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Maggie seemed a little relieved that at least she now knew what Charlie
knew. For Charlie, reasoned Maggie, was about the smartest person she ever met, and
if Charlie believed that incredible story, then it MUST be true.
"As long as I'm already up," sighed Charlie, getting up from the table,
"we might as well begin some of the preparations."
"Are we going to make a turkey?" asked Maggie, for the meal had originally
been scheduled as a small Thanksgiving party for the two couples.
"You're getting married, today!" laughed Charlie. "We won't have time!
Here's your to-do list. Make sure you've packed all the things you aren't taking
with you on your honeymoon. Jeff will be over before breakfast to take it to his
house, so be sure it's ready. The minister will be here at ten this morning and will
officiate the wedding ceremony in the living room. After a small reception, you and
your new family will drive to Los Angeles where you'll meet Jeff's parents for the
first time. Then you and Jeff drop off Debbie there, and go on your honeymoon."
"We have to be back by Monday morning," added Maggie, "because Jeff
has work."
"I'll begin fixing the reception meal, while you start packing," directed
Charlie, who was already on her way to the bathroom to first change.
Maggie went back to Charlie's bedroom where Vera was getting the sleep denied her
the night before. Quietly, the woman began to put the belongings that her Mom had
brought the day before Thanksgiving, into boxes. Maggie felt strange as she packed
away her old life, to begin a new one. The doll collection she had amassed over the
many years, now seemed unimportant to her. With the hope that perhaps Debbie, her
soon to be stepdaughter, would enjoy the menagerie, Maggie carefully bundled the
dolls into separate boxes and labeled them, "For Debbie." The idea that
she was soon going to be mother to a nine year-old, made Maggie joyous and intimidated
at the same time.
Then she spotted the old Dairy Cream hat she had been so fond of wearing. Maggie
had quit her job at Dairy Cream, so she could be a stay-at-home Mom. The Dairy Cream
job had not been a sacrifice, but Maggie hated to toss away the hat, so she placed
it into one of the boxes, for old time's sake.
As promised, Jeff arrived early, and loaded his car with Maggie's boxes. He smiled
when he saw the cartons labeled "For Debbie." There was no time for the
engaged couple to talk, for Maggie had to go back inside and start packing for the
honeymoon.
Since there was much to do, and little time to fix breakfast, everyone ate cereal,
and rushed off in different directions.
Vera went to the florist and returned with three arrangements of white flowers to
be placed about the living room. She also bought a small bouquet for Maggie to hold,
and a matching boutonniere for Jeff's lapel. Vera also stopped by the bakery and
picked out something that looked the closest to a wedding cake as possible.
"Do you have to do that in here?" Charlie asked Kevin, as he cleaned his
handgun on the living room table she and Vera had set up on one side of the living
room.
"I'm almost done," replied Kevin, finishing his task.
"Charlie?" called Maggie from the bedroom.
"I'm coming!" replied Charlie, going to the bedroom.
"What is this for?" asked Maggie, holding up a negligée that Charlie
had bought her on the shopping trip. "I don't remember buying this."
"Remember that talk we had this morning?" answered Charlie with a smile.
"Well, that goes with it."
"Oh," said Maggie, quickly becoming embarrassed.
At nine o' clock, Jeff and Debbie arrived at the Overholts' house. Jeff was dressed
in a rented tuxedo, while Debbie was very pretty in a pale yellow dress. Father and
daughter nervously took a seat on the living room couch while Charlie and Vera helped
Maggie dress in the bedroom. The minister came soon after, along with Adam, Bill,
and Martin Thompson, who was Jeff's closest buddy on the Twin Yucca Police force.
Maggie's wedding dress consisted of a white dress suit, with matching pumps and a
tiny spray of white baby's breath and tiny rosebuds that Charlie had fashioned from
one of the florist arrangements. This was clearly the most beautiful Charlie had
ever seen her. Gone was the baseball cap wearing woman who often waited at the bus
stop for a long lost brother she had never met. The one whom so many had ridiculed
as "Mad Maggie" was no longer the lonely outsider. Here stood Miss Maggie
Veronica Downen, soon to be Mrs. Jeff Erickson. |
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