Tank's Wed
upon a Christmas Eve
Thomas stood fidgeting
like a schoolboy. He hadn’t been this nervous since their first kiss or maybe
since the NFL draft.
As the pianist and string
quartet began playing soft wedding music, the bridesmaids paraded past the
guests wearing identical green velvet gowns and carrying bouquets of evergreens
and red poinsettias. They all looked very pretty but they were not the ones he
wanted to see, he was waiting for the bride. His son walked toward him carrying
imitation rings tied securely to a green velvet pillow. Thomas Jr. took his
place next to his dad as best man, grinning like he was full of mischief and
happiness.
The bridal march began,
and everyone stood. The beading on her winter white velvet dress sparkled as
she walked down the steps, carrying a bouquet of white poinsettias and flocked
evergreens. Her fine cornrows had been woven with iridescent ribbons into a
crown that was covered by the sheerest veil he had ever seen. The softly
twinkling globe lights hanging all around created a magical atmosphere as she
passed under the arched trellis and started toward him. The weather had held
warm and the stars were bright over Texas tonight.
Irene had always wanted a
Christmas Eve wedding, a real wedding and not the one at the courthouse, with
only her seminary student brother and Thomas retired grandfather with them. She
had been terrified Thomas would leave her when she told him she had gotten
pregnant, but that had been the happiest day of his life until his son was
born. He had sold his truck, bought an old Blazer; a carseat and a wedding set
from a pawn shop. Tonight, was exactly what she wanted. It was the least he
could do for the woman who had given him so much. She was his angel, and it
seemed even more perfect that she looked like the angel on top of the tree in
the living room.
His brother-in-law Isaac
gave him a wink and started the ceremony with his best impression of the bishop
from the Princess Bride movie.
“Mawiage iz wah bwingz uz
togethew today.”
Thomas choked to keep
from laughing as Irene’s expression changed to something akin to murder. She
reached out and fisted the shoulder of Isaac’s preacher’s robe and pulled his
face to hers. Amused chuckles and smothered giggles came from the audience and
the bridal party. It echoed in the silence of their backyard as everyone heard
her hushed threat.
“I will maim you, patch
your corpse back together, and maim you again. Do you understand, little
brother?” She then brushed his shoulder like she was dusting off the wrinkles
she made before she took Thomas’s hand again.
Isaac cleared his throat
as he stood back up, speaking very clearly. “Erherm. I mean, marriage is what
brings us together today. A holy institution ordained by the Lord between a man
and a woman, a joining of two souls. The history of marriage is a long and...”
“Skip to the end,” Thomas
said loudly, and Irene elbowed him as the audience laughed again.
“Do you, Thomas Tanner,
take Irene Bauman-Tanner to be your awfully wedded wife... again?”
“I do,” Thomas said
quickly before Irene could scold her brother, who just kept going as if she
wasn’t about to murder him in one of the many horrific ways that only a nurse
would know.
“To love, honor, and
cherish, in sickness and in health, for richer or poorer and to always eat her
horrible cooking without complaint for as long as you both shall live?” The
audience was really laughing now.
“I always do.” Thomas
squeezed her hand to get her to look at him. When she glanced at him, all her
outrage vanished as he kissed her knuckles.
Thomas Jr pulled on his
pant-leg. “Naow, Dahdah?”
“Not yet, little guy.
It’s Mommy’s turn,” Isaac told the toddler.
Thomas put his hand on
T.J’s head and Irene smiled at their son, then answered Isaac’s questions with
two quick ‘I do’s, never looking away from Thomas’ eyes.
Isaac intoned, “May I
have the rings?”
Irene looked at her
brother surprised and whispered, “Isaac, we aren’t doing that part.”
“Actually, Tank
insisted.” Isaac grinned.
Thomas was holding T.J.,
who held out a red velvet box. They weren’t supposed to exchange rings, but
Thomas has borrowed against his end of season bonus to buy her the ring he
thought she deserved. A real princess cut diamond surrounded by a dozen smaller
ones, to replace the simple solitaire and band he had bought from a pawn shop
when they were struggling college students.
“Iz fur you, momma. ”
T.J. announced to a chorus of ‘awws’ from the female guests. “Itz shiny like
duh kissmaz tree. Hold out yur hand.”
Irene’s hand trembled as
Thomas carefully slipped the new set on next to the old one, “With these rings,
I thee wed, again and forever. I love you, Irene.”
“I luv you, momma,” T.J.
added.
Irene opened and closed
her mouth, tears of joy shined in her eyes as she looked at the two people who
were her world. Finally, she said, “I love you, little man.” And kissed T.J. on
his curls, then she smiled up at Thomas, “And I love you, big man.” She leaned
forward to kiss him only to have her brother put his hand between her face and
Thomas’.
“Sis, we haven’t gotten
to that part yet.” The audience snickered as Thomas put T.J. down and Irene
glared at her brother.
Isaac cleared his throat
and announced loudly, “What the Lord in his infinite capacity for love and
humor has joined together for...”
“Say, man and wife,”
Thomas interrupted.
“Man and wife, you may
kiss your bride.” Isaac grinned.
Thomas pulled Irene into
his arms and kissed her like no one was watching. Most clapped and cheered, but
there were also catcalls and shouts to ‘get a room’ as the music started to
play again.
Everyone but Isaac had
left by 9:30 PM. As a diligent uncle, he insisted on reading T.J., ‘The Night Before
Christmas’ story. Both Grandma Bauman and Pappy Tanner had retired for the
evening. It was almost midnight when Thomas finished carrying in the presents
and Irene carefully arranged them around the tree. He stood looking up at the
angel.
“I think you wore it
better,” He said.
She looked at him,
“What?”
“Dressing as an angel on
Christmas Eve, I think you wore it better. ” He smiled as her arms circled his
waist, her lips were soft against his chin, so he tipped his head down and
kissed her deeply.
“You need to get to bed,
Thomas, you have a game tomorrow.” Irene chided and tried to step away, but he
held her firmly.
“Not just yet, my angel.”
He murmured as his lips followed the path of her robe, slowly sliding off her
body.
“Thomas, what about our
guest?” she panted breathlessly.
“They are all asleep, ”
he murmured against her skin, then he treated her with the adoration he always
felt when they made love. She was his one and only, forever and ever, till
death parted them.
To read more from Pagosa Cliffs
Red Velvet and Anemones by M. M. Ward
Divorced six weeks before Christmas, wedding cake artist Milli Velvet Haywood left her busy life in Vegas behind for the small town resort community of Pagosa Cliffs, Colorado.
https://amazon.com/dp/B08CF33YGH/ref=cm_sw_r_tw_dp_x_aKb4FbJNEZ01R via
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Merry Christmas to All! Be Blessed and may your holidays be better, Mama Magie
