Date: Sat, 12 Mar 2011 10:58:42 -0500
From: crazy4u <rnielsen47@gmail.com>
Subject: The Lernier Family Part 4, GM Relationships

Comments on the story are appreciated and may be addressed to the author,
Russ Nielsen (rnielsen47@gmail.com) To read more of my stories you can find
them at my story site - http://www.saskboystories.blogspot.com/

All the usual disclaimers apply. This is a work of pure fiction. Any
similarities to persons living or dead are coincidental. If it is illegal
to read this where you live, don't read it. If you are under legal age
where you live, don't read it.

This story contains descriptions of consensual sexual contact between adult
males. Passing through Nifty's main page to get here is your way of saying
it is legal for you to be reading it.

Chapter Four -- The Wedding

As planned, we left early heading north. Rick drove our Land Rover and I
did the navigating. We followed the Capital Beltway around to the west and
north taking Interstate 270 towards Pennsylvania.  Rick had our route all
planned out, of course, he used MapQuest! In fact, he had used a yellow
highlighter to mark our route on the map so I could help him make all of
the correct course changes.  We stopped in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, for
breakfast at one of the local diners close to the freeway (by the way,
don't do it! The food wasn't that great!). From there, we continued our
journey. When we hit Harrisonburg, we chose to follow the Susquehanna River
instead of the route the MapQuest directions suggested. It was a beautiful
drive!

We made it to Buffalo, New York, just as the afternoon rush hour began. We
joined the queue to cross the border into Canada. After what seemed
forever, we were finally able to break free of the traffic as we travelled
on the Queen Elizabeth Way (QEW). I directed Rick through the streets of
St. Catharines to Guy Road.

Turning onto Guy Road, Rick said, "I remember which house it is because
it's directly across the street from the Guy Road Park entrance."

We pulled into the driveway of Uncle Carl's house. As we unloaded our
things, Aunt Hannah came out to greet us, "Hello, boys! I'm glad you
arrived safely. Bring your things inside and put them in the spare bedroom
then wash up and come join us at the dinner table." She gave each of us a
hug and followed us inside.

We took our suitcases to the spare bedroom as directed. We took a moment to
wash up and made our way back to the kitchen. It's never a good thing to
cross Aunt Hannah! I've learned that the hard way over the years!

Uncle Carl greeted us as we entered the kitchen, "Welcome back, Glenn and
Rick." He hugged each of us. We all sat down around the kitchen table.

"I'll say grace," Uncle Carl said. We all joined hands around the table as
he gave thanks for our safe arrival and for the meal.

Aunt Hannah asked, "What time is your discussion with Reverend Riegger?"

"It's at 7 PM. I printed out directions to the church before we left
Washington, DC. It shouldn't take us very long to get there from here," I
replied.

"Good. That will give you time to freshen up before you go," Uncle Carl
said. "Reverend Riegger is a very nice man. Listen to what he tells you."

I replied, "We'll listen to him, Uncle Carl. Mom told us the same thing."

Rick said, "Aunt Hannah, this is the best meal I've tasted in a long time!
Thank you for cooking for us."

Aunt Hannah beamed, "You're welcome, Rick. I love cooking for my
family. When you're ready, I have a special pie I baked for you two."

Hearing about the pie, I smiled and said, "Is it a pumpkin pie?"

"Yes, Glenn, it is. I remembered that you love pumpkin pie so I baked one
for you and I made a pecan pie for Rick," she responded, giving Rick a
quick wink.

It was Rick's turn to smile, "Thank you for remembering my favorite pie!"

"They're still warm from the oven. Carl, please get the vanilla ice cream
out while I get the pies," Aunt Hannah said.

She served us the pie and Uncle Carl dipped up the ice cream. There is
nothing like warm pumpkin pie with a huge scoop of vanilla ice cream! Of
course, Rick would say it's better if the pie is pecan not pumpkin!

After eating dessert, we both thanked Aunt Hannah for the wonderful meal
and returned to our room.

I looked at my watch, "We have just enough time to shower before we have to
leave."

Rick grinned, "Does that mean I can't fool around in the shower?"

I laughed, "Yes that is exactly what it means! You'll have to save yourself
until tonight! I promise to help you release your stress if you behave
yourself!"

"I'm going to hold you to that promise!" Rick said as he led me into the
bathroom and started the shower for us. After adjusting the temperature,
Rick pulled me into the shower with him and started washing me down. He is
so gentle with me and so loving. I think there is no greater thing that
shows how much he loves me as the care he takes to help me shower. When he
finished, I returned the favor.  We toweled each other dry and quickly
dressed looking at each other in the mirror.

Rick wrapped his arms around me from behind and buried his face in my
neck. He nibbled on my ear and said, "I love you."

I leaned back into him and replied, "I love you, too." I turned around in
his embrace and gave him a quick kiss on the lips, "Mr. Lernier, you have
only one thing on your mind!"

Rick's most lecherous grin came out, "You bet!"

"You're incorrigible! Come on, Casanova. We need to be going or we'll be
late," I said kissing him, again, before moving out of his embrace.

As always, Rick chose my clothes and I chose his. We started doing that for
each other when we first started living together. By mutual agreement, we
chose identical outfits. We both laughed as we hadn't planned it out in
advance!

We passed by the kitchen and I called out, "We'll be back in a while!"

"Okay, drive safely and tell Reverend Riegger "Hello," for us," Uncle Carl
said smiling at the two of us.

We jumped in the Land Rover and I gave Rick the directions to the
church. About 15 minutes later, we turned into the church parking
lot. There were a couple of cars already there. Rick pulled into a parking
space and turned off the engine.

"Glenn, I'm really nervous about talking to a priest," Rick said taking my
hand.

"Don't worry, sweetheart. Reverend Riegger won't bite you I'm sure. I can't
say anything about what I might do to you later," I said squeezing his hand
reassuringly. I am grateful Rick is willing to come to a church. He's been
pretty adamant about his desire to not participate any form of organized
religion.

We got out of the car and walked to the front door of the church which
opened just as I was reaching to pull on the handle. A rather portly, bald
man stood there. He smiled at us showing perfectly white teeth and a
twinkle in his eye. He looked to be my height. He was dressed in khaki
slacks and a navy blue dress shirt.

"Hi! I'm Reverend Riegger and you must be Glenn and Rick. Please come in,"
he said holding the door for us to enter the building. Once inside the
foyer, he shook our hands and pointed down the hallway, "Come this
way. Let's go to my office where we can become better acquainted."

We followed him into his office and sat down on the sturdy leather sofa
next to his desk. He pulled his desk chair out from behind the desk and sat
down in front of us. He sat so close that our knees almost touched. I
wasn't sure how Rick was going to respond since he doesn't like people
getting inside his personal space. I quickly glanced over at Rick to see
how he was doing. He appeared to be handling it okay.

"First let me tell you about myself. I've been here a long time
obviously. I was new here when Glenn's Mom and Dad met with me for the
marriage discussions. They were as much in love as you two seem to be. Many
things have changed over the years but that is something that hasn't
changed! Every couple that comes to my office for the marriage classes has
that same look," he said. "Now, tell me a little bit about yourselves and
how you met?"

Rick spoke first, "I'm from North Carolina and I just got out of the
marines. Glenn's cousin, Keith, introduced us."

"I'm from Swift Current and like Rick said, my cousin, Keith, introduced me
to Rick when I came to visit.  I was trying to decide where to go to
college and Keith was showing me around Georgia Tech. Rick was Keith's
roommate at the time."

I continued to narrate how we had finally gotten together and our journey
together up to this point in our lives with comments from Rick every now
and then to clarify an event or two.

When I finished, Reverend Riegger said, "It sounds like you know each other
pretty well and have weathered a few storms in your lives as a couple."

Rick replied, "Yes, it hasn't always been easy, especially for me. I'm
still very bitter towards the church and its teachings."

Reverend Riegger responded, "I can understand your feelings on the subject
given your experiences with your family. I'm glad that you've agreed to
have a church wedding and have come tonight to talk with me. I can only
counsel you to remember that the church does not condone the behavior
exhibited by your family. True followers of Christ do not treat their
brothers and sisters that way. I hope that through our discussions that you
will come to see that not all religious people are like that. Our
congregation is very warm and friendly. My view is that we are all brothers
and sisters and we need to care for everyone. I took a trip to Hawaii many
years ago and learned a concept that has stuck with me ever since. They
have a term, "ohana," that means we are family and we take care of each
other. I like to believe that we are all part of the same "ohana" and that
we don't leave anyone behind. It doesn't matter who or what we are, we are
still "ohana" and we will be there for each other."

Rick took my hand, "I'm glad to hear that Reverend Riegger. Too many times,
Glenn and I have not felt like we belonged anywhere. Yes, Glenn's family
has been very welcoming but society as a whole has been very hostile. I
hate the fact that I have to be careful who I tell that I'm gay for fear of
being beat up and otherwise attacked and ostracized."

"It's been really hard for us not to show our affection for each other in
public places. Most people don't understand what that does to a person to
always be afraid of being beaten up or killed for being who you are. I
don't trust people anymore. I used to be really open and friendly, and
still am to some degree, but not nearly as much as I used to be," I
said. "We used to like to have all of our friends over to have a great time
but we've stopped doing that because of some very ugly things that happened
between us and our straight "friends."

"I'm sorry that you've had to suffer through such things. Human beings are
far from perfect. We tend to judge people unfairly and we do ugly things
many times in the name of religion. Those who truly understand their
religion will react to you with kindness and love instead of anger and
hatred despite how they might feel about you being gay," Reverend Riegger
said earnestly. "And those that really live their religion have learned to
love unconditionally."

He continued, "Rick I hope that through our discussions we can try to
repair some of the damage that has been done to your faith. In order for
you to be able to love Glenn unconditionally, you will need to forgive your
family for what they have done. That doesn't mean you have to associate
with them but you need to let go of the anger and the bitterness in your
heart. You must replace it with your love for Glenn. Let the love you share
fill your heart and purge all that ugliness from your soul. You're a
wonderful person or Glenn wouldn't have chosen you as his life partner. Can
you make a commitment to Glenn to let go of this burden you are carrying?"

Rick didn't answer for a few moments. I wasn't sure how my guy was going to
respond. "I'm not sure I can forgive them," he responded honestly.

I said, "I know I still harbor hard feelings towards Rick's family because
of how much they have hurt him.  I sometimes blame myself for what has
happened to Rick because I fell in love with him."

Rick squeezed my hand, "We've had this discussion many times, Glenn. It's
not your fault my family reacted the way they have. You need to stop
blaming yourself for the actions of others. Not only that, I'm the one who
instigated this relationship if I remember correctly."

I smiled at the memory of our first kiss, "Yes, you were pretty forward
with me."

Reverend Riegger said, "Obviously, you two have talked about this before
but I want to reiterate the importance of learning to forgive others for
what they may have done to you. Next, you need to learn to forgive
yourselves."

Surprised, Rick asked, "What do you mean?"

"In order to love others, we need to learn to love ourselves and that
includes forgiving ourselves for making mistakes. We need to learn to trust
ourselves to do the right thing and to learn from our mistakes. Those who
can't forgive themselves often end up becoming depressed or worse they
commit suicide because they can't continue to endure the self-flagellation
they subject themselves to in order to punish themselves for what they
perceive as their only way to make up for the mistakes they've made or the
character flaws they may have."

I thought about what he said, "So you're saying I need to let go of my
self-hatred so I can love Rick unconditionally?"

"Yes, that's correct. You need to free yourself from that burden. It
doesn't mean that you shouldn't feel remorse for something you've done
wrong or that you shouldn't try to restore or make right something you've
done wrong. I'm not saying that at all. I'm saying that after you've done
all you can to fix whatever you did, you need to reconcile yourself with
God and let him take that burden from you," Reverend Riegger said.

Rick asked earnestly, "How can I be reconciled to God when I'm angry at Him
and blame Him for what has happened to me?"

"You've already taken the first step by recognizing that you're angry. Next
you need to understand that God didn't force your family to take the
actions they have towards you and Glenn. Each of us has the ability to
choose for ourselves how we will react to the circumstances around us. We
can choose to do good things or we can choose to do bad ones. Of course, we
can't choose the resulting consequences of those choices but we can control
how we act. God hasn't turned away from you, Rick. It's you who have turned
away from Him."

I felt Rick stiffen when he heard those words. I waited to hear Rick's
response. When Rick didn't respond, I looked at him and saw a pensive look
on his face. "Reverend Riegger we have talked about that at length. We are
not quite ready to embrace organized religion, yet," I said hoping to give
Rick a chance to think over what Reverend Riegger was trying to tell us.

"You're not alone, Glenn. Many same sex couples struggle with religion. I
encourage you both to examine the possibility that religion has a place in
your lives especially if you plan to adopt children. I believe that
participating in religion is important for our spiritual development. I
know many who disagree but at least give it some thought. Don't discount
the many good things that religion does for people despite the damage its
adherents have inflicted upon society in its name."

Rick said, "I'll consider it, Reverend Riegger but I can't promise it will
change how I feel."

"That's all I can ask, Rick. Thank you for being honest with me about your
feelings. I appreciate your willingness to share your lives with me. It
helps me to understand who you are and what will most benefit you as we
move through the marriage discussions. I will outline for you what the
marriage discussions entail. We will talk about finances, children, jobs,
dating your spouse..."

I interrupted him, "What do you mean date your spouse?"

"It means that your courtship of each other doesn't end just because you're
married. You need to set aside time every week to go on a date. Make it an
official date," he looked directly at Rick. "Rick that means that you ask
Glenn to go out with you to dinner and a movie or you ask him to join you
for a picnic or some other activity you both like." Turning to me, he said,
"Glenn, it means you ask Rick go out to a concert or join you at some
special event. You need to remember the small and simple things are the
most important ones to help maintain a healthy, loving relationship. Things
like flowers, cards and chocolates or putting a special note in Rick's
lunch or a note taped to the refrigerator telling him how much you love
him," Reverend Riegger explained.

After a brief pause, he continued. "One of the most important things about
a marriage relationship is how you two treat each other so that it will
last and be as fresh and exciting as you want it to be. Do those topics
sound okay to you?" Reverend Riegger smiled at us and waited for our
replies.

Rick responded, "Yeah that sounds okay."

I nodded my agreement.

"Okay, first, I have some questions that I would like to ask you before we
start into the structured classes. You don't have to answer these questions
now if you don't want to but I strongly recommend that you discuss them
among yourselves later as part of your homework assignment from tonight's
discussion. The first question is: Are you two absolutely sure that you are
committed to each other?"  he asked.

I answered, "Yes."

Rick's answer echoed my own, "Yes, we are."

"Good. My next question may seem offensive but I have to ask it. Is either
one of you attracted to or have had a relationship with someone of the
opposite sex?" he asked.

Rick answered a little tersely, "What does that have to do with these
marriage discussions?"

"The reason I ask is that I frequently counsel with same sex couples about
infidelity in their marriages because one or both feels that sex with a
member of the opposite gender doesn't count as cheating on their spouse,"
he said earnestly. I could tell he was very serious about this subject.

"I want you to avoid the heartache that comes from cheating on your
spouse. I want to emphasize that marriage means complete monogamy between
the two spouses, in gay parlance, a completely closed relationship. One
couple said they wanted children so they cheated on their spouse. When
you're married, having sex with anyone other than your spouse is totally
unacceptable. Having an intimate relationship with anyone other than your
spouse is the surest way to a failed marriage and the pain and suffering
that come with that. I want to make it perfectly clear before we go any
further tonight the importance of being faithful to your spouse. Now, I
repeat my question: Are you two totally committed to each other," he said
looking us both in the eyes.

Rick said looked at me and answered, "I'm sure I'm committed to living my
life with Glenn. Both of us were in heterosexual relationships before we
became lovers. We've been together for five years now and we've been
faithful to each other the entire time."

Reverend Riegger asked, "Are there any children from these previous
relationships?"

"None that we know about," I said looking at Rick for confirmation.

"None," Rick confirmed.

"Good. That is one less thing to worry about. Do you want children?"
Reverend Riegger asked.

"Yes," I said. "We plan to adopt if we can."

Rick said, "Or we'll look into finding a surrogate to have our child."

"Good. I believe that having children together will help you both grow
closer together and strengthen the bonds of love between you as you raise a
family. I've seen too many couples drift apart and eventually divorce
because they cease to have anything in common with each other. Having a
family will give you both a strong sense of purpose and will unit you more
than anything else can," he said pausing for any comments from us.

He continued, "Of course, not everyone is cut out to be a parent. That is a
decision that you will need to discuss among yourselves. Since you have
indicated that children are a possibility, you're homework for tonight is
to write down your parenting philosophies. By that I mean, you need to
discuss how will you discipline a child, who will take care of the
children, what things do you envision you will need to do to adjust to
having a child in the home. How many children will you have and how will
you provide for their future such as a college fund, etc. The last thing
you will need to do for next time is to develop a budget since we will be
talking about finances."

I said, "We've done some budgeting before so I think that shouldn't be a
difficult assignment."

"I'm glad to hear that. Next to infidelity in marriage, finances are the
next most common reason people get divorced. Having a good understanding of
money management principles and how to control your wants and desires are
key things to making a successful marriage," Reverend Riegger said.

Rick asked, "How detailed should our budget be?"

"As detailed as you need it to be since it will need to be useful to you
and Glenn," he responded.  "That's all for tonight's discussions. Do you
have any questions of me?"

"No, I can't think of any right now," I said.

"Thank you for talking with us," Rick said.

We said our good-byes and we left Reverend Riegger in his office.

"What did you think of his discussion, Rick?" I asked as we drove back to
Uncle Carl's house.

Rick replied, "Overall, I think it was good. I don't agree with everything
he said but I'm okay with continuing the discussions."

"He did have some good points about learning to forgive ourselves and
others that I liked," I said.

"Yes, those points really hit home with me. I can see the wisdom in
learning to forgive others and letting go of the bitterness I feel. I'm
just not sure I can let it go," Rick said earnestly. "I want to let it go
and move past it because of the pain it still inflicts on my heart."

"I will do all I can to help, Rick. I love you," I said as we pulled up to
the house. Rick turned off the engine and leaned over and kissed me.

"You're my sweetheart, Babe. Let's go in and talk to Uncle Carl and Aunt
Hannah," Rick said.

As soon as we entered the house, Aunt Hannah called from the kitchen,
"We're in here, boys. Come join us for some pie and ice cream."

Rick grinned, "That's why I love your aunt. She always knows when I need
something sweet!"

"You mean I'm not sweet enough for you?" I asked laughing.

Rick grabbed me and pulled me into a quick embrace, "Yes, you're sweet
enough for me but in a different way!" He kissed me and let me go.

We entered the kitchen and sat down at the table with Uncle Carl while Aunt
Hannah served the pie and ice cream. As always, Aunt Hannah warmed the pie
before putting it on the plate.

Uncle Carl asked, "How did it go?"

Rick responded, "It went okay. The reverend had some good points for us to
think about."

"He gave us some homework for next time. We have to make up a budget and we
have to talk about having a family," I said.

Aunt Hannah asked, "Do you mean adopting children?"

"Yes. He wants us to write down our thoughts on parenting and everything
that goes with having a family," I replied.

Uncle Carl asked, "Do you boys plan to adopt?"

Rick answered, "Yes, we do. I'm not sure how quickly we'll start the
process but we do want to have children."

"That's wonderful!" exclaimed Aunt Hannah. "I know that your Mom and Dad
will be pleased."

"I know Mom will be. She has asked me about it a couple of times now," I
said looking over at Rick.

Rick said, "We need to get settled into a new house before we can start
thinking about starting the adoption process. I don't want to begin the
adoption process before we're ready."

"I agree with you but I'm excited about the prospect of becoming a parent,"
I said with enthusiasm. "I want so much for us to have our own children."

"I'm sure you two will be fine parents," Uncle Carl said reassuringly
looking directly at me. "Glenn, I know where Rick is coming from when he
says he wants to be settled before starting a family. I would err on the
side of caution since you will be facing a lot of opposition from adoption
agencies as a gay couple. You need to have everything completely lined up
so there will be no excuse for them to turn you down when you try to adopt
a child."

Aunt Hannah said, "Carl is right. You will need to make sure you don't give
them a reason to reject your request to adopt. I know that we've had a
number of gay couples try to adopt who've not made it through the process
for one reason or another. There is still a lot of prejudice against gay
couples when it comes to adopting or fostering children."

Rick said, "We have had some of these same discussions over the last couple
of weeks." Rick took my hand, "It's just that Glenn gets so excited about
he can hardly sit still!"

Aunt Hannah laughed, "That doesn't surprise in the least."

We finished our dessert and bid my aunt and uncle "good night" and retired
to our room.

We took care of our usual needs: brushing our teeth, etc., and climbed into
bed. As we lay next to each other, Rick pulled me close and looked into my
eyes, "Glenn, thank you for being so patient with me. I know you have
wanted to return to church for a while now but it's still very hard for
me."

"I know, Babe. I completely understand. I think these marriage discussions
will make it a lot easier for us. I've still got issues to deal with as
well so you can't say you're the only one who has had difficulty with the
idea of going back to church," I said.

"I think you're right. At least from what we've heard tonight, I can say
that I feel more positively towards having a church wedding," Rick said.

"I'm happy to hear you say that. I know that you were doing this just for
me and I love you even more for it. I'm glad you are feeling better about
having a church wedding. I was worried that it would be a horrible
experience for you," I said giving me a gentle kiss.

Of course, that kiss led to another more passionate kiss, etc., etc., etc.

 ***

I had been awake for some time when I heard a soft knock on the door. I
said, "Come in."

Uncle Carl opened the door, "Good morning, Glenn. Aunt Hannah has breakfast
ready if you're up for it."

"We'll be down momentarily. It will take me a bit to get Rick out of bed
though," I laughed as Rick rolled over and put his arm across my chest and
pulled me closer to him. "See how he is in the morning?" I asked.

Uncle Carl smiled, "Yes, I do see. I will tell your aunt it will be a while
before you'll be down."

Rick stretched out gracefully and asked, "Do I have to get up?"

I watched mesmerized by the beautiful man beside me. "No, you don't have to
get up," I said as I caressed his chest. "I think I want breakfast in bed
this morning," I said suggestively.

Rick grinned and said, "Hold that thought. I've got to make a trip to the
bathroom first."

We both got out of bed and pulled on our boxers before running across the
hall to the bathroom. After we finished in there, we returned and began
where we left off. A while later we jumped in the shower together to clean
up for breakfast.

As we sat down at the table, Aunt Hannah greeted us, "Good morning boys. I
hope you slept well last night?"

"We slept very well, thank you. Those pancakes look delicious!" I
exclaimed.

Rick agreed, "Yes, they look really good. Thank you for making breakfast
for us."

Aunt Hannah replied, "You're welcome. Here is the syrup along with some
eggs and sausage."

Uncle Carl smiled at us from across the table, "It looks like you're well
loved Glenn."

I laughed, "Rick did you mark me, again?"

Rick peered at my neck smiling, "Yeah, you've been well marked. Nobody can
deny that you're mine!"

"I guess I shouldn't complain. Rick makes me very happy," I said taking
Rick's hand and giving it a kiss.

"What are you plans for today?" Aunt Hannah asked.

"We haven't made any," Rick responded.

"Would you like to drive over to the Stratford Whitehouse to go over the
arrangements we've made?"  she asked.

I looked at Rick as I responded excitedly, "Yes, we'd love to see where the
wedding reception will be held."

Rick smiled at my excitement, "Yes, we definitely should go over the
arrangements. Glenn is very excited about it."

I laughed, "And why shouldn't I be excited?"

Rick joined in my laughter, "I didn't say you shouldn't be excited. I'm
just saying that you are very enthusiastic about everything that has to do
with our wedding."

"Aren't you just as excited?" I asked giving me the "look," at least that
is what Rick calls it.

Rick squeezed my hand to reassure me, "Yes, I am but not in the same way
you are. You see, Uncle Carl and Aunt Hannah, Glenn won't rest until every
last detail has been attended to while I'm quite content to let him fret
over it until he's happy with the results. I have no doubt everything will
be wonderful.  Right, Babe?"

I agreed, "You're right about that. We make a perfect couple. Rick is so
calm about everything and I'm so excitable."

Uncle Carl smiled, "Yes, you've always been pretty excitable, Glenn."

We finished our breakfast and helped clean up the kitchen. When we were
done, Aunt Hannah said, "Let's go over to Stratford." She took off her
apron and led the way outside.

"Rick will you drive?" She asked.

Rick replied, "Yes, I'll drive."

I climbed in front with Rick while my aunt and uncle took the back seat. We
drove the 168 kilometers to Stratford in little under two hours. We pulled
into the parking lot. As we go out and walked towards the front entrance,
Rick exclaimed, "Wow! Aunt Hannah, you've out done yourself! This place is
beautiful!"

"I'm glad you approve, Rick. Come this way and we'll find James who talked
with me on the phone. We had Jenny's wedding here so I'm sure they will
remember us," she said.

Aunt Hannah led the way towards the offices. When the receptionist saw her
she said, "Hello Mrs.  Nielsen. Welcome back. I understand that we are
hosting a wedding reception for your nephew."

"Yes, Jenny. We are here to show the boys the arrangements we've made. Is
James here?"

"Yes, he is. He's expecting you. Go right back," she said.

We followed Aunt Hannah back to James' office. When we entered the office,
we saw a handsome man in his mid-thirties stand up from behind his desk. He
pushed back his unruly black hair from his face as he moved around the desk
to greet us. He flashed us a brilliant smile and his grey eyes rested on
mine for a moment before he reached out his hand to shake mine.

"You must be Glenn," he said holding onto my hand just a little longer than
necessary.

"Yes, and this is my partner, Rick," I said as I released his hand and put
my arm around Rick's waist.

He shook Rick's hand, "Congratulations! I'm very honored that you have
chosen to celebrate your wedding with us. Mr. and Mrs. Nielsen, welcome
back. I trust everything is going well for you since we last saw each
other?"

Aunt Hannah replied, "Yes, it is, James. Thank you for setting everything
up for us on such short notice."

"You're most welcome, Mrs. Nielsen. As I said in our earlier conversation,
we always try to accommodate our returning customers. Please sit down and
make yourselves comfortable while I pull out all the paperwork so we can go
over everything that we've planned."

James picked up a folder from his desk and pulled up a chair across from
Rick and me. He spread out all of the brochures and photos on the coffee
table so we could see the different rooms we were going to be renting for
the evening. "We will take you on a tour in a few minutes but I wanted you
to see them here first. We have also reserved a fireplace suite for the two
of you for that week so you won't have to worry about driving home after
your reception," he said. Looking over at Aunt Hannah he said, "I've taken
the liberty of reserving a block of rooms at the local hotel for your
guests. I will provide you their information so you can pass it on to any
guests who wish to stay nearby."

"Thank you James. I imagine that we'll have about the same number of guests
as we had last time," Aunt Hannah said.

"Good. Then let's take a walking tour of the reception rooms and the suite
where you'll be staying," James said leading us out of his office to the
main reception area. He showed us the room where the reception would be
held. Then he took us to see the suite.

Rick was very excited to see the suite. He told James, "This is really
nice. I can hardly wait!"

James smiled, "It is very nicely appointed. I'm sure you will enjoy your
stay with us. If everything is satisfactory, we can complete the paperwork
and we will be all set for the big day."

We returned to James' office where Aunt Hannah signed all the
paperwork. Rick pulled out his checkbook to pay for the reception, "No you
don't young man," Aunt Hannah said. "The family is paying for this. Between
your grandparents and your Mom and Dad everything has already been taken
care of here. You just have to show up on time for your wedding!"

Rick smiled, "Oh, I'll be on time but I'm not sure about Glenn. He's the
one who gets all flustered about things."

"Rick's right, I do get all in a tizzy sometimes. Rick always tells me to
calm down and not to panic," I said laughing at myself.

Uncle Carl laughed with me, "Glenn, you so remind me of your Grandma
sometimes. She was very much the same way and Grandpa was always the calm
one."

"We need to go over and visit with Grandma today, Rick. How is she doing?"
I asked.

Uncle Carl replied, "She's doing fine. She has finally gotten used to being
in the care center or at least that is what she says. She's needs full time
nursing care now. She lived with us for a couple of months until it got to
be more than we could handle."

"Mom told me that you had to put Grandma in a full time care facility. I
have talked to Grandma on the phone a few times since then," I said.

Aunt Hannah said, "They are still trying to get the infection in her foot
under control. They went in a couple of days ago and scraped the bone to
remove the infection. She has already told them she won't let them amputate
her foot if they can't get the infection under control. She said she
doesn't want to be like her mother-in-law who lost both of her legs before
the end and the infection still killed her after all the suffering that was
inflicted upon her. She says she wants to go to her grave with all her
limbs intact even if it kills her."

"Yes, I know that, too. Grandma was pretty vocal about it when I spoke to
her a week ago," I said.

"Then you know how stubborn she's being about her treatment," Uncle Carl
said his frustration with his mother showing in his voice.

"Yes, Mom has told me how she refuses to do what the doctors are telling
her to do," I replied.

Aunt Hannah changed the subject, "Let's go grab something for lunch. I know
of a nice deli close to here."

Rick agreed, "I'm starving!"

We left the Stratford Whitehouse and followed Aunt Hannah's directions to
the deli a few kilometers away. After a nice lunch, we got back on the road
and returned to St. Catharines. When we arrived back at the house, we
dropped off Uncle Carl and Aunt Hannah and drove over to the care center to
visit my grandmother.

We stopped at the receptionist's desk to inquire about which room she was
in. The receptionist directed us to the lounge instead, "All of the
residents are in the lounge area for a special musical program today," she
said.

As we entered the lounge, I saw Grandma sitting towards the back talking
with her neighbors. We walked over to her, "Hello, Grandma," I said bending
down to give her a hug and a kiss on the cheek.

"Hello, Glenn," she said. She motioned for me to sit next to her. "Rick,
come here and give this old lady a hug," she demanded looking up at Rick
with a smile.

Rick did as she asked. She motioned for him to set next to me. "I'm glad
you stopped in to see me. I was afraid you wouldn't make it today when
Hannah said you were going out to Stratford to see the reception center."

"We made out and back in good time, Grandma," I said. "The center is
beautiful and we're excited about having the reception there."

"Have you sent out any invitations?" she asked.

"No, we didn't plan to send any out, Grandma," I responded.

"You should, dear child. There are still many of our friends and family
here who would love to come see you get married," she said.

Rick said, "We'll look into it for you, Grandma."

"Glenn, why can't you be sensible like your future husband? I knew I liked
you for a reason, Rick.  You've chosen well, Glenn. I'm very excited for
the wedding. They tell me I have to behave myself or I won't get to attend
the wedding," Grandma said with a wicked smile.

"What do they mean by "behave yourself" Grandma?" I asked.

"That means taking all of my medications and getting the infection in my
foot under control," Grandma replied. "I hate taking all of those
pills. Sometimes I just throw them in the garbage instead of taking them."

"Grandma, you are just being stubborn," I said laughing at her expression.

"I know but it so much more fun than being the obedient little grandma
everyone wants me to be," she said smiling.

Rick laughed, "You're so bad, Grandma. I love it!"

"Rick, don't encourage her," I rebuked my sweetheart. "She'll be even more
rebellious than she is now!"

Grandma smiled, "Don't worry, Glenn. I'll take care of myself so I can be
at your wedding but I can't promise that I'll do that after the wedding is
over. Hannah has already made arrangements for my transportation to and
from the wedding. Rick, I expect you to take good care of my grandson."

Rick replied, "I will Grandma. I promise!"

She continued, "I know you two have had your troubles like every other
couple but those are all in the past now. You must learn to love and care
for each in different ways as you start the next stage of your journey
together. You know you're going to get a lot of advice from all of us old
people. We've seen a thing or two in this world so pay close attention to
what we're saying and apply what wisdom you can from what we tell you."

"We will, Grandma," I said leaning over to give her a kiss. As we finished
talking, the schedule musical group took to the floor to begin the
entertainment for the residents of the care center. We stayed with Grandma
through the program.

When it was over, she said, "Thank you for visiting with me. Come back
tomorrow afternoon so we can talk some more. Right now, I'm tired. Please
push me back to my room."

Rick stood up and took the handles of the wheelchair while I unlocked the
wheels. We pushed her down the hall to her room. She shared a room with
another lady who was bedridden. As we entered, Grandma shouted, "Ethel, the
program was wonderful! I've brought my two grandsons to visit you for a
minute!" Grandma turned to me, "Ethel can't hear too well so I have to
shout. Push me over to her bedside. Grandma reached over and touched Ethel
on the shoulder, "Ethel! I want you to meet Glenn and Rick!"

Ethel finally looked over at us and smiled. She said, "Nice to meet you."

Grandma shouted again, "The music was nice, Ethel!"

"That's good," she said and turned back to looking out the window.

Grandma said, "Ethel is not doing well. I don't think she'll last out the
week. She has told me several times that it's her turn to die. I keep
telling her that she can't die, yet, because I don't want a new roommate. I
just got used to Ethel. That's the sad part of living here. I just make a
good friend and they up and die on you."

"I'm sorry, Grandma," I said with tears in my eyes.

"Don't cry, Glenn. Crying won't change the fact that everyone here is old
and in poor health. Just remember, getting old isn't for sissies! It's hard
most of the time. I have to hand it to those folks who come in here and
continue to keep a positive attitude. It's too easy to get depressed in
here," Grandma observed candidly. "I know this is the last stop before I
pass on so I've decided to make the best of it.  Thank you for sharing your
love music and theater with me over the years, Glenn. I know that your
Grandpa appreciated it as well. You're a sweet boy," Grandma said. "Before
I forget, I want you to have wreath I made for you."

She rolled her chair past us to her dresser and pulled a cloth wreath out
of her top drawer. "I embroidered the saying on it so you can always
remember me when you see it hanging in your home."

She handed it to me. It was a piece of white cloth in the center of an
embroidery ring trimmed with blue ruffles and white lace. In the center,
she had embroidered the words, "Love Makes Home A Piece Of Heaven On Earth,
Love Grandma." Next to her name she had embroidered a small house with
angels surrounding it.

"I know it's not much but I wanted to do something extra special for
you. Your Mom will be bringing the quilt I made for you many years ago. I
made a special quilt for each of my grandchildren to be given to them on
their wedding day so they would have something of mine in their homes. I've
asked your mother to stitch on the wedding date, place and your future
husband's name so it can be displayed at your wedding reception."

Grandma's eyes had grown bright with tears as she told me about the
quilt. "Yours will be the last wedding I will be able to witness in this
life, Glenn, so you had better make it a good one! Now, go enjoy yourselves
before this old lady breaks down in tears."

Rick and I hugged her and gave her a kiss on the cheek. "Thank you,
Grandma. I love you," I said.  "We'll be back tomorrow."

Grandma smiled and nodded her head, "I'll be here. Good-bye for now."

Rick put his arm around my shoulders as we left the care center. He reached
over with his other hand and wiped away the tears that had started to roll
down my cheeks. "It's okay, sweetheart. Grandma isn't going anywhere any
time soon."

I held tightly to the wreath she had given us. "I want this to be in the
foyer of our new home where everyone will see it as they come in the door,"
I said.

"Okay, Babe. We'll have to make sure we decorate the entry way so it will
look nice there," Rick said.

We drove home in silence. When we arrived, we went into the kitchen to show
Aunt Hannah what Grandma had given us. "She showed that to me last week and
asked me to help her finish it," Aunt Hannah said. "Grandma did all the
needlework and I used the glue gun to glue on the ruffle and lace around
the edges. You are very special to her, Glenn. She has said that she is
hanging on just to see you get married. The doctors had told us that she
had only a few weeks to live because of the severe infection in her
foot. They were very surprised by the turn around in her condition a few
weeks ago when the wound on her foot began to heal. She told them she had
only one reason to go on living and that is to see her grandson get married
to his sweetheart. She asked me to pick this up for her at the hobby shop
after that. Since then, she has spent most of her time the last few weeks
working on it so it could be finished in time for your wedding."

Uncle Carl came in from outside and joined our little gathering around the
kitchen table. "I see Grandma gave you her wedding gift," he said
smiling. "She was so worried she wouldn't be able to finish it before the
wedding. She's done nothing but talk about the wedding since you announced
your engagement."

Rick took my hand in his, "Your Grandma is very special, Glenn. I'm glad we
went to see her today."

"So am I," I replied trying to keep control of my emotions.

Rick stood up and pulled me to my feet. "If you will excuse us, we have
some homework to complete for tomorrow's meeting."

Aunt Hannah smiled at us, "Sure. Dinner will be ready in about an
hour. I'll send Uncle Carl for you when it's done."

We retired to our room where Rick stripped us both out of our clothes and
pushed me down on the bed.  He had that wicked grin on his face that sets
my heart racing every time! "I hope you're ready for the ride of your
life!"

I tried to roll away as he pounced on me but he managed to flip me on my
back and pinned my arms above my head as he straddled my hips, "Where did
you think you were going?"

I smiled up at him. Instead of answering his question, I said, "My! What
big eyes you have, Grandma."

Rick bent down and started to nibble at my neck. I said, "My! What big
teeth you have, Grandma."

With that comment, Rick gently bit my earlobe. Rick was being completely
merciless as he continued to plant little gentle kisses all over my neck
and face before he started working his way down my body.  My mind and body
went wild with desire for this beautiful man who was soon to be my husband.

 ****

Later, we heard Uncle Carl gently knock on the door. "Can I come in boys?"

"Just a minute, Uncle Carl," I said as Rick pulled on his shorts and I
pulled on mine.

Rick crossed the floor and opened the door. Uncle Carl gave us a knowing
smile, "I glad you two are keeping each other happy. I suggest you two take
a quick shower and I will tell Aunt Hannah that you'll be out shortly."

Rick said, "Thanks, Uncle Carl. We'll be there as quickly as possible."
Rick grabbed his toiletries and took me by the hand and led me to the
shower. A few minutes later, we sat down for dinner.

After dinner, we spent the rest of the evening in our room working on our
homework assignments. We did the budget first since that seemed the
easiest. Once that was done, we started talking about our parenting skills
or rather the lack thereof.

"It seems that we both need to take some classes on parenting," Rick said.

"I agree that we should take some classes. I know that the education
departments at most universities teach classes on how to discipline
children, etc., for those who want to become teachers. We could enroll in
some of those kinds of classes but we should talk to our family about how
they learned to be parents. I don't think they had any special classes back
then," I said.

"True enough. I think we should ask Grandma tomorrow," Rick said.

"That's a good idea, Rick," I said.

We continued talking about some of the other things Reverend Riegger had
mentioned. It was getting pretty late when we decided to call it a
night. Once we were in bed, I snuggled close to Rick and laid my head on
his chest. I love sleeping this way. The steady rhythm of his heartbeat
lulls me to sleep every time!

The time seemed to fly as we settle into a routine of going for run through
Guy Road Park before breakfast then working on our homework from the
marriage classes. We spent every afternoon visiting Grandma. We became very
close to Grandma during the hours we spent together with her every day.
Grandma convinced the staff to let me play the piano for the residents for
an hour every afternoon.  Those wonderful afternoons spending time with
Rick and my Grandma will always remain bright in my memory.

Soon the day for us to check into the Stratford Whitehouse arrived. We
thanked Aunt Hannah and Uncle Carl for their hospitality and packed our
stuff in the Land Rover. We stopped in Hamilton on our way over to pick up
some groceries for our stay in the suite. When we arrived, James greeted us
and led us to the suite and handed us our keys.

"I hope you enjoy your stay," James said smiling.

We quickly put our clothes away and returned to bring in the groceries. As
soon as we had put everything away, we went to sit on the balcony to watch
other wedding parties taking pictures in the gardens surrounding the
center. I sat quietly observing them when Rick asked, "What are you
thinking about?"

"I was just thinking how lucky I am to have found you," I replied.

"I was thinking the same thing a few minutes ago. It's finally going to
happen, Glenn. The wedding is only two days away!" Rick exclaimed
excitedly.

I looked over at my lover boy and grinned at him. "I'm sure it's going to
happen because it's my "happy ever after" fairy tale. I've felt that way
from the moment you first kissed me. I remember thinking this is just like
in the fairy tales when Prince Charming kisses the princess and they live
happily ever after only it was really happening to me."

Rick smiled and took my hand, "But I really am Prince Charming and you are
my prince and we are going to live happily ever after."

There was a knock on the door. I looked at Rick to see if he knew who it
might be. He shrugged his shoulders and stood to answer the door. I
followed him back inside. He opened the door to find my parents standing
there.

Mom rushed in and pulled Rick into a hug, "I'm so happy for you both." She
turned and did the same to me.

Dad was a little more reserved in his greetings but I could tell he was
just as excited about the wedding as Mom.

"Did everyone come with you?" I asked wondering if my siblings had made it
into town, yet.

"Yes, the whole family is here in town. We are all staying just a few
kilometers from here. We stopped to tell you Grandpa has hired a motor
coach to take all of us over to St. Catharines from here so you don't have
to worry about anyone being late for the wedding," Mom said laughing at my
surprised expression.

She continued, "You shouldn't be so surprised! You know that Grandpa always
thinks of everything.  When I told him I was a little concerned about the
distance between the reception center and the church, Grandpa said he'd
think about it and get back to me. The next thing I knew he had it all
worked out and told me he had hired a coach to take everyone to the
church."

Dad said, "You have to admit, Glenn, your Grandpa knows how to manage
things."

"You're right, Dad, Grandpa seems to take of things. So what time does our
stage coach leave in the morning?" I asked.

"We should be leaving here no later than 8 AM so we have plenty of time for
everyone to get ready on the other end," Mom said.

Rick said, "I agree, we need to be on the way by 8 AM. That means no
sleeping in, Glenn!" I playfully punched Rick in the shoulder for that
comment.

"I'm not the one who has trouble getting up in the morning!" I exclaimed as
my parents laughed at Rick.

Mom said, "Glenn has always been the early riser in the family. He would
get up and go running before the sun came up, then he'd return home to take
a shower and cook breakfast before the rest us of were even thinking of
getting out of bed. So I'm sure he's not the one that has trouble waking up
in the morning!"

Rick grinned, "You got me! Yes, Glenn still gets up early and goes for a
run in the morning. I'm going to start running with him now that I'm not in
the marines anymore. I'll need to get the exercise or Glenn will make me
fat with all his good cooking!"

"My cooking isn't the problem. It's how much you of it you eat!" I teased
Rick as I put my arm around his waist.

"Come in and sit down for a minute," Rick said moving into the sitting room
of the suite.

Dad commented, "Wow! This is pretty nice. You have a fireplace and a
balcony. Nice!" He walked around the rest of the suite. "This is a very
nice suite," he said approvingly. He joined Mom on the sofa.

Rick and I sat together on the loveseat. I snuggled up next to Rick and he
put his arm around me. Rick said, "We picked up our tuxedos this morning
and I have the rings here in my pocket so we're all ready to go."

Mom said, "Good. We are going to have the rehearsal here tonight that way
we won't have to spend four hours on the road tonight. Your Aunt Hannah has
everything figured out so we can arrange everything the way it is set up at
the church. Everyone will be here by five o'clock for the rehearsal with
dinner at seven. That gives us two hours to work out any problems. Is that
okay?"

Rick replied, "Yes, it's more than okay Mom. I'm glad you have everything
under control so that Glenn won't be worrying about it."

I nodded my agreement, "I don't know how I'd be able to function if you and
Aunt Hannah weren't taking care of things."

Mom smiled, "You're welcome, son. Actually, we haven't had so much fun in
some time."

Dad said, "I can testify to that fact! You mother hasn't stopped from the
moment you announced your engagement! She wants this to be the most
memorable wedding we've ever seen."

Mom beamed at her husband, "That's right and thank you for supporting me in
making this an occasion to be remembered by all of us." She leaned over and
gave Dad a kiss on the cheek.

Rick whistled, "Wow, Dad! You really scored!"

Dad blushed but still managed to reply, "Rick you'll learn soon enough how
to make your spouse happy.  It's taken me a while but I think I've finally
figured it out!"

Mom smiled and took Dad's hand, "Yes, it has taken you a while but I think
you're doing fine now."

Looking back at us, Mom said, "You two need to relax until you're needed
for the rehearsal."

"That's what we had in mind, Mom," Rick replied giving my shoulders a
squeeze. "I'm sure that Glenn will find ways to get anxious and worried but
I've got the magic touch that will keep him calm, cool and collected!"

I looked up at my lover boy and grinned, "Yeah, Mom. Rick knows all the
tricks to keep me from getting nervous."

Dad laughed, "I'm sure he has Glenn." Dad stood up and pulled Mom up with
him. "Come on, dear.  We need to let these two have some time alone."

Mom laughed and led the way to the door with Dad following directly behind
her. She turned at the door and said, "Rick don't leave any marks on
Glenn. We don't want to have to retouch the wedding pictures!"

With that, they opened the door and left us to relax!

"Was that really your mother who said that?" Rick said laughing and leaning
over to kiss me.

"Yes, that was my mother who said it. Remember don't mark me, Mr. Lernier,
at least not before the wedding or I'll have to tell my Mom on you!"

"We wouldn't want that would we?" Rick grinned from ear to ear and
proceeded to mark me...just not on my neck!

 ****

 Rick's strategy for keeping me from getting too uptight given the upcoming
events was to make love to me! I have to admit that it worked! I didn't
have time to worry because he kept me very busy!  Everyone should be as
blessed as I am to have a wonderful fiancée who understands me and knows
what to do to calm me down.

We were showered and dressed as five o'clock arrived. I gave Rick one last
kiss before we opened the door to the suite and headed over to the banquet
room where Mom and Aunt Hannah had arranged the furniture so as to imitate
the church.

Mom said, "Stay right there you two. We aren't quite ready for you, yet."

We looked around the room to find the entire family already seated as if
they were at the church. I was so happy. All my family from western Canada
had made the trip down east to be here with us. The Ontario branch of the
family was also here except my cousin, John, and his family which didn't
surprise me. The last time Rick and I were in the same room with John, Rick
decked him and told him never to come around us ever, again. I've never
seen Rick as angry with anyone as he was with John.

I put my arm around Rick's waist and looked up at him, I said, smiling,
"Everyone is here."

Rick responded, "Yes, everyone is here. Keith and Kerry made it with Joe
and Katie. Mom's family is all here Georgia and North Carolina, too."

"They all love you, Rick, just like I do. You're the best fiancée I've ever
had," I said giving Rick a quick kiss.

Rick laughed, "I'm the "only" fiancée you've ever had, Glenn!"

We waited near the doorway until Mom signaled that she ready for
us. "First, Keith and Randy will come down the aisle with Keith on the
right and Randy on the left. As the best men, they will take up their
respective places on either side of the altar. Next, Rick will be escorted
in by Grandpa. Grandpa will escort him to the right side of the
altar. After the music comes to an end, the next set of processional music
will begin and Glenn will come in escorted by his Dad to the left side of
the altar.  Uncle Carl will play the part of Reverend Riegger."

With that, Mom indicated that the music should begin. With the first notes
of the processional music ringing out, the audience stood up and turned to
watch as Rick and I were escorted down the aisle to the altar (the altar
was a table with a bible on it!). Uncle Carl stood behind the altar. When
Rick and I were in place, Egan came up the aisle by himself holding a
pillow where my ring would be placed. He was skipping up the aisle
displaying for everyone his excitement at being the ring bearer. When Egan
reached the front, he took his place to the right of Rick. I looked over
him and smiled giving him a quick wink. My nephew, Jack, was next to come
down the aisle carrying a small pillow where Rick's ring would be
placed. He walked calmly down the aisle and came and stood next to me. He
looked up at with a grin. Jack had grown a lot since we saw him last. Of
course, at age 10, he had started gaining height.

When we were all in our places, the music stopped and Uncle Carl said,
"Welcome everyone to our wedding rehearsal. Thank you for coming to help
celebrate with us today."

Mom stepped up, "Now that Carl has done his job, Rick and Glenn will
exchange rings and then the married couple will lead the rest of us out of
the church."

The music started again and we did everything in reverse. Before anyone
could leave their seats, Mom said, "Let's give it one more try just to make
sure everyone knows what to do."

After we had completed everything to Mom's satisfaction, we followed her
lead into the adjoining hall where a dinner was waiting for us. We found
our seats and the wait staff began serving our meal.  Mom, Dad, Katie, Joe,
Grandpa, Grandma, Keith, Kerry, Randy and Shawn sat at our table. After we
had finished eating, dessert was served.

Keith asked, "Where are you going to go on your honeymoon?"

I looked at Rick who smiled at me and said, "It's a secret. I haven't told
Glenn where we're going. I want it to be a surprise. Grandpa will tell you
after we're gone."

Kerry said, "I bet it's some place exotic, Glenn. Keith didn't tell me
where we were going either until we were waiting in line at the airport."

Randy said, "I'm sure you'll have a wonderful time no matter where you go
for your honeymoon."

Shawn agreed, "Yes, you will always remember your honeymoon. Randy took me
to Cancun, Mexico, where we toured all of the ancient ruins and spent lots
of time on the beach and in the water."

Grandpa said, "I took your Grandma to Savannah, Georgia, where we explored
the surrounding areas including the beach."

Grandma said, "We had a wonderful time."

Mom said, "Your Dad took me camping as we took our trip out west after
being married here. We stopped at every provincial park and spent time
fishing and boating and enjoying the outdoors."

"We had a great time doing it, too!" Dad exclaimed. "Your Mom knows how to
cook over a campfire.  We especially enjoyed our canoe trip at Algonquin
Park."

Mom laughed, "Yes, we did. That was when you fell out of the canoe and I
had to help get you back in the canoe with swamping it!"

Dad joined her laughter, "Yes, you showed me up that day as being better
coordinated then I am."

Mom reached over and patted Dad's hand, "That's okay, honey. You more than
make up for it in other areas."

This last made Dad blush. Boy, I don't know what has gotten into my Mom but
she sure is keeping Dad going today.

We continued talking about the wedding the next day. After dinner, we
wandered around the room talking to everyone. When we got to Joe and
Katie's table, I was surprised to see Ruth and her new husband, Bryan. I
wasn't expecting them to come since Ruth still had feelings for me.

Rick was the first to break the awkwardness, "Ruth, I'm glad you and Bryan
were able to come." He leaned down and gave Ruth a quick kiss on the cheek
and then turned to shake Bryan's hand.

"We wouldn't have missed it," Ruth said. "Bryan and I just returned from a
couple of weeks in Europe with his business. You two should consider
spending some time there. It's so beautiful." Ruth said.

Bryan's smile was a little forced but he managed not to make a scene. It
was obvious that he didn't like me or Rick. I shook his hand, "Welcome
Bryan. I'm glad you came," I said trying to keep things going
smoothly. Bryan pulled his hand back as if it had been on fire. His disgust
showed on his face as I registered his homophobic response to shaking my
hand.

I barely contained my anger and managed to turn to Ruth with a smile, "Ruth
thank you for coming."

I gave her a peck on the cheek and a quick hug. Rick and I both turned to
Katie and Joe, "Thank you for everything, Katie and Joe," Rick said. "You
are very special people to us and I'm glad you could join us for our
special day tomorrow." Instead of shaking their hands, Rick gave each one a
hug and kiss on the cheek.

"You know I feel the same way Rick does," I said. "Thank you for being
there for us when we've needed your support."

Katie and Joe both had tears in their eyes as they acknowledged our thanks,
"It's been a pleasure to be there for you two fine boys," Katie said.

Joe nodded his agreement, "We need to thank you for being there for our
children, Keith and Kerry and especially for Egan. Egan just adores his two
cousins and talks about you both constantly."

Rick said, "Well, we think Egan is pretty special, too!"

"We'll see you in the morning," I said. "I'm taking my guy back to our
suite to get ready for tomorrow.  Have a good night."

They all said good night to us and we headed back to our room. Once the
door was closed, Rick pulled me into an embrace, "It's almost here,
sweetheart."

I looked up at him and smiled, "Yes, it is. I love you."

Rick said, "I love you, too. Let's retire for the evening so we won't be so
tired tomorrow." Rick led me to our bedroom and proceeded to put me to bed
and climbed in beside me. We fell asleep in each other arms.

The next morning found me wrapped in a warm cocoon with Rick's arms holding
me close to him and my head on his chest. As I started to stir, Rick kissed
the top of my head, "Good morning, sweetheart."

I looked into his eyes and gave him a tender kiss, "Good morning lover
boy."

Rick smiled at me and raised his hand to gently caress my cheek. "You will
always be mine, Glenn."

I took his hand in mine and kissed it as his fingers meshed with
mine. "Shortly, we'll be married and we'll always be together," I said
holding Rick's gaze. "I love you, Mr. Lernier."

We spent a few more minutes enjoying the closeness we felt for each
other. There is nothing like the physical touch of the one person in the
whole world who loves you and accepts you for who you are. I could feel
Rick's love for me radiating from every fiber of his body. It filled my
soul with pure joy. No wonder I love this guy so much!

Rick murmured against my neck, "Babe, we should get up and get ready to
go. This is our big day."

"I know. I just wanted a few more minutes alone with you before starting
our day," I said cupping his face in my hands and kissing him passionately.

Rick said, "Any more kisses like that and we won't make it to the wedding!
You have to promise to be good at least until after the wedding!"

I laughed my evil laugh and said, "I'll promise only on the condition that
you make endless love to me tonight!"

Rick's eyes sparkled as he said, "You know that is one condition I will
gladly agree to because I fully intend to do just that!"

Rick rolled off of the bed and pulled me with him. We showered and shaved
and got dressed. We put together another change of clothes as well as our
tuxedos and headed outside as the appointed hour had arrived.

I was totally unprepared for the sight that greeted my eyes. There wasn't
just one but two motor coaches and a stretch limo waiting for us. Grandpa
spotted us and waved us over.

As I approached, Grandpa said, "You two are to ride in the stretch limo
with your best men. The rest of us will be in the two motor coaches."

"Grandpa, thank you for thinking of everything," I said giving him a hug.

"You're welcome, grandson. It's my honor and privilege to be able to make
your wedding a special one," Grandpa said.

Rick gave Grandpa a hug and said, "Grandpa, you're the best."

"Thank you, Rick. You two had better climb in so we can be on our way,"
Grandpa said.

The chauffer opened the door and we climbed inside to find Keith, Kerry,
Egan, Diane, Randy and Shawn already seated comfortably. Everyone said,
"Good morning!"

We took our seats and put on our seat belts. However, before the limo
started moving Egan decided he needed to sit next to us so he quickly undid
his seat belt, "I want to sit next to Glenn and Rick," he said picking up
his booster seat and moved it next to Rick who helped Egan get settled,
again.

Rick smiled at Egan, "Are you ready to be my ring bearer?"

"Yes, I'm ready. Are you ready to get married to Glenn?" he asked in return
looking at Rick earnestly.

"Yes, I'm ready, Egan," Rick replied with a grin in my direction.

"Good because my Dad says it's about time you two got married," Egan said
in all seriousness.

We all laughed at Egan's statement. I said, "Yes, your Dad is correct. It's
about time we got married."

Rick asked Egan, "Do you want me to tell you a story?"

Egan clapped his hands together with excitement and answered, "Yes,
please!"

The rest of the trip to St. Catharines was spent listening to Rick tell
stories to Egan. Rick's stories are the best! I laughed just as hard as
anyone else at Rick's storytelling!

We arrived at the church to find a van waiting with two nurses and my
Grandma Nielsen. While everyone was coming off the motor coaches the nurses
were helping Grandma out of the van and into her wheelchair. Grandma was
beaming. "Hello Rick and Glenn. I told you I'd make it to your wedding!"

"Yes, you did, Grandma," I said. I turned to the nurses, "Thank you for
bringing her."

Mary said, "You're welcome. We're happy to be able to help."

Susan said, "We wanted to come to see you get married as much as your
Grandma did! Thank you both for coming to visit us every day since you've
been here. Your visits have helped all of us at the center."

Rick said, "I'm glad we took the time to visit with Grandma and to get know
everyone at the center. It has enriched our lives as well."

 Reverend Riegger came over to us, "Hello Ivy. How are you doing these
days?"

Grandma answered, "I'm fine now that my grandsons are getting
married. Thank you for helping them, Reverend Riegger."

"You're welcome. They are fine men and I'm happy to be the one to perform
the wedding ceremony for them. Shall we go inside and get everything
ready?"

Grandma said, "Yes, that would be good. I don't want to catch a chill out
here." Mary pushed Grandma's wheelchair through the church doorway and into
the sanctuary.

Reverend Riegger said, "Ivy's place is up front on the stand."

Mary nodded her acknowledgement and proceeded to push Grandma up
front. Susan and Mary sat down next to her. The rest of the family was
filtering into the sanctuary.

Reverend Riegger said, "Now you two need to get changed into your
tuxedos. Come with me."

We followed him to his office. He opened a door that led into a private
restroom that doubled as a dressing room. "I'll leave you two here. Just
close the office door when you're ready. You will need to wait in the foyer
until the time comes to enter the sanctuary."

We quickly changed into our white tuxedos. Rick went over my clothing to
make sure everything was in its place and I did the same for him.

We closed office door as directed and entered the foyer. Grandpa, Dad,
Keith, Randy, Jack and Egan were all in the foyer.

I looked inside the sanctuary saw that everyone was already seated and
waiting for us. Mom saw me and nodded her head.

I looked around the foyer to make sure everyone was ready on our
end. Seeing that we were ready, I gave Mom the thumbs up sign and she
turned and asked the organist to begin playing the processional music.

As the music began, Keith and Randy entered first. When they reached the
front of the sanctuary, Grandpa and Rick entered the sanctuary and
proceeded up the aisle with Egan following in their wake.

As the music ended and the next piece began, Dad and I made our entrance
followed by Jack.

We all took our seats and Reverend Riegger stood, "Welcome everyone. We are
gathered together to celebrate the most sacred event in the lives of two
wonderful individuals. Let us begin with a hymn sung by Mary, Eva, Nancy
and Cynthia Nielsen. They sang "All Things Bright and Beautiful."

Reverend Riegger then lead the congregation in prayer followed by a reading
of Psalm 127 by Grandpa Scaroborough, "Except the LORD build the house,
they labor in vain that build it: except the LORD keep the city, the
watchman waketh but in vain."

Reverend Riegger stood, "Glenn and Rick please stand."

 We stood and took our places in front of Reverend Riegger. Reverend
Riegger began the wedding liturgy:

"Dearly beloved, we are gathered together here in the sight of God, and in
the face of this congregation, to join together these two men in a holy
covenant of love and fidelity; Such a covenant shows us the mystical union
between God and God's people and between Christ and his Church;"

"The Holy Scriptures point to the offering and receiving of love as the
principle sign of God's presence; the union of two people in heart, body
and soul is intended by God for their mutual joy, for the help and comfort
given one another in prosperity and adversity; and that their love may be a
source of grace and blessing to all whom they encounter. Today Rick and
Glenn wish to commend themselves to each other exclusively and publicly, in
making a solemn covenant as a seal and sacrament of their mutual love and
devotion. This step has been carefully considered and is not enterprised,
nor taken in hand, unadvisedly, lightly, or wantonly, but reverently,
discreetly, advisedly, soberly, and in the fear of God."

Reverend Riegger asked the congregation, "Is there anyone present who knows
of a reason why these two may not lawfully marry please declare it now?"

He paused. Seeing no one raising an objection, he continued, "Rick, wilt
thou have this man as thy partner, in the sight of God? Wilt thou love him,
comfort him, honor, and keep him in sickness and in health; and, forsaking
all others, keep thee only unto him, so long as ye both shall live?"

Rick answered, " I will."

"Glenn, wilt thou have this man as thy partner, in the sight of God? Wilt
thou love him, comfort him, honor, and keep him in sickness and in health;
and, forsaking all others, keep thee only unto him, so long as ye both
shall live?

I answered," I will."

Rick said, "I, Rick, take thee, Glenn, as my partner, to have and to hold
from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in
sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, till death us do part; and
thereto I plight thee my troth."

I said, "I, Glenn, take thee, Rick, as my partner, to have and to hold from
this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in
sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, till death us do part; and
thereto I plight thee my troth."

Rick said, "With this ring I thee wed, with my body I thee worship, and
with all my worldly goods I thee endow: In the Name of the Father, and of
the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Amen."

I said, "With this ring I thee wed, with my body I thee worship, and with
all my worldly goods I thee endow: In the Name of the Father, and of the
Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Amen."

Reverend Riegger continued, "Eternal God, Creator and Preserver of all
mankind, Giver of all spiritual grace, the Author of everlasting life: Send
thy blessing upon these thy servants whom we bless in thy Name; that, as
David and Jonathan's souls were so knit together, so these men may surely
perform and keep the vow and covenant betwixt them made, (whereof these
rings given and received are a token and pledge), and may ever remain in
perfect love and peace together, and live according to thy laws; protect
them from all trouble and danger, and bring them, with us, to the heavenly
feast of your eternal kingdom; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen."

"Forasmuch as Rick and Glenn have consented together in a holy covenant,
and have witnessed the same before God and this company, and thereto have
given and pledged their troth either to other, and have declared the same
by giving and receiving of a ring, and by joining of hands; I pronounce
that they be bound together, In the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and
of the Holy Ghost. Amen.

"God, the Father, God the Son, God the Holy Ghost, bless, preserve, and
keep you; the Lord mercifully with his favor look upon you; and so fill you
with all spiritual benediction and grace, that ye may so live together in
this life, that in the world to come ye may have life everlasting. Amen."

Reverend Riegger looked at us and said, "You may kiss your partner."

Rick put his arms around my waist and gave me a kiss! We kept kissing while
the cameras flashed to record our special moment -- our first kiss as a
married couple!

He released me and we turned to face our loving family and friends who have
supported us over the years. I am so happy I can't stop from crying. I know
that seems like an oxymoron but it's true!

Reverend Riegger said, "I present to you Glenn and Rick."

We took our seats as Grandma Scarborough pushed Grandma Nielsen' wheelchair
to the center of the dais and opened the Bible to Psalms. Grandma
Scarborough read Psalm 128, "Blessed is every one that feareth the LORD,
that walketh in his ways."

Grandma Scarborough passed the Bible to Grandma Nielsen who read Psalm
67. "May God be gracious to us and bless us and make his face shine on
us--so that your ways may be known on earth, your salvation among all
nations. May the peoples praise you, God; may all the peoples praise
you. May the nations be glad and sing for joy, for you rule the peoples
with equity and guide the nations of the earth.  May the peoples praise
you, God; may all the peoples praise you. The land yields its harvest; God,
our God, blesses us. May God bless us still, so that all the ends of the
earth will fear Him."

My grandmothers returned to their places.

Reverend Riegger stood and indicated that we should kneel before the holy
table, "Let us pray. Oh, God of love, thou hast established marriage for
the welfare and happiness of mankind. Thou hast said, "It is not good for
man to be alone." Now our joys are doubled since the happiness of one is
the happiness of the other. Our burdens now are halved since we share them
and divide the load. Bless Rick as a provider of nourishment and raiment
and sustain him in all the exactions and pressures of life. May his
strength be Glenn's protection, his character Glenn's boast and his pride,
and may Rick so live that Glenn will find in him the haven for which the
heart truly longs."

"Bless Glenn. Give him a tenderness that will make him great, a deep sense
of understanding and a great faith in Thee. Give him that inner beauty of
soul that never fades, that eternal youth that is found in holding fast to
the things that never age."

"Teach them that marriage is not living merely for each other; it is two
uniting and joining hands to serve Thee. Give them a great spiritual
purpose in life. May they seek first the kingdom of God and His
righteousness, and the other things shall be added unto them."

"May they not expect perfection of each other that alone belongs to
Thee. May they minimize each other's weaknesses, be swift to praise and
magnify each other's points of comeliness and strength, and see each other
through a lover's kind and patient eyes."

"Now make such assignments to them on the scroll of Thy will as will bless
them and develop their characters as they walk together. Give them enough
tears to keep them tender, enough hurts to keep them humane, enough failure
to keep their hand clenched tightly in Thine, and enough success to make
them sure they walk with God. May they never take each other's love for
granted, but always experience that breathless wonder that exclaims, "Out
of all this world you have chosen me."

"When life is done and the sun is setting, may they be found then as now
still hand in hand, still thanking God for each other. May they serve Thee
happily, faithfully, together, until at last one shall lay the other into
the arms of God. This we ask through Jesus Christ, Great Lover of Our
Souls. Amen."

Reverend Riegger reached forward and took us each by the hand and raised us
up. "You may return to your seats."

He addressed the congregation, "Thank you for being here to witness this
blessed event. Please wait until the happy couple has left the sanctuary
before you greet the newly married couple."

Reverend Riegger indicated that the ceremony was done and the organist
began to play the recessional music. I took Rick by the hand and we walked
down the aisle to the back of the sanctuary and into the foyer followed by
our best men -- Keith and Randy, the ring bearers -- Jack and Egan, and my
Dad and Grandpa.

The rest of our family and friends joined us in the foyer to congratulate
us. The photographers and videographers were busy recording everything for
us. I'm grateful they are because I'm so happy and excited that I won't
remember anything except the moment that Rick put the ring on my finger and
the moment when were bound together as a couple along with the kiss that
followed.

After everyone greeted us, the photographers began organizing us so every
family was photographed separately. Then they took pictures of the entire
group in front of the church. We were photographed with each family, each
set of friends, with our parents, grandparents, etc. I'm sure that enough
photos were taken to fill many photo albums (or least several memory
cards)!

Rick said, "We must be the most photographed couple ever by now!"

I laughed, "Probably you're right. But Mom and Aunt Hannah wanted to take
advantage of the wedding to get as many family photos as possible. It's not
very often that we can get everyone together in one place."

The photographers asked us to kiss while we were photographed. Now, that
part I didn't mind doing!'

They finally indicated that they were finished as were the videographers. I
know everyone was anxious to return to the Stratford Whitehouse where
lunched awaited us.

I think Egan expressed all of our feelings when he said very loudly, "Can
we go now! I'm hungry!"

We all broke out laughing at the young man! Dad said, "Hear, Hear!!" Dad's
remark caused even more laughter.

Grandpa came up and asked, "Are you two ready to depart?"

Rick took me by the hand, "Yes, Grandpa, we are."

I looked down at our clasped hands noting the ring on Rick's finger. I've
never been as happy as I am at this moment. I looked up into Rick's face
seeing my joy reflected in his eyes. Our two hearts had become one.