Until the Stars Fall From the Sky (31 page)

Kiera is everything I always dreamed about and so much more I couldn’t guess that I would want or need. She is clearly my everything. I wish my grandparents were alive to see this. While my Grandfather would be proud of my professional accomplishments, I think this would mean far
more to him. As I catch her gaze, it’s as heart stopping as it was the first time we met. I have to catch my breath because the energy that flows between us seems to suck all of the oxygen out of the room. The connection between us is so strong that it almost feels physical. I see her smile at me and take a deep breath. I watch as Denny kisses her cheek and they both dab away tears.

The piano player begi
ns playing the traditional wedding march. My eyes don’t leave Pip. Of all the looks I’ve seen her in; this is by far my favorite. She is in an ivory lace dress that gently hugs her curves while appearing demure. For now, her face is partially obscured by a crystal-embedded veil, but she still looks exquisite. “You look beautiful, Pip. I love you,” I whisper as she hands her bouquet to Heather.

“Thank you, PC,” she replies, “I love you too and you are looking rather dashing yourself.”

William clears his throat as he says with a wide grin, “I hate to interrupt this love-fest, but I do believe we have some official business to attend to.”

I flush a little as I answer, “By all means Sir, let’s get this show on the road.”

He nails me with a glance, but proceeds in a deep voice as I hold Kiera’s hand, which is trembling slightly — or maybe it’s mine. My heart is beating so fast that I am tempted to fall back into my old habit of playing a role to calm my nerves, but I don’t want to close down my emotions. I want to remember every second of this day so that one day I can tell my kids and grandkids about the day I married my everything.

“Friend’s and family of Jeff and Kiera, we are gathered here to support their decision to formalize their declarations of love in front of God and all of the people that are important to them,” William announces. “I was privileged to be present at one of their earliest dates and I could tell that their relationship was going to be something special even then. Since I have known Kiera since before she could talk,
I’m thrilled to help her commemorate her vows to this extraordinary young man. I envision for this couple the kind of epic love story I have with my wife, Isobel. If they can cling to each other in times of trouble and celebrate shared victories, still remain breathless when the other enters a room and remember that words have the power to both destroy souls or move mountains, I’m sure they will be hosting anniversary parties for years to come.”

“Who gives this lovely woman’s hand in marriage?” William asks Denny.

Denny chokes up as he answers, “I do and I know if cancer hadn’t taken Karen, she would have given her blessing too.” Denny folds back Kiera’s veil and kisses her on the cheek as he whispers, “I’m so proud of you, Pipsqueak. Go be happy.”

I look over at Kiera and tears are streaming down her face. I remove a white cotton handkerchief from my breast pocket and hand it to her with a gentle smile
. She turns her wheelchair and I pivot on the small stool that I’m sitting on. Now, we are sitting face-to-face and holding hands.

“While I’m at it, does anyone have any objections to this wedding?” Former Justice Gardner looks very intimidating even without robes as he waits a few seconds for a response. “No objections? Great! I
’d hate to have to throw around my influence to get someone to change their mind.” He winks at the guests and they laugh.

William looks directly at Kiera and asks, “Kiera Celeste Ashley, do you take Jeffery Charles Whitaker to be your husband? Do you promise to love him in good times and in bad, in sickness and in health and to form an unbreakable bond built on friendship and respect?”

Kiera looks at me for a long beat. I think my heart is going to stop and I have to remind myself to breathe. She gives me a dazzling smile and squeezes my hands gently as she proclaims, “Yes, absolutely, without question.”

I sag a little in relief as William chuckles and quips “Well, I guess that’s clear enough.” He winks at me as he continues, “Jeffery Charles Whitaker, do you take Kiera Celeste Ashley to be your wife? Do you promise to love her in good times and in bad, in sickness and in health and to form an unbreakable bond built on friendship and respect?”

“Yes, your Honor, I do.” I answer as I interlace our fingers.

William smirks as he replies, “Son, I’m going to let that one slide since I’m here in an official capacity; but as a family friend, I expect you to call me William.

“Okay, sir,” I stammer reflexively and I stare helplessly at Kiera.

William looks at Denny as he remarks, “There are some fine manners drilled into this one. Kiera chose well.”

Kiera just grins at me and whispers, “I told you he likes you.”

William lightly clears his throat as he announces, “Kiera and Jeff have crafted their own ring ceremony, so I’m going to let them share that with you. However, I
want to share an observation with you. Both of them asked their families to take the rings in for engraving as a surprise to the other and they independently chose the same inscription. To me this shows that their marriage is about a meeting of hearts
and
minds. Kiera, would you like to start?”

Kiera breathes deeply and grips my hands in a death grip as she starts speaking, her voice full of emotion. “Jeff, you are everything that I have always dreamed of, but never dared hoped to have. For most of my life, I’ve been on the outside looking in. I’ve watched others around me enjoy the simple joys of life
— like flirting over a cup of coffee, snuggling on the couch or having a sweet, sexy slow dance. While I was always happy for my friends, there was a deep sadness that it may never happen for me. I’ve never told you this, but I almost didn’t go on that fateful boating trip. I was afraid that pedal boating was going to be one more activity that I watched from the sidelines and felt somehow ‘less than’. However, it took only one brief encounter across the lake and you pulled me off those sidelines forever. It’s as if we were a key and lock searching for each other across time. Meeting you has unlocked parts of my heart and soul and given me peace. Because of you, I feel brave, strong and sexy.”

She pauses and looks at Denny as she says, “Sorry, Daddy…”

Denny laughs as he remarks, “Don’t be sorry. I’ve been trying to tell you you’re a knockout for years, but you never listen to me.”

Kiera blushes deeply as she continues tearfully, “Jeff, our life has been crazy since the moment we met. Yet, with each challenge we face, we grow stronger. You told me before we even had our
first formal date that you’d like to prove to me that you’d love me until the stars fall from the sky. Although at first, I was scared to believe, you have demonstrated in big ways and small that you love me. So, for me this ring is a tangible sign of my love for you.”

Gabriel walks over to Kiera and hands her a ring, which she slides on my finger as she asks, “Jeffery Charles Whitaker, will you take this ring as a symbol of my love and faithfulness until the stars fall from the sky?”

To my shock, it is the simple gold band that I’ve seen my dad wear in countless pictures before he died. My eyes tear up as I breathe, “Oh Pip, this is perfect. I wanted him to be here.” In a much louder voice, I reply, “Of course I will.”

Kiera whispers, “You’re welcome PC, I just wish he could be here in person.”

William interrupts us gently, “Jeff would you like to proceed?”

I kiss Kiera’s knuckles before I start. Kiera has changed my life so much that I’m not sure I can adequately put it all into words. “Kiera, as a lifeguard, I know I should never be happy when someone puts their life at extreme risk under my watch. Yet, I thank God every day that you chose to rescue that little boy, because he is not the only one you rescued that day. You rescued me from a life of pretending to live and be happy when I was actually alone and scared. You challenge me to look at the world in a new way and face my fears. You and the girls remind me everyday that
I’m not defined by opinions of others and I have an enormous capacity to love,” I say, opening my heart for the world to see.

I pause to wipe Kiera’s tears away with the pads of my thumbs. The silent tears running down her face are my undoing.

She gives me a teary grin as she whispers, “You’re such a Boy Scout.”

“Kiera, I promised you that I’d try to give you beautiful. Baby, we are off to a great start. We have two phenomenal girls and whether they stay with us for six months, six years or until we die; in my heart, they will always be my daughters. You’ve shown me beauty in places I didn’t know it could be found. You are everything that I had no idea that I needed. You are my anchor and my soft place to fall. Together, we can conquer anything.
”

My g
randpa always told me that ‘everybody has somebody that’s your everything.’ For many years I dismissed it as fanciful thinking, yet even as I stood 15 feet away from you and our eyes met, I could feel our souls connect. After I held you — even wet and shivering — in my arms, I knew that I could never let you go and that I would love you until the stars fall from the sky.”

“Kiera Celeste Ashley, will you take this ring as a symbol of my love and faithfulness until the stars fall from the sky?”
I ask as I take the ring from Gabriel and slide it on her hand.

She gasps as she sees the newly
cleaned and polished set. “Oh My Gosh, this is so much prettier than I remember it!”

I raise my eyebrow and give her a crooked grin as I tease, “Umm, Pip…I think there is an unanswered question on the floor.”

Kiera blushes bright red, as she replies, “Yes, a thousand times, yes.”

William steps up and announces, “Ladies and Gentleman, by the authority vested in me as a member of the judiciary in the State of Oregon, I now pronounce that Jeff Whitaker and Kiera Ashley are now husband and wife. Jeff, you may kiss your bride.”

Ty comes down and gives me a fist bump, causing the entire audience to erupt in laughter.

I pull Kiera up and support her body weight with mine as I kiss her. I don’t want to embarrass her with a deep plundering kiss, but
I’m so amazed we are actually married, I’m tempted to throw caution to the wind. I settle for a slightly spicy, but relatively tame kiss. As we finish our kiss, I swing her up in my arms and cuddle her against my chest. I stride down the aisle with a grin wide enough to sell used cars.

I walk with her to the swing on the side porch out of sight of the wedding guests. As I sit with her on the swing, she teases me, “Not to discount the romantic gesture or anything, but I think you may have overlooked one small detail.”

I grin at her as I reply, “Actually I didn’t. Ty is giving us a few minutes of privacy and then he is going to bring your chair to us.”

Kiera giggles, “Geez, I really can’t overestimate your Boy Scout-ness can I?”

I grin at her as I tease, “It’s too late to have buyer’s remorse now, Mrs. Whitaker.”

Kiera reaches up to stroke the side of my face before she kisses me passionately. When we break apart, she uses her thumb to wipe her lipstick off my lips as she cries, “Uh oh, Donda is going to kill me. My face must be a mess between the crying and kissing.”

“I don’t know about that,” I say honestly, “You look beautiful to me. I pretty much forgot to breathe when I saw you. However, if you must fix it, Donda can do it while we get the food ready for the reception. I’ll watch the girls if I can pry them from their grandparents.”

“Jeff, in case I forget to tell you later, thank you for today. It was perfect. No, perfect isn’t even a strong enough word. It’s as if you read my mind and found every secret wedding fantasy I’ve ever had and then multiplied them. The only thing that could have made it better would have been if our parents could have been there to see us,” Kiera offers.

“I agree,” I murmur as I rub her back, “but I want to believe they’re up there toasting our nuptials and bragging about the new grandkids.”

“I hope they are PC, because that’s a beautiful image,” Kiera responds softly, leaning against my chest as we swing slowly in the porch swing. Just then, a huge rainbow reflects off of the ocean mist and froth a few feet from shore. Kiera sucks in a breath and blinks back tears.

“Well, Pip, I think that they just said, ‘Congratulations’,” I whisper reverently as I kiss my wife.

Today is the most important day of my whole life.
I’m so nervous I can’t sleep. I look up at the stars on my ceiling and see my name. Who will get my fairy room if I have to go away? What if I can’t be Becca’s sister anymore? I mean, sure she’s a pain now that she is crawling. I have to keep all my Barbies and bracelet making stuff out of her reach because she chews on
everything
and she drools. But, she’s still my baby sister and watching over her is my job. I turn on my big light because I’m getting scared. 

I study my room
as I look at the dragonfly Miss Kiera painted on my wall and remember how much she and Mr. Jeff love us. After we went to court, I didn’t know what to call them because she wasn’t even Miss Kiera anymore. They were Mr. and Ms. Whitaker. If I called them that, it would just be weird because it made them sound like schoolteachers. But, I couldn’t really call them my mom and dad, because it reminded me of all the bad stuff that happened in my old life. So, one day I got super sad and I just told Miss Tara the whole story.

At first I thought she wouldn’t understand at all and think I was just a baby. But, Miss Tara
totally
understood and came up with a plan — we gave them new nicknames. Miss Tara explained that Ha Ha and Chi Chi really means mommy and daddy in a secret code not everybody knows. At first, it was weird, but I kind of like having a happy secret from the world for a change. Besides, I’m afraid to jinx my wish by saying Mommy and Daddy out loud.

Lucky
, our big fluffy dog, crawls on the bed with me. He seems to always know when I want to cry. He isn’t really supposed to sleep on my bed because he has his own special dog bed that I got to pick for my room. But, he sleeps next to me if I have bad dreams or if I cry. He likes to play in the sprinklers too. It’s so fun. Lucky even lets Becca pull his tail and use her as a climbing toy. Who will Lucky play with if we have to find new families? Lucky tries to climb on my lap and lick away my tears.

My life as been like a princess movie since we came here. Ha Ha Kiera and Chi Chi Jeff danced like a queen and king at the wedding. He even danced with us! It was just like
Cinderella
, only better. I’ve never been so happy!

After we danced, Chi Chi Jeff scared a bad guy away from the wedding. I wasn’t supposed to be watching, but
Gabriel and me were playing hide and seek when Grummy’s husband came and started calling everyone horrible names. The bad guy had a gun and Chi Chi Jeff just snatched it out of his hand and handed it to Papa. Then, Chi Chi Jeff twisted his arm behind his back while Miss Tara stepped on his neck. Mr. Ty took Miss Heather’s belt off and tied the bad guy’s hands behind his back. He was still trying to kick people, so Mr. Ty used Miss Donda’s belt to tie his feet together.

The bad guy started to cry louder than Becca and they called the policemans. Chi Chi Jeff told the bad guy that “Kiera, Becca and Mindy are my family now. If that’s not okay with you, you can take the long train to Hell.” Ha Ha Kiera just
stared angry at the bad guy and held Chi Chi Jeff’s hand. She didn’t even make him put money in the swear jar. The policemans came and took the bad guy away and Chi Chi says he is going to be in jail for a long time. After all that, we ate yummy cake and homemade peach ice cream. We all got to ride horses on the beach. I had to ride with Papa, because it was my first time. But, Mr. Judge says if I can get some practice ridin’ horses, next time I can ride Snowflake all by myself!

I feel safe with Ha Ha and Chi Chi. I always have food and clothes and books. Mr. Jeff has been teaching me one big, fancy lawyer word and one doctor word every day. Some words are funny to say, like tort and voir dire. But, yesterday’s word was scary: reunification. My doctor word was uvula which means the danglely thing in your throat. Ha Ha is really picky about how I say words too. She says I have to say the whole word because smart girls don’t have lazy speech. I try really hard to remember, but sometimes I forget. Ha Ha Kiera never hits me or yells; she just shows me how to say it right. I tiptoe down the hall so that I can check my new words because everyone is still asleep. I pull the sticky note off the fridge.

There are no fancy words today, Princess Mindy.

But, these are the most important words
that you will ever read.

We will love you and Becca until the stars fall from the sky.

No matter what happens today,

you girls are our daughters
in our hearts.

Love,

Ha Ha and Chi Chi

~*~

I thought that being in court would be way scarier, but it’s kind of like church. The Judge Lady seems nice. People are arguing, but she makes them take turns. She already talked to me in her office. Chi Chi Jeff taught me that that is called her chambers. She seemed impressed when I told her about all the lawyer and doctor stuff I knew. She asked me about school, my tae kwon do class and baking pies with Ha Ha Kiera. Then, she asked me about my old parents and what it was like when I lived there. I try not to think about that time too much, because it makes my stomach hurt. I started to explain my burn and why I had to run away, but the Judge Lady made me stop. It’s funny; she looked like she was going to be sick too.

So, now we are all standing waiting for the Judge to tell us what she is going to do. I wish she would hurry because Grummy bought me a really itchy dress. It’s very pretty, but it itches. I look around the courtroom. Chi Chi is standing behind Ha Ha massaging her neck as Ha Ha tries to keep Becca still. Papa is holding Grummy’s hand and he seems to be praying. Donda and Gabriel are standing next to Papa. In the next row, Mr. Ty is standing between Miss Heather and Miss Tara. Miss Heather is grabbing his arm.

Finally, the Judge Lady bangs her gavel and sits in her chair. She pulls a file out and begins talking, “After careful consideration by this court and careful review of the record in consultation with two independent evaluators and a psychologist, I hereby rule that it is in the best interest of these two minor children for the Emergency Adoption Petition filed five months ago in September by the foster parents of record to be approved. Let the record reflect that Mr. and Mrs. Whitaker have now been married for six months and Mr. Whitaker has complied with the court’s order. He now owns his own very stylish minivan and he has earned a promotion at work while he keeps his spot on the dean’s list. Mrs. Whitaker has completed her degree with honors and is working part time. The oldest minor has been able to make the honor roll and reads at a 5
th
grade level and has won awards for citizenship. I also hear she is the first first-grader in the school’s history to win the free throw competition. The youngest child has progressed from failure to thrive to the 45
th
percentile and is meeting all developmental milestones. She appears happy, healthy and well socialized.”

“Given the fact that there have been multiple attempts to find any suitable family within the natural
family and none has been found, there is no justification for reunification. This is a tightly bonded family unit with wonderful familial and community support. It is clearly in the best interest of these children to stay in their current placement and this court sees no reason to disturb that.

“
It is so ordered. Your Emergency Petition to Adopt is hereby granted immediately. See the court clerk on your way out and she can help you with the paper work.” The Judge Lady bangs her gavel on her table.

I look at the Judge Lady. I’m not sure what to do next. Is this like church and we’re supposed to pray now? She motions me over and kneels down to talk to me.

“Do you remember what you wished for when you were in the hospital?” she asks.

I nod as I chew on a ribbon Chi Chi Jeff put in my hair this morning.

“Well, Sweetheart, your wish came true today. Kiera and Jeff are officially your mom and dad forever now,” she says as she squeezes my shoulder gently. She smiles as Chi Chi comes and places his arm around me. “Some days it’s great to have my job. Not often. However, days like this tide me over.”

Chi Chi Jeff looks at the Judge Lady and says, “You might want to stick around for this too.”

He kneels down in front of me and pulls a box from his pocket. He has to stop to wipe tears from his eyes as he says in a hoarse voice, “Mindy Mouse, I have been waiting forever to give this to you. I bought one for you and your sister the day after we went to court the first time because I knew that Kiera and I and were put on this earth to be your parents. We are honored to be your mom and dad.

I open the box carefully. Inside, there is a bracelet that looks like Ha Ha Kiera’s wedding ring. I gasp as I breathe, “This can’t be for me! It’s too pretty.” I hug Chi Chi tightly.

He whispers in my ear, “Princess, look inside the bracelet.”

I examine the bracelet closely. When I find the inscription, I start to sob. Ha Ha hands Becca off to Papa and scoops me up onto her lap.

“What’s wrong Mindy Mouse?” she probes.

“Take off your wedding ring,” I demand, burying my face in her neck as I try not to cry. I can’t believe all of my wishes are coming true. I’m scared that maybe it’s all a big dream and when I wake up
, it will all be over.

“Here, it’s easier to read on mine.”
Chi Chi offers, taking his solid gold band off.

I study both rings and cry harder. Ha Ha hugs me tighter. “Really? You mean it? You’re not trickin’? This bracelet says
until
… just like your rings — ”

Chi Chi laughs as he puts his ring back on and places
Kiera’s ring back on her finger. “Yes, Mindy Mouse, I know. I had it inscribed just for you,” he whispers.

He holds the bracelet out to put it on my wrist. I hop off of Ha Ha’s lap and stick my arm out. “Mindy Jo Whitaker, will you take this bracelet as a symbol of our love and faithfulness until the stars fall from the sky? Will you please be our daughter?”

I start jumping up and down as I shout, “Yes, infinity times infinity! Can I call you Mom and Dad for real now? People look at me weird when I call you Ha Ha and Chi Chi.”

Everybody in the courtroom laughs. “Of course
you may, but it still might be a good idea to have Tara teach you more Japanese when you grow up; It’s a handy skill to have.” Dad replies. “Come on Princess. I need you to hold still or I’ll never get this on.”

I freeze and let him hook the bracelet. “Okay, Dad, I want to thank you and Mom for rescuing us.” I respond as I reach up to hang around his neck and kiss his cheek.

Kiera strokes my cheek and hugs me tight as she states, “Mindy Mouse, we think you are our gift and in many ways you rescued us. I am thrilled to be your mom.”

I hug everyone in the courtroom
— including the bailiffs (another big fancy lawyer word). As I hug my new family, I can’t help but remember that we had almost the same conversation on the day that he put the magic ribbons in my hair. I wonder if those ribbons tie us all together. I’m sure that without magic ribbons, a little girl like me wouldn’t ever get to live happily ever after and get to bring her baby sister along on the adventure.

The End