Chapter Three

The sounds of whistles and popping filled the hot Virginia air as firecrackers boomed into the night, causing sprays of reds, purples, greens, blues and yellows to fill the black sky. At already seven months pregnant, Jillian Deline refused to participate in shooting off firecrackers this Fourth of July, but instead opted to sit on a chair in the back of Ed's pickup truck and watch, a protective arm around Delinda.

"Ed, Jack, come on, you two are grown men! Enough of this!" Jillian called out as she nursed an icy lemonade.

Jack Keller rolled his eyes as he grabbed another bottle rocket from the stash. The two men were shirtless out in a field, a cooler filled with ice, beer, and cold lemonade sitting in the bed of the truck.

Before her mother was able to stop her, Delinda raced towards the end of the truck and jumped off the ledge and ran out into the field, "Daddy, daddy!"

"Whoa, hey!" Ed called out to Jack as he started to light the bottle rocket. "Buttercup's around."

Keller quickly stuck the firework in the back pocket of his denim shorts and grinned when he saw his partner pick the little girl up. Delinda squeezed her father's neck and kissed his cheek and grinned, "Daddy, I want to shoot one off too."

"No way," Ed said, shaking his head. "You are too little, honey, and fireworks are too dangerous. Besides," he added as he put the girl up on his shoulders, "Your mother would kill me."

"Daddy, please?" She begged as she bounced on his shoulders.

"Delinda, I'm afraid that I'm firm on this. I really don't want you to get hurt, sweetie, shooting off fireworks should be left to responsible adults."

As soon as the words came out of his mouth, a loud expletive was heard and Ed turned around and found Jack jumping on a lit firecracker. "What happened?"

The younger man rolled his eyes, "You know how these damn things are, Eddie," he said, "friggen thing lit itself."

"Hey," Ed said, bringing his hands up to cover his daughter's ears, "Watch the language."

"Sorry," he apologized.

"Moron," Ed said softly as he rolled his eyes.

Delinda looked at her father curiously, "What's a moron, Daddy?"

"Somebody who doesn't know how to use a firework, apparently," her father responded.

The little girl looked down at her father, her face falling, "Does that mean I'm a moron too, Daddy? Because I don't know how to use a firework."

Ed sighed as he quietly cursed himself. Drawing his daughter close to him, Ed pressed his lips to her head, "No, buttercup, you aren't a moron. I'm just a little annoyed with Jack right now because he's doing stupid things."

"Oh, you mean like the time mommy got mad at you because you kept burning the chicken on the grill?"

Rolling his eyes, he made his way towards the truck, "Yeah, something like that," Once he got to the truck, he picked Delinda up off his shoulders and set her inside, "There you go, buttercup."

Hoisting himself up on the ledge, he scooted back to where his wife's chair was and grinned up at her, "How are you feeling?"

"You mean aside from the fear that the police department is going to come and arrest you and your idiot friend?" Jillian said, grinning down at her husband.

"Yeah, besides that."

His wife smiled as she gently moved down and sat next to her husband. Putting her head on his shoulder, she smiled, "I felt the baby kick while you were out there."

Ed quickly put his hand on his wife's stomach, "Show me where," he asked.

Jillian smiled as she moved his hand a little bit, "Right there, he hasn't kicked in a few minutes though, Eddie, so don't be disappointed if he doesn't do it."

Her husband waited a few minutes and then he started to laugh, "Holy cow," he said quietly. Looking at his wife, he said, "Did you feel that?"

Rolling her blue eyes, Jillian said, "No, I didn't."

Shaking his head, he said, "Stupid questions deserve stupid answers, I guess." Looking out onto the field, he said, "Hey, Jack! Get over here, I want you to see something!"

"Ed!" Jillian admonished in a whisper, "If you think Jack Keller is going to put a finger on my body you are sorely mistaken."

Ed sighed as he saw Jack starting to approach them, "Sweetie, I just want him to feel. Please? I'll make sure that he doesn't attempt anything else."

"What's up?" Keller asked as he got to the truck.

"Jump up here," Ed said, "You gotta feel this."

Jack blinked, "Feel? Feel what?"

By that time, Delinda had already settled down between her parents, "Mommy's tummy!" She grinned at Jack, "It's moving!"

The adults laughed as Keller jumped up in the back of the truck and then looked at Jillian, "May I?"

Sighing softly, the woman cast a glance at her husband and then at the man before her, "Well, since you asked so politely, I suppose."

"Thanks," he said as he placed his hand where Ed showed him.

A few minutes later, the baby kicked again and Jack just grinned at Ed, "You lucky S.O.B."

The other man laughed as Jack kept his hand on Jillian's stomach, "I want to have kids some day," he said.

"You have to find a wife first," Ed pointed out.

Jack shook his head, "I don't want kids that bad."

Jillian rolled her eyes as Ed laughed, "What's wrong with finding a wife?" she inquired as she moved both mens' hands to a different spot and then moved Delinda's as well.

"Wives nag," Jack said, "and gripe, and complain, nothing's ever good enough for them, than they get mad if we happen to notice a pretty girl."

"I don't get mad when Eddie notices another woman," she answered, "because I know that at the end of the day he comes home to me."

Ed smiled at his wife as he leaned over and kissed her, "Until the day I die," he promised.

Jack watched on with envy, "Now see," he said, gesturing to the couple, "I wouldn't mind that."

"You gotta work at it," Ed said, "We didn't get like this overnight. Took years of work."

His wife nodded in agreement, "Absolutely."

"Damn," Keller said quietly as he shook his head, "It's amazing how much time flies in four years."

April 20, 1975

"Ed, you gotta stop pacing, you are going to wear a rut into the floor."

Ed Deline sighed deeply as he stopped and stared at his father, "I'm shaking, dad," he said, holding his hands out to display the proof, "I've never been so scared in my life."

"Eddie," Martin Deline said as he walked over to his son, "listen to me, son, okay? You've done the hard part. You asked her to marry you and she said yes. Today is a piece of cake, just take a deep breath and relax." Placing his hands on the other man's shoulders, he continued, "Jillian loves you, Ed, anybody with eyes can see that."

Ed nodded as he soaked in his father's words and then sighed. "Oh god," he said as he raced for the bathroom.

Martin sighed as he rolled his eyes, "I think you got the roles reversed, son," he called out, "I think you are the woman and she's the man!"

"I can't believe how calm you are."

Jillian Stemple laughed as she reapplied her lipstick, "I'm marrying a man I absolutely adore, Kate, I know that this is the right thing." Looking at her sister, she said, "How can I be anything but calm?"

Kate grinned as she sat down next to the bride, "Rumor has it, your groom is down the hall puking his guts out."

Sighing quietly as she stood up, she said, "That doesn't surprise me. Ed's always been the nervous one. Just as long as he brushes his teeth before he kisses me."

Kate laughed as she watched her sister, "God," she sighed, "you look so beautiful. I can just see mom and dad right now, they'd be on cloud nine."

Jillian smiled softly as a tear fell, "Yeah," she whispered softly. Orphaned at thirteen, Jillian had been raised by her older sister. Even though she was seven years younger than Kate, the tragedy of losing both her parents in a car accident, caused the two girls to be inseparable. Quickly reaching for a handkerchief, Jillian dabbed her eyes, "Where's David?"

"He'll be here, Jill, don't worry, he's getting Brian situated with his parents."

Seconds later a soft knock was heard. Kate quickly jumped up and went over to the door, "Who is it? And, Eddie, if it's you again, so help me god, I'll take a pair of pliers to you!"

"Katherine!" Jillian whispered harshly, "You have got to step threatening to pull his you know what off everytime you think he's at the door!"

"Relax, ladies," a man said as he popped his head in the room, "It's just me."

The bride grinned when she saw her brother-in-law. "David," she said, walking over to him. Kissing his cheek, she hugged him, "Oh god, you look so nice."

David Higgins smiled as he kissed his sister-in-law's cheek, "And you, Jillian, look ravishing. Ed is indeed a lucky man."

She blushed as she watched him cross the room and kiss his wife. "Kate, honey, please listen to your sister. Ed is a part of the family now, yanking his prick off with pliers isn't nice."

Kate laughed as she shook her head, "You are so vulgar, Dave."

He gave her a lecherous grin as he wiggled his brows, "You know you love it."

Rolling her eyes as she watched them through the mirror, Jillian reached for her veil, "Can I get some help here, please?"

David broke away from his wife and walked over to where the bride was standing and smiled at her. Placing the comb in her blonde hair, he helped as she brought the veil over her face. Smiling at her, David leaned in and kissed her cheek softly, "You look radiant," he said softly.

Jillian smiled as she dabbed a misty eye, "Thank you, David... for everything."

"Oh, don't cry! David, you have her crying now!" Katherine quickly swept over to her sister and checked her makeup, "No more crying, Jilly Bean," she commanded, "I don't want you to ruin your face."

Jillian nodded and took a deep breath, taking a moment to herself.

Ed walked out of the bathroom and sighed deeply. "I need some water or something," he said.

"Here," Martin said, thrusting a silver flask his way.

"Marty!"

Martin Deline sighed deeply as Bette walked in the room. "I told you not to bring that thing today."

"I thought Eddie would need a little help this morning, that's all," he defended. "God knows I did on my wedding day."

Bette Deline narrowed her eyes at her husband, "You weren't the only one who dipped into the booze that morning."

"Mom, dad," Ed said, holding a hand up, "Give it a rest, will you? Just for today and tomorrow you can go back to tearing each other's eyes out. Give me that," He reached out and took his father's flask and took a long swig of it. "Where's Bobby?"

"Here and present," a man answered, walking into the room, wearing a coordinating tux. "Remind me to thank your bride for making us all look like penguins."

Ed rolled his eyes and walked over to his younger brother, "Thanks for standing up with me, I appreciate it."

"Don't even mention it," Bobby Deline responded as he hugged his older brother, "I'm happy for you, Eddie."

Ed smiled as he hugged his brother back, "Don't worry, Bob," he said softly, "You'll find somebody."

Bob pulled back and smiled at his brother and nodded. The two brothers shared a secret that neither were ready to reveal, especially Bobby. The fact that their youngest son was gay would rock Martin and Bette Deline to the core.

"Edward," His mother said gently, "It's time to take your place, dear, the priest is waiting."

Ed took a deep breath and nodded once more and patted his coat. Martin, knowing what his son was looking for, handed him a few breath mints, which he accepted with a grateful smile. Quickly popping them in his mouth, he hugged his parents and brother one last time and headed out the door.

"We'll be in the audience, honey," His mother called out, as she was led away by his father.

Nodding, the groom and his brother headed into the church and stood at the front of the aisle and waited. Moments later, the first bars of one of the most universally familiar pieces of music were played.

Ed looked down the aisle and spotted Jillian being escorted down by her brother-in-law. The sight of his bride made the man catch his breath in his throat.

As Jillian descended down the aisle, she smiled broadly at the man at the end. Moments--that felt like lifetimes--later, Jillian felt Ed take her hand and she smiled at him as they both looked at the priest.

"Dearly beloved..." the priest began.