Flowers in the Park Ch. 15

This is the next to last installment, and then I'll wrap this little romantic story up. I've thoroughly enjoyed watching them grow from that first random meeting in the park to this point. I have a feeling you already know what this chapter is about from the description, but I hope you enjoy it anyway!

******

Pastor Chet was waiting for them outside the church office door. They walked through the sanctuary again, and Alex explained what her visions were for her dream wedding, including where the wedding party would be standing during the ceremony. They toured the large activity center which was a glorified gym with a kitchen attached. That would be where the dinner and dance following the wedding would be held. Wes was impressed with the size of the facility. His own church back home had nothing like it.

They moved to Pastor Chet's office. He got the church calendar out and looked to Alex and Wes and said, "Have you two decided when you would like to be married?"

Alex nodded. "We are looking at a late May wedding. Do you have...."

Wes interrupted her. "Valentine's Day. We must be married on Valentine's Day!"

******

Alex was startled by Wes' comment. She turned to him and said, "What are you talking about? I thought we had decided on a late May wedding."

Wes took her hand in his. He said softly, "Alex, this is hard to say, but I'm not sure your dad is going to make it to the end of May, and it would be a real shame if he couldn't walk you down the aisle. I'm sure that's part of the vision for your dream wedding."

Alex lowered her head, and soon there were tears dripping on Wes' arm. She buried her face into his shoulder and sobbed as Wes wrapped his arms around her to comfort her. Pastor Chet reached for a box of tissues on his desk and handed them to Wes, who pulled a couple out and gave them to his fiancé. After a few moments, she looked back up at Wes. Her eyes were still filled with tears, but she knew he was right.

She turned to look at Pastor Chet. "So is February 14 available?"

He had already checked the calendar once Wes had spoken up. "It is available, and I can't think of a better day for you to get married. I know that pushes your date up quite a bit, but I can assure that the church will do all we can for you to make this your dream wedding."

Alex smiled. "I wouldn't have it any other place. We'd like a 5:00 p.m. wedding, followed by a dinner and dance if possible."

Pastor Chet wrote the information in the calendar. "Done. I can hardly wait!"

Wes laughed and said, "Us too! Thank you, Pastor Chet. I'm sure we'll speak again in the coming weeks."

Once they were in the car, Wes said, "I'm sorry to make you upset in there, but I figured..."

He got no further because Alex leaned over and kissed him. "Every day I don't think I can love you anymore than I already do, but it seems every day you prove to me that I can. You knew that might cause me to be upset, but you were willing to risk that because of course it was the only thing we could do. I guess I'm still having a hard time thinking he may not be with us when May comes. Thank you for being my rock, Wes. I have a feeling I'm going to lean on you a lot over the next few months."

Wes squeezed her hand and replied, "I'm not going anywhere. We'll get through all of this together."

When they returned to her family, they shared the news of the earlier wedding date, which brought another round of tears from everybody. It was the unspoken acknowledgement of the news they had received the day previous day, and before Wes and Alex left to go back to the city, they sat down as a family and began to discuss the preparations to get a dream wedding planned in such a short time. It was a healing moment, as they were able to put their efforts into planning something joyful and not dwell on the impending loss of their beloved husband and father.

The planning continued for Wes and Alex on the drive back to the city. They made plans to contact the members of their wedding party as soon as possible, hoping that each would be able to make a February wedding work. Alex's mom Judy was left in charge of finding someone to cater the wedding dinner, and her sister Ana believed she could find a DJ that could play music for the dance. As they drove, Wes called his parents and shared the news with them about the wedding and Alex's dad's cancer diagnosis. They agreed to do whatever they could to help make sure all the bases were covered.

Back in Alex's apartment that evening, Alex and Wes took the opportunity to sit on the couch next to each other and reflect on their long weekend. They hadn't realized how exhausted the news of her dad's diagnosis had made them. As they sat together, Alex leaned her head over onto her fiance's shoulder.

"Are we going to be able to pull this wedding off in such short time, since we will be three hours away nearly every day between now and then?"

Wes brushed his fingers through her hair. "We can't allow ourselves to ask whether we can do it or not. We have no choice now but to get it done, so from this moment forward, we need to be saying 'we CAN get this wedding done.'"

They sat in silence for a few moments, and then Wes spoke again. "I'm worried about your mom and family and how they are going to cope with losing your dad. How will they manage the farm? Will they consider selling it? I'm not sure what they will do."

"I haven't had time to think about things like that, but I appreciate that you are. You really made an impression on my family, whether you knew it or not. I don't know what the future holds, but I know they are glad that I found you and I'm not letting you go."

Even though it was still early in the evening, they agreed that a good night's rest was probably what they both needed before going back to work the next day. As they climbed into bed, the most important thing they each needed was to hold each other, knowing that as difficult as the next few months would be, they would be stronger together. It was those thoughts that they took to sleep with them.

******

The month of December brought a new round of energy for Alex and Wes. Their Wednesday times with Wesley were ending, and they prepared for the time when it would take a seven-hour car drive to go see him. Wesley's mom Janelle and her fiancé Dennis had also moved their wedding date up when he found out he was being accepted into his company's management training program, so they could be married when he started his new position shortly after the first of the year. While Alex had planned on going on those long weekend trips with Wes to see his son, those plans had now changed at Wes' insistence, knowing that she needed to go be with her family as much as possible while her dad was still alive.

The traditional planning for Christmas activities was curtailed so all their focus could be on their upcoming wedding on Valentine's Day. Both had gone to their supervisors to ask for a couple of days off on either side of the wedding date and had received approval. It wouldn't allow them the honeymoon they had hoped for, but it would give them a chance to spend at least a couple of days together as a newly married couple before returning to work again.

Alex's friend Lori was shocked at the developments. "Alex, I'm so sorry! You know I'll do anything I can to help you prepare for this wedding."

Alex smiled and replied, "I know - you were very important to me as we planned the last wedding. A lot of what we did for that one will be carried over to this one. Wes has told me that there's no sense in starting over when I had already been planning for my dream wedding when it was canceled."

Lori smiled. "He's a great man, and he's going to be so good for you during all of this. I can't tell you how happy I am for you! Surprised it's all happening so quickly, but I know it's the right thing for you."

Alex looked at her friend and replied, "I've needed strong people to be with me, and you made it so I could survive and get to the point where someone like Wes could come into my life. Of course, you will be my maid of honor, so make sure you are available that weekend so you can do your duties!"

"Don't worry, Alex - I don't care what else might be happening, I'll be there for you!"

The final day of school before the winter holiday break gave Alex a chance to head home to be with her family before Christmas. Serious wedding planning had kicked into full gear, and Alex used the time to order invitations and other things they would use at the wedding. Filling out the order forms with the names "Wes and Alex Watson" made her smile, and she snapped a picture of the form and sent it to Wes, who promptly jokingly responded, 'Who is Alex Watson?' She replied, 'You'd better get used to that name, because you're going to be hearing it for the rest of your life!' His response back to her was perfect: 'AWESOME!'

They reversed the holiday schedule they had observed for Thanksgiving as they made their plans for Christmas visits with family. They spent Christmas day with her parents and family, and the following day made the trip to his hometown for Christmas with his family. The next weekend was the first time Wes made the seven-hour drive to Memphis to visit Wesley in his new location. Alex had told Wes she would go with him, but he knew the more time she could spend with her dad, the better it would be, and she had agreed. Wes discovered on the trip what he had expected all along, that the drive to Memphis to see Wesley was much shorter than the drive home after seeing him. But while there, he had asked if Janell and Dennis could make it so that Wesley could be in the wedding, and they assured him they would make that work.

The week of the wedding finally arrived. Both Alex and Wes had taken Thursday and Friday of the week off to make the final preparations, including decorating the sanctuary and the reception hall at the church. The hotel in Alex's hometown had been booked for arriving guests, including members of the wedding party that didn't live close by. Alex and Wes had decided that he would take one of the rooms so they could follow the practiced tradition of the groom not seeing the bride before the wedding began. It also gave him a chance to catch up with some of his friends who were going to be in the wedding.

Thursday was spent getting all the decorations for the wedding in place. Tuxes for Wes and his groomsmen were picked up and stored in the groom's room at the church. Friday was spent making sure everything was in place so that all could concentrate on only the wedding the following day.

Wes' family arrived on Friday as well. His parents came first, and they had some preparation for the rehearsal dinner for which they were responsible. His sister Rene and her husband Braden arrived, along with their daughters Nicole and Maya, who would serve as flower girls for the wedding. They were excited to see Alex again, so some time was spent getting reacquainted since it had been Christmas when they had seen each other last.

Friday afternoon, Wesley showed up, accompanied by his grandparents, Janelle's mom and dad. Janell and Dennis were unable to make the trip from Memphis due to his new managerial training position, so her parents had made arrangements to bring Wesley and stay with him in the hotel on Friday evening. Wesley was nearly four now, and even his father was impressed with the maturity he was displaying at that young age. He also wanted time with Alex, since she had only been able to accompany Wes once on his longer trip to see his son. Alex was glad her family and trusted friends could work on things without her constant supervision, since she was enjoying being reunited with her soon-to-be stepson and his cousins.

It was also a reunion for Wesley and his cousins Nicole and Maya. He hadn't seen them in several months due to his move with his mom and stepdad to Memphis. When the girls saw him, they ran up to him and surrounded him with a big hug. Wesley's father stood back and watched the reunion, wishing there was a way the cousins could spend more time together.

The rehearsal went well. Pastor Chet had the wedding party run through the ceremony twice, including having Alex and Wes rehearse their vows, although he would not let them practice their kiss, preferring to save that for the actual wedding. After the rehearsal was finished, the wedding party went into the activity center for the rehearsal dinner, which Wes' parents had arranged to be catered by a local restaurant. Following dinner, Wes and Alex gave their attendants gifts to say "Thank you" for being in their wedding. As maid of honor, Alex's best friend Lori gave a speech, which consisted mainly of her thanking Wes for giving Alex back to her, and then threatening him if he ever did anything to screw that up.

The most emotional event of the evening was when Alex's dad Doug got up to give a speech. He was visibly weakened from the cancer that had invaded his body, but he still smiled as he spoke. "Today is one of the happiest days of my life, and tomorrow will probably be even better. Every dad wants nothing but the best for his kids, and he spends all his life trying to make that happen. Unfortunately, I'm not going to get to do that much longer, but I am at peace, because I know that Alex has found a man that will take that responsibility over and spend the rest of his life making sure my daughter is happy."

He set the microphone down on the table and walked over to Wes, giving him a big hug, which Wes returned. Tears in the room had started flowing, most noticeably Alex, who knew this weekend would bring about many bittersweet moments.

Doug picked up the microphone again and turned to his daughter. "Alex, your mom and I are incredibly proud of the woman you've become, and we are so elated that you have found your soulmate. If you love him as much as your mom and I love each other, I know nothing will ever be able to separate you, and you'll live a happy, long life. I'm so thankful to still be here for this weekend, because however long I have left on this earth, every day will be joyous with the memories of this wedding I will take with me."

He put the microphone down again and hugged Alex. The room burst out with spontaneous applause for the very special moment as father and daughter hugged. Eventually everybody sat back down. Alex made some announcements about the schedule for when attendants and other wedding participants were expected to be at the church, and then thanked all for coming.

Once everybody was out of the hall, Alex turned to Wes. It would be the final time they would see each other until she walked down the aisle at the wedding.

She smiled and said, "Not too late to back out!"

He laughed. "Not on your life! You're stuck with me. But even if I was having second thoughts, there's no way I'd walk now after your dad's speech. I was already planning on making you happy for the rest of your life, but now I feel I owe it also to your dad. I wouldn't want to disappoint him."

Alex kissed him. "He knows you're the right man for the job, I could hear it in his words. He sees how happy I am, and that makes him happy."

They hugged each other, and then Wes said, "I guess I'll see you a little bit after 5:00 tomorrow afternoon. I don't know how I'm going to be able to go that long without seeing you, but somehow, I'll manage."

Alex nodded. "I was just thinking it was crazy for us not to have the wedding earlier so it wouldn't be so long between times seeing you. But just think, after tomorrow, we'll be husband and wife, and we'll be together forever."

They kissed again, and Wes said, "I love you, soon to be Mrs. Alexandria Watson."

She smiled. "I love you, soon to be married Mr. Wesley Watson. See you tomorrow, ok?"

He laughed. "Promise!"

Alex found her parents, who were waiting in their car to take her to their house, where she would spend the night. They rode the few miles to the house silently, and once they pulled into the driveway and shut off the car, Alex got out and embraced her dad one more time. She knew that while tomorrow would be a great day, it would also be a very tough day, and she wanted to make sure she spent as much time as possible letting her dad know how much she loved him.

******

Valentine's Day finally arrived. It was a crisp and clear day, with the sun shining brightly on the land. Alex was up by 8:00 for breakfast and to get her hair done by the stylist she had been using since she was a teenager. Her mom and sister were with her, while her brother kept her dad company.

They arrived at the church shortly after 2:00. With her hair already done, Alex had Lori help her with her makeup. She had the photographer take some candid pictures of her and her wedding attendants, including Wes' nieces, who were wearing matching dresses that complimented the colors of the flowers Alex had chosen. When it was time to put on the dress, it was just her mom Judy and her maid of honor Lori helping her. Alex really loved the traditional idea of as few people seeing the bride in her dress before the wedding as possible.

Wes and his groomsmen arrived at the church at 3:00. The church wedding planner who was assisting with the preparation made sure that Alex was tucked away in a room on the other side of the church so Wes wouldn't see her before the wedding. Wesley arrived about 30 minutes later. He had a child-sized tuxedo to wear that matched those of his father and the groomsmen. The photographer also came in to get pictures of Wes and his crew.

Just a few minutes before 5:00, the church wedding planner made her rounds to let the wedding party know it was time for them to get lined up. Wes left with the Pastor Chet to walk outside to the front of the church, where they would come in together. The music for the seating of the parents and grandparents began, and they were escorted in by Wes' brother-in-law and Alex's brother, who served as ushers.

The music changed, and it was time for Pastor Chet and Wes to make their entry. When they were in place, the couples of the wedding party started down the aisle. The planner timed it so that when the first couple arrived at the front of the church, the second couple had started, continuing until all four couples were up front. Each of Wes' groomsmen shook his hand as they walked by, congratulating him in advance for his wedding.

Next down the aisle was Wesley, looking as sharp as a handsome, nearly 4-year-old child could. He saw his dad at the front of the church and his face broke out in a huge grin, but he didn't break his stride, as he carried the box that had both rings in it. Once he reached his dad, he turned to face the back of the church, and Wes bent down and whispered something in his ear. Wesley nodded and grinned again.

Nicole and Maya were next down the aisle in their matching dresses, each with a basket that contained white rose petals which they were tossing on the aisle as they walked. Maya spotted her cousin Wesley standing in front of his dad and couldn't help but give him a little wave, which brought chuckles from the wedding party.

The music paused and the room became hushed. When Pastor Chet saw the doors to the sanctuary opening, he asked the audience to stand. They did at once, turning to face the back of the church. The organist began playing the traditional bridal march.

And then Alex appeared, her arm intertwined with that of her father. She turned the corner to walk down the aisle, and as soon as Wes spotted her, he began crying. He knew she would be beautiful, but he was not prepared for just how beautiful she was in her wedding dress. Alex immediately locked her eyes on Wes, and the two of them looked at each other as she and her father made their way down the aisle. When she was almost to the front, Wesley looked back at his dad, who nodded. Wesley stepped forward towards Alex and lifted his hand from underneath the ring box, showing a few sprigs of the same wildflower that he had picked for Alex the first time they met in the park. He handed it to her, saying word for word what he had said that day - "A beautiful woman should have beautiful flowers!"