Since it was actually ready early, I figured I'd publish this a day early. The next and final chapter will not be up until Tuesday.
Thanks for reading and enjoy.
The days between Christmas Day and New Year's Day went by in a blur. Carlos spent almost all of his time on the phone with the Lynn, the Lawyer and his family. When he came back up to the apartment in the evening, he was pretty excited to talk about the house, the apartment or introducing me to his family.
We got the keys to the house on the 29th of December. I called Val and we agreed to meet at the house so they could see the guest house and make their final decision. I was getting ready and when I came out of the bedroom, I found Carlos talking in hushed tones on the phone.
I could have sworn he was talking to my mother but when I asked him about it, he effectively changed the subject by kissing me. It wasn't until we were in the car that I realised what he had done and that made me suspicious. Luckily for Carlos, his hushed phone conversation slipped my mind when we arrived at the house and showed Val, Albert and the girls around.
Mary Alice was so happy to see the horses and Lisa was happy to see her Uncle Carlos. She begged him to pick her up and he kept a hold of her even after she fell asleep. Angie was ecstatic to see that she would be able to have her own room and Val and Albert were overwhelmed at the sheer size of the guest house. If they had doubts before now, they evaporated when they saw the house. They gratefully accepted the guest house and the job for Val and hugs went all around.
Val and I walked around the main house and Val impressed me with her interior decorating knowledge. She made several suggestions on changes to the kitchen to make it more useable. I was glad for that because I didn't know what layout would be best. Val said that it looked like the old kitchen was installed for a person who had no idea how to cook. If I was going to make an effort there or if Carlos wanted to cook, a better layout was needed. I smiled at the idea of cooking with Carlos and followed Val around the house.
Val had tonnes of ideas and it was perfectly clear to me that she was the right person for the job. I'm sure there are other people, who are technically more qualified, but Val and Albert could do with the money and I trusted her. A stranger wouldn't be as easy to trust and they might not take my personal requests as serious as Valerie would. I was really looking forward to working with her.
We handed Val and Albert the keys to their new home and told them that they could move in at any time. Since they didn't need to be out of their current house until the end of January, they could take their time moving. Before we all left, Val hugged me tightly and said, "I know you and Carlos are doing this to help us save for our own house, and we are so grateful."
I smiled at Val and replied, "We get something out of this too Val. I respect your decorating skills and we trust you to help us with our house. We need somebody to be in the guest house and why shouldn't it be you and your family? It's as much a favour for us as it is for you. We love you guys and we want to make things a little easier if we can."
Albert shook Carlos' hand vigorously and thanked him for the umpteenth time. Carlos smiled graciously and then handed a sleeping Lisa back to Albert and we walked them out to their car. On the drive back to RangeMan, Carlos picked up my hand and said, "I think they'll really love it there Babe. I even have to admit that Albert is growing on me. When I've met him before, I thought he was a bit dim witted. He's actually very intelligent and has a lot of insight and knowledge about a wide array of topics. I laughed when he told me that your parents intimidate him and he starts blabbering like a fool and acts like an idiot when he's there. I am looking forward to helping him win over your parents in the future."
The next day, we discussed when we wanted to get married. We both agreed that we didn't want a big wedding nor did we want to wait. My mother had already made enquiries at the typical Burg reception locations and none were available for at least 8 months. This was actually fine with us because we didn't want a Burg wedding and 8 months was a long way away. Carlos promised to look into suitable alternatives and I agreed to let him. I couldn't wait to be married to Carlos. I wanted to be his wife more than I have ever wanted anything before.
On New Year's Eve, Carlos and I were getting ready to meet his family in Newark. We would be joining them at a restaurant that they visited every year on New Year's Eve. They hired the back room and the entire family gathered there, even those that lived far away. I would be the first person that Carlos ever brought to this or any other family gathering so I was extremely nervous.
Carlos entered the bedroom on his way for a shower. He sensed my nervousness and hugged me. "Don't worry Babe, they'll love you. You are going to be my wife and that alone will make them love you. I've never even hinted at loving another woman so they'll be interested in knowing everything about you. I'm pretty sure they already know about you because Julie is visiting and I'm sure she's filled them in on everything she knows about you."
"Julie will be there? Why didn't you tell me before? I'd have gotten her a gift."
"That's OK Babe, I put your name on the one I sent down to Florida."
"That's not the same Carlos and you know it."
"Sorry Babe, I should have mentioned it. You can make it up to her when we visit her down in Miami in February. I have to go down to do a review of the office there and I figured you might want to join me so you could see Julie and spend some time with her and maybe even Rachel."
I nodded and said, "That sounds like it would be nice, now hurry up and get ready. We need to get going soon."
While he showered, I got dressed and then went out into the living room to put on my jewellery and shoes. I heard the shower turn off and the rustling of drawers and the closet doors and fantasised about what Carlos was going to wear. I knew no matter what he wore that he'd look amazing. I wasn't disappointed.
He walked out of the bedroom wearing his new cream shirt, a blue tie and a black tailored suit. He was also wearing his new tie clip and was staring at me. He looked delicious in his suit and I grinned widely as he walked towards me with his own smile. "Babe, you look absolutely stunning. You look better than I imagined you would when I bought the dress. My imagination did you little justice."
I smiled up at Carlos and wrapped my arms around his neck. I kissed him on the neck and said, "You look delicious yourself Carlos. I can't wait to get you back here later tonight so I can undress you."
"Hold that thought Babe," Carlos grinned down at me. "Let's get going. We have a bit of a drive ahead of us."
Carlos and I climbed into his Turbo and headed towards Newark. When we arrived, Carlos introduced me to dozens of people. I would never remember all of their names, but at least I could recognise them. Carlos looked exactly like his father and all of this sisters looked exactly like their mother. The family resemblance was incredible.
After I made the rounds and was introduced to the entire Manoso clan, I realised that there were several Merry Men there. I looked around the room and I also saw Connie, Lula and Mary Lou and her family. A few minutes later, my family walked into the room and were then introduced to Carlos' family.
Carlos pulled me aside and said, "Babe, I hope it's OK with you that I involved all of our friends and family. I have a small surprise for you if you're up for it."
I looked at Carlos with surprise and said, "What kind of surprise is that?"
"A family friend who is also a priest is here tonight. He has agreed to marry us at the stroke of midnight if that's what we want. We have all of our friends and family here, and we're kind of dressed for the occasion. They're all here assuming that we're celebrating our engagement, but they could be here to witness our wedding."
I looked up at Carlos with disbelief. "Are you serious? You want to get married tonight?"
"I'm dead serious Babe. I don't need a big wedding. All I need is you. I've already talked to your Father and he has agreed to walk you down the aisle if that's what you want. Just say the word Babe and you can become my wife tonight."
Carlos' eyes were warm and his grin was intoxicating. I looked at him and smiled. "I think a wedding would be a fun way to welcome in the New Year. Of course we can get married tonight. I'd love nothing more."
Carlos hugged me tightly and said, "OK then Babe. I just need to talk to the Priest and your Dad. Nobody else knows what's going on and I think we should keep it that way. At 11:45, I will talk to a couple of the guys and see if they'll stand up for me. You can do the same."
I nodded and took Carlos' hand as he led me back to the others. We moved around the room and greeted all of our friends and family. We were both relieved when Grandma Mazur was dressed nicely and wasn't causing a scene. In fact, she was sitting beside Carlos' Abuela and they were having a lovely conversation about the changing times. It was amusing to watch because Abuela Rosa doesn't speak much English and as far as we were aware, Grandma Mazur spoke little Spanish. That's where we were wrong. Grandma Mazur was chattering away in Spanish with Abuela Rosa like they were long lost friends.
Carlos and I stood and stared at them for a good 10 minutes before we were interrupted by Lula. "Damn White Girl, I didn't know your Granny spoke Spanish. She's full of surprises that one."
Tank came and joined our conversation. He and Lula had broken up the year before, but based on the eyes they were making each other. Their breakup was a reluctant parting of the ways. Her allergies and his cats caused a rift that might be salvageable. Only time would tell.
Looking around the room, my eyes fell on Mary Lou. She was having an animated conversation with Val. No doubt they were talking about the guest house. Looking around further, I found Lester. He seemed to be chatting up one of the waitresses, but she mustn't have liked something he said because she slapped him across the face and walked away. Despite this particular failure, Lester was grinning like a fool and caught my eye. He winked at me and moved on to his next victim, or should I say target? Eddie and Shirley were mingling, and Big Dog and Carl were laughing with Lenny.
At 7:30, we all sat together for a wonderful meal and my family got to know Carlos' family. My mother and Carlos' mother Maria were exchanging recipes. My father and Carlos' father Ricardo were discussing the merits of American made cars. I even saw my sister talking with several of Carlos' sisters and sisters-in-law. It looked like they all got along well enough to be in the same room. That boded well for future family get-togethers.
Carlos' family was very nice to me and they all seemed both surprised and happy to welcome me to their family. When everyone was finished eating, Ricardo made a speech that was sweet and full of stories about Carlos as a child as he officially welcomed me to his family. My father even stood and proposed a toast to Carlos and I that was also warm and brought tears to my eyes. Afterward, Carlos and I accepted congratulatory hugs and handshakes from every single person in the room.
At 11:45, Carlos held up his glass and clinked it to get everyone's attention. "Dear friends and family, we'd like to thank you so much for joining us to celebrate our good news. I'd also like to apologise to my family for hijacking our usually quiet annual get-together with our engagement party.
"What we didn't tell you when you were invited is that tonight's celebration isn't just an engagement party. At the stroke of midnight tonight, Stephanie and I will exchange our vows and become man and wife."
The room erupted with cheers and congratulations. The look on the faces of everyone in the room was priceless. As soon as the cheering died down, Lula and Mary Lou rushed over to hug me and to make sure that I had everything I needed. Mary Lou handed me a blue handkerchief. That could be my something borrowed and blue. Lula pulled off her mother's bracelet and slid it on my wrist so I had something old.
"There White Girl, now you can get married."
I smiled at both women and hugged them tightly to me. "Thanks so much. Will you both stand up for me? I can't imagine doing this without the two of you alongside me."
Both of them readily nodded and squealed with delight. I directed them to the back of the room and went to talk to Carlos. I explained to him that I asked Lula and Mary Lou to stand up for me and he smiled. "You might want to add another person Babe. I asked Tank, Lester and Bobby to stand up for me."
I nodded and looked around the room. I made my decision as soon as I saw Val and walked over to her. I took her hand and led her to the back of the room and said, "Val, would you be my Maiden of Honour?"
Val hugged me and nodded with tears in her eyes. She smiled at me and joined Mary Lou and Lula. My Dad walked over, took my arm and said, "You ready Pumpkin?"
I nodded and we walked to the back of the room with one minute to go. Mary Lou and Lester walked down the aisle first, followed by Lula and Bobby and then Tank and Val. Finally it was my turn, and instead of the usual bridal march music, I walked down the aisle to the local church bells ringing in the New Year.
The grin on Carlos' face was contagious. When my father and I reached the front where Carlos was standing with the priest and our wedding party, he kissed me and whispered, "Carlos is a good man Babe. Be happy pumpkin."
I smiled at my father as tears filled my eyes. I kissed him on his cheek and watched him place my hand on Carlos' before he walked over to stand beside my mother.
I looked up at Carlos and grinned bigger than I have ever smiled before. The Priest smiled at everyone and said, "I would like to welcome the friends and family of Stephanie and Carlos. You are all here to witness this impromptu union of Carlos and Stephanie so let's not waste time and get this show on the road."
The Priest looked at me and asked me to repeat some words. I barely paid attention, only mimicking what he said when he asked. My entire focus was on Carlos and his beautiful smile. Next, Carlos repeated the same words. I had a minor moment of panic when the Priest asked if we had the rings, but Carlos just smiled and nodded.
The Priest handed me a ring and once again asked me to repeat after him. When I was finished, I slipped a beautiful ring onto Carlos' hand and listened as Carlos did the same. Carlos' ring was platinum and titanium and it had the same swirl pattern that was on my engagement ring. My wedding ring matched both Carlos' band and my engagement ring perfectly. I couldn't have picked a better one if I tried.
When the Priest finally said pronounced us husband and wife, Carlos pulled me towards him for a kiss before the Priest said those infamous words. The entire crowd laughed at Carlos' hastiness, but I barely registered their reaction. I was too busy experiencing my first kiss as Mrs. Ricardo Carlos Manoso to pay them much attention.
When we finally pulled apart, we were receiving catcalls for our lengthy display. My mother looked a bit embarrassed, but she was smiling anyway. It seems that her happiness for me overshadowed her discomfort at my overtly publish display of affection for my new husband.
When we finally greeted everyone and thanked them for being here with us today, Carlos leaned over and said, "Let's get out of here Babe. We have a honeymoon to get to."
I smiled up at Carlos and asked, "Where are we going?"
"If I told you, it wouldn't be much of a surprise. Come on Babe." I took Carlos' outstretched hand and followed him out of the restaurant as I gave a finger wave to our friends and family gathered around to wish us farewell.
The next and final chapter will be up in a couple of days. Thanks for the reviews.
L.