The first simple chords from the piano wafted gently across the room as Mike slipped his arms around Maggie's waist and she reached up to lay her forearms on his shoulders, interlocking her fingers at the back of his neck. No one recognized the song at first, and then Jenna began to sing, "Look at me…"
Mike threw his head back and laughed as Maggie's face lit up. Everyone instantly recognized the Errol Garner classic "Misty" and a murmur of delighted approval filled the room. But the two people on the floor, locked in a snug embrace, eyes closed, were slow dancing in a world of their own. Those with good eyesight could see that Maggie was singing to him as they danced, and his grin was pure love.
The room erupted when the song ended, and Jenna Wright took a well-deserved bow, the applause being led by the newlyweds.
"Wow," said Jeannie as she took the microphone and watched her friend return to her seat, "Maggie, I hope that was everything you wanted it to be."
Maggie opened her arms and grinned. "And more!" she called towards Jenna and the young singer smiled her thanks.
"Well, Mike, it's your turn," Jeannie said with an affectionate grin as she looked at her father. He nodded, his arm around Maggie's shoulders. "Ladies and gentlemen," Jeannie continued with a gentle chuckle, "I'm pretty sure that most of you aren't aware of the romantic side of Mike Stone…" She paused when a chorus of chuckles and guffaws came from a few tables, most notably the ones with his close colleagues, and she was pretty sure she heard Steve's laugh leading the way.
Mike turned towards the ruckus, his arms out, palms up. "What?" he asked, feigning shock and indignation. He placed a hand on his chest. "I'm hurt," he whined petulantly, and the laughter turned to "Aww's", which caused even more amusement.
"As I was saying," came Jeannie's voice even louder through the speakers, and the commotion died down, "and without any further ado, this, Maggie, is for you." She stepped off the stage, taking the microphone with her, and the band began to play, the piano and drum brushes providing the slow and easy intro. The trombone player, who had put his instrument on its holder, approached the stand mic.
Mike had turned back to Maggie and leaned forward to whisper in her ear. Then he stood staring into her eyes until the singer began. "The very thought of you, makes my heart sing…"
Maggie gasped and leaned against him, her head on his chest. He smiled, tears springing to his eyes, and he bent forward to kiss the top of her head then wrap his arms around her, pulling her even closer. As they swayed to the music, the room fell into a euphoric hush and by the time the last note of "My One And Only Love" had finished there wasn't a dry eye in the room.
Mike and Maggie didn't move as the applause filled the air around them, still locked in each other's embrace. From her seat at a table near the stage, Jeannie said into the microphone, "Ladies and gentlemen, please join Mike and Maggie on the dance floor," as the band began to play "Someone To Watch Over Me".
Steve got up from his table across the room and, glancing at the still oblivious Mike and Maggie, crossed to Jeannie, who was talking to her friend. He extended his hand. "Miss Stone, may I have the pleasure?"
She grinned up at him, took his hand, and let him lead her to the dance floor, close to the newlyweds. As they began to dance, her arms around his neck, his around her waist, they sidled up to Mike and Maggie.
Glancing at Jeannie with a sly smile, Steve steered them even closer and he softly but deliberately cleared his throat. When there was still no reaction from his former partner, he cleared his throat even louder.
With a start, Mike shot him a look, then his face softened and he smiled. "Oh, hi," he said, somewhat flustered, as Maggie chuckled.
"Hi?" said Steve with warm sarcasm. "Hi?" Jeannie playfully slapped his chest. Steve laughed.
Jeannie pulled away from Steve and approached her father. With a warm smile at her newly minted stepmother, she said, "Maggie, would you mind if I cut in?"
With a broad grin, Maggie stepped away from Mike and Jeannie gently put her arms around her father's neck and laid her head against his chest. With an emotion-filled smile and swallowing heavily, Mike put his arms around his daughter's waist and closed his eyes. And as the Gershwin song continued, Steve and Maggie, now dancing themselves, watched with heavy hearts.
"How are you doing?" Steve asked as the song drew to a close.
Maggie looked at him and smiled, and there was no mistaking that this was indeed a woman in love. "Absolutely wonderful," she sighed. "I was just so relieved to see him looking as well as he does."
"I told ya," he said lightly with a chuckle.
"I know, but hearing someone say it and actually seeing it – those are two totally different things." Her smile disappeared. "We owe you so much, Steve –"
"You don't owe me anything," he cut her off quickly, his own smile now gone. "I'd do anything for him, you have to know that by now."
She nodded and tried to smile again, but tears threatened and she shook her head sharply. "No, I can't do that, not right now. I don't want to make this any harder for him than it's going to be."
Steve pulled her closer. "He'll be okay. He has you," he said softly.
# # # # #
Jeannie looked up at her father. "How do you feel, Daddy?"
He grinned down at her. "On top of the world," he chuckled with a shake of his head. "You've done a wonderful job with all this, you really have. Maggie and I will never be able to thank you enough."
"Are you kidding?" she smiled back. "You already have, just by getting married." She tightened her grip around his neck and pulled him closer. "I am so proud of you, Daddy, and I adore Maggie. I want you two to have the life you both deserve."
Unable to talk, Mike stared into her eyes, and she smiled lovingly back at him. Then she laid her head on his chest once again and they both closed their eyes. When the music stopped, they didn't move.
# # # # #
Maggie stepped down off the stage and crossed to her small group in the centre of the dance floor. "You made a request?" Jeannie asked with a chuckle.
"Yes, I did," Maggie said with humorous emphasis. "I said, enough of these slow songs, we need to get moving."
"So…what did you ask them to play?" Steve asked cautiously, with a sidelong glance at Mike who was looking at Maggie with skeptical and somewhat frightened raised eyebrows.
"You'll see," she said with enigmatic glee, chuckling at Jeannie, who beamed back happily.
"You think they can play it?" Steve asked, watching the band members in a huddle.
"Well, they said they could, so we'll see."
Mike and Steve exchanged slightly anxious looks, the older man smiling wanly. Then they watched as the trombonist and trumpet player took the forestage and Jenna Wright came up to join them. She was grinning broadly and nodding enthusiastically.
The drummer counted them in and they started fast and loud. Jeannie recognized the song instantly, spun to Maggie and yelled over the music, "That's brilliant!" Maggie nodded back happily, as a grinning Steve turned to a still baffled Mike.
Maggie and the two younger people began to move to the music, leaving Mike standing there unsure what to do. But when the singers finally began with the familiar "Ah, that's the way, uh hunh, uh hunh, I like it", he grinned and, his eyes focused on Maggie, started to dance, much to everyone's delight.
# # # # #
About an hour later, Maggie led Mike towards a table. "No, seriously, I want you to take a break," she said, her tone stern and concerned. "You told me yourself you're not exactly a hundred percent yet. And, after all, it is our wedding night; I want you to save some of that energy for later," she said suggestively as she pushed him down onto a chair.
Acquiescing, he grabbed her hand as she began to walk away. "Well then, the same goes for you too, right?" he countered, raising his eyebrows.
She smiled lovingly, her hand under his chin. "I'm just going to get us some drinks. You stay." And with that she walked away.
He watched her go then jumped slightly when he felt a light tap on his shoulder. He turned to see Father Driscoll standing behind him. "Mind if I join you?" the priest asked with a grin.
"No, please,"Mike said quickly, gesturing at a nearby chair.
The priest sat heavily. "You know," he said with a deep chuckle, "I usually don't hang around for the reception after a wedding but seeing as I really don't know where I am and my ride home doesn't leave till tomorrow morning…"
Mike laughed. "Sorry for all the cloak and dagger, Father, but, well, we didn't have much choice. It'll all be explained eventually."
"Hey, I'm not complaining," the priest laughed. "I'm enjoying myself. I might even get up on that dance floor eventually."
Mike grinned then turned serious. "Father, I really need to thank you, you and Rabbi Schulman, for doing this for us. I know it went against church doctrine – "
"Michael, please. I love my God and I love my religion but sometimes the church itself can be it's own worst enemy. I have no problems with inter-faith marriages and I think religious institutions, Catholic, Protestant, Jewish, Muslim – all of them – are going to have to start embracing them or they're gonna lose a lot of worshippers."
"Well, I'm glad you were here for us, thank you."
# # # # #
It was getting close to midnight when Mike stepped down from the stage and approached Jeannie, asking her to dance. They walked slowly to centre of the floor and he held her close. The music started, and she seemed to melt into him even more.
From the far side of the room, Steve heard the music begin and his heart constricted. He looked quickly at Maggie, who was across the room staring at her husband and his daughter, her face a stricken mask.
Trying not to draw attention, he eased around the edge of the dance floor to her, slipping an arm around her shoulders when he reached her. She glanced up appreciatively and laid her head against him.
"The song was his idea," she said softly, her voice constricted by unshed tears, as they listened to the Cole Porter classic.
"This is gonna kill me," Steve said quietly, as his grip on her tightened, listening as the heartbreaking lyrics of "Every Time We Say Goodbye" floated through the room.
# # # # #
The song ended. Maggie glanced up at Steve, whose bright eyes were the only visible indication of the turmoil he was going through. When he turned to her, she kissed him. "Thank you…for everything," she said lovingly then she broke away from him and crossed to Mike, who was still on the dance floor with Jeannie.
She approached him quietly and took his arm. He looked at her slowly, and when she nodded, he nodded back. He turned once more to his daughter and enveloped her a bear hug; they kissed and looked into each others eyes, then Mike backed away and followed Maggie toward the exit.
As Mike climbed the few stairs to the landing, he turned and looked back into the room. Through the crowd of dancers and revelers, his eyes met Steve's immediately. Both men froze. Eventually Mike tried to smile, and even from across the room Steve could see the tears threatening to fall.
Taking a deep breath, Mike raised his right hand to his chest. With his forefinger, he pointed at himself, made a fist over his heart then pointed towards Steve.
The younger man gasped, his hand going to his face, covering his mouth. He began to shake. He raised his own right hand to his chest, made a fist over his heart then flashed two fingers, attempting a smile.
Mike laughed and nodded, and tears began to fall. At his side, Maggie gently touched his arm. He turned to her, grinning shakily, and she smiled lovingly back at him. He nodded, turned once more to meet Steve's eyes then, his head down, followed his wife through the door and disappeared.