Author's Note: Creighton Manor Inn is an actual location. I chose it as it seemed a perfect fit to this chapter's story.

Mural and Wedding

It was late April when the invitation arrived in the mail for a June beach wedding. She heard his happy voice before he appeared in the kitchen, "Guess what I found in the mailbox?"

She was busy chopping vegetables, she didn't look up from what she was doing but replied, "The invitation." She knew he'd already opened the envelope like a kid who couldn't wait for Christmas morning to open his presents, "So, where and when?"

"RSVP by May 15. To be held at Creighton Manor Inn, a bed and breakfast venue in Lake Simcoe for June 8, Saturday. It says here to wear white. Umm.. it's a summer dusk wedding, 7pm, dinner to follow."

She glanced up at him with a look of concern, "It'll be midnight by the time we get home from the wedding reception."

He thought for a second as he tapped his fingers with the beautifully embossed envelope then sparked with, "I'll get us a room at the bed and breakfast, check-in 2pm on the 8th, check-out 10am the following day." He booked a room online and thought the others should do likewise, especially those with young kids. He messaged everyone with the plan and got immediate replies, generally praising him with "Great idea."

With the booking secure and everyone on board, he called Cheryl to RSVP. "Hey sis, got the invitation. We're definitely coming." Cheryl who was at a fitting at the time of his call thanked him and said she's passing on the phone to Mom.

"Before you do," he said, "I've got a message for your dear husband-to-be, tell him for me that if he ever hurt you in anyway that he has to be careful what he drinks or what door he opens for as long as he lives." Cheryl chuckled and said, "You can tell him yourself, here's Mom." Winnie half smiled as she listened to Spike's half of the banter with Lewis' loved ones.

When he hang up, he kissed her on the lips and said, "Well, how's my baby today?" His hand rested on her belly hoping for a movement and he was rewarded with a kick. His face broke into a wide grin, his heart somersaulted with joy. He framed her face with his hands and said, "So, when are we shopping for maternity dresses?"

"In another month or two," she replied as she wondered if all expectant fathers were as hands-on as Spike.

"My main concern is booking us for Lamaze classes in July, I have to do it soon to acquire a spot. But with your schedule so erratic, I'm thinking I should get Mom to be my other support person so there's no pressure on you to come to classes with me."

"No way," he said. "Mom can be your other support person but no one's taking my place. Besides, you don't have to go to Lamaze classes, I can teach you breathing technique."

She grinned at him, "Lamaze isn't just about breathing techniques you know? Besides, Leslie and I plan to be in the same class."

"That reminds me," he said. He hugged Winnie from behind and locked her around the neck, "I've gotta check on her." He dialed his de facto baby sister's number and she answered quickly, "Hello stranger. It's been a while since you called," she said mockingly accusing.

"I've been set free by some other unsuspecting Italian. You're his responsibility now."

"Is that right?"

"Yeah, but he's mine. If he hurt you in anyway..." She didn't let him finish, "I know," she said, "he has to be careful what he drinks or what door he opens for as long as he lives." He laughed and added, "Besides Winnie reports to me, you've been well she tells me."

"That I am... but soon we'll be seeing more of each other, that's if... if we could get you and Joe to be free to attend Lamaze classes with us."

Affectionately, he said, "Trust me, I plan to be there. I'm dying to see you."

"Ok then" she said, "See you in July."

In the course of a month until Cheryl's wedding, Winnie completed her mural. An animated, colourful version of Ashdown Forest complete with all the characters from the much-loved Winnie-the-Pooh children's tale by A.A. Milne. But uniquely drawn was Christopher Robin, he had spiky hair.

The evening she made the great reveal, she timed it to an evening of watching a marathon of Winnie-the-Pooh with Spike over TV dinner. After nearly two hours of entertainment, she turned off the television and said, "Would you like me to take you to Ashdown Forest?" She poked his dimple, unable to resist the urge to touch the inviting orb on his cheek.

"Are you going to take me to Sussex, England?" he asked happily. For the real Ashdown Forest is an ancient open heathland occupying the highest sandy ridge-top of the High Weald Area some 30 miles (48 km) south of London in the county of East Sussex, England. It rises to an altitude of 223 metres (732 ft) above sea level, its heights provide expansive vistas across the heavily wooded hills of the Weald to the chalk escarpments of the North Downs and South Downs on the horizon.

Ashdown Forest became famous as the setting for the Winnie-the-Pooh stories written by Milne, who lived on the northern edge of the forest and took his son, Christopher Robin, walking there. The artist E. H. Shepard drew on the landscapes of Ashdown Forest as inspiration for many of the illustrations he provided for the Pooh books.

"I can do better than that," she said with a sense of intense pride. "I brought Ashdown Forest to you." She got up and offered a hand to him, pretending to pull him up at great effort. She led him to the nursery where two bedside lamps were left on for illumination. He entered the room and stepped into a magical world of Winnie-the-Pooh; of a painted landscape so vividly colourful and delightful.

"Stunning," he said, feeling the goosebumps on his arms. "Our baby is so very lucky to have you."

"And you," she said.

They stood in the middle of the nursery in a tender embrace, swaying gently accompanied only by the sound of a tick-tocking clock sitting atop the chest of drawer.

The day of Cheryl's wedding to Dr Anakoni (Hawaiian form of Anthony) Wally-Smith finally came. They traveled to Lake Simcoe and arrived at the picturesque bed and breakfast situated on the shores of Lake Simcoe. At the lobby of the exquisitely renovated Victorian Inn and Spa they bumped into the old gang. Wordy and Shell with their three girls, all looking so grown up. Greg and Marina and Dean plus one. Ed and Sophie and Izzy. They heard Clark was in Vancouver for a music recital. Sam and Jules with their baby Sadie.

They brought up their suitcases to their respective rooms which all had Queen size beds, ensuite baths and fireplaces. "Pity it's summer," he said as he checked out the detail around the fireplace, "It would have been romantic." Winnie turned to him from the window, "Gazing at the view would be just as romantic." He went over to her to look out at the views over the Lake, "Yeah, it is," he agreed as he nuzzled her neck.

They enjoyed a long lunch together in the great outdoors sitting in the gazebo that gave them succour from the blazing sun. The conversation centered on children, Greg and Ed holding court telling stories about Clark and Dean's childhood, much to the latter's chagrin. The laughter rocked the tranquil setting, "Lucky we occupy the whole place," remarked Wordy "or we'll be evicted."

The rest of the afternoon before the dusk beach wedding was spent entirely to enjoy uninterrupted time with each other. For Spike and Winnie, it was canoeing on the Lake. For Sam and Jules, it was biking the trails since Greg and Marina offered to baby-sit Sadie.

For Ed and Sophie it was a chance to catch up on sleep. Izzy being in the expert care of Wordy's daughters; all huddled in their room watching chick flick, "Princess Diary."

For Wordy and Shell it was walking the trails.

For young lovers Dean and Mira it was simply sitting on the beach, gazing at each other as only young lovers would.

But the best was yet to come.

On the shores, chairs were arranged in a circle with a gap in the middle to form an aisle. At the appointed time, they gathered there to witness the nuptial of Cheryl and Anton as he was called affectionately by people who love him, along with other family and friends.

There wasn't a dry eye among the crowd when the groom dressed in a white Hawaiian Aloha shirt paired with white cotton pants rolled up to this mid calf put a flute to his lips and played a haunting rendition of 'The Way You Look Tonight' as Mr Lewis walked the sandy beach with a lovely young woman in his arm dressed in a white off the shoulder maxi dress.

Before handing his daughter in marriage, Mr Young asked to speak to his soon legal son-in-law. He said, "Anton, with this marriage, we don't expect to lose Cheryl, rather we expect to gain a son." He turned towards Anton's adoptive parents and said, "Thank you for bringing him up so he could to become a part of our lives. We, too, expect that with our Cheryl, you gained a daughter."

Anton's father stood up unbidden, with a clipped upper class accent replied, "She has been from the first time we laid eyes on her."

The simple wedding lasted a mere fifteen minutes but ended with a song chosen by the bride and the groom. The marriage celebrant encouraged everyone with a partner to sing it for one another, he said, "The lyrics' printed inside the gold-edged souvenir booklet, 'Tonight I Celebrate My Love for You'."

Reading it as if it was a poem, in a voice full of genuine emotion he recited, "Tonight I celebrate my love for you And soon this old world will seem brand new. Tonight we will both discover how friends turn into lovers. When I make love to you. Tonight I celebrate my love for you. And that midnight song is gonna come shining through. Tonight there'll be no distance between us. What I want most to do is to get close to you. Tonight I celebrate my love for you."

Led by Anton and Cheryl they sang in celebration of the love they share.