Dawn and Diana – Our New Life – Part 3

By Kathi Jo Daniels

Chapter Five: Changing Our Relationship

Sunday, November 21, 2004

Mid-afternoon – 2 pm

“Diana, please have a seat. I need to discuss some things with you.” She sat on the sofa. I sat beside her, took her hands, rested them in my lap, and looked into her eyes. She looked anxious, uncertain of what was coming next. (She was probably thinking back to the last time I had asked her to sit and talk seriously - see Dawn and Diana Move to Denver – Part 3).

“You’ve never explicitly stated that you love me, but I know you do. You show me every hour of every day in everything you do and every word you speak. You’ve shown this since we reconnected in September. It’s been less than 2 ½ months since you came with me to Steamboat. Your acceptance of Dawn is astonishing.”

“I hope you know I adore you and feel blessed to have you in my life. I’d like to have you in my life forever.”

Diana leaned over, hugged, and kissed me passionately. The smile she gave when we came up for air was as warm and inviting as when we were in Steamboat together.

“I know I’ve never said anything, but I love you, Diana Chapin. Would you please marry me and be my wife?”

She burst into tears, hugging and kissing me, and blubbering. “Yes! Of course. I’ve wanted to marry you since you came to McPherson. What took you so long? When do we want to get married? Yes. I love you!”

“Your daughters are coming on Wednesday for Thanksgiving. How about Friday or Saturday? I’ll be Dan for the week. We can tell them about Dawn at some other time.”

“Do you think we can get everything put together by then? We have to send invitations. I’ll have to buy a dress. Who will we invite? Where will we get married?” she babbled.

“First. I’ll call the county tomorrow to find a Justice of the Peace available on one of those days. We can get married in the backyard. There won’t be time to send out invitations. I’ll call the normal crew: Roger, Lisa, Mark, Nancy, John, Megan, Laura, and Wanda. How about Kristi? With your two daughters, Deborah’s husband and baby will make 15. The baby won’t drink much.”

Hugs and kisses. “Yes, I want to be your wife. You mean everything to me. I’m happier with you than ever before in my life. Oh, my goodness, I’ll have to buy a dress.” More hugs and kisses. “I love you!”

“Let me get my phone. We’ll start calling everyone.”

I found my phone, put it on speaker, and called Roger. “Hello there! Did we forget something this morning?” he asked.

“Oh no. Something better. Is Lisa available?”

“Yes. Let me get her.” Roger put his phone on speaker and called Lisa.

“Hey! What’s going on this afternoon?” she asked.

“Well, about five minutes ago, Diana agreed to marry me.”

Lisa shrieked. “Fantastic! You’d better not be planning to elope. I’ll hurt you if you do!”

“No.” I laughed. “I wouldn’t be calling in advance if we were going to elope! We’re planning to have the ceremony here in the backyard. Either Friday or Saturday. Her daughters will be here for Thanksgiving, so they won’t have to make another trip.”

“That’s incredible. Let us know when and what time. We’ll be there!” Roger replied.

“Congratulations, Diana. We’ll see you soon,” added Lisa.

“Thanks, Lisa. I’m still in shock that he finally asked! See you Friday or Saturday.”

We hung up. “Okay. Now I’ll call Mark and Nancy.”

I put my phone on speaker again and called Mark. “Hey there! Didn’t we see you this morning?” He laughed.

“Yes, but we have some news. Is Nancy available?”

“Yes. Just a minute,” Mark put his phone on speaker and called Nancy.

“Hey! What kind of news do you two have this afternoon?” she asked.

“I know it’ll be a shock, but Diana agreed to marry me.”

Nancy squealed. “Wonderful! When? Where? No matter, we’ll be there!”

“We’re planning to have the ceremony here at the house. I’ll call tomorrow to find an available Justice of the Peace for either Friday or Saturday. I have to get this done before she changes her mind!”

Both Mark and Nancy laughed.

“You don’t need to worry. She’s too much in love with you to change her mind. We’re not surprised at all that she said yes,” added Nancy.

“You’re right about that!” exclaimed Diana.

“Her daughters will be here for Thanksgiving, so this will be convenient for them.”

“That’s wonderful. Let us know which day and what time,” answered Mark.

“Congratulations, Diana. Do you want to go dress shopping tomorrow?” added Nancy.

“Thanks, Nancy. I’m still amazed he finally asked! Shopping would be wonderful. What time and where?”

“I’ll pick you up at 10 in the morning.”

“Great. See you tomorrow.” We hung up.

“May I suggest a nice cocktail dress instead of a formal wedding gown? Something you can wear another time.”

“You don’t need to worry. I’m sure Nancy and I will be able to find something suitable.”

In other words, Dan, this is not your decision!

“Next. Wanda and Laura. Not sure if they’re working this afternoon.”

I called their office. The receptionist said they were both in the office and asked which one I needed. I flipped a coin and asked for Laura.

“This is Laura Sanders. How may I help you?”

I put my phone on speaker. “Laura, this is Dan and Diana. Do you know if Wanda is available?”

“I’m sure she is. Just a second.”

Laura returned and put her phone on speaker. “We’re here. What’s happening?”

“You might want to sit down. About ten minutes ago, Diana agreed to marry me.”

They both squealed in unison. “WEE! HAW! When? Where? We don’t care. We’ll be there!”

I had to laugh at their response. “We’re planning to have the ceremony here at the house. I’ll have to call tomorrow to find a Justice of the Peace for Friday or Saturday. Both of Diana’s daughters will be here for Thanksgiving, along with her son-in-law and new grandson.”

“Give me a moment. My brother-in-law is a judge. Let me call and see if he’s available. I’ll be right back,” answered Wanda.

“How many will be attending?” asked Laura.

“Counting you and Wanda, and a small baby, there will be 15. I’m guessing the baby won’t eat or drink much. He’s only 3 months old,” I answered.

“He probably won’t be eating any food. Still drinking Mom’s milk, if she’s nursing. Do you have a photographer lined up?”

“No. I hadn’t thought about that.”

“My nephew, Rex, does photography. He uses a digital camera. He can give you a memory card, and you can decide which photos you want printed. CVS and Walgreens have portals for you to upload images to be printed, and pick up the pictures later.”

“That would be wonderful. Thank you for thinking of that detail.”

Wanda returned. “Yes. Ken Willox is a Jefferson County District Judge. He’s available and suggested 2 pm on Friday. If that works, I’ll let him know.”

“That’s perfect. And please also ask what his fee is for house calls,” I answered.

“I will. We look forward to the ceremony on Friday. Thanks for inviting us.”

We hung up. I texted both Roger and Mark: “Friday, 2 pm.” They both acknowledged.

“We still need to notify John and Megan.” I put my phone on speaker and called John’s phone. He answered.

“John, this is Dan Burke. Is Megan available?”

“Yes. Just a second.” He put his phone on speaker and called Megan.

“What’s up, Dan?” she asked.

“Diana has agreed to marry me, and we’re hoping you will join us for the ceremony. It’ll be here on Friday at 2 pm, with a reception following.”

“That’s wonderful. What a surprise. Yes! We’ll be there. Thanks for inviting us. See you on Friday.”

“Great. Thanks.” We hung up.

“I’d better tell the girls their mom is getting married while they’re here. They’ll want to bring a nice dress for the ceremony.”

Diana called her two daughters to let them know the news. Rebecca was shocked. Deborah had been told about Dan when Diana visited her in September. Neither knew anything about Dawn. We’ll cross that bridge another time.

While Diana was talking with her daughters, I texted Wanda. “Did you get the judge’s fee? Please tell him his wife is invited to the ceremony and reception following.”

Wanda responded. “$500. I’ll pass on the invitation. See you Friday!”

After Diana finished her calls with her daughters, she found me in the office. “Come with me, Mister Dan.” She took me by the hand and led me into the bedroom where we made mad passionate love. After recovering, we cleaned up and dressed.

It was only 3:30 pm. (Don’t laugh. You’ll get old someday, too.)

“Do the girls, or James, have any dietary restrictions? Or any food they don’t care to eat?” I asked.

“No. They eat just about anything. Why?”

“I’m putting together menus for the four days they will be here. Wednesday dinner, Thursday brunch, and Thanksgiving dinner; Friday breakfast, lunch, and snacks for the reception; Saturday breakfast, lunch, and dinner; Sunday breakfast and lunch before the girls return home. I’m thinking we'll go out for dinner after the reception. Maybe The Keg? What do you think?”

“What? Wait a minute. You just asked me to marry you. I said yes. We just made love. And you’re putting together menus! I can’t even put together rational thoughts. What am I going to do with you?” She gave me a big hug and an adoring kiss.

“This is why we’re a perfect pair. You think emotionally. I think logically.”

“Show me your menus,” she laughed.

I had the menus, with ingredients broken out, in a spreadsheet on my laptop. “Dinner on Wednesday with Rebecca, Deborah, and James. Salad, meatloaf, green beans, and new potatoes with grilled onion butter. I don’t think JD, Jr. will eat what I cook, or not very much if he does.”

“No. Deborah will feed the baby. Dinner sounds fine. What’s next?”

“Thursday brunch, French Toast, bacon, and eggs. Thanksgiving dinner, salad, turkey, ham, mashed potatoes, gravy, and green bean casserole.”

“Okay. Keep going.”

“Friday breakfast: eggs, toast, bacon, and hash browns. Lunch: Your specialty. Tuna fish sandwiches with chips. Reception after the ceremony: a tray of hors d'oeuvres from the deli. We go out for dinner after the reception. How about The Keg?”

“Yes. I’ll fix tuna fish sandwiches; you’re a big goofball! Breakfast sounds good. I like the tray idea. Yes, to The Keg for dinner. What’s next?”

“You’ll have to fix the tuna fish sometime on Thursday. You’ll be so wound up on Friday you won’t even be able to think.”

“Okay, Mister Smarty Pants. I’ll prepare tuna fish salad on Thursday morning.”

“Saturday, breakfast will be the same as Friday. Lunch can be more tuna fish. How about salad, garlic toast, and spaghetti for dinner?”

“You’re doing pretty well. Go on.”

“Sunday breakfast will be a repeat of Friday and Saturday. Maybe something different for lunch? Ham and cheese sandwiches?”

“You’re impossible. Put your shopping list together. You'd better make sure it aligns with the aisles in the store! I don’t want to go back and forth all day,” she laughed.

It took a few minutes to organize the shopping list by store aisles. Diana just shook her head.

We went to King Soopers. Starting at the bakery, we ordered a wedding cake. As we left the bakery, Diana stopped and asked, “Did you have bread on your list for Wednesday and Thanksgiving dinner? I don’t remember any dessert either.”

“Good catch. I had French Toast on the schedule for Friday morning, but we need more for dinner. That’s why I bring you shopping with me. When we get to the frozen foods, remind me to get some French Vanilla ice cream,” I laughed.

She hasn’t beaten me yet, but I feel it coming.

I picked up an apple pie, a cherry pie, and two large loaves of French bread.

Diana stopped in the floral area and selected a bride’s bouquet and other flowers. I stopped by the deli and ordered a hors d'oeuvres tray for the reception. These orders were scheduled for pickup on Friday morning.

After we completed our shopping list (without having to go back and forth through the store), we got in Kristi’s line. She’d never seen Dan and didn’t recognize me. When she saw Diana, it all clicked. “Wow, Dan. I had no idea who you were. Good thing Diana was here.”

“I didn’t think about that, but you’d never seen me as Dan, only Dawn. What do you have planned for Friday afternoon? Would you like to come to our wedding?”

“WHAT? You’re getting married? Yes, I’d love to be there. Where? What time?”

“Our house. 2 PM.”

“I wouldn’t miss that for anything. Thanks for inviting me!”

“Do you have any plans for Thanksgiving?”

“No.”

“Come over around 2 PM. Diana’s two daughters, son-in-law, and new grandson will come in for Thanksgiving, and now for our wedding. You’re welcome to join us.”

“Thanks. That’s very nice of you.”

“Please don’t say anything about Dawn. We agreed we could address that issue later.”

“I understand,” she answered.

We returned home, unloaded the groceries, and fixed a simple dinner. No movie tonight, we went straight to bed. This had been a very eventful day.

Chapter Six: Preparing for Thanksgiving
Monday, November 22, 2004

We began the day by carnally satisfying each other and showering together. Diana applied makeup and dressed to go shopping with Nancy. I put on ‘Dan clothes’ - a long-sleeve shirt, jeans, and sneakers.

I prepared breakfast. We read the paper and did the crossword and Sudoku puzzles together.

Nancy arrived at 10 AM. “What a difference. I never saw Dan before. You look much different!” She gave me a hug and a kiss.

“Thank you, Nancy. Great to see you as well. This is a different side of my personality.”

“I think it’s wonderful. Mark and I are thrilled you and Diana are getting married. We’ve been expecting this since you reconnected in September. Especially since Diana went to Steamboat with you. You’re a beautiful couple.” Nancy gave me a big hug and kiss.

“Diana, are you ready to go, girl?”

“Yes. In more ways than one!” She kissed me goodbye, and they left.

I visited the Jefferson County website to see about a marriage license. We’ll need our driver’s licenses, prior divorce documents, and birth certificates. Marriage licenses are issued at the Jefferson County offices, 100 Jefferson County Parkway in Golden. I made an appointment for Tuesday at 10 AM.

The weather forecast for Friday didn’t look good for an outdoor wedding. Surprise, surprise! What would you expect in late November in Denver? I surveyed the bar area in the basement. We could move the sofa and two overstuffed chairs back to the wall, reposition the bar stools, and bring bar stools from the kitchen. That would be enough seating for the guests. Diana and I would be standing.

I examined our supply of Dom Pérignon Champagne. Wanda had brought a six-pack as a housewarming gift to our first swinging party in October. We still had two bottles. There were sufficient champagne flutes. Between the bar and the kitchen, there were plenty of snack plates and cloth napkins.

I called The Keg Steakhouse and Bar and made a reservation for 5 PM, Friday afternoon, for the Burke wedding party of 15.

I sent an email to Roger & Lisa, Mark & Nancy, Wanda, Laura, John & Megan, and Kristi, inviting them to be our dinner guests at The Keg following the reception. I added a note to Wanda asking that she notify Judge Willox and his wife. I added a note to Laura asking for her nephew, Rex, to join us as well.

I hadn’t needed to wear my ‘weddings and funerals’ suit for quite some time, so I decided to see if it still fit. I could wear it, but no dessert for me!

Mid-afternoon, Nancy, and Diana came in the front door. Diana continued into the bedroom with a black hanging bag. Nancy hugged and kissed me as a distraction, declaring that I couldn’t see the dress until Friday.

Diana returned to the kitchen. “We had a WONDERFUL time. We found the PERFECT dress. Then we went to lunch. I had THREE glasses of wine!” she declared, holding up three fingers.

“Thanks, Nancy. You take my fiancée shopping and bring her back drunk!” I laughed.

“You love her, and this isn’t a big deal. It’ll probably happen many more times!” she laughed. With hugs and kisses, Nancy departed.

I hugged Diana. “Looks like you’ll be napping this afternoon,” I chuckled.

“Okay. That sounds like a good idea. Wake me for dinner. Find a movie for later.”

She went into the bedroom and closed the door. I prepared dinner.

I woke Diana at 5 and told her dinner would be ready in 30 minutes. She rolled off the bed and into the shower, coming into the kitchen wearing a peasant blouse, a denim mid-calf skirt, and sandals. I served dinner with a bottle of Shiraz.

We changed into sleepwear, snuggled on the sofa, and began watching a movie. Diana was asleep before the first love scene! I picked her up and carried her to bed.

Tuesday, November 23, 2004

We started our morning with shameless sex and showering together. Dressed, fixed breakfast, read the paper, and went to the county clerk for a marriage license.

Next, downtown Denver to the 16th Street Mall and Musselman Jewelers for an
engagement and wedding ring set. Former co-workers, from many years ago, had praised the quality and prices. There wasn’t time to make custom rings, so we selected stock rings. Later, we’d exchange these for a personalized set.

“Without seeing your dress, will a suit be okay, or should I rent a tuxedo?”

“I think a suit will be fine. Have you checked the fit recently?”

“Yes. I put it on yesterday. It still fits, but I don’t need any dessert!”

We made dinner and prepared for guests arriving tomorrow.
No movie tonight, we went straight to bed.

Wednesday, November 24, 2004 – Meeting the daughters

We made the most of the morning before the family arrived.

I set the table for 5 with a place for a high chair and opened 2 bottles of Shiraz.

We inspected the guest bedrooms to make sure they were ready for visitors.

Rebecca arrived at 1 pm. There could be no question she’s Diana’s daughter. A striking resemblance, same height and body, similar hair, eyes, cheeks, and nose. She is wearing a denim skirt and a short-sleeved Denver Broncos sweatshirt with loafers.

“Hey, Sweetie. Come in and relax.” Diana greeted her daughter with a hug and a kiss. “This is Dan Burke. Dan, this is my baby, Rebecca Sowder.”

“Mother! I’m thirty-two. Not a baby anymore. Nice to meet you, Dan. I had no idea Mom was getting married until she called on Sunday.”

“Rebecca, it’s my pleasure to meet you. Yes, your mother does talk about you. Mostly in positive terms, believe it or not. Please come downstairs, have a seat, and relax. What would you like to drink?”

“Thank you, Dan. I’ll start the afternoon with a glass of white wine. I’m mildly surprised Mom used positive terms! I wasn’t exactly a model child growing up,” she laughed.

I poured two glasses of Chardonnay for Rebecca and Diana. I chose Merlot.

“Didn’t you come from Colorado Springs? How was your drive?”

“The usual heavy traffic between the Air Force Academy and Castle Rock. Once I got on C-470, it was much lighter. Using Google Maps on my phone, this place was easy to find. I love the big driveway and parking area.”

“Before we get deep into our drinks, let’s unload your car,” I suggested.

We went out to the driveway. Rebecca had parked in front of the third garage door. She had a suitcase, hanging clothes, and a laptop. We carried everything to a guest bedroom in the basement.

“Wow. This is nice. How many bedrooms are there?”

“There are 4 bedrooms, 4 full and 2 half baths.”

I handed Rebecca a business card. “If you want to connect your phone and laptop to the local network router, here is the SSID and password. We found that phone service is limited unless we use the network. Something to do with insulation in the attic.”

“Thanks.”

We returned to the bar and relaxed. The doorbell rang and Diana ran upstairs. She came back down the stairs carrying a baby.

“Dan Burke. Meet Deborah and James Bowman. This is JD Bowman, Junior.”

Again, Diana’s daughter is almost a mirror image. Deborah has shoulder-length brown hair, but the rest is very similar. She has on a blouse and skirt with loafers. James is about six feet tall curly brown hair, wearing a long-sleeved shirt, jeans, and sneakers.

“Very nice to meet you. Hope you had an easy drive from Aspen.”

“Nice to meet you as well. Coming eastbound was not a problem. Traffic going westbound was bumper to bumper,” James answered as he shook my hand.

“Please. Have a seat and relax for a minute. What can I get you to drink?”

“I’ll just have water. Still nursing,” answered Deborah. “Hi, Rebecca. How’ve you been doing? It’s been a while since we got together.” Deborah hugged her sister.

“I’m doing fine. Working like crazy, but the money’s good. I meant to go to Aspen to meet JD, Junior, but now I can meet him here.”

“I’d love a Bourbon on the rocks,” said James.

“Coming right up. Anything for Junior?”

“No. He’s still on a mommy milk diet,” laughed Deborah.

I gave Deborah a glass of ice water and James his Bourbon on the rocks.

“Cheers. It’s my pleasure to meet the whole family. Here’s to getting everyone together at one time. Oh, by the way, there’ll be a party on Friday afternoon!” I announced.

“Please tell us the plans,” said Rebecca.

“Originally, we had planned to have an outdoor ceremony. The forecast shows cold and windy weather on Friday afternoon. Instead, we’ll rearrange this bar area to allow for seating. After the ceremony, there’ll be a cake, hors d'oeuvres and Champagne. We have reservations at The Keg Steakhouse and Bar for a party of 15 at 5 PM.”

“For tonight, I prepared salad, meatloaf, green beans, and new potatoes with grilled onion butter. And, thanks to your mother, French bread. It’s now 3:30. What time do you want to eat?”

“How about 5?” Diana suggested.

“That works. Let’s get our luggage out of the car and relax,” suggested James.

James and I went to his car and unloaded luggage, hanging clothes, and a baby carrier. They were shown a second guest bedroom in the basement.

“Diana? Would you like to give everyone a tour of the house? I’ll keep an eye on JD.”

Diana led Rebecca, Deborah, and James on a tour of the basement, then upstairs. They returned to the basement shortly and completed their tour.

“Would anyone like a fresh drink?”

James, Rebecca, and Diana asked for refills. Deborah was doing fine with her ice water. I fixed new drinks and refilled my glass of Merlot.

“What kind of work do you do in Aspen?” I asked.

“We’re both CPAs. We met in college, now named Metropolitan State University. After graduating, I got a bookkeeper position with the City of Aspen. Deborah got a job with a local CPA as a bookkeeper. We were studying for the CPA certification boards. After we both passed, the CPA where Deborah worked decided to retire, and we took over his accounts. These included most of the small retail boutiques in downtown Aspen. She works from home and takes care of the baby. I have an office upstairs from one of our accounts. What kind of work do you do?”

“I retired a little early. Years ago, Diana and I worked at a computer center in downtown Denver that supported a bank and credit card processor. She worked in operations. I was a systems programmer for the credit card side. Are you from the Denver area?”

“Yes. I went to high school in Aurora with Deborah. We didn’t socialize until we were in some of the same classes in college.”

I gave James a copy of the same business card I’d given Rebecca. “To connect your phone and laptop to our local network router, here’s the SSID and password. Phone service is limited unless you use the network.”

“Thanks. Most new construction includes a sheathing under the roof, which interferes with cell phone service.”

“I’m going upstairs to start cooking. Come up when you’re ready for salad. There are 2 bottles of Shiraz open to accompany dinner.”

Jams came upstairs with me, and we continued chatting while I finished preparing dinner. A few minutes later, the ladies came upstairs. Deborah put the baby in the carrier and placed it on a chair. We all ate. Diana helped clean up the kitchen.

All decided it had been a long day, and chose to retire early.

“What do you think of my family?”

“No question the girls are yours. They have your eyes, cheeks, and nose, which is very cute!” I gave a peck on her nose. “There’s a striking resemblance, same height and body. Did they say anything about me?”

“Not yet. I’m sure we’ll talk more tomorrow.”

We undressed and cuddled as we went to sleep.

********** To Be Continued **********