new challenges awaited them in the future.
Charlie held the bike steady as Buddy helped Nan off when they arrived at the house.
“Thanks man,” Buddy said, clapping Charlie on the back. “I owe you a big one.”
“Nah…well on second thought, how about you spit shine my shoes,” Charlie replied wiggling his well worn sneaker in front of them.
“Get outta’ here,” Buddy laughed and put one arm around Nan.
As Charlie rode up the street, peddling fast enough for his thin coat to billow out behind him, Nan yelled.
“Thank you Charlie!”
Without turning back, he simply waved one arm over his head and peddled faster.
Chapter 4
What a beautiful day for a wedding. A parade of soft, lush clouds that never dared once to block the sun meandered across the brilliant blue sky. It was a few degrees warmer than the day before and the doors of the church were chocked open, inviting the last hints of Indian summer inside. Light spilled through the doorway igniting the sapphire and ruby stained glass windows, casting a kaleidoscopic swirl around the room.
Nan made her way toward the altar, carefully pacing her steps to the notes of Pachelbel’s ‘Canon’ . She deliberately kept her eyes from scanning the faces sitting in the pews and instead watched CJ watch her. She was nervous and tired after a night filled with stretches of sleeplessness punctuated by snatches of disjointed dreams.
Nan thought she’d successfully kept a poker face after Arthur’s announcement about Charlie at dinner the evening before and had held back from the excited chatter that ensued, especially once Arthur told them he’d invited their friend to the wedding. Nan had made herself wait until she was in the privacy of her bedroom before letting herself sift through memories of Charlie and now, by the light of day, she found it hard to think of anything else.
In hindsight, she should have been paying attention to the task at hand, and for not, she paid with her pride. Absorbed in her restlessness, Nan didn’t notice the slight gap in the white linen runner where two pieces came together before the toe of her shoe became snagged in it. She tilted precariously to the right and her arms flew up in a reflexive attempt to regain her balance. Nearly losing grip on the rose and gardenia filled nosegay she carried, her right elbow hit the back of a pew with a loud thunking sound. Her mother, sitting in the front, looked at her with unrestrained horror. Using her arm for leverage, Nan managed to stay on her feet and resumed her stride, though panting and with heart pounding.
Elsie gave Nan the ‘slow down’ sign as if it had been her speed that caused the near fall. In the hand her mother waved toward her, a white handkerchief fluttered moth-like with the motion, conjuring up the notion of surrender. Nan’s cheeks, already bright pink from her gaffe, reddened deeper. She was incredibly dismayed by her clumsiness, knowing that Charlie must have seen it if he was indeed here. Nan raised her eyebrows and clenched her jaw firmly, silently begging Elsie to stop. Her mother’s hand sank, a deflating balloon, coming to rest on her lap.
Despite the warmth of the day and the early hour, Elsie wore a black Pierre Cardin two-piece. On anyone else the fitted suit jacket and long skirt, topped off by a wide brim twill hat might look extravagant, but on Nan’s mother, it looked exactly right. The elegance of the outfit was in stark contrast to the brooding look on Elsie’s face though. Beside her mother, Joe wore a dark pinstripe suit and a pinched expression. As Nan walked by the two of them, she wished fleetingly that she could pass gas on command.
Nan reached the altar and turned back toward the pews, keeping her eyes downcast and focused on counting the nubs of baby’s breath in her bouquet. Still embarrassed, she fought the urge to rub her bumped elbow, glad it was hidden under the long satin gloves she wore. Given the throbbing, Nan imagined that it
Charlie held the bike steady as Buddy helped Nan off when they arrived at the house.
“Thanks man,” Buddy said, clapping Charlie on the back. “I owe you a big one.”
“Nah…well on second thought, how about you spit shine my shoes,” Charlie replied wiggling his well worn sneaker in front of them.
“Get outta’ here,” Buddy laughed and put one arm around Nan.
As Charlie rode up the street, peddling fast enough for his thin coat to billow out behind him, Nan yelled.
“Thank you Charlie!”
Without turning back, he simply waved one arm over his head and peddled faster.
Chapter 4
What a beautiful day for a wedding. A parade of soft, lush clouds that never dared once to block the sun meandered across the brilliant blue sky. It was a few degrees warmer than the day before and the doors of the church were chocked open, inviting the last hints of Indian summer inside. Light spilled through the doorway igniting the sapphire and ruby stained glass windows, casting a kaleidoscopic swirl around the room.
Nan made her way toward the altar, carefully pacing her steps to the notes of Pachelbel’s ‘Canon’ . She deliberately kept her eyes from scanning the faces sitting in the pews and instead watched CJ watch her. She was nervous and tired after a night filled with stretches of sleeplessness punctuated by snatches of disjointed dreams.
Nan thought she’d successfully kept a poker face after Arthur’s announcement about Charlie at dinner the evening before and had held back from the excited chatter that ensued, especially once Arthur told them he’d invited their friend to the wedding. Nan had made herself wait until she was in the privacy of her bedroom before letting herself sift through memories of Charlie and now, by the light of day, she found it hard to think of anything else.
In hindsight, she should have been paying attention to the task at hand, and for not, she paid with her pride. Absorbed in her restlessness, Nan didn’t notice the slight gap in the white linen runner where two pieces came together before the toe of her shoe became snagged in it. She tilted precariously to the right and her arms flew up in a reflexive attempt to regain her balance. Nearly losing grip on the rose and gardenia filled nosegay she carried, her right elbow hit the back of a pew with a loud thunking sound. Her mother, sitting in the front, looked at her with unrestrained horror. Using her arm for leverage, Nan managed to stay on her feet and resumed her stride, though panting and with heart pounding.
Elsie gave Nan the ‘slow down’ sign as if it had been her speed that caused the near fall. In the hand her mother waved toward her, a white handkerchief fluttered moth-like with the motion, conjuring up the notion of surrender. Nan’s cheeks, already bright pink from her gaffe, reddened deeper. She was incredibly dismayed by her clumsiness, knowing that Charlie must have seen it if he was indeed here. Nan raised her eyebrows and clenched her jaw firmly, silently begging Elsie to stop. Her mother’s hand sank, a deflating balloon, coming to rest on her lap.
Despite the warmth of the day and the early hour, Elsie wore a black Pierre Cardin two-piece. On anyone else the fitted suit jacket and long skirt, topped off by a wide brim twill hat might look extravagant, but on Nan’s mother, it looked exactly right. The elegance of the outfit was in stark contrast to the brooding look on Elsie’s face though. Beside her mother, Joe wore a dark pinstripe suit and a pinched expression. As Nan walked by the two of them, she wished fleetingly that she could pass gas on command.
Nan reached the altar and turned back toward the pews, keeping her eyes downcast and focused on counting the nubs of baby’s breath in her bouquet. Still embarrassed, she fought the urge to rub her bumped elbow, glad it was hidden under the long satin gloves she wore. Given the throbbing, Nan imagined that it
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