Here you are my lovelies, you've been so much more than kind.
There are Caterers in our kitchen
Holding her hands, "Marta, I'm so glad you could be here today, thank you for standing up for me."
Giving Caroline another quick hug, "I'm so pleased you asked me." Starting to turn, "Oh! Here are your flowers." Marta helps put the band on Caroline's wrist, "Blush pink roses, what a perfect choice with this dress." Standing back to admire the whole effect of Caroline again, then hurriedly, "Got to run, see you out there." Looking pointedly at Gillian, "You've got this?"
Gillian's reassuring hand on Marta's shoulder as she pushes her through the door, "Yep. All covered," tipping her head to have a look into the passage before closing the door.
Giving Gillian a hard look, "What was that meant to be about?"
Eyes innocently wide, "What?"
Starting across the room, her voice rising into headmistress mode, "All right, I'm going out there to see exactly what is going on."
Gillian, back to the doorknob, "No. NO! Too late, I just saw Kate heading for the foyer. It's almost time, Will is going to knock when they are ready." With that there is a rap at the door.
Under her breath, "There is a God." Relief evident on her face, Gillian opens the door to reveal William sporting a wide grin.
Will wraps long arms around his Mum and bends to kiss her cheek, "Mum. You look lovely. Are you ready?"
Accepting kisses from both of her boys she looks them up and down as mothers do to make sure their offspring are well turned out. With her love for them lighting her eyes Caroline pulls them in for another hug. "I can't believe I have two such grown up sons. You look beautiful, both of you."
Laurence gives her a disgusted look, "Mum, men don't look beautiful, that's for girls."
"No? Well, your both beautiful to me." Tears she doesn't want to shed are welling up, so with a hand on each shoulder she turns them saying, "Off you go then."
Waiting a beat and with a squeeze to Gillian's arm, Caroline steps out to the center of the passage and turns to see Kate facing her from the opposite end of the flat. She is so beautiful that Caroline stops abruptly. Kate's wearing a cream colored strapless gown that spreads in deep gathering folds generously from under the bust to pool slightly on the floor, longer yet behind her. It's lacy and gorgeous and perfect on Kate. Her lustrous hair swept up into a chic coif revealing delicate shoulders sweeping down demurely to a mere suggestion of breast. Her mother's pearls at her throat bring the look to absolute perfection. Kate's arms characteristically at her sides, blush roses on her wrist, she's managing to look totally natural standing there, waiting for her. Somehow she looks composed and vulnerable at the same time.
Kate, seeing Caroline move out into the soft light of the passage forgets to breath. Caroline is stunning in a slim ivory dress of some fabric that glimmers when she moves. The dress is exceptionally simple, yet the most elegantly beautiful thing she has ever seen, as is Caroline. Three quarter length sleeves, a rounded neckline only a few inches below her collarbone then the dress drops straight to the floor, cinctured at the waist with a silver band to match the strand of silver at her neck and the dangling earrings, all sparkling, even in the diffuse light of the passage. She's had her hair put up but the fringe curves gently above her moppet eyes.
After a long moment taking in one another's glory they continue to stand, eyes meeting across the distance. Only Kate is visible to the waiting families, all eyes are fixed on her, she is poised, even now, her features soft, a subtle smile on her lips. Years of performance experience sustain her tonight.
No one can see Caroline yet except Kate, and Gillian who remains inside the study. There she stands one foot slightly forward, blush roses on the wrist resting against her belt, the other arm down, curved naturally in at the hip, fingers lightly curled. Caroline's face is softly grave, eyes revealing her trepidation. Her lips wear that delicate defenseless smile that is only for Kate and which tends to be ever so slightly crooked, making her look so devastatingly exposed that Kate can barely remain in place. Then she realizes they no longer need to. Remembering to breathe, she gives an imperceptible nod to Caroline and watches the graceful form step out toward her.
Caroline, seeing Kate's nod, sets off matching her step to Kate's. Who knew the flat was this long.
So taken is Caroline with the vision of Kate moving to give herself to her that it isn't until she's reaching the end of the bedroom passage that the smell of cooking registers in her brain. Without turning her head Caroline's peripheral vision takes in black and white outfitted figures in her darkened kitchen, which is stacked with stainless steel lidded serving trays and other paraphernalia that hadn't been there when she left it such a short time ago.
Her smile freezes until she focuses on Kate again and sees her, chin down, eyes imploring her not to worry about it. She relents enough to renew her smile to Kate. At the middle of the large room Kate is waiting for her. Caroline stops just short of their bodies meeting. Left hand still at her middle, Caroline places her right hand just above Kate's hip. Very quietly so no one but Kate can hear, "You are a glorious vision."
Kate inhaling shakily, "You are so magnificently elegant you take my breath away." Removing Caroline's hand from her waist and holding it in both of hers, "Would you like to marry me?"
Caroline's heart is in her eyes. For two beats, three, she is speechless. Then, tears welling, she swallows and says, "I would. Yes. Very much."
Drawing the hand she holds beneath her arm as they turn toward the windows, Kate clasps it again between her own two hands and Caroline's left hand comes to join them.
Both heads had swiveled as they turned so their eyes would not need to leave the other's face. Very softly, as they process unhurriedly, "There are caterers in our kitchen." She can see Kate's smile widen and her eyes crinkling the way they do just before she laughs.
"Mmm Hmm. Talk to your Mum."
"Oh I see." And she does. All the moving pieces fall into place.
On their incremental way toward Margo, who was flanked by Marta and Kevin, Caroline became aware of flashes of light. Through her smile, "There is a photographer here."
"Mmm Hmm."
"My Mother again?"
"No. Me. My wedding gift to you."
"Mmm. Thanks."
Detecting the gentle sarcasm, Kate's smile broadened, then looking directly into Caroline's eyes, "You will thank me one day," just then another flash went off in their faces.
By this time they had reached Margo, who stood beaming at them, a twinkle in her eyes. Since she had heard some of this last exchange, she asked softly, "Are you quite finished ladies?" Caroline colored nicely and Kate blushed too. At their nods Margo intoned the opening.
So far neither woman had had a clear look at anyone else in the room, so involved were they with one another. The strains of Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring playing softly had subconsciously added poignancy to their procession. It was a selection made by Kate from her CD collection, not an organ version such as she had played so often herself but the movingly beautiful strings and voices of Celtic Woman. She had created a playlist of quietly joyful music for the cake and champagne portion of the evening and enlisted Laurence as her music master.
Glancing surreptitiously, Caroline saw her Mum and Alan beside her, seated on chairs from the dining room. On the other side of Kate sat Edie and Alistair, then an older woman who had to be Edie's sister, sitting stiffly, back straight, eyes on Margo. She was pleased to see Alistair there. Nudging Kate and indicating with her glance, she saw that Kate already knew. They had hoped that the wedding day would be a good day for him, and now he was here, sitting quietly, his hand in Edie's. Vaguely she perceived the rest of their families gathered informally, seated on the couches and chairs of the room or standing in twos or threes here and there. By this time Margo was catching her eye and it was time for the vows.
Margo casually addressed the gathering, "Even though they didn't chose to have a church wedding, Kate and Caroline have chosen a prayer and vows from a version of the New Zealand Prayer Book of the Anglican faith. They have slightly modified them for this occasion, mainly because… I am not a priest." Pausing for the titter that ran through the room at her expression, "and because this is a same gender wedding." Margo looked from Kate to Caroline and back again, "They tell me that they found the prayer very fitting for the journey that has brought them together and for the continuation of that journey into their future. They also chose this prayer in recognition of the effect that all of us, as their family, will have on their life together." Then, in a more official voice, without haste, Margo read,
We have come together to witness the marriage of Kate and Caroline and to bring them our love and support.
They ask you now to pray for them; and not just to pray today or only in this place but to pray in your hearts continually and over the years.
It is praying, their praying and ours, which will fulfill God's purposes for Kate and Caroline. Praying is an outlook, a sustained energy, which creates a marriage and makes love and forgiveness life-long.
Eternal love never fails; our love needs to forgive and be forgiven. As we pray and forgive we minister reconciliation. Those who marry are God's ministers to each other of reconciliation and change. As they grow together, spouses foster one another's strengths, they provide each other with the reassurance and love needed to overcome their weaknesses.
From this beginning God draws them now to a completely new life. They become awake to each other, aware of each other, sensitive to each other's needs
"Kate, Caroline, please face each other," Margo smiling at the lack of necessity for saying this since the two had remained standing arm in arm with their hands tightly clasped since their arrival before her, "join hands and make your vows to one another."
Caroline began, her eyes on Kate's, her voice natural and audible to the hushed room, she needed no prompting.
Kate, I take you to be my wife. All that I have I offer you; what you have to give I gladly receive; wherever you go I will go. You are my love. God keep me true to you always and you to me.
Kate responded just as naturally and clearly, her eyes a bit moist but never leaving Caroline's.
Caroline, I take you to be my wife. All that I have I offer you; what you have to give I gladly receive; wherever you go I will go. You are my love. God keep me true to you always and you to me.
After the exchange of rings, Margo invited the newlyweds to kiss one another. This they did, sweetly, to applause of the family as they closed in upon them.
Her Mum, of course, was the first to hug and kiss Caroline and feeling the need for the aforementioned forgiveness and reconciliation, began immediately to explain her motivations about the caterers. Caroline pulled her in for another hug whispering in her ear, "I'll deal with you later," before putting her firmly aside to hug Alan, then her boys.
As soon as everyone had greeted them the photographer took charge, arranging the couple in front of Kate's piano before the windows, which sported the new diaphanous draperies. While these covered the window and sparkled in the light of the room they did little to hide the marvelous view. After a number of shots of the bridal couple, the rest of the family was marshaled in and out of every possible permutation of relationship.
Photography completed at last, they were ushered by Marta and Kevin to the dining room where the chairs had been returned to their rightful places at the long heirloom table, set as beautifully as if the Queen would join them shortly. The bridal couple was seated side by side in the middle, facing the room. They were flanked by Celia and Edie with their husbands on either side of them and faced by Kevin, Marta, Margo and their husbands; and Edie's sister Chris, rather grimly surveying the proceedings.
Steaming plates of food were placed before Caroline and Kate but neither woman could later have told what was on her plate because she barely touched it. They were engaged by Margo and Marta competing to tell the funniest story on their cousin. Each storyteller was aided and abetted by a husband, long since adept at feeding straight lines to his witty wife.
If they'd had the time to look around the room Caroline and Kate would have been even more pleased than they already were to see their home filled with laughing loving family all having a grand time. This room tonight had come into its' own. The crystal chandelier cast a flattering light and was supplemented by multitudes of candles on the tables and sideboard. Lamps in the seating area were suitably soft for the occasion and even the kitchen lights had been dimmed to the minimum necessary for the caterers to serve the meal.
The open area that had yet to be filled with new furniture had been turned into an auxiliary dining room with the addition of some caterer's tables and chairs. These tables were set as lavishly as the bridal table and the conversation and laughter here rivaled the bridal table for conviviality.
TO BE CONTINUED