Once Within A Lifetime (26 page)

“
I will, no doubt, be spending some time with my mother, showing her the dress, making plans, checking on invitations, seeing who is coming, and all the major details.”

“
Sounds good. I can go out to the garden to see if I can be of any help there with the work your dad and Reese are doing. It will be good to get a real feel for what is happening and how we are moving along. I am getting anxious, now, how about you?”

“
Yes, I find it so hard to wait. I wish we could move it up in time, but we cannot. We will have to wait. Soon we will be there, and all too soon we will be looking back at it and into our life. That is hard to imagine right now.”

Nancy
brought breakfast and they began to eat. They smiled as they thought of the events coming up and the marvelous life they would have together. It was eight o’clock and her mom said she would be here by nine-thirty. Would it be too late for coffee with them? Probably so, unless they ate slowly. There was no need to hurry anyway.

They
lingered and soon they heard her mother coming through the house; it was faster to come that way.

As
she came through the door to the patio, Triessa called, “Come and have some coffee with us. There are some pastries here.”

She
got up, reached for her mother’s hand and asked her to come over to sit beside her.

“
We will go in to look at the things I got as soon as we have coffee. Todd is planning to go out to the garden to see what is going on there. The things we are doing will be girl things and he’d really rather not see the dress until the wedding. It will really be better that way, though difficult in some ways. Men feel different about such things.”

They
soon finished and Todd got up to go, saying, “I will see you girls later, have fun.”

“
I will, Hon, see you later. I have the things upstairs in my bedroom, so if you come back before we are done, we will be down later after we have gone over all the things.”

They
went inside and upstairs to her bedroom. She went to the closet and brought out the boxes containing all the goodies. She showed her mother the underwear and lingerie first.

“
Look at this, we found it in the same store where we got the dress. What do you think of it; isn’t it elegant? Phylicia teased me about it. These are some things I got especially for the wedding and honeymoon. It will certainly be different, and I want to look my very best. I have not had anyone see me in my lingerie and nighties. It will seem strange at first. We will be so happy, Mom. I still find it hard to believe at times. I am so lucky to have found Todd. It was a truly tremendous thing to have happen. We will always be grateful to Phylicia for getting us together. I’m so anxious for you to meet her. She will be here early to help.”

“
It is two weeks now and it seems like a long time, though I know I have a lot to do. Did I tell you that Leslie will be able to come and help me get ready? It will be very good. Of course, she can be there to help the rest of you if you want her to. Any suggestion will be greatly appreciated.

What
advice do you have to give me, Mother? This is very new and strange to me. Will I be frightened or will it all come about naturally? I am a novice, you know. I never really dated that much, maybe just a few times in college I have been so busy, I just did not think about it until I met Todd.”

“
That is good, I am glad there weren’t that many boys before him

“
They were just simple dates. Nothing could ever match this. There were just enough to know that I have someone who is very thoughtful, considerate and loving. It will truly be wonderful. You and Dad have set a wonderful example for us, which will be a great help for me.”

“
Well, my dear, we have tried to let you know how much we love each other. It was not difficult; it was just everyday living with someone you love very much. Your wedding night will be special and you will always remember it. It truly makes the two of you one with a unique bond. You just want to be loving, kind and helpful in any way you can. You are both doing that already. I am sure you will not have any trouble that way. You are a very sensitive, kind and loving person. It will come naturally to you to make Todd happy, as it will with him. I can see a sensitivity in him that will be very helpful in your relationship, especially with your communication. That is a very important area, as I am sure, you have both come to understand to a great degree.”

Triessa
brought out her negligee she had planned for the honeymoon. It was a rich satin in teal, her favorite and fitting color. It would be so elegant. She also had a light blue one, the same shade as the dress he liked so well. She had it on the night he gave her the lovely ring, which she showed to her mother again. She had another one, a light pink, which was a great color for her also. But the white one she got when she got her dress was really special and should be the first one she would wear. Her mother agreed totally on that. She showed the blue dress to her mother who was overwhelmed.

“
It is stunning, my dear, simply exquisite. Was this one of your creations? Did you present it in one of your shows or keep it for this special occasion?”

“
It was one I made for Todd on the trip where he proposed. He loves it. I am sure he wants me to take it along with me on our honeymoon, so I can wear it when we go out. Oh, mother, is it real, or am I only dreaming?”

“
No, my dear, you are not dreaming. It is very real, and you will soon be on with your life as a married woman. A truly wonderful life, for you will always have someone at your side to share, help and love you.”

She
went to the closet and brought out a large box. Her mother knew what it was. She removed the cover and folded back the pink tissue paper that covered it. Her mother gasped and placed her hands over her mouth.

“
Oh, Triessa, it is simply magnificent. I love it. You will be the most beautiful bride ever. Don’t you think you should hang it up in the closet so it will fall full length? It will straighten out and get rid of any wrinkles. I am sure you will have many attendants on the big day. It is just wonderful; you will be a perfect picture. Is Todd wearing a dark suit?”

“
No, he is wearing a beautiful blue tuxedo. It is a very good color for him and he will look simply elegant. My dress is a hint of pink. I have not gone the traditional color, blue for boys and pink for girls route; they are just good colors for us. It is a one-time thing and we want it as perfect as we can make it. It will be truly elegant. I am so glad you took care of the invitations for us.

Here
is my veil. I love the tiara. It is pretty and not too much for a simple, outdoor wedding. It comes down nearly to my waist in the back. That will be a good length since my dress is shorter than the usual gowns. What do you think about the short length? Since it is outdoors, I did not want it to drag on the ground and get muddy. I felt it would be the best thing, and I am not that particular about a really long dress and train.”

“
I think it is a splendid idea; it will be just right. The long dress and train are more for church weddings where you can walk down a long aisle and let it trail along. It is all about what makes you feel comfortable and happy. Does Todd like the idea?”

“
Yes, he likes it and wants me to be happy with whatever I want. He is so wonderful and considerate. I am truly grateful for that. I have seen you and Dad and your happiness, and I really could not settle for less. It makes life much more pleasant when you can deal with things together, and we have an easy time with communication. He seems to know instinctively what I need and want. It is perfect. I can sense what he is feeling, and that will be a great help, I am sure. It is truly amazing what we have learned about each other in so short a time and how well we know each other, though I am sure we have so much yet to learn.”

“
Yes, you are right, I can see that you both are very comfortable when you are together. That is so important. Have you discussed a family yet? It is early to think of it. I think it would be good if you take some time to get to know each other first and then think about a family.”

“
Yes, I agree. We haven’t talked about it yet. There is plenty of time after we are married to go into it. I know we both want a family, but we will take some time to see where we are going with our work plans and what we want to accomplish first. We will set our goals and see what it will take in time and effort to bring them to pass. But I don’t want to wait too long. I still want to be fairly young when we have children. I am nearly twenty-seven now. Todd is twenty-nine. I have not discussed it with him to see what he wants to do and when. We will get to it; the time will come when we will talk about it.”

“
I love your shoes, dear. They are a popular brand and are wonderful shoes. I understand that they are very comfortable. The hosiery is lovely, too. I love the beautiful embroidery on them. It is nice to have beautiful things for a once-in-a-lifetime event. And money is no problem. With the shorter dress, the hosiery will show and it will be so elegant and lovely. Oh, my darling, I am so happy for you. This is a day, I guess, all mothers look forward to. I am glad Leslie can be here to fix your hair and makeup. You two have been friends for a long time. She will be at the wedding, won’t she?”

“
Oh, I must make sure of that. I am afraid in the rush, I may have forgotten to ask her. I would feel terrible if she did not come. I may have asked her or just taken it for granted. I must call her, please excuse me a minute.”

She
went to the phone and dialed Leslie’s number. After a few rings she answered and Triessa said to her, “Oh, Leslie, my dear friend, I was just talking with my mother and could not remember if I invited you to my wedding. I know you are coming over, but I want you to be sure to plan on being there. I do not know that much about your personal life right now, but if you have a close friend, please feel free to bring him along.”

“
Oh, that is great,” replied Leslie. “I cannot remember whether or not you said anything to me by way of invitation, but I sort of expected to be there anyway. But thank you for a special invitation. And, yes, I do have a friend I would like to bring. We have been getting close lately and I know he would love to come. His name is Mitch. I will let him know so he can plan on it. What time should I tell him to come?”

“
Bring him over with you, if you would like, and he can spend some time with the men and dress here. Do you think he will feel comfortable doing that? You can dress here too.”

“
I will talk to him about it and get back to you.”

“
That’s fine. I know you are, no doubt, with a client and will let you get back to them. Talk to you later. Goodbye for now.”

She
hung up and returned to where her mother was. They put the things away to get ready to go down and be with the others. It was nearly noon and would soon be time for everyone to come in for lunch. They had better eat in the dining room where there would be plenty of room. They went downstairs and out to the garden area to round up the men for lunch. They took time to look at the work that was being done and could see that it would soon be finished. Just a few more days and it would be all ready. It would all come together at just the right time.

They
went to the house and into the dining room for lunch. They talked about what had yet to be done. She was so glad her dad was in charge of things and she knew he would do a great job, so she would not worry about a thing. Just as lunch was finished, the phone rang and she went to answer it. It was Todd’s mother. She beckoned him to come over to the phone to join in on the conversation.

“
Hi, my dears, I wanted to let you know about our plans and to make arrangements with you. We are planning to come over this coming weekend. That will give us a week to be there with you. How does that sound?”

“
That is great,” cried Triessa excitedly. “You know you can stay here in the room you had before. What about the rest of the family? Do you know anything about their plans? My parents have some room and I am sure we can work something out.”

“
I do not know for sure what their plans are, but I feel it will be close to the time we are coming. I will have them give you a call and let you know, so you can make plans.”

Todd
took the phone and talked to them a while. Triessa went to be with the rest of the folks at the table.

She
said, “Mom, Dad, I told Todd’s folks that you had some room at your place for some of the family. I will have Esther and Spencer stay here in my spare bedroom, and there is a bedroom in the cottage besides the one Todd is using. Maybe Matt and Chantelle can stay there with you, since they have the children. That leaves Dirje and Cord, who can stay with Todd in the cottage. We can figure out something for the children if they come. What do you think?”

“
Yes, dear, you know that is fine with us. We are willing to do all we can to help in any way,” said her dad. “Please keep in touch and let us know their plans.”