Thunder and Lightening
Chapter 42
By
Lazlo Zalezac
Copyright (C) Lazlo Zalezac, 2004

"What?" asked Jerry in shock.

"There's some guy out there who claims that he and Jenny are 
married," answered Abe.

The news staggered Jerry just as surely as if he had been hit in the 
stomach with a baseball bat. His mind raced as he tried to 
remember if there was ever a time when Jenny might have hinted 
at being married before. He reached for support and found Henry 
beside him keeping him from falling to the ground. Feeling his 
knees weaken, he asked, "How can that be?"

Grinning broadly, Abe made a gesture like he was shooting a gun 
and said, "Gotcha!"

As Abe slipped out the door, Jerry bellowed, "Abe, I'm gonna skin 
you alive!"

Henry stared at the closed door in shock unable to believe that Abe 
would do something like that on such an important occasion. It had 
been delivered in such a believable fashion. Shaking his head, he 
growled, "I'll be right back. I'm going to kill that boy."

After a half minute delay, Jerry started laughing when he realized 
that the young man had been joking. Barely able to control his 
laughter, he shook his head and said, "Don't. He's just getting me 
back for his birthday."

"Oh, yeah. He did promise to get you back," said Henry with a 
chuckle. There were times when it was a pleasure watching the 
interaction between Abe and Jerry. It was usually fun and 
confusing at the same time.

"You've got to admit, it was a good one," said Jerry wondering 
how Abe had thought up the joke. 

Without a knock, the door opened. A very irritated Sharon stuck 
her head into the room and asked, "What in the hell did that boy of 
mine do now?"

Still laughing, Jerry said, "Oh, he came in here and said that some 
guy was outside saying that he and Jenny were married."

Shaking her head, she realized what Abe had done. She should 
have expected it, since the boy had been too cheerful all morning. 
With a half-grin, she said, "That boy's got the devil in him."

"By the way, how did you know he had done something?" asked 
Jerry still chuckling.

"Everyone heard you yelling at him," answered Sharon shaking her 
head. It was hard to believe that his low-pitched growling voice 
could carry that far. They had heard it through two closed doors.

Henry leaned forward and gave her an affectionate kiss on the 
cheek. He said, "You might want to tell your sister to keep an eye 
on him during the ceremony."

"You bet," said Sharon as she left.

The Reverend arrived and asked, "What's the problem?"

Henry explained what Abe had done. The Reverend, normally a 
rather reserved man, shook his head at the antics that had gone on 
so far in this wedding. The comments and jokes during the 
rehearsal had been bad enough. Practical jokes this close to the 
start of ceremony was almost over the line. He'd had a lot of 
grooms who would have passed out upon hearing something like 
that or gone into a murderous rage. Judging by Jerry's reaction the 
Reverend decided that the big guy was a lot more forgiving than 
most and reserved his judgment. Instead, he asked, "Any chance 
that he'll do something similar during the ceremony?"

Jerry looked over at Henry. The two big men exchanged huge grins 
since they both knew the answer was a definite yes. Jerry was too 
busy chuckling to answer so Henry said, "You bet."

"I'd be surprised if he didn't stand up with some objection to the 
marriage. Oh, it'll be a funny one and keep people laughing 
through the rest of the ceremony," commented Jerry chuckling at 
the kinds of things he could imagine Abe saying.

"Like what?" asked the Reverend surprised by the easy way the 
man was discussing what others would consider an act that would 
ruin their wedding. He hoped the bride was just as understanding.

Trying to imitate the kind of pose that Abe would adopt, Jerry said, 
"This ain't no Walt Disney movie. There's no way that the beauty 
should marry the beast."

"Nah, he'll claim that it was up to him, the dashing hero, to rescue 
Beauty from the Beast," countered Henry.

"It would have to be even better than that. He's probably been 
planning this since his birthday," said Jerry shaking his head.

"Yeah. He'd probably declare her Little Red from the Riding Hood 
and you the evil wolf," said Henry with a chuckle.

The Reverend frowned at the idea of the potential catastrophe and 
then asked, "What's the name of this young man?"

"Abraham Lincoln Spencer," answered Henry giving Abe's full 
name.

The Reverend glanced at his watch and said, "It's about time to 
start. Why don't you two get in position while I talk with the 
bride?"

The Reverend was surprised to hear the Bride and the Bridesmaid 
discussing what remarks Abe was likely to make during the 
ceremony. He was shocked at how much alike their comments 
were to those made by the Groom and Best Man. After seeing that 
they were ready, he led them to the place they were to wait.

Stepping in front of his friends, co-workers, and family, Jerry 
stopped to look at the crowd of people in the church. Seated beside 
his parents, Melissa and Bill were in the front row smiling at him. 
Bill gave him a thumbs-up sign to let him know that he was happy 
about the wedding. Melissa smiled and dabbed at the tears in her 
eyes. His mother looked happy and his father merely nodded in his 
direction. He didn't know how to interpret the nod.

Abe, Martin, Cathy and George were sitting right behind Jerry's 
family. Abe started to make a gesture like he was shooting Jerry, 
but his aunt hit him on the shoulder. He turned to look at her, 
forgetting for the moment all about Jerry. Jerry winked at George.

All of the people from the store were sitting behind them, 
including Al Sinclair and his wife. On the other side of the room 
were people that Jerry didn't know that well. The cook, the two 
waitresses, and the dishwasher from the Crimson Rose took up the 
back. A few of Jenny's friends who he had not yet met were seated 
behind her mother.

Sherry was seated near the aisle with a space for her husband. Jerry 
nodded to her even as Henry whispered to him, "You're not quite 
there yet. Just a few more steps to go. Do I need to carry you or 
something?"

Just about everyone in the chapel heard him. This provided a titter 
of laughter through the first few rows. Bill turned to Melissa and 
said, "Dad looks to be in a little better shape than Henry was when 
he was getting married."

"Yeah, he's standing on his own," agreed Melissa with a wink.

Forgetting where he was for the moment, Henry replied, "Hey, I 
was a little nervous."

The words coming from the huge man surprised a lot of people. 
Jerry moved over to where he was supposed to stand. Realizing 
that Jerry had moved, Henry rushed to get into place. Once there, 
he whispered, "Sorry. I guess I'm not very good at all of this 
wedding stuff."

"The only one that gets much practice at this wedding stuff is the 
Reverend," commented Jerry. His words brought a smile to Jenny's 
mother. 

In his deep voice, Henry said, "Amen to that, brother."

Surprising them, from his position at the front of the room, the 
Reverend said, "Yes, Amen to that."

The music suddenly changed and an expectant hush fell over the 
room. When his eyes turned to the back of the room, Jenny stepped 
into view. Jerry didn't notice anything else in the room. She was 
resplendent in her white gown. The veil covered her face, but it 
wasn't enough to hide her beauty. Jerry would swear that she 
glowed with an inner beauty while walking down the aisle holding 
onto her father's arm. Barely able to breathe, Jerry said, "She's so 
beautiful."

When she reached the front of the room, her father stepped to the 
side. For a moment, there were three very large men standing at the 
front of the room. As he moved to his seat, Tom paused and looked 
over at the other two men. Despite having met them the previous 
night, it was difficult for him to believe just how big they were. 
Standing side by side, they took up as much room as four or five 
men would have taken.

Jerry turned and gazed into Jenny's eyes. The veil softened her 
eyes. She gazed back, loving him and letting him see her love for 
him shining forth. Lost in love, they didn't hear much of what the 
Reverend had to say as he talked about the sanctity of marriage. 
Jerry knew that he was the luckiest man in the world to have found 
anyone capable of loving with the unselfishness of Jenny. Jenny 
was amazed that she had found such a good caring man. He was a 
gentle giant who could admit hurt and yet protected those around 
him with all of his strength. 

Jerry was unaware of the passage of time. It seemed as if seconds 
had passed since she entered the room, but it was already time for 
them to exchange vows. A wave of light laughter rose in the room 
when the Reverend announced, "If anyone, except Abraham 
Lincoln Spencer, has just cause as to why these two should not 
wed, speak now or forever hold your peace. Abraham Lincoln 
Spencer can just hold his peace."

The young black man had the grace to blush although a retort 
about holding his peace filtered through his mind. It was too nasty 
and his mother would have killed him if he had said it. The roar of 
Henry's laughter filled the room. Sharon, standing in the traditional 
spot for the maid of honor, looked over at Abe and shook her head 
laughing at the look of innocence that her son was trying to 
project. Even Jenny giggled at the pronouncement. 

Even during the interruption, Jerry only had eyes for Jenny. 
Forgetting for the moment that he was in the middle of the 
marriage ceremony, he whispered, "I love you so much, Jenny. My 
heart feels too large for my chest."

Jenny, knowing exactly how he felt, smiled at her beloved man and 
replied, "I love you."

The Reverend gave them a moment and then continued with the 
exchange of vows. Jerry managed to echo the vows without error 
and say the 'I do's' at all the right times. Before he knew it, the 
ceremony was over and he was lifting the veil to kiss her. Her 
beauty struck him again. With trembling hands, he held her to him 
and kissed her. The Reverend proclaimed, "I now present to you, 
Mr. and Mrs. Jerold Smith."

The kiss was not a simple peck on the lips, but a passionate 
expression of his love. It lasted a long time. Abe started to suggest 
that they get a hotel room, but a swat against the back of his head 
stopped him. He glared at his aunt for a half second until he caught 
the look on her face. 

After the kiss, a breathless and stunned Jerry said, "It's time to 
head down the aisle."

"Carry me," she whispered with a twinkle in her eye. She glanced 
at her mother and saw her mother give her a wink in return. 

Grinning at the suggestion, Jerry picked up his new wife. Cradling 
her in his arms, he strode down the aisle feeling a thousand feet 
tall. She screamed with joy and wiggled her legs as he carried her 
away. Throwing her head back, she yelled, "Eat your hearts out 
ladies, I got me a big man!"

The Reverend stood there with a wry grin on his face. He turned to 
Henry and said, "I've seen far more solemn ceremonies."

"But I bet you've never seen a couple who love each other that 
much," countered the big man. His eyes showed signs of misting. 

Sharon came over to him and said, "I think we were supposed to 
follow them out."

"What is it that butlers always say to guests?"

Puzzled, Sharon thought about it for a moment before she 
answered, "Walk this way?"

"Yeah. I think that's what Jerry said as he walked off," said Henry. 
Grinning, he bent down and picked her up. Henry carried her down 
the aisle with the same ease as Jerry had carried Jenny. Her first 
reaction was to resist, but his grin was infectious. She smiled and 
said, "I've got me a big man, too."

Tom turned to Sherry and said, "I guess I'm supposed to carry you 
out too."

"No. I'm supposed to be a dignified old broad," replied Sherry. She 
extended a pinky and rubbed the corner of her mouth with it in a 
parody of class.

Tom laughed and retorted, "Wrong on all three counts. You aren't 
dignified, old, or a broad. You're my sexy Sherry mouse."

"Well Tom Cat, in that case…"

Tom stood up and lifted his wife with an ease that suggested he 
was a much younger man. He carried her down the aisle while she 
giggled like a schoolgirl. As he passed Cathy and George, George 
said, "Ain't no way I'm carrying you out of here. I'll break my 
back."

A roar of laughter provoked by George's comment filled the room 
even as Jenny's parents exited. The Reverend stood at the front of 
the room shaking his head in wonder. After the previous night, he'd 
been half convinced that the ceremony would end with Jerry 
carrying her out. He hadn't expected the Best Man to carry out the 
Maid of Honor or the Bride's parents to follow suit. Still, the ease 
with which all three men had picked up and carried their wives out 
of the room was impressive. He had to admit that, even if it wasn't 
dignified. 

In the alcove where they were supposed to wait, Jerry continued to 
cradle Jenny in his arms while kissing her. She had her arms 
wrapped around his neck, reveling in the attention that he was 
giving her. His strength took her breath away. Henry had set 
Sharon on the ground and was passionately kissing her. All three 
of the women enjoyed how the ceremony had ended. 

Walking side by side and holding hands, Jerry and Jenny were the 
last to enter the hall they had rented for the reception. Their arrival 
was greeted with applause and comments about the groom carrying 
off the bride. Jerry blushed at the attention, but Jenny glowed with 
happiness. This was her special day and she was enjoying every bit 
of attention given to her. Jerry was pleased to see her so happy.

Individuals wishing them well quickly separated them. Jerry 
reached out to keep her hand, but others intervened in their 
excitement. He was led from handshake to handshake greeting the 
guests and accepting congratulations. It wasn't long before Jerry 
found himself facing his father. Still uncomfortable in the presence 
of his father, Jerry said, "Hello, Dad."

"I had a long talk with your children last night," said Carl. The 
conversation with Bill had given him a lot to think about last night. 
It was staggering to learn how wrong he had been about his son. 
He'd sat up half the night thinking about the past and his treatment 
of his son. 

"Oh, they're really good kids. I'm very proud of them," replied 
Jerry with real pride in his voice when he spoke about the kids. He 
stood there nervously, not knowing what to expect from his father.

"It seems that I've been sadly mistaken about you," said the elder 
Smith. Listening to Bill describe what school had been like before 
Jerry had taken an active role reminded him of the calls that he 
used to receive about Jerry. The idea that smaller people would 
pick on a big person to establish a reputation was a major 
revelation for him. Bill's story had recast Jerry's entire teenage 
years in a new light. He felt guilty that he had not listened to his 
son.

"Oh, I don't know. I wasn't exactly a model child," said Jerry with 
a shrug trying to hide hurts that he didn't want to explore on that 
day. 

"I really thought you had turned mean."

"I did. I did become mean," replied Jerry with a sigh. It had taken 
some time, but junior high was when rage had been born. With 
each insult and fight, the rage had grown and burrowed ever deeper 
into his gut. By the time he had reached high school, it was 
impossible to get rid of rage. Feeling his stomach, he knew that it 
had taken a bullet to kill it. 

"Judging by how Bill has turned out, I realize that I could have 
done things differently," said Carl. He looked away from his son 
out of shame. Maybe if he had listened a little more, things might 
have turned out differently. He didn't know how to apologize or 
make things right.

"Things were different in those days. The school principal was an 
authority you didn't challenge. Not even parents challenged the 
authority of the principal. The past is behind us and we can't 
change it," said Jerry looking at his father. He could see the pain 
on the old man's face. In a softer voice, he said, "There's the future 
though."

"Future?" echoed his father.

"Yeah. I think it would be kind of fun if you were to join us when 
we go fishing one of these days. Henry, Abe, Bill, and I 
occasionally borrow a boat from a guy that works for me. The four 
of us go fishing at the lake," answered Jerry. It was hard to talk 
around the lump in his throat.

"I haven't been fishing since I quit taking you out," admitted his 
father. Those had been fun days and he missed them. He had 
withheld those fishing trips as leverage for steering his son down a 
less violent path. It hadn't worked for reasons that he had just 
learned about. For years, he had assumed that the times they had 
gone fishing meant nothing to Jerry. 

"So when we're planning a trip, how about I call you," suggested 
Jerry. Making that suggestion was the hardest thing he had done 
that day. 

"Sounds fine. Since I retired, I don't have that much to do," said the 
older man with more excitement than he had felt in a long time. 
Retirement had been rough on him -- far rougher than he had 
anticipated. It seemed like overnight he went from being an 
important busy man to sitting on the sidelines watching life go 
past. His wife complained that he was underfoot all of the time and 
just wished he'd go somewhere else at times.

"Okay," said Jerry. He looked around and spotted Bill talking to 
Mr. Atkins. He wondered what the two of them were talking about, 
but the thought quickly vanished when Abe walked by. He grabbed 
the young man and called out, "Hey, Henry. Have you got that duct 
tape?"

His father stared at Jerry wondering what was going on. He was 
surprised when Henry said, "Nope. Sharon has it. You want me to 
hold him while you tape him up?"

Abe was laughing and wasn't putting up any kind of struggle. Jerry 
called back, "I can handle it."

The young man asked, "I sure was surprised when the preacher 
said that I wasn't allowed to talk during the ceremony."

Tom was somewhat confused by the large number of blacks at the 
ceremony. It seemed that Jerry was a friend with all of them. He 
recalled the special emphasis by the Reverend that someone wasn't 
allowed to speak during the ceremony and realized the black kid 
was the person mentioned.  He asked, "What did you do?"

Grinning, a very unrepentant Abe said, "Well, just before the 
ceremony I told Jerry that some guy was outside claiming to be 
Jenny's husband. You should have seen the look on his face."

"What?" asked Tom incredulous. 

Jerry laughed at the reminder. Shaking his head, he suggested, 
"Abe, why don't you tell my father about your birthday? I'm sure 
he'll understand why you did it."

As Abe and Tom talked, Jerry roamed over to the table where his 
boss and his wife were sitting along with Martin, Mike, and Karen. 
He sat down and thanked his boss for taking the time to come to 
the wedding. For the next ten minutes, they talked about the future 
of their business. Jerry made a special point to mention that Mike 
would have no problems running the store while he was on his 
honeymoon. Mike made a point of saying that Martin would be 
acting as assistant manager for the week.

When Jerry left the table, Mr. Sinclair turned to Mike and 
commented, "He makes sure that everyone gets credit for the work 
they do."

"Everyone except himself," replied Mike. Looking over at Mr. 
Sinclair, he explained, "He works harder than any of us and is 
making a real difference in the lives of a lot of people. He brought 
in Leo, the new stock boy, and promoted Abe."

Martin said, "He's put other kids in my neighborhood to work. 
Shauna was afraid that she'd end up being a prostitute. Because of 
Jerry, she's learning bookkeeping. That's making a real difference 
in peoples lives."

In the corner, Bill was listening to Mr. Atkins. Earlier he had 
approached elderly gentleman and asked, "How are you enjoying 
the wedding?"

"Mi-tee fine. I'z proud tha' Jerry tho'ght ta' 'vite me," replied Mr. 
Atkins.

"My Dad was very pleased that you chose to accept the invitation," 
said Bill struggling to understand the words of the elderly man. His 
accent and ancient dialect made it tough. "He respects you a lot."

Mr. Atkins had looked at Bill for a moment and then asked, "Are 
ya jealous o' Abe and da' relationship he has wit' ya' dad?"

"Nah. Abe's our friend. He and Dad joke around. We all have a 
good time," answered Bill surprised by the question. He wondered 
why Mr. Atkins would think that he would be jealous of Abe. 

Mr. Atkins nodded with a smile on his face. He knew that lots of 
kids would consider his father having a friend their own age as 
competition for their attention. Putting a hand on the boy's 
shoulder, he directed him to a corner as he said, "Come wit' me, 
boy. I've got some dings ta learn ya."

"Sure," replied Bill wondering what Mr. Atkins could possibly 
want to tell him.

Seating himself in the corner, Mr. Atkins gestured to a chair and 
said, "Sit down."

"Okay."

"You'se a big boy and one day 'ell become a big man," said Mr. 
Atkins. Noticing the look that Bill gave him, he clarified his 
statement. "Physical big. Bein' big means that ya'll be physical 
powerful. Wit' power, comes responsibilities."

The one word that rang clear in his short speech was the word 
'responsibilities.' At that, Bill sat up and paid closer attention. 
Nodding, he said, "Yes, sir."

"Ya' gotta learn ya-self some contr'l. Can't git mad. Can't git 
angered. Gotta sta' cool. Folk 'ell look to ya fer lead-r-ship. A 
leader got ta be betta' en da rest. Gotta," said Mr. Atkins. The old 
man frowned and continued, "When I's a kid, life was tuff. Re-al 
tuff, boy. Daddy dun got hung by dem KKK boys. Saw dem boys 
do it. Sheet, I was mad. Tw'ernt e'en ya age, boy. Couldn't e'en do 
a damned ding 'bout it."

"Shit," said Bill.

"Late-a, Momma dun got raped by sum white men. I's furi-us 'bout 
dat. Couldn't do a damned ding 'bout it. Day'd a hung me lik' my 
dadda," said Mr. Atkins.

Eyes wide open, Bill listened to the old man. He couldn't imagine 
living through the things described by Mr. Atkins. Shaking his 
head, Bill asked, "What did you do?"

"Shit. Nutin' I culd do," admitted the old man. He sighed and said, 
"Latta, I got angered. Hated fuckin' white men. I's jus' a lil' boy, 
but talked big. Afore long, lots a color'd folk look'd ta me for lead-
r-ship. I led 'em. Cause a me, lots of dem got hurt. Summa dem 
were kilt, 'cause a me. A leader gotta be da' best and boy, I weren't 
da best."

"You're a good leader. Everyone looks up to you," said Bill 
knowing how people in the neighborhood felt about Mr. Atkins.

"Twern't back den. No sir-ee. Learnt o'er time what it meant ta be a 
leader. Learnt dat ya' can't git mad. Learnt ya gotta keep contr'l. 
Ya' gotta learn ta th'nk furst 'bout dem dat foller ya," said Mr. 
Atkins. He looked at Bill expecting the young man to say 
something. When the young man didn't say anything, he added, 
"Nows yo'se da young buck dat folks gonna be lookin' at ta lead 
'em. Ya gonna be da big man."

"I don't think of myself as a leader. I'm just a kid, sir," said Bill. 
The idea that people would be looking to him as a leader was 
rather scary. He wasn't sure that he was up to it.

"Ain't a leader, yet boy," said Mr. Atkins, "Not time fer ya, yet. Ya 
will be, tho'."

"So what should I do?"

A smile broke over Mr. Atkins' face at the question. It only 
confirmed what he already knew about the young man. He 
answered, "Ya listen ta' ya' Daddy and ta' Henry. Listen 'n learn, 
boy."

"I already do that, sir," replied Bill confused by the answer.

"Yessir, I kno's ya do. I bin watchin' ya. Ya jist didn' know why," 
replied the old man. He winked and said, "Now, ya knos why ya 
sh'uld do it."

"I'm going to have to think about this," said Bill. He felt as if he 
were missing something important. He glanced in the direction of 
his father and decided that he was going to talk to him about this 
conversation.

"I like Abe. He's a good boy. Got a mo'th on 'im tho," said Mr. 
Atkins pointing in the general direction of the young black man. 
He looked at Bill and said, "I talk'd to ya, but not Abe. He's a good 
boy, but he's na' ready. He's two year elder dan ya, ba' not ready. 
He talks too much, but he's learnin' to lis'en. Gettin' close to time 
fer 'im, but not yet. Ya' 'lready know ta listen. Good leader gotta 
watch, listen, an' learn."

Bill thought about what Mr. Atkins had said. Bill liked Abe, but 
wondered why Mr. Atkins felt that Abe wasn't ready to become 
responsible and accept a leadership position within the community. 
Bill frowned and said, "Abe's got a different style. He listens and 
learns. He recognizes good advice and follows it. He's a leader 
though. No one else in his school has a motorcycle, but he does. 
Others are thinking about doing the same. Sure, he might play a 
joke occasionally, but they're never mean and diffuse the tension."

Mr. Atkins smiled and patted Bill on the shoulder. He said, "Ya's 
right. Pro'ly time fer me ta talk ta 'im. I'm proud a ya."

A few minutes later, Bill left the corner thinking about all the 
things that Mr. Atkins had told him. He was sure that he missed a 
lot of what the man was trying to tell him. It was a shame that it 
was so hard to understand what the man was saying. 

The first person he ran into was Henry. The big man bent down 
and asked, "Did he have the talk with you?"

"Yes, sir," answered Bill. Still feeling a little confused by all that 
the old man had told him, he added, "I'm not sure that I understood 
it all."

"I know what you mean, but you'll think about it. One day, you'll 
wake up and realize that you got it," replied the big man with a 
chuckle. Almost like a switch getting flipped, Henry got very 
serious. "Less than a dozen people in our neighborhood have 
gotten that speech. I'm one of them. He only tells people about 
leadership when he's positive that they will become leaders. He 
expects great things from you. We all will expect great things from 
you."

"What did I do?" asked Bill wondering why he had been singled 
out.

"It's not so much what you've done, but the kind of person you've 
become. I expect he'll be talking to Abe soon," said Henry with a 
grin. He looked over at Martin and wondered if Mr. Atkins would 
ever have the talk with him. Martin had never shown much 
promise until Jerry had taken him under his wing. Now, the kid 
was already a leader. Henry decided that it didn't matter if Mr. 
Atkins ever gave him the talk. In a way, he had already 
acknowledged Martin when he included him in getting rid of the 
drug house.

"I can't say," said Bill looking over at Abe and recalling the last 
thing the old man had told him. A good leader knows when to say 
nothing. 

Henry patted him on the shoulder and said, "Go join him. I'm sure 
that he's about talked the ears off your grandparents."

Laughing, Bill went over to the table to join Abe and his 
grandparents. He sat down and joined in the discussion about 
restoring motorcycles and automobiles. It wasn't long before they 
were talking about the cars his grandfather thought were classics. 
The boys enjoyed hearing about the impressions the cars made 
upon people when they were first introduced to the public. 

Jerry went around the room returning frequently to Jenny for a 
hug, touch, or a kiss. He felt like a comet in orbit around the sun. 
He could put some distance between him and her, but he kept 
coming back to be close to her. He loved her so much. It was on 
one of those orbits around Jenny that he noticed Melissa sitting 
alone. He went to join her. Sitting down, he asked, "How are you 
doing?"

"I'm fine," answered Melissa without much conviction. 

"You look sad," commented Jerry. He put an arm around and held 
her close. 

"I watch you and her together and I think… Well, I think it's like 
some kind of love story movie. That woman used to tell me that 
those kinds of movies were fiction. She'd tell me that people don't 
love each other like that," explained Melissa. She looked across the 
room at Jenny and saw how happy she looked. 

Jerry didn't say anything. He just hugged her closer to him and let 
her continue her thoughts. Jenny had told him there were times 
when a hug was worth a thousand words. He hoped this was one of 
those times.

"I worry that I'm not going to ever be as happy as Jenny is," said 
Melissa admitting her greatest worry. 

Jerry hugged her tighter and then whispered, "Melissa, you're 
going to meet a handsome young man one of these days and you'll 
glow with happiness."

"You think so? You don't think I'm just like that woman?" asked 
Melissa. Her lower lip quivered as she asked the second question.

"No. You aren't like her. Despite all of her efforts to turn you into a 
carbon copy of her, she failed. You're Melissa, an attractive young 
woman with a mind of her own. Don't ever forget that," said Jerry. 
He looked over her head, rubbing her back as she cried against his 
shoulder. 

When they announced that it was time for the food to be served, he 
walked over to the table leading a much happier Melissa on his 
arm. He took his place at the head table next to Jenny. Melissa sat 
next to him and patted his shoulder as she said, "Thanks Daddy."

"My pleasure. What are Dad's for?"

From the other side of Melissa, Bill piped up, "Increasing our 
allowances?"

Realizing that her father wanted to spend a moment with Jenny, 
Melissa winked and then started talking to Bill about what 
constituted a fair allowance. Jerry smiled and turned to face his 
bride. Gazing at her, he said, "I love you so much that it hurts."

"Hurts? Sounds horrible," said Jenny with a grin. With a voice 
laden with false concern, she batted her eyelashes and suggested, 
"Maybe I ought to turn into a horrible witch so that you'll hate me. 
That way it won't hurt."

Jerry laughed and replied, "Don't. I enjoy the pain too much."

She leaned over and kissed him. The kiss removed the rest of the 
world from Jerry's consciousness. By the time they broke the kiss, 
plates of food had been set in front of them. With a lover's sigh, he 
said, "I love you."

"I love you too."

He rested an elbow on the table and then rested his chin in his 
palm. Looking over at her, he said, "I can't believe that we're 
married."

She wiggled her left hand, giggled, and then said, "I believe it. I've 
got all the proof I need on this hand."

