Gina discovers...
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A New Secret
by Andrea Lena DiMaggio |
This takes place immediately following the end of The Secret, where Gina Sorrento had attended a memorial service for her childhood friend, Maura Kiernan, along with Maura’s mother Marie and her two friends, Erica and Maired Kiernan.
As Ever Was...
Gina Sorrento's home...
Gina pulled into her driveway. Rocco was at the window, anxiously awaiting her return. (Rocco being her two year old...bull terrier.) Mrs. Sapienza usually welcomed Rocco's visits to her two beagles, but she had company today, so Rocco stayed home. He was actually trained well enough to do his business in a cat litter pan in the bathroom, although Gina, not wanting to bruise his canine ego, always called it his doggie bathroom whenever in his earshot. He yipped once and ran over to her as she opened the front door. He leaned into her legs and rubbed up against her much like a cat. He acted more like a cat at times than either of them was willing to admit, but so far, his behavior was limited to home, and he did not embarrass himself in front of the Sapienza twins.
"Yes...I'm sorry, I know I took longer than I promised, but it's only one day a year."
Gina had just returned from attending a quiet day at the cemetery nearby. She and her friends were visiting the grave of a childhood girlfriend with the girl's family and also Gina's best friend, Erica. Like many dog owners, Gina found it quite natural to have a running dialogue with Rocco, understanding full well that the practice was normal unless he began to talk back.
"Marie sends her love. She gave me some steak bones and some leftover stew, and since I already had lunch, bon apetit!" Gina said as she deposited the bag in the fridge.
"You've got plenty enough food in your dish, young man. Stop looking at me like that and finish what you have," she said playfully as she reached down to scratch his ears. Going into her living room, she looked around, searching. Walking over to the fireplace, she eyed a photo sitting on the mantle. She had been looking at it that morning before she joined her friends, reminiscing about her relationship with Maura and her family. The picture was that of three teenage girls, about fourteen or so. "The Three Musketeers," she said to herself. All three had struck silly poses and were laughing. Behind the girls stood a boy of the same age. While attempting a smile, he nonetheless looked considerably less gleeful than his friends.
The girls were Gina, Maura and Erica, and the boy was Mark, Maura's twin brother. At the time of the photo, he was more of an interloper, a D'Artagnan to their musketeers, although he became a close friend to Erica and her.
The friendship stood the test of time, weathering Maura's illness and subsequent passing, as well as Maura's mom's bout with cancer. It wasn't all bad, although the bad times only served to test and prove the strength and character of the family and friends. Nonetheless, good times followed as well. The survivors remained closed friends all the way through high school, past college and grad school and up to the present. Along the way, Gina followed her giftings, which lead her to become a guidance counselor at a middle school nearby.
Erica had always been an observant and sensitive person as well, and her talents led her to a successful career as a childrens author. Her books dealt with difficult subjects like rejection, sadness, and loss, derived from the life experiences she and friends had faced and overcome.
Mark was a gifted musician. He played several instruments, but his passion was the violin. He and Maura both loved to play; him on the violin and her on the cello or flute. Gina wished she could play like that, but CD's and the local classical radio station served to fill her own house with music.
And the hardest part of the survivor's voyage was also the sweetest. Mark had a secret crush on Erica, and while it took an extended separation while Erica went to school out of town, the wait was eventually worth it. They reconnected during grad school at Temple, fell in love and were married. Mark only recently came through his own bout with cancer, albeit with crossed fingers. The couple also suffered a miscarriage, and with the support of Gina and Marie, Mark's mom and Diane, Erica's mom, they came through that as well.
Gina knew that God had brought them together, and she reminded herself of that on a daily basis. Never at all jealous, she still felt sad at times, wishing she had what they had.
One can rely only so much on a bull terrier for company. She fought the tears that came swiftly as the emotion of the day overcame her. Putting the picture back down on the mantle, she smiled through the tears and sat down in the chair by the front window. She looked out of the window only minutes before occupied by her dog and stared, much in the same manner as he had, as if awaiting someone. She picked up her Bible and tried to read, but the tears blurred her vision. She would gain solace from the words within, but for now, she could only sit at the window, staring out almost blankly. She prayed silently to herself, hoping....
A few days later at the Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport…
Gina walked down the concourse to the baggage area. Her flight to Atlanta had been delayed for nearly three hours, and she was looking forward to a fall-down-on-the bed-exhausted moment when she got to the hotel. She was in Atlanta for a counselor's conference, which she had looked forward to. It was late spring, and her middle school was closed for a long weekend as her colleagues attended a teacher retreat.
She reached the baggage area and stood back, watching the carousel test the patience of her fellow travelers. She spotted her bag and stepped forward to grab it. As she reached for the handle, she was jostled by another passenger.
"I'm so sorry...my fault," the man said with a soft brogue. She was so glad that some people were still genuinely apologetic and did not lapse into the all-to-frequently spoken,
"Sorry, dude…my bad!"
"No problem," she said as she turned to face the man.
"It was my fault," he said with a smile...
"What a lovely smile," she thought to herself. "Why would I say 'lovely?'" she thought to herself as she looked at the man, staring.
"Is there something wrong," the man interrupted. "Do I have spinach in my teeth? I'm not wearing two different colored socks, am I?" He laughed.
"Oh...no…not at all," she said. She brought her hand to her face, failing miserably in her attempt to cover the ever-increasing redness that spread across her cheeks.
"I'm sorry...poor attempt at humor. I apologize if I embarrassed you. It's just that I don't get too many attractive women staring at me." He said as he eyed the bag as it went around the carousel and out of sight. "Oops...there goes your bag. I thought it was mine. Here mine comes." He said as he removed the bag and placed it on the floor beside him.
Gina was lost in thought, and failed to notice that she was still staring at him.
"Don't get...too many attractive women...?" She thought as he turned to look for her bag. She was taken aback for two reasons. While she accepted the fact that she was, as some might put it, a strikingly beautiful girl, if she said so herself, she couldn't believe that he was surprised at her attention. He was...well…attractive...to her! He stood about two inches shorter than her, but she was wearing heels. Dirty blond hair and piercing blue eyes. His face and accent matched. Not 'just off the boat," she thought, but Irish all the way. He wasn't handsome in the rugged sense of the word," she thought as she eyed him.
"He's...pretty," she thought. But not pretty in the true sense of the word. He had a face that would be the envy of either a man or a woman. She reminded her of someone she knew, but her thoughts were interrupted.
"Here it comes...there," he said as he placed the bag on the floor next to his.
"Oh, I'm sorry, where are my manners?" He stood waiting for her to extend her hand.
"Ben Kelly," he said as she shook his proffered hand. "Pleased to make your acquaintance."
"Pleased to make my acquaintance...my pleasure," she thought to herself as she continued to shake his hand.
"And you are?" he said with a laugh.
"Oh...Gina...Gina Sorrento. I'm glad to make your acquaintance as well," she said.
"I'll say," she thought. They were interrupted by a Skycap, who picked up her bag, placing it on the cart.
"There goes my only opportunity for chivalry," he said as he picked up his own bag.
"Excuse me, sir," he said to the man. "Please summon a cab for this charming young lady." With that, he thrust a twenty into the man's hand. He turned to face her, but she was walking fast behind the Skycap, trying to catch up.
"Thanks," she shouted as she ran down the concourse toward the exit.
"My pleasure," he said softly to himself. "As ever was."
Unlike most conferences, this affair was done well. The hotel had a small auditorium, which was unusual but entirely welcome by the attendees. It was a three-day conference on dealing with grief in a school setting, and the brief lectures were supplemented by break-out sessions. After a light breakfast, Gina made her way into the auditorium, looking for a seat. After a quick scan of the room, she settled in the back, preferring not to endure the Cinemascope effect of the front row and the all-too-predictable possibility of being drafted to "role play."
"May I sit here, Miss Sorrento," the voice came over her shoulder. She glanced over her shoulder and standing at the back of the room was Mr. Kelly.
"Shh...sure," she said, taken aback once again.
"You needn't worry...I don't bite. Well, at least not after I've had breakfast," he laughed.
"I'm acting like an idiot," she thought to herself. "Shhhhsure? Great second first impression, Gina.”
Sitting down next to her, he turned and said, "I've been looking forward to this conference for months. We had a suicide in our school last term, and this would have come in handy." He said.
Collecting herself, Gina asked. "Where are you from?"
"Originally? Kilkenny. My family came over when I was thirteen," he laughed.
She looked at him, trying awkwardly to form words in her mouth.
"I'm sorry...you meant...I'm from Pennsylvania. Ardmore."
Gina opened her mouth, but remained unable to speak.
"And you are from? The United States," he laughed.
"I'm from Penn Wynne. I'm a middle school counselor near there."
"Oh my God," she thought.
"Well, this is weekend is beginning to turn out even better than promised," he said with a smile.
Gina was sitting in her hotel bed, a mug of "fresh" generic complementary brew-it-yourself coffee in hand, reading the latest Jack Higgins novel, when it struck her...sort of.
"He's like a...taller, softer version of Sean Dillon," she said out loud to herself, wondering if he had a Walther PPK in his briefcase. "God...he's..." she said, not as an exclamation but the beginning of a prayer.
"But there's something about him," she said, this time in her thoughts. His demeanor and appearance were decidedly familiar, but she struggled to recall just how. She put down her book and settled back in bed. It had been a long, if not rewarding day, accompanied by way too many cups of coffee, which were happily decaffeinated. She turned out the light, still bothered by her inability to recall just who he reminded her of. She had just begun to drift off to sleep, still lost in dreamy thought when suddenly it hit her.
"Mark! Oh my God," she said, this time an exclamation rather than a prayer. Lying back down, she turned on her side and rested her head on the pillow, uneasy in a good kind of way.
"Oh...My...God," she said like Janice from "Friends." "Mark...."
Ben’s townhouse…Penn Wynne, Pennyslvania…
Ben unfolded his clothes from the suitcase and tossed them in the laundry basket by the door. He walked into the bathroom and started the shower. "Well, Katie, I'm home, and I've missed you ever so," he called from the bathroom. His brogue grew decidedly more "old sod," as is the case when folks get together with their own. No answer came, so he showered.
After his shower, He looked in the bathroom mirror and examined his face. "No...no need for a shave," he said, which was true. He never needed to shave, being either cursed or blessed with an almost indiscernible down that covered his soft face. He grabbed the robe from the back of the door and walked back into the bedroom.
He opened the door to the closet, examining the clothes. Stepping back from closet, he glanced at the door, where a full-length mirror hung. He surveyed the image in the mirror, where he viewed the reflection of a person his own age who stared back. She wore the same robe as his, and stood as tall. Her hair was blond, with a boyish cut. Her lips were full, and her cheeks bore the soft rose color so often found on the face of an Irish lass. She looked back at him and smiled in a demure way and said softly.
"And I've missed you an awful lot as well, dear brother."
Getting to Know You...and You
Bala Cynwood Middle School…
Gina sat at her desk eating her lunch. She had just finished her yogurt and was just picking up a Clementine when her phone rang.
"Gina Sorrento, Guidance. How may I help you? Oh, hi, sweetie," she said, recognizing the voice of her best friend Erica. "How’s things?"
"Never better," Erica said. Things hadn't been this good since she and Mark were married. They had gone through a period of grief and loss that would have challenged Job and had come out better for it.
At one time they might have felt differently. It's been said that God is never late, but he may have missed an awful lot of opportunities to show up early. In the midst of their loss they shared, they grew them closer to God and each other. It was absolute providence that Gina was privileged to walk with them through Mark's cancer and their miscarriage. It was a privilege and somewhat fun to help them transition from two to three in the house as they explored and discovered the relationship they had developed between Erica and Maired, Mark's alter-ego. The relationship needed tweaking on occasion, and Mark's health was always a concern, but for the most part, they were more in love than ever.
"Mark sends along his best, and so does Maired." They had gotten used to referring to Maired only to avoid confusion. She was an integral part of his personality, a persona much like a beloved character in your favorite book or movie. Gina found her to be just as interesting as her other half, and wouldn't mind a husband as loving and caring as Mark. She wasn’t so sure about the other stuff...
"Doesn't it get crowded," Gina teased.
"No, not at all," Erica said, taking Gina's lead. "At least they're not arguing over whose turn it is." Erica laughed. "How's by you, anyway?" Erica asked.
"I've been out with Ben a couple of times. Did I tell you he reminds me of Mark?"
"Only a thousand times," Erica teased.
"He's been just...just so."
"So cute? So blond? Gina...I think I know a secret." Erica paused. "You remind me of a girl I know who got married and lived happily ever after...well at least after a few rough spots. Gina...do you think you love him?"
"Oh Erica...I don't know," Gina said, trying to be as honest with herself as with her friend. "He's such a nice guy. He is more attentive than anyone I've ever dated, and he is open and honest about himself. He is likely the most humble guy I know save for you-know-who, and I feel...safe around him." Gina paused and said, "Anyway, I called you before to find out if you're free for lunch tomorrow.
"Sure, hon...Mark's planning a lengthy visit to the library, so I'm sure I can fit you in." Erica would have made time even if she had none. She was anxious to hear more about this new development in her friend's life.
"Hey, I gotta go sweetie, got a one o'clock appointment with a couple of bullies who need some direction," she said in a mock stern tone. See you tomorrow. I'll call you. Love you, bye."
Gina hung up the phone and began to clear her desk. Sitting on top by her stapler was a somewhat work spiral notebook. It was opened and the inside cover was facing up. She had doodled and written on it in pink ink, a throwback to her teenage years. It read, "Gina Kelly, Gina S. Kelly, Mrs. Gina Kelly, Gina Claudia Sorrento, and finally, as if to throw a bone to the politically correct, Ms. Gina Sorrento-Kelly." Smiling to herself, she leaned over and quickly closed the note book as her one o'clock bullies knocked on the door.
Ben’s home…sometime during the week…
"She'll never want you," Ben heard a voice say. He wasn't delusional. It was his voice, to be sure, only expressing words that his sister would say, if he had a sister. "Besides, she's too good for us both," again trying to keep things straight. He didn't feel that way because of his station in life, although he voice often reminded him of where he came from.
An only child, he had come to the States as a teen. His mother Mary Grace was born and bred in NYC, and had married Ben's dad Sean right out of college. They had met while she was on an exchange in Ireland. Ben's dad was dually diagnosed; he was, first and foremost, a workaholic, who came from well-to-do circumstances. He spent more time building his business than loving his family. His business moved them to the states, where he grew his fortune while neglecting his wife and Ben. Second, he was a first-class heel, who cheated on Ben's mom every chance he got. Eventually, he deserted her and Ben and moved in with his girlfriend, who subsequently left him when she found out what a heel he really was.
Ben helped out as much as he could after the divorce, but the years of neglect eventually took their toll when his mom succumbed at the all-to-soon age of forty. Ben had grown closer to his mom than most boys his age, owing to their mutual need for support. When she died, he had just been accepted into a small college out-of-state. Not quite a full ride, but with hard work and careful planning, he was able to do well enough to get accepted on full scholarship to four year school out west.
He quickly followed that with grad work at the University of Dublin, where he earned a graduate degree in psychology. All his preparation however went for naught when it came to his own life. All the things he said and would ever say to anyone else in his situation fell on his own "deaf" ears. Years of hearing how he wouldn't make it; that he was just like his mother, that she was no good; that he was never going to be a man like his dad.
Well, that succeeded doing what his dad intended. It tore him down. Only after years of counseling could he even begin to envision anything good for himself, despite the success he had professionally, and even that was only effective to a point. This is what the voice meant, that he’d be just as sad and scared and miserable as he was when he was a child.
To earn a graduate degree and maintain an outward confidence was one thing, but he went to bed alone and sad every night. One other thing haunted him. Ben had a secret...a secret that threatened at times to tear him apart. The voice he heard almost always supportive and loving. But the voice had also endured years of neglect at the hands of an irresponsible father…the same father. But I did say that he was an only child.
Ben had developed an alter-ego to help cope with his need for encouragement and self-esteem. He was a very gifted and sensitive man, but was unable to envision himself as such. He was, after all, just like his mother. He coped in the only way he knew how. If he was just like his mother, he'd try to be like his mother, or at least somewhat like her. This decision, born out of his love for his mother, tempered by years of abuse and shame, formed his future in a way no one and perhaps everyone might have anticipated.
It was then; at the ripe age of fourteen that Katherine Agnes Kelly was born. He didn't really believe he was his own sister. But having Katie as a refuge from his dad's insults and abuse served to protect him from harm. Truth be told; once he began dressing, the entire experience became a way of going away without leaving. With the door closed and music playing, Katherine, or Katie, as she preferred, was able to dream of faraway places safe from the sounds of yelling. She was safe from the sounds of insults and abuse. She didn’t have to hear her own mother cry herself to sleep every night, even if she did the same. But she heard, nonetheless. She stood with Ben as he went through his mother’s things reverently to prepare for the funeral, and Katie alone stood with him when “their” mother was laid to rest, weeping as orphans would.
After his mother died, he tried to stop his own self-imposed exile, and Ben was able to emerge from hiding. He had every intention of giving away his mother's clothes, but was unable for two reasons. First, he felt that disposing of his mother's things was like abandoning her memory, and he couldn't do that. In her all-too-brief stay on Earth, she had demonstrated forgiveness and love for his dad. Not a foolish, co-dependent love, but real love-even-when-unloved because she loved God. To be sure, despite the constant urge to be bitter, her memory and her example drew him closer, rather than away from God.
But her example also made him all the more wanting to be like her. Her clothing still held the scent of her perfume, and he felt close when he once again wore her things. Second, giving them away would bring an abrupt end to his refuge, and his counselor had encouraged him not to make too many changes while he grieved for her. His counselor was of some help regarding his relationship with his sister, and remained supportive. But this was at a time when folks still struggled with these issues with little understanding and compassion.
So Katherine Agnes (She named herself after her grandmother on her mom's side) Kelly stayed with her brother. And she was here and now. She walked over to the bed and sat down. She picked up a hand mirror which lay on the nightstand and held it before her face. Her hair was short but cute and blond, and she wore only some blush and lip gloss. Her long neck was graced with a strand of pearls, her mother’s pearls. "If you’d been born a girl, you’d be just as pretty as Grace Kelly," her mother had told her. What had embarrassed her brother was now remembered fondly as a blessing from the only person who loved her.
She was wearing an ivory blouse and gray skirt. She had kicked off her shoes and taken off her hose. She looked down at her hands. She wore a simple white gold band on her right hand. On her left, she wore a smaller ring set with a small diamond. It had been her mother's, and was treasured above all things.
Memories flooded her senses, and she was overwhelmed with grief, mingled with too much guilt and shame. She buried her head in her pillow and wept so hard that her shoulders convulsed. She fell asleep with the words she heard herself say, "She'll never love you..."
Gina’s home…
Gina sat at her kitchen table, her usual third cup of coffee in one hand. She reached down and scratched Rocco behind his right ear, his ear of choice.
"He hasn’t called in days, buddy…." She said. She scrunched up her face in thought. "What do you think?" She wished Rocco might look up and talk for the very first time in his doggie life, offering sage advice, because she wanted answers and none came.
"I know it’s not me. God, I know it’s not me," she said as her voice trailed off. It wasn’t an arrogant statement. Sure, she was confident. And she had reason to be. She had just completed her doctoral thesis in Psych, and she was a very smart woman. Her wit and charm were only succeeded by her looks, at least she thought so. She stood 5’8", perhaps a bit tall for a woman, but she pulled it off with grace.
A classic Italian beauty, with a little Swedish thrown in for good measure, she was a very attractive woman. But her confidence came not from how she looked, nor what she did. She was strong and confident because of whom she was and in Whom she trusted. Gifted with sensitivity and compassion, she tried to be as loving and understanding a friend and daughter anyone could be, and it was in this context that she knew, "It’s not me."
The Kiernan home…
"Honey, you need to call him and confront him." Erica was more than a little insistent. "If he means this much to you, you have to!"
Gina was sitting in Erica’s kitchen watching her cook dinner. Mark had run to the store for some wine and to rent a DVD.
"But…"
"But what? The worse that could happen is you’ll find out he is an operative of British Intelligence, and he’ll have to shoot you," she joked, referring to Higgin’s character, Sean Dillon. "Honey, you need to know, and if he can’t or won’t tell you then you need to confront him."
"I…." Gina’s voice trailed off. "I’ve only known him for a short time, and I don’t want to be silly about this, but…."
"It only took one date with Mark to know, sweetie. Stranger things can happen.
"Oh….I’ve never felt like this before."
"Uh Oh!"
"What?" Gina said as she dabbed her eyes with a paper towel.
"Mahwige…a dweam wivin a dweam."
That evening at home…
"Ben…Please pick up…" Gina said to herself.
"Hello….Gina…"
"Ben...honey, please…what’s the matter? Please tell me," Gina pled.
"I…I can’t…I can’t see you anymore. I…It’s not you."
Gina already knew that. Despite hearing him utter the classic breakup, his voice told her that he was being honest.
"I…Something has come up, and I…thank you for caring, but I have to handle this myself. Gina….God bless you and be well." Ben’s voice trailed off, followed abruptly by a dial tone.
She began to cry, but quickly dried her tears. She looked down at Rocco, who was gnawing on a bone at her feet.
"Keep an eye on things, buddy," she said as she grabbed her purse and rushed out the door.
Fifteen minutes later at Ben’s townhouse…
"Ben, open up…I know you’re in there. Your car is parked out front and it’s raining, so I know you’re not out for a stroll." Gina banged on the door. It was the first time she’d even been to his townhouse, having only found it by an atypical accurate Map quest search.
For the first time in his adult life, Ben had forgotten to lock his door. On a whim, Gina pressed the thumb latch and the door opened.
"Come out; come out, wherever you are!" Gina said, trying to lighten the situation, but she was still angry. She walked into the living room in time to see a woman scurry into the kitchen. Gina’s cheeks began to redden, as much from her anger as embarrassment.
"Ben…?" She walked tentatively toward the kitchen. "I’m sorry…Excuse me, miss. I’m looking for Ben Kelly," she said as she stepped into the kitchen. The woman had obviously been crying. Immediately Gina’s instincts kicked in.
"Excuse me…Is something wrong. Has he…where’s Ben?" The woman covered her face, continuing to cry.
"Ben, dammit, Get out here!" The woman looked up with the saddest expression Gina had ever beheld. She stepped closer, wanting to comfort this stranger. She saw that the woman bore a striking resemblance to…
"I’m sorry, Ben never told me he had a sister," Gina said, stepping forward as she touched the woman’s arm.
"He….he doesn’t…" the woman sobbed and turned away.
Gina’s eyes widened in realization.
"Ben?"
The woman’s crying subsided. She turned back to face Gina. She looked at once as if the whole world were on her shoulders, and her eyes pled for…someone to forgive her.
"G…gg…ina," the woman said almost convulsively. "I am so sorry. I never meant… ppplease….oh…" The woman tried to push past her, but Gina grabbed her by the arms and would not let go.
"Ben…." Gina was at a complete loss for words. She was angry and scared and confused, but she would not let go. She pulled the woman closer to her and hugged her, much as a mother would to console a scolded child. The woman tried to shrug off the hug, but Gina held tight. She pulled the woman closer to her, pulling the woman’s head to her own shoulder. The woman wanted to resist, but had no strength to resist. She hugged Gina tightly, fearing for all the world that this might be the last time ever. Sobbing convulsively, she said,
"I…I’mmm sooorry. Please forgive me…don’t hate me…doohnnn’t haaate me. I’m so sorry." The woman again sobbed.
Gina held the woman, stroking her hair.
"Shhh…shhh….it’s okay…" She said as she continued to comfort the sad woman she held in her arms. Gina looked up with a glance, not at the ceiling, but higher. "She silently mouthed the words, "What should I do?"
As the woman’s sobs subsided, Gina pulled back slightly and pulled the woman’s head off her shoulder to face her. By now Gina’s own eyes were filled with tears.
"I forgive you," Gina said softly. The woman’s eyes widened in surprised.
"And I don’t hate you…" Gina said, followed by the most difficult and yet most wonderful words she would ever utter in her life.
"Ben…I don’t hate you…I…I love you."
The woman could not grasp what she had heard. She began to weep again, as much from shame as from relief. Gina grabbed the woman’s face with both hands and said softly but firmly,
"No…I don’t think you understand." She looked upward once again, seeking help. Her expression, had the woman seen it, appeared to say, "I can’t believe I’m actually saying this."
"Ben….Ben, look at me. I don’t just love you. I love…..you!"
She looked at the woman and beheld something strange and wonderful.
Years of shame and failure were washed away seemingly in an instant, and the woman’s sadness was replaced with acceptance by the mere mention of her words. She pulled the woman closer to her and said softly,
"I love you."
A short while later…
Two women sat on the sofa in the living room, looking for all the world that they had just attended a tea party. On closer examination, however, their eyes were red from crying; one from relief and understanding, the other from forgiveness and acceptance, and both from not a small amount of wonder. The raven-haired woman looked as if she were trying to take something in, but she also looked confident, like you might feel after making a difficult but correct decision. The blond sat on the other end of the couch. She looked tired but relieved. They sat quietly, awkwardly, waiting for the other to speak.
"I know this is hard," Gina said, still finding it difficult not to cry. Both women wept and talked together for nearly an hour. Years of doubts and fears were replaced by hope and courage for them both, and Gina was exhausted. The good kind of exhaustion like when you’ve won a race. She continued, almost apologetically.
"Just one last question? Okay?" She paused, waiting for a response.
After a moment, the woman nodded, and Gina asked,"
"What’s your name?" She wanted to be serious, but her smile changed the mood.
"KKK…..Katherine. Katherine…Agnes…Kelly," the woman said, embarrassed, like a child talking to a teacher. Gina saw what was happening. She reached over and grabbed the woman’s hand, shaking it in greeting. Her smile diffused the awkwardness of the moment, and lightened the mood further.
"Well, Katherine Agnes Kelly. I’m Gina Claudia Sorrento, and I am absolutely pleased to meet you."
Getting to Know the Family
"You're like a doting grandmother," Gina said as she pointed to Rocco, her bull terrier.
Her friend Erica always seemed to have a toy or some treat for him.
"He's like my own family...aren't you," Erica said as she patted him on his back. "So, anyway, what's so important that couldn't wait? I'm usually the one to call you out of the blue. You confronted Ben didn't you?"
"Well, kind of," Gina said, avoiding eye contact.
"You did confront him, didn't you?" Erica said, her eyes widening with mock anger.
"And what did he have to say? I hope he had a good explanation." Erica was not only angry for Gina's sake, but also because Ben had begged off at the last minute when he was invited to dinner along with Gina to meet Erica and Mark for the first time.
"He had an explanation...."
"And? Gina...you've been going out for nearly a month and he just stops calling. Come on, girl. What did he have to say? Did you guys talk or not?"
"Ummm...we did talk."
"Gina...you're not letting him off the hook. He doesn't call you for a week and you're just going to...Come on, girl," Erica repeated.
"Um...first, he's not off the hook 'cause I never put him on it in the first place," she laughed nervously. "We did talk, and I can honestly say he is truly sorry. Honey, I thought Mark cried a lot...." Gina said, trying to make light of it, but her friend deserved an explanation.
"We talked for hours, and he told me all about his childhood and...did you know he went "full ride" at the University of Dublin...he just finished his doctoral thesis…he's going to Temple...what a coincidence."
"Slow down, sister, I can't keep up…what about his childhood?"
"He was born over there, and came here when he was in middle school. Grew up near here...his dad left the family when he was a teenager...mom died just before he graduated high school...he has a sister ...did I say he went to Temple?"
"Gina, slow down....wait a minute...didn't you tell me last week that he was an only child?"
"Did I?" Gina asked sheepishly. "I guess so...yeah...I did, didn't I?"
"And?" By now any other person would have lost their patience with her, but Erica understood how difficult it can be at times to talk with someone about something painful or difficult, even a friend.
It's been said that a picture is worth a thousand words. Erica was about to find out how true that old adage was. Gina reached into her purse and pulled out her wallet. Opening it up, she produced a small photo, which she handed to Erica. The photo was like the ones you get with a picture package at a mall. It was a small portrait of an attractive woman, about their age. She had short blond hair and her face revealed her Irish heritage. It would have been a nice photo of a pretty girl, save for the almost forlorn expression on the woman's face.
"Meet Katie Kelly, Ben's sister," Gina said.
"Wait a second...I don't understand. You told me he doesn't have a sister, and now you're telling me he does?"
"Well, sort of," Gina said sheepishly, trying not to laugh.
"Let me see that again." Erica said, grabbing the picture out of Gina's hand. She looked down at the picture and back at Gina. Looking once more at the picture, she again returned her attention to Gina's face, trying to find something that might reveal...
"Yep...yep, yep, yep, yep...you guessed it," she said, failing miserably at suppressing her laughter.
Erica looked again at Gina, her eyes widening in surprise. And like Janice from Friends, all she could say was, "OH....MY....GAWD!!!"
A bit later…
"I'm telling you, I don't know what to do." Gina said, nervously sipping her fourth cup of coffee. Erica reached over and pulled the cup out of Gina's hand and set it on the table.
"Of course you don't." Erica's remark took Gina by surprise. "I know I didn't,"
Erica said referring to the moment when she discovered her husband had a "sister." Sister, being of course, Mark's alter-ego Maired, who by now had become an integral part of the family.
"I'm not saying anything would have changed for us...but we knew each other since we were kids, and we've loved each other for a long time. You only just met him a few months ago, and meeting "her" must have been a shock."
"That's the thing; it wasn't...well at least entirely. I've been thinking about when he and I first met. Sure he was a perfect gentleman, but not just because he's a man, although I must say...." Gina had become uncharacteristically flustered. "Anyway, he acted like that because he's kind and thoughtful and...But when we talked at the conference, he seemed very interested in me...not for a date or anything...he was truly interested in me for me.
It was only after we went on our first date, he explained, that he found himself attracted to me. I don't know how to explain...his dad browbeat him with insults and complaints...he never thought much of himself as...well...as a guy." Gina paused and pulled out another photo and handed it to Erica. The man in the photo was attractive. Gina had thought to herself that he had one of those enigmatic faces that would complement either a man or a woman. The man had short blond hair and piercing blue eyes. His expression was also sad, but there was something about the eyes that belied that sadness...perhaps some hope."
"Ben? This is your Ben? And he doesn't think?" Erica looked up at the ceiling and shook her head, more out of recognition than surprised. "After what you told me his father would say to him, I'm not completely surprised. Mark struggled with self-esteem. His dad tried to make up for lost time after he went into recovery but died before he had the chance. Oh, Gina...." She looked back at her friend, catching her wipe her eyes.
Gina was conflicted. Sure, she felt sorry for him, who wouldn't. But she didn't feel sorry for who he had become...she was filled with compassion for someone who had borne the burden of shame and guilt, and she loved him all the more for it. But she was conflicted.
"I mean....it's not like I've known him for so long. Like you said, you and Mark have been in love for a long time...you've been through so much. We just met...."
"Honey...you can pick and choose who you will be with. You can be kind and compassionate to everyone you meet, and that's what you're supposed to do..." Erica said, placing her hand on Gina's."
"But?..."
"Most of us...all of us, maybe...find that we never choose the people we fall in love with. It's okay...maybe a little weird and crazy...but it's okay. I believe someone I trust with my life once told me.... 'Don’t try to figure this out all at once. If it really needs fixing, you and God will figure it out together. Just continue to love each other and God, and I’m sure it’ll all work out.’"
That Saturday at Ben’s home…
For only the second time in his life, Ben had left his door unlocked. Gina knocked once and stepped inside.
"Ben," she called, "Are you here?"
"In the bedroom...I'll...be out in a second," he said in his soft brogue. She found she couldn't get enough of his accent. Gina walked down the hallway to his bedroom. He was standing by his bed, putting a pile of clothes in a plastic bag.
"No...I said I'd be out." He looked at her and back at the bag, his face beginning to redden.
"Ben...please...look at me," she said softly. "What are you doing," her voice asking softly without demand.
"I can't do this anymore. I don't know where we stand, and I wouldn't blame you if you..." He fought back the tears. "I've got to..." His voice trailed off, and he choked up.
"I am so sorry Gina...you don't deserve this...and I sure as hell don't deserve you."
"Ben," she said loudly, but with no condemnation. "The first thing you need to know about me is that I determine what I want and need." She said this as if it might be the last thing she would ever say to him. And it would be the last time she would have to remind him.
"It's my life, and I choose to live it the way I see fit...not anyone else....Ben, your dad isn't standing here...I am. Your mom isn't standing here, but I she could, she'd say the same thing I am about to say." Tears came to her eyes, and she took a long breath before continuing.
"You are who you are...every bit of you...and I love you. I don't know where this is leading, but I love you, and I'm not going anywhere. And neither should you. All of you. I'm in this for the long haul, so get used to having two women around here." She tried to be serious, but laughed none the less."
Ben dropped the bag, not knowing what to say, but relieved all the same.
"But....b....uht..."
"But what? We can't? I can't?..." She found herself getting angry. "WE can.
I have never been in love...until now. Nothing changes that...nothing." Her voice softened as she walked to him, her eyes still wet with tears. "Nothing...." she said and she buried her head in his shoulder and sobbed. He held her in his arms. She cried and cried until she could cry no more.
"I love you," she said, almost apologetically.
"I....love you," he said in return, for the first time in his life.
They embraced for what seemed like hours, but moments later, they broke the embrace. She kicked off her heels, and for the first time, looked up into his piercing blue eyes and said,
"Kiss me, you strong, beautiful man,"
And they did.
A bit later…
Gina stood at the door, wanting for all the world to stay, but everything in time and order, as they say. Besides, Rocco had been home all day and was probably missing his mama.
Ben leaned forward and kissed Gina on the cheek, more than brotherly but less than a boyfriend. She pulled him into her and kissed him on the lips, less than wife but much more than sister.
"Hey, I just thought of a couple of reasons why we should get married," she said, suppressing a giggle rising from something funny yet told.
"And what would dat be, my love?" Ben said, his accent somewhat thicker than usual.
"First...my grandmother once told me to marry an Irishman, 'cause "Irish and Italiano...de maka-a da beautiful bambino..."
"And what would de udder ting be," he said, now sounding like a Dubliner.
"Katie and I can share clothes," she said. Before he could say anything, she kissed him again on the cheek and was down the steps and down the block to her car, laughing almost hysterically at her own joke.
As he watched her drive off, he stepped out on the landing and said to himself in as good an Italian accent a son of the old sod could say,
"Da beautiful bambino." He laughed and turned to go inside. Pausing as if remembering something important, which it was, he looked up at the clear sky and above and said,
"God...she's beautiful," and not in an exclamatory way but in a reverent, thankful way.
"She's beautiful." He thought he heard a voice speak softly from behind,
"As ever was...dear brother...as ever was."
Mom…We Need to Talk
Erica’s…a few weeks later...
"Don’t worry…everyone from your school is coming, and I managed to contact a couple of your pals from grad school as well." Erica could hardly contain her excitement. Her best friend Gina was getting married after a whirlwind courtship; if you can call six months of engagement after a month of dating whirlwind. In this day and age, Gina’s decision to "keep herself" until marriage was…well, at least not as frequent a decision as used to be, but Gina and Ben both were raised "the old way."
"It’s going to be at Marie’s house to fit everybody," Erica explained; Marie being Erica’s mother-in-law and Gina’s second mom. Her mom Betty and Marie went back to before the kids were born, and were still close. Gina and Erica went back to when they were in middle school, along with Erica’s husband Mark and his late sister.
"Honey…I…" Gina hesitated.
"Sweetie, you know you can ask anything." Erica could almost picture Gina’s expression; she’d be scrunching her face and looking down at her shoes, provided her bull terrier Rocco wasn’t obscuring the view.
The phone went quiet, but a moment later, Gina said quietly,
"I still haven’t told Mom."
"I’d be surprised if you had," Erica said with a grin, but quickly switched back to "serious" mode. "It isn’t every day a girl comes home and tells her mother that she’s getting married."
"But I already told her that, she’s helping plan the shower,"
Gina said. "Ben asked for my hand in marriage."
"That’s right, but it was just him who asked, and that’s why you want my help."
"Would you?" Gina almost sounded like a kid whose mother told she could wear makeup or go on a first date.
"I’ve been through this before, remember? One thing though…"
"What?" Erica could almost picture Gina turning her face sideways and tilting her head.
"We’ll have your mom over to my place…just us GIRLS, and only after the shower. We wouldn’t want to spoil Betty’s proudest day by telling her she’s about to gain a daughter-in-law as well.
Betty Sorrento’s home…
Betty Sorrento was as progressive person as they come. Oh, sure, there were things she believed in that stood the test of time, but usually could be relied on to understand and accept most things and people. Today wasn’t one of those times.
"Gina….what? What did you say?" If you can imagine the most shocked expression you’ve ever seen, multiply that by ten, and you’d still hardly come close to the bounds of incredulity.
"Mom…It’s okay…really."
"It’s okay? It’s okay." Betty got up from the kitchen table and poured the remainder of her coffee in the sink. Gina couldn’t tell if she was angry or hurt, but truth be told…She was angry, hurt, confused…you name it, she probably was feeling it.
"It’s not okay. You just told me that the man you’re going to marry wears dresses and I’m supposed to be okay with that?"
She drew a breath, trying to collect herself. She went on.
"I raised you….you know….it’s just…wrong. I love you…you’re my only child, and I will love you always, but there are only so many things…." With that, she burst into tears and ran into her bedroom and shut the door. Erica had remained quiet during the whole exchange, as did Marie her mother-in-law, who came along for moral support.
"I think that went rather well," Gina said sarcastically and started crying. Marie got up from the table and hugged Gina.
"She’ll never come around…it’ll never work," she sobbed.
After a few minutes of quiet, save for Gina’s crying, Erica finally spoke.
"Then we’ll just find something that will.
"It’ll never work," Gina said, echoing the talk she had with Marie and Erica days before.
"Many’s a time I was ready to give up, and you reminded me to believe…you kept me going and I can’t begin to repay you enough save to support you now and remind you of all the things God used you to encourage me." Erica said softly but firmly.
"It not only has to work…It will work…" Erica looked at Gina and tried to suppress a laugh. Quoting her favorite movie, she said,
"Now where can we get a holocaust cloak?"
A few days later…a phone call…
"I’m sorry, Mom. Please forgive me. Erica wants to make it up to you. She’s having a small party…just us girls and some girlfriends from work." As you may know, Erica was a successful childrens author, and did have some acquaintances from her publishers, but they wouldn’t be attending. She did, however, invite two of her friends; an attractive, short-haired red-headed girl; and her new friend, who could be described as a very attractive blond who just happened to be Ben’s sister, Katie.
Erica’s home that Friday…
After a few glasses of wine, all of the women were laughing hysterically at something Gina had said. One of those things that comes up in conversation and amuses you but you can’t remember just what the following day. Betty had reluctantly accepted Erica’s invitation, but once she arrived, she found herself having a good time, in spite of herself.
"I haven’t laughed so much since Johnny fell through the roof," she said, referring to her late husband Johnny Sorrento, Gina’s dad. He was a great guy, gone too soon after someone else had one too many drinks and drove. She was okay, having been a widow for years, and all of her memories remained sweet.
Marie looked at her and smiled, careful not to be insistent.
She could only try to help Betty understand, but Gina was her child, and they would ultimately have to work out things. But they still had the plan, and they had a prayer.
Erica got up from the couch and walked into the kitchen.
"I don’t know about you girls, but I’m ready for coffee," she said as she filled the coffeemaker with water.
"Sounds great, Gina said. She looked over to the girl sitting on the brick hearth of the fireplace who was playing with Rocco.
"How about you…Maired?"
The pretty redhead looked up and smiled.
"Yes, thank you," she said quietly. Maired was always quiet and shy, even with friends and family.
"I’m so disappointed your mom couldn’t make it," Betty said, trying hard not to shout.
"She had something at church she was looking forward to, so she’ll see you…" Erica was about to say, "At the wedding," but that wasn’t such a good thing to bring up. "Another time,” she said, quickly changing the subject.
"Betty…Marie?" She said, holding up some mugs in suggestion.
"Yes, please," they said, almost in unison.
"How about you, Katie?" Erica said to the blond sitting in the easy chair by the front window.
"Yes, that would be great," she said with more than a little brogue in her voice.
"Oh gosh," Erica said, "Where are my manners. We’ve been talking for nearly an hour, and I cleanly forgot to introduce you," she said, her hand sweeping in a broad gesture to include Maired and Katie.
"Maired, Katherine, this is Betty, Gina’s mom. Betty, these are my…friends, Maired and Katherine." Betty actually tried to get up to be polite, but thought the better of it. She had only one glass of wine, but she was better suited to iced tea or club soda."
"Pleased to meet you," Maired said as she waved hello, trying all the world to fade into the brick of the fireplace behind her.
"How do you know Erica?" Betty asked.
"Oh…I help her with copy and editing now and then," Maired said, and while she didn’t work for the publisher, she spent more than a few hours…a day helping Erica with her writing. She was Mark’s "sister" after all, though they didn’t have to tell Betty that; did they?
"I couldn’t help but notice your accent…Katherine?" Betty asked.
"Irish born but here in P.A. since middle school," she said softly. "You can call me Katie…all my friends do." She smiled and took a sip of wine, glad to have the introductions behind her.
At the end of the evening…
Gina and Erica stood on Marie’s front step, waving as Betty drove off. Looking back into the house, Maired still played nervously with Rocco, still trying in vain to disappear. Marie sat on the couch next to Katie.
"It’s alright…I still don’t understand it all myself, but I know if you‘re anything like …my Maired here," she said, pointing to her "daughter," everything will work out okay…I’m sure you’re just like Maired," she said, and laughed when she realized just how much Katie was like Maired.
Walking back into the house, Gina laughed and said,
"It’s going to get awfully difficult keeping things straight around here."
Maired continued petting Rocco but looked up at Gina.
"Like a Philly lineup card after a blowout," she said softly and returned her attention to the dog.
All of the women laughed, which caused Maired’s cheeks to grow almost as red as her hair. She looked hurt, and turned away, embarrassed.
"It’s okay, honey….they really did get clobbered last night, didn’t they?" Erica said as she kissed Maired on the top of the head. "It’s okay."
The Plot Thickens
Sam's Grill, Wynnewood, Pennsylvania...
"Can I get you any coffee or tea, ladies?" the waitress asked.
All six women responded positively, and the waitress nodded and walked away.
"Erica tells me you play the violin," she said to the redhead sitting to her right.
Maired gulped nervously and quickly took a sip of water.
"Yes," she said. Maired was still understandably anxious over the seating arrangements, and shot an unladylike glare at Erica, who immediately stood up, saying,
"I'm going to the 'little girls' room, anyone? Maired?" she said with an emphasis on her name, shooting back a glance at the girl.
"No, thank you." Maired said softly.
"Come on…now," she insisted, and abruptly grabbed Maired's hand, ushering her toward the lady's room.
"Come in, there's no one here...It'll be okay." Erica insisted as she pulled Maired into the lady's room. She quickly locked the door."
"Erica...I want to go home." Maired looked back at door nervously.
"I know honey...but Betty needs to get to know Katie, and this is the best we could come up with."
"Why did I have to come?"
"Because you are part of the plan, My Dear." She always called Maired "My Dear" when she wanted to encourage her or as Maired would say; she "wants something.’
"Betty needs to discover that beautiful women aren't always what they appear to be. She also needs to know that a good man can be a great husband; even if he does wear a dress now and then." With that, she pulled Maired into her and kissed her.
Meanwhile…
"So, you work with Erica at the publishers?" Betty asked the woman on her left. The woman shifted uncomfortably in her chair.
"On occasion," the woman fibbed, her soft brogue serving somewhat to mask her nervousness. "I help out now and then." She looked at Gina for help.
"We just found out that Katie is a guidance counselor, too, and middle school, to boot." Gina said, coming to Katie's rescue.
"That's wonderful," Betty said. "I don't know why, but it seems that the best counselors are women."
Marie and Erica looked at each other and grinned. Erica literally bit her tongue to keep from laughing.
"Well, Gina's the best!" Erica said, trying to divert attention from Katie.
"Oh, God," Gina thought to herself, "She hasn't figured it out." Her words were as much a prayer as an expression. "God...please let this work." She prayed in earnest this time.
That Sunday at Gina’s…
"Hello, Rocco, how are you...what a good doggie." Betty said in greet as she entered the house. She spoiled Gina's bull terrier to no end, and today was no exception. She produced a new rawhide bone, along with a bag of dog food. Petting his head, she turned her attention to her daughter, who stood by the kitchen archway, a nervous expression on her face.
"Gina...what's wrong?" Betty said, noting her daughter's nervousness.
"Nothing, Mom...nothing."
Looking past her into the kitchen, Betty noticed a woman sitting at the table.
"Oh, hello, Katie." She turned to Gina and said, "I didn't know you had company." Betty said, but her question wasn't a complaint.
"I enjoyed getting to know you the other day. And I just love your accent."
"Thank you, Mrs. Sorrento."
"Oh call me Betty...all my friends do," Betty said as she put down her purse. "Any coffee?"
"Would you excuse me?" Katie said, getting up from the table. She walked down the hallway to the bathroom.
"Sure, mom," Gina answered as she walked to the counter, her voice betraying her anxiety.
"What's wrong?" Betty insisted. "Gina?"
Sitting down at the table, she placed a mug of coffee in front of her mother, gesturing to the creamer and sugar.
"Mom...." Gina said, struggling for words. She looked away, her eyes beginning to tear up as she tried to summon courage.
"Mom...Daddy was the best man ever, wasn't he?"
"Of course, honey....There isn't a day that goes by that I thank God for your father. He was the sweetest kindest...funniest man I ever knew. You get your sense of humor from him, you know."
Gina hoped her tears wouldn't betray her until she finished.
"And didn't you say, 'Gina Claudia Sorrento,'" Gina said, mimicking her mother's authoritative tone, "'I pray to God you'll find a man as good as your father...that he'll love you and care for you like your father cared for me.'"
"Yes," Betty said, wondering where her daughter was going with this.
"Well, Mom, I found that man...I know what you said, but hear me out," Gina said, noting her mother's expression change.
"Ben is the most wonderful man I have ever met except for Daddy. He loves me more than anything, and I love him back. You told me growing up that people should be judged by the kind of person they are.
Are they kind? Do they care about other people? Are they good?"
"Yes, but." Betty tried to interrupt, but Gina stopped her, grabbing her hand.
"No buts, Mom. Ben is a kind, caring, good man, despite what you think."
Betty's expression unexpectedly softened.
"Honey...I just want what's best for you."
"Mom...can you give me enough credit to know?"
Betty hesitated, but answered with a little reluctance.
"Yes," she said with the look like your own mom when she finally realizes that you've grown up.
"I know what's best for me. Can we agree on that at least?"
"Yes…" Betty almost said, "But…"
"I plan on spending the rest of my life with him. He's what I need...He's who I love. I know that he'd move heaven and earth for me. And he'd tell you how much he loves me if you'd give him a chance."
"I want to honey…but it’s so hard…he’s just. You father wouldn’t…"
"Daddy would love Ben…He may not look it, but did you know he’s one of the best players on his rugby team? He loves the Eagles…he even likes Clive Cussler…just like Daddy, mom. He’s all man, Mom, believe me. And no, we haven’t…you raised your daughter a certain way."
"But what about?"
"That’s just another side of him….like a role in a movie. Mom…he’s so much more than you know, but you have to give him a chance."
There was an awkward moment of silence followed by an ever more awkward moment as Katie returned to the kitchen.
"I’m sorry, am I interrupting," Katie said as she stood by the table.
"Please…I can come back at another time." She said, looking for permission to leave.
"NO…no, that’s okay, please stay," Gina said with more force than she had intended.
Betty looked up at Katie, embarrassed, hoping that she hadn’t overheard their conversation.
"Please…we were just talking about some family stuff. It can wait until another time."
"No, Mom, it can’t wait."
"Honey, this is private, your friend shouldn’t be put in the middle of this…"
"This is important, Mom. It can’t wait." She bit her tongue and continued. "It’s not private, at least where Katie is concerned; she is in the middle of this."
"I don’t understand," Marie said.
"Mom….I’ve…we’ve got something to say." Gina looked at her mother and then looked up at the woman standing beside her. She grabbed Katie’s hand."
Betty looked at her daughter and then looked at the woman standing next to her. Her look said everything she wanted to say, but she spoke nonetheless.
"No…" Her tone was calm and not at all angry, more out of disbelief.
"Ben?" She asked as she looked back and forth between Katie and her daughter.
With as sweet and sincere a voice that she could remember, Betty heard her daughter’s friend say in a soft, feminine, and decidedly Irish accent,
"As ever was, Mrs. Sorrento, as ever was."
Betty promptly fainted and dropped her head to the table.
A short while later…
She looked up at the two faces looking down on her with concern. She realized she was lying on Gina’s couch. She didn’t remember moving to the couch, and she had a confused look on her face.
The raven-haired woman’s face came into focus. "Gina," Betty thought.
"You fainted, Mom," Gina said, patting her mother’s head with a cold washcloth.
The woman beside her looked down in earnest concern. She looked vaguely familiar. The woman was pretty in a hard-to-describe way. Her blond hair was short, almost boyish. Her face was pale but not unhealthy, her rosy cheeks betraying her Irish heritage. She seemed nice enough, maybe even someone Betty might be friends with. But just then it hit her again.
"Gina…is this…?"
"Yes, Mom," Gina said calmly. "This is the man I am going to marry."
Erica’s home…the next day…
"So, Sweetie, how did it go? The fact that we are even having this conversation means that your mother didn’t kill you or Katie, so it couldn’t have been THAT bad," Erica said.
"She’s still upset, but more over the fact that we tricked her. ‘You deceived your own mother,’ was the way she put it." Gina said. As anxious as she was, Gina found it hard not to laugh.
"You should have seen it. She banged her head on the table with a "bonk," almost like a movie in slow motion. I thought she was going to pass out again when she woke up and Katie said, ‘Are you okay, Mrs. Sorrento? Is there something I can get for you.’?"
The fact that Betty was still talking with her daughter was a major change in her attitude. They had talked for most of the afternoon. It remained somewhat disconcerting for her that while she listened, Katie spoke of Ben almost as another person. It was almost like immersion education, where you learn a new language without using your own. She actually forgot who was talking to her at one point, asking Katie if she and Ben got along. By the end of the day, Betty conceded nothing, but surprisingly, albeit reluctantly, hugged Katie when she was leaving.
"She’s won’t admit it to me but Marie says that they talked about it Tuesday and she's convinced her to come to the wedding.
The wedding was only two weeks away at this point, and while they were going to keep it simple and traditional in the true sense of the word, Gina still needed her mother like any daughter needs her mother for her wedding day.
Open Door Fellowship…Penn Wynne, Pennsylvania…two weeks later…
"You’re going to be just fine," Mark said, adjusting his friend’s boutonniere.
"I’ve talked with you and prayed with you, and I know you’re doing the right thing. Gina is my best friend apart from my wife, and she deserves all the success and love God can provide. You, my friend, are God’s provision for her.
Mark, unlike his "sister" Maired, was becoming more self-confident, and his tone helped to encourage the man before him. He looked at his watch, and seeing the time, looked up and remarked,
"Looks like it’s time. Ben? I don’t know you that well, but I can say this…God is your father, and he’s proud of you. If your mother were here today, she’d be proud of you." Mark’s eyes were filled with tears for his friend, not weak tears, but the kind a real man sheds with the joy of sharing a good friend’s fortune. Mark grabbed his friend’s hands and offered a prayer. Holding the door open, he smiled and remarked,
"It’s time."
Meanwhile…
"You’re going to be just fine," Erica said, telling Gina the same thing she had told her the four previous times, as she smoothed out the train of Gina’s dress. You will be the most beautiful bride in the history of the world, present company excepted." She looked once more at her friend, trying hard not to start crying. She leaned forward and kissed her on the cheek. "Seriously, sweetie, I am so happy for you. You are truly blessed, and I know he’s going to love you like you deserve." She grabbed both of Gina’s hands in her hands and prayed. A moment later, the sound of Mendelssohn’s Wedding March came from the sanctuary.
"Looks like their playing your song," Erica said. Kissing her best friend once again, she opened the door and proceeded through.
"Who gives this woman in marriage?" The minister said.
"I do," Betty Sorrento said, proud as any mother could. With tears in her eyes, out of some trepidation, but mostly from joy and faith, she said once again,
"I do."
A New Beginning
Two days later…
"Where are you right now?" Erica said into the phone, glancing back at the figure seated on the couch.
"Just outside of Toronto. We stayed at a nice place called the Sanctuary in Blackstock and we're headed for Kingston. There's a Bed and Breakfast, O'Brien House, for the last night in Ontario. There's a ferry," Gina almost snorted, suppressing a laugh," over to the New York side. Straight down 81 after that." She and Ben were on the third leg of their extended tour through Canada, which started at Niagara Falls, of course.
"An Irish B&B, that's priceless. You couldn't have planned it any better. Does he suspect anything?" Erica asked.
"No, and I'm not saying a word until we get to the rest stop on 401. We'll meet up with Katie there."
"Gina, are you sure about this, it is your honeymoon and all." Erica was understandably concerned, considering what Gina had planned typically is never done on your honeymoon; at least as far as she knew.
"Honey, we've had the best time ever....did I tell you he had a dozen roses waiting for us at the hotel by the Falls?"
Gina was having literally the best time in her life. She felt supremely blessed by God for her new husband, "family" and all, and she wanted him to know how much she appreciated every "part" of him. "And...." Erica could almost hear her friend smile over the phone,
"He had something else. The engagement ring I wore was simple. You know I wanted to save for our marriage instead of blowing it all on the wedding?" Gina was as adventurous and fun loving as anyone, but she was also practical, and getting married to the man of her dreams was sufficient.
"When we got to the hotel...He got down on one knee and pulled a small box from his pocket. It was the most beautiful ring I have ever seen...his grand mom's and then his mom's. He cried more than I did..." Gina's voice trailed off into silence as she relived the joy of that moment.
"Anyway," she continued, "I know it's always uncalled for to bring your family along on the honeymoon, but I thought, 'hey, we're celebrating the biggest moment of our lives, and perhaps we should share our joy." She laughed, congratulating herself for being so clever."
"You don't have to do this," Erica cautioned.
"Honey, I love this man more than anything in the world, and I think this is something we both need. I know that couples discover a lot about each other after the 'I do's," so this is one way we'll learn more about us."
"It's an interesting approach, Dr. Sorrento, I must say." Erica said. "I'll be praying for you...all."
"Oh, Ben just came out of the store," she said hurriedly. As Ben approached the van, Gina pointed to her cell phone and said,
"Honey, Mark and Erica called to wish us well. Rocco (her bull terrier) is crying for our return, but they said they'd take him down to visit the Sapienza twins (her neighbor's beagles). "
"That's great," he said as he put the groceries in the back of the van. He closed the lift gate, failing to notice an extra suitcase and garment bag peeking out from under a blanket. He walked to the front of the van and kissed his new wife on the cheek. She handed him the phone.
"Don't want to be a "mother hen," Erica said on the other end.”Just wanted to say we're praying for you guys..." She paused and said, "Ben...I just wanted you to know I am so glad that God brought you two together. Can't talk long...you've got a honeymoon to enjoy, so give my Sweetie a kiss for me and God bless." She put the phone on the cradle and turned back to the kitchen counter.
"More tea, my Dear?"
A pretty redhead sat at the kitchen table.
"Yes, please."
"Honey, could we pull into this rest stop coming up?"
"For you, absolutely," Ben said in the soft brogue Gina had come to adore.
Pulling into the rest stop, Ben noticed that apart from a few semis, there were no other vehicles. Gina had hoped that would be the case, but was determined to see her plan through even if the parking lot was filled with cars. She got out of the van and walked back to the back.
"Pop the latch for me, Sweetie. Might as well change while we're here."
"Sure, my love."
Reaching into the back, Gina grabbed the suitcase from under the blanket and walked toward the lady's room. Ben took the case from Gina.
"Honey...would you come over here and make sure that it's safe," she said, gesturing to the door.
Hopping out of the car, Ben walked up to her and gave her a peck on the cheek. He walked to the door and knocked. Hearing no answer, he poked his head inside. Seeing no one, he called back,
"All clear."
Gina walked through the door, grabbing Ben's wrist. She pulled the door closed and shut the latch. Before he could react, she put the suitcase down and pulled him to her. She gave him a long kiss, which simultaneously demonstrated her great and growing love for her husband while at the same time catching him off guard.
"Honey," he said, sounding more like "Hoony," "And what will the neighbors think?"
"They'll think we're in love." She kissed him again, her hand stroking his cheek. She stepped away as her hand lingered. She picked up the suitcase and placed it on the counter over one of the sinks.
"Honey, can you help me open this...it's stuck," she lied, trying not to giggle. You know the kind of giggle when a girl is playing a silly prank on her girlfriend.
Ben walked over to the sink and pressed the latch, which opened with a pop. The suitcase was almost overstuffed with clothing and fell open quickly. He was about to walk away, but Gina grabbed his arm, pulling him once again to kiss him.
"Sure, and a fella could get used to this," again sounding more like "gait used to dis."
"I know I never will. This will be brand-spanking-new for me for a long time," she said as she kissed him more deeply. She kissed him lightly on the cheek and turned to face the sink once again.
"We don't have much time, sweetie," she said as she began spreading the clothing on the open half of the suitcase. "O'Brien's serves dinner, and we want to get there in plenty of time to unwind." She continued to lay out the clothing. Lingerie and hose, followed by a turquoise blouse and grey slacks. She placed the black flats on the sink. Reaching into the large pocket, she produced a make-up bag, which she also laid on the sink.
"I'll just step outside while you change, love." Ben said, turning to the door.
She grabbed his wrist once again, pulling him to her. She whispered in his ear.
"Sure and I'm not the one who's changing, Katie."
The parking lot of O'Brien's a while later...
"If my own mother can't tell, than how would a complete stranger? Come on, sweetie, get out of the van." Gina said, suppressing a laugh. She was enjoying this; partly because it was clever and humorous, but also because this was a part of her relationship she wanted to explore. "Just for fun," she had told herself, but it was something more for both of them. This person sitting next to her was the person she had come to know and love, and she wanted to know more. She wanted to know more because she wanted to love more and accept more and understand more, just as she hoped she would be known and accepted and loved.
The girl sat stock still, hands gripping the steering wheel like a vise. Her nervousness did nothing to detract from her appearance. Her alabaster complexion was complemented by her stereotypical rosy Irish cheeks. Her makeup was simple, with a little eye shadow and lip gloss. Her companion had recently convinced her to let her hair grow, and her blond locks almost reached her collar.
She looked over to the woman in the passenger seat. She was dressed in a white tank top over which she wore a lilac sweater. She wore khaki slacks and lilac flats. Her black hair fell past her shoulders, framing her classic Italian features. She wore little makeup. "As if Botticelli's Venus needed to dress up," her companion once said.
"Besides, everybody’s' going to be looking at me, silly," she said teasingly.
A short while later...
"We don't usually have this happen, but there's only one room available, ladies."
The innkeeper pointed to the register. "I'm awfully sorry," she continued. "We will have another room opening up tomorrow. Perhaps you can come back then."
But Gina already knew that; she had called around to find a nice but over-booked place to stay just for today's adventure. She grabbed Katie's hand and squeezed, as if that would prepare her for what Gina was about to say.
"That's alright, we don't mind; do we, Katie?" With that, Gina leaned over and rubbed Katie's shoulder, revealing more than just a sisterly love.
"Oh...I understand." She looked at Gina and then at Katie, winking ever so slightly.
"We'll just get you two settled in nice and proper," she said as she handed Gina the key.
The woman showed them to their room.
"Dinner's over an hour, ladies. Is there anything else I can get for you?"
"No thank you," Gina said with a smile as she closed the door. "We've got everything we need." She walked back to Katie, who was standing by the queen-sized bed.
"Yep," Gina said as she drew her lover close for a kiss. "Everything."
After the Honeymoon
The Kiernan home…
"Where's my boy?" Gina said as she walked into Erica's house. Rocco, her bull terrier, ran from the kitchen at jumped into her arms as she sat down on the couch.
"He thinks he's a cat," she mouthed the words to her friend. Erica walked into the kitchen and called back.
"I just put a pot of coffee on...you want some?" Gina nodded and scratched Rocco behind his ear.
"Hey, girlfriend...where's Ben?" Ben being Gina's brand new husband of four days, six hours and twenty-three minutes.
"Well...that's a good question. Out at the van, refusing to come in."
"Whatever for?" Erica was truly confused. She wondered if he was angry at them for their role in Gina's conspiracy.
"Is Maired here?" Gina asked, almost feeling a little foolish, but still wanting to spare her husband embarrassment.
"No, as a matter of fact, she isn't. Mark, however, is due back from the butcher. We're having hot wings and stuff for dinner. Why don't you guys stay? You're probably too tired from the trip to cook."
"That's just it..." she said as she glanced through the front window at their van.”She" doesn't want to come in."
"What? She? Gina...Gina Claudia Sorrento Kelly...you didn't." Erica wagged her finger at Gina in a mock serious way.
"I did, and she won't." Gina gestured to the doorway, anticipating Mark's return "If Mark is here, she won't come in. By now, dear reader, you may be familiar with the joyful, fun and entirely confusing life of the two couples. Mark, a cancer survivor, was Erica's husband. But he also spent considerable time as his "sister," Maired, a persona born out of his grief and loss for his twin sister, but also a different part of him that the couple was glad to have around.
Gina, on the other hand, was married to Ben, a first-generation Irishman who grew up from middle school on mere miles from Gina and her friends. Ben's mom passed away when he was in high school, and was effectively abandoned by his abusive father years before. He learned to cope with the rejection by retreating into a world where he was safe, free from the abuse that his father gave him and his mother. His mother… He wanted to be just like his mom, so he too discovered a sister, Katherine Agnes Kelly, the sweetest, most precious girl, as ever was.
"As long as Mark is...well, Mark, she isn't going to come inside. Something about not having met him before. She hasn’t met any men…ever.” Gina rolled her eyes, the subtle nuances of her relationship with Katie escaping her.
"That's silly, Katie has met Mark before."
"No, sweetie...THEY haven't met. Katie has met Maired, but not her brother. Ben has met Mark, but Katie hasn’t. Follow me?” Gina said, wanting more to pet the dog than deal with this crisis.
"Oh, I understand," Erica said, with a look on her face that said she clearly did not.
A car pulled up out front and parked. The door shut. Waiting for Mark's entry, Erica noticed that Gina had jumped up, waving from the front window, trying to get Mark's attention.
"Hello," he said as he approached the van, recognizing it. "Hey, Ben, congratulations."
He was going to continue with "glad to see you," but stopped when he saw the figure in the front seat. Sitting behind the wheel sat a very attractive woman, about twenty-eight or so, with blond hair and fair complexion. She turned her glance away from Mark as he approached the driver's side door.
"Oh, hi," Katie said in her soft characteristic brogue; more nervous than usual.
"H...hi, Katie, “Mark said awkwardly as he stood by the van. It hit him all at once. He'd...HE'D never met Katie, and conversely, Ben had never met Maired. Trying to be as sensitive as possible, he opened the door, gesturing with his hand to the front of the house.
"Erica's probably put some coffee on," he said, trying to speak without stammering.
"Why don't you go inside, and I'll get the groceries," he said, gesturing back to the paper bag sitting on the hood of the car.
Katie got out of the car, and Mark looked at her as she walked up the drive to the front door. He realized he was staring; who wouldn't. Katie was wearing a teal blouse and white slacks, and her figure was very attractive, albeit from behind.
Mark was decidedly confused about what he just both witnessed and experienced. Katie, who was Ben who was Gina's husband, was attractive. But Mark wasn't attracted in "that" way, although some might insist that all men are attracted in "that" way. He was just a "red-blooded American male," who appreciated a pretty girl. He had not noticed Katie in that way before. Maired, however, in her own sweet way, tried to help Katie feel at home with her new extended family. She was genuinely complimentary about Katie's appearance, much like your sister or mother might be. Both women were shy but willing to make new friends, despite their awkward, almost embarrassed behavior. Then it occurred to him…HE hadn’t never even seen Katie, only "Maired.” (Are you getting this all down? There'll be a quiz later.)
As she opened the front door, Erica walked toward Katie and gave her a welcoming hug.
"Hi," she said as the embrace ended. "How...was your trip?"
Her trip being Ben and Gina's honeymoon, for which she attended the last day and a half.
By now, Katie was confused, and who wouldn't be. She and Gina had "left" Ben at the rest stop, traveling on to Kingston, where they stayed the night at a quaint bed and breakfast. Gina had made sure ahead of time that there would be no extra rooms available for the last night, and that she and Katie would have some time together. She recalled the moment. "It was lovely that you came, I hope you two enjoyed your stay? The proprietor had asked with a wink, failing to notice exactly what she had witnessed.
"Oh," she said, softly, her embarrassment abated for the moment. "We had a wonderful time." Realizing the implications of her words, her embarrassment returned, accompanied by the bright crimson spreading across her face.
Trying to diffuse the situation," Gina did the exact opposite when she said.
"It was a wonderful time." Katie looked a back at Gina, ran down the hallway to the bathroom door. The quick sound of a lock being turned indicated to everyone just how embarrassed Katie was. Gina looked at Erica and looked at Mark, who had been standing there the whole time. She tried not to, but nonetheless laughed and said,
"Well...It WAS a wonderful time."
"Come out, honey...please."
"No, go away."
Gina looked up at the ceiling, partly in prayer, but also like when you look around a room for answers as if they're written on the wall or ceiling.
"Honey...Katie," she said, raising her voice slightly, "Dinner's ready."
"I'm not hungry," Katie said. "Go ahead without me."
"Honey...." Softer this time, she said, "Ben...they're our best friends. It'll be okay" I promise. She wasn't promising that there would be no problems, but that they'd get through them together.
Perhaps I should explain. Katie's fear wasn't out of anxiety. She wasn't acting all "girly" and weak as some might wrongly expect. Katie's fear was born of the years of shame and abuse from her, rather his father. Never having grown up with the acceptance that only a father can and should provide, he never learned how to relate well. Successful in his chosen field, he was a good...no, a great counselor at the middle school where he worked. Years of compensation had given him the ability to encourage young men and women but he had nothing, however, for himself.
And while Katie, with Gina’s help was growing more secure in her male persona, meeting Mark suddenly brought back the shame Ben felt when he became Katie; shame from his father’s insults and abuse. Gina had drawn him out, and had demonstrated an absolutely overwhelming acceptance and love for him. But Katie only knew the other person in the Kiernan household, and Maired was nowhere to be found. Her "brother” was home instead.
A short time later…
Looking up from the picnic table on the back deck, Gina saw Katie standing at the kitchen door, holding onto the doorway like a reluctant paratrooper at his first jump. Erica noticed her as well, and walked over to the door. Her eyes were reddened from crying, and she seemed as nervous as when they first met. She grabbed her friend's hand and said gently.
"It's okay, sweetie, we're all here for you. Even Maired," she said as she pointed to the back yard, where an attractive redhead played with Rocco. Rocco, for his part, was doing his best not to act too much like a cat.
"Honey…everything in its time. This part is all brand new for you and Gina, and there will be awkward moments, I can promise you that. But we all love you, and there is no shame in that." She hugged Katie and pointed to Maired again." She's here tonight to help you, but Mark wants you to know that he understands, and everything is going to be okay. And he should know." Maybe you’ve had similar feeling of confusion and doubt; I know I have. Perhaps we can forgive Katie’s understandable nervousness?
That evening…
Erica and Maired sat on the couch, holding hands, looking for all the world the two most-in-love people in the world. Gina and Katie sat on the hearth, enjoying the warm glow of the fire. They were in love...an uncomfortable yet wonderful love, with new challenges and joys ahead. At their feet, Rocco paced back and forth, rubbing up against their ankles.
Gina looked down with a smile and said,
"I'm all for new things...Heaven knows that," she said as she kissed Katie's cheek.
"This identity stuff is brand new to me, and I'm just now beginning to understand it, but..." Her voice trailed off. The other three women looked at her as she continued.
"I mean, I'm tolerant, and all that, but..." She paused again, this time for effect." Katie turned and looked at her apprehensively while Maired and Erica leaned forward, fearing the worse. Pointing down at her dog, she said while failing miserably at suppressing a laugh,
"If he starts purring, I'm outta here!"
Katie helps a friend…
"Ben, could you come here, please, sweetie?" Gina called out to her back yard.
Ben was outside sitting on the deck reading a novel while Rocco romped in the yard with his the Sapienza beagles, Polly and Esther. (Those born after 1979 may have missed Mrs. Sapienza’s attempt at humor.) Mrs. Sapienza was visiting her brother back in Sicily, and was due back on Sunday.
"Sure, darlin’, anyting for you," he said, his brogue a little thicker than normal. He liked to tease Gina now and then, since she had revealed she found his accent "charming." He got up from the chair and walked back into the kitchen. He walked over to her and kissed her on the cheek.
"Erica wants to know if we’re free for dinner tomorrow," She said. A voice came from the phone in her hand, loud enough for Ben to hear.
"Tell him we’re having roast beef and...Potatoes!" Erica teased Ben frequently about his heritage and the love of the Pom de Terre by his "kind." Erica was married to a Kiernan, and she was a McPherson, so it was all in fun.
"Tell her ‘a bottle of Guinness’ and it’s a deal," he said, loud enough for Erica to hear.
The next day at the Kiernan’s
"Hi, kids....hey, what took you so long?" Erica teased as she welcomed her friends.
"Mrs. Sapienza’s plane was delayed, so we were at the airport for an extra hour. We came straight from her house," Erica said as Rocco came running up the steps in front of Ben.
"Dinner’s in the oven...I got a late start after church, and we just got up from a nap ourselves. Have a seat in the living room, and we’ll get things ready," she said as she pointed to her husband Mark, who emerged from down the hallway. He rubbed the sleep from his eyes and greeted them before walking into the kitchen.
A while later
"That, my love, was delicious," Mark said as he rose to make coffee. "You’ve outdone yourself this time." Truth be told, he said this for every meal, not so much to tease, but because he actually was thankful for every meal. As you may know, Mark was fairly healthy, being cancer-free for nearly two years, but the disease always threatened to be an unwelcomed guest at their table. Neither Mark nor Erica was willing to bow to it; their faith saw to that. But he also felt Erica was the best cook in the world, and she saw no reason to disagree with his assessment.
A few moments later, he returned to the table with a pot of coffee and four mugs.
Sitting down, he poured the coffee and looked over at his wife with somewhat nervous expression.
Gina, ever perceptive and somewhat "nosy," as she herself put it, asked, “Okay, you guys...While I appreciate being plied with a good meal now and then, you’re hiding something....?" she half-stated. Erica looked at her with a slight grin and said.
"Hold it...before you go any further, No we are not pregnant." She said. The couple had decided to not try, but would be content with any outcome from their love. They had dealt with the grief of the miscarriage they had last year, and had come to a peace regarding the prospect of children, one way or another, through much prayer.
Catching Gina’s expression, Erica continued. "NO...especially NO," she said emphatically. Mark is healthy. Period." She almost laughed at her own tone, but this was something of a tender subject, as many of you who have dealt with the same challenges will understand.
"But....?" Gina asked, grinning. She knew that any surprise from their friends was bound to be both intriguing and exciting. She tilted her head and gazed again at Erica, looking for an answer.
"I must preface with what I am about to say to alleviate all fear or apprehension..."
Ben looked at her and laughed. "Will you get to the point, Madam...the suspense is killing us." He realized what he had just said, and his face began to turn red. Noting his embarrassment, Eric smiled and patted his arm.
"Relax, sweetie, we’re not made out of porcelain..." She tried to be serious, but burst out laughing, which caused everyone else at the table to join in.
The laughter subsided as everyone composed themselves with coffee and the apple pie on their plates. Erica resumed.
"Anyway, Marie has a favor to ask...a big favor."
Having already eliminated any serious concerns, Erica’s next words were greeted with less apprehension but much curiosity.
"She has a big favor to ask...Ben." At that, everyone looked at Ben except Mark. If they had looked at him, they would have seen that his face was turning a color that nearly approximated the color of his dark red hair.
"Having gone through what she had, I...we thought it best to listen to her request before making any judgment." Truth be told, Erica would have done almost anything for her mother-in-law. Since she had been a teenager, Erica looked at Marie as a second mother. Diane, her own mother, had accepted and even welcomed that. The two moms had helped their children deal with the death of Marie’s daughter Maura, who was their best friend. And Diane had been a widow since Erica was in grade school. The grief and loss they all suffered eventually gave way to healing and ultimately renewed faith in each other and God. But the favor Marie asked had much more to do with her son, Mark and their new friend, Gina’s husband Ben.
"The one thing Marie misses the most about Maura’s...She looked forward to..."
Mark tried to explain, but was at a loss for words. Even now, even with all that they had overcome, Maura’s death continued to affect them. Of course! We may get over the loss of a loved one, but we never stop missing them. The intriguing and enigmatic makeup of the Kiernan family, while somewhat confusing and challenging, was still something they had learned was part of what made them who they were. Marie had twins; her daughter and her son. But she also had another daughter, Maired. Marie wanted for her children to "indulge" her, as she put it. It was not indulgence, but an opportunity for her children to show love and respect for an uncommon but understandable request.
"What Mark is trying to say," Erica looked at her husband. She grabbed his hand, squeezing it tightly, "Is that Marie wants you to attend a wedding."
Gina immediately got excited, and would have stood up and jumped save for Erica’s other hand, which firmly anchored her to her seat.
"A wedding photo!"
"She’s...?" Gina said, again attempting to get up to express joy over her misplaced assumption.
"A wedding photo of...her daughter."
Gina looked at her husband, back at Erica, back at her husband, and finally turned her attention to Mark. Soon she was joined by Ben and Erica as they all stared at Mark, whose crimson complexion revealed what Erica had tried to express. Gina turned to Erica with look of recognition and a smile quickly appeared followed by one word.
"Maired!"
"Maired," Erica said, nodding.
At Marie’s…a few days later…
"You really don’t have to...It’s just...I..." Marie struggled for words, but her tears interrupted her. Gina looked over at her best friend’s mother-in-law. She got up, crossed over to the couch and sat down and hugged her.
"Sh...shh," she said quietly, as she stroked the older woman’s hair. "You have nothing to be ashamed of. After what you’ve all been through?"
"Am I being foolish?"
"Not in the least."
"It’s okay, Mom...really." Erica sat beside Marie as she joined Erica’s hug.
"Then you don’t mind?"
The pretty blond woman started to say,
"I"
"Don’t mind at all!" Gina said as she threw the woman a sideways glance.
"But," the woman tried to say.
"It will be her privilege." Gina interrupted once again.
Have you ever noticed that people who have been together for some time tend to finish each other’s sentences? She hadn’t been with Gina long, but they experienced it nonetheless. The woman was hoping to at least begin one on her own.
"But!" The woman shot back. "I was about to say...I would be happy to do this for you." The woman’s soft brogue belied her slight indignation. "If I had been allowed to speak, I would have said that I can’t think of anything I’d rather do," she said, but it came out, "Oi cant tink uf anyting Oid radder do." Her accent grew more Irish on two or more occasions. First, when she got together with other Irish folk. As some of you may notice, this happens with people from all backgrounds. Second, she "got her Irish up" when she was angry." Katie didn’t get angry often but when she did it was remarkable. With an uncharacteristic facial parry, she glared back at Gina and stuck out her tongue.
The redhead sat on the edge of the crowded couch, her arm reaching over to join Erica and Gina’s hug. She looked over at Katie and again at her mother Marie. In a fair rendition of a brogue, she said softly.
"And oi cant tink uf anyting Oid radder do, Oidder."
The following Saturday at Marie’s…
All four women crowded around the figure in their midst. She was beautiful, not just like you’d expect any bride to be on her wedding day, but really beautiful. She wore a long white satin gown, sleeveless, with an empire waist. It was simple but attractive, much like the bride. Her short red hair was uncovered, save white burettes on either side of her head. Her makeup was elegant in its simplicity, her rosy cheeks setting off her alabaster complexion. She wore no gloves, and her arms were spread across the shoulders of the women on either side. Marie stood to her left and beamed proudly, looking up slightly at her daughter. She was fifty-ish, but looked much younger. You could tell where the bride got her looks from.
The woman on the bride’s right smiled at the bride, who returned the look with more than a little bit of nervousness. Erica was the matron of honor, and was prettier than the bride, to be sure; her long brunette locks setting off her gorgeous face. Today, however, all eyes would have been on the bride, had they ventured out from the living room of the bride’s mother.
"It’s okay," she said to the bride, who often required encouragement to be herself.
Gina stood on Erica’s right and pressed in closer to help her mother, the photographer, frame the picture. A bull terrier sat at her feet, rubbing occasionally against her legs. He wore a black bow tie around his neck, and he looked at the happy group with approval. Betty, Gina’s mother, stood behind the tripod, adjusting the camera. Diane, Erica’s mother, stood beside the photographer. Her role for the day was as witness to the happy occasion; her contribution that of welcome friend and family.
Finally, a pretty blond stood next to the mother-of-the-bride, her nervous expression nearly matching that of the bride. She had to be coaxed more than once to step up to be part of the photo. The photographer had come to know the woman recently, and was able to assure her that everyone... everyone wanted her to be a part of the day.
Betty adjusted the camera once again. Satisfied at the pose, she looked directly at the blond with an accepting smile, and simply said, "Smile, ladies," and took the picture. Over the bride’s right shoulder, a picture sat on the mantle of the fireplace. The girl in the photo was about fifteen. She was beaming with a smile that indicated joy and contentment, and belied the illness that would soon end her short life. She bore a strong resemblance to the bride and her mother, who had brought the women together in her honor. From her place on the mantle, she looked down with approval as she would likely be from the vantage point she now held with great peace and joy.
After a few more poses of the women, the picture taking was done. They were glad that the session was ending, as they had done a terrific job of suppressing their understandable tears of joy. They held it together long enough to notice the melody. The bride was playing the violin, and the music was sweet yet passionate. The sound of "And Can It Be" filled the room with a sweet peace as all of the women looked at each other. The mother-of-the-bride, struggling with little success, gave way to her tears. Betty and Diane came from behind the camera and walked over to their friend, giving her a hug. Erica retrieved a bottle of champagne from the kitchen, and after pouring, distributed it to all, save the bride, who continued playing. Gina hugged Katie and kissed her on the cheek.
She looked in turn at each woman, saving her final glance for the bride. "She mouthed the words, "I am so proud of you, My Dear," and finally, "I love you." She lifted her glass and thanked God for the beautiful day. Looking once again at the women she simply said.
"To Maura."
More Kiernan Family Stories Soon
Comments
'Drea,
ALISON
' I love it again.As beautiful, as ever was!
ALISON