August 19th, 2002, Callan:
"Sis, you are so beautiful in this dress!" Paige exclaimed as Megan carefully came out of the dressing room.
"You think so? I really wish I had waited for you to help me pick it out, that was what I wanted to do originally." Megan told her even as she turned to look at herself in the mirror.
"Don't worry about that. You and Mom did a great job picking it out. Are you getting nervous? Just three weeks until the I do's." Paige grinned.
"Don't remind me. I just hope your brother either comes early or a little late. I should have changed the date. I want Aunt Veronica to be there." Megan told her as she turned this way and that checking the lines of the dress.
"Oh she will be, unless her water breaks right before. And Dad will be happy you said brother." Paige told her while laughing.
"Are you still feeling good about a new sibling?" Megan asked as she turned and sat down to rest for a few minutes.
"I really am. Part of me really wants another sister but I know Daddy really wants a son. Don't get me wrong, he'd never look at Walter as anything other than his son but still. He didn't get to raise Walter from a baby. To play and teach, those things mean a lot to Daddy." Paige smiled with misty eyes.
"Happy's still okay?" Megan nodded as she asked.
"Oh yeah. She was a little worried when Mom and Dad first told us but Mom was quick to make sure she knew that it wasn't changing anything. Happy is still her daughter." Paige nodded as she touched different spots on Megan's dress. "Are you sure you don't want a party before the wedding?"
Megan nodded.
"After being diagnosed with MS all my friends kind of quit coming around anyway. So it would just be family at it as I am not about to invite anyone else." Megan smiled.
"I'm sorry. That's so rude of them. So is that why Billy doesn't want a bachelor's party?" Paige asked.
"No, he's never had many friends. He wasn't very outgoing, being so shy. Even now, except for Walter, I don't think he has but a few friends." Megan told her.
"Is that why Walter is his best man?" Paige frowned.
"Well that helped." Megan laughed. "But no, he really likes Walter. Probably because they both don't mind awkward silences. They don't feel pressured to make conversations when it is just them. But Billy likes playing chess with Walter too. I just wish Walter wouldn't be so insulting. I know he doesn't realize it, but he's constantly working on other things when he plays him and it is all Billy can do to think of just the game. And Walter is just multitasking on so many things." Megan told her.
"You want me to ask Walter not to do that anymore?" Paige asked.
"No. Walter needs the stimuli of multiple things to keep challenging his mind. Sometimes I wish he'd find a subject that he can't split from, something he really has to concentrate all of himself at one time. He might understand us normal thinking people better." Megan sighed.
"I actually dread those days." Paige whispered as she looked down at the floor.
"Hey, what's wrong?" Megan asked concerned.
"Nothing really. I know when we're together he's got other things he is thinking about, which is fine. And when we're…together, he's devoted solely to me, there is nothing else distracting him. But the thought…that there might come a day he finds something that can suck his total mind into it? I have always been able to get him out of them, but I still worry about it. It might not be realistic, but I need to know that nothing can keep him from at least thinking of me when he is doing other things. Sounds pretty crazy huh?" Paige gave a weak smile.
"Not really." Megan shook her head. "That day I found him in the rabbit hole of his was so scary. It felt like he'd locked a gate and kept me out and it hurt as well. So I kind of understand." Megan squeezed her hand.
"We're here." Veronica called out as she came into the store with Louise. "Oh Megan, you look so beautiful."
"Yes, you do." Louise gasped. "That is a gorgeous dress."
Sean entered the barn cussing and kicking at the loose straw.
Walter moved quietly over to the edge of the loft and looked down.
"Dad?" Walter finally asked after a few moments.
"What?" Sean looked up and turned red in embarrassment. "Sorry, I didn't know you were up there."
"What's wrong? What has made you so upset?" Walter asked.
"Nothing." Sean told him even as he quickly wiped his eyes.
"Dad, something has upset you. Talk to me for once." Walter said as he began climbing down the ladder.
"The bank has turned me down. With the drought I don't have the money to pay for the wedding. So I went to the damn vultures, again. So happy to take my money but when I need a little something they snub their noses at me." Sean told him.
"What about a cosigner? Or collateral?" Walter asked.
"I'm not asking no one to cosign and I took out a loan to get us through the drought already." Sean said quietly.
"I'll go with you. I can put up part of my winnings from the chess tourney as collateral. It isn't doing any good just sitting there." Walter told him.
Sean looked at him for a moment and then shook his head.
"No, thank you, but no. This is my problem." Sean told him.
"She's my deirfiúr. Let me do this, it isn't like I'm paying for it. You are going to be making the payments. I'm just helping guarantee the loan. Isn't that better than trying to explain why we don't have the rest of the money?" Walter asked.
"That money is protected until you turn twenty one. I am not touching it." Sean told him.
"Dad, you don't have to touch it. We'll just have to sign a document acknowledging a lien against it if you default. The money will just continue sitting there. Drawing whatever interest." Walter explained.
"Yeah, but we'll have to pay taxes on it. And we'll pay healthy taxes for taking it early." Sean told him.
"No, because the money won't be coming out. It is no different than if you took a loan on the house. The house is still right here, and we still live in it." Walter told him.
Sean sighed.
"I should be able to pay for my little girl's wedding myself. That's my job." Sean told him.
"Dad, that's archaic thinking. Look at it this way. With the money you have right now, do you have enough to pay for the wedding?" Walter asked.
"Of course, but that money is for us living." Sean nodded.
"Well, then you use that money for the wedding and the money we borrow against my winnings will be for taking care of us. You've met your obligations." Walter argued.
Sean sighed as he looked down at the floor.
"Are you sure Walter?" Sean asked.
Walter nodded.
"You're a good man Walter, and brother." Sean smiled and clapped his hand to the back of Walter's neck. He pulled him in and hugged him before they set out to the bank.
September 7th, 2002, Kilkenny, St Luke's:
"Mom, he's so beautiful!" Paige said excitedly as she got to meet her little brother for the first time.
Happy stood beside her smiling at their little brother. His curly light reddish brown hair framing his face.
"Did you finally select a name?" Happy asked as she looked up from the little baby to her parents there at the bed.
"We did. We named him Emmett, after my Father. Emmett Walter Dineen." Ralph told them looking at Walter.
Walter's eyes went wide.
"Y-You gave him my name?" Walter said in a hushed tone.
"We'd planned to give him your name as his middle name from the start. It just took us a while to settle on a first name if he was a boy." Veronica told him.
"I'm…I'm,I'm touched. Thank you." Walter said just as quietly.
Paige reached out and squeezed his hand.
"Walter, you are going to be an amazing man. And I hope to instill even just a sliver of that amazingness you possess into him with your name." Ralph told him.
"Thank you. I love you both." Walter said even as tears welled up in his eyes.
Paige grinned at him as her own eyes teared up. She stepped into his arms as they hugged.
"Are we late?" Louise asked as she knocked on the open door.
"Well for the birth, yes." Ralph chuckled. "Come on in." Ralph gestured.
Louise moved in with Megan and then Billy and Sean came in next.
"Oh he is so precious." Louise grinned. "Don't be getting any ideas my daughter." Louise teasingly poked at Paige.
"Too late, I've had ideas all year." Paige teased. "Walter and I will make beautiful babies too." Paige grinned as Walter blushed.
Louise stepped over to them and kissed her cheek.
"When the time is right, you surely will, my daughter." Louise reached up and cupped her cheeks with both hands.
As Louise moved over to Sean, Happy leaned over and whispered to Paige.
"I guess we'll know for sure come December 2005 and February 2015." Happy whispered to Paige.
"How do you know about that?" Paige whispered back.
"I knew what they meant when Walter gave you your birthday present. I just wasn't going to reveal the truth of his prediction." Happy whispered.
"What are you two whispering about?" Megan asked.
"How we can't wait for him to grow up enough for us to boss around." Happy grinned at her.
Megan rolled her eyes as she laughed.
September 14th, 2002 3:45 pm Callan chapel:
"It is just about time my girl." Sean said with a strained voice as he stepped into the little waiting chamber.
Megan smiled at him.
"Thank you Daddy. I might be getting married but you will always be my Daddy." Megan told him. "I was so worried because of the drought, I was afraid we'd have to change venues. I don't know how you did it, but thank you. It means so much to me to be married here where you and Mom got married."
"Well to be honest with you girl, if it wasn't for Walter…I'd have had to have changed things. The bank refused to loan me anymore. After all, I had to borrow because of the drought. He put up part of his winnings as collateral. He was kind enough to say he was only putting the collateral up for the money that was going to see us through the drought so the money I had would pay for the wedding. He wanted to give me some dignity." Sean told her as a tear slipped down his weathered face. "But you deserve to know the truth."
"Daddy, thank you. For being big enough to accept that gesture. I know how proud you are but it isn't a weakness when things are out of your control to get some help. You will always be the same amazing man who has walked with me all this time in life. Nothing will change that." Megan told him as she stepped in and hugged him.
"Let's get you married before I start bawling." Sean sniffled.
Megan nodded.
Sean's hand reached back and knocked three times on the door. Paige gestured to the organist and she changed the song she was playing and people all looked back towards the back of the chapel and then Paige stepped out and began walking down the aisle.
Walter grinned at Paige as she made her way down. She winked and blew him a kiss just before she turned and stepped to the other side of the altar.
Then Happy stepped out. She was wearing a white pants suit with a white wispy mesh around her legs giving it a somewhat skirt-like appearance.
She walked down sprinkling the flower petals as she went. Once she reached the altar she stepped over to sit between her parents and Louise.
The organist saw Sean and she changed the music again and everyone stood and turned to look back.
Megan took in a deep breath and then nodded and they stepped out into the aisle and walked slowly to the altar. She was determined to make it through the ceremony without a brace, chair or crutches. She smiled at Paige and handed her the bouquet. As she turned and took Billy's hands Paige stepped up to her left side and her hand reached out to hold Megan's left arm to give her a bit of support.
Billy had noticed Megan was straining and as soon as the priest pronounced them husband and wife Billy swept her up in his arms supporting her legs over his right arm and he kissed her to a roaring cheer. As he broke the kiss he looked deeply into her eyes.
"You did what you wanted, now I'm doing what I want." Billy told her softly and then turned with her in his arms to face the gathered community.
"It is my privilege to introduce Mr and Mrs William Ryan." The priest told everyone.
Billy began walking back to the back of the church still carrying Megan.
The usher immediately opened the door and Billy walked on outside and out to the car he'd bought a few months earlier. They'd picked out a blue 1999 Volkswagen Cabrio soft top. The top was down and he gently slipped her into the car and then stepped off to the side.
Paige was right behind him and handed her bouquet back to her and then stepped back into the group of other single girls.
Megan closed her eyes and put her left hand over her eyes before she raised the flowers up and then threw them. Happy had already calculated the trajectory and at the right moment she pushed Paige with enough force to make her step out three feet and the bouquet landed in her hands.
Walter swallowed as he saw her catch them.
Paige turned and stared at Happy.
"How could you?" Paige cried.
Happy grinned and walked away.
Billy waved as he got in the driver's seat and started the car. Megan waved and as everyone cheered Billy drove away.
Walter slowly stepped over to Paige with a slight smile on his face.
"So, by tradition it looks like your next." Walter teased.
Paige stuck her tongue out at him.
"That better not be your way of proposing." Paige told him.
"Never." Walter told her.
Paige eyed him for a moment.
"Never as in, you wouldn't propose that way or never as in you have no plans to ask me?" Paige said with an edge to her voice.
"After what I said when I gave you the promise ring, do you really think I would do something so cheap in asking you to marry me?" Walter asked seriously.
Paige smiled and shook her head before they shared a kiss.
Greetings! I hope this finds you all well! Well I was able to finish "Lady Aine" so that will be the next story. Working on chapter 13 of "Donor" so hoping that will be the next story and then hopefully 2003 of Callan will be finished.
2LawDog - At last is right! Sean's got a thick head! lol
Railman - Yep, they've had a few bumps but it looks like meeting so much earlier has really helped them both. Despite that thick head, Sean is slowly catching up. lol
Guest - Thank you! Yes it will, I'm just not used to this story going so quiet. It has been screaming since it first manifest. And here we are 47 chapters (+6 waiting to be posted) later! lol
Lucy - hehe Richard better be counting his tail feathers! lol
Susan - So glad you guys are still enjoying the story. Who knows what's in store? lol
To the Adventure! -Tim