194 - Falling Like Stars
194 - Falling Like Stars
And I need you to know that we're falling so fast / We're falling like the stars / Falling in love / And I'm not scared to say those words, with you, I'm safe / We're falling like the stars / We're falling in love – Falling like the Stars by James Arthur
Bunny was the next one down the aisle and stifled a laugh as Cooper and JD tried to discreetly tell their wife to go sit down. She shook her head and even mouthed no when her uncle pointed his fingers from her to the table where Gina sat. Just before Bunny reached the end, Clarence surprised them all when he walked over to Dean.
“I love you, so, you’ll have to forgive me,” with that warning, he scooped her up bridal style and carried her over to the table.
“Same thing for you,” Gina told her as she was plopped down in a chair next to Sam. “Shoes off, feet on the empty chair.” Dean opened her mouth to object, but Gina shook her head. “You nearly passed out last night; we’re not having a repeat performance.”
“Oh, really?” Clarence asked and Dean blushed. “You are definitely staying here.”
He returned to the altar and kissed Bunny’s cheek as Jolene and Cheryl came down the aisle. After getting quick pecks on their own cheeks they went and stood on their marks. Helen could not pick one over the other for her matron of honor, so they shared the responsibility. Cheryl did insist that Jolene stand closer to her mother.
When You Wish Upon A Star played as the older children began to come down the aisle. The soft sounds awe was quickly replaced with laughter and amusement when the kids discovered that the floor would light up with different colors and star patterns. About halfway down the aisle, they all stopped and started jumping around, squealing as the floor lit up.
Shaking his head, Reese admitted, “I should have thought about this.”
“I got you,” Cooper said as he pulled out a zippy bag of brightly colored cereal. He gave a quick whistle and got their attention. Seeing the cereal, they ran for him and he tossed the bag to Madison Leigh at the table opposite Gina’s.
“You had this planned.” Reese smirked. He then laughed as the kids ran into each other trying to make a quick stop and change direction.
“She had this planned,” JD admitted.
“Bowling for toddlers,” Neo said in his best Pumbaa impression, “gets them every time.”
“There is something seriously wrong with you,” Waylon informed his brother-in-law.
“Yeah, and?” Neo grinned.
“Dude,” Cooper chuckled, “having something seriously wrong with you is a prerequisite for joining this family. Thankfully, the Navy prepared me.”
JD turned and gave a fist bump to his partner. “Glad to have assisted in the process.”
Bunny laughed at them as Tina quietly asked, “Is this normal?”
“Any other family? No,” Cheryl rolled her eyes. “This family? Very normal.”
They all fell silent and everyone turned when the lights went completely dark. Even the lights of the dresses blinked off. The floor tiles of the aisle lit up and then one by one went off from the altar to the three stairs leading to the club’s dance floor. Once the tiles were all dark again, James Arthur’s song, Falling Like The Stars began to play.
A soft spotlight fell on Reese and Bunny’s attention was drawn to him. His attention was drawn to the woman at the stairs. She watched him wipe away a tear before she also turned to look at her mother-in-law.
Helen also had a soft spotlight on her and as she stepped off the last stairs onto the tile that lit up under her feet. As she moved across the tiles, a galaxy of stars appeared beneath her and spread out on either side. She kept her eyes on her husband as she moved closer to him.
Entering the area with the tables, the twinkling lights under the tablecloths began to blink back on and the spotlight faded off. Above them, the planets began to glow, casting various colored lights as the orrery moved them in their orbits. Reaching her groom, the lights on the dresses and the bouquets twinkled to life.
Helen’s dress sparkled with tiny silver stars that covered the white to gray ombre floor length A-line dress. The plunging V-neckline showed off her breasts that were emphasized by the custom-made corset top and a thin silver belt resting at her waist. Sheer bishop sleeves were full and puffy until the small cuffs at her wrists.
Reese reached out for her and pulled her close. Clarence barely rescued the elaborate bouquet of stargazer lilies, galaxy petunias and moonflowers before Reese had his wife pressed tightly against him. Cupping her cheek, he softly whispered that he loved her before pressing his lips to hers.
“Since he’s occupied,” Clarence said, “I’m going to tell you a little bit about my friend. I met Reese back when we were in school and he was dating this lovely girl and I had a crush on her brother. News flash, it did not work out between me and Doug.”
He winked at Doug’s wife who just laughed. Reese released Helen’s mouth but kept her tucked against him. Holding her against him, he kissed the top of her head and then looked at Clarence as he continued to speak. Seeing that Reese was watching him, Clarence gave a small shrug.
“But the friendship that bloomed between the new gay kid and the muscled-up nerd has survived. He married the lovely girl, and they had a wonderful little girl. They separated and she found a second chance, and he built himself a family. He’s still building himself a family.”
“Reese has so many women in his life that they are simply called the princesses or the princess club. Honestly, I think it is because he can’t keep all their names straight. However, if you ask him, he can list them all off in birth order.”
“He claimed two little boys when his ex-wife’s husband died quite unexpectedly. Over the years, his many sisters all had their babies, and I think they all had girls because they were afraid to give Reese little boys. There are a few boys scattered in the group now, including his own sons.”
“After an illustrious career in the Navy,” Clarence paused as those in the know laughed. “For those who don’t know, find some of the older Navy guys that are here, and they can tell you about some of his illustrious escapades. But… after the Navy, he opened a business. And then another. And another.”
“He filled his life with family and friends and work. The gym. Not that I’m objecting, at all. No matter how full his life was, there was still something that was missing.”
Clarence looked around and Jolene held out her hand for the bouquet. With a smile he handed it over. Taking Helen’s hand in his own, he pulled her away from Reese.
Placing a kiss on her cheek, he smiled at her, “He finally found his queen.”