Flowers in the Park Ch. 14

After Chapter 14, there will be two more chapters. Hopefully they will be ready to publish soon. Thank you SO MUCH for those of you who have followed along with the story of Alex and Wes. I have appreciated your comments and your favorable voting - it's your happiness that keeps me writing!

Wes woke up early on Friday morning and rolled over to cuddle with his fiancé Alex, but he was surprised to find she wasn't in bed next to him. He rubbed his eyes for a bit and then looked around and saw a very appealing sight - she was awake, naked, and standing in front of the mirror that was on the dresser in his old bedroom, holding her left hand out and admiring the new piece of jewelry she had received the day before. She would hold her hand out close to the mirror, and then pull it back and hold it over her right breast, smiling as the light reflected from the diamond.

Wes got out of bed and walked to her. When she saw him in the mirror behind her, she blushed and turned to kiss him. Wes said, "Whatcha looking at, future Mrs. Watson?"

She turned to kiss him. "Oh, you know, just a pretty little ring that a friend gave me. Do you like it?"

"I love it - I think it looks like it's supposed to be on your finger."

Wes leaned forward a little bit, swinging his arms around behind Alex and locking them together. He picked her up and she squealed as she opened her legs and locked them in behind him. Looking down at his face now from her elevated position, she sighed and said, "I can't believe how happy I am! I can't believe some other girl didn't take you off the market a long time ago! I know I shouldn't keep bringing him up, but it never felt like this with Anthony. I see now that there was always a sliver of doubt in my mind that there were going to be problems, but with you, that's not there at all. I can hardly wait to become Mrs. Watson and stay that way forever!"

She dropped her head to kiss him and squeezed him tighter with her legs. After the kiss, Wes said, "It's a good thing you feel that way because you already said 'yes,' and I intend to hold you to it! Plus, once your family sees the ring tomorrow, I have a feeling they will hold you to it also."

"They are going to love you, Mr. Watson. I'm sure my dad and brother have plans to watch more football with you tomorrow afternoon, and I know you'll probably have to pass my mom's test for you at some point. Don't worry, it's not that tough!

They kissed one more time, and then Alex looked at Wes and smiled. "Do you think we have time to....you know, do we?"

Wes laughed. "Look at your ring some more? Make the bed? Get a little more sleep? You're going to have to be more specific!"

Alex got a playful look on her face and whispered in his ear, "You know...fuck!"

"Oh, wow...so you get a ring, and you think you can just do that whenever you want?"

She laughed. "Yes - pretty much like we did before I got a ring!"

Wes carried her over to the bed and gently sat her on it, taking his place next to her. They kissed and rolled over to the middle of the bed, and he moved over her. They made love slowly and quietly again, not wanting to make any unnecessary noises that his parents might overhear. When they finished, Wes rolled off and lay next to her. Alex held up her ring finger one more time and said, "Ms. Alexandria Nicole Long and Mr. Wesley Walker Watson request the honor of your presence as they exchange wedding vows..."

Wes looked over at her and asked, "So when are we going to have this wedding? My mom asked, and I told her it would probably be sometime after school is out so we could have a proper honeymoon time."

"It's amazing how much we think alike sometimes. Of course, if you wanted to, I'd get married to you tomorrow! But if we're going to have the wedding of my dreams, we'll need some time to plan."

He nodded. "It's a good thing we have some long car rides coming up. I guess I know how we can fill some of that windshield time."

She turned to him and smiled. "You're right - suddenly I'm looking forward to our drive home today! We'll get the calendar out and see what dates we can come up with and then maybe when we talk to the preacher at my church on Sunday, we can try to get our date on the calendar."

He laughed. "Ok, I'm in. But right now, I'm in something else, and I want to focus on that, please!"

Alex giggled. "Whatever you say, Mr. Watson. The future Mrs. Watson agrees!"

******

After they finished making love, they each showered separately and got dressed. Alex pulled the sheets off the bed, but she made Wes carry them downstairs to the laundry room, since it would be pretty clear what they had done behind closed doors and Alex said she would be too embarrassed to carry them. Wes knew right where the hamper was - his mom was a creature of habit, and it was in the same place it had been his entire childhood.

It was late enough when they got downstairs that they had missed breakfast, but Wes took it upon himself to take some of the leftover ham and fry it in a skillet, before using the same skillet to scramble some eggs. Alex watched her fiancé cook with joy, knowing that she would appreciate the lessons he'd learned in this house when he was younger. He plated the ham and eggs and set one in front of Alex, and then took the seat next to her with his own plate.

In between bites, they planned the rest of their day. They had decided to head back to the city about mid-afternoon. As they were talking, Katie and Randy joined them at the table. The peppered Alex about her life, including her job as a teacher and her parents. When Alex mentioned that she was the daughter of a farmer and mentioned his name, Randy's attention increased.

"Your father is Doug Long? Did he by chance serve on the state Wheat Commission a few years ago?"

Alex's eyes opened wide. "Yes, he did, about the time I was in high school and starting college. Do you know him?"

Randy laughed. "Yes, I do! He's a great guy! We served on a subcommittee together to study the differences in harvest in different regions of the state. We were working to develop programs that helped farmers everywhere, and his contributions were significant in representing the south."

He turned to Wes and said, "Son, if she has any of the integrity of her dad, you'd better do all you can to keep her, because she's good people!"

Alex blushed as Wes smiled and said, "I already knew that, but it's nice to find out from other sources. But I'd planned on keeping her anyway!"

As they continued chatting, they started talking about the upcoming wedding. Wes took over the conversation, not wanting Alex to have to be put on the spot about anything, as his mom was prone to do sometimes. He reiterated that it would be in the church in her hometown, and that they would more than likely wait until after school was out so they could get some time off for a honeymoon. Wes could tell that his parents were excited for them, and he was pleased that they had easily accepted Alex into their family.

Soon it was time for them to go. They packed their things in the car, and before leaving, each of his parents gave Alex a hug. Wes promised they would try to be back during the Christmas holiday, and he'd try to bring Wesley with him the next time, although the timing of that was still up in the air.

Wes barely had the car on the road before Alex opened her phone. "Do you have somebody you need to call?"

She laughed. "No, silly. You said this would be wedding planning time, and I'm getting a calendar out so we can get the date set. Don't you want to speak to my church pastor this weekend to get a date set for the church?"

It was Wes' turn to laugh. "I figured you would remember that! So, what dates do you see?"

She scrolled on her phone and then suddenly stopped. "Oh Wes, so romantic! Valentine's Day is on a Saturday this year. Wouldn't that be the perfect date for a wedding? The day of lovers as the day two lovers get married to each other!"

He replied, "At least then I wouldn't have any excuses for forgetting our anniversary day! That seems pretty soon though, don't you agree?"

She sighed and said, "I know, it's too soon and there's no way I'm getting a week off in February to run away with you somewhere. But it was a nice thought!"

She kept on scrolling and got to the month of May. "My last contract day with the school is Friday, May 22. I'm sure I'll need a week to make sure everything is set for the wedding. What do you think about getting married on Saturday, May 30?"

He reached over and put his hand on her leg. "If you wanted me to marry you tomorrow, I'm ready. I know this is our wedding, but honestly, tell me the date and I'll be there!"

She thought for a few seconds, and then said, "I like that date. It's still a spring wedding, which I've always wanted. It will give me the week plus the weekend before to make sure everything is set for the ceremony. I think we have found the date where I get to become Mrs. Watson!"

Wes squeezed her leg, and she placed her left hand on top of his hand, showing off her ring again. With a date set, it seemed more real to them that their wedding was actually going to happen. As Alex chatted about the details, she had a permanent smile on her face. Wes let her talk, occasionally nodding or answering yes or no when appropriate. By the time they reached the apartment complex, the major framework of the wedding was complete. Alex could hardly wait until tomorrow to tell her family the good news!

******

Doug and Judy Long lived on a farm three miles to the southwest of town. The farm and the homestead had been in Doug's family for generations. The house was a traditional two-story white-sided farmhouse with a large wrap-around porch on the front two sides, sitting at the end of a long, tree-covered driveway. Doug had hopes that his son Aaron would one day take over the family farming operation and move into the farmhouse, just like Doug did with his father, and his father did with his grandfather, and so on since the late 1800's.

Since they were going to her parents' house, Alex told Wes she would drive and take her car, and Wes didn't argue. They talked some more about the wedding, and Alex shared a little more of her childhood and more about her parents and grandparents. Much like Wes, she was from a very close-knit family. It was comforting for both of them to know their partner had a childhood filled with family values as they grew up.

They got to Alex's home town, and as they passed through, she said, "I'll bring you back later this afternoon so I can show you the spot where I cheered for the high school football team for three years. But I'm sorry, there's no 'Lover's Tree' in my town, so I hope you're not expecting a ring!"

Wes laughed as they continued through town. In a few minutes, they arrived at her driveway. Wes gasped as he saw the trees on both sides, creating a canopy over the top that he knew would be beautiful in the spring and summer. He continued in awe when he saw the farmstead come into view. It was true that Wes had grown up in a small town similar to Alex, but he had always lived within the city limits. This was a completely new experience for him.

Before they got out of the car, Alex turned to Wes. "Don't say anything about my ring. I want to see how long it takes before somebody notices." Wes nodded in agreement. As they started getting out of the car, Alex's brother Aaron and sister Ana came out on the porch to greet them, followed by her mom Judy. Aaron seemed too cool to run to his sister, but Ana wasn't. She opened her arms to hug Alex when she stopped and shrieked.

"Alex! What is that on your finger?"

Alex blushed as Wes replied, "That didn't take long!"

Ana grabbed Alex's left hand to admire her ring. "You're engaged! It's beautiful! I'm so happy for you!"

By that time, Judy had joined the little group. "What did you say, Ana? Is your sister wearing a ring? Let me see it!"

The women grouped up around Alex's left hand. Wes looked over at Aaron, who just shrugged his shoulders. He held out his hand to his brother-in-law-to-be.

"I hope you are Wes! Nice to meet you - I'm Aaron, the smart one of the family!"

As Wes took his hand, Alex laughed. "Oh yeah, forgot he was here for a moment. Mom, Ana, this is my fiancé, Wes."

Judy gave Wes a hug, and Ana murmured, "Alex, he's even better looking than in that picture you sent. Good job, big sis!"

Alex blushed and replied, "If he passes your standard for men, that makes me happy!"

Wes got their overnight bags from the trunk of the car. As he was doing so, Alex asked her mom, "Where's dad?"

Judy's facial expression turned serious. "He's inside - he's not been feeling well lately, so he told me to tell you that he will meet Wes there. He's really anxious to meet the man that has made his daughter so happy."

Alex sensed her mom's worry. "How long has this been going on?"

Judy replied, "He noticed he wasn't feeling well a week or so after your last visit. The doctors are working on figuring out what the problem is. He's tired and weak, but he's been keeping a full farming schedule, because he doesn't want to get behind on anything."

They climbed the steps to the front porch. Aaron held the door for the others to pass through. While the farmhouse might have been built in the late 1800's, it had certainly been remodeled since then. The door led into an expansive living area with an open concept kitchen and dining room to the left. What looked to be an original fireplace was in the middle of the outside wall on the right. The main floor had many modern touches that the builders of the house would have never imagined.

Alex walked straight over to her dad, who stood up from a recliner that faced the TV. She hugged him and could tell that his return hug wasn't very strong. "Dad, I'm sorry to hear you're not feeling good. I hope it's okay that we came. We don't want to wear you out more than you already are!"

Doug Long smiled back at his daughter. "It would have worn me out more not being able to see you and meet your new boyfriend."

Alex started to show her dad his ring, but Ana couldn't contain herself. "It's FIANCE, dad - Alex has a ring!"

Alex blushed and her mom yelled, "ANA!" But Alex adored the fact that her sister was so happy, and her dad said the most loving thing he could.

"It looks like we have another great reason to be thankful. Hello, Wes! It's nice to meet you finally!"

Wes stepped up to shake Doug's hand. "It's nice to meet you as well! We found out yesterday that you and my dad knew each other a few years ago when you were serving on the state wheat commission together."

Doug smiled. "Is your dad Randy Watson? I didn't put that together until just now. Randy is one of the finest grain elevator operators in this state. He is very well respected by many people."

Wes replied, "He had great things to say about you as well. It sounds like Alex and I came from good fathers."

He then turned to Judy and said, "And of course, VERY good mothers as well!"

Judy laughed and said, "Nice save, Wes! Just for that, I'll let you stay for dinner!"

It was the second traditional Thanksgiving Day lunch for both Alex and Wes. As on Thursday, they helped with the final preparations before sitting down to eat. Conservation mostly centered on the engagement and upcoming wedding, with Alex revealing their plans to have the wedding there in late May or early June. She also told the family that they planned on trying to speak with the pastor of the church to make sure it was available when they wanted it.

They decided to wait for a couple of hours after lunch was over to eat dessert. Once the table was cleared, Judy asked the family to sit down at the table again. This was a little unusual, as much like Wes' family, the tradition was to watch football in the afternoon.

There was silence as they all sat around the now-cleared table. Doug and Judy sat at opposite ends of the table, while Ana and Aaron sat on one side and Alex and Wes sat on the other. As Judy dropped her head to look into her lap, Doug broke the silence.

"We wanted to wait until we were all together in person before we told you this. Wes, I'm sorry we're dropping this on you right after meeting us, but we felt this was the best way." He paused for a few seconds, and then continued. "There's no easy way to say it, so I'm just going to spit it out. I've been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, and it's spread to other organs. The doctors have told me that I only have a few months to live."

For a moment, it was as if the air had been let out of the room, and then the sobbing and tears started. Ana looked at her father and shrieked, "Daddy!" and got up to run to him and give him a hug. Judy sobbed at the other end of the table, and Alex moved to her, wrapping her up in a hug as well. Wes got up to stand by his fiancé, while Aaron sat in his seat, stone-faced, like he didn't know what to do.

Alex looked up at her dad with tears running down her face and asked, "How long have you known this?"

Doug replied, "For a couple of weeks. It was hard not saying anything, but we really wanted to tell you in person, and we figured you would be back for the holiday weekend. It was a difficult decision to wait to tell everyone, but we wanted to be together when we shared the news."

Ana asked, "What about treatment? Is there something they can do to make it all go away?"

Doug shook his head. "I'm sorry, honey, but the cancer has spread too quickly, and the doctors have assured me that there's no way they could go in and take it all out. If I started radiation or chemotherapy, all it would do would be to prolong my life, but with the high dosages it would take just to do that, I'd be miserable and too weak to do anything."

Ana continued hugging her dad as he reached out to put his hand on top of Aaron's. Aaron grabbed his dad's hand and squeezed it.

"I know this news spoils the weekend, but I want us to spend as much of my remaining time with you together, starting now. Alex, I know you have to go back and teach, and I understand that, but I hope we'll get to continue seeing you on weekends like we have the past few months. Aaron and Ana, you're always with me, and I give thanks for that. Your mom and I have already been discussing this, and over the years I've been able to make some investments that should help to provide for you going forward. We don't know what we're going to do with the farm yet, but I know there are other farmers who wouldn't mind the opportunity to farm our ground and that would help keep an income stream going.

"But this news has given me an opportunity to look at my life and realize how thankful I am with all my blessings. I have the best wife I could ever hope for, and the best kids. Alex, you've found a great man, and that makes me happier than you could ever know. Ana and Aaron, I know you're smart enough and hard-working enough that you will be successful in whatever it is you decide to do. I love all of you. You have helped me have a perfect life."

Aaron stood up and walked over to his dad to give him a hug, and Alex followed. Doug stood as well as all three of his kids held him, crying as they did. Wes stayed with Judy and offered her a hug, which she accepted. As they hugged, she whispered to him, "Thank you for being here, and for giving Alex back to us. We thought we had lost her after she canceled the wedding, but you have given her back to us, and I know she's going to need you as we deal with her dad's cancer."

Wes responded, "I'll be here for her, and for all of you."

They all moved to the living room, and for the rest of the afternoon, Doug and Judy shared stories of their own childhoods, as well as the story of how the two of them met and eventually got married. Doug mentioned he had to do a lot of convincing with Judy's father, who wasn't quite sure he wanted his daughter to be a farm wife. Wes shared some of his own upbringing, and he and Alex retold the story of how his son Wesley had brought her some wildflowers and had immediately won her over, and it wasn't long before she fell for his dad as well. The more they shared, the less the tears flowed, and there were moments when laughter overtook the family.