Deeply Personal

Chapter 47

“You don’t find love as much as you uncover it like a treasure”—Anonymous

Jessica

Jessica and Paul’s wedding took place on the Saturday over the Thanksgiving weekend. They all ran the Turkey Trot together—Paul, Lenny, Jessica, and even Haley. Jessica made it through to the end without a hitch and was sure to drink water along the way. Heart issues? She hadn’t had a problem in a long time. A better diet, very little alcohol, exercise, and the right medications had done the trick. As had stress relief. She meditated and did yoga five days a week, finding a local yoga class that she felt comfortable in. They had an incredible Thanksgiving dinner at Lenny’s and Haley’s—Jessica’s father, his wife and her two daughters, Pops and Gran, all bonded over the traditional fare.

Paul had flown down to Tampa, picked his grandparents up from The Harbors, and flown back with them to Nashville four days before the wedding. They stayed at Paul’s place, marveling how good it looked since the last time they’d visited. Paul proudly boasted of Jessica’s remodeling skills.

Jessica picked them up at the airport. Pops had lost one of his hearing aids along the way, which really riled him. “Can’t find the damn thing anywhere!” he’d growled. “I think the space aliens took it.” But Gran came to the rescue, finally finding it in his shirt pocket.

“Proud of you, son,” Pops said as they sat down for lunch at a deli near the airport a half-hour later. “We’re so glad you’ve finally settled down. For a while there, we didn’t think you had it in you.”

“For a while there, I didn’t think I had it in me either,” Paul said, and laughed.

“She’s lovely,” Gran said, touching Paul’s arm, staring at Jessica. “What do you do again, darling?”

“It’s interior design,” Paul said, speaking louder. “ Interior design .”

“Signs what?” Pops asked, leaning closer. “What did you say?”

“Interior design!” Paul repeated.

“Oh, hell, why didn’t you say that in the first place?”

Jessica and Paul exchanged looks and then both broke out in smiles.

They’d decided against having a rehearsal dinner. They just didn’t want the extra headache of planning one. And then came the day of the wedding. Jessica spent extra time meditating in the morning, rising with the sun. Kristen had stayed over the night before and helped her get ready in the morning. When the time came, together they drove to the wedding site at Travis Trillwell’s home, a huge estate in Leiper’s Fork, a massive colonial with a wrap-around porch and ancient oaks on the grounds. Rolling farmland stretched before them in all directions.

The ceremony took place in Travis’s massive high-ceilinged living room where glass doors looked out on a spacious backyard complete with a fountain and, beyond that, a lake where swans swam peacefully.

It was a simple wedding with about twenty-five people sitting on white folding chairs. A floral arrangement of baby daisy-like feverfew, cheerful button chrysanthemums, and elegant snap dragons adorned the center of a long table. One of Paul’s clients, Reverend Bill “Buck” Bristow, a completely jacked minister, did the officiating.

Her father walked her up the aisle, gave her away, and Jessica and Paul exchanged vows. Then they kissed.

The food at the reception was simple and healthy—appetizers, a variety of salads, and a buffet of grass-fed meats and organic vegetables and fruits. A variety of red and white wines were available for all.

Jessica and Paul greeted the guests: Tom and Alice Buchanan, who both looked ecstatic. Helen and her husband—Helen whispering in Jessica’s ear, “Just got a new account for a five-thousand-square-foot home in Green Hills. Very positive.”

“Great, Helen!” Jessica said. “Let Lynn handle it. She’s perfect for it.”

Missing the ceremony, but pulling up in a Rolls Royce for the reception nevertheless, was none other than Mrs. Worthmore herself, accompanied by her manservant, William. He was as stiff and unsmiling as always. Jessica had sent her an invitation and was amazed that she’d RSVP’d. Jessica was overjoyed to see her. There had been a gallery exhibit of Mrs. Worthmore’s art at the Frist Museum in Nashville, thanks to the photos Jessica had sent to a local art agent. The paintings were listed for a very high price, sold quickly, and Mrs Worthmore donated the lot to charity.

Then later, her father gave a speech at the reception dinner. Looking spiffy in a gray suit, with Evelyn and her two daughters seated next to him, he beamed as he toasted his daughter and her new husband.

“When I found out these two were going to marry,” he said, “I quickly ran a background check on Paul, and I’m glad to say he came out with an A plus. Then I ran a background check on Jessica and, uh—” Her father coughed. “Oy!” her father said, putting a hand to his brow. Everyone chuckled. “Just kidding!”

He waited for the laughter to die down. “Anyway, honestly, I wish I had some great words of wisdom, but I don’t. All I know is that the makings of a good marriage center around respect, trust, and humor. I can clearly see that Paul and Jessica have all three. There’s a saying when people make a toast, you know. They usually say, ‘To life.’ Well, I would like to go one better. Let’s raise a glass right now and say instead, ‘To love.’ For what is life without love?”

“To love!”

Everyone applauded, most with tears in their eyes. A tear slid down Jessica’s cheek, and she felt her heart expand, as if it were reaching out to the world, trying to embrace everything all at once, all of it. Joy surged through her, the kind of joy she’d never felt before—and happiness, its smiling sister—trailed like a comet.

Jessica felt so ecstatic she wanted to soar, to fly, to—No. Penguins didn’t fly. But maybe she could at least hover like an excited hummingbird.

Travis sang after dinner, and Jessica and Paul slow danced to one of his hit songs. Jessica embraced Paul, feeling his solid body next to her. She felt like she was twinkling inside with happiness, as if she’d swallowed a star.

Then Travis’s traveling band took over and played as Jessica danced with her father. She was embarrassed by his corny dad moves, but what could you do? Flipping his head to the side, trying to be cool. Twisting his hips. She squinted.

Dad, no please. Don’t!

But oh, yes. He did.

Then everyone got out on the floor and danced. Kristen and Tony started dancing, laughing with each other as Tony did twirls in his wheelchair, the two of them holding hands through part of the dance. Something was brewing between them. Jessica smiled at the thought. Paul’s grandparents were moving to the music, and Pops, dancing with Jessica, said to her in his gruff voice, his arms waving around, “When you get to my age, gettin’ down is easier than gettin’ up.”

She laughed.

Even Mrs. Worthmore did a strut or two with William, who was particularly interesting to watch. Jessica couldn’t contain her laughter as William shook his body from top to bottom and twirled around to a cover of a Stevie Wonder song. He wasn’t half bad, but he looked like a robot trying to learn to dance. There were even rumors going around in Belle Meade that Jessica had caught wind of: It was possible that Mrs. Worthmore and her manservant were coming to be something akin to, uh, partners. Gossip was abuzz.

Lenny, of course, was the star. In his younger days, he’d been a male cheerleader and was a member of the University of Tennessee cheer team, a real talent. Everyone watched in awe as he twirled, popped, and funked it up. A Patrick Swayze copycat if there ever was one.

“I’m so happy for you, sis,” he said, giving Jessica a hug at the end of the dance, his face flushed and beaded with sweat. “You’re my special, you know that? And you’ve come so far.”

“And you’re my special too, Len. Always. What would I do without you?”

She’d never felt closer to Lenny than she did right now. She put a hand on his shoulder, and they stared into each other’s eyes. Jessica felt so grateful to have this wonderful man in her life. I am you and you are me. Her true companion always. Dear Lenny.

Jessica really did have it all—a soulmate and a wombmate.