Coming Attractions (21 page)

“How many of you can’t make your spinner work?”

Every one of the groups responded in the affirmative. Katie was about to say they should skip the game altogether, go for
the food, and call it a party. But before she could pull the plug, Nicole appeared at her side, just as she had been all school
year.

“Call out the combinations,” Nicole said to Katie. “Like a big Bingo game. You can call them out, and each team does the same
moves at the same time.”

“Great idea! Okay, everyone, we have a Plan B, thanks to our fearless and fabulous Nicole. Here’s what we’re going to do.”
Katie issued the revised instructions, confiscated one of the defective spinners as a reminder of the colors, and called out,
“Let the games begin!”

For the first few minutes all the teams managed Katie’s call-outs with ease. As soon as one person toppled or crumbled, the
next person in line took the first player’s place. From where she stood on top of one of the coffee tables, Katie saw everyone
was mixing it up nicely.

Then she decided to spice it up and added, “Right ear to green!”

“Ear?” everyone called out.

“Yes, ear! Go!”

The noise level kicked up a notch, as the teams faced the challenging job of deciding who was really out because that person
had fallen and who was just trying to get his or her ear to the ground.

“Okay, forget the ears. Here we go. Left elbow to blue.”

More pandemonium ensued as those with their ears dutifully touching the green tried an anatomically impossible move.

“Forget the ears!” Katie called out, waving her hands, trying to restore some semblance of order. “Take your ears off the
green. Or the blue. Or whatever I called. Just put your right elbow on blue.”

“I think it was left elbow.” Eli had come alongside Katie.

“I think this game is about to tank,” Katie said to him.

“No, it isn’t. You’re doing fine. Everyone is having a good time. Keep going.”

“I’m not good at this. Here, do you want to do it? You be the caller. Everyone listens to you, Eli.”

“That was in chapel.”

“So? Here.” She thrust the spinner at him and called out, “Get ready for a real treat, my twisted friends! Eli Lorenzo is
your new caller. Hit it, Eli.”

His speaking voice rolled out nice and loud and commanding. Not high and bossy and squeaky like Katie’s was getting. Eli brought
a faster pace to the game, which the players appreciated so they didn’t experience muscle cramps waiting.

Eli jump-started the party, from Katie’s point of view. She went over to the sound system and turned the speaker back on.
When everyone was congregating in the lobby at seven o’clock, Nicole had the music going to make them feel like this really
was a party and not just a lame sort of meeting for those who wanted to get away from studying. Nicole also had put up a banner
that read, “Spring Fling,” and had dotted the area with brightly colored gerbera daisies, Nicole’s favorite flower.

Katie adjusted the volume of the music so it was in the background and not competing with Eli, but just enough to bring back
the party atmosphere. Nicole came over and said, “Great idea to put the music back on. I think it’s working out.”

“Yeah, thanks to Eli. By the way, I noticed you went with the boy-catcher sweater. Good choice. Has it worked its marvels
yet?”

“No, not even a tiny bit. I went over and said hi when he came in. He said hi back and asked if I thought the paint color
in the men’s bathroom at the café was too dark.”

“That’s all he talked to you about? Paint in the men’s bathroom? He can be so clueless sometimes.”

Nicole looked a little forlorn, but the hint of disappointment quickly vanished. “It’s no big deal, Katie. I talked with Julia
about it some more, and I’m okay. Ever since she prayed with me, I’ve felt settled. As least more settled than I have been
the past few months.”

Katie knew Nicole was switching to more generic statements because Carley, one of the girls from their floor, had slid up
close to the two of them. Carley had a history of being divisive and flat-out ornery. Nicole was wise not to reveal any specifics,
especially about Rick, when it was possible that Carley could hear.

Katie and Nicole turned their attention to the group. Things were going much better with Eli than they had with Katie at the
helm. Katie wasn’t the only one who noticed the improvement. Rick wandered over to where Katie and Nicole stood and said,
“You can go ahead and say it now, if you want.”

“Say what?” Katie asked.

“Say that you’re glad I brought Eli. Say that I saved the party by making him come. Anything along those lines will be considered
acceptable.”

Widening her eyes and putting on a playful baby-doll face, Katie entered into the flirty fun with Rick like she used to back
in high school. In an overly lollypop-and-rainbows voice, she said, “Oh, thank you, Rick Doyle. You’re so wonderful. I don’t
know what I would ever do without you. You’re my hero.”

The last line unexpectedly caught in Katie’s throat.

She and Rick locked glances. A last twinge of pain and loss seemed to exchange a whisper between their two hearts. She saw
it in his face too.

Katie and Christy had long challenged each other to “hold out for a hero” when it came to their love lives. Christy had held
out for Todd, and he definitely was her hero.

Katie had held out for Rick for a long time. And while he most certainly had turned into a hero, he wasn’t her hero.

Katie couldn’t swallow. She blinked rapidly and turned to the side. “Nicole, take it from here, will you? I’ll… I’ll be back.”

A
week and a half later, when Katie met with Julia for another one of her evaluation meetings, she expected to get reamed for
leaving the Spring Fling and not returning to finish her part of the program. Nicole had covered beautifully, and no one at
the event knew that Katie was supposed to close out the evening by passing out humorous year-end awards to select students.

When Katie stepped into Julia’s room, she dipped her chin in a humbled posture. “Go ahead. Let me have it. I can take it.”

“What are you doing?” Julia asked.

“I’m repenting for leaving the Spring Fling.”

“Don’t worry about it, Katie. Nicole told me what was going on, and I understand. You had a heart moment with Rick, and you
needed to tend to it right then.”

“A heart moment? Yeah, I guess that’s exactly what it was. Where did you hear that?”

“From Nicole. I also heard from others that Nicole covered beautifully. They said they had a good time. So don’t worry about
going AWOL. The event was a big success. I’m the one who should be repenting for not being there with you.”

“You told us ahead of time that you had the big faculty dinner. Of course you needed to be there with John. Nicole and I understood,
so you don’t have to apologize.”

Julia’s expression lightened. “Speaking of John and weddings and maids of honor… John and I are each having only one attendant
at our wedding, and I’d like you to be my maid of honor.”

“Me?”

“Yes, you.”

“Why me? I mean, I’m honored to be your maid of honor, but are you sure?”

“Yes, very sure. I’ve thought about it a lot. John and I talked about it a number of times, and I would like you to be the
one who stands up with me. Part of the reason is because most of my close friends were there for me over all the years I went
through everything with Trent. They are great friends and have been supportive. But they’re woven into my first love story.
None of them has been part of this new journey with me as I’ve fallen in love with John. We kept it all very quiet and private.”

Katie could see why Julia had done that. News of an RD and a professor getting together would open up opportunities for lots
of rumors, no matter how much integrity was infused in their relationship.

“Another reason I wanted to have you be part of this next season of my life is the way you took me into your confidence with
the inheritance. I think that whole process put you and me into each other’s lives in an intense way. I feel very connected
to you, Katie.”

“I know. I feel the same way. All year, Julia, more than with the inheritance stuff, you’ve been there for me at just the
right times.”

“And now I want you to be there for me.”

“You got it. Like I said. I’d be honored to be your woman of honor.”

“Good. I like that: woman of honor instead of maid of honor.”

“I know, huh? That’s a much better title. Let’s start a revolution and change that out-of- date term. Who wants to be a maid?
It always makes me think of the Christmas song with the ‘eight maids a-milking.’ Seriously, who needs that image in her head
at a wedding?”

“I had never thought that before, but thanks for planting the image in my head. I’m sure it will stay with me now whenever
I hear the term
maid of honor
.”

“Not if we’re successful in our mission to retrain brides everywhere to call their first attendant her ‘woman of honor.’ Or
even ‘best woman.’ Why not? The groom gets to call his wingman his best man. Why can’t the bride have a best woman?”

“I like the term
woman of honor
. That’s what I now officially label your role in our wedding. So it’s a definite yes, then?”

“Yes. Definitely, yes! I am your woman of honor.” Katie gave a little half-bow. “Bring on the details.”

“Okay. First, I’d better ask you, what have you decided you’ll do after you graduate?”

“I don’t know exactly. Find a job somewhere doing something. I thought I would see if I could move into Rick and Eli’s apartment.”

Julia looked surprised. “With the two of them?”

“No. Rick is planning to move to Redlands. I don’t know when Eli’s leaving, but when he goes back to Nairobi, I’m guessing
that would leave their apartment open.”

“But Eli isn’t going back to Kenya until after our wedding.”

Katie wasn’t sure why Julia knew that little detail, but it didn’t seem important to pursue.

“When is the wedding?” Katie asked.

“The week after graduation. Didn’t I tell you that yet?”

“Maybe, but I might have forgotten. Homework overload. Wow, that’s fast.”

“I know. When John and I decided we wanted to get married on upper campus, we had to go with one of the few remaining open
dates. Ever since Christy and Todd held their wedding in the meadow last year, it’s become a popular location for lots of
Rancho students, past and present. They really started something.”

“Don’t let her aunt Marti hear you say that. She’ll want a cut of the profit from all the events held there. She was the one
who went all out with the setup, the caterers, and the flowers.”

“Our wedding won’t be that elaborate. And it won’t be that large, either. We’re trying to keep it to about fifty people. Seventy-five
at the most.”

“That is small.”

“We realized we both know a lot of people. It could practically be an all-school event, if we opened it up. We decided we
wanted just family and close friends. Since John and Patricia never had children, it’s not as if we need to be sensitive to
blending our extended families.”

“Will the reception be there too, in the meadow?”

“Yes. It’s going to be simple. Cake and punch. A friend of mine is providing the cake as a gift to us. Did Nicole tell you
she’s doing the flowers?”

“She did. I’m sure she’ll make it beyond beautiful for you guys. She’s so gifted that way. What about your dress?”

“I’m going to wear my sister’s wedding dress. She’s sending it to me.”

“Is she coming to the wedding?”

“No, she’s in her third trimester of a difficult pregnancy, and the doctor said she couldn’t fly. We talked about postponing
the wedding until after the baby comes and both of them are able to travel. But then it would be well into September, and
John would be back in classes.”

“Are you okay with your sister’s not being there?”

Julia nodded. “She was the one who urged us to go ahead and get married.”

“Well, tell me what you need me to do, and when you need it done, and I’ll be all over it.”

“I’m working on a list. If you have time now, we could go over some of the details.”

“Sure. But wait. Aren’t you supposed to give me my year-end review?”

“Oh, right. Katie, you’ve done a good job this year. Keep it up for these final weeks.”

“Okay.”

“Any particular problems?”

“Just the usual.”

“Okay. Good. End of review.”

The two of them laughed. Julia went over to a little desk that fit nicely in the corner of her apartment and pulled out a
big binder.

“Whoa! I thought you said it was going to be a simple wedding.”

“This is simple. Everything is right here. This is my brain. If I lose this, I’m sunk.” As Julia put the book down on the
coffee table, a business card fluttered out and landed on Katie’s shoe.

She picked it up and read the front of the card. “ ‘Animals R Us?’ What kind of a wedding are you guys having? Did you forget
to tell me about the Noah’s ark theme?”

Julia looked at the card. “Oh. That was one of John’s ideas. We crossed that off the list awhile ago.”

“What? Two-by-two giraffes coming down the aisle instead of flower girls? A zebra for a ring bearer?”

“No, doves. Lots of doves. John wanted to have them released at the end. You probably remember from having taken his Bible
class that he’s big on doves’ symbolism in Scripture.”

“Oh, that’s right. The dove that was released from the ark and flew back with the olive branch showing that the floodwaters
had receded.”

“And the Holy Spirit in the form of a dove coming down at the baptism of Christ,” Julia added. “Also the two doves being the
poor man’s sacrifice that Mary and Joseph offered in the temple right after Christ was born.”

“What exactly did Dr. Ambrose want the doves to symbolize at your wedding?”

“Our uniting as one in peace now that the waters of all our painful years have receded. The presence of God’s Spirit. Offering
ourselves as set apart to God. He had a few other dove connections, but I don’t remember now what they were.”