Kellie and Brad Ch. 03

However, unless there was a major upset it looked like Anita's team was going to prevail. They had only lost one game all week and were waiting to play in the final on Sunday.

That night the five teammates had dinner at a local restaurant. The conversation eventually turned to Kellie's upcoming wedding, now just about one week away.

"I can't wait, Kellie! It's going to be a special day. You'll be a beautiful bride!" Amber exclaimed in her typically chipper fashion.

"Thanks Amber! It will be a special day, because I'll be marrying the man of my dreams and I'll have my best friends in the world at my side," Kellie replied.

"Awww!" the girls sang in unison.

"So who is coming from Brad's side?" Sandra asked.

"Well, his good friends from work, mostly. Russ is the best man. And of course his... parents." Kellie tripped over the end of her statement, only too aware of how her own parents had not yet committed to attend.

Her friends knew this as well, and tried to support her as well, offering soothing words and pats on the hand.

"How's Brad handling this? I know you said you two talked about them a few weeks ago and he got really angry with them," Jennifer wondered.

Kellie laughed, but it was a bittersweet one. "He's practically biting off his tongue trying not to say anything. I know he wants to just rip into them but he's doing his best to control himself because I asked him to, and I love him so much for it."

"He really is a great guy, isn't he?" said Heather.

"Yes he is. I can't really put it in words just how special he is and how much I love him. I hope one day all of you can find someone that loves you like he loves me, and that you love just as much in return like I do him, that you'll spend the rest of your life with."

All the others nodded quietly. Jennifer caught Heather's eye, and the two shared a quick but knowing glance. Jennifer then turned to her skip and said, "We're all so happy for you, Kellie! You and Brad are a great couple and we're sure you'll have a long and happy marriage. We'll do what we can to make sure everything goes smoothly on your wedding day." The other girls nodded in agreement.

"Thanks, I know I can count on you all." Kellie hugged each one of her friends in turn before they finished their late dinner and retired for the evening.

They returned to the rink the next day to watch the final match. Even from their relatively distant vantage point Kellie could read the body language of the young team preparing to face Anita and her players, and she knew they probably looked like deer in the headlights.

"Anita's team is going to win this easy, girls. Hate to say it but it's true," she said.

Amber's eyes opened wide. "How do you know?"

"Look at the other team, Amber. The rest of you, too. What do you see?"

"They look nervous," Sandra replied.

"Scared, even," Jennifer chimed in.

"Exactly, Jen," said Kellie. "It's one thing to be nervous. Nerves go away, and then you just focus and play the game like you've always done. These girls are scared, and there is no way they can play like they are capable of if they can't get over that."

Heather, with knowledge of her former skip's methods, added her own opinion. "And you just know Anita and the rest of her team are intimidating them. She'll smell the fear on these girls; don't doubt that for a second."

Kellie had her skip's hat on, so to speak, and she took the opportunity to talk to her teammates during the match, explaining what was done well, what mistakes the teams made and what she thought they should do if facing a similar situation. Jennifer, Sandra, Amber and Heather listened in rapt attention, trying to soak in all the knowledge and wisdom from their skip. Besides her natural talent for the sport Kellie had a terrific feel and mind for curling, and her teammates benefited from her ability to explain all of its nuances so clearly without being condescending. It was one more reason why they felt they were both a strong team and very close friends.

Just as Kellie predicted, Anita's team easily disposed of the competition. During the trophy presentation, the host of the event, a local television presenter, stepped to the microphone to interview the winners. "Congratulations to you and your team, Anita! Would you like to say a few words to the crowd?"

"Yes, my thanks to the organizers, the fans and to my team, we were awesome today. Now, I have it on good authority that Kellie Ferguson and her team are in attendance. Kellie, your win last year was a fluke and you know it. You're just keeping those Team Canada outfits warm for us. We'll gladly remove them from your hands in two weeks' time. See you there, if you have the guts!"

The crowd was stunned at the blatant trash talk. Curling was still a game where sportsmanship and respect were highly valued, and opponents publicly went out of their way to praise each other, even if in private they couldn't stand them. But Anita and her team looked like they didn't care one bit about the breach of etiquette or the reaction to it. They lifted the trophy high and paraded it around the rink.

Kellie's teammates looked upset, Heather especially, the memories of what she foolishly chose to put up with from Anita and the others for so long still fresh in her mind. The comments did bother Kellie as well but she tried her best to not let it show. She simply wore a small frown on her face and motioned with her head to the others that it was time to go.

As they were leaving, a news reporter ran after them. Kellie did not feel like answering questions but felt some degree of responsibility to do so, given her standing in the sport. She stopped, letting the high-heeled woman shuffle over to catch up, while the others waited a few steps behind her.

"Kellie, what's your reaction to Anita's comments and how will they affect you as your team prepares for the Canadian championships?" the reporter asked in her best serious-journalist voice.

"Well, she's obviously very excited, her team has just won provincials in what is a tough and competitive field," Kellie responded. "It's certainly not the way we would choose to act after victory, but that's their decision and they'll have to live with it. They are a very good and very confident team, but so are we. We welcome their challenge and that from all the other teams as well. We feel good about our chances to repeat, but we'll have to be at our best because the competition is so strong."

The reporter thanked her, and Kellie and her teammates left the arena. On the ride home she sat in quiet reflection while the animated conversation of her friends surrounded her.

In past years, knowing she would eventually face Anita's team would have bothered her tremendously, let alone having to listen to her rival's intemperate victory speech. Yet now this outcome didn't faze Kellie at all. She previously would have dreaded such a matchup, but now she welcomed it. Motivated by revenge over Anita's attempts to break up her relationship with Brad, plus her quiet yet fierce competitive streak and the need to prove herself against the best teams at the biggest tournament in curling, she looked forward to facing Anita's team at the Canadian championships, and indeed the event as a whole, more than anything to date in her professional career.

*******

But there was one more thing to take care of first.

And on that day, both Kellie and Brad were very nervous.

It was a snowy Saturday in February, one week before the Canadian women's curling championship. More importantly, today was the day of their wedding.

Kellie and Brad didn't spend a whole lot of quiet time that week. During the days, Brad was busy with work while Kellie was training and practicing with her team. In the evenings they were making whatever last minute preparations had to be made for the wedding. The constant activity left them with little energy, and so both would just crawl into bed for some much-needed rest.

When that Friday night came Brad and Kellie stayed apart, following the age-old tradition of bride and groom not seeing each other the night before the wedding. Brad stayed at Russ's house, joined by their mutual friends from the curling club and others from town; they drank a few beers and busted Brad's chops all night for giving up the "freedom" of bachelor life. It was all in fun of course as they knew he was truly in love, and some of them were even secretly jealous that he had found such a beautiful woman as his soul mate. Meanwhile Kellie hosted another girl's night in with Jennifer, Amber, Sandra, Heather and a few other women friends from town; they shared some wine and talked excitedly about love and life, and a little bit about sex, too.

The next morning Brad, his parents and his wedding party made their way to the courthouse. All the men looked sharp in their rented tuxedos, and Brad's mother beamed with pride knowing her boy was getting married today.

Brad was restless as he waited for Kellie and her wedding party to arrive. Russ noticed this and went to talk to his friend.

"Hey Brad, how are you feeling?" he asked.

"My stomach is doing backflips, Russ. It's a minor miracle I haven't been sick yet," Brad replied.

"You're not getting cold feet now, are you?"

"If you're asking if I'm going to leave Kellie at the aisle, no, I wouldn't dream of doing that. I am very nervous though, I'm worried that I will fail her somehow, that I won't be a good husband for her."

"Brad, you're over-thinking this. You've been so good for her since you started dating her, and I know you love her very much. I know you well enough to know that won't change anytime soon. Keep doing what you've been doing. Talk to her, keep the communication going, and listen to her. You do that and you'll be just fine. You two are perfect for each other. You'll be a great husband, Brad, I just know it."

"Thanks, Russ." Brad was heartened by his friend's kind words but he was still very nervous. He stood by a window, watching the light, fluffy snowflakes fall softly to the ground outside, trying to make sense of his thoughts.

While Russ and Brad were speaking, Kellie and her wedding party had arrived. Her friends were in a side room set aside for them, making last-minute adjustments to their hair and makeup, when they heard a knock at the door.

Jennifer answered, and then she turned to Kellie and said, "Hey Kellie, there's someone here I think you should see." She made a quick excuse for the other bridesmaids to step outside so Kellie and her guests could have some privacy.

When Kellie saw her aunt and uncle walk in, she beamed. "Aunt Linda! Uncle Vic! I'm so glad you could be here!"

"We wouldn't miss your big day, Kellie," Linda replied, hugging her niece.

"It's not every day a young lady gets married, after all," Victor chimed in with his deep baritone voice.

Kellie smiled briefly before her expression changed to one of lost hopes. She hesitantly asked, "My parents aren't coming, are they?"

Linda and Victor looked at each other before both sadly shook their heads.

Kellie looked downcast. A single tear ran down her cheek. Her aunt and uncle simply looked at each other again, clearly uncomfortable and not knowing what to say or do.

To their relief, Kellie seemed to quickly snap out of her funk, just as quickly as she got into it in the first place. "No," she said firmly. "I'm not going to let this ruin my wedding day. I just won't."

"Good for you!" Linda visibly exhaled. Wanting to turn to more positive thoughts, she continued, "Brad really is a good man, isn't he? You've talked about how good he's been to you so much. We hope to get to know him better and we're glad to see how happy he makes you."

"He is a wonderful man, Aunt Linda. I love him so much. Sometimes I worry that I won't measure up to what he wants, that I won't be a good enough wife for him."

Both Linda and Victor placed a comforting hand on Kellie's shoulders.

"Kellie," Linda said, "you're a wonderful young lady. I'm sure Brad knows that, but if he doesn't or if he ever forgets that then he's a fool. But I know that won't happen since I'm sure he's as good a man as you say he is."

Victor spoke up as well. "Kellie, I know it wasn't always easy for you when you moved in with us. Your aunt and I do not naturally express our emotions as much as we should. So we didn't know what to do when you were having troubled times in your life, and we probably weren't there for you sometimes like we should have been. But we're very proud of you and we always have been. We want you to know that we do love you and we'll be there for you if you need anything."

Kellie's eyes welled with tears of happiness. "Thank you Aunt Linda and Uncle Vic! It means so much to hear you say that. I know it wasn't easy for you but you did so much for me when I was growing up, more than maybe you even realize. I love you two very much!"

The three shared a hug until Jennifer knocked and opened the door to signal they were ready for their grand entrance.

Kellie, in a much happier tone of voice, said, "It occurs to me I need someone to walk me down the aisle and give me away. What do you say, Uncle Vic?"

"Kellie, it would be my honour!"

Victor offered his arm, and Kellie graciously accepted, holding him in the crook of his elbow. She took a deep breath before leaving the room, as ready to be married as she ever would be.

*******

He was captivated by her beauty.

Brad would later learn that Sandra had found her grandmother's old wedding dress soon after he and Kellie had announced their wedding date. After having it cleaned and touched up, she suggested Kellie try it on, and as if designed by fate, it fit perfectly.

All he knew at that moment, however, was that Kellie looked positively radiant.

The acute nervousness he had felt for the last hour or so vanished, replaced by a complete sense of calm. He knew this was meant to be. He was going to marry Kellie Ferguson, the most beautiful woman he ever saw, who looked like a vision in white as she walked down the aisle, and nothing in his life to date had ever felt so real or so right.

Kellie briefly scanned the room while she walked towards the front of the room, holding her uncle close. She smiled brightly at the sight of Brad. She thought he looked deliciously handsome in his tuxedo. The smile on his face and the composure he held himself with soothed her own anxieties. It felt like destiny to her. She was going to marry Brad Galenchuk, the man of her dreams in every way, and nothing in her life to date had ever filled her with so much happiness.

They were both in front of the justice of the peace now. Kellie folded her right hand into Brad's left and interlaced their fingers. He took her hand to his mouth and kissed her softly. They barely broke eye contact with each other throughout the whole proceedings.

The ceremony was elegant in its simplicity. The justice looked pleased to perform his duties; he had officiated other weddings that while legal were clearly bogus in some manner so it was a joy for him to wed two people together who were so obviously in love. Brad and Kellie spoke their vows to each other and exchanged rings. Soon after, the justice spoke those words that everyone gathered that day had longed to hear...

"By the power vested in me by this province, I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss the bride."

...and then a great cheer was raised when the newlyweds kissed for the first time as newlyweds.

After the ceremony everyone piled into the modest home of Brad's parents for a home-cooked dinner. Plenty food, drink and merriment was had by all. Everyone delighted in egging Brad and Kellie on to kiss several times over the evening. The newlyweds had fun with this, sometimes disappointing the crowd with chaste pecks on the cheeks, and other times nearly engaging in full make-out sessions.

Victor and Linda each read letters wrote to Kellie by her brother and sister congratulating her on her marriage and sending regrets they could not attend. They were short letters, nothing fancy, but she hadn't expected even that much, so the fact they took the time to write them touched her profoundly. Speeches were given by the maid of honour and the best man. Jennifer's was warm, emotional and moving, while Russ's was the right mix of funny, ribald and poignant.

Brad and Kellie were pleasantly surprised when their friends, his parents and her aunt and uncle announced they had pooled some money together to get them some thoughtful wedding gifts, including a week's stay at a popular summer resort that would serve as their honeymoon week, since as the girls were all eager to remind them, Kellie would be otherwise occupied in the next few weeks to come.

Brad stood up to say a few words. "Thank you everyone, from the bottom of my heart. You have helped to make this day memorable and special, and we can't thank you enough. We love you all and we look forward to your love and support now and in the future."

Kellie tried to speak as well but she was too overcome by her emotions. She cried tears of happiness before managing to say, "Thank you!"

Brad broke the tension by saying, "Sorry everyone, but Kellie and I have to leave now so I can go home and bang my wife!"

Kellie quickly recovered her wit in response. "I think what Brad means is, we have to go home now so I can bang my husband!"

Laughter, whistles and cheers followed. The married couple thanked everyone personally before taking their leave, while everyone else kept the celebrations going well into the night.

*******

"Brad, be careful!"

"Relax, Kellie, I'm fine! Besides, we have to make sure we cross the threshold properly! It brings good luck to any marriage, and that's what we want, right?"

Kellie could only shake her head and laugh. She prepared herself to be picked up by her new husband.

Brad held Kellie around her midsection with his left arm, supported her legs with the right arm, being careful not to squeeze too hard with his still-recovering hand, bent at his knees and effortlessly lifted his new bride. He walked them through the open door of their home, pausing to let her close it, before continuing to transport her through the house and past the added "threshold" of their bedroom. Once there he gently sat her down on their bed.

Kellie giggled. "I could get used to that, you know. I'd love for you to carry me around wherever I want to go!"

Brad rolled his eyes. "All right, let's not get crazy here!"

The newlyweds laughed and kissed each other affectionately. A second kiss deepened to one of passion, their tongues twirling and dancing together.

"Feels pretty awesome to be married, doesn't it?" Brad asked in a breathy voice.

"Yeah, definitely," answered Kellie, her own voice equally laced with desire.

"You look so beautiful in that dress. Like my angel in white."

"And you look so studly in your tuxedo, baby. My man of intrigue in black."

"I want to love you so much, Kellie."

"Oh yes! I'm going to change into something real sexy for you. Brad?"

"Yes?"

"Don't get undressed just yet."

"What?" asked Brad, surprised at her unorthodox request.

"Please. For me. I promise you won't regret it," Kellie purred.

With that, she went to the bathroom to change, leaving a puzzled, still-tuxedo-clad Brad to sit, and wait, on the bed.

Waiting on Kellie again. He had done a fair bit of that already since their relationship began, and he supposed he was in for quite a lot more of that in the future. He'd probably even complain about it from time to time, if for no other reason than to have fun watching her get riled up at him; she looked so cute when she got flustered. But deep down he didn't mind waiting for her at all. She never gave him any reason to regret waiting for her. And he loved her completely, of course he did. This was just another thing that people in love do for each other.