Chapter 107: Wedding Week

The beginning of the week had been a flurry of activity. Hath and David drove all over creation, paying the florist, caterer, and DJ. He ferried her and her mother to the seamstress’ place several times, to make sure the gown fit just right. As she was growing more every day, the dressmaker added a bit more fabric in the deep pleats, and Hath was just ecstatic at the way the gown draped her body. She made David stay in the car for these appointments, because she didn’t want him seeing the gown before the wedding.

Starting Thursday, Hath and David’s friends started arriving in Boston. Tico and his family arrived just after breakfast. Hath, David, and Ang met them at the airport, and when Alejandra saw Hath, she smiled. “Amiga look at you!” she said, giving Hath a warm hug. “You look radiant!”

Hath laughed. “You mean I look like I swallowed a watermelon.” She returned Ali’s hug and kissed her cheeks. “You on the other hand, look positively gorgeous.”

Tico kissed Hath’s cheek and checked with her before put his hands on her abdomen. He was rewarded with tiny kicks, and a wide smile split his face. “Mijo,” he said to his son. “Venga aquí. Hay bebes!” Hector approached and tentatively put his little hand on Hath’s distended abdomen. He felt a little push and giggled, looking up at Hath.

She smiled at Tico’s son. “Esta bebe es Laura,” she said, putting her hand over Hector’s. “Y el otro se llama Juan.”

Hector’s eyes went wide. “Dos?” Hath nodded. “Whoa,” he said, making the adults all laugh. Ang snapped pictures of the whole exchange after getting her own hugs and kisses.

“Congratulations, Angel,” Tico said to her, kissing her cheeks. “Pregnancy suits you. You look wonderful.”

“Aw, you say the sweetest things,” Ang said, batting her eyelashes at him. David drove everyone back to the hotel and he and Hath got the Torreses settled in their suite while Ang went to go sort through her pictures. The group got some curious looks in the lobby, but nobody approached them.

While David and Tico chatted, Hath squatted down with some great effort, and talked softly to Tico’s son. Soon, he launched himself into Hath’s arms, and they toppled over. “Hath!” David exclaimed. “Are you okay?”

She was laughing, and getting her cheek kissed over and over. “Yeah, we’re fine. I just asked this gorgeous little man if he wanted to stand up with you and Teek at the wedding tomorrow. I think he likes the idea.”

David smiled. He and Hath wanted to involve all the kids in the ceremony in some small way, to make it special for them. Colton and Jesse were going to be ushers with Hath’s brother’s frat brothers (and she already warned them NOT to teach the boys any new words). Ava, Gabrielle and Stephanie were going to pin the boutonnieres on the men and hand out little bags of birdseed to the women as they arrived. Lil and Jacob were going to hand out the programs that the chapel made up for the occasion. Joanna, Hath’s niece, was the flower girl, and Romeo was just going to look cute.

Hath, Sam, Lucy, Alejandra, April, Heather, and Dot had one of the most uncomfortable, surreal conference calls when they were talking about the kids taking part in the wedding. Hath told the ex-wives that the children were important to David and he wanted to include them all in the wedding. She said that they hadn’t said anything to the kids because they wanted to make sure all the mothers and almost step-mothers were going to be okay with that.

“This is the only time I’m getting married,” Hath had said, “and I want it to be perfect. If any of you are gonna fuck it up, let me know now.” The other women laughed and assured her they could act like civilized people for one day.



By lunchtime on Thursday, Stephanie, Matt, and Michael were ensconced in their suite in the hotel. Michael had them in the pool a half hour after that. Hath, David, and the Torreses joined them in the water, and they had a fun time watching the kids play. Ang was taking her job as photographer seriously, and was clicking away. David splashed at her legs and told her to put the camera down and to come and have some fun. Ang obliged, sinking into the water with the rest of them.

Michael was really good with Hector, the older boy keeping a watchful eye on the younger, though both could swim like fish. The adults had a nice conversation, and they stayed in the water until they all got pruney and the pool started to get crowded. People were starting to stare at the group, and it didn’t help matters that David and Tico were waving at the gawkers.

Ang and the three families went to Hath’s mom’s for dinner. Pauline was ecstatic. She loved cooking for large groups and rarely got to do it. She had a pasta feast laid out. Everyone ate until they were stuffed, and there were still leftovers. Stephanie had brought some of her special cookies with her, and a pound of her coffee, and Hath’s dad was over the moon. The conversation was lively and spirited, and Pauline spoiled Hector and Michael shamelessly. By the time they left, the boys were completely comfortable in her home, and called her “abuela” which brought a tear to her eye.


Lucy, Richie and Ava arrived on Friday at the same time as Jon and Sam. David and Ang went to get them in the van while Hath stayed behind at the hotel. She didn’t want to make another trip in the van, and besides, she was content to be relaxing in the pool, letting the water soothe her. She hung on the side of the pool with her eyes closed and let her legs float up. She was getting lots of looks and stares because she wasn’t hiding her pregnancy. She had on a very modest tankini, but her belly was pushing out from under the fabric of the bathing suit. She didn’t care. She was happy and healthy and getting married the next day to the most wonderful man on the planet, after her father, of course.

The only warning Hath got was a childish giggle that had to have come from Ava, but could just as easily come from Lucy. Hath shrieked as got drenched; Richie and Jon doing cannonballs on either side of her. She sputtered and cursed, and scraped the wet shanks of hair off her face. When the men came up for air on either side of her, grinning like idiots, she laughed. “You two are worse than a couple of kids,” she said. “Come here and kiss the bride.”

“You sure about that, Jeeves?” Jon asked, a little leery.

Hath tapped her cheeks. “C’mon, you sissies. If I can handle it, you can handle it.” The two men leaned in to kiss her cheeks, and she saw a flash go off. Annoyed, she turned to yell at someone, but it was just Ang. She had a big-ass grin on her face and winked at Hath before setting her camera down. The girls all joined the fun in the pool, splashing around and just being goofy.

When a young woman with three small children came into the room, she stopped dead and stared. “Sorry,” she said, and started to steer the kids away, under loud protest

David laughed and called over, “Don’t leave on our account,” he said. “Please, come on in. We’ll behave.”

“Are you sure?” she asked. It didn’t escape her notice who they were.

“We’re sure,” David confirmed. Come on.”

The woman and her kids stayed in the shallower water, while the others were playing where it was deeper. Hath begged mercy and swam awkwardly to the stairs and sat, leaning back on her elbows. “How far along are you?” the other woman asked.

“Not far enough,” Hath said. “I’m only 4 and a half months pregnant, but there are twins in there.” She laughed when she felt the babies moving around vigorously. “And apparently they are part fish because they are annoyed that I stopped swimming.” The two women chatted amiably about everything and nothing, as women have a knack to do, and only stopped when David swam over.

“Hey, mama, everything okay?” He kissed her cheek and sat next to her, wrapping an arm around her shoulders.

“We’re fine, baby,” she said. “I’m just resting. David, this is Elizabeth. Liz, my fiancé, David.”

“Nice to meet you, Liz,” David said, extending a hand.

The two shook, Liz a little shocked. “Likewise,” she said. “These monsters are Alex, Greg, and Jamie,” she said, tapping each boy’s head in turn.

David made a scared face. “You-you’re MONSTERS?” he said, quaking his voice, and making the boys smile. “Hath, darlin’ save me!” He started to climb up into Hath’s lap, and she laughed and shoved him off, sending him splashing into the water, and making the boys giggle. He stood spitting water. “You are going to pay for that, woman,” he said.

“ANG!” Hath called. “HELP ME!” Ang shot over, Ava in tow.

“You distract him, Lady A,” Ang said, “And I’ll drown him.”

“If you’re drowning David,” Richie called over, “I wanna help.” Liz stared as Richie swam the length of the pool underwater, and upended David. He stood, towering over Liz, and extended his hand. “Hey,” he said. “I’m Rich.”

Liz just stared, and Richie winked at her and joined the battle again.

Ava got the boys to help “distract” David when he finally was able to stand up, and Ang and Hath pushed him underwater again. The kids had a good time, and soon were dunking Richie, too. “Hey!” he called indignantly. “Isn’t anyone gonna be on my side?”

Jon looked over and laughed. “Against Jeeves, Ang, and Ava? And their reinforcements?” He shook his head. “Sorry, bro, you’re on your own.”

After a little while, Richie and David cried ‘uncle’ and they all made their good byes, going up to their rooms to get dressed for the wedding rehearsal.

Hath and David met Ang in the lobby once they had changed. Hath was dressed elegantly, in a sleeveless sheath of deep burgundy. She wore low-heeled sling-back pumps and her Christmas jewelry. She and David met her family and the priest at the chapel at her college, and they walked around the nave. The priest explained the ceremony to David, and they all sat in the front row of seats.

“I just want to stress,” Father Dan said to David, “that this is a religious ceremony. I know you and your friends are celebrities, and that brings with it some level of publicity, but…” he trailed off when David smiled.

“We have been very careful to not talk about the wedding except in general terms,” David said. “I don’t think it’ll be a problem. We do have a photographer coming, but she’s one of our close friends. That should be it.”

Father Dan nodded. “That’s fine, I just wanted to remind you that this is not a media event, but a sacred ceremony, and proper reverence must be shown.”

“Knock, knock,” Richie said, as he led a big group into the chapel. Richie, Jon, Tico, and Matt arrived with their women, and Ava and Hector. As they got settled, the door opened again, and a gaggle of children came in, with April and Dot trailing behind. There were genial hellos and David and Hath went to greet the children.

Once they got through the rehearsal, Hath and David led a caravan of cars and vans to the rehearsal dinner. They were going for barbecue; Paul had closed the restaurant for them. Hath’s girlfriends were already there with their husbands, as were the ushers and their women, and when the group arrived, conversation in the restaurant stopped. Every woman in the room widened her eyes, and every man rolled his. Then Hath stepped forward, and announced, “Yes, yes, Bon Jovi has arrived. You have fifteen seconds to gush then you’ve gotta cut the crap. Your time starts. . . .NOW!”

“Jesus, Hath,” David said, rolling his eyes at her. Everyone laughed and was properly introduced, then the food came out.

Paul brought a platter of ribs over to Hath, Ang and Sam. “You pregnant ladies just give a holler when your tray gets empty,” he said with a wink. “I’ll take care of you.”

The time went by quickly, amongst much chatter and laughter. A little after eight, the door opened, and Hath smiled. “James!” she called, and went over to give the man a hug. “I didn’t know Paul roped you in to playing tonight.”

James Montgomery was a local blues legend, and Hath had met him several years ago at a festival Paul was hosting. The two clicked, and had remained friends. “I wouldn’t miss it, Jenilee,” he said with a soft drawl that made her name not sound so bad.

“Come and have something to eat,” Hath said, as David came up behind her. “Baby, this is --”

“Jim?” Richie said from across the room, before Hath could finish. “You old sonofabitch, what are you doing here?” The two men shook hands.

“I’m here for Jenilee,” James said. “What about you? Who invited your sorry ass here?”

“Same,” he said laughing. “Man I haven’t seen you in a dog’s age.” The two men went off chatting, and Hath called after them.

“Don’t keep him too long, Rich, he has to sing for his supper.” The men laughed and waved back over their heads. Inevitably, James took the stage, and Richie was right up there behind him with his guitar. They stayed late, far later than they should have, but they were having too much fun to leave. Finally, as the younger kids were drifting off and curled up on the benches, the party broke up.

Hath and David shared a kiss in the parking lot. “Until tomorrow, my love,” Hath said.

“Why aren’t you coming back with me again?” he whine.

Hath laughed. “We’ve been through this, baby, it’s bad luck to see the bride before the wedding on her wedding day. Now, you go take a cold shower and go to bed,” she said, sneaking a pat to the part that needed the cold shower, “and I will see you at the church tomorrow.”

“Eleven thirty, right?” David asked, a twinkle in his eye.

“Ten, you ass,” Hath answered back, laughing. “I love you, Sweet Papa.”

“I love you more, Sexy Mama.”