didn't like about the results. First it was too short, then too long, then the knot was crooked. By the fourth time, he wasn't sure what was wrong with it, it just didn't look right. "Son of a bitch," he said in frustration as he looked in the mirror. He untied it again and started over.

"Jack, calm down," Chase suggested. "It's a tie. You're not nervous are you?" He asked with a smile.

"No, I'm not nervous. I just want everything to be perfect. Kate's been through so much, she deserves to have everything go perfectly today." He straightened the tie and was finally satisfied with the results. "Okay, I might be a little nervous." He admitted.

Chase put his hand on Jack's shoulder. "Jack, you love her, that's all that matters."

"I wish it were that simple." Jack sighed. "Chase, I've been down this path before, remember. A lot more than love goes into a successful marriage. I hope you realize that before you decide to marry my daughter." Jack looked sheepishly at the floor. "If love were all that mattered, Teri and I would have had the best marriage in history. Instead, we were two people who loved each other who could barely keep our marriage afloat. And that was my fault, not Teri's." He added quietly. "I just want to get it right this time."

Chase nodded not sure what to say. "Look at the time. I'll get Tony and we'll get you downstairs."

Chase and Tony helped Jack slowly descend the stairs then they joined the other guests on the patio. Jack stood in the living room, supported only by a cane, waiting anxiously for Kate to come down the stairs. If his therapists thought he had worked hard before Christmas, they were shocked at the amount of work he was willing to put in during this last week. He was determined that he would walk with a cane, not a walker, for their wedding. He got up early in the mornings to spend extra time in the weight room. Then, he swam laps until he thought he would grow gills. All of this to strengthen his legs to the point that he didn't need the support provided by the walker. He had pushed himself to the breaking point, but as he stood here waiting for his bride; he knew it was well worth it. He never wanted Kate to perceive him as helpless or needy. He had been that way in the hospital and he never wanted to be that way again.

"There," Michelle said as she fastened a strand of pearls around Kate's neck.

Kate sat at the vanity in her bedroom. She had just finished putting on her makeup and now her jewelry was taken care of as well. "Thanks," Kate said as she looked in the mirror. Her hair was pulled up in the back and on the sides with little wisps framing her face. Pearl and diamond earrings that had belonged to her mother hung from her ears. She stood up and walked over to the full length brass mirror. "Not exactly a traditional bride," Kate said looking at her profile in the mirror, "but it will have to do." She reached down and gripped the edge of the dresser as she felt another contraction start. She took a deep breath and tried not to let it show on her face but Michelle and Kim both noticed immediately.

"Are you okay?" Kim asked.

Kate closed her eyes and nodded trying hard to breathe through it.

"Do you need to sit down?" Michelle asked. They both wanted to find a way to make her feel better. "Kate, should you be calling the doctor? It seems like you've been having a lot of contractions."

"I'm still only having three or four an hour and they aren't regular. She told me this could go on for days." She smiled and put her hand on her belly. "This kid may want out, but he's going to have to wait a day. I've got something more important to do right now."

The three of them went downstairs. Michelle gave Kate a final hug and went out to the patio to sit beside Tony. Kim joined Bob Warner near the patio doors. Jack asked Bob to be his Best Man and Kate asked Kim to be her Maid of Honor. Bob offered Kim his arm and the two walked out and took their place next to the minister.

Kate met Jack in the living room. This was the first time she had seen him walk with only a cane. He took two slow but steady steps toward the stairs and held his arm out to her. She put her hand in the crook of his arm as they walked toward the patio. "Jack, I can't believe how well you're walking. You didn't tell me about this." She said pointing at the cane.

"I wanted it to be a surprise." He smiled and paused while he looked at her. "You look beautiful, Kate. You are absolutely radiant." Kate glowed with the compliment.

Everyone stood as the couple arrived on the patio. They were both smiling broadly as they stood before Reverend Alston. Bob had warned him to keep his remarks short and get right to the "I do's" since Kate wasn't feeling all that well and he wasn't sure how long Jack could stand.

The Reverend did as he was asked and in only a few minutes he had the couple saying their vows and exchanging rings. Jack felt Kate squeeze his hand at one point and knew she was having another contraction but she was careful not to let it show on her face. He was grateful to hear the minister say the words he had been waiting for. "...I now pronounce you husband and wife. Jack, you may kiss your bride." Jack reached out, took her face in his hands and pulled her to him. He kissed her softly with just the tip of his tongue slipping between her slightly parted lips. They turned to face their guests and were soon being congratulated by Bob and Kim, followed by everyone else.

The rest of the wedding went off without a hitch. After the ceremony the guests were seated at tables in the back yard where they were served an elegant five course meal. Each course was accompanied by the appropriate wine served by wine stewards. It could have been stuffy and overbearing, but instead the conversation was lively and everyone had a good time.

Kate continued to have contractions throughout the day but was pretty much able to hide it from most of the guests. For the most part, she was too excited to give the contractions much thought. She kept looking at her hand, at the platinum band that Jack had placed on her finger during the ceremony. It suddenly took on an importance that she hadn't imagined.

For a long time, she had considered getting married to be a mere formality. She thought of it in business terms. Marriage was like signing a contract rather than shaking hands, but she knew some of the best business deals were executed with no more formality than a handshake. She thought it would be nice for the baby's sake if she and Jack were married, but other than that, as long as they loved each other and were together, marriage seemed unimportant. During their long relationship, she had occasionally thought of marrying Jack, but only in the context of having children. Now, as she looked at her wedding ring and at Jack's, the marriage had already taken on a life of its own in her mind. She was no long Kate Warner; she was Kate Bauer. She had not intended to change her name, but it sounded so nice to her. It seemed ridiculous that a couple of rings, a minister and a license could make her feel so differently, but it did. She felt closer to Jack; a more important and integral part of his life.

Jack caught her staring at her ring and smiling. "Happy?" He asked her.

"I've never been happier in my life." She leaned forward to kiss him. "Thank you."

"What are you thanking me for?"

"For insisting that we get married," she told him.

Jack looked confused. "I don't understand."

"I didn't think it mattered if we were married. I didn't think it would make a difference, but I was wrong. It does matter. I loved you so much before we got married, but now I love you even more. And the best part is, everyone knows it. All of these people are witnesses to how much we love each other. I don't know if I'm making sense, but a couple of hours ago, I was Kate Warner and now I'm Kate Bauer. I feel like a whole different person. I can't explain it, but I am so happy." She kissed him again. "Oh, Jack, I just want us always to be as happy as we are right now."

"Kathryn Elizabeth Bauer," he paused and held her hand for emphasis, he looked very serious. "I will do everything in my power to make sure that we are always this happy, that I never do anything that will make you unhappy."

Their serious moment was interrupted by one of the waiters. "Excuse me, Mr. and Mrs. Bauer." Kate smiled as he said it. "Would you like to cut the cake now?"

They went with him to the cake table and stood for the obligatory pictures as they cut the cake. Jack laughed when he realized that it was a carrot cake, his favorite. He fed Kate a dainty piece and she licked the cream cheese icing seductively from his fingers. He did the same to her. They kissed and laughed and both found themselves thankful that through all of the good and the bad that had happened to them over the last four years, that they had finally come to this place. A place filled with happiness and the promise of a life together along with the new life they had created.