"That was the strangest wedding ever," Eric said to Tami as he danced with her at John Paul's reception. Julie was currently in the company of her Grandpa Taylor, who was twirling her around the floor.
"It was actually more traditional than I expected," Tami said. Eric was looking quite handsome in his very ordinary tuxedo, sans cod piece. "Although they did have a lot of readings. A lot."
"What was with the stomping on the glass? Who cleans that up?"
Tami laughed. "I think that's a Jewish wedding custom, hon."
"But she doesn't even believe in God."
"It was nice of John Paul to invite Shelley," Tami said, ignoring his grumbling, "even though he's only met her three times."
"Well, I think he figured since she's your sister, he ought to include her."
"She's over at the bar assaulting Philip Andrew," Tami said. "Should I intervene?"
"Nah. Dance with me." He rested his cheek against hers. "How often do we get to dance slow like this?"
[*]
"Oh my God," Shelley said, sidling up to Eric's cousin Philip Andrew at the open bar. He had on a suit and dark red tie. "Did you leave the monastery?"
"Uh…just for a couple of days. I'm sorry…remind me of your name again?"
"Shelley! Tami's sister."
Philip smiled. "Ah…yes…." He raised his glass of red wine to her. "Must have been Julie's christening when I last saw you."
"Chardonnay," she told the bartender. Then she put a hand on Philip Andrew's shoulder. "You look fantastic!"
"Uh…" He smiled. "You look…lovely too."
"How's the monastery? I thought you'd be in like a brown robe with your hood up and everything."
"Yeah, we don't really wear those outside the monastery."
"So," she asked, taking the wine glass the bartender had just slid her, "do I call you brother or father?"
"You can call me Philip."
"Is it hard," Shelley asked, "having no contact with the outside world? Not even being able to talk to each other?"
He laughed. "We have phones. And we talk to each other plenty."
"Oh."
"We also don't self-flagellate."
"Well, I would guess not. I guess that would violate your vows of chastity."
Philip Andrew flushed. "No…uh…I mean we don't flog ourselves for penance, like you see in the Monty Python skits. It's not like that."
"So, have you taken your vows? There was like a pledge year, right?"
"I was a novice for a year. Then I was a junior. But I took my solemn vows recently."
"What are all the vows?"
"Well, chastity, of course. Obedience. And poverty. I don't technically own anything except my clothes and a few books, and I don't really consider those my own. I don't have a car. One of my brothers picked me up and drove me here. I mean, one of my biological brothers."
"So what do you do all day? Like…pray?"
"Yeah. And worship. And study. And meditate. And I brew beer. I'm the master brewer now."
"So…have you really never had sex?"
"Um…"
"What's that feel like? To never have sex?"
"Um…"
[*]
"That poor man is beet red," said Tami. "I should really go rescue him from Shelley." She began to pull away from Eric.
"Grown men don't need rescuing," Eric insisted, jerking her closer against himself. "Not even from Shelley."
"Is that a cod piece," she asked, "or are you just happy to dance with me?"
[August]
Eric was going to be late for the first day of school today. He didn't care. He had to be here for this. He stood by the bus stop, his arm around his wife's shoulders, and waved to Julie who was waving through the window. Julie had climbed up those bus stairs without a hesitation in the world. Weren't kids supposed to cling to their parent's leg a little first?
When the bus disappeared around the corner, he bent his head and kissed the tear that was slipping down Tami's cheek.
"I have to get to school myself," she said. Her graduate school classes had started last week. She'd had to pay a neighbor to watch Julie. "And you have to get to work."
"She's growing up, isn't he?" he asked.
Tami sighed. "Yeah, she is."
He squeezed her a little tighter.
[Spring]
Tami had not gotten pregnant since the miscarriage. She thought about once again bringing up the subject of Eric getting tested, but every time she thought about it, she shelved the idea. The timing never seemed right. He'd been under a lot of pressure at work.
The school system had begun a new merit pay system, and the principal was evaluating his classes, randomly popping in and sitting in the back. Eric was also under consideration for Macedonia's Teacher of the Year Award, so he had someone from that committee also evaluating his classes. The head coach of the Macedonia Matadors had been diagnosed with cancer, and Eric had at the last minute been put in charge of spring training, which was apparently a disaster, with the new quarterback making error after error and in-fighting among the assistant coaches, who resented Eric's new, temporary position of leadership. There was talk that Coach Lopez wasn't going to be able to return next season, and as much as Eric wanted to be promoted to the job of head coach, it looked like he was going to be passed over. They were courting someone from the outside.
Meanwhile, Tami invited Julie's entire kindergarten class to her 6th grade birthday party, and only one kid showed up, despite eleven RSVPs. Julie started crying, Eric started looking like he wanted to kill someone, and Tami started making phone calls until a few more kids showed up.
Two weeks later, they drove to El Paso for Betty Taylor's big 50th birthday party.
By late June, however, things had settled down. Eric had won that Teacher of the Year Award. His fellow assistant coaches no longer resented him – instead they resented the new head coach, who had been brought in from Austin. Eric had qualified for merit pay next year and wouldn't be evaluated again for some time. So Tami thought tonight might be a good night to broach the subject of going to the fertility clinic. He had already said he would do it, after all, before the pregnancy surprised them.
Yes, it would be good timing this time. They'd had a relaxing evening. Julie was in bed. They were cuddled on the couch, wine glasses on the coffee table, watching an X-files episode they'd recorded in November. Eric never watched anything except football in the fall, so late spring typically involved some catch-up on television shows.
"I don't know why Mulder doesn't just up and kiss her," Eric said.
"It's never a good idea to get involved with someone you're working with, hon."
"Scully needs to get laid something awful."
She laughed. "You make fun of my sister for her Beverley Hills 90210 obsession, and look how into this you are!"
"This is monsters and aliens and stuff," he said defensively. "It's not a teen soap opera!"
"And yet you're worried that the main characters haven't established a romance."
"I'm just getting tired of all the sexual tension, that's all. If they just went to bed together, we could focus more on the conspiracy. Which, by the way, makes no sense so far."
The credits began to roll. Tami sat up straight and turned to him. She was just about to ask if he'd consider getting fertility tested again when the phone rang.
Eric went to answer it. She stopped the VHS tape and began rewinding it.
When he came back, he didn't sit next to her on the couch. He slid into the arm chair, a hand on each arm. A line jumped in his jaw, and his nostrils quivered.
"Hon, what's wrong?"
"That was my dad."
"Is he sick?" She stood up and came over to him.
"Nah. It's my mom." His voice choked. "She's…."
Her hand was already on his shoulder. "She's what?"
"She's dead."
