The Second Wedding of 2027.
As far as Roderick had been concerned, taking a cab to the Chapel had always been one of the most risky elements of the days planning; the traffic in the city was heavy most of the time unsnarl apps and gridlock almost a daily occurrence. At one point, Roderick had even suggested that they would be better taking the bus or the subway, but Mason had dismissed that idea at once. After much debate they had reached a compromise; they would begin their journey a lot earlier then they had to and moreover, we would ask the cab driver to head west first, as then, if they did become stuck in a major holdup, they could exit the cab and take one of the many subway lines on that side of Manhattan downtown to NYU.
When the cab arrived, they found that the driver was only too happy to follow their instructions, helped by the fact that the traffic flow on the Murray Hill street Roderick lived on was in a westerly direction. The streets and avenues were indeed busy, but not to the extent but they felt at risk of arriving at their destination late. Their driver was a talkative, motherly lady, who had made them both smile when they told her they were heading to a wedding by assuming at once that they were the two grooms.
"My friend here is the groom, and my wife will be in attendance as he marries his girl," Mason had said with a smile in his voice.
The driver had chuckled and replied, "Well, these days in Manhattan, that almost marks you out as unusual. I have two kids of my own; my daughter decided to get married in Jamacia, which was something that I did enjoy, but it wasn't the big family affair that it would have been expected to be once upon a time. There was no big white dress, no historic church, no hordes of relatives that you hardly ever see… No, it was on a beach, which was nice enough, but somehow that just didn't sit right with me. As for my son, well his wedding was in the city, but it was small, as a lot of the hordes from both sides of the family stayed away, as did some of the other groom's relatives as it happens… Long and short of it is that they are both happily married couples and, in the end, isn't that all that has ever really mattered?"
"In my opinion, it most certainly is all that matters. Honestly, there will be very few relatives there from my wife-to-be's family, and certainly not her parents…" Roderick responded. The cab driver nodded, but did not enquire as to why that would be the case. Some things were better staying private, but the reason had to be a good one…
Once they arrived at the old chapel, they thanked the cab driver, who smiled, then said, "Well, if her parents aren't here, that is no bad thing; you won't have a mother-in-law to deal with, and having had one of my own for nearly three decades, I can tell you that might well be a blessing." As she drove off, Roderick considered what she had just said carefully. Strictly, off course, what she had said wasn't true; he would have one, it was just that she was unlikely to ever be a feature in his married life…
"I think that they get a rough press anyway," said Mason, suddenly, which earned him a quizzical look from his friend. He smiled, and carried on, "My mother-in-law is a lovely lady, who approves of me and of my career, and would never try to turn Jane against me, or be party to the spreading of lies and rumours about me."
"That is true, but you have to admit that there are some awful ones; I mean, Izzy Wilson has Flint's mom to contend with, and then there is Nick – he has two!" retorted Roderick.
Mason laughed, and replied, "Maybe if you asked him nicely, Nick would allow you to borrow one of his."
That made them both laugh out loud, and it took a moment before Roderick could respond. "I think that I will pass on that one, actually. In any case, how would Jeff decide which one of his two mothers he would allow me to borrow?"
Mason had no reply to that, so instead he changed the subject. "Well, we are here, and in very good time; in fact, we have an hour before we are scheduled to begin. What do you say to going and getting a coffee, rather than waiting in what will be, from my limited experience, probably a chilly chapel?"
"We could do; if I recall, there is a cafeteria in that building just across the street. I will need to be careful when I am drinking it, because if I managed to spill any on my shirt or jacket, I don't think it would go down too well with either my soon to be wife, or my mother."
Mason nodded, wondering if he could find anything to act as a temporary bib. They crossed the street, and soon found the café; it was almost empty, with plenty of open tables so that they would be able to relax in comfort and enjoy their beverage. The idea of coffee had changed the moment they entered the place though, as they saw a sign advertising a deal on hot chocolate, and it seemed all the more appealing on a cold January day…
They lost track of time a little, sipping at their drinks, and it was only fifteen minutes before the ceremony was due to commence by the time that they crossed back over to the chapel. They walked in to discover that their late arrival had created a bit of a stir amongst the guests, as they had not expected to find the chapel empty when they walked in themselves…
It had fallen to Jake in the end to try and calm people's nerves, with some assistance from Jane, who knew what her husband had been planning to do if he and the groom had reached the chapel much too early. The problem was that neither of them had the authority that would have been enjoyed by Thad, for example, and there was still a lot of murmurs and whispering taking place right up until they walked in, Indeed, they arrived not a moment too soon, as Roderick's parents had arrived a few minutes earlier, and they had not been as inclined as everderick yone else to accept the assurances of the two young people…
Roderick had spent the next few minutes with them, and then had excused himself to go and talk to the realtor that had sold him his new home, and her grandmother, who had just arrived. They were all immediately touched by the way the groom greeted the old lady, then by his insistence that she should be seated right at the front, pushing her chair up the aisle to place her opposite the spot in which Artie was already situated.
Then he was headed to the door once more, this time to greet Nurse Crane and her to, and he brought them to the front as well, sitting them down in the empty spot next to Kitty. The latter was all smiles to see the midwife that had delivered her son on that most explosive of nights once again. That task was no sooner done than, just as on the previous day, word arrived that the bride had arrived, swiftly followed by the door opening to admit Barnaby, accompanied by Clyde and Audra. The former walked right up to Roderick, and whispered in his ear, "My sister has never looked more beautiful." Then he headed back to sit down next to his cousin Matthew and his mother, leaving the groom with a grin…
Hillary and Roderick's wedding proceeded to go without a hitch. The bride had indeed looked beautiful, having taken advice from Isabelle, and then styled herself in a much more feminine way than she usually did. The cream-coloured dress she wore looked like silk, but was in fact finely woven merino wool; it was also well lined, to ensure that she remained warm enough even in the depths of winter in New York. The hair that she normally wore up for practical purposes was down and softly styled in a retro way, redolent of the 1940s and it suited her magnificently. Much to her surprise that morning, Pam had arrived and had offered her services with her makeup; Hillary would later discover that it had been organised by Cooper and Grace. The moment that Pam had seen Hillary's hairstyle, she had known exactly how to make the bride up; she did her best to ape the trends of the 1940s, including using the correct shade of lipstick and blusher.
To her groom, she was transformed into a star of one of those films of the fabled Golden Age of Hollywood, an era from which there were no living survivors. he felt that he was not as suave and sophisticated as his bride however, but her radiant smile in his direction told him that he need not worry. With their vows exchanged and Hillary now happily taking Roderick's surname, they left the chapel and lead their guests the short distance to the reception venue. They were glad that the weather had turned out bright, but not freezing cold; that meant that the sidewalks why not slippery as they were want to be at this time of year. The last thing that they would have wanted was someone to get injured on their way to the reception…
The restaurant that was owned by the friends of Nurse Crane had done them proud. The greeting that they received as they arrived was warm and genuine, and the room in which they would eat was well heated. There were candles, and garlands of flowers, the latter have replaced the decorations that had been in place for Christmas. The menu was vast, and they all had a free choice from it, not just a set menu as was so often the case. The price that the newlyweds had paid was per head, so in theory even the most expensive dishes on the menu were on offer, but nobody actually chose them.
The three-course meal was greatly enjoyed, the restaurant being added to the list of places those resident in the city would return to. When it came to the speeches, they were short, and made in the interval between the main course and the dessert, a suggestion made by the owners of the venue. It worked well, allowing them all to start and digest the main course they had just eaten; it also allowed those that had not quite finished that dish to carry on eating as the talking went on, all of the speeches being free of jokes and anything risqué….
Then it was time for dessert, and half of the Warblers present could only smile as Nick grabbed Jeff's plate of tiramisu to check on the alcohol level whilst the blond was being distracted by Mike. It was only natural that he did so, as they could all recall that Christmas Day at the Rainbow Room, at Sebastian's vow renewal… There was panettone after for everyone, served with rich coffee or tea, or grape juice for the youngsters. What came as a big surprise for some was the absence of a wedding cake. Nick had offered to bake one, but the newlywed couple had declined his offer, assuming that there would be the fruited bread that they now all ate instead. What they did not know was that the baking Warbler had prepared them a rich, iced fruit cake anyway and would give them it as a housewarming cake instead. It would be the perfect accompaniment for the start of their married life together…
The first dance was not a tradition that they could miss and once again Mike had found himself called upon to teach Roderick the intricacies of the Viennese waltz; what the groom did not know was that Mike was also assisting his future wife. So it was that as the music began, the dancer was observing both of his pupils, and was happy to see that they both did him proud. Nobody would have guessed that they had both suffered from having two left feet just a few weeks ago. As the dance floor filled up with couples happily dancing in each other's arms, including a serious looking little Wes and Evie who were doing their best to emulate the adults around them, much to everyone's amusement, two single guests found themselves watching from the sidelines…
What had remained unsaid that day was the fact that Madison's long term partner had left her just days before Christmas, although it had been a mutual parting of the ways by all accounts. Still it had left her alone for the two weddings. That had not gone unnoticed the previous day by the other singleton in question. Matthew might have been on the fringes of the group, but he and Ryder had discovered that they had a number of mutual interests and had built up an increasingly close friendship. Even so, Matthew had not wished to approach Mason's sister the previous day, but somehow he now felt emboldened; he therefore strolled across the room with purpose and asked her if she would like to dance. She was slightly taken aback, but found herself agreeing nonetheless. Then, as with so many others before them, the moment that they took each other's hands, they both felt that there was something very right about their being together…
Of course, the rest of the room would eventually notice, but the first spot the way that Matthew looked was his cousin. Barnaby was not a great fan of partnered dances, as they were not exactly practical for those in a thruple, but now the style of dance had moved on from the more traditional to a disco style beat, he was up on the floor, dancing between the two people that he loved equally without any issue. He had happened to glance over in the direction of his cousin, and was immediately struck by the way that his eyes sparkled, and how wide his smile seemed to be. Then he noticed the colour in his cheeks, and the way that he and Madison seemed to giggle at nothing every so often…
Barnaby realised that he had himself looked like that once, on the New Year's Eve that he had met Clyde and Audra in Times Square, and his life had become perfect in more ways than he had ever imagined. If the reason for Matthew's smile was the same one, however, then he knew that there could well be trouble ahead, as such a love would be fraught with difficulty. Madison had an entire life in Ohio; an apartment, a job and even a fledgling business of her own, which was, by all accounts, increasingly lucrative. Matthew had his whole life here in Manhattan, with a career that was blossoming and a very nice place in the Upper East Side. If they had fallen in love, then one of them would potentially have to sacrifice it all…
A few moments later on the other side of the room, as he danced with Jane in his arms, Mason's eyes suddenly caught sight of his sister. He did not feel the urge to become the protective brother when he saw who she was dancing with. He knew that Matthew was sweet natured, kind and best of all, single. He also saw the signs that Barnaby did, but unlike the other man, he knew that they were the signs of a potential soulmate connection. However, he was privy to a small piece of news that was not at that moment known to anyone else, even his own wife…
Madison's business was indeed highly lucrative; however, she had noticed on conducting research into where the majority of her clientele was located, that her customer base was almost entirely on the East Coast, and centred on New York itself. One of the things that was stopping her from making enough to give up work and concentrate on the business full time was the high cost of shipping from Ohio, and she had come to realise that if she relocated closer to her clients, then she could make enough to give up her job. She was tired of it in any case, and this was an opportunity to move her life in a new direction, just as Roderick had done when he started his nursing career. If she also had someone that she loved in the city, then the attractiveness of making the move increased manyfold…
There were two more familiar faces missing from the wedding reception that day. Adam and Lawrence had been the first of the guests to leave Marley and Ryder's wedding reception that previous day; they had headed home to change, and then grab the bags they had already packed for their trip to England. They had arrived at JFK in good time and had taken full advantage of the lounge facilities that were on offer to Upper Class passengers. They had eaten their evening meal there rather than waiting until they were onboard the plane; that way they could relax properly on the flight, taking full advantage of the lie flat seats to try and get some sleep on the overnight flight…
The level of luxury was a new experience for them both, and they both had to admit that it was a very enjoyable one. To be alerted by the staff in the lounge that their flight was about to start boarding, and then be escorted to the gate was a bonus; to then be first in line for boarding and presented with a glass of champagne as soon as they were seated made Lawrence feel like royalty. Of course, Adam was instantly recognised by the airline staff, and he happily posed for selfies with them all…
He stowed his carry-on bag carefully, as it was filled with large quantities of candy that he would present to his mother for her to hand out to the local children; these days, however, with so many American candy brands available in British stores, such things were not quite as exotic. Everyone knew of course to avoid the plethora of American Candy stores that had appeared on Oxford Street, as they had a dubious reputation for overcharging and links to crime. Packed in his other case was a similar quantity of Atomic Fireballs; his father had tried one on his trip over, and had fallen in love with them. Lawrence had seen just how many bags he had packed, and he reckoned that it was a year's supply at least, if the man they were for was careful…
Much to his surprise, Lawrence ended up sleeping for most of the flight; a combination of the rich food he had enjoyed before boarding the plane, having only finished a long run of dayshifts at the hospital the day before Marley's wedding and the two hot chocolates he had drunk when the cabin crew brought them. Adam had not been so lucky, but he didn't mind that much. He had been able to get a couple of hours before the cabin lights brightened, marking the fact that the flight was just over an hour from arriving in London. The crew came round with a breakfast roll, fruit juice and tea or coffee, which was just enough to tide them over as their flight arrived.
They had been first to disembark the plane and found themselves directed to a separate line at passport control, meaning that they did not have to queue with everyone else. Adam then informed him that their cases would be collected for them and much to his surprise, Lawrence suddenly found himself back in a lounge. Seeing the expression on his boyfriend's face, Adam had explained that they had use of showers to freshen themselves up and could then enjoy a second, larger breakfast before they left the airport.
Fully refreshed and well fed, they made their way to the railway station at the centre of the airport, where they boarded an Elizabeth Line trained that would convey them through the city to Farringdon station. They would change there for a Thameslink train to East Croydon, then at the latter would change one last time for the local train that would take them to the village station closest to Adam's childhood home. Once he was aware precisely which trained they would be catching, he would telephone to his mother, knowing that she would wish to drive up to the station and pick them up. As they hurtled along the relatively new railway, Adam smiled at the way that Lawrence stared out of the train window like a small child; he had to stop himself laughing at just how excited the latter got when he saw a tube train at Ealing Broadway. All he could wonder then was just how he would react to the fantastic stations that had been constructed to serve central London on the Elizabeth Line.
Adam found out the answer to that pretty quickly. He had been forced to take his boyfriend gently by the arm and guide him along the corridors of Farringdon station, as he continued to gawp open-mouthed at his surroundings. That was the only way to ensure that they made it onto the next Thameslink train, which would take them south through the London suburbs and almost out of the city. Sitting down on the train, Lawrence turned to him and said, "When I think of what the subway in New York looks like in comparison to this place, I have to pinch myself a little. That station was like a film set!"
Adam chuckled, and replied, "Trust me when I tell you that London has its fair share of dingy, run-down, forgotten stations as well. The station we just passed through is fairly new, which is why it gleams so much. Now, we are approaching another station that has been modernised extensively in the last few years…"
Adam found himself chuckling again as Lawrence fell into an awed silence once more as they pulled into Blackfriars station, which was built on a bridge that spanned the great river that divided the capital city. Then he pointed out the landmarks that could be seen from both sides of the train, if you knew where to look. The iconic dome of St. Paul's was visible nearby, and the Tower of London and the adjacent bridge could be seen in the distance, beyond the skyscrapers of the City. In the other direction Big Ben was visible, and as they awaited departure, the clock struck the hour, which made Lawrence all the more pleased.
He would carry on staring out of the window like a small child as they threaded their way through the streets of suburbia, the amount of greenery increasing as they progressed, punctuated by stations that they flew through without stopping, crossing streets on which glimpses of the iconic red buses could be enjoyed. In no time, they were pulling into the suburban town of East Croydon, and to his surprise, Lawrence did not need to be pulled off the train, his level of anticipation at seeing where Adam had grown up having grown by the minute. A quick check of the monitors showed them that they did not need to change platforms as the local train would follow the one they had just left.
They had a short while to wait, so they settled down on a bench. Adam sent a message to his mother, advising her of when their next train was due, knowing she would be able to work out when they would arrive and be able to meet them on the platform at their destination. That done, he turned to look at his boyfriend, who seemed to be focusing on something. Before he could ask what, Adam heard the sound of a clanging bell, and saw the curiosity rise on the other man's face. "It's the trams – streetcars as you would call them. They came back when I was older, but I love them. We will have to ride on one before we leave…"
The final part of Adam and Lawrence's journey would be on a stopping train towards the small town of East Grinstead, although they would alight well before that in a suburban village. As the train pulled into the small station, with its weatherboard building, Adam spotted his mother waiting on the platform, searching them out. As they stepped out, she waved, and headed for them, hugging them as soon as she reached them, and laughing at the fact that her son wished her a Merry Christmas now it was January.
The first thing that she insisted was that Lawrence should call her Annie, rather than Mrs Crawford or ma'am. "As far as my husband and I are concerned, you are part of our family now, so first names are in order. Hugh, my husband, agrees with me, but my mother-in-law will still expect you to address her formally until such time as she decides that you are worthy of her grandson…"
Lawrence turned to Adam then, concern written over his face, but his boyfriend merely smiled at him. "Granny was the same with all of the boyfriends that my sister and I had when we were younger as well. It is only since my sister's children have come along that my brother-in-law has been allowed to call her granny, as my sister and I still do."
"And, of course," Annie Crawford continued, "you must be ready to keep a very straight face when she does tell you her first name. My mother-in-law is very particular about that, and it was the demise of several previous boyfriends when they stared or laughed. Her first name is Joan…"
"Like the actress?" said Lawrence. When the other two nodded, he said, "Well, I can only hope that she is not like the actress was rumoured to be in character…"
"When my dad refers to her as mummy dearest, it is because under all of the stern stuff, she is really a sweetheart. It is only if she thinks that you have crossed her or are hurting one of those that she loves that her claws come out," stated Adam, reassuringly.
"The thing is," his mother said, "You will be meeting her sooner than you thought. She was due to join us for dinner tonight at 6pm, but she arrived just as I was leaving…