That Little Screening Room

Chapter 12

It was the morning of their wedding and Meryl was at her parents' home in Mason's Island, Connecticut getting ready, while Don was at a hotel in town getting ready with the guys. Meryl and Don made their own rules for their wedding, but they decided to uphold one tradition-not to see one another before the wedding.

Meryl looked down at the phone and she couldn't resist. She just needed to hear his voice. She reached down to touch it when a voice stopped her.

"Just what do you think you're doing?" Her mother asked, but knew exactly what when she saw the smirk on her face.

"It's just one phone call, Mom. I can't see him until I walk down to meet him at the edge of the cliff." She complained.

"Sweetheart, it's only a couple of hours. Somehow, I think you will survive." She laughed hugging her daughter. "I never thought I would see you happy like this." Mary said as she pulled back to look at her daughter.

"Well, I sure wasn't expecting it. I can't imagine my life without Don. As soon as he rode into my life everything started making sense. It doesn't mean I will ever forget John or what we shared; but Don is now the man I get to share my life with." She smiled.

"I'm very proud of you." Mary said as the sound of the doorbell interrupted them.

Meryl ran to the door and was stopped by her father who reached the knob before she did.

"What do you think you're doing, young lady?" He asked.

"Answering the door. Daddy, you haven't already started celebrating have you?" She asked sniffing the water he had in his hand.

"You're such a smart ass. I meant it could be Don." Harry said looking out the window. "You're safe." He laughed opening the door.

"Jane and James?" Meryl asked as she came face to face with her future-in-laws for the first time.

"Meryl?" Jane asked smiling as she pulled Meryl into a hug. "Welcome to the family."

"Thank you." She smiled and looked over at her stone-faced father-in-law. "James?"

"Yes, nice to meet you." He said shaking her hand.

"I'm sorry to interrupt, but where do you want the cake, Mary?" Her sister Wilma asked.

"Oh, excuse me. Jane, let me show you around and I'll show you where everything is happening." Mary said.

"I'd love that." Jane said as she walked off with Mary.

"Well, let me get my keys and James and I can go see what the guys are up to. You up for it, James?" Harry asked.

"Yeah, sure." James said. James walked over to the back door of the house and looked out to the edge of the cliff where it appeared the wedding would take place. "So, a wedding in a backyard." 

Meryl took a deep breath. She knew of Don's relationship with his father but was trying to give James the benefit of the doubt, even though deep inside she already hated him for the way he treated Don.

"Yes, Don and I just wanted it to be an intimate gathering focused on our commitment to one another." She smiled.

"Yeah, well, he's done this before." He scoffed.

"It is important to both of us." Meryl smiled trying to remain positive.

"You don't have to stand up for him. I know my son. This wedding is all wrong. It is artsy and unconventional and an insult to real weddings. Leave it to my son to screw this up like he does everything else." James complained as Harry came in.