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"Your mom looks like she's waiting for you to ask her to dance," Lily said, nodding in the direction where Mom sat with a glass of wine in hand. She wore a sapphire dress suit and sat next to Dad, who looked tired. He hadn't been up on his feet much, but I was so thankful his physical therapy was going well enough for the nursing home to allow him to join us for the nuptials.
"Yes, she does." I pecked Lily on the cheek. "Mind if you have to share me for a dance or two, Mrs. Matthews?" I asked, and Lily grinned.
"I don't mind one bit, Mr. Matthews." She returned the kiss and backed away, and when our fingers lost touch, I turned and headed over to Mom. She smiled as I approached and set her glass down.
"Well, the old man hasn't asked you to dance yet tonight, I see." Dad rolled his eyes at my joke, but Mom reached out her hand.
"At least my strapping young son will spin me around the dance floor a time or two." I took her hand as she stood and turned to Dad.
"Sure you don't want to be the one sweeping this charming woman off her feet?" I asked, and he coughed a few times and waved me away. Healing physically from surgery was one thing, but the emotional toll he was under was still making him grumpy and distant. It would take time to help him feel normal again, but he would, as soon as he was fully autonomous again.
I led Mom to the dance floor, and she placed her hand on my shoulder and one in my palm as I guided her in a waltz. She still had the grace of a thirty-year-old, though she moved a bit more slowly now.
"So, are you ready for the move?" I asked. Lily and I had decided we wanted our whole family together. While her parents weren't quite ready to let go of their home and opted to stay put for now, we had purchased a large home on the north side of thecity with enough room for both sets of our parents to stay with us. I hired a nursing company to begin at-home health care for Dad including a nurse who would stay at our home overnight to care for his needs as the rest of us slept. We were set to begin that when we returned from our honeymoon in Orlando.
"I'm a little nervous about the actual moving day, but I think it will turn out fine." Mom was pleased with the new place too. She was happy there were large flower gardens to work in, and Lily's mother promised to come by a couple of times a week to work on the landscaping with her. I could afford a company to do it for us, but they were pleased as could be to have the freedom to put their hands in the soil.
"Ellen and David will be here to help with all of that. I'm sure you will all be just fine. The movers are professionals. And Lily and I already have most things boxed and labeled. It's just transporting everything over." When we planned the move, we both agreed it would be less stressful if we hired movers. Mom wasn't too happy, being from the generation that did everything themselves, but we managed to convince her that it would be okay.
"Well, I trust you," she said, patting my chest.
We talked about the move, then about Noah and how well he was doing. As we danced, Mom told me stories of my childhood, things I'd seen Noah doing that I never would have thought were inherited traits but to Mom, it was obvious. She and Dad loved my son as much as I did and almost as instantly. Noah was the only one for whom Dad would even smile currently, and it was like night and day. The boy had a way with my grumpy old dad.
When the song was over, I walked Mom back to her seat so she could be with Dad and noticed that Ellen and David were dancing with Noah. Lily stood near our table watching me. I made my way over to my blushing bride and took her into myarms with the intention of not letting her go again tonight, and she covered her mouth and blinked at me.
"What's wrong?" I asked. She looked a little green, and right before our two-week trip to the happiest place on Earth with our little boy in tow. "Don't tell me you're coming down with something." Being November in Denver, it was definitely cold and flu season.
"Actually," she hummed, and she didn't sound at all sad or sick. "Remember when you told me that night in my parents' driveway that you wanted to put lots of babies in me?"
I reached to the corner of my mind and thought about what she was saying. I remembered the night I asked her to marry me and how I told her I wanted a family. I remembered her response too, eager to please me and accept my proposal, but that was five months ago. She'd have been showing by now. Unless…
"Don't tell me…" I pulled her against my body hard. "Really?" Lily nodded gleefully and practically glowed. "You're pregnant?"
"Yes, I am…"
"When? How?" I couldn't contain my happiness. I spun her around and kissed her hard, not even giving her a chance to respond right away. When I settled, she spoke.
"I've known for about a month now. I've been waiting until tonight to tell you. Since you decided to dispose of the condoms, it was inevitable." Her cute shrug made me want to eat her up.
"Mrs. Matthews, you have made me the happiest man alive. I can't believe how incredible you are. You're such a great mom, and I wouldn't want anyone else as my partner in life." I sighed contently. "Let's get out of here. We have to get Noah to sleep so we can get up early and catch our flight."
"Yes, let's. And buy me some Tums so I can stop feeling nauseous or the plane ride won't be so fun for me." She chuckled lightheartedly, and I spun her around one more time before taking her hand.
All my life, I dreamed of having a love like my parents'. The older I got, the less likely it seemed, but Lily Carter had made my dreams come true, even if the road had been a bit bumpy. And now we were embarking on the next leg of the journey, and I couldn’t wait to experience all the bumps along the way.