12/23/05 Wedding Rehearsal Day
The morning dawned with gray clouds on the horizon and the sun made a valiant attempt to peak through the clouds that were gathering. There was a bit of a chill in the air and there was a heavy dew on the ground.
Beep...beep...beep...beep. The alarm broke the silence of the room. Elaine stretched after hitting the snooze button and laid back in the middle of the queen sized bed in Lance's room. They had purchased a new bed several weeks before because Lance's back was bothering him and Elaine thought a new mattress would be good for him. And, a new bed for them to start their married life together would work well, too. Lance had said how much he loved the down pad and how much better his back felt. She snuggled down into the bed and smiled at the lingering scent of Lance's after shave on the sheets. Oh, he smelled so good. How she wanted to feel his arms around her right now.
She was about to doze off to sleep with sweet thoughts of Lance on her mind when the alarm started beeping again. As she reached to hit the button again, she heard a soft knock at the door. After pulling the sheets up over her, she called for whoever it was to come in.
The door opened slowly and a hand holding a cup of coffee moved into the room followed by a bare arm and then a green-eyed, blonde wonder that just took her breath away standing there in gray sweats and a white wifebeater. "I bring a peace offering to start your day," chuckled Lance, "but it looks like the alarm beat me to it."
She grinned at him evilly, "And what would you have done if I weren't awake yet?"
Lance sat on the side of the bed and put the cups of coffee on the night stand and then turned to her. "I would have done this," he said as he leaned in to her and gently kissed her cheek and then her forehead, then her ear and then her neck. The smell of her perfume was intoxicating and his head began to spin.
Her arms wrapped around him and she pulled him down to her as she laid back on the bed. "We have a pretty comfortable bed here Lancelot. Come join me?"
Lance laid on top of the covers and wrapped his arms around her and pulled her to him. They just held one another for a while and then her fragrance started getting to him. He kissed her neck and her ear and her face and finally his lips found hers and they ever so softly caressed each other's. She rolled toward him to where he was laying back on the bed now as her hungry mouth sought his and her tongue massaged his in a flurry of open kisses.
His arms held her and she rocked against his body and she could feel him against her. Just as she went to move closer to him, the alarm sounded again and Lance's hand slipped and brushed across her chest. The brief sensation they both felt was electrifying and when he had turned the alarm off and turned back to her, he looked at her with a hunger in his eyes. "I'll be so glad when I can lay with you UNDER these covers and hold you close to me all night long. When I can look into your eyes and make you all mine for all eternity. Sugar Bear, I love you so much it hurts. I love you so much that when you're away from me, I don't feel whole. Baby, you complete me."
Elaine was swept away by the words he spoke and especially the look in his eyes. She touched his face with her hand and traced his lips with her fingers. Her mouth soon followed with a simple kiss. When she looked into his eyes again, they were filled with an all encompassing love. "I can't wait to be yours completely. To be held in your arms and to hold you in mine. To feel your love and to know it is what I want more than anything. Lance, I love you more today than I ever have in my life, but, I know it's less than I'll love you tomorrow."
Lance was overcome with her honesty and sincerity. "Oh God, I'm truly a blessed man." He pulled her close to him and engulfed her with kisses as his hands rubbed up and down her back.
Elaine looked into Lance's dreamy green eyes, and tried to move closer to him, but the sheet held her down. "Lance, come under the covers with me. Please?"
At first, Lance hesitated, then he got up and lifted the sheet to crawl in next to her. He saw that she had on boxers and one of his very worn white wifebeaters. Her excitement was evident and he thought how much he wanted her. 'Three days Lance and this will be real' he thought. 'Just keep it together 3 more days.'
Elaine held her arms out to Lance and he slipped under the sheet and into her waiting arms. They held each other and he could feel her tremble next to him. As his hands rubbed up and down her back, he realized just how thin the wifebeater was. Elaine was snuggled in close to him and her hands rubbed on his chest. She planted kisses on his neck and shoulders as she raised up to look into his face.
Lance was panting at this point and the look of passion in his eyes was undeniable. She leaned in and kissed his Adam's apple and wrapped her arms around him and suddenly pulled him over to where he was almost on top of her.
Lance was shocked to see where he was and looked into Elaine's face and could not believe what he saw.
On her face was an evil grin and she slid her hands down his back and to his butt. Looking him square in the eye, she took her right hand and smacked his left butt cheek and then she proceeded to tickle his sides.
Lance suddenly realized he had been had. 'Well, two can play at this game' he thought and he began tickling her and got his arms around her and rolled over to where she was laying on top of him. She finally got to where she could sit up on his stomach and when she did, Lance stopped tickling her and just stared at the vision before him, licking his lips as he did so.
Elaine's hair was like a wild woman's and she was panting for breath. Her chest rose and fell at a rapid rate and Lance saw just how excited their little tickle fest had made her. His hands held onto her on either side of her stomach. They started to caress upward and Elaine trembled at his touch.
Suddenly, she became aware of where Lance's gaze fell and she looked and finally realized this had been so wrong of her to do. She jumped up off the bed and ran to the bathroom. Lance was left wondering what had happened.
Lance leaned up on his elbow and was confused. What had he done to make her so upset? He got up from the bed and went to the bathroom door. He was about to knock when he heard the soft sobs of his Sugar Bear. It broke his heart to hear her cry and he wanted to ease both their pain as quickly and as gently as possible.
"Elaine?" he called softly at the door. He got no answer and he called her name again, getting a faint reply the second time. "Can I come in?" he asked hopefully.
"I want you to, but..."
"But what? What's wrong Sugar?" There was a long pause before he heard a small click, which he assumed was Elaine unlocking the door. He opened it slowly and slipped in to find Elaine sitting on the side of the bathtub wearing her bathrobe wrapped tightly around her. Her head was down and she was slightly ashamed of what she'd done, but Lance just couldn't see the problem. He walked over and kneeled in front of her, trying to search for her eyes to make some sort of contact.
"Elaine..." he said softly. Her gentle sobs began to increase and she leaned forward and hugged him with all the energy she had.
"Why is this so hard?" she cried into his shoulder. Lance didn't need to ask her what she was talking about...he knew.
"I know baby," he soothed, "I know it's hard for both of us. But just think, we've waited this long...we've been so strong and managed to get through the tough times. Don't you see that?" Elaine nodded against his shoulder and pulled back gently to wipe her tears away.
"I'm just...I want...it..."
"Don't worry," Lance said. "Just say it. You can tell me anything." Lance's comforting voice gave Elaine a new found strength and confidence, which she used to help her speak her mind.
"You know that I love you with all my heart and soul and I want to give myself to you in the worst way. It's so hard to have you so close to me, but sometimes, it feels like you're not close enough. I'm trying so hard to keep my promise to God, you and myself. But the way that you looked at me just then, it...it..."
Lance felt so bad. "I'm sorry if I made you feel uncomfortable," Lance apologized. "I certainly didn't mean to offend you like that. It's just that I saw a vision before me...a vision of beauty...you. I couldn't help but..."
"Really?" Elaine whispered disbelievingly.
"Really. Come with me." Lance stood up and pulled her up as well. He moved her to the mirror in the room and stood her in front of it while he stood behind her and spoke softly, but convincingly to her ear.
"Do you want to know what I see in that mirror? I see a beautiful young woman whom I have grown to love and cherish more than anything on this earth.
You have an amazing soul, a wonderful personality, a kind and generous heart, which everyone, especially me, can see just by looking at you. You are truly an angel on earth and I'm so glad He put you here for me."
Slowly, Lance moved his hands from her shoulders down her arms and to her hands that clutched to hold her bathrobe closed. He tried to get her to open the robe but she looked down and clutched it together even tighter.
Lance gently turned her around to face him. He cupped her face with his hands and with his thumbs, he wiped away the remaining tears from her cheeks and placed a gentle kiss on her forehead. "I love you Elaine, and nothing or no one will ever change that."
His hands gently pulled at the robe to open it and he continued to look deeply into her eyes. "No matter how I look at you, remember that I'm lookin' at the beauty I see IN you and I admire your beauty because it come from within you, here," he said as he gently placed his hand over her heart.
Elaine was so moved by his genuine words that tears of happiness began to flow. "Oh Lance, if I am beautiful in your eyes, it's because I'm loved by you, and that is something I thank God for every single day."
Lance stepped back and slipped the robe from her shoulders and looked at her body admiringly. "Beauty such as yours should never be hidden. Not flaunted, but not hidden. Yours is an innocent beauty that is far sexier than anything that is flaunted openly."
They moved toward each other and he gathered her into his arms. He placed gentle kisses on her lips and gently probed with his tongue and finally, when she allowed him in, he gave her the most awesome kiss she had ever received.
Lance managed to grab the cups of untouched coffee from the night stand and slip out of his room and downstairs before his parents came down. Stacy was down the stairs not long after Lance got to the kitchen. "Morning, baby brother. You've been up for a while haven't you?" she asked with a grin on her face. "How was sleeping on the couch?"
"Rough on my back, but that won't be for long. Why?"
"Oh I just thought you decided to sleep on that new bed instead, since I heard you in your bathroom this morning," she giggled.
Lance looked at her sternly, "I didn't sleep in my room last night. And what makes you think you heard me in my bathroom?"
"For a guy who was a whiz in science, you sure have forgotten how much porcelain conducts sound. I could hear you and Elaine this morning. You didn't try to get her to...you know? Did you?"
Lance was shocked that his sister would think such a thing. "NO! We didn't do anything." Stacy and Lance had always shared things and he told her what had happened. Then he told her why he had initially taken the coffee up to their room. He wanted to prepare her for the events that hopefully would be taking place that morning. "But I never got that far. In fact, the coffee was untouched as well."
"Oh Lance, I hope you did the right thing in going to talk to her father."
"Stace, I had to do something. She has done so much for me. If I could just give her this one wish..." The morning had already been emotionally draining and now this.
Stacy put her arms around her brother and gave him a hug. "I'll be praying for all four of you."
"Four?" Lance looked puzzled. "It's Elaine, me and her Dad."
Stacy shook her head, "No little brother, four. You forgot about Gwen. What is this going to do to her?"
Lance looked as though he had been kicked in the gut. "Oh my God. I never thought about what this would do to her. Oh Lord!" Lance was stressing now.
"I would never do anything to hurt her. She's like a second Mom to me, and Stace, that's not the worst of it. I've hired him to work for us in Security. I offered him a job he could be proud of so that he would feel that Elaine could be proud of him."
Stacy stood and watched as her brother slowly fell apart. "Lance, maybe it won't be that bad. Maybe if you talk to her before he shows up and explain your motives, she'll understand."
"You're right Stacy. I'll go talk to her right after breakfast and before he shows up."
After breakfast, Lance excused himself to go to talk with Gwen. Elaine and the girls were finishing up everything for the rehearsal that night and all the people that were coming in from back home.
Lance knocked on the door of the guest house and Gwen answered. "Come on in sweetie. What can I do for my future son-in-law?"
Lance had Gwen to sit down at the table so he could fill her in on what he had done. When he was done, Gwen looked as though she were going to cry. Lance was beside himself. "Mama, I am so sorry if this is hurting you in any way. I honestly thought of no one BUT Elaine and her wish to have her father here. Please forgive me for not considering your feelings in this."
Gwen looked at Lance and thought how lucky her daughter was to have a man willing to do anything for the woman he loved. "Lance, I'll get through this and I love you for lovin' my girl the way that you do. I hope and pray that she knows just how special you are. Please just be there for her. Don't let her face him alone."
"I will be right by her side Mama, I promise," he said as they gave each other a hug of encouragement.
As the plane circled Orlando International Airport, Walter fidgeted with his bag strap and constantly looked out the window. Once he had made up his mind to take Lance up on his offer of a job in Security and called to accept, he had been having second thoughts. Walter had to admit Lance was a fine young man and he was proud of the choice his daughter had made for a husband.
Lance had made quite an impression on him when they met. He liked the fact that Lance stood up to him and didn't back down when it came to Elaine. In fact, he didn't think he could have picked anyone better for his daughter. 'His daughter,' that had such an unusual sound. There was so much to make up for. Would he ever be able to make her understand why he had done what he did? He didn't want her to be ashamed of her father. As Lance so bluntly put it, "you didn't even give her the choice of whether to be ashamed or not."
Lance had been right about a lot of things. He had to admire his future son-in-law, he was more of a man than he had been. He had been a coward walking out on Gwen and their child, and he had been an even bigger jerk questioning Elaine's paternity. This cut right through Gwen when he questioned whether he was Elaine's father or not. 'I was so cruel to her when all she ever did was love me,' Walter thought.
The announcement came over the speaker that they were finally getting ready to land and Walter tightened his belt and sat back. 'Oh Lord, help me to make her understand' he silently prayed.
As Walter came off the plane, he spotted a big black guy standing against the wall. He walked over and introduced himself and asked, "I'm Walter, are you Wes?"
Wes smiled and shook hands with the man that Lance had told him was a new member of Security for FreeLance and Elaine's father. They walked down to baggage claims and picked up the bags that Walter had brought with him. The rest of his things would be shipped in a few days to the house in Orlando. They placed the bags in the van and Wes drove Walter to the Tux Shop to be fitted for a tux for the wedding.
When the fitting was done, they headed toward Lance's house. When Wes pulled up to the gate at Lance's property, Walter looked around and took in all that he could see. "Is this all Lance's property?" he asked Wes.
"Yeah, pretty big spread out here. It took Lance a while, but he finally acquired several pieces of property around him so that he could have the room for horses and other animals. A little country among the trappings of the city."
They drove up the drive way and soon, Walter could see the house. It was beautiful. He had never seen anything like it. It was the perfect country home. He could see another large house in back and assumed that was the guest house where Gwen now lived.
Gwen. He hadn't thought of her in a while for any longer than to address the envelope to her each month and make a check out to her for their daughter's support. If he were totally and completely honest, he would have to admit that she was the best thing that had ever happened to him and he was a fool for ever walking out on her and Elaine.
Wes pulled up to the front of the house and parked. They got out of the car and walked up to the front door. Wes opened the door and held it open for Walter to come in. They stood for a moment in the foyer and Walter looked around. Suddenly, he heard laughter and girls voices and three girls came through from one room to another.
Walter was partially hidden behind Wes when they came through and Wes asked where Lance was. "He's in the study Wes," Elaine said as she continued through the other room.
"Wait here and I'll be right back." Wes went to get Lance and Walter stood there wiping the sweat from his face. That had been his daughter and she didn't even know him. Then again, who was to blame for that?
At the sound of a door opening, Walter turned and saw Wes coming back with Lance right behind him. Lance reached for Walter's hand to shake it and he asked how his flight was and then he noticed that Walter was nervous. "What's wrong Walter?"
"Elaine just went through here," he rambled, "and she didn't even know it was me here. Maybe I shouldn't be here, maybe I should leave before she sees me."
Walter turned to leave and then he heard her voice again. "Lance, honey I didn't know we had company."
Lance went to Elaine's side and put his arm around her waist and pulled her close to him. "Baby, I have someone for you to meet," Lance said as he guided her over to the man with his back to them.
Walter wanted to bolt out the door, but he saw Gwen coming around the path to the front door, so he was trapped. He slowly turned around and faced his daughter. She extended her hand to him and stepped forward. "Hi, I'm Elaine, Lance's fiancee." She looked at the man with a curious look, as though she knew him from somewhere.
About that time, Gwen came through the front door and when she saw him all she could saw was "Wally!" Everyone just stood and stared at what was happening.
Walter just stood there looking at Elaine, taking in the total and complete beauty before him. His little girl had grown up, she was now a young lady, soon to become a married woman.
Lance finally stepped up beside Elaine, who still stood there with her hand extended toward this man, and he wrapped his arms around her to support her. "Sugar Bear, this is your father." He could feel her body give a little and he was glad that he had put his arms around her or she would have collapsed.
"My...father?...He's...my...father?" She was in a state of shock. Then suddenly as if what Lance had said, registered in her brain, she ran to her father and put her arms around his neck and hugged him.
Walter stood there not knowing hardly what to do. Slowly, his arms encircled Elaine and he closed his eyes and hugged her to him. There was a contentment in holding his daughter in his arms that gave him so much peace, but then again he felt such a loss and emptiness. He had lost all those years with her growing up. He had missed all the fun and excitement of watching her become the woman he held in his arms right now. This sudden realization hit him and hit him hard. His head lowered to her shoulder and he sobbed at his loss.
Rickii, Lynne and Wes walked out to the kitchen to leave the four members of this little family alone. Gwen walked over and stood beside Lance. Years of yearning for her daughter to be able to have a relationship with her father being finally realized. Tears flowed freely in that foyer at that moment.
Lance put an arm around Gwen and reassured her everything was alright. After a few minutes, Lance went to Elaine and Walter and told them to go in his study and talk. He wanted them to talk everything out between them. The problems would be handled by them and them alone. Unsettled issues needed to be resolved on this day. He assured Elaine he would be in the kitchen if she needed him.
Elaine and Walter went into Lance's study and Lance took Gwen into the kitchen right next to it. They drank coffee and tea and Lance even took some in for Walter and Elaine after about an hour.
At one point, Elaine's voice could be heard loud above everything. Gwen was concerned so Lance went to check if everything was okay. He listened at the door and heard Elaine blasting her father for not being there for her or her Mom. It sounded like she was venting all of her pent up emotions she had been holding in for years. It sounded like to Lance that she was trying to cope with all the feelings he knew she must suddenly be feeling.
Whenever the voices would rise, he would check to make sure that everything was okay and come back to report to Gwen. In the meantime, he filled Gwen in on what had happened to Walter over the last several years. She was visibly shaken when she heard that he tried to commit suicide. "Oh Lance, I think sometimes that I've had it so hard, but then there are others who have had it worse than me. I would never have wished that on him. Granted, there were times I wanted to kick his butt for not being here, but, I would never have wanted that to happen."
"I know that Mama. You aren't like that." He looked at his watch and it was almost two. "I hope these two are done soon. We got a rehearsal to get ready for."
Gwen went ahead and left to check on the caterers who were starting to filter in for the rehearsal dinner that night. And, the bus from home had arrived and she needed to show everyone where to put their bags and things. Lance waited and waited and waited.
Finally, the hour was getting late and he went to the study door and knocked. He heard Elaine call for whoever to come in. The door opened slowly and he found Elaine and her father sitting on the couch. "How's it going?" asked Lance.
Elaine jumped up and ran to Lance and gave him a big hug. She looked at him and smiled. "I love you and I am the luckiest woman on the face of this earth. Thank you Lance for making my wish come true."
Lance, Elaine and Walter walked out to the kitchen and she introduced Walter to her best friends. She then asked Walter how he managed to get there and he told her that Lance had found him and offered him a job and he would be working Security for FLE.
Elaine was moved that Lance did all this for her. She walked over to him and put her arms around his neck and proceeded to kiss him over and over. Lance pulled her close to him and just enjoyed the feel of her close to him.
Suddenly, Elaine thought of a million things all at once. "Lance, what about a tux for my Dad for the wedding? And shoes? And..."
Lance kissed her to shut her up and she looked at him with a bewildered look when he finished. "Sugar Bear, everything is taken care of. Don't worry, be happy."
"Yeah, Little One, your man has everything under control. On my way in from the airport, Wes and I stopped at the tux shop and a few other places and I pick everything up tomorrow."
Elaine turned to Lance, again. "Lancelot, what am I going to do with you?" she said raising her eyebrows in a wicked wiggle.
"Baby, I can think of a few things you can do in a couple of days," he whispered in her ear and gently licked and kissed her earlobe.
"Lance, we have a rehearsal to get ready for. I love you," and with that, she leaned in and kissed him long and hard.
Walter sat and watched Elaine with Lance and was transported back in time to a place that seemed foreign to him now. He recalled Gwen's soft lips touching his as Elaine's touched Lance's now. He thought of how much she had pleased him and how she always put him first. All he had done was TAKE! Gwen had only wanted to make him happy. That's all she ever wanted. She had been in what had become a loveless marriage. She had been mentally and verbally abused. Her self esteem had been zilch. He took advantage of that and used it to his own end.
There was a lot to be done to make up for all the hurt and pain he had caused. He wanted his daughter to be proud of him and he needed to make so much up to so many people.
Before they knew it, it was time for the rehearsal and Elaine knew there would be some trouble when her brothers realized that her Dad was there. They had been looking forward to walking her down the path to Lance. But now, her Dad was here to do it.
Around 6:30, everyone started gathering back at the tents for the rehearsal. Elaine was watching for Wesley and Lee to arrive so that she could pull them aside and tell them there was a change of plans for the wedding. Unfortunately, she had to go take care of a problem with the dinner and Walter was standing there alone when they arrived.
Wes, being the hot head he was, went ballistic when he saw Walter and started a verbal assault on him. Lee was trying to get him to calm down, but he was angry too. Wes kept telling Walter to leave before Elaine saw him and when Walter told him she knew he was there, he went off on her and she wasn't even there.
People were starting to look at the spectacle that he was creating and Lance heard what was going on. He was determined that NOTHING was going to ruin this wedding, including his future brother-in-law being a jerk. Lance headed in the direction of the commotion that was happening. "What's going on here?" Lance inquired.
Walter looked like he wanted to hide. He was embarrassed for Elaine with how Wes was acting. "I'll just go back to the house," he said as he started to walk back.
"No you won't," said Lance. "Elaine wants you here and that is where you will be. As for you Wes and Lee, Walter is here because this was Elaine's dream that I wanted to make come true. They have talked and worked through things. Let it be. Do NOT, I repeat, DO NOT cause any more of a scene here tonight. Elaine WANTS her father to walk her down the path and so it shall be. She wants the two of you there for your Mom."
Wes and Lee were taken aback by Lance's forcefulness. They had never heard him so adament about anything except his love for Elaine and even that was not this forceful. Lance was usually so easy going and laid back that his outburst took them all by surprise, even Walter.
"But Lance..." Wes started.
"There are no buts here, Wes. I love your sister and she was praying and wishing for her father to be here for our wedding. I went and got him. If you want to get mad with someone, get mad with me."
"What about our Mom? What about her feelings here? Where is she anyway?"
"Your Mom was very much aware of this, she's the one who told me where I could find him. She told me to go for it. and Mama is over taking care of the caterers for the dinner and she doesn't need to be stressin' over you showing your butt here."
Wes and Lee looked at one another and then at Walter and Lance. About that time, Elaine came up and she was looking worried. "Is everything okay here?" she asked apprehensively.
Lance looked at Wes and Lee and they nodded okay. "Everything's perfect Sugar Bear. Nothing is going to spoil this wedding. Right boys?"
"Absolutely nothing will ruin this wedding," agreed Wes and Lee as they hugged their sister.
Pastor Jeremiah gathered everyone together to go over his "rules" for the wedding. He had spent sometime with Elaine and her father talking about their situation. He stressed the need for the conflict to be dealt with and all parties forgiven. "Elaine, you want to start your married life off with all the good you can muster and holding any resentment or other negative feelings will not help the situation."
"Pastor Jeremiah, I'm just so glad that my father wanted to come to my wedding, that he wanted to be a part of my special day. We're cool, Pastor, we're cool."
Walter was in amazement of his daughter and the generosity of her heart. He asked to speak with Pastor Jeremiah alone for a few minutes. They went off to themselves and Walter asked questions of Pastor Jeremiah that he welcomed to answer and share on.
"How can she have such forgiveness for me? Granted when we talked, she blasted me with some harsh realities, but, she turned right around and forgave me. How is she able to do that?"
"Because, Walter, she has the love of Jesus in her heart. Her Mom has done everything she could to instill good values in your daughter and by having her in church where she learned and found out about the love and forgiveness of a loving God, she has grown in that. She has accepted Jesus as her Lord and Savior. It's amazing the peace that can bring to a person's life. It's a peace that passes all understanding."
"Lord knows I haven't brought any peace to her life. Can we talk later?"
"You bet we can," offered Pastor Jeremiah.
As he gave out his instructions, Pastor Jeremiah thought ahead to the conversation he hoped to have with Elaine's father.
Everyone went through the rehearsal for the wedding three times. The only thing not done was what Lance and Elaine planned on saying to one another and they song Elaine would sing to Lance and the song Meredith would sing to Elaine with Lance chiming in on the choruses.
Lance prayed that the tracks that JC put down would work and that the arrangement Richard Marx had worked with Meredith would be all he wanted it to be. He was also keeping a close watch on Wes and Lee whenever they got anywhere near Walter.
When all was done, everyone moved to the tent for dinner. The guys of *N SYNC dished out their usual banter to Lance and a little to Elaine. They were afraid to dish out too much to her with her father there. "Come on guys, I know you can do better than this," she came back at them.
"Well Sissy, we would, but, we're not sure how your Dad would take what we hand out. We don't want him thinking ill of us."
Walter spoke up. "As long as I see Little One smiling, you won't have a problem with me."
"Little One?" asked Lance.
Walter looked down as he recalled the name he had called Elaine until he left. "Yeah, that's what I always called her before..."
Elaine reached over and put a hand on his shoulder to reassure him. He looked at her and saw the love and forgiveness in her eyes and still could not believe the goodness in his daughter. He must really talk further with Pastor Jeremiah.
There was music and dancing and Elaine and Lance started it off and were soon joined by the others. Gwen and Walter sat at the table watching their daughter dance with Lance. The couple held each other so close. It reminded Gwen of one dance that she and Walter had that was a night she would never forget.
Walter was watching his little girl be not so much a little girl. The way that she and Lance were dancing made him wonder just how close they were at times. But he had seen the interview on MTV and he believed her when she said that she would be a virgin on her wedding day. Gwen had done a good job raising Elaine alone, but he knew it could not have been easy.
About that time, Elaine walked over to Walter and asked him to dance with her and Lance asked Gwen to dance with him. They went out onto the floor and danced several dances together. Walter was chit chatting with her and finally spoke to her. "Elaine, I want you to know what a great job I think your Mom has done raising you. You are beautiful and so loving. It blows my mind."
"Well, might I suggest that you tell Mama that instead of me. I think she would really appreciate the reinforcement. Dad, she has been the best Mom a girl could ask for. I know she has sacrificed a lot for me, but she has loved me so much, too.
"It's obvious Little One. You are such an incredible young woman."
Again Elaine encouraged her father to talk to her Mother. About that time, Walter felt someone tap him on the shoulder and he turned and it was Lance to cut in on him and Elaine. They danced off leaving Walter and Gwen standing there.
About that time, an old song that Walter and Gwen had not heard in a long time came on, Percy Sledge's WHEN A MAN LOVES A WOMAN. They both looked at each other and could not believe it.
At the first chords of the song, Walter held out his hand to Gwen and tilted his head toward the dance floor in a silent plea to dance with him. At first, she hesitated, and then she thought 'why not, gotta get into practice for the day after tomorrow.'
As Gwen stepped into Walter's arms and rested her head against his shoulder, it was as if she had never left. A shiver ran down her spine as she inhaled his Polo after shave and the memories of long ago came flooding back. They made such an impact that she felt her legs go weak under her.
Walter felt the tremor that went through Gwen's body and felt her start to collapse and he held onto her for dear life. Oh God, how he had missed her and the feel of her in his arms. He had been so stupid to run away from her and their daughter. He was overcome by her all too familiar fragrance of Passion cologne, and he was bombarded with memories of the past.
As the song played on, Walter and Gwen fell into the familiar dance steps from long ago. While across the floor from them, Lance and Elaine watched in awe, the silent scream of love lost. Elaine watched as her Mom's hand gently caressed her father's back. And, then she watched as her father wrapped both arms around her Mom and held her close to him.
A tear rolled down Elaine's cheek. Lance saw it and pulled her closer to him. "What's wrong Sugar Bear?"
Elaine turned from looking at the older couple across the way and looked deep into the green orbs that were Lance's eyes. She never wanted to lose that connection she and Lance had to be able to read one another just by looking into each other's eyes. "I just hope we didn't do the wrong thing putting them together like that."
"Why would you think it would be wrong?"
"I may have been young Lance, but I can remember hearing this song everynight on into the night, but most of all, I remember hearing my Mama cry herself to sleep because my father had left. For a long, long time, I vowed I would NEVER fall in love with anyone because the pain I saw in my Mama's eyes was too much to bear. I didn't ever want to feel that kind of pain."
Lance looked over to Walter and Gwen and he prayed that Gwen was strong enough to hang in there. Then, he looked into Elaine's eyes. "What made you change your mind?"
Elaine looked deep into his eyes and smiled. "A certain green eyed, spiked hair, blonde from Mississippi changed my mind. He made me feel new and exciting things that I wanted to feel more of."
Lance's heart leaped to his throat. Then, he looked at Elaine and slowly leaned down to her lips and kissed them and then kissed them again. Finally, he gathered her close to him and pulled her so tight against him and devoured her lips. When he was done, she was totally breathless and could barely stand on her own.
After this, they looked back at her parents as they continued to dance, no talking, just holding each other close. In Gwen's mind, she wondered what in the world she was doing. And, in Walter's mind, he was thinking 'why did I ever leave?'
Everyone was happy and helped with carrying extra food into the house and mostly to the guest house for Gwen to have for all the people staying there. Walter spoke with Pastor Jeremiah and made plans to talk with him the next day. He also spoke to Lance about getting his tux and doing some shopping. Lance assured him anything he needed, Wes would take him to get the next day.
Walter was helping Gwen move some chairs into the guest house and they were under the tent when he looked over and saw Lance and Elaine walking through the garden looking at all the things that had been set up for the wedding.
They stopped and were talking to one another and Lance had his arms around her holding her so close, love flowing abundantly from his eyes to hers. "He really loves her, doesn't he?" asked Walter toward Gwen.
Gwen looked up in the direction Walter was looking. When she saw Lance and Elaine, she smiled. "Yes, Lance loves her more than life itself. He loves her with everything he has in him. When she was in the hospital after the shooting, he was constantly by her side. He would go home to shower and change and then he was back. He knew when Elaine 'left us' and immediately got up and started everyone praying and did not stop until he received word of what had happened. Yes, Wally, he loves her very much. She is his world and he is hers. She has loved him for so long. Their love is honest and pure and innocent."
"Gwen. You have done a wonderful job in raising her on your own. I know it wasn't easy and I am so sorry I ran out on you like I did."
Something inside Gwen snapped. "Are you Wally? Are you really? Are you sorry you missed the best years of your daughter's life? Are you sorry you missed all the responsibility?" Gwen turned and walked away before she said anymore.
Walter stood there and watched her walk away. Lance and Elaine had heard Gwen's voice rise as she berated Walter across the way and then, she walked away. "Oh no. Now what?" wondered Elaine. Then she saw her father go after her Mom.
