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Chapter or Story
Epilogue
Lyneham, New York
"Debbie?"
"Hi Mommy!" The girl ran over to the car and threw her arms around the woman, who returned the hug with a smile. "Is everything ready?"
"Just about, sweetie. We've got to try things on again this afternoon, but then it's all going to be set for tomorrow."
"Are you excited?"
Helen laughed. "What do you think?"
"Probably."
The girl looked around as David and Louise ran up to the car, giving the woman hugs before scrambling into the back seat. Debbie sat in the front and Helen got in behind the wheel, driving the car away from the curb and heading for Ashe.
"Auntie?"
"What is it, sweetheart?"
"Susie was telling me today that when her mommy and daddy got married a year ago, they went away and didn't take Susie or her brothers with them. How come we're coming?"
Helen looked in the rearview mirror with a smile. "Sam and I wouldn't have nearly as much fun if you weren't there, baby."
"And do you get the wear the princess dress?"
"Did you like it, Louise?"
"It's like a picture in a book," the girl told her.
"It's going to look even better tomorrow, honey."
"How come?"
"Wait and see."
Helen picked up the little boy from his car seat and followed the children into the house, almost running into Sam, who stood in the doorway with a bag in his hand and a smile on his face.
"Just in time to say goodbye."
"I've never liked this tradition," Helen grumbled, returning his kiss. "And I'm not all that sure why we're following it."
"Hey, you're the one who wanted a traditional wedding," Sam reminded her. "And we'll see each other in less than twenty-four hours."
"I just have to cope until then." She hugged him. "Say hi to your mother for me."
"I'll do that."
Sam gave Michael a hug before giving the baby back and going to his car. With a final wave, he was gone and Helen carried the child into the house. Walking into the living room, she could see Louise standing on a chair with the dress for the next day already on, as Michelle made final adjustments. Helen looked at her aunt and shrieked.
"Get those pins out of your mouth! You'll probably swallow one, and then I'll have to perform an emergency appendectomy or something."
Choking down a laugh, Michelle acquiesced. "I'm sure you'd manage that, Helen, and you'd have plenty of people to assist."
"I still don't like the idea. I want you there tomorrow, not sleeping off surgery in a hospital bed."
"I always thought you were picky," stated an amused voice from the doorway and Helen threw a cushion at Steve as she sat down on the sofa and took David onto her lap.
"If I'd known you were going to become such a smart-alec, I'd have left you in the Centre instead of rescuing you."
"Angelo wouldn't have let you," Steve returned with a grin, picking up Michael. "If you don't care, he does."
"Who says I don't care?" Helen responded smartly. "But there are times when I'm able to remember with longing those peaceful days here on my own..."
"It's Jarod's fault that they came to an end," Steve answered with a laugh as the man shot him a glare from the doorway. "And you can probably also blame him for me being the way I am."
"I can blame him for just about everything," Helen laughed, handing David over to the older man so that he could try on the small tuxedo. "And I do exactly that, on every possible occasion."
"No, really?" Jarod commented incredulously. "Is that what the attitude is?"
"And they call you a genius," Helen snorted.
"Actually, they call me a lawyer," Jarod laughed, pinning up the hem of the pants, a tape measure around his neck. "I haven't heard that other title for a while now."
"You're really looking forward to that day in court, aren't you?"
"You betcha," he told her with a grin, laughing again as she rolled her eyes.
"How many times do I have to ask you not to say that around my children so they don't pick up the habit?"
"Would you like the figure or was that a rhetorical question?"
Helen sent a glare at Sydney as he sat opposite her. "Did you have to teach him to be this irritating?"
"No, it was inherent in him from the first. Besides, I don't know what you're complaining about," the psychiatrist replied with a smile. "You've only known him six months. I had to put up with it for thirty-three years."
"So I should be impressed that you're still sane - is that what you're suggesting?"
"Hey!" Jarod protested indignantly. "That's not at all kind!"
"It's my wedding eve," Helen told him. "I can be as unkind as I like."
"Besides," David put in, "you're mean to Mommy all the time, Jarod, even if it's only fun, so she should be able to be mean back!"
"Quite right, sweetie," Helen agreed. "But if he's mean to me today, I'll get so upset that I won't be able to come tomorrow and then Sam would get angry." She eyed Jarod with a grin. "And he can be quite scary sometimes."
The man snorted. "I knew it was a mistake to let that bit of information slip."
Biting off a length of thread, he slipped it through the eye of a needle before helping the boy to carefully take off the black trousers and beginning to tack the hem. David got down from the chair and ran over Helen, scrambling up into her lap again and looking at her.
"Mommy, when will you put your dress on again?"
"In the morning, baby. It's finished and I don't want to risk anything happening to it when I try it on."
"How come you still call me ‘baby’?" the boy complained. "I'm your oldest."
"No, you're not," Helen reminded him. "You're still younger than Debbie." She put out an arm and hugged the girl sitting on the footstool. "Besides, David, even when you're Jarod's age and older, you'll still be my baby."
"My parents still call me that," Steve told David with a smile, "so Helen will too, for a long time to come."
David rolled his eyes. "I don't think I can cope."
"What did I say would happen if you imitated Miss Parker?" Helen asked him with a grin and the boy shrieked, scrambling off her lap and running to hide behind the psychiatrist's chair.
"And what's wrong with a person imitating me?" interrupted a voice from the doorway.
"Nothing," Helen told her firmly. "Unless the person is my son and a five-year-old boy." She stood up to hug the woman and her father. "I can cope with the attitude in you, Miss Parker, but if David does it, I'm reminded of your second cousin, and that's the stuff nightmares are made of."
"Do you want me to finish this?" Jarod demanded, waving the pair of black trousers, staring in astonishment as Miss Parker walked over and took them from his hands.
"I'll do it. You can use the time to come up with a couple of snappy comebacks that are anywhere near the ones Helen uses on you."
"Since when can you sew?"
"Since I got taught," she replied calmly, sitting down beside Ben on the sofa. "And since my dad reminded me how much my mother enjoyed it when she was in Maine."
"I never thought I'd see the day," Jarod muttered, standing up. "Steve, do you want to help make dinner for the army that seems to have gathered here?"
"Is that just so they don't see you fainting from shock?"
"Something like that."
Margaret did up the zip of the white dress and stood back to let Michelle firmly fix the short veil in place before adding the wreath of flowers. Both women stepped back to admire the end result.
"You look beautiful," Margaret told Helen with a smile and Michelle was forced to blink a few tears away.
"You look almost exactly like your mother did on her wedding day."
"I know," Helen replied softly. "That's why I chose to wear your dress instead of having a new one made."
"You were right, Auntie," said a young voice from the doorway. "You look even prettier than when you put it on last time."
"Thank you, sweetie." Helen eyed the little girl with a smile. "You look very pretty, too, you know."
"Do I look pretty, too, Mommy?"
"No, David," she told him. "Boys don't look pretty. They look handsome."
"Will Daddy look like that when we see him?"
A faint smile curled Helen's lips. "I think he just might, sweetheart."
"Shall we go down to wait for the car?" Michelle suggested, picking up Louise, as David ran over to Margaret.
"Is everybody down there?"
"Well, Jarod and Steve left several hours ago to make sure that Sam doesn't get nervous about you not turning up or something." Margaret laughed as Helen grinned, "But we sent Miss Parker, Debbie and Jon down the moment they were dressed, so they'll be down in the living room, with Sydney. Everyone else is at the church, or will be soon."
"Charles doesn't mind that I asked Sydney to give me away instead of him, does he?"
"Of course not," Margaret assured her. "After all, Sydney's going to be a relation-by-marriage in a few weeks, whereas we're still only adoptive family."
"Two weddings in four weeks." Michelle rolled her eyes. "We should, by rights, be broke."
"It's a good reward for all our hard work," Helen told her, kissing her aunt as they walked out onto the landing. "We deserve it."
The car pulled up in front of the large Catholic Church and Helen used Sydney's hand to get out, straightening her dress with fingers that would tremble no matter how much she tried to stop them.
"You're not nervous, Helen?"
"You're not sarcastic, Sydney," she replied with a small smile. "Don't you love irrational fears?"
"Most of them are," he told her, offering his hand. "But this probably isn't the best time to discuss it, unless you prefer that to getting married."
"Only if Michelle and I can do the same in a month."
"And then I'll feel the same way that Sam is now." Sydney looked at his watch. "Well, we're now five minutes late, so why don't we ease his tension and get this show on the road, okay?"
"How very considerate," she remarked, going up the steps to the church and through the doors to the vestry.
Helen eyed the five people that, other than herself and Sydney, made up her half of the wedding party, watching as Miss Parker got them into order and then gave the sign for the music to begin. The two younger children led the way, followed by Jon and Debbie, Miss Parker and then, much to Sam's relief, he could see Sydney and Helen walking up the aisle towards him. He was unable to suppress a sigh of relief and saw the grin that Jarod shot in his direction.
"I told you she wasn't that unreliable," Steve murmured and Ethan was forced to choke down a laugh.
The former sweeper didn't respond, his breath caught in his throat as the others moved aside and he could see his future wife. Helen's eyes were trained on the stairs in front of her as she went up them, but finally she looked up to meet his gaze, and he smiled, reaching out for her hand as she came to stand beside him.
"Smile!"
There was no need for the flash, the summer day being so fine, as the photo was taken, and then Helen picked up Louise as David scrambled to his feet.
"What now, Daddy?"
"We're going home quickly to get changed, David," Sam told him, "and then we'll go to the party."
"Will there be ice cream?" the child pleaded.
"Considering who's overseeing the catering," Helen commented with a smile, "I'd say that's rather likely."
The wedding party got into the two cars that waited at the gate and headed back to the house.
"Mommy?"
"Yes, sweetie?" Helen looked down at the boy sitting opposite her in car. "What is it, David?"
"Are we 'fficially a family now?"
"Officially and legally," Sam stated, entwining his fingers with his wife's. "There's nobody who can change it."
"Good." The boy gave a relieved sigh. "And so will Angelo visit next door with Broots and Debbie while we're on vacation?"
"That's right, honey," Helen told him. "And then, when we come back, he'll come and live with us again."
"So he's part of our family, too?"
"Yes, David," Helen replied softly. "He's certainly earned that."
"And will he be happy now?"
Sam glanced at Helen with a smile. "I think we'll all be happy now."
