I silently laughed, being mindful of Clare.
“We fly all the way to St. Thomas and you want ice cream?” Kids. Gotta love ‘em.
“Well, I’ve never been any other place but America. And ice cream is my favorite food. Is it different in different places?”
“Hmm…good point. I think we should check immediately, just to be sure.”
She nodded, and I gave her a wink. She asked if she could watch a movie on the individual TV screens we had, and I said sure, letting her
navigate the channels and pick her own movie. With one hand free now, I picked up my e-reader and started reading again, happy to have Clare
warm and safe in my arms.
An entire kid’s movie later, we were making our descent, and Maddie was plastered to the window looking out at the scenery below. It was quite
the sight. Brilliant blue water contrasted with the deep green landscape. All I saw was my future. In a few days, on that island, I would marry
Clare. I looked down at her as she began to stir and felt whole. Cancer or no…my life was perfect.
Clare
“Where is it?” I asked again, as we watched the endless luggage go around the noisy carousel in baggage claim. Maddie was doing circles
around Logan’s legs which he did an excellent job of ignoring. He was settling into his Dad role nicely, I laughed silently to myself.
“I’m sure it’s coming,” he answered, although I could see even he was starting to doubt his words.
All of our bags had come through the carousel…all but one. My garment bag. The one the stupid perky blonde lady at the counter had made me
check. The garment bag she had assured me would be fine. Where the hell was it? How could I get married without a dress?
Just when I had created the ultimate list of ways in which I was going to let the customer service reps have it, my garment bag appeared, like
a beacon from heaven.
“There it is! Oh thank God!” I squealed, running to the carousel like a manic child, only to be immediately halted when I saw the huge gash
in the side. My once mint condition ivory dress was now spilling out of the hole in the side and ripped to shreds.
I heard Logan curse right before the tears started to sting my eyes. What the hell was I supposed to do now? Taking charge, Logan grabbed the
garment bag off the carousel before it made another long journey around the airport, and held it up for inspection. Yep, it was a total loss
unless we wanted to change things up and have a themed wedding; if I wanted to go as the Bride of Chuckie, I was golden.
“Do you think it’s fixable?” he asked gently.
“No,” I moaned, before covering my face with my hands.
“Oh no Mommy, your pretty dress is all messed up!”
Logan patted her on the head and said it was okay to give Mommy a hug. She happily came to my side, offering her sympathy in the form of
child-sized hugs. They helped for about five seconds until I saw that humongous gash again, and then the misery came rushing back.
Stupid airline. Stupid dress.
“I don’t have a dress! What am I supposed to do without a dress? Do you think it’s a sign? Maybe we aren’t supposed to get married this
week. Maybe this is one giant ivory colored sign that we are supposed to wait…go home, and get married later.”
“Whoa…babe, you’re babbling. Like, a lot.” He gripped my shoulder and pulled me close. He smelled like aftershave and mint. Familiar and
safe.
“Calm down. This is a wardrobe malfunction, not a cosmic sign from the universe, okay?”
I nodded, and pulled him closer, resting my head on his shoulder, knowing he was right. It was just the fact that with every step we took
further away from home, away from that hospital and his doctors, I felt the panic growing and multiplying a bit more. I looked up at him and
wondered, Were we making the right choice in putting off his treatment?
Logan
“Oh, thank fuck you’re here!” I said, seeing Leah enter the hotel, with Garrett in tow.
“Well, it’s nice to see you too handsome,” she answered with a wink and a sly grin. I helped them with their luggage and gave Garrett a
friendly guy hug before turning back to Leah, my savior for the day.
“So, why are you so glad to see me? Not that I don’t appreciate the welcome.”
“Clare. She’s freaking out. Her dress was trashed on the trip over here, and she is literally losing her shit. I don’t know a thing about
dresses. I don’t have a clue on where to look, what she wants. And now she’s got it in her head that this is some sort of sign that the
entire wedding is doomed.”
I started pacing the lobby because I really didn’t know what else to do. I know weddings always had kinks, but ours was supposed to be low
key. There were only a few guests, and yes…we threw it together in a few days and did it destination style, but still. Low key. What happened
to that?
“Logan.” I didn’t answer, I just continued to pace, hoping an answer would magically appear to fix my freaked out bride.