Falling for Your Madness (26 page)

“No, Laura. Over here.”

“There?”

“On my lap.”

“Oh, yes!” I jumped off the couch.

I sat down on my fiancé’s lap and put one arm around his shoulders. I tucked the other in between his jacket and his shirt. David had his arms around my waist. We both sighed a deep sigh. This was were we belonged.

“Now darling, we have twenty minutes.” He rubbed my knee with his hand. “Merle will come in here with a bucket of ice water if I am not out of this apartment by then. His instructions are to throw it on me, but it is likely you’ll get wet too. I should have learned not insult him so frequently, as he’s the president of the rules committee. I lobbied for thirty minutes. I really did. I tried my best.”

“I’ll take what I can get.” I kissed him.

He nuzzled his face into my neck and whispered, “Now I have something very special for you.”

“The ring?”

He tickled me. “I told you. You’ll get it when I speak to your father on Sunday. You must be patient.” He handed me a box with a bow.

I opened it. “Cashmere socks!”

“A pair for every day of the week. You’ll be pleased to know that now I know how to hand-wash them, thanks to Merle’s instructions. So once we get settled into our new life, I’ll wash yours and mine together.”

“That sounds so cozy!”

“Between washing socks and rolling out tortillas, I have taken great strides as a domestic. Merle has been coaching me. He says his wedding gift to you is a husband who will pick up after himself. Tomorrow, I’m getting a lesson on unloading the dishwasher. I’ll learn more too, if you want me to.”

“Here’s your first gift. We’ll see if you’re up to it.”

He opened it. “How thoughtful! A cookbook!
Indian Cooking for Two.
”

“Why eat out when it’s so much more romantic to eat in?”

“I couldn’t agree more. Now, the best gift for you.” He took a small blue box out of a gift bag. It was a Tiffany box.

“David! You didn’t!” In the box were a pair of silver and sapphire earrings. They sparkled in the box.

“Do you like them?”

“I love them! Thank you!” I kissed him and then put them on. “How do I look?”

“Like a queen.” David beamed. He made me so happy.

“Now, your last gift.” It really wasn’t a gift, but an envelope. Inside I printed a picture of what I wanted to buy him. “But, there’s a problem. And I’ll explain after you open it.”

He looked confused.

“It had to be this way. It’s a photo of the latest iPhone. If I buy it here, you’ll have an American number. We’ll have to buy it in London. I want Siri to address you either as
Your Royal Highness
or
Your Majesty
, but I haven’t decided which fits you best.”

“I love it! Perfect! Well done, Laura!” He kissed me. “You know I’ll want to Face Time you during class. You could listen to my lectures! I may get carried away with the texting.”

“It’s a risk I’m willing to take. I must be able to reach my husband when I need him.”

He stroked my face and kissed me.

I had never been so physically close to David. I had no idea how many of those twenty minutes had passed, but I knew I needed more time. He needed more too.

He rested his head on my shoulder and drew my knees up closer to him.

I rubbed my cheek against his hair and stroked his beard.

It would have been so easy to break the rules. The apartment was empty. Ruby had already gone home for Christmas. No one would interrupt us. I had a suitcase full of beautiful and elegant lingerie that my girlfriends had given me at my send-off-party-stroke-bridal shower. I knew, as well as David knew, that Merle wasn’t much of a deterrent. Unless Merle turned us into hamsters, we had the freedom to do whatever we wanted. It wasn’t like we didn’t love each other. It wasn’t like we weren’t adults. It wasn’t like we didn’t plan on getting married anyway.

“Laura, I need to leave right now.”

“Now?”

“Now.”

I reluctantly climbed off his lap. “The twenty minutes aren’t up yet.”

“Yes. Well.” He stood up and hurried to the door. “If I don’t leave right now, then I won’t behave like a gentleman.”

He kissed my hand and then my cheek and stepped into the hallway.

“I understand.” I had to admit, my thoughts weren’t exactly ladylike.

“The honeymoon is worth waiting for.” He put on his coat and walked down my building’s steps backwards. He wouldn’t turn around to see where he was going. He wanted to look at me. “I can wait until Wednesday to be with you. I must. Patience will always pay off.”

Monday, December 24, 2012

158 Orange Street

Beverly, Massachusetts

6:31 p.m.

“Mr. and Mrs. Adamsky, I would like to explain to you exactly why I want to marry your daughter.”

“David, this isn’t necessary. Laura’s a grown woman, she can answer for herself.”

“Yes. She is, but nonetheless, I …”

“Daddy, you’re about to hear a lecture from the great Professor Bowles. Don’t waste this opportunity.”

David beamed. “A lecture? Yes. And it’s about my favorite subject: Laura.”

“Go ahead, then.” My father was humoring him. I loved it.

Yesterday, my parents had flown in to be with us for the holidays. The six of us, David and I, the elder Dr. Bowles and Aunt Honoria, and my folks, were all in the dining room finishing our roast goose and plum pudding. I had asked about Fay. I had expected her to be there, but I didn’t want her to ruin anything. Aunt Honoria had said that Fay had sent her regrets, but she was very busy at work. Dr. Bowles had said that Fay had a chance to go to Florida with friends. Merle had said that Fay wouldn’t make it because she was busy spinning her wheels, which made me suspect he had turned her into a hamster. At that point, I had stopped asking.

It was a very happy Christmas. It was going to get better.

David looked just a bit nervous. “Now, as you can see from the evidence, Laura is very beautiful. She is smart, talented, and sensitive. She has taught me much about football and eating food with one’s hands. I love to watch her draw, and like me, she’s fond of poetry, but it’s not for any of those reasons that I want to marry her.”

My mother had tears in her eyes. I did too.

“I want to marry her because of what she says to me.” David was speaking as much to me as he was to them. “She says eight very simple, very powerful words.” He reached for me and took my hand. “When she says these words, I walk taller. I feel as if I can conquer the world. I feel as if I am a king.” He took my other hand. “She says, ‘You can do this. I believe in you.’ It’s for these words that I am willing to care for her, provide for her, and love her forever. I will lay down my life for her.” He choked. “I wanted you to know my reasons in case you questioned my intentions.” He turned to my parents. “Do I have your permission to take her hand in mine forever?”

My father couldn’t speak. He was overcome with emotion. He just nodded his head. Aunt Honoria passed out handkerchiefs to all of us.

David turned to me and took my hands. I didn’t know there was more.

He got on one knee. “Laura Elizabeth Victoria Adamsky, before our families, I am humbly asking you if you will marry me.” I’d already agreed, but I couldn’t keep from crying.

“Yes! Oh, yes! I will!” I wanted to kiss him right then, but he stopped me. He took the box out of his jacket pocket and opened it. It was his grandmother’s platinum, three carat, emerald-cut diamond ring. It was more brilliant and magical than Excalibur had ever been. He put it on my trembling finger.

“Do you like it?”

I wrapped my arms around his neck and kissed him. I could barely speak. “It’s spectacular!”

Wednesday, December 26, 2012

Ramada Inn

Beverly, Massachusetts

10:24 A.M.

“Laura! It just came! It must be your bouquet!” My mother was giddy. She was nearly as much in love with David as I was. She opened the box from the florist.

My mother and father and I were at our hotel room. I had just returned from the hairdresser’s and now I was putting on my dress. Actually, it was Amy’s dress. The dress was my something borrowed. It was a little loose on me, but there hadn’t been time for an elaborate tailoring. There were a lot of little things that had been eliminated out of necessity. I had once thought that I was missing out on too much by not having a big wedding, but now that the day was finally here, now that I was marrying David in less than an hour, I didn’t think I had missed out on anything at all.

No. That wasn’t true. I missed my sisters. Ruby was my maid of honor instead of Amy or Molly. Grant was coming too. He was holding up his phone so my sisters could see it via Face Time. Digital technology was my something new.

David had suggested that he pick out my bridal bouquet. “Picking out flowers for you has become a favorite habit of mine. It might be considered an obsession. Please? Allow me? May I make it a surprise?”

“You? Is that a groom responsibility?” I said yes. I will always say yes to him.

In the box were the most important flowers David had ever bought me. They were a spherical arrangement of ranunculas and peonies, with a few rosebuds tucked in. Every blossom was pure white. It was held together by a satin blue ribbon. The same blue of his tie we had bought last week. The same blue, he had said, of my eyes. My something blue. It was delicate and beautiful and perfect.

Inside the box was not just one card, but several. I laughed. I was not surprised.

The first one read:
Poor flowers. They’ll never be as beautiful as you.

The second:
When I kiss you again, I’ll be your husband. A greater honor than any crown.

The third:
My darling, We’ve never eaten breakfast together alone. Are you free tomorrow morning?

The fourth:
I have written a lecture on the appropriateness of Boxing Day as our wedding anniversary. If you are bored on the honeymoon, I will give it to you.

The fifth:
I wanted to write you a poem about these flowers, but nothing rhymes with ranunculas.

The sixth:
I’ve gone through sixteen cards already, trying to say the right thing and this poor florist is losing her patience.

And the seventh:
Today is the happiest day of my life. I love you.

“Don’t cry, Mom. You’ll ruin your mascara.”

Merle arrived at the hotel to take us to the courthouse. My mother sat with me in the back of the Crown Victoria. My father sat up front.

I knew what to expect. Aunt Honoria and Dr. Bowles would be there. What I didn’t expect was to see my friends, Erin and Julie, Ariel and Miranda, Emily and Katie, all of them, dressed up, waiting for me. They were there. All of them. They all had to take the morning off work. I was so happy. I had never expected them to attend my unconventional, whirlwind of a wedding.

After the ceremony, we planned on
treating everyone to a lunch buffet at a local Indian restaurant. Then, we would be on our way, with Merle, to Logan Airport. We would be in London in a matter of hours. David and I in first class, Merle in coach. Once we arrived in London, Merle would be dropped off at Buckingham Palace. Merle had been with David’s family since the War of the Roses, and all parties agreed that a change was overdue. Last night, though, Merle did, leave his phone number with me. He had said that he expected my life with David to be exasperating at times and that if I needed ideas for behavior modification, he would be happy to offer suggestions. He had said he had grown quite fond of me and wanted me to have the life I deserved. I was going to miss him.

David and I did toy with the idea of spending our first night together at a local hotel and fly out tomorrow. But
David had insisted that we consummate our union, and possibly conceive a child, on British soil. He did have a certain way of doing things.

My friends all greeted me warmly with hugs and kisses.
I didn’t know what to say to them, I was a bit overwhelmed. But then, at the end of the long line of people, stood the man I was there for. David was wearing his Armani suit.

David’s lips quivered and when he looked at me and I felt like I had a power over him. The noise of the hallway seemed to be silenced as he reached out for me and offered me his arm. There were tears in his eyes as we entered the judge’s chamber.

He looked different to me. “You got your hair cut!”

David grinned. “I’m trying to look hot.” His face turned red and he trembled.

“Are you okay, Professor?” I was so glad I didn’t have the big pageantry of a church wedding. It was all I could do to keep myself together too. All of the fanfare would have added to the pressure.

“My love, you are breathtaking.” He swallowed. “I had a speech prepared.” His voice cracked. “Now I seemed to have forgotten it.”