A May-September Wedding (6 page)

"You're
complaining about losing weight?"

"No, I'm
complaining because I have to shop for a dress, I think."

Lydia zipped
up the back of the dress. "Isn't this supposed to be a fitted
bodice?"

Phyl looked in
the mirror to see the dress hanging loose across her chest. "Oh.
Now I remember this dress. I needed a cocktail dress for a party
when I was four months pregnant with Tim." She sighed and said,
"Your bust size goes up when you're pregnant." At the mild look of
confusion on Lydia's face in the mirror she added, "Because your
body is getting ready to nurse a baby. Unzip me, please?"

As she saw her
mother add the dress to the pile at the head of the bed, Lydia
asked, "Why did you put the bright colours in the 'doesn't fit'
pile. I thought you needed a dark dress."

"I've been
meaning to give away some of these dresses for a while and some of
them I just know are too big for me now."

"Can I see if
any of them fit?" Lydia looked excited at the prospect.

Phyl stood
back and truly looked at her thirteen year old. "Stand back to back
with me."

They stood in
front of the mirror and Phyl said, "I think you're taller than me
now. And almost as wide." She pondered for a bit then said, "I
don't think very much will suit you because we aren't the same
shape, but go ahead." Phyl picked up the clothes on the end of the
bed and hung them back up in her now spacious closet.

Lydia ran
downstairs to get a blue recycle bag and began to sort through the
dresses. "You don't mind me getting them ready to give away?"

Phyl had to
suppress a snicker as she began to sort through old blouses and
slacks. "No, I should have done this while I was sorting through
your Papa's things" She turned around to see Lydia trying on a
peacock blue halter dress that made her look much older than her
thirteen years. She felt a strange mix of emotions seeing Lydia
look so grown up but found her Mum voice and said, "If you wear
that, you don't wear makeup."

"But
Mum..."

"No buts. You
don't want to give the boys the wrong impression. You look
beautiful enough in the dress without makeup." Phyl didn't want the
boys thinking her daughter was interested in dating.

Lydia sighed.
"Okay, Mum. But can I wear it to the dance at school?"

Phyl almost
said no, but remembered it was an afternoon activity in a fully lit
gym. "Sure."

Lydia bounced
like the little girl she could still be and hugged her mother.

"The literacy
gala? That's nice, Dad. Mom would be very glad to know that you're
still supporting her favourite cause. Are you going solo?" Elaine
sounded pleased that her father was getting out of the house.

"No, I've got
a date." Cal was non-committal. "How's Emily?" he asked in an
attempt to change the subject.

"She's fine,
Dad, but I'd rather talk about your date. Who are you going with?"
Elaine sounded very curious.

"Well," he
paused then said, "it's Phyl Schuyler, actually."

There was a
pause before Elaine said, in a neutral tone that could only be
disapproving, "I see."

Cal felt a
flash of irritation. "Phyl and Harry went with us most years. You
babysat the kids a couple of times."

"I know that,
Dad, but Phyl? Isn't she..." Elaine hesitated.

"Too
young?"

"I don't mean
that." Cal could almost see Elaine blushing.

"Well then
what do you mean? That I'm not capable of getting a beautiful woman
to go out with me?" Cal let his irritation creep into his
voice.

"Just forget I
said anything."

"Elaine, just
remember that I've know Phyl since before Felicity was born. We're
good friends. That's all. Besides, she deserves a night out for
taking Felicity next week and I know she loves to dance."

"What's next
week?"

"I'm part of a
team that's headed to Washington to explore the possibility of
buying some used helicopters from the US Coast Guard to replace our
search and rescue choppers."

"You know we'd
take Felicity, Dad."

"I know that
Elli, but it would be a big change in your daily schedule. Felicity
walks to school with Lydia and they end up sharing a bedroom two or
three nights a week anyway because they're up late talking. I don't
know what they have to talk about when they spend sixteen hours a
day together. In any case, Phyl says it's no more trouble to look
after the two of them than one."

Elaine thought
about saying something, but something in her father's tone
suggested that the matter was closed, so she began, "I'll be happy
to come over to spend the evening with the girls but I have to tell
you something else, Dad. It's actually why I called. I'm expecting
again."

Cal whooped.
"That's wonderful news Elli. When are you due?"

"In early
March. I wanted to wait until I was at least three months along
before I said anything to anyone."

Cal remembered
the several miscarriages that Elaine had gone through before
finally bringing Emily to full term. "That's great news. How is
Brian taking it?"

"Well, he's
started treating me like I'm made of blown glass again. It's very
sweet but I can still stand up long enough to wash dishes." Elaine
laughed and launched into some stories about Emily's latest
achievements.

Lydia looked
like lightning would strike from her eyes as she marched into the
house. Phyl asked, "What is it, lovie?"

"Ooo, that
Tyler Brown." Lydia hung up her coat carefully but stamped her feet
before she took off her shoes.

Phyl went over
and gave Lydia a hug. Tim came sauntering in, but put his stuff
away very quickly and raced over to the family room to turn on the
television before Lydia could claim it.

"So what
happened, Lydia?"

"Felicity's
waiting outside the principal's office for her Dad to come get her.
Tyler's in the hospital with some sort of knee injury."

"So what
happened?" Phyl's voice lowered and got gentle.

Lydia looked
into the family room at her brother and decided to go to the
kitchen to fish a bottle of juice from the fridge. Phyl followed,
full of curiosity.

"So what
happened?" Phyl asked again.

Lydia sighed.
"Tyler and his gang of mini-mes were teasing Marie again, so
Felicity went over to take her away from them. So, Beast gets over
to them and the five boys surround them and Tyler tells Felicity
that he'll let Marie go if Felicity will give each of the boys a
kiss."

"Where were
you when this was happening?"

"I was trying
to get the teacher's attention and not having much luck. Anyway,
they let Marie go when Tim walked over but they crowded even closer
to Felicity. She's just staring Tyler down. Then he points at her
chest and teases her about not having any real boobs. Beast starts
to blush and I'm walking over to help her, when Tyler grabs her
chest. She kicks him in the knee like she's striking a long shot
and then Tyler's on the ground screaming. Steve picks Felicity up
from behind and she puts her heel into his crotch just at the
teacher finally gets there."

"That's the
second time Tyler's picked on Marie this year."

"Naw. It's
only the second time someone's stepped in to defend her. Tyler and
Steve are both pretty nasty and their friends aren't much better.
Anyway, this time Tim and I were there and we convinced Marie to
talk to the principal with us. We missed the last period while we
told our story but because we didn't do anything we got to go home.
Tyler got taken away in an ambulance with his leg in a brace. Steve
probably has a bruise or two and Beast thinks she dislocated a toe.
But we told the principal what we saw."

The doorbell
rang and Felicity came in wearing a triumphant expression. Cal
asked, "Have you started supper?"

Phyl said,
"No, I was just going to heat up some of the chicken stew from the
freezer."

"Then, my wise
and beauteous friend, I would like to take you and your family to
dinner in honour of Felicity the Brave, Lydia the Just and Timothy
the Valiant. I also invited Marie and her family. I wanted to meet
with fair maiden who inspires such loyalty from our stalwart
Timothy."

"Cal, isn't
that a bit over the top?" Phyl could hardly contain her smile.

"I really
shouldn't be feeling this much pleasure from it, but the principal
apologized for not taking me seriously when Tim got into the fight
last month. I think it's a variety of envy to take pleasure at
someone else's misery, so I really should pray about it...after
supper."

Lydia asked,
"Any report on Tyler?"

Felicity got a
fierce but satisfied look. "While Dad was talking with the
principal Tyler's parents called to ask if she was going to press
assault charges against me for dislocating his kneecap. The
principal said she would if they were prepared to have Tyler face
charges for sexual assault then reminded them that there were at
least three witnesses, including a teacher, that saw Tyler touch me
first."

Lydia
whistled. "A dislocated kneecap? Ouch. That's months of therapy and
maybe arthoscopic surgery."

Cal said, "I'd
almost like to see it go in front of a judge. Tyler's what?
Five-eleven and a hundred eighty? And Beast here is four foot eight
and maybe eighty pounds?"

Felicity got
offended. "I'm four foot nine and because I'm mostly muscle I'm
ninety pounds."

Cal stuck out
his tongue at his daughter. "That wouldn't make a difference to the
judge. He'd probably say that Tyler is lucky it was only his knee
that you took out."

"I wasn't
aiming for his knee. It just got in the way."

David was over
to drop off some tools he'd borrowed when he noticed the formal
kilt outfit in the dry cleaner's bag by the front closet.

"Got a wedding
to go to, Dad?"

"No, it's the
literacy fund raiser. I thought I'd dress up this year. Brenda only
let me wear it on Burns Day or at the Highland Games. She thought
all of the Scottish stuff was silly, but I think it's fun."

"So why aren't
you wearing the red, yellow and green kilt?"

"The hunting
is more sombre. I'm still in mourning, even if I am going to wear a
kilt. Besides I don't want to upstage my date too much."

"A date? Isn't
that a bit soon?"

"Well, it's
been five months since the funeral. And I haven't missed a literacy
fundraiser in more than twenty years. So I'm going to the gala to
honour Brenda's memory, but I'm going to be rebellious and wear the
kilt."

"So who are
you taking? I didn't think there were many single women your age
who were properly single."

"Properly
single?"

"You know,
widowed or never married. I know you're pretty hard line on
divorce. Anyway, who did you find?"

"Well, if you
must know, I asked Phyl to accompany me."

"Phyl? Aw,
Dad, you'll look like an old fool if you take her. Besides you
always told us that we shouldn't go out with someone unless we were
considering the person as a potential spouse."

"And what if I
am?" Cal wasn't considering marrying Phyl, but it wasn't up to his
kids to decide who his friends were.

David lost it.
"You know what everyone will say, Dad. It'll be just like Jack
Littleton all over again. All your friends will be laughing at you
behind your back."

Cal took a
calming breath. "Phyl Schuyler is not Brittany James. She older,
she's a widow and she's my best friend. And I'm going to the
fundraiser with her."

David said, as
he turned to go, "Well, Dad, I hope you know what you're doing.
Phyl isn't so different from Brittany."

Cal stood
there with his blood pressure rising, debating going after David.
Felicity came forward, "Dad, let it go. David hates Mum for some
reason."

Cal let
himself calm down. "Well, I should probably get ready for tonight.
Will you guys be okay?"

"Yep. Tim's
are okay with watching the Sens-Leafs game on the small TV. Brian's
working tonight so Elaine is bringing over Emily and we're going to
watch
Despicable Me
and hope Emily falls
asleep early enough so we can watch
New Moon
together. Elaine says she's glad that someone in
the family appreciates a good romance movie."

Phyl was
singing quietly as she got ready for the evening. The literacy
fundraiser was always a good night out: good conversation with real
adults, good food and lots of dancing even if Harry had two left
feet. Cal was a great dancer and there were always several of
Brenda's friends whose wives didn't really like to dance, so she
rarely got time to sit down. She sighed at the memories of good
times.

The four of
them had gone the previous year and eight of the previous ten,
missing only when she was hugely pregnant with Tim and the time
when the whole family was stricken with the flu.

She'd always
enjoyed the evening out. Dave Smith was usually the Master of
Ceremonies and the chef at the Westin always put on an inspired
spread because it was one of his favourite causes, too. There was a
silent auction that was always fun to tour and lots of Chapters
gift cards as door prizes. And this year they had a major coup with
the Powder Blues Band providing the music for the dancing. They
hadn't been east of Regina in almost six years, so there should be
a good turnout even at a hundred dollars a plate.

Dancing. Phyl
smiled as she put on her makeup. Dancing with Cal. It was always
fun because he knew all the steps and he was exactly the right
height and he was so graceful. But this year it seemed different.
She knew she should feel guilty about looking forward to going out
with Cal, but she didn't.