Chapter 41

"The blushing bride's limo has arrived," an aide said cheerfully, bringing a wheelchair into Sandy's room. "Is someone ready to get married?"

"I guess good news travels fast," Sandy said to Winona.

"Honey, this is where you work; of course it's going to travel fast," Winona laughed.

"Actually, the chaplain's secretary let it leak," the aide clarified, helping Sandy into the chair. "Got to admit, Sandy, that is one spontaneous guy you are getting married to."

"You're telling me," she agreed. "Just when I think Paul can't get any goofier, he comes up with something else."

"I better get down there," Winona told Sandy. "Got to take my place before the bride arrives, you know."

"Thanks for everything, Win," Sandy smiled up at her.

"Oh no problem, honey. I love playing dress up. Plus I want to get a picture of Tyler and Janice together while they both still look remotely decent."

"Good luck with that," Sandy chuckled. "See you a a few minutes."

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"A ponytail?" Tyler turned up his nose at Paul's hair. "Dude, that looks so gay."

Paul pulled the tie out of his hair and shook it out. "Anything else? Because I have both literally and figuratively been shitting myself about all day over this and I want everything to go right. And besides," he added, "the ponytail was Spanky's idea."

Tyler shook his head. "I should have guessed. Any chance the diarrhea medicine kicked in yet?"

"Yeah, finally. Of course, I doubled up on it."

"Excellent. By the way, Spank's out there showing Janice how to fire up the boom box on cue."

"Cool," Paul grinned. "May I add he and Winona are going to make a cute couple."

Tyler laughed. "Honestly, though, I don't think he's Miz Evans' type."

"Yeah, come to think of it, I don't think many chicks go for short, blond, weird spaz boys."

"Don't let him hear that. From what I hear, the little fan girls dig him. Even Jan thinks he's fine."

"Speaking of fine people, have they brought your mother down yet?"

Tyler nodded. "She's on her way as we speak. And the dude who's performing the wedding is here too."

"All righty then," Paul said, letting go a deep breath. "Here we go."

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They had been married in a small ceremony that had lasted about ten minutes; still, it had been beautiful. By the time Sandy came down the aisle, Paul was silently thanking the Imodium god that the medication had finally taken effect and was feeling both nervous and eager

Paul had worn the suit and tie he had worn to the Hall of Fame ceremony at Wrestlemania 23 and Sandy in the dress she had gotten .

Tyler had proudly given away his mother, walking Sandy slowly down the aisle, and the couple had stood gazing lovingly at each other while the words of marriage had been exchanged.

Both Ana Sanchez-Garcia and Marie Lacroix were crying as they did so, watching their children form a union. Marie loved seeing her daughter with someone that made her so happy; she figured Sandy had been so lonely after losing Mike all those years ago.

As for Ana, one of her beautiful boys was finally married and about to have his own child. Both women could not have been happier.

Tyler and Spanky gave each other cheesy grins as Winona and Janice smiled at the couple before them. Nurses had stood outside the chapel just in case something should go wrong with Sandy.

Fortunately, everything had gone perfectly, and Paul had accompanied Sandy back to her room along with the aide that had wheeled her back there.

"Not exactly how I pictured my wedding night," she told him as she went into the bathroom to change back into her nightgown and robe before a nurse helped her back into bed.

"Plenty of time for that, sweetheart," he said understandingly. "And hey, better to have your appendix out before this than have you get sick during the way we had originally planned all of this."

"Yeah. And it's going to be quite a story to tell this child about, isn't it?" Sandy smiled, rubbing her stomach a little.

"You better believe it," Paul laughed, and then kissed his bride. "Right now, you need to rest up. Your mother and sister in law have a party planned for us tomorrow."

"Fantastic," she smiled. "Anything is better than hospital beds and hospital food. I can hardly wait."

"I'm sure it will be great," Paul agreed, giving her a wink. "Then we can have a real wedding night afterwards."

"Oh I'm sure you have that arranged too," Sandy giggled. "You never were the dull type."

He gave her a grin before leaving. "Until tomorrow, my love. We have a date."

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"Hey, Tyler, check this out!" Janice said cheerfully, holding up a page of the newspaper the next morning. "Your mom's wedding made the society page!"

"Wow, really? We aren't exactly 'society people.' Hey, Spanky, come here a minute! Mom and Paul's wedding is in the paper!"

"Dude, keep it down to a dull roar, will you? I haven't started my coffee yet," Spanky grunted. "Wait…did you say your mom's wedding is--"

Janice nodded eagerly. "Have a look."

There, on top of the page above the weddings of prominent society people, the headline THEY WERE DETERMINED TO GET MARRIED was printed across the page.

"More like Paul was determined to get married," Spanky laughed, taking a gulp of coffee from the mug in his hand.

"Yeah, well, they had to put a twist on it, you know," Tyler nodded as they read the article.

"Hi everyone," Winona said cheerfully as she came in with her own coffee. "What are we reading this morning so fascinating?"

"Mom and Paul's wedding's in the paper," Tyler explained.

"Oh yes! They had it on the late news last night after you kids had gone to bed. And speaking of sleeping beauties, where's the groom?"

"Still upstairs sawing the logs," Spanky answered. "Sometimes I wake up grumpy and other times, I let him sleep, such as today. I figured he was going to need the energy for both the reception this afternoon and the good time with Sandy tonight."

"Ha, I'd like to see one morning when Paul's grumpy," Tyler said.

"He's had a couple of those, dude, trust me. You just haven't seen it yet."

"I have a feeling this coming fall, we may," Winona spoke up. "Especially when two a.m. feedings roll around."

"And shitty diapers," Spanky added. "This thing should be a barrel of laughs as far as Paul is concerned. I can't wait to see how it all unfolds."

"Makes two of us," Tyler nodded. "Especially the dad thing."