little t-shirts from the
piles on the table, she overheard them talking. She stopped and listened.
“Well she told me many years ago that she would never get
married again, so the fact that they are engaged is a huge step for her.”
“But they’re living in sin!” Maureen wailed. “I know
everyone tells me I’m old-fashioned, but my beliefs are my own and they cannot
be changed! My parents would have been horrified if I had just shacked up with
Peter for years on end. God wants them married and so do I!”
Janie chewed on the inside of her cheek as the conversation
went on. Her mother was right. It was a huge step for Katy to be engaged and
Janie was sure she would marry Mark eventually. The two of them were completely
committed to each other for better or for worse and nothing could change that.
But Katy was stubborn and did things on her terms, in her own time. On this she
would not be budged. And Janie knew that any coercion or encouragement from Maureen would only make Katy more adamant about not getting
married. Mark was a saint to be so patient. Matt had told her that Mark
desperately wanted to get married and that the only thing stopping them was Katy’s
reluctance.
“I love her dearly,” Maureen went on. “I think of her as a
daughter, just as I do Janie.”
Janie smiled.
“But,” continued Maureen, “Katy needs to marry my son, and
the sooner the better!”
Janie paid for her t-shirts and walked back to the strollers.
Ella was zonked out. The morning’s excitement had finally wound down enough
that she stopped fighting her eyelids and let them close. Christopher was
waking up.
“He’s going to want to eat,” said Janie. “I will take him
and we’ll head back to the ship.”
“Do you mind if we keep Ella with us?” Maureen asked. “I
would like to shop a little more,” she smiled.
“Of course not,” replied Janie. “I’ll see you later.”
*****
Mark and Katy sailed high above the water, gliding along in
the breeze. It was magnificent. It was Katy’s first time parasailing. Of course
Mark had been many times before.
Katy laughed and threw her head back, thoroughly enjoying
the experience.
“We should have gotten married up here,” grinned Mark.
Katy’s head whipped to face her fiancé to see if he was
being serious.
“Well this is the only place we are truly alone,” he
laughed.
Katy relaxed, realizing he was just joking.
“I did bring the marriage license with me though,” he said.
Katy’s eyes got wide and her mouth opened as if to say something.
“What?” grinned Mark. “I was a boy scout. I am always prepared.”
“You’re serious?”
“Well, not about getting married up here,” he chuckled. “But
about wanting to marry you? Absolutely serious.”
Mark kissed her hand that he held in his and they finished
their adventure without another word.
*****
The group of parasailers met up with Maureen and Patty as
they all were walking back to the dock to the tender boats that would take them
back to the ship. Mark kept their attention the whole boat ride back to the
ship with his comparisons of this parasailing adventure compared with some of
the others he had been on.
As they docked next to the ship, everyone boarded the cruise
ship and waited in the line to go through security. The officer greeted each of
them as they passed him.
“Welcome aboard, Mrs. Lathem,” he said as he smiled
brightly.
“Thank you,” replied Maureen.
“Hello Mrs. Graves.”
“Hello,” smiled Patty. “Thank you,” she said as the young
security officer handed her back her I.D. card.
“Mrs. Lathem,” he smiled. “Welcome aboard.”
“Oh no!” Maureen turned back to the officer speaking to
Katy. “She is not a Lathem…yet.”
Katy gritted her teeth and attempted a smile at the young
man handing her back her card.
“It’s Miles,” she said. “Katy Miles.”
“Well, welcome aboard Ms. Miles.” He looked very
uncomfortable.
Mark placed his hand in the
piles on the table, she overheard them talking. She stopped and listened.
“Well she told me many years ago that she would never get
married again, so the fact that they are engaged is a huge step for her.”
“But they’re living in sin!” Maureen wailed. “I know
everyone tells me I’m old-fashioned, but my beliefs are my own and they cannot
be changed! My parents would have been horrified if I had just shacked up with
Peter for years on end. God wants them married and so do I!”
Janie chewed on the inside of her cheek as the conversation
went on. Her mother was right. It was a huge step for Katy to be engaged and
Janie was sure she would marry Mark eventually. The two of them were completely
committed to each other for better or for worse and nothing could change that.
But Katy was stubborn and did things on her terms, in her own time. On this she
would not be budged. And Janie knew that any coercion or encouragement from Maureen would only make Katy more adamant about not getting
married. Mark was a saint to be so patient. Matt had told her that Mark
desperately wanted to get married and that the only thing stopping them was Katy’s
reluctance.
“I love her dearly,” Maureen went on. “I think of her as a
daughter, just as I do Janie.”
Janie smiled.
“But,” continued Maureen, “Katy needs to marry my son, and
the sooner the better!”
Janie paid for her t-shirts and walked back to the strollers.
Ella was zonked out. The morning’s excitement had finally wound down enough
that she stopped fighting her eyelids and let them close. Christopher was
waking up.
“He’s going to want to eat,” said Janie. “I will take him
and we’ll head back to the ship.”
“Do you mind if we keep Ella with us?” Maureen asked. “I
would like to shop a little more,” she smiled.
“Of course not,” replied Janie. “I’ll see you later.”
*****
Mark and Katy sailed high above the water, gliding along in
the breeze. It was magnificent. It was Katy’s first time parasailing. Of course
Mark had been many times before.
Katy laughed and threw her head back, thoroughly enjoying
the experience.
“We should have gotten married up here,” grinned Mark.
Katy’s head whipped to face her fiancé to see if he was
being serious.
“Well this is the only place we are truly alone,” he
laughed.
Katy relaxed, realizing he was just joking.
“I did bring the marriage license with me though,” he said.
Katy’s eyes got wide and her mouth opened as if to say something.
“What?” grinned Mark. “I was a boy scout. I am always prepared.”
“You’re serious?”
“Well, not about getting married up here,” he chuckled. “But
about wanting to marry you? Absolutely serious.”
Mark kissed her hand that he held in his and they finished
their adventure without another word.
*****
The group of parasailers met up with Maureen and Patty as
they all were walking back to the dock to the tender boats that would take them
back to the ship. Mark kept their attention the whole boat ride back to the
ship with his comparisons of this parasailing adventure compared with some of
the others he had been on.
As they docked next to the ship, everyone boarded the cruise
ship and waited in the line to go through security. The officer greeted each of
them as they passed him.
“Welcome aboard, Mrs. Lathem,” he said as he smiled
brightly.
“Thank you,” replied Maureen.
“Hello Mrs. Graves.”
“Hello,” smiled Patty. “Thank you,” she said as the young
security officer handed her back her I.D. card.
“Mrs. Lathem,” he smiled. “Welcome aboard.”
“Oh no!” Maureen turned back to the officer speaking to
Katy. “She is not a Lathem…yet.”
Katy gritted her teeth and attempted a smile at the young
man handing her back her card.
“It’s Miles,” she said. “Katy Miles.”
“Well, welcome aboard Ms. Miles.” He looked very
uncomfortable.
Mark placed his hand in the
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