Family Blessings (54 page)

So am I! So is Grandpa Lloyd! He and I are making the wedding supper and neither one of us knows what we're doing exacly, but we're looking through recipe books for something that sounds good and easy. Are you coming?"

Each one hung up, frowning, hoist by her own petard. Lee's own son was ecstatic. Lee's former father-in-law had given his blessing to the union. The two of them, inept sNmblebums in the kitchen, were going to prepare a meal of celebration and asked only that the rest of the family be in attendance.

How in heaven's name could they say no without looking like total jerks?

Lloyd solicited Judd's help. He picked up both him and Joey immediately after school and the three of them set Lee's kitchen table with her best china. They hung three paper wedding bells on the light fixture. They cut up about five pounds of beef sirloin, seared it in a big soup pot, whacked up some onions and mushrooms, poured in some burgundy and bouillon, put in the proper spices and hoped a woman would show up to thicken it into beef burgundy when the time was right.

They cut up a salad, opened up three cans of whole-kernel corn, prepared instant rice in the microwave, got a bread basket lined with a napkin like Lee always did, tore apart the dinner buns, put two sticks of butter on a plate and hid the bakery-decorated cake on the top shelf of Joey's closet.

Shortly before 4 P.M Lloyd put on his jacket and said to the boys, "Now, don't forget. If nobody's here by five, take all the extra plates off the table, okay? I should have your mother and Chris back here by five-thirty at the latest. That's if their plane gets in on time."

Christopher drove on the way home from the airport. Lee delivered a monologue on Bellingrath Gardens. Her spiel never slowed until they reached her house only to find there was no room for the Explorer in the driveway.

". . . could go back again to . .." Lee interrupted herself in the middle of the thought. She gaped at the collection of vehicles. "That looks like Mother's car. And Janice's . . . and Sylvia and Barry's."

Her head snapped around and her eyes lit on the man in the backseat.

"Lloyd, what have you done?"

"Let's go inside and see."

She looked terrified as she got out of the truck and stood beside it, staring at the house. Christopher took her arm. Above her head, he exchanged glances with Lloyd.

"What did you do, Lloyd?"

"Invited them, that's all."

"But, Dad . .." she said. "None of them knows."

"They do now."

"Oh hell," she groaned, and looked for help to Christopher, who had none to offer.

"We might as well go face them," he said.

The boys had loud music playing. Lee's mother was stirring something on the stove. Her father was opening a bottle of wine.

Sylvia was fussing over a bouquet of white roses on the center of the table. They all appeared intentionally busy except the boys, who came to the door babbling excitedly.

Lee got a hug from Joey. Christopher said, "Well, for heaven's sake, Judd is here, too!" and got a high five and congratulations from him.

The others gave up their preoccupation and hovered on the perimeter while Joey and Judd went on bragging loudly about the preparations they'd made with Lloyd, and the music kept playing, and Lee stood barely inside her own front door afraid to take the seven or eight steps that would carry her to the others.

She felt as awkward as a singer who's begun on the wrong key. At her shoulder she felt Christopher waiting for her to move, while behind them Lloyd hung up coats in the closet.

Finally she said, "Well . . . this is a nice surprise," and made her feet move.

She reached Sylvia first, and felt her heart clubbing as they remained that one step apart, their emotions strained and wavering. Who moved first? Lee, perhaps, taking that initial difficult step toward amity.

Their hug was stilted, their elbows in the air above each other's shoulders, their backsides jutting while Sylvia whispered in Lee's ear, "I think you're crazy. It'll never work."

Lee whispered back, "Just watch and see."

Her mother came next. This hug was harder, but bore much the same message. "Have you lost your mind, eloping? When Lloyd told me I nearly died."

"Thanks for coming, Mother."

Orrin's hug was the first genuine one. "Your mother says you're crazy, but I've never seen you look happier, honey."

"Thanks, Daddy. I am." She turned to the last person. "Janice . .

. honey, it's so good to see you." Janice was blushing and hanging back. Lee's embrace broke the ice. The two hugged longer and harder than they had in many months, feeling relief sluice in and mend the rift that had held them aloof for weeks. "Oh, Mom .

.." Janice's whisper was unsteady. Lee heard her gulp in a futile effort to control her emotions. She rubbed the center of Janice's back, hard, a connection that said, Don't cry, dear, everything's going to be Just fine now.

In the hubbub of greetings, those between Lee's family and Christopher were perfunctory at best, but Janicc bless her heart exhibited grace under pressure and gave her mother the kindest wedding gift she could give by approaching Christopher straightaway and, blushing though she was, offering a genuine hug.

"It's easy to see how happy you both are. Congratulations."

"Thank you, Janice, from both your mother and me."

"I just want you to know, I've met a guy I really like a lot.

We're going out on our second date tomorrow night."

Christopher smiled and said, "Good for you. Bring him home soon so we can meet him."

Looking on, Lee felt a welling of emotion that pushed at her throat and seemed to billow within her heart. She turned away and went around the corner of the kitchen to dry her eyes in private.

Christopher saw and followed. Coming up behind her he locked an arm across her chest. She gripped it with both hands and tipped her head back against him, closing her eyes, swallowing hard.

"Oh, Christopher . .." she whispered.

"I know," he replied, and kissed her hair.

Judd came barging around the corner and came up short. "Could I change the CD? Oh! Something wrong?"

Joey came right behind him and said, "No you can't. Come on, dummy, leave em alone."

And somehow, eyes got dried, the kitchen got invaded, the beef burgundy got thickened, food got dished up and everyone got seated. Vince Gill was singing from the living room. Some glasses were filled with wine.

Some were filled with Sprite. Food and chatter were being passed around the table. The noise and confusion of family mealtime worked its magic at replacing the faltering relationships that would still need some work in the future.

Lloyd arose with his glass in his hand. "If I may--" "No, Grandpa," Joey interrupted. "This time I think it's my job."

After a hesitation of surprise, Lloyd resumed his chair with a pleased smile and turned the floor over to his grandson.

Joey stood and lifted his glass of Sprite to each person in turn as he toasted.

"To Grandpa Lloyd, for getting us together. To Aunt Sylvia for bringing the flowers. To Uncle Barry for bringing Aunt Sylvia . .

."

Everyone laughed. "To Judd, who's just going to have to learn to like country music instead of rap. To my sister, Janice, who I'm glad to have back home. To Grandma and Grandpa Hillier for giving us the best mom in the world. But most of all to Mom and Christopher, the new bride and groom. I hope you guys always stay as happy as you are today, and I hope you go away often and leave me with Grandpa Lloyd, because I get by with all kinds of sNffwhen he's here. Man, I ate pizza every night and stayed up till eleven-thirty and he let me drive the car over to Sandy's house!"

When the laughter died down, Joey continued. "Seriously . . . I learned some things this year about what really matters. We all did.

So I'll just end by saying, Mom, Christopher, we all wish you a long and happy life together. That goes from all of us here"--his eyes circled the table, then lifted toward heaven-"and from those up there.

Dad? Greg Grant? Nice to know you're all together. Put in a good word for these two, will you?"

While around the wedding table glasses touched, hearts softened, and a bride had difficulty keeping her eyes dry, three souls looked down from their ethereal dwelling above, exchanged smiles of satisfaction and, with their arms around each other, ambled off to wait.

the end.