Woodsworth's Scoop Part 16

I expected that Kelly had hired some striptease, and she did not fail. I had to admit the lady was a beauty, but she did not compare to my love. The rest of the dancers, though, left me laughing. Lee and John had hired the Queens to give me a dance. I had not laughed so hard in days. Still, when the party ended, I was glad to get home.

I showered and thought of the day to come and how my dreams were coming true. I thought of the vows I had to say and how I wanted my love to show in them. Then doubt started to enter my mind. I pushed it to the far back corners of my mind and found sleep to come quickly.

The next morning I woke up extremely early. I showered and went up to get me a cup of tea. It was 6 a.m., and I was already feeling my nerves take a toll. I stepped outside and had a smoke and hoped that Kelly was awake. I dialed her number and waited for her to pick up.

"Kelly, you awake?"

"I am now. What is going on?"

"I am doing the right thing, right?"

"Only you can answer that, but relax. It will be fine."

"Thank you! What time are you picking me up?"

"Well, we have to be on location at eight, so figured I would come get you at seven-thirty."

"Okay. I will let you go and finish getting ready. Thank you!"

"Anytime!"

With that, we hung up, and I began to finish getting my bag ready to load up. Kelly had agreed to play taxi to the airport. I was so thankful for her friends.h.i.+p. She had really helped to keep me in line over the years. I was truly blessed to have her in my life.

Seven-thirty came quickly, and Kelly was out honking the horn. I could not believe that we were headed over, and that this was actually all happening. I still could not shake my fears that maybe I wasn't making the right choice and hoped that, by the time of the ceremony, they would vanish.

"Still doing the worrying thing, huh?" Kelly asked as I got in. I knew my face was giving away all the signs to her.

"Yes, I am, and right now I do not want them getting in the way. I want this and know it is right. I just can't seem to get my mind to rest, though."

"Don't worry, Lexi. Everyone has pre-commitment jitters. It goes with the territory."

"Oh. Thanks!"

"Hey. That is what I am here for, right?" She teasingly said while slapping me on the shoulder.

"Yes, and it is why you are my best friend."

"If I don't get a chance to thank you later, please know that I am."

"Now, don't go getting all sentimental on me. We have known each other a long time, and I have never seen anyone make you so happy. Today will be good. You will see!"

We arrived at the park and found where everything was set up. I let Kelly stay as the minister, and I cleansed with sage and consecrated the grounds. It was a good feeling to bring in the Deities that I followed to the place where I was soon going to make my vows.

"Earth Mother, I acknowledge you here with us Bless this ceremony and know you are in my heart. Sky Father, you who is always above us, be with us now, and bless this ceremony. To the s.h.i.+ning ones, I call to you! Join us and bless this day of commitment. Nature spirits all around, be with us, and help us celebrate! And Ancestors of Jennifer and myself, be with us and bless us as we share our love in spoken words!"

Maxine made her own calls and blessings, and soon the place felt perfectly relaxed. I had a few moments just to feel the peace before everyone else started arriving. The time alone this day was welcomed, and I was glad that Maxine did not push to talk again about the arrangement and whether or not I was ready for all it entailed. I wasn't sure how I would answer her.

Soon Trey, the kids, and my parents arrived. They all looked stunning! John David even wore a tie! The girls were so beautiful in their dresses. I was amazed. I was also amazed at how beautiful the site looked. The team that Jennifer and my mother had hired really out did themselves.

emselves

My father pulled me away, and I was not sure why. He had a big grin on his face, and I just knew that he was up to no good. He walked us far away from everyone and, for the first time, I saw something that I had never seen before in my life. Tears streamed down his face. He then reached into his pocket and handed me a pocket watch.

"This was your grandfather's watch. He received it on his wedding day from his father and pa.s.sed it down to me on mine. Now I pa.s.s it down to you. May it bring you as much luck as it has me over the years. Remember, whenever you get into arguments, to pause and take time away. This watch will remind you to do so."

"Thank you, Dad. I will cherish it."

"Are you okay? Need anything?"

"I am nervous, and all these fears have been building up in me since last night."

"That is normal. I almost ran three times the day I married your mother. My father threatened to put lead in my shoes so I could stay put."

"Really? I never knew that. How did you cope? How did you push them aside?"

"I reminded myself that no one else in the world made me as happy as your mother and that if it were not right, then something would have happened to drive us apart before the day of the ceremony. I also reminded myself that my father would kick my b.u.t.t for not following through. And I have never regretted marrying your mother one day of our lives."

"Thank you, Dad. Jennifer really does make me happy. But did the fear ever leave?"

"Yes, three beers into the reception. The ceremony itself I sweated all the way through. Then, when it was done, I still could not relax. It was mostly a blur, and I don't even know what I said. Your mother cried and said she loved me. I asked her one time what I said, and she could not remember. She just knew that I had spoken from the heart."

"This does help to know. Think I could have a shot of something beforehand?"

"That would be a big fat no! You, my dear, have to do this sober. There will be time later to get a drink, but for the ceremony, you have to have a clear head--even if it will be a blur later. I love you, and you will do fine!"

"I love you too!"

We walked back to rejoin everyone. The photographer had arrived and was getting set up to start the pictures as we agreed to do some first and some afterwards. The bridal party was going to go first and then the bachelorette party. After that would be separate family shots and shots with the minister.

Everyone kept me from seeing Jennifer, and I was going nuts. I just knew that, if I had a chance to talk to her, my fears would go away. That chance never came, though. I just had to deal with them myself. I prayed and prayed that things would ease up and that I would get past it.

Finally it was time to get in our places. I then had a new thought. Run! I wanted to run as fast as I could. Even though this was what I wanted, every fear became real to me. My heart pounded, and I could not control my sweats. I a.s.sumed that this is what my father had talked about.

Maxine started the ceremony and was speaking of how we had gathered to join Jennifer and me together in love. She said that, though this relations.h.i.+p was a polyamorous one, its vows were still as important as any other's. I found myself zoning and hoping that soon my starburst beauty would be walking up the aisle as we had written out the ceremony with Maxine to make it a little less traditional and incorporate the uniqueness of our family.

My wait was not long. There she was. The music started, and she walked toward me. She looked amazingly beautiful. I still could not face the running feeling inside me. There was everything that I ever wanted in one woman, and at this moment--this time of joy--I wanted to run.

Maxine asked the question, "Who gives this woman?," and my heart stopped, waiting for the answer. I feared that Trey would decide not to share her at the last minute. I longed to have her beside me and didn't want anything to get in the way.

"I do not give Jennifer to Lexi, but I share her with Lexi. Her children and I share Jennifer."

With that, my beautiful starburst beauty left his side and came to mine. Her smile warmed my soul. Her beauty was radiant. I felt my heart swell with the love that I had for her, yet there was still a part of me that told me to run.

I had time still to run, didn't I? I had no idea what I was going to do, but I knew soon we would get to the vows, and I had to make a choice. Do I run and hurt my love, or do I stay and wait for the feeling to leave me? And when I looked in her eyes, my answer was easy, I stay. I stay with my starburst beauty and start a new voyage of love!

Note to the readers:.

If you find your love is married, pray that they be poly!.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR.

Grace Nolen is a polyamorous polytheistic pagan. She is the author of several nonfiction earth-based spiritual articles. Woodworth's Scoop is her first fiction novel and a story that holds close to her heart.

Heteros.e.xual monogamous romance stories abound. h.o.m.os.e.xual and bis.e.xual monogamous fiction is gaining in popularity. But what about the nation's more than 500,000 polyamorous individuals? Where can they find fiction that portrays a worldview with which they can identify? Nolen's novel fills this gap in the existing romantic literature.

When not working on her cutting edge fiction, Grace is pursuing her career as a business administrator for a local clinic and enjoying photography or joining her partner in the garden. Grace more often though can be found actively improving her craft as a member of various online writers' groups on such as the page on Facebook fon Facebor Gay and Lesbian fiction. Grace Nolen lives on the Gulf Coast with her wife of two years, her wife's primary husband, and their collective large amount of children.

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