A Toast to Starry Nights (45 page)

“Take this ring, a physical reminder of
how love can encompass and surround one, giving form and strength never
ending.”

“Dmitri. if your intentions are true,
place the ring on her finger and repeat after me; With this ring I wed thee, my
life, my love, my soul.'

My beloved spoke the words while holding
my hands.

I looked down to the band that now lived
where my engagement ring resided.

A plain platinum band with a round
diamond in the center, flanked by square sapphires,

“Do you, Kaylis Prudence Woods take
Dmitri to have and to hold, in sickness and in health, in good times and bad,
in times of plenty and times of less, from this day until the end of days?”

I did.
“I do.”
I
will.

“Kaylis, if your intentions are true,
place the ring on his finger and repeat after me; With this ring I wed thee, my
life, my love, my soul.'

I slid the ring onto his finger, noting
it was a larger version of my own, while speaking my vow.

“By the power vested in me by the Church
of Unity and State of California, to pronounce you husband and wife. You may
now give your wench some sugar, Mr. Branimir.”

Our guests tittered while Dmitri smiled
down at me before sweeping in for a lip lock. I was dumbfounded that my
grandfather would refer to me as a wench at my wedding. During my wedding!

Didn't take much to get back into the
moment, though. I kissed Dmitri back and bubbles began to float over us in
abundance while the theme to Game of Thrones played. I couldn't resist laughing
up into my husband's face. “Why did we wait so long?”

“You didn't have any socks warm enough
for your feet.” Dmitri teased. “You feeling okay?” Wondered if he thought I was
going to get sickhouse on him again.

“I feel awesome.” Beyond awesome.
Giggly, bouncy and infectiously happy. “Ready to be Hand of the Queen?”

“No. I'm ready to be your hubby,
though.” With that, he swept me up in his arms to walk me back down the aisle
to my mother's deck. Where once a glass and wrought iron table set lurked, a
silk pavilion draped with yards and yards of flimsy material and furnished with
pillows galore and low tables. “Welcome to Morocco, Mrs. Branimir!” Dmitri
whispered in my ear.

Dmitri's family awaited us in the
pavilion, seated amidst the army of round and square pillows. They arrived late
to San Francisco since ash from an Icelandic volcano quelled all air travel
from Europe for nearly two weeks. They made it, two days ago. One day spent in
recuperation from the flight, the next day in preparation for Dmitri's wedding.
I met them at dinner last night and got a measure of those responsible for
Dmitri's upbringing. But now it was unadulterated quality time with the
Branimir clan.

Drago stood shorter than Dmitri, who in
turn was shorter than his blonde little brother, Ifan. Živa possessed golden
brown hair and eyes the color of whiskey. Dmitri got his father's blue eyes and
dark hair while Ifan inherited his mother's lion gaze. Ifan's wife, Aishana,
possessed curly black hair and dark brown eyes. With her pointy chin and wide
eyes, she reminded me of a pixie missing her wings.

The Branimir patriarch lacked his wife's
eager smile and easy manner, but was friendly in an reticent manner.

“A lovely ceremony, my new daughter!”
Živa removed her golden mask. “When Dmitri told me of a Hallowe'en ceremony, I
was so hoping you would play with the idea. Better than I could have imagined,
Kahleez
.
The masks are so much fun!”

Dmitri put me on my feet while I
replied, “I chose the day, but my Maid of Honor arranged everything. Her
organizational skills are better than mine when it comes to festivities.”

“So, when will I get my first grandbaby?
Ifan and Aishana do not seem interested in parenthood yet. Now you two can get
busy so I can see my grandchildren. They can come during the summer to stay
with us, learn our language and history. And I wish to spoil them rotten!”

“
Majka
!” Dmitri sounded
scandalized. “Babies happen when they happen, if they happen at all. Can't rush
something one wants to do right the first time.”

Hello, future adopted child of mine.

She gave an exasperated sigh. “Oh,
little man, do you not know first comes marriage then the baby carriage? Your
bride has childbearing hips, just look. She will carry your children well.
Besides, what rush have you two to get married after such a short engagement?”

I could feel the blood rushing to my
upper chest and face. Thank you, my new mother in law, thank you so much for
noticing the width of my ass.

“I can assure you, I am not pregnant
right now although it would please me to be otherwise.” Truth and diplomacy,
always a good combination.

Ifan spoke up, “Now
Majka
, you
said you would not hound for children. Let them enjoy each other a while before
devoting the rest of their lives to making you happy with little ones running
around.”

“Then you better get busy. You've kept
me waiting four years too long while you enjoy yourself with Aishana.”

Ifan slipped into his native language to
say something to his mother, and she replied back in a manner reminiscent of an
irate wet hen. Dmitri looked on with a smile on his face.

“Do not let Živa upset you, my dear. She
means well.” Drago patted my hand.

“She hasn't upset me in the least. I
didn't mean to give the wrong impression with a short engagement. Dmitri and I
decided we didn't want to put off the inevitable much longer.”

“You will have beautiful children, my
new daughter. Intelligent and lovely sons and daughters when the time is right.
I have no doubt of it.”

I smiled at Drago and his sweet words
while my heart broke. The possibility of bearing children does not exist and no
matter how hard I wish, it will never be otherwise. “Time will tell.”

Jet meandered my way and excused me from
the presence of Dmitri's parents. She hauled me off to Willow's room on the
pretense of retouching my makeup for photos. I sat upon the stool again, the
bathrobe draped over my dress to protect the blue from random cosmetic
particles.

My eyes were closed as she brushed more
color in the socket's crease . “I have a huge favor to ask you, Kaylis.”

A plaintive tone lurked in her voice. I
leaned away from her hand and opened my eyes. “What's up? If I can help, you
know I will. It's the least for all you've done tonight. The moon is yours, if
it were mine to give away.”

She heaved a deep breath. “I'm going to
Bali for a while. Going to celebrate Nypei and visit with family.”

I'm thinking she wants me to take care
of her cat. I can do that. The feline has yet to scent mark me.

Jet continued, “When I get back, I want
to know if you will take over my responsibility.”

Okay, perhaps not house cat related.

“I realized something about Wiley,
Kaylis. When he explained to me his BS with his ex and stuff, I realized he's
the kind of guy who would marry a chick he knocked up because it was his duty
to correct a mistake he made. I'm no man's goddamn mistake. I don't want him to
feel like he's obligated to marry me. Fuck that shit. I'm not the marrying
type. I'm not the mommy type, either.”

My mind wrapped around what she just
said. “Wiley knocked you up? You're going to have a baby?”

Jet's green eyes were huge. Never have I
seen her this vulnerable. She could barely speak. “Yes. I don't know what else
to do.” She heaved a deep sigh. “I don't date, I don't take birth control.
Allergic to latex, and again, don't date... so no condom... shit happens.”

“So me taking over your
responsibility...?”

“Will you and Dmitri adopt the baby? I
can't go through with an abortion. I'd make a horrible mother, you know it. I
know it. But you and Dmitri, you guys are normal. Sane, even. Please, Kaylis. I
can't picture giving it up to strangers... Please think about it. Please.”

I wanted to say yes right then and
there. Didn't like seeing my friend upset and hurting or seeing her look lost.
But a baby is something I needed to discuss with Dmitri. This isn't a cat...
can't expect him to just roll over and be all peachy keen about it. But I would
love to have a baby. To start a family. To explore uncharted parental
territory.

I mean, this is huge. A lifetime
commitment.

“Wiley doesn't know?”

“No. I don't want him wanting to
marrying me because he got me pregnant. Fuck that. His emotional investment at
the time was lust and nothing more. Lust is not an ideal ingredient for a
stable family life a kid needs. I don't want him to know because I don't want
him to use it against me. And that's the mentality of the 'moral' people in
this area. Don't deny it.”

She's right. Can't count how many people
I went to school with who ended up married because an accidental pregnancy.

“So you're going to Bali to have the
baby then be back after it’s born?”

“Yes. For all intents and purposes, I'm
going on vacation. I've got enough vacation time and sick leave saved up to
cover it. I'm due at the tail end of March.”

“I want to help you, Jet. But I need to
talk to Dmitri... because this involves him too. He and I spoke briefly about
adoption a ways back, but we didn't explore it much.”

“I think you'd make a good mother,
Kaylis. I trust you, which is why I ask... I know it's something huge to ask of
someone. On your wedding night. But I'm going to be showing soon. Don't have
much time. I need a plan, and if it's a No from you, then I'll have to think of
something else. Just don't know if I can say goodbye like that to a baby. Just
the thought of it gets me weepy. Or it's the fucking hormonal rush nowadays.”
She heaved a deep sigh and muttered, “Thank the Gods for waterproof cosmetics.”

“Personally, I'd love to have a baby.
You're giving me the opportunity to do so, and I want to say yes without
Dmitri's approval. But I can't do that. I'll ask him tonight though.”

With a spark of her former self, Jet
smiled. “You do that. I have preparations to make, too. I'm leaving next week
on the 5th. That's why I'm asking now. Don't know how else to deal with this...
Wiley won't make himself scarce and leave me alone. I don't want to swell up in
front of him. Don't want to be his ball and chain or saddle him with child
support for busting a nut we both wanted. This is the best solution I can think
of, Kaylis... and I've thought of everything.” She picked up a makeup palette
of blush and began dusting my forehead, down my nose and the bottom of my
jawline with one shade, then my cheekbones with another. “I promise never to
call you a Mary Sue, either.”

“I have Pollyanna tendencies, not Mary
Sue issues.” Jet knows how to cut down to the quick. Mary Sue. Hmph. I am far
from perfect and I know it. Damn Star Trek references.

“Says she who cannot bear kids but is
being offered an infant for her very own, very little strings attached. I want
to be Auntie Jet. I'll make a good aunt. You'd be a better mamacita though.”
Another application of red lipstick then a coating of translucent loose powder.

I want a baby. Being more barren than
salt water upset me. Although I know the life Dmitri and I will carve out will
be rewarding, the lack of kidlets and wee'ens has already been felt, at least
by me. Pregnancy may be horrible to some women, but at least they get to
experience it. Birth, too. In essence, what I was biologically programmed to
do, denied. I want those experiences, but because of circumstances I can carry
tapeworms, but no baby.

A knock sounded on the bedroom door
before it eased open and Dmitri walked inside. “Ready for your close up, Mrs.
Branimir?”

Jet looked at me with a sly glance. “I'm
going to talk to the photographer. Dmitri, make sure she doesn't have any face
powder on her dress, will you?”

My husband walked towards me while I
faced the mirror and removed the bathrobe. The mantilla followed suit and I
tossed it on Jet's duffel bag, still on the bed. I loved looking at our
reflection. We make a handsome couple in our finery.

“I like your hair done that way.” Dmitri
lifted one of my ringlets and wrapped it around his finger.

“I like you. Period.”

Dmitri smiled. “Jet didn't linger long,
did she? We're going to have to get something special for her as a thank you
for all she's done. Magnificent so far.”

“I have news for you, Dmitri. You might
need to sit down. This news could double as Jet's payment.”

“You sold your novel already?”

“No, still waiting to hear back from the
publishing house.” Sent the query three weeks ago. It was a part of Jet's
master scheme to get me published; get to the point where a publishing house
offers a deal then snag a literary agent by having a publishing proposal on the
table already. The flurry of wedding excitement forced my writing ambitions to
the back burner until he brought it up.

“What would require me to sit down for
monumental news?” He sat on Willow's bed and looked up to me as I stood before
him.