Mike & Savy Ch. 11

I didn't know if mom would reply, much less come. I hoped that when she saw the invitation, it would be the clearest demonstration that with or without her support we were going to be together forever. Maybe, just maybe, that would break through the wall she had built between us with her... reservations.

The next morning, Savy held my hand as I carried the invitations to the mailbox and dropped them in. I turned to her and we kissed.

Throughout the rest of the spring, we continued with our lives. It seemed like every minute of the past two and a half years, there had been some kind of weight on our shoulders. For the first time, it felt like we were almost care free. Setting a date for our wedding gave us a certain sense of freedom.

Savy continued giving concerts, albeit with less frequency. She only gave two during the semester after her Valentine's performance, despite massive demand for more shows. She performed with the orchestra once and with piano accompaniment as a fundraiser for the school.

There were some protestations from Max about the reduced load, but in the end she convinced him that all would be well and she'd return to a more regular performance schedule in the fall. Between her increased biology coursework and planning for our wedding, she was reaching the limit of hours in a day.

For the first time in my career, I was a co-author on a paper published in a scientific journal. Goddard often takes a backseat to the more visible NASA centers around the country, whether it's the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in California or the home of the astronaut corps in Houston. The work we had been doing on the Van Allen belts resulted in a nice publicity boost for the excellent work that Goddard does.

Despite all of this, the times we treasured most were when we set aside work, music, school, and even wedding plans. We delighted in simply being together.

There were nights when we walked in the cool evening air to our special places around campus. We could sit and talk for hours or I would simply hold her in my arms while we watched the world go by. When it got late, we'd walk home, hand in hand, and make love.

Other nights, we did the things that we had always dreamed of doing together.

In April, Savy and I went to our first Opening Day at Camden Yards. She was absolutely adorable, wearing tight khaki shorts, a fitted orange Orioles t-shirt, and her favorite Orioles hat on a beautifully clear day. We never stopped holding hands as she cuddled against me for the duration of the game. After a thrilling walk-off win, we made our way home.

She talked for the entire drive, recalling the game in vivid detail. Close pitches she thought were called the wrong way. Inconsequential two out singles. All of it. She was reliving the tenth inning when we walked into our bedroom.

I took her in my arms and slowly lifted her t-shirt over her head, revealing her perfect breasts. She rarely wore a bra, not needing the support and seeming to revel in catching my eyes focusing on her perky nipples poking through the thin fabric of whatever shirt or dress she was wearing.

I moved down her body, placing small kisses between her breasts and over her belly. As I fell to my knees, I unbuttoned her shorts and slid them down, along with her panties.

She stood before me naked. Flawless.

She stepped backwards until she was against the bed, then sat down.

"Are you coming?"

I ripped my shirt over my head and struggled out of my shorts without even unbuttoning them. In moments, I was laying next to her in bed, placing delicate kisses along her body.

"Make love to me." She was completely intoxicating when she commanded me. It was my weakness and she knew it.

I moved back up her body from where I had been nuzzling her breasts. She immediately reached down and I felt her slender fingers around my erection, guiding me to her. She rubbed my head up and down. I could feel her wetness lubricating me.

When she stopped and held me against her, I pushed my hips forward and my head slid inside. I carefully and gently pushed further, seeking her warmth. After a few thrusts, I was fully enveloped.

My mouth found hers and we kissed as I laid still inside her. When she reached down and grasped my butt with her hands, I withdrew slightly and thrust back into her. What started as short, shallow strokes, evolved into longer, slower, sensual lovemaking.

I could feel her body moving under me. She rolled her hips against me, changing the angles each time I pushed fully into her.

We moved against each other, her soft skin touching my body from the tips of her fingers tracing my back, to her thighs pinching against my hips.

I listened to the sounds of her soft moans as her body responded to mine. I withdrew and slid back into her in rhythm with her breathing, our bodies synchronizing to each other.

When Savy pressed her lips to my ear and whispered, "I love you," I groaned and released myself inside her.

There were times when we let ourselves go in bed, exhausting each other before collapsing thoroughly satisfied. Yet, when we made slow, sweet love, we were equally satisfied, having shared ourselves completely.

__________

The Bay Bridge faded behind us as Savy and I drove back to the Eastern Shore. In less than twenty-four hours, she would finally be my wife.

We checked in at our hotel and I waited patiently at the hotel bar while Savy changed upstairs for our rehearsal dinner. When she arrived, every head in the room turned to watch her walk in. From top to bottom, she was immaculate.

Her hair was pulled back in a twist behind her shoulders, falling down among her remaining free hair, which flowed behind her. She had on just the slightest bit of makeup, her natural beauty outshining anything and everything.

She wore a ruby red sundress, with spaghetti straps over her shoulders, and a moderate V in front, revealing an alluring amount of cleavage. The bodice clung tightly to her petite frame, with a lace pattern tying above her waist, revealing little windows to her caramel skin. The dress hung loosely over her hips and rear, flowing down to her knees. She wore simple black sandals with low heels.

The second she took my hand, everyone in the bar seemed to exhale, as if they had been holding their breath at the sight of this incredible woman. I leaned close to kiss her.

I held my cheek close to her and said quietly, "You're absolutely incredible."

Her loving smile was all the response I needed.

I texted Jeff to let him know that we were on our way to the restaurant and would be there in five minutes. He was waiting out front for us when we arrived.

I got out and went around the truck, opening the door for Savy and taking her hand in mine to help her down. I watched in awe as she slid out of the truck, her dress riding up and revealing her silky smooth thighs, before falling back to her knees as her feet hit the ground.

Before going inside, Jeff smiled warmly as he greeted us both with hugs. Few people knew as much about us, what we had been through, as Jeff. Inside, Savy and I paused for a moment while Jeff went into our reserved room first. I held her in my arms until we heard applause. We walked in together, her hand in mine.

Inside, two dozen of our most loved friends stood for us as we walked to our seats at the front of the room.

The evening was absolutely incredible. We thanked everyone profusely for sharing in such a special event with us. We ate a spectacular dinner of blue crab and flounder, sweet corn and other local vegetables.

While we ate, a slideshow that Mia had prepared with pictures of Savy and I, from childhood to just a few weeks before our wedding, ran on a television screen on the wall. I felt a brief pang of guilt when the picture of me in Marseilles, the Mediterranean in the background, slid by, but I knew that for better or worse, our time apart was a part of who we were.

I was leaning over and kissing Savy's cheek when she squeezed my leg, hard.

"Ow!"

"Mike..." She gasped more than she spoke.

"Savy, what is it?"

Before she could answer, I felt a hand on my shoulder. I turned to see Jeff, the smile gone from his face. He nodded and I followed the direction of his gaze.

Standing just inside the door was mom.

I froze as about a hundred conflicting emotions surged through me.

Savy started to rise from her chair, but I pressed on her thigh to keep her seated.

"Let me."

I was going to find out what mom was doing here before letting her speak to Savy. I wouldn't let her say a single thing that would take away from this weekend for Savy. I stood up and walked around the table, squeezing Savy's shoulder gently before I was out of reach. Mia moved to my seat, so that Savy was sitting between her and Maria.

I watched mom's face as I approached her. I couldn't read her, but I could see her blink hard, forcing a tear down her cheek. I held out my arm, directing her towards the door. The conversation we needed to have couldn't happen in front of everyone.

Mom looked up at me, fearful.

I kept my voice low and calm. "I'm not asking you to leave. We need to talk outside."

She turned and I followed her through the door. Outside she faced me.

"Mom. Why are you here?"

"Mike, I'm sorry."

"You've said you're sorry a dozen times, but that doesn't change the fact that you can't be happy for us, can't support us."

"No... no. I really am sorry. I've been selfish. I... I... shouldn't have walked away."

I shifted from one foot to the other. I wasn't in the mood for another lecture on how it was my fault, how I was ruining our lives.

"No mother wants to learn that her children are... in a relationship. It's just... not done. But I shouldn't have put my own distress ahead of the two of you. You're my children and I love you. I'm sorry that I didn't listen to you. I want you to be happy."

"Mom, we are happy... together. It's the only way we can be happy."

"I know. I know now. When I got your invitation, it wasn't just abstract anymore, it was real. You two... you're... family, but you're more. I should have seen it, given you a chance to show me..."

Her voice trailed off and she covered her face with her hands.

"Mike, I'm so ashamed. I should have supported you. I failed you both."

She was trying to apologize, but I wanted to be completely clear.

"Mom, do you want us to be happy?"

"Yes."

"Do you see that we are happy together?"

"Yes."

"Do you want to be a part of our lives?"

"Yes. I've missed you."

"Wait here."

I went back to the door and went inside. Mia and Maria were both leaning close to Savy. Her eyes were already on me. I moved to her, giving her a small smile. When I was next to her, I took her hand.

"Come with me."

She rose to her feet and stayed close to me as we walked to the door, her entire body pressed against my arm. I pushed open the door and turned to mom. She was wiping her eyes with a tissue.

Savy's voice was soft and girlish, full of fear. "Mom..."

"Savannah, honey, I'm so sorry."

Mom broke down in tears.

I leaned to Savy and whispered in her ear, "It's okay."

I let go of Savy's hand and she stepped into mom's embrace.

"I'm so sorry, baby girl. I love you. Please forgive me. I want you to be happy. I want you to... be with Mike."

We talked for several minutes, mom telling Savy what she had told me. She would be there for us now and she would support us. Mom hugged both of us and we walked into the dinner together. She sat and cried as pictures of Savy and I flashed on the screen. We took turns sitting with her and telling her the story of our love.

It was easy for us to welcome mom back into our lives. The pain and anger resulting from her reaction to our engagement, the sadness of having her out of our lives for a few months, wasn't more important than the years she had been there for us. We never wanted to cut her out, but we had to protect ourselves. The minute she could see our love, see what we meant to each other, we welcomed her with open arms.

Our family was whole again.

Two hours later, I sat in the hotel bar with Jeff, nursing a beer.

I had said goodnight to mom, who went back to Salisbury, but promised to be at the wedding.

Savy and I held each other as we said goodnight, preparing to spend our first night apart since the night before she told me that she still loved me on that cold January day. Given the uniqueness of our marriage, it was kind of odd for us to choose to honor that tradition, but there it is.

"It's been a long path for you, Mike."

I looked over at him and smiled.

"It's just starting for us."

I took a long sip of beer.

"Thanks for being there for us, every step of the way."

He patted me on the shoulder.

I woke up the next morning well before my alarm and watched the sun rise over the Atlantic Ocean. I laid in bed, trying to get a few more hours of sleep, but the excitement coursing through me was too intense. I eventually gave up.

I texted Jeff and he came over to my room, where we sat drinking coffee on the balcony, watching the waves break on the beach below. Around lunchtime, we made our way downstairs and talked over crab cakes, as various friends filtered through the hotel restaurant and greeted us.

Every time I closed my eyes, even briefly, I tried to picture Savy walking towards me as I waited for her. I knew, without a doubt, that she would be magnificent.

In the afternoon, I returned to my room to get ready and less than an hour later, Jeff and I were driving south along the coast. We pulled into a parking lot on Assateague Island and spotted two large tents on the beach.

Jeff and I walked together to where Savy and I would be married. As we passed between the two tents, Jeff stopped and I walked further onto the beach alone. I passed down the aisle between the rows of chairs and to a simple trellis, with white roses woven in the latticework. I crouched down and picked up a handful of sand, letting it flow between my fingers, before writing Savy's name and smiling to myself.

I stood up and turned to walk back to Jeff. We walked around one tent as he showed me various preparations and we talked about the details of the ceremony. The other tent was where Savy, Mia, and Maria were getting ready. As I walked past, I touched the canvas of the tent and smiled, thinking how close I was to her.

Guests began to arrive and Jeff hustled around, seating most of them. When mom arrived, I held out my arm and she let me escort her to her seat in the front row. Before I could leave, she held my arm for a moment.

"Mike, thank you for letting me be here."

"We want you here mom. We always did. Thank you for coming."

And then I waited.

I stood to the side of one tent, out of view of the guests. It was an incredible day that I couldn't have scripted better, hovering around 80˚F with a gentle cool breeze coming off of the water and across the beach. The azure of the sky melted into the dark blue of the ocean on the horizon.

I thought about the times that I had stood on the beach in Spain, looking out over the sea, wishing that I could have done something, anything, to have Savy standing next to me. In a few minutes, she would stand next to me and become my wife.

I remembered, with incredibly vivid clarity, the summer after she graduated from high school when we spent almost every minute together. I could see her sitting next to me at a Shorebirds game, her hair spreading out beneath a baseball hat or flying behind her as she jumped up to cheer.

My mind moved forward, to her first day on campus and how the only thing she wanted was to spend that time with me. She fell asleep in my arms and when I drove her to her dorm, she kissed me. That kiss changed my entire world.

I could feel her skin against mine, from the first time we made love to her fingers in my hand as I slid her ring onto her finger on a cold November night.

I looked down at my feet, half buried in the sand, as I thought about the night we learned the truth about us and the devastating impact on us, on her. It was a part of the path that brought us here, to our wedding day.

I had gone away to try and discover myself again, learn who I would be for the rest of my life. In the end, I had only learned that my life was meaningless without her. She had recovered and even thrived in my absence, though. As much as that hurt, when I had watched her perform, I couldn't contain my adoration of her.

The pain of that time would always be a part of me and I would cherish every second with Savy more because I had felt what my life would be like without her, the indescribable suffering of losing her.

She had everything and I had nothing.

Until she came back to me. She risked everything that she had worked for to reach down and pick me up, pull me out of the darkness of a life without her. Her love for me rescued me. Somehow, through everything, through all of the changes in our lives, we found each other.

It couldn't be any other way.

Somewhere in the back of my mind, I heard a voice. "Mike, are you ready?"

I turned around and Jeff was waiting for me.

"Yeah."

I came around the corner of the tent and saw that all of the seats were filled with our guests. Jeff and I made our way to the front, various friends smiling and laughing as we went. I stopped and bent down to mom, giving her a kiss on the cheek, before taking my place. I shook the hand of our officiant, Nancy.

I turned and waited.

Stepping out of the tent first was one of Savy's friends from the music program. I had only briefly met her at a reception after one of Savy's performances with the orchestra, but we had decided that having her play at our wedding would be perfect. Savy worked with her, arranging a modern song in a classical style.

She took her place to the side and bowed to me before raising her violin and playing "All of Me".

As soon as the music started, the tent opened again and Mia stepped out wearing a beautiful gold bridesmaid dress. She began walking slowly down the aisle between the seats. A few feet after her, Maria appeared and followed her.

I held my breath, waiting for my first glimpse of Savy. Throughout all of our planning, she hadn't let me see her dress or even hinted at its design.

And then she appeared.

How do you describe the love of your life, on the day of your wedding? She is perfection.

Time stopped as she stepped forward into the waning sunlight, the sky to the west behind her now changing into soft oranges and reds. Everyone gasped as she moved down the aisle.

Her bare feet sunk into the sand, obscuring her brightly painted red toenails.

Her dress was pure white, standing in stark contrast to her dark hair and caramel skin. The cut itself was simple, strapless and formed to her body, only slightly loosening around her hips. It was cut down below her knees at tea length and flowed gently as she walked, hanging slightly lower in the back than in the front.

The material was absolutely spectacular. Over an inner layer of satin, lace was intricately woven in and out, crossing back and forth, for the entire length of her dress. It was complex, elegant, and spectacular.

Her hair was entirely free and formed a veil behind her as it blew softly in the breeze. A wreath of white flowers sat atop her head. She wore a blue sapphire pendant around her neck and carried a bouquet of white calla lilies clasped in her hands at her waist.

And of course, that smile. Every part of her was smiling, from her lips stretched wide revealing her perfect white teeth to her wonderful dark eyes.

She was entirely flawless. She is my Savy, my love.

She reached me and I held out my hand for her, her fingers sliding gracefully into mine. She handed her bouquet to Maria and we turned until we were facing each other and the ocean. I couldn't stop myself from lightly rubbing her fingers, tracing the outlines with my fingertips.