Until the Stars Fall From the Sky (30 page)

“Well, I guess, that depends on how much baby’s breath and ferns you use,” I tease.

My joke backfires as a stricken look passes over Kiera’s face. I grasp her hands in mine and explain, “Pip, I am kidding. My mom would be the first to tell you to get whatever suits your fancy, traditional or not. But, if you want to go with traditional, it all works. Purple roses for first love. Pink roses for pure happiness. White carnations for eternal love. Baby’s breath for innocence and ferns for magic. It seems like a perfect recipe for a good marriage to me.”

Kiera sags a little as she breathes, “Oh, that’s a relief, I was afraid I might have insulted your mom’s whole profession.”

I chuckle softly as I proclaim, “Babe, after what you did for my mom this weekend, I’m pretty sure you could burn down her whole flower shop and she’d still be your biggest fan. You were downright spectacular.”

Speaking of spectacular, I understand you are acing all of your blood work and vitals Ms. Ashley, so they plan to spring you this afternoon if your fever stays down,” I announce.

Kiera smiles and nods. “I think some nurses took some pity on me and lobbied for early release when they found out I’m getting married on Saturday. I had to promise to go to the outpatient clinic to get IV treatment for two more days.”

“I can’t wait to get you home,” I reply
. “Although your dad helped us last night Mindy said it just wasn’t the same.  We have a wedding to get to.  I wouldn’t miss it for the world, Pip.”

Because I had to take a break in my wedding preparations for a short “vacation” in the hospital, the week flew by faster than I could have ever imagined. I had a thousand little tasks to complete involving the girls from the fun things like school shopping and haircuts to the really not fun things like sitting in the Social Security office for hours to get their identities straightened out and the spectacle that are immunizations. I’m not sure which girl took them hardest, but I know that no one warned me about how traumatic they would be for me. Jeff was wonderful, giving us all a little extra tender loving care that night as we cuddled in my hospital room watching princess movies on Netflix on my iPad.

Fortunately, I don’t seem any worse for the wear. Although Mindy is now worried that every cough, sneeze or burp is going to put me back in the
hospital. She is now my constant companion. Gabriel must have sensed that I need a break, because he is allowing her to shoot endless questions at him about drawing and comic books and follow him around like a baby duckling.

“P
ipsqueak, are you hanging in there?” my dad asks as he stands behind me trying in vain to tame an errant curl in his newly trimmed hair.

I reach up to tuck an artfully curl
ed ringlet behind my ear, “Yes, I’m actually feeling fine. I’m really excited. I’m just nervous that I’m going to flub the vows.”

“Girl!” Donda reprimands, “I told you to stop messing with your hair. You can’t improve on perfection, so just stop.”

I look up at Donda, embarrassed to be caught fidgeting again. She looks stunning with the sun glinting off of the tiny star earrings adorning her delicate ears and her short severe hairstyle, highlighted by a swath of deep burgundy color that enhances her long neck and defined arms as she tucks another pearl pin in my hair. Initially, I had just assumed that Jeff would be doing my hair for the wedding, but so many people had superstitions that we decided that it would make everyone feel most comfortable to honor tradition. Therefore, Donda is handling my glamorizing as well as my maids of honor and Jeff is in charge of everyone else’s. “Donda you are right, I look like a vision. It’s better than anything I could have conjured up in my wildest imagination. Thank you so much for being my one woman styling team” I say as I gingerly hug her, trying not to disrupt anything.

“Kiera, you are family now
and I take care of my own. It’s really nothing. Who do you think taught that little brother of mine to do all of those cool things?” she answers with a wink and a smile. “Now, go talk to your dad. He seems ready to burst at the seams.”

I go across the room to where my dad is staring pensively across the deck at the waves crashing on the beach. “Daddy?” I probe softly.

My dad sinks down on a nearby ottoman as he cries, “Oh Pip, your mother would be so proud of you today. Before she got sick, she used to talk about what this day would be like and she was so excited about the years to come. I’m still angry that she took your legs from you, but please never doubt that she wanted the best for you.”

“I know Daddy,” I reply, holding his hands tightly, hoping to convey the depth of my emotion, “the real villain here was the brain tumor and the rest of us paid an unforgivable price. Today is a really huge step in showing the world that in the end, villains don’t always win.”

My dad gathers me into a careful hug as he murmurs in my ear, “Beautiful and smart. How did I get so amazingly lucky?”

I pull away with a tearful smile as I whisper, “I guess I’m just blessed with great genes.”

Mindy comes bursting into the room, her hair an elegant mixture of braids, curls, ribbons and small delicate flowers. “Come on, slow pokes!” she admonishes, “Mr. Jeff is waiting. Oh, I’m ‘upposed to give you this.” Mindy drops a small gift bag in my lap and starts to run toward the door. ”I gots to go line up with Gabriel, cause I’m the flower girl. Miss Heather, Miss Donda and Ms. Tara are supposed to be there too — the judge said,” Mindy directs with an air of authority.

I laugh at her take-charge-style and how swiftly the adults around her snap to attention. I marvel at
how quickly she has blossomed from the child, who a few months ago, couldn’t bear to make eye contact with anyone.

“I’ll be right there Mindy Mouse,” I respond as I carefully open the gift from Jeff.
I’m stunned to find pearl earrings embellished with polished jade. Attached is a simple card written in Jeff’s bold script.

Pip,

Today we are married and

Together we will discover every day

Until the stars fall from the sky.

I’ll love you until…

Your PC

Wordlessly, I hand the card to my dad as I fumble to put the earrings in while my hands are shaking like a leaf.

My dad whistles through his teeth as he reads the card, “Oh baby girl, I’d say you’ve got a keeper here — .”

“Dad,” I interrupt, voicing my deepest fears, “I love him with my whole heart, but what if my love isn’t big enough for him? What if I’m not enough?”

My dad clasps my hands in his large gnarled hands — randomly I note that his fingernails are spotless and I don’t ever remember seeing them that clean since the day my mom died — and he looks me in the eyes. “Kiera, honey, only you two can answer that question for sure. However, when you look ten, or twenty or forty years down the road, how do you envision your life?”

I sniff, trying hard not to cry and ruin several hours of Donda’s hard work as I reply without any second thoughts, “I’m side by side with Jeff and the girls are ours.”

My dad nods with approval, “Well, there you go then. That tells me everything I need to know. You might not be as eloquent as your young man, but you don’t know the meaning of the word quit. If you can’t get something done one way, you just attack it from a different angle until you get it accomplished. If you’ve decided that a happy marriage and family are what you are going to have, I have no doubt you’ll put in your fair share,” my dad advises. “But, what really convinces me that this is going to work is that you are able to let Jeff help you. For a child whose favorite phrase was ‘I do it myself!’, that kind of natural partnership says more than fancy poetry ever could.”

I squeeze my dad’s hands and blink away tears. He is right. Jeff and I are an amazing team and the connection between us was present even before we met. I’m just letting my own insecurities give me the jitters. “Daddy, are you ready to officially turn your Pipsqueak into Mrs. Pip?” I ask with a smile.

“With pleasure,” my dad says as he spins my chair out of the room with a flourish.

Gwendolyn has turned William and Isobel’s deck into a garden paradise. There are roses, carnations, and ferns everywhere I look. As I look briefly at the guests assembled, I am surprised to see some of my coworkers and some of the nurses that cared for the girls and most shocking, Sam, the little boy I rescued at the lake.

I watch as Heather and Tyler walk down the aisle together. Heather looks like a movie star as her burgundy halter dress floats around her shapely calves and her golden curls frame her face. As her stiletto catches in the decking, Ty slips his arm around her waist to steady her and as he does so, he whispers in her ear, “Easy, Gidget we’re not in any hurry to get to that aisle just yet. I’m an old fashioned kind of guy. I’d like a right and proper date first.”

The rows that
are within earshot titter with laughter and Heather blushes a deep red. This is interesting. In all the years I’ve known Heather, I’ve never seen anything or anyone ruffle her feathers. Now it seems Ty has done it at least twice. Not to be outdone, she whispers, “Does your ego get a bit heavy there, Cowboy?”

He cocks an eyebrow at her as he murmurs under his breath, “No, H
eather, that wasn’t ego talkin’, I was merely statin’ a fact.”

Heather gives me an exaggerated eye roll and stares straight ahead.

Tara is next in her striking blue dress, from the front, this dress is demure, but the back has a plunging neckline with an intricate lace panel. Right now, she is so preoccupied with keeping Becca calm that she has forgotten her discomfort about
wearing a dress. When it quickly becomes apparent that the Princess Peanut is not happy riding in her makeshift coach — a lace and pearl encrusted vintage red-flyer — Tara scoops Becca up and rests her on her hip as she walks slowly up the aisle swaying her hips in an effort to soothe the fussy baby.

Tara reaches the front of the aisle and shyly smiles at the piano player; he stumbles and plays a sour note. A murmur of understanding passes through the crowd as everyone seems to understand his lapse in concentration.

Mindy is hopping up and down in the back of the room trying to see what happened. “Is it my turn yet?” she asks anxiously.

“Not quite, Mindy Mouse,” I whisper, “Miss Donda has to light candles first, remember?”

Mindy turns to Donda as she is struggling to light the torch in the slight breeze and asks in an urgent whisper, “Miss Donda? Can you hurry up? I want it to be my turn.”

Gabriel lays a hand on her shoulder and says softly, “Little Bit, if you’re patient, I’ll show you how to shoot baskets later.”

Mindy’s eyes widen and her body freezes practically mid-hop. “Really?” she probes, “you’re gonna teach me to play basketball like a fifth grader? You’re not just trickin?”

Gabriel shrugs as he answers, “Sure. Why not? You already jump high.”

The look of total adoration and hero worship, Gabriel receives is worthy of a fairy tale and is enough to make him squirm and turn the tips of his ears red. “Mindy, I think it’s our turn to go. Do you remember what you need to do?” he asks as he tucks some hair behind her ear.

“Duh!” Mindy retorts, “I’m not a baby. I know lots of things. I escapeded a kidnapper and rescued my baby sister all by myself. I think I can throw some flower thingies.”

Gabriel touches her arm and gently says, “Relax, Little Bit, I was only asking if your nerves are under control. I am so nervous, I’m about to drop this pillow.”

Mindy giggles as she responds, “No way! You can’t do that. Your job is way more important than mine. They hafta have the rings. They can’t get married without them,” she announces as she chucks the rose petals up the aisle in one large arch and drags Gabriel down to the front.

“Hold on Little Bit,” Gabriel gasps as he struggles to keep up with Mindy while balancing the delicate pillow, ”I told you I am nervous, I didn’t say I was really going to drop the pillow, but I will if you race me.”

Mindy slows down, but still grips his hand tightly as she announces in a loud stage whisper that I can easily hear clear down the aisle. “Mr. Jeff, we brought the rings. Gabe was ascared, but I helped him. So, you can get married now, okay?” The whole audience broke out into light laughter except Gabe, who was glaring at her.

Jeff chuckles as he walks Mindy over to where the Girlfriend Posse is standing and he kneels down and fixes a flower in her hair as he replies, “Well, Princess, I appreciate the help, but I think Gabriel would have done okay on his own. I think I should probably wait until my bride shows up to get married, don’t you think?” After dropping Gabriel off in front of Donda and giving him a discrete fist-bump, he slowly turns and looks down the aisle toward me.

As our eyes meet, the energy in the room changes. It is almost as if the world has fallen away and I can feel him touching my soul. I feel my whole body vibrate with anticipation, yet
I’m completely at peace. I watch as tears gather in Jeff’s eyes and he swallows hard. My dad lifts my veil just enough to kiss my cheek, then lets it flutter back in place. “Go get your Prince Charming, Pipsqueak. It’s clear your heart belongs to him, so you might as well make it official.”

“It’s true Daddy,” I agree wiping away tears. “My heart does belong to him now. But, the reason it was in such goo
d shape for me to give to him is because my heart belonged to you first.”