004:

The venue for the LA reception was a hotel called Shutters on the Beach in Santa Monica. It was a huge, and very expensive resort, and a lot of people had been invited. When Rafe's mom said casual attire, I was surprised, until I realized she was sabotaging us. This venue was a formal affair. Rafe mentioned it as we drove down the coast, with the top down, and our hair blowing like crazy. He also said the band was planning to play, and he wanted me to sing Fall into the Ocean with him. And maybe the wedding song.

"I thought this was for your family down here. Are a lot of people coming? Have you talked to your mom about this? I feel kind of nauseated, Rafe."

"You gonna throw up? Morning afternoon sickness? Woohoo! We're having a baby, ladies and gentlemen, a baby!" He howled again and I was reminded how happy he was.

"I'm not going to throw up. I'm like three weeks pregnant, Rafe. I'm not sick yet."

He howled again, getting people on the beach to wave and howl back at us.

He pulled up to the Shutters as if we came there often. I saw his mother greeting people, and hoped it was simply family. A valet came to park Rafe's very expensive car. I saw Addie, Jeff's girlfriend, scowling at me and waved, with an even sicker feeling inside.

I knew that Addie was very upset that Jeff was going back to church, that he was taking temple prep classes, and that we had made that choice without her.

Then I saw somebody else I hadn't seen in a year and jumped out of the car to greet him. "Grandpa!" My grandfather was a legend, one of the former Reedtones, and the sweetest man on the planet. I loved my grandpa. He embraced me with a strong grip for almost eighty. His eyes sparkled blue with white flecks, like my mom's.

I'd met his new bride only once. When Grandpa let me go I gave her a quick hug, and felt Rafe's hands on my hips. "Rafe, this is my grandfather, Ray McCaffrey and his new wife, Delaina. Grandpa, please meet my husband, Rafe Stryker."

Grandpa hugged Rafe instantly and warmly. Their eyes were similarly crinkled in admiration, but Rafe was more than star struck. He hadn't known Ray was coming.

"I have to go get dressed, Gramps. See you inside, okay?" I hugged him again and then with happy tears welling in my eyes we were led into Shutters, and down hallways to the conference and wedding rooms, where I could hear music playing and the voices of a lot of people.

"Rafe," I called him back as he started to go with Ben into a men's dressing room. My eyes pleaded with him and he came back, shooing the attendant to one side with just a look. He was in his element, I realized he had done this many, many times. More times than I had.

"You okay?" He fingered my hair, as Brianna came out of the women's dressing room with her mouth full of clips, following three-year-old Sadye Katharine, whose hair was only half done. I recognized that little Sadye was wearing the children's identical dress, a flowered satin in blue, green and salmon with a gold-threaded bodice embedded with tiny pearls. Mom had chosen well.

Brianna stopped short when she saw us. She eyed me up and down without a smile and then nodded really big. "I'll do your hair in a minute." Then she chased Sadye down the hall.

I smiled tolerantly. "Yes, I'm okay," I told Rafe sighing. "Big crowds again. How are you holding up?" He liked big crowds even less than I did.

He looked around as if studying the area. Then he puckered up his lips. "A month ago we endured this for your mom, and now--- because we love our moms we are doing it for mine."

"I didn't realize any more of my family was actually coming. I thought this was all for your family." I bit my lips.

He snorted. "And you pictured the barbecue with Uncle Tim and Cousin Jenny and her kids. You pictured the backyard pool party, and when that failed, you tried the hotel pool party and stuck with it?"

I nodded, embarrassed.

He hugged me. "That's my girl."

Brianna came back, heels clicking, mouth full of pins again. This time, she held Sadye's long gold ties and had her daughter Gabbie by the ponytail.

Her eyes told me I had better get in and help her.

"Aubrey. It's almost over." Rafe assured me. "And then.... Um hm hm." His eyebrows waggled suggestively. I let mine indicate a room upstairs and he nodded big, liking that idea immensely.

"Rafe!" We turned as one to the sound of a voice and I bit my lips again. America Rolvsson came clicking down the hallway, brown hair swinging, lovely dress cuddling her amazing model's figure. She went right to Rafe and hugged him way close, kissing both cheeks. I resentfully saw his hand cup her shoulder blade. 

She turned slightly to me, staying in Rafe's side embrace as if she were the bride and I was the old friend. "Hi there, Annie. It's so good to see you again!"

"Aubrey." I corrected, knowing she had not had a slip.

To validate my thought, she flashed me a snobby grin, batting her eyelashes. If she'd said whatever, I'd have asked her to leave. As it was, I wondered why she was here. Another coincidence?

I saw a photographer coming down the hall just as Janice stepped out of the main room to intercept him. She glanced at us all standing there and went back to instructing the photographer. I assumed she was telling him not to take pictures of my family, only hers.

Maybe she hoped that getting enough pics of America and Rafe together would convince Rafe to marry her instead.

I wish I could say the same, that I was glad to see her again too. "It was nice of you to come." I figured I'd be saying that a lot tonight, I should get a head start.

I turned to go into the dressing room behind my sister Melia, who hadn't noticed me as she ushered Carson and Chryste inside.

"Oh, I wouldn't miss it. Besides practically being neighbors now, I'm just down the road from you guys. Janice couldn't have done it without me. She had to call and get my advice, I've been friends of the family for so long."

I saw Rafe disentangle himself and roll his eyes. He would be polite for just so long.

I nodded in acknowledgment and made a popping noise with my lips before I followed Melia.

The dressing rooms were a series of parlor type rooms with stalls and dressing tables. The first person I saw was my niece, Hannah. She happened to be one of my absolute favorites. She was Melia's oldest, by her first husband who had died, Jared Patrick. She looked exactly like what I remembered of Jared right now. She and her nine months younger sister, Abby, were dressed in matching long, flowing flowered gowns. Gowns that mimicked mine--- and also Brianna's. I wondered if they'd been made honorary bridesmaids, or if Mommy had just given them a more mature dress---- we tended to dress all the attending kids the same. In an effort, of course, simply to keep track of them all.

Hannah's eyes met mine. She smiled this super sweet, and understanding smile, that instantly transformed a serious look to one of pure adorableness. Her dimples offset her white skin--- and short dark hair. She was truly beautiful.

"Aubrey." But she said it so not everybody would be alerted to my presence. She blinked slow, a sweet expression of utter sympathy. Her hug was one of those soft, sweet girly ones, but from her, it meant a lot.

"Hannah Banana." I was the only one allowed to call her that, as I'm only eight years older than her and we'd played together as kids.

"I'm so happy for you." She said. "And I think, Auntie, that we have a lot to talk about. Girls day?"

I included Abby in my answering nod. "How about Monday? I'm working at ABCSC and then we can hang out."

Hannah swirled her dress. "I like the dress, thank you. It's one I will actually keep."

"Thank Grandma and Maille. And probably Kell... and maybe Lance...."

"Who's Lance?"

"The only guy out there as cute as Rafe." I said and chuckled. "Rafe's brother."

"Oh, I saw him then. He's a little taller than Rafe, with the same hair and eyes and he's skinny, but built, and he has these long legs and ...." Abby covered her mouth with her hand and giggled. "He's too old for me and he's got kids."

"He helped choose the wedding party clothes? Kell let him?" Hannah grunted as if this might be an impossibility.

I shrugged as I saw my dress hanging from a stand. "Didn't have a choice. Lance has presence."

I started over to the dress, hoping to get into it and get done, so I could get back to Rafe, when two nieces stopped me, literally stood in front of me solemnly. I instantly reached for thirteen year old Laura whose arm was around Cassie's Penelope, whom we affectionately called "Pen". I hadn't seen them in months, but was anticipating seeing them at the reunion in Alaska. I hugged Laura first, close, didn't let her go, knew I needed to feel her in my arms.

"Lo-lo." I whispered.

"It's hard to see you so happy, Auntie Aubrey." She whispered.

I trembled, nodding against her neck. She was taller than me. Or as tall as me, for sure. She wore the big girl dress like Hannah and Abby. Tears darted angrily behind my lids. I shivered.

"I'm sorry, baby. I love you so much. It's got to be so hard without her. I will never forget her. We need some time too, let's go over to the cemetery together this week."

"Okay. Nobody will go with me."

"We'll get flowers."

"Okay. I need to go, and just to talk to you about what happened."

"I know, we didn't get the chance."

"I'm staying down here with her, can I come too?" Pen asked, her beautiful expressive dark eyes flashing in solemn understanding.

"I want you to. I'll pick you guys up. I'll call, okay?"

"Do you love him very much, Aubrey?" Pen changed the subject. "Rafe?"

I smiled as I stroked her straight hair. "You know I do."

"You weren't going to marry industry, remember? You said that at Christmas when Daddy asked you." Pen twirled her hair too.

"I remember. I've always said that. It just shows Heavenly Father has other plans than we do. Wait till you met him, he's amazing."

I started past them to the dress and Melia stopped me with a sudden hug. I looked up into her greenish eyes--- she grinned. "You look great. Marriage agrees with you."

"Rafe agrees with me."

She tossed her auburn hair and smoothed her beige suit jacket. "May I assist you, sis?"

"Is anyone assigned? I don't want to hurt anybodies feelings."

"Mommy got the temple brides room, she won't care here." Melia took the dress off its peg and led me back to a separate room past all the mirrored dressing tables and stalls where girls were getting ready.

"I didn't know everybody was coming." I said as we shut the door behind us.

"They aren't. We all saw you a month ago at the temple. But Kell--- and Robert--- well, and Tecca--- they just can't let anything go. You know.... They saw the way Janice treated you, and her uppity manners, her disgusting prejudices. I am guessing there will be a ton of homosexuals here, just to prove her point, so Kell and Robert decided we better make a fairly decent showing so you two weren't bombarded."

I stripped. "Did Janice know everybody was coming?"

"We all got invited, but I had the feeling that we were not all expected, since we came to the wedding and reception in Mexico."

"Kell acted like it was just himself coming when I spoke to him earlier."

"Oh, it's always been the whole clan--- at least those of us who can be here. The industry crowd is showing up to offer support, and because it won't seem weird for us. And then, of course, Janice won't be able to say a darn word with Grandpa here."

No, that was true. He was too venerated of a celebrity. And if he is out there then Trask is probably out there too. The other ReedTone. I hadn't thought of the fact that Rafe's friends might be here too. Celebrity friends.

Melia helped me step into Mommy's gown, and she settled it over my hips. So I said loud enough for the whole room to hear, "Oh my gosh! Mia! It fit a month ago! What's wrong with it? Has my stomach grown that much?"

Melia spread the material over my very flat stomach with a funny look. "It's fine." She whispered.

But I wanted to make sure everyone knew. "I really didn't think one month would make such a big difference--- unless I'm pregnant!"

Melia straightened—her green eyes flashed. "Are you? Are you?"

I grinned at her.

She squealed and jumped up, raising her hands and shouting, "My baby sister is making me an Auntie again!!!! Yay!!!!"

*****