Under the Elms

Tea Party

I'm so excited to meet your friend Jen,' exclaimed Aunt Vi, as she and Sofia were driven to Jen's home for an 'intimate tea party' Jen had invited them to. She had explained to Sofia while at a recent dress fitting, 'You aren't having any showers or even an engagement party! We have to do something before you get married!'

'She has been a good friend all these years,' Sofia replied, loosening the scarf around her neck as the warmth of the car made bundling up unnecessary. She smiled dreamily as she noticed Prince's symbol on the scarf yet again. He had wrapped it around her neck before she left, with a rather chaste kiss on the cheek and a smirk that indicated far more. It had become his habit ever since they had returned from Louisiana, as she left a visit to Paisley Park for a fitting appointment or shopping trip with Aunt Vi. Being cherished still feels so new. I hope I can be as successful showing him that he is my world.

'Prince passed your test more easily than I thought he would,' Sofia remarked, giving Aunt Vi a small smile.

'When he picked up the teapot to refill my tea before I could, and then asked if there was anything else he could serve me, I knew he had been raised well. When I saw that his eyes rarely left you, and that he very respectfully couldn't keep his hands off you, I knew he was the one for you. His willingness to be vulnerable with me spoke volumes, and he was so authentic when talking about his relationship with Jehovah. He's done a good job of staying grounded in the midst of being a star, which is pretty rare, I would think. I believe you two can have a very successful marriage, if you both work on it. Marriage does take work, you know.'

'I imagine so,' Sofia agreed. She felt the tension building up in her shoulders as they entered Jen's street. There were several cars on the street, which concerned her. I had sworn Jen to secrecy. What has she done? 'Kirk, I'm thankful you're here. There are far more cars than I expected.'

'No worries, Sofia. I'll walk you both in, and if it isn't safe, we'll leave and try to get something else set up later.'

Kirk parked in the driveway, threw a reassuring smile over his shoulder, and walked up the steps of the simple 1940's bungalow that Jen had spent years updating. It always brought back memories of warm summer days helping Jen paint trim or dig a new garden. She and Jen traded time and energy bringing their homes up to their standards. Though their styles were different, they both enjoyed working with the others' ideas.

The door opened, and Sofia and Vivian immediately noticed Kirk stiffen. He appeared to say something, then hurried back to the SUV. Opening the door, he poked his head in and said, 'How many people are you expecting in there?'

'Just Jen, I thought,' Sofia responded hesitantly. What do I do now?

Kirk said, 'Prince would tell you to go home.' Before he could turn to enter the car, the passenger door in the front opened, and Jen poked her head in.

'Ma'am!' Kirk exclaimed.

'Don't worry, Kirk, I'm no threat,' Jen replied with a sweet, reassuring smile. 'I just wanted to tell Sofia who was here so she wouldn't freak out.'

'Okay, fill me in,' Sofia said in a tense voice. I want to be polite, but what the hell?

'I mentioned to the third grade teachers that I was going to have tea with you when I was at lunch the other day, and by that afternoon I had an email box full of requests to attend so they could say goodbye. You are so well respected by the staff, and they didn't have a chance to talk with you at all! No one knows you're getting married. Things are a little fancier than we usually do them, but we'll chalk that up to the fact that it's a goodbye party. Come on, people really want to see you!'