A Common Christmas present!

1 Corinthians 13:7 (NIV)

"It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres."

Sitting on the kids is one of my favorite things to do. We were watching Father of the Bride while their grandma, Darla, was flipping threw her wedding album with Donnie, MayMay, and Katie.

“There’s your aunt Sarah, we could never seem to get a picture of her not scratching in her flower girl dress!” said Darla.

Amber began to laid her head on my lap and watch the movie. Even though she was ten, Amber hasn’t yet found it embarrassing to come to me like a little girl. I look over to my left to see Pennie and Parker, my oldest and first set of twins, were arguing about some sort of movie. I stare hard at Pennie. It’s hard to tell what emotions she is showing these days, meanwhile, Parker is always joyful.

Instead, I go back to watching Darla with the kids with the photo album.

“What’s going on in this picture?” laughed MayMay, pointing into the wedding album.

Curiously, I lean over to see what she was talking about. In the picture, was an eight-year-old Sarah, and eleven year olds Benjamin and Kendal. They were covered in wedding cake, looking like were just caught doing something they weren’t supposed to do. Darla lets out a laugh.

“This was when your father, uncle and aunt got caught trying to eat our wedding cake!”

“Sounds like something Amber would do,” said Donnie.

Amber shot up from my lap to stick her tongue out at Donnie.

“Hey mom, where’s your wedding album?” asked Katie.

All eyes were turned towards me for an answer.

“My wedding album?” I asked.

“Come to think of it, you or dad never talk about your wedding,” said Pennie. “How come?”

All of the sudden, Darla shut her wedding album and darts to the door.

“Well thanks for having me,” blurted Darla. “But tonight me and your grandpa are making tacos, and I don’t want him to mess up the rice!”

Darla leaves, and I can tell on the kids face that they were perplexed.

“What was that about?” asked Parker.

“Well the subject of me and your father’s wedding is touchy,” I began to explain. “We never had one.”

“What!?” the kids barked.

“Are you and dad even married?” asked Amber.

“Of course we are, but there was a lot of complications to planning it.”

All the kids circle around me, lending me their ears.

I take a deep breath. “Well… it all really got out of hand during Christmas time of 2006,” I began.

I could remember it like it was yesterday, it was five days until Christmas. Kendal and I wanted to get married on Christmas because it was a very important day for us.

I was in the bridal shop looking at dresses, something I should have done days ago.

“Do you have anything simple and modest?” I asked the woman behind the counter.

“Are you sure?” asked the woman. “We have dresses that are much more elegant.”

“I’m sure,” I said.

People will say anything to make an extra buck. I get a loud hunk from outside; I look out the window to see my dad in his car, pointing down at his imaginary watch.

“Hold on!” I mouthed to him.

If it wasn’t for the wedding, I would have gotten my own car a long time ago, but a car was the last thing I was thinking about. All I want to do is get all the wedding preparations down.

“Is everything okay?” asked the woman.

“Yeah, sorry,” I said.

I began to dig through my purse to find my dad’s card.

“If it’s possible, can I get the dress in less than five days?”

“Five days?”

“Less than five actually,” I admit in embarrassment.

The woman began to type on her cash register, while my stomach sank. My dad said that he will cover the whole wedding, but every time it came to the actual finance part, he would start to fuss like a baby.

“So, what’s the damage?” I asked nervously.

“$2,500,” said the cashier.

I let out a sigh, then hand the woman the card. After paying for my last minute dress, I get in the car with my dad.

“So, how much?” asked dad.

“It’s really not that much,” I said.

“How much?”

“Especially with how things are in the new century,” I continued.

“Brooklyn, just give me the cost!” Dad insisted.

“The dress was… $2,500,” I muttered.

“$2,500!” shout dad. “That’s way too much, you couldn’t rent a dress?”

“What happened to, nothing but the best for my baby?” I asked.

“You can still have that with used dresses,” dad reassured.

I rolled my eyes.

“Come on dad, I’m doing my best to make this easier for you.”

“Well, try harder!” command dad.

As usual, I started to block out every complaint that came out of his mouth. I tried my best to honor my dad like God says, but he makes it so difficult to do so.

Eventually, dad realized that I stopped listening and stopped talking. We were quiet for a long time.

“Do you need me to drop you off at Kendal’s?” asked dad.

“If you don’t mind,” I muttered.

Dad finally started the car and pull away from the bridal shop. After a quiet ride in the car, we arrived to Kendal and his family’s house.

“Are you coming in this time?” I asked.

“Nah, I have to pick your sister from the mall,” sighed dad.

I nodded before stepping out the car. I watched as dad pulled away from the house. I knocked on the door, then Darla answered.

“Oh good you’re here!” said Darla.

She dragged me into the house where I can see the wedding coordinator, Tasha.

“Hi, we need to talk about how we are going to rearrange the seating to fit the extra twenty people,” said Tasha.

“What extra twenty people?” I asked.

“I hope you don’t mind,” said Darla. “I had to invite a couple more people.”

“No I don’t mind,” I said through a fake smile.

My fake smile turned into a real smile when I herd the familiar footsteps from the stairs. Kendal comes in the living room, looking very confused.

“Why is Tasha here?” Kendal puzzled.

“Oh good news, Lauren’s going to be able to come to the wedding!”

“Who’s Lauren?” Kendal and I asked in unison.

“She’s the doctor who delivered you and your brother!”

“Um… okay, Brooklyn, can I borrow you?” asked Kendal.

“Sure.”

Kendal grabbed my hand and we both head upstairs in the hallway.

“Hey you,” I grinned. “What’s the matter?”

“Our family!” Kendal stressed. “Have you noticed that they’ve been more controlling than usual?”

“Yeah, I’ve noticed,” I admitted. “But remember, they’re only acting like this after what happened at Benjamin and Abby’s wedding.”

“Yeah, that was a mess!”

We both give out a chuckle.

“Okay, let’s try to gain control of our wedding again,” I suggested. “It shouldn’t be about topping the last one.”

“Yeah, I guess.”

Kendal looks down at my hand in his. “Is it weird that I’m dreading the actual wedding part?”

“We’ll be fine… I think.”