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Nathan & Elizabeth: An Epic Love
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Chapter Eighty-four
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The Grant Wedding Reception
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Part II
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From Wedding Cake to Wedding Toasts
Everyone was excited for the next event of the Reception, which included the Wedding Toasts and Cake-cutting!
All were anxious to taste the stunning White Iced Wedding Cake that was beautifully accented with Wild Roses. To everyone's delight, the elegant Cake was rumored to be the Groom's favorite Chocolate Cake inside, interlaced with the Bride's favorite Cherry Ganache between each layer. Given this was unlike the typical white Wedding Cake the guests had been previously accustomed to, they couldn't wait to experience this unique flavor combination for themselves!
The Cake itself was one of a kind and a special surprise for the Bride and the Groom, as well as the Grant Family as a whole. Grace had not at all forgotten her already beloved Grandchildren, nor the fact that this Wedding Reception was also celebrating two important Adoptions in addition to a Wedding! Leave it to the consummate hostess to figure out a way to recognize both beautifully and in one spectacular creation.
The entire work of art consisted of a very large, four-tiered, four-sided square cake that represented the four members of the Grant Family in every way, though hopefully, Jack wouldn't realize that all their animals weren't also represented with their own layers. The layers alternated between a plain and a dotted pattern of icing. Still, the piece de resistance was the Bride's favorite lavender roses, beautifully accenting and spiraling elegantly down the side of the tiers in spectacular fashion.
"This is stunning and perfect for we Grants!" cried the Bride upon first seeing it. "Mother, it's just lovely and so perfect for our Family! How did you ever come up with this?"
"I had help, Darling! But isn't it wonderful? And I assure you it tastes as divine as it looks, if not more so!"
Then Grace turned her attention to the Men of the Family.
"William, Archie, and Bill, I am now giving the floor to you three Fathers to make our Wedding Toasts," directed Grace while smiling lovingly.
She could easily see that though the men were prepared, they were also emotional, and that, she and Eleanor distinctly understood...
The Wedding Toasts Part I
First stood William Thatcher, Father of the Bride:
"For those of you who do not know me, I am William Thatcher, and I have the honor to begin this series of toasts to one of the most special couples I know!"
"I'm quite sure you all know my beautiful daughter, the Bride, because she has this magical way about her, lighting up every single room she walks into. Not with just her dazzling smile, mind you, but with her warmth and oh, so wicked sense of humor. Not to forget that little spark of mischief that has kept her mother and me on our toes since infancy! So, yes, Elizabeth, your son comes by his mischievous nature, quite honestly, and directly through you, my Dear! I must say, your mother and I are so relieved and quite pleased, if we are being completely honest, to see the tables turned on you for a change!"
"Our Elizabeth loves with all her heart and will move mountains if necessary to help you when you need it. She has always been absolutely fearless, much to her parents' chagrin, and she goes after her dreams with a vengeance, and though it sometimes takes her a while to get it perfectly right, she never stops trying till she does just that!"
For your daughter, our beloved Lilibet, to fall in love with such a remarkable, wonderful man, and for that man to be a part of your life from long ago, whom I personally had the honor to choose above all other, though of course, without his knowledge, is a most extraordinary thing."
"And that tells me as one of many things, that Nathan and Allie Grant were always meant to be in my daughter's life, my grandson's life, and in the lives of we Thatchers. You see, my new Son-in-law not only loves her with all his heart, but he calms her and stands by closely at the ready to give assistance if needed, always respecting and understanding her independence while allowing her to fly on her own if she desires or needs."
"Once, this great man heard my daughter casually mention she was missing an Italian picnic meal from her childhood, so what did he do? He phoned our Cook, and Heaven help him there, as she gives her recipes to no one, not even us! But without effort and I'm certain by his earnest and humble manner, he charmed her, and what would you know? Our secretive Cook gave him every single one of her top-secret recipes, even staying on the phone for hours in her rather decisive Italian accent, giving him personal instruction on exactly how to make them the correct way, which, of course, was her way! When I heard that, and this was before I officially met my new Son, I went to Grace and said, 'Darling, this is the man who is going to marry our daughter and make her deliriously happy her lifelong through!'"
(Soft laughter fills the room.)
"Not long after that, Nathan phoned me, having never met me before, to very respectfully ask for my daughter's hand in marriage. Unknown to him, that meant the world to me. So much so, I wouldn't replace that phone conversation with pure gold if I could, as it was that precious to me!"
"You see, there is no doubt in my mind that Nathan Alexander Grant was always meant to be part of our family. And, on behalf of Grace, Lionel, Viola, Julie, and Victoria, we could not be happier to officially and most warmly welcome him into our entire family on this most special day, on the most solid of equal footing, though quite frankly he might outdo our own standing!"
"The same goes for his beautiful Allie, now ours too, who is officially also now our eldest grandchild, Lilibet's first daughter, and Jack's elder sister! Let me just say she fills all those roles beautifully with the elegance of her mother, Colleen, and her grandmother, Eleanor. She brings her artistry, brilliance, charisma, and love into our family like no other. We have adored you from the moment we met you and even before, and we are so very proud of you! You are blood family, if ever there was! There is no difference, Sweet Girl! All of us vow to be with you throughout this life of ours, assisting you, loving you, supporting you through good times and bad (though forbid that there ever are any of those), as well as rejoicing over your happiness and many successes that are doubtless to come. We are so blessed, Allison Rose, to have you as one of us, and we are most grateful to your wonderful Grant grandparents for allowing us to share you equally!"
"Nathan, you don't just love our Lilibet, your Lizbeth: you understand her in a way no other does. You bring out the very best in her and support her in ways no other can. You are the only one that fits with her and with us, and for that, we are most grateful. And as far as we Thatchers are concerned, Son, you don't just fit into our family perfectly, you add to it in ways we weren't even aware we needed. But we did, and we are also most grateful for you filling those voids."
"We love you both, our new son and our new granddaughter, and are so very thankful for the two of you!"
"We, Thatchers, would also like to thank all of you, our guests, who are here supporting the Grants as a couple and a family, giving them so much love when we can't be here to do so, except from afar. That means the world to us!"
"On the day Grace and I married, my father told us this: 'Life is not at all about grand gestures. It's about the little day-to-day moments that make all of our lives a little brighter, the small things, really. It's making a cup of coffee for the other without being asked, it's taking over when one isn't feeling well, it's bringing flowers for no reason, and it's saying I love you when you might not feel it inside as much as you should, yet you say it anyway, and then you magically begin to feel it all over again!"
"To those things and all the little things that make our lives special, may you experience them with each other, each and every single day of your lives! On behalf of Grace, myself, and the entire Thatcher Family, we wish you all the wonderful little day-to-day joys!"
"Dearest Ones, embrace every little moment. It's an incredible journey!"
"Hear, hear! To Chief Inspector and Mrs. Nathan Grant!" toasted William.
"Hear, hear! To Chief Inspector and Mrs. Nathan Grant!" toasted the Wedding Guests as they clinked their champagne flutes together in a joyous ring.
Deeply touched, the Bride and Groom toasted each other, smiling through tears for the heartfelt toast just offered.
Then, before sitting down, William first kissed and embraced his daughter and then warmly embraced his new son.
Lastly, he nodded to Archie and stepped back for the remaining Toasts...
The Wedding Toasts Part II
Second stood Archeford Grant, Father of the Groom, slipping naturally back into his charming Irish brogue:
"For those of you who don't know me, I'm Archie Grant, three-fourths Irish and a quarter Scottish! My beautiful wife happens to be English and Italian, so we are quite the mix, this family of ours! But I'm here tonight to toast our extraordinary Bride and Groom on behalf of both of us!"
"I'd first like to offer a collection of old Irish Blessings that have been traditional to our family for generations:
"May your mornings bring joy and your evenings bring peace. May your troubles grow few as your blessings increase. May the saddest day of your future be no worse than the happiest day of your past. May your hands be forever clasped in friendship and your hearts joined forever in love. Your lives are very special, and God has touched you in many ways. May his blessings rest upon you and fill all your coming days." (*191)
"May love and laughter light your days and warm your heart and home. May good and faithful friends be yours wherever you may roam. May peace and plenty bless your world with joy that long endures. May all life's passing seasons bring the best to you and yours!" (*192)
"May joy and peace surround you both, contentment latch your door, and happiness be with you now, and God bless you evermore."
"May you live your life with trust and nurture your lifelong affection. May your lifelong dreams come true for you, moving ever in that direction." (*193)
"May the raindrops fall lightly on your brow
May the soft winds freshen your spirit
May the sunshine brighten your heart
May the burdens of the day rest lightly upon you
And may God enfold you in the mantle of His love.
May the road rise to meet you
May the wind be always at your back
May the sun shine warm upon your face
and the rain fall soft upon your fields
And until we meet again, my 'Son & Daughter,'
May God hold you in the hollow (palm) of his hand." (*194)
"I remember the day I first met my beautiful, intelligent, and incomparable daughter-in-law. Unwittingly, the first words that fell from my mouth were, 'Are you Nathan's wife?'"
"Now, don't ask me how, but from that moment on, I knew that someday, the answer to that question would be yes, and inwardly, without saying a word, I was thrilled."
"Today, Eleanor and I could not be happier or more thrilled to welcome our beautiful Elizabeth as our daughter and her amazing, precocious Jack as our first grandson into the Grant Family. You see, we count them both as blessings beyond measure."
"Dear Elizabeth, we want you to know you are not at all a replacement for the beautiful daughter we lost because God made us uniquely, and no one can ever replace another. But you stand in your own right, in addition to, as Colleen's beautiful new sister, equal in every way, but bringing your own unique gifts and strengths - gifts and strengths our family so desperately need in our lives and are so very appreciative to now have in you. But one thing stays constant from sister to sister - our love for you both is exactly the same! As our son's wife, you are now our beloved daughter, too!"
"Elizabeth and Jack, it is an honor to be able to claim you as family. We could not possibly love you more, nor could we be prouder. Eleanor and I vow to support you both always and to love you both with boundless and never-ending love as our own!"
"As for Master Jack, he is not only adorable, bright, and precocious, all qualities that happen to remind me of his sister. He is loving, and I believe Eleanor and I fell in love with him as our grandson, just as we did with Elizabeth as our daughter every single time Nathan and Allie mentioned their names, shared something they loved about them, or told us a story about what was happening in their lives, whether together or apart. "Then instantly, when we met them both, it was as though they had always been part of us and part of our family!"
"As far as our grandchildren, one thing's for sure: life will never be dull with our extraordinary Allie and Jack around!"
But back to our Bride and Groom.
"You see, there is an old Irish term, 'Anam Cara,' that translates as soul friend or soul mate. This means that such soulmate hearts intertwined together in true love are much better and much stronger than when alone."
"You see, when these hearts come together, their persons become their best selves, their truest selves. 'Anam Cara' is that coming together of souls, souls that long for each other and understand each other both in the best and worst of times. In this kind of relationship, everything flows, and you can tell each other things that you can't even tell yourself. You know each other's joys, sorrows, strengths, weaknesses, and even insecurities, yet with your soul person, you feel safe and secure in the world."
"You weather life together, and no matter what, you remain in each other's hearts and souls. You are each other's shelter. You see, you can say anything to your soulmate, and they will not censor you or berate you, even when sharing your innermost self, your mind, and your heart. Instead, they will listen and build you up, and with them, you feel free, as though you could take on the world if need be. You know each other and nourish each other's soul in a way no one else can."
"You share your greatest joys and your most crushing disappointments with them and only them."
"You are each other's lifeline, the first you are drawn to. You relate to each other with both ease and an exuberant spirit, and when you are down with them, you rise again together! You are intimately connected to your 'Anam Cara' in every way via an irrefutable bond that brightens your existence and makes life even more worth living while always making you each see the best in each other!"
"If, and when God blesses you with an 'Anam Cara,' you have found your state of flow and your complete innermost and sacred place within each other." (*195)
"In other words, quite simply, together, you are home!"
"I thank God every day that my new Daughter and Son have truly found that special flow of 'Anam Cara' together. May you both treasure its many gifts always!" (*196)
"Since I began with Irish Blessings, I'd like to close with an Italian compilation from my Darling Wife:"
"When we are two, no one will be one, one will be like no one, unity will be found in the two." (*197)
"May your marriage bring you all the exquisite excitements a marriage should bring, and may life grant you also patience, tolerance, and understanding." (*198)
"May your life be like fine wine, tasty, sharp, and clear, and like fine wine, may it improve with every passing year." (*199)
"Last but not least, some of you may wonder how an Irish Scotsman and an English Italian stay married their whole life through? Well, I've offered to Irish blessings that mention rain! There just so happens to be an Italian blessing that mentions the same, and it's a beautiful one, too!"
"Now you will feel no rain, for each of you will be shelter for the other. Now you will feel no cold, for each of you will be warmth for the other. Now, there will be no loneliness, for each of you will be a companion to the other." (*200)
"How do Ellie and I interpret all those rain blessings? Whenever the skies cloud over, and those gifted rains begin to fall, whether they're Irish or Italian, and we like to think they are both, we rush outside and dance with abandon, and God somehow cleanses us of the day-to-day doldrums and fills us instead with laughter and pure joy, getting us ready to face another spectacular day of this journey called life!"
"So our advice is simple: whatever you two do, always, always, always dance in the rain!"
"Hear! Hear! To Elizabeth Rose and Nathan Alexander Grant!" toasted Archie.
"Hear! Hear! To Elizabeth Rose and Nathan Alexander Grant!" toasted the Wedding Guests as they clinked their champagne flutes together again in a joyous ring.
Deeply touched again, the Bride and Groom toasted each other, the Bride crying tears and the Groom holding them back in his glistening eyes for the heartfelt Celtic and Italian toasts they had just received.
Archie first kissed and lovingly embraced his new daughter, and then he also lovingly and most poignantly embraced his son.
But before stepping back, he nodded and passed the toasting mantle onto Judge Avery...
The Wedding Toasts Part III
Third stood Judge Bill Avery, Adopted Father of both the Bride and Groom, slipping naturally into his normal drawling and shortened word cadence:
"It is my pride and joy to claim these two people who married today as my family, along with their two children, Allie and Jack - even though Nathan loves to tell the story of me arrestin' him on his first night here in Hope Valley! But hey, how was I to know the man was a Mountie? There was no Serge in sight, nor badge, nor gun. I mean, what's a Judge and Lawman to do when there this strange man was, right in the middle of a barroom brawl? You bet your boots, you arrest him!"
(Everyone was cackling, but none more so than Nathan's Commanding Officers and Men!)
"But, since we have much more important matters to discuss on this auspicious day, what do you say: let's just move on!"
"Yes, please, let's do," chuckled Nathan, with everyone else still joining in, especially his Mountie Superiors and Brothers.
"Despite that little misunderstandin' and a few territorial battles between us that were sort of inevitable (here the Groom just rolled his eyes), that handsome young man became my son while his now beautiful wife was already my daughter!"
"Now, I've already told you the story of my Allie and Jack! And I admit they just might be my biggest gain of all four!"
"But back to our Bridal Couple for now."
"There was somethin' there from the beginnin' that was an undeniable connection between this Mountie and Teacher, and now, thanks to Archie, I realize it was indeed Anam Cara!" (*201)
"So, your curmudgeonly old Judge is gonna shock our Bride and Groom, and probably you, too, tonight by quotin' a few poems that apply (laughter from all). Hey, I read!"
Squinting his eyes, Bill reached for his glasses.
"My first poem is 'In Another's Souls," by the Persian Poet Rumi:"
"The moment I heard my first love story,
I started looking for you,
Not knowing how useless that was.
Lovers don't meet somewhere along the way;
They're in one another's souls all along." (*202)
"You see, goin' on a quest to look for one's soulmate just doesn't work. A few of us have tried it and failed miserably (more laughter)! True soulmates just exist in each other's souls no matter what, and that's exactly what happened here with our two. Whether Nathan and Elizabeth realize it or not, that's been a lesson they have unwittingly taught all of us. Their soulmate love has just been there all along, plain as day, through joy and pain, and most all of us saw it time and again!"
"My second poem, I suppose, is actually a sonnet, precisely 'Sonnet 116,' by none other than William Shakespeare:"
"Let me not to the marriage of true minds admit impediments.
Love is not love Which alters when it alteration finds,
Or bends with the remover to remove:
O no! It is an ever-fixèd mark
That looks on tempests and is never shaken;
It is the star to every wandering bark,
Whose worth's unknown, although his height be taken.
Love's not Time's fool, though rosy lips and cheeks
Within his bending sickle's compass come:
Love alters not with his brief hours and weeks,
But bears it out even to the edge of doom.
If this be error and upon me proved,
I never writ, nor no man ever loved." (*203)
"Now, this is a love poem, believe it or not, that tells us how deeply rooted in reason, unchangin' truth, and eternity love can and should be. And I'm here to tell you tonight that since I've observed so much of this couple's love firsthand, indeed, Nathan and Elizabeth's love is a love that is rooted deeply, just as it should be, in reason and truth, for all eternity!"
"My third and last poem of the evenin' is one I might get in trouble for. As most of you know, Nathan and I often share a desk…"
"Here we go," whispered the Groom to his Bride. "This can't be good!"
(Many of the townspeople laughed heartily, knowing about the ongoing desk, chair, and typewriter battle that ensued from the moment their Mountie had first arrived in town!)
"Now, I couldn't help it that the name of this poem slipped out onto the floor with Elizabeth's name on it. I mean, I had to pick it up so nobody would slip on it, right?"
"Right," chimed in the crowd in support, knowing this was going to be too juicy to miss.
"Thank you for gettin' my drift! So, I went to our library and looked this thing up, and this was the name: "This is My Wish for You!"
By this time, the Groom was blushing bright red, with his hand on his forehead and over his face as much as was possible.
"Here's what it says:"
"This is my wish for you:
Comfort on difficult days,
Smiles when sadness intrudes,
Rainbows to follow the clouds,
Laughter to kiss your lips,
Sunsets to warm your heart,
Hugs when spirits sag,
Beauty for your eyes to see,
Friendships to brighten your being,
Faith so that you can believe,
Confidence for when you doubt,
Courage to know yourself,
Patience to accept the truth,
Love to complete your life." (*204)
Elizabeth immediately whispered to her husband.
"Darling, this is my favorite poem!" then the two kissed comfortably, forgetting any embarrassment even though Bill wasn't finished yet.
He squeezed her hand tighter.
"Really? Can we just pray this is the worst Bill's got?" whispered Nathan back.
Both then had to stifle a chuckle.
But Bill continued on.
"Now, I learned this poem is about wishin' the best for someone, includin' comfort, laughter, and love, which makes it fairly obvious this poem is about a profound love. But to my adopted son and daughter, I've got news for you both. This love of yours has never been a secret, not from the moment you met! If it was, we were all in on it from the very beginnin'! And just so you know, I'm talkin' all we citizens of Hope Valley!"
The crowd couldn't help but continue chuckling as only the Judge could get away with a monologue like this!
"And we are all thrilled, thank goodness, that little conundrum of 'will they or won't they figure it out' has been resolved once and for all!" he added dramatically with a long, drawn-out drawl on his 'and for all!'
All the guests couldn't resist outright laughing at their Judge's brazen truth, as what he was saying was definitely the truth, but brazen to be sure, given he had the whole town captive as his audience.
"To the two I love most who do indeed wish the very best for each other since they carry each other's profound love in their hearts. My advice for the two of you is to enjoy this crazy, remarkable love of yours to the max every single day because this one's the real thing, a love story all of Hope Valley is gonna love watchin' unfold over the years!"
Again, all the guests, including the still blushing Bride and Groom, were laughing hysterically, not believing what had just embarrassingly happened, though it was all true!
"Hear! Hear! To Nathan and Elizabeth, my adopted son and daughter whom I love very much!"
"Hear! Hear! To Nathan and Elizabeth, whom we love very much!" toasted the Wedding Guests as soon as they could stop laughing.
They then clinked their champagne flutes together once more in a joyous ring of lighthearted happiness throughout the establishment, cutting through the remaining laughter that couldn't die down.
The Bride and Groom toasted each other, both blushing embarrassedly and laughing at the same time, yet still deeply touched by this man's love whom they both loved very much as a second father. And for the Chief Inspector, also a colleague and friend of the highest caliber.
Then Bill stepped back as the Groom and his Bride stepped up to cut their gorgeous Wedding Cake...
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191-194. "Old Irish Blessings," passed down from generation to generation. Public Domain Information.
195-196. "Anam Cara," a Gaelic phrase that means soul friend, or soulmate; a friendship or love with anam cara, cuts across all convention and category where there is a perfect flow from one to the other, no matter what. Public Domain Information.
197-200. "Old Italian Blessings," passed down from generation to generation. Public Domain Information.
201. "Anam Cara," a Gaelic phrase that means soul friend, or soulmate; a friendship or love with anam cara, cuts across all convention and category where there is a perfect flow from one to the other, no matter what. Public Domain Information.
202. "In Another's Souls," poem written by Rumi, a Persian poet and mystic who lived from around 1212 to 1273. Public Domain.
203. "Sonnet 116," written by William Shakespeare in the late 16th century, likely between 1592 and 1598. Public Domain.
204. "This is My Wish for You," written by Ralph Waldo Emerson, an American poet, in the mid 1800s; the theme of the poem, is to wish for the best for someone, including comfort, laughter, and love. Public Domain.