4.39 - New Beginnings

*** I am going to forewarn you, the next few posts will be fast paced... so keep up ;-) I'm telling  you, it's never been faster. This one's a little long too. Just throwing that out there. Back to the story.***

Prom day. David wasn't a senior yet, but he was invited anyway. This school seemed to hold a prom every year for all students. A week before the day arrived, he had called up Laquita and asked if she would go with him as his date. She happily agreed. The two of them had a lot in common, and had gotten along well since they were kids. They were best friends back then, but things seemed to be changing. David was looking at her in a different light than before.

That afternoon, David called Laquita and asked her to come over before prom. He had gotten her a corsage and wanted to give it to her. He wasn't sure what color she was planning to wear and hoped that it matched. The flowers were blue, with white ones as accents. Laquita loved it and thanked him. She stayed at his place until it was time for the dance, and they left together.

The two of them rode in a white stretch limo to get to the school, where their prom was being held. The dance was about 5 hours long, the whole evening Laquita danced with only David. He got her punch whenever she wanted it, and stayed by her side like a good date should. Laquita was impressed by his attentiveness, and was delighted by his ability to dance. She was so glad she had agreed to go with him.

By late evening David asked her to go steady with him. It was the first time he had found himself to be nervous. He didn't remember ever feeling that way before, nothing had ever made him nervous. He let out a breath of relief when she said yes. David led her out on the floor for the last slow dance and held her close, at the end of the song he dipped her back and kissed her lips lightly. It may have been an inexperienced peck, but it was perfect for the circumstances. Next time he might not be so nervous and reserved.

Just before the prom ended everyone voted prom king and queen. David was shocked when they called his name to come on stage and accept his crown. In addition,  Laquita seemed genuinely surprised when they named her prom queen. The two of them stood up there and thanked their peers and bowed. Everyone cheered for them. He had had lots of fun dancing and being with Laquita all night - but this was the highlight of his night. The applause. People were clapping for him, and that made him feel amazing, the fact that Laquita shared the moment did make it better though.

A week after prom, David asked Laquita out on their first real date as boyfriend and girlfriend. She happily accepted. He took her first to his now favorite place to be: Mike's Karaoke Bar. At first he sang by himself, but two songs later he pulled Laquita up with him and gave her the second microphone. She seemed a little shaky, but she joined in his song and they sang a beautiful duet. It happened to be a love song, and she couldn't keep her eyes off of him. He was the best guy she had ever known, crazy and fun. He wasn't like all the others and she liked that about him.

After they finished their song, the surrounding people cheered for them. They waved their thanks and then climbed the stairs to the second story. David had seen a photo booth up there and asked Laquita to take pictures with him. They did two different kinds, the first time they took some 'date' pictures and tried to look romantic. It wasn't that hard. The second time, they both acted a little goofy and took some funny pictures. Each took some with them for memorabilia of their first date.

David took her to the diner for dinner after they left Mike's. He didn't want to go to the Bistro, that just seemed to fancy for them. They enjoyed a meal of cheeseburgers and french fries, with a chocolate milkshake. The waitress there flustered a bit at having a celebrity at her table and accidentally spilled water on the floor next to David. He smiled at her and said that it was okay, but she felt very bad and paid for their meal. She apologized repeated about interrupting them.

While the sun was setting they walked to the local pool. It was a nice but warm day, and a dip sounded great to both of them. Laquita changed into her bathing suit, but David didn't. He changed into his everyday clothes to jump in the water which made her laugh.

"You are crazy," she said to him, "I like that about you. You're awesome."

David smiled at her first but then splashed her and swam away. He was glad that she liked him for the way he was.

The two of them had contests of who could stay underwater longest. David let her win the first time, but made sure to beat her every time afterward. Eventually, Laquita pulled herself out of the pool saying that she had to get home. It was getting late, curfew again. David rolled his eyes.

"I hate curfew." He said as he climbed out.

Laquita nodded in agreement, "Yeah, me too. You know they are just worried that crazy teens like you and I might get in trouble out after 10. I had a great time tonight, really. A blast. Thanks David." She looked at him, those eyes of his captivated her. Sometimes his stare shook her to the core.

Now she wasn't sure what else to say, so she leaned in and kissed him. It was a more passionate kiss than the one at prom and Laquita felt the tingles all the way to her toes. She had never kissed anyone before, and was pretty worried that she wasn't doing it right, but when he wrapped his arms around her she relaxed a bit, happy he accepted her forwardness. David was surprised at first when her lips touched his but took to it quickly. He kissed her back and took her home, thanking her for a great date.

Jennifer came for a visit that weekend, she knocked lightly but didn't wait for an actual answer before coming right in. She had brought someone with her to introduce to her father and Adelaide.

"Hey David!" She said when she came through the foyer. "Where's Addy?"

David told her to look in the garden, "That's where she always is about this time. Nice to see you."

Jennifer smiled at him, "You too." She continued outside, her friend tagging along behind.

"Hey lady!" Adelaide shouted to Jennifer with a smile. She had happened to see her coming off the back porch when she stood up from weeding a plant. "Long time no see..." Right behind Jennifer came a man that Adelaide had never seen, making her pause in her statement.

"Hi. Yeah I know, I've been a busy girl. Lots of work. Anyway, I wanted to introduce you to someone." Jennifer turned to the guy with her, "Ron this is my step-mom, Adelaide." She turned back to Adelaide, "This is Ron. We've been seeing each other for a while, I just figured it was time for him to meet my family."

"Nice to meet you Ron." Adelaide said as she took the hand he offered to shake it. She glanced at Jennifer, then back at the guy, "How long have to two been together?"

Ron smiled, "Quite a few months actually, it's nice to finally meet you. Jennifer has told me so much, I feel like I already know you."

Adelaide wished she could say the same.

"What do you do for a living Ron?" She asked, she saw out of the corner of her eye the Jennifer had walked away. It made her a little uncomfortable to be alone with someone she had just met, but she talked anyway.

"Oh, I work at the stadium. Actually that's how I met Jenn. I got injured at a game, even though I'm  not a player, and was sent to the hospital. She was my doctor. It may have been bad form, but I just had to get to know her better." He admitted.

"Oh, well what a story." Adelaide said, still a little uncomfortable.

"Ron," Jenn called. She had come back outside, bringing Brian behind her. "This is my dad, Brian."

Brian and the man shook hands, Ron suddenly felt a small as a child standing before Jennifer's father. Something about the look in Brian's eyes made him nervous.

The family talked for a little while, getting to know Ron a little better and finding out what Jennifer had been up to. They had a lot of catching up to do. Brian had reserves about Ron, but surely he would be wary of any suitor coming to call for his only daughter. After some time spent talking in the backyard, by the fire pit Brian offered to take everyone to a movie. Jennifer happily agreed and Ron went along with anything she did. Adelaide went inside to get Logan and David to join them. The whole family left to see the show together.

Afterward, Brian offered to buy everyone dinner at the diner as well. The waitress seemed very shocked to have such a big party enter such a small restaurant, but made room for them. On top of that, she was surprised to see so many well knows stars in her section that she had the boss pay for their whole meal. The family thanked her for the lovely dinner and service before leaving for home. Jennifer and Ron went back to her place, while the rest of the family went home.

Logan woke very early one morning and decided on a whim to call Velina. It had been months since he thought about doing this, now was as good a time as any.

"Lee, come with me - I'm sorry I called so early. Come with me to France." He blurted out as soon as she answered. Over the last few months 'Lee' had become a pet name of his for his love. She apparently didn't mind it, since she never said anything against it.

"What? France? Logan what time is it?" There was a pause, Logan assumed she was checking the clock. "Five??? Well, Logan, give me a second."

Logan heard shuffling on the other end of the phone, but waited like she had asked him too. He smiled when she came back on the line.

"France? You want me to go to France with you? Today?" She asked.

"Yes," was all he said back. He thought it a suitable word, since it answered all her questions at once.

He heard Velina laugh, "Okay. Um, yeah sure, I've got vacation time saved up. We can do that, but what about your job?"

It was Logan's turn to laugh. "I'm the Chief remember? I run the place. I'm all for dropping those responsibilities for a week."

Eighteen short hours later, the two of them were embracing on the streets of Champs Les Sims, France.

"I'm so glad you brought me here Logan. I've always wanted to come. Being here with you is more than I could dream of though. Actually I thought I was still dreaming when you called!" Velina told him with a smile.

"I'm very happy you accepted, you have no idea." He had more than just a tour planned for Velina while they were here and he was sure that she didn't suspect a thing. "Let's go look around, see the sights."

The first thing they did was check out where they would be staying. It was a nice room with a small balcony on it. Double bed. Logan thought for a moment about getting two rooms, but Velina had told him that the double was fine, that she wanted to sleep next to him. She was in a very unfamiliar place, and needed his presence.

After they inspected the accommodations, they walked hand in hand around the center of town. There were many shops to go into, and a few lovely little cafes to eat at. Velina wanted to do it all at once, but they had six days to do everything, so she figured they could take their time. Logan was loving just watching Velina's face. He could tell that she was excited and everything made her eyes wide. He tried to think of something to calm her just a little bit, before her heart exploded or her eyes popped out of their sockets. When he spotted a chessboard, he knew that would work and they sat down to a game. It took a minute for Velina to focus, and get her eyes off her surroundings and onto the board, but she did. They played for the rest of the evening before checking into their room for the night.

The next day, the two of them found the nectary. After walking around the grape garden, and picking a few to take they went inside to taste and buy some nectar. They entered the building to find the place packed with many other people. Apparently it was the hot spot of the night. Logan released Velina's hand for the first time since they got to this country and browsed the shelves for some good bottles. He wasn't very experienced in this, and just picked out two of everything.

While Logan was making purchases, Velina went to the back room where they held the nectar tasting. She picked out a bottle and poured some glasses for herself, Logan and anyone else who wanted any. Even though she was in the back room, she kept herself positioned where she could see him at all times. She didn't want to loose him in the crowd of people. It made her nervous to be separated from him.

They spent most of this day at the nectary, tasting and finding their favorite types. The owners pushed them to pick more grapes to take, since they had an abundance. Also they received a discount for any purchases, apparently they had heard of Logan all the way across the see. He was just as much a star here as he was at home.

The next day was spent in the shops. Velina bought herself some souvenirs and some new clothes, local stuff, though she would probably be afraid to wear any of it and get it ruined. Clothing made in France was the finest ever, and she wouldn't want to spoil it, but just owning some made her feel special. Logan bought some things too, but mainly watched Velina. It was like watching someones dreams come true. He was so happy to have been a part of it. As of that moment, he knew he wanted to spend the rest of his life spoiling her, nothing would please him better.

Logan let her pick the cafe she wanted to try for dinner. There were tables outside as well as in, but she chose to eat inside. The waitress brought their drinks and set them on the table which was decorated with a single yellow rose in the middle, the vase that held it was flanked by two small candles. The lights were dim, a perfect ambiance for a romantic dinner. Velina excused herself to use the ladies room before their meal arrived. When she came back Logan was smiling, with his hands resting on the table. She sat down and asked what was so funny. He slid one of his hands across the table, stopping it right in front of her. It was then that she noticed he was covering up a small black box. When he removed his hand her eyes went wide.

"It's for you, open it." He stood up and walked around to the other side of the table, and squatted down next to her. He heard her take a shaky breath and smiled at the thought of her being the nervous one.

She pulled open the top of the velvety box and gasped at the beauty of the ring inside. Her hands started to shake a little. She looked at Logan, he was smiling, but she could see a little worry in his eyes. Those eyes she had studied do long, so close, held a tiny faltering gaze she had never seen.

"Will you marry me Velina? I love you so much, and want to grow old with you. I want yours to be that chair next to mine watching our great grand kids play in the yard."

Tears came to her eyes as the image of what he said came to her. He was thinking of a very long time from now. Opening her mouth, it felt like she was going to yell the word "Yes," but the lump in her throat caused it to be nothing but a whisper.

It was loud enough for Logan to hear though, and he let out a huge breath before hugging her tightly

The next few days were a blissful blur for the couple. Logan made breakfast every morning, while Velina took a luxurious bath, and they spent every daylight hour there was holding hands and walking around the city. They never took a car anywhere, and they never went anywhere without the other.

They saw beautiful houses, and perfect countryside. Logan even suggested, only half playing, that they marry right there in France. She considered it for a moment - a wedding in France would be another dream come true - but thought it would be rude of them to hold their wedding from his parents. She knew they would want to be part of it. Logan agreed.

Before long it was time to go home. They spent the entire flight in each others arms, as close as they could get anyway in those first class seats.

"I want you to tell them right away. Tell the first person you see." Logan told Velina. She knew what he meant, and would be more than happy to.

It was night when they got back, a limo bringing them to Logan's house. He had offered Velina to stay the night with him there because it was really late. That and he wasn't ready to part her company quite yet. Apparently 6 days straight still wasn't enough, not even close.

When they walked through the door, Brian was coming out of the dining room.

"Hey! You're back. How was the trip? Everyone else went up to bed already, I just finished picking up the kitchen." Brian said

Velina was the one who spoke up, Logan watched her. "The trip was fabulous! More than fabulous, Logan asked me to marry him!"

Shock crossed Brian's face for a few seconds, before he broke into a big grin. "Wow. That is ... that's great. Congratulations to you both, I'm happy for you." Brian was still surprised, but indeed happy for his son and soon to be daughter-in-law. He would be waking Adelaide up as soon as he got into their room.

"Thanks dad," Logan said, smiling broadly. "I'm glad you're happy about it. I hope mom is too."

Over the next two months, Velina came over nearly everyday to talk about wedding plans, or just spend the day with Logan and his family. Even while Logan was at work, if she was off, she'd spend time with his parents.

"I don't want a huge wedding," Logan was saying one night. "But you know, I do want to do it at the park. An open wedding too, none of this restricted access business. Weddings are for people to enjoy."

Velina was surprised at his opinion, she agreed with him completely, but it shocked her to hear that he felt that way.

Adelaide clapped, "Oh, I'm excited to be helping you plan this. So happy to finally see you two married. It seems like it's been a lifetime since you started dating."

Logan smiled before standing up, he and his father left the room. Adelaide looked at Velina. "So, when are you guys going to bless me with a little grand baby to cuddle?" She stood up and started to walk away before Velina had a chance to answer. She chuckled when she heard the girls reply of "Uhh..." behind her. She glanced back and grinned, then left.

Velina stared after Adelaide, even after she was gone. She hadn't really considered babies in all of this. After they were married would she protect herself against it? Or just let things happen? She wasn't on any type of protection now, why would she be? She wasn't sexually active, she had told Logan that she planned to wait until she was married.

Another month later, the morning of Logan and Velina's wedding dawned. Tradition is that the bride and groom are not to see each other the night before or day of the wedding, but neither of them wanted to be separated from each other on their special day. She spent the night, so they could get ready together, though she was going leave his side as she got ready and they would meet at the park. She didn't want him to see her dress until she got there. She would keep that tradition at least.

The two of them spent the entire morning right next to each other, touching at every opportunity. He hugged her frequently and she kissed him often. When it was time to get ready they reluctantly parted ways.

Adelaide had been at the park since sun-up getting things ready. She went to the Bistro to pick up the food they had pre-ordered and set it out on the buffet table for guests. She arranged all the chairs around tables, making sure none were too crowded. There were many seats available to watch the ceremony as well. Since both Velina and Logan liked blue, that was their color for the day. Adelaide hung the curtains and placed flowers on all the tables. Everything was ready, now it just needed the bride, groom and guests. In no time, all of them arrived too.

Guests poured in, invited and not, from everywhere. Nearly all the seats were filled by the time the groom walked up the aisle to take his place, followed not long after by the bride. Logan was not shocked at how lovely she was in her gown - she could have worn anything and been the most beautiful woman there to him.

The two took their place under the wedding arch and waited for silence to ripple through the expectant crowd. When everyone settled, some standing, some sitting, Logan was the first to speak his vows. He promised her his never dying love and devotion, a lifetime of happiness and constant faith. She promised the same in return and they exchanged the wedding bands.

Holding hands for a moment felt like the best thing in the world right then. It felt that it sealed the bond between them more than the kiss the crowd was waiting for would. They stared into each others eyes for a long moment before sharing the first kiss as a married couple. To Velina and Logan, the 'awwwws' emitting from the close by crowd sounded like they were miles away. It was just them there, no one else. In their minds, the whole world disappeared, just the two of them shared this precious moment.

Adelaide let a tear fall as she watched one of her boys holding his love. She was so happy for him and could, even if she was blind, see the love between the two. Adelaide glanced around to see where Brian was standing, and spotted him in the back of the crowd, wiping his own cheeks dry.

The cake that was set out a three layer red velvet cake with cream cheese frosting. It sat there on the table awaiting it's own spotlight time. Logan was more than happy to oblige the requests for cutting it. Velina stood next to him and rubbed her hands together. It looked so good, and she could smell the icing from where she was. Her mouth moistened at the thought of taking that first bite.

After the ceremony, cake cutting and dinner were over the newlywed couple led the first dance. Pretty soon the sun had set and the hired crew started setting off fireworks for the guests to enjoy, while the bride and groom bid farewell and slipped away.

David, Brian and Adelaide stayed to watch the fireworks and give Logan and Velina the house to themselves for a few hours. David went off to spend time with Laquita while Brian and Adelaide sat on the ground to admire the fireworks.

Brian gazed at Addy sitting there beside him and he smiled. He was so happy to have her, and share these beautiful moments with her.

"I love you." He whispered in her ear.

Logan and Velina may have had a very long day, but they still had plenty of energy to enjoy each other for a few more hours while they consummated their marriage. When the blankets stilled, as Velina lay in the afterglow, she imagined what life would be like now that they were going to be together forever. She pictured a beautiful house, much like the one they were inside now, close to the beach. That made her wonder if Logan would like it by the beach, she didn't know. She made a mental not to ask him later.

Logan was thinking very close to the same things. He wondered if they should move out now that they were their own family. Where would they go? He was sure there were houses for sale around town, since many people that he knew had moved to different cities. How many bedrooms should they get? That made him wonder about babies, if they were to have any or not. He didn't know. He would ask his wife in the morning.

To be continued...