Slightly Married by Wendy Markham Page B

did I really just think that?
    Talk about inappropriate. I mean, Ashley and Beatrice are going to become my nieces. I shouldn’t think such negative thoughts about them…even if they are evil little devil children.
    “You know, I’m sure that if your priest wanted to fly down and perform the ceremony with Reverend Devern, he wouldn’t have a problem with that,” Wilma tells me unexpectedly. “Fortunately, the rules of our church are pretty flexible.”
    “Unfortunately, the rules of ours aren’t,” I say, as if that’s news to anyone. “I don’t think Father Stefan will go for our not getting married in the Catholic church. And my parents definitely wouldn’t, either.”
    Silence.
    Then Wilma smiles and says brightly, “You know, I really can’t wait to meet them, Tracey. I hope they’ll be able to come down for the engagement party.”
    “Engagement party?”
    “We’ll wait until the weather warms up so we can have it outside,” Wilma decides. “That’s what we did for the girls.”
    “Uh…Mom? My engagement party was in January,” Jeannie contradicts.
    “She’s right, it was, because I wore those Ralph Lauren boots Daddy got me for Christmas,” Emily points out helpfully.
    “ Was it January?” Wilma muses. “Huh. I must be thinking of Kathleen’s.”
    “Hers was in June. I remember because I had on that black Armani strapless dress,” says Emily. In case you haven’t noticed, she tends to recall special occasions strictly by her choice of personal attire.
    “Well, we can have your party in June, too,” Wilma tells me and Jack. “What do you think?”
    “Sure,” Jack says with a shrug. “Whatever. That sounds good.”
    “You really don’t have to throw us an engagement party, Wilma.” I can’t help but shudder a bit at the thought of my family traipsing down to Westchester to meet the Candells.
    For one thing, my parents are hardly world travelers. Their last actual trip was to Schenectady on a church bus trip to some shrine around there somewhere. I remember it because they got me a T-shirt that reads Schenectady: The City That Lights and Hauls the World, which is some ambitious motto, don’t you think?
    Needless to say, Mom and Pop haven’t visited me in New York since I moved here after college. Did I mention that they were absolutely crushed when I left Brookside? No one else in my family ever has. I’m sure they’re still thinking I’ll get over it and go back home where I belong.
    Of course, now that I’m marrying Jack, they’ll probably suspect that I might actually be here to stay…but that doesn’t mean they’ll approve. Or visit.
    What if Wilma goes to all the trouble of throwing an engagement party and my parents refuse to come?
    “Really,” I tell her, “it’s not necessary.”
    “Don’t be ridiculous, Tracey. Of course I’m going to throw you an engagement party,” she says as if it’s all settled. “I just wish we still had the house so we could have it there.”
    The sprawling family home in Bedford was sold after the divorce. Now Wilma lives in a condo community.
    “You really can’t host a big party at your place, Mom,” Jeannie points out.
    “I know, no worries, we’ll just have it at a restaurant,” she says briskly. “I’ve got it all under control.”
    Well, better that than the wedding itself, I tell myself.
    I’ll just have to try and convince my parents to get on a plane to New York in June—then make excuses to my future in-laws when they refuse.
    Meanwhile, Jack and I have to have a conversation about our actual wedding plans before his mother takes over.
    It’s ironic for me to even consider that possibility, because Wilma never struck me as the overbearing mother-in-law type.
    Not that she’s overstepped her bounds…yet. I mean, she’s probably just excited, wanting to help, like she said.
    But the sooner Jack lets her know that we’ll be getting married at Most Precious Mother in Brookside with a reception at