Chapter Thirty-One—Wedding Bells
As the first strains of the Wedding March floated over the congregation Ashley Barnum began the procession. She walked purposefully down the aisle, followed by Sally Barrett, the Maid of Honor. They wore maroon ruffle spaghetti strap chiffon dresses and carried a small bouquet of spring flowers. When Ashley reached the front Lara and Clark appeared and all eyes turned to face them. Lara wore a pure white gown with a pleated waistline and beaded back, she carried a bouquet of pure white roses. The crowd murmured appreciatively and many of them remarked that they’d never seen a more beautiful bride.
“They’re right you know. You are the most beautiful bride I’ve ever seen,” Clark whispered as they slowly made their way down the aisle. When they reached the front Clark passed Lara over to Ken who gently took her hand in his trembling one. Clark stepped over to the front pew to wait for the next part.
Father O’Malley cleared his throat, “Ladies and gentlemen we are gathered here today for the marriage of Kenneth and Lara. Who gives this woman to be married?”
Four people stood, Clark, Jonathan, Martha, and Lois who responded in unison “We do.” then they sat down to enjoy the ceremony.
“The bride and groom would like to say a few words before we recite the traditional vows. Kenneth, you may begin.”
“Lara, I can hardly believe that a wonderful person like you chose me to be your husband. I am and will always be honored to wear the title of your husband. When we met it was as if lightning struck and I was never the same. I promise I will work to be worthy of your love every day of my life,” Ken said solemnly.
“Ken, I wasn’t looking for love when we met but I could do nothing else but fall for you that day. Your kind heart and loving nature make you easy to love but it is your support of me in all that I do that confirms that love. I too promise to be worthy of your love every day of my life,” Lara replied.
Father O’Malley smiled at the couple before him and turned to face Ken.
“Kenneth, please take Lara’s hand and repeat after me.”
“I, Kenneth James, take you, Lara Lois, for my lawful wife, to have and to hold from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and health, until death do us part.”
“Lara, please repeat after me.”
“I, Lara Lois, take you, Kenneth James, to be my husband. I promise to be true to you in good times and in bad, in sickness and in health. I will love and honor you all the days of my life.”
“The rings please?” Dave handed the priest the two white gold bands which he blessed then he handed the smaller ring to Ken.
“With this ring, I thee wed,” Ken said as he slipped the ring onto Lara’s finger.
Father O’Malley then passed the larger ring to Lara.
“With this ring, I thee wed,” Lara said, her eyes shining as she slipped the ring onto Ken’s finger.
“Now, by the power vested in me by the Church and the great state of Illinois I pronounce you, Husband and Wife! You may kiss your bride.”
Ken and Lara moved into each other’s arms and their lips met in a kiss that professed their love and commitment. When they drew back, they turned to face the congregation, their faces split into wide smiles.
“Ladies and gentlemen, it is my distinct pleasure to introduce Mr. and Mrs. Ken McCarthy!” The congregation all stood and applauded as the happy couple walked back down the aisle. When they reached the steps the crowd that had gathered began throwing birdseed at the happy couple. The wedding party climbed into the limo for the short ride to a local park for more pictures while the Kents and the McCarthys headed over to the hotel to make sure everything was ready for the reception.
An hour later the wedding party arrived at the hotel and they, along with their parents and grandparents, formed a receiving line. For the next few minutes family and friends congratulated the happy couple.
“Lara, Ken, this is Jim Olsen and his wife, Penny,” Clark said introducing his friend.
“Oh yes, Mr. Olsen, I remember you,” Lara said, “We spoke briefly that day I stopped by to see Lois,” Lara said. She remembered exactly how brief their conversation was.
“I’m surprised you remember me,” Jim said with a chuckle. “You were focused like a laser on seeing Lois if I remember correctly.”
Lara blushed a little at how angry she was that day. “I have a good memory for faces, Mr. Olsen. It’s very nice that you and your wife are able to attend.”
“We wouldn’t have missed it, right Penny?”
“Oh, yes. Jim and I have been following your career for a while so it’s great to finally meet you. If you have some time later, we’d love to talk to you about your world travels,” Penny Olsen exclaimed.
“I’ll do my best, again, thanks for coming.” A while later another couple made their way near the front of the line.
“Hi, Mr. Kent, you look very handsome today,” Lindsay Ross-Pierce said leaning in to kiss Clark’s cheek.
“It’s good to see you too, Lindsay. Ben, how are you doing?” Clark asked, shaking hands with Benjamin Pierce, Lindsay’s husband.
“We’re well, Mr. Kent, we’re going to be buying a house soon!” Ben said proudly.
“That’s great! Oh, where are my manners,” Clark said, “This is Lois Lane, Lara’s mother.”
Just as Lois was about to extend her hand in greeting Lindsay spoke first.
“So you’re the prodigal mother,” Lindsay said with a sneer. Immediately Ben grasped his wife’s elbow fairly dragged her along the line to where Lara and Ken were waiting.
“What was that all about?” Lois whispered before the next couple could introduce themselves.
“Tell you later, long story,” Clark whispered as he extended his hand to the next couple in line. Later, when the waitstaff was pouring champagne for the toast, Lois reminded Clark of his promise.
“Clark, I’m familiar with the reference but what’s up with that woman?” Lois said her anger from earlier had returned.
“Lindsay and her husband, Ben, were all part of a group of kids Lara grew up with. Lindsay’s mom and dad, Lana and Pete Ross, that’s them over there.” Clark pointed to a couple at a nearby table. “They were friends of mine growing up so it naturally followed that we’d get together, at their house or ours, when I moved back home. When the kids came along Lara and Lindsay played together. For some reason, when they were around six, Lindsay began to pick on Lara for no reason. Lindsay’s parents loved her and she had a wonderful childhood but I think she was jealous and insecure, though I could never figure out why.
“Lindsay was especially mean to Lara about not having her mother at home, even though other children were living in single-parent homes. I remember one incident when Lara came home from school as angry as a wet hen. When I asked her what happened she told me that Lindsay had been picking on her about her mother again and she shook her little fist and said that if Lindsay didn’t stop, she was going to let her have it!” Clark chuckled.
“She didn’t!” Lois exclaimed, “Though I can certainly sympathize with the sentiment.”
“I almost laughed, she looked so angry but I couldn’t. Anyway, once I got myself under control, I told her that violence never solved anything and I certainly didn’t want her expelled from first grade! I also explained that, for whatever reason, Lindsay was jealous and insecure, and she needed to ignore her. That worked, for the most part, but there was another incident when Lara was learning to control her hearing.”
“Oh, what was that about?” Lois said curious about this aspect of her daughter’s life.
“You know that, if conditions are right, I can hear people calling for me no matter what else is happening?”
“Yes, I remember times like that.”
“Well, Lara heard Lindsay talking badly about her to Lara’s friend, Sally even though she wasn’t trying to listen. Lara was very upset but what bothered her was that Sally didn’t defend her.”
“Oh, that poor girl,” Lois said, her heart went out to her child and her troubles of so long ago.
“Lara got over it, obviously, but she was disillusioned for a while when her friend didn’t come to her defense. She also became more diligent about controlling her superhearing.”
“You know, Clark, I’m getting a better idea of why Lara was so angry at me that day. If I’d had to put up with people picking on me for my absentee mother all my life, I’d be really angry at her too!” Lois said as tears formed in the corners of her eyes. “I’m so glad that Lara forgave me. I don’t know if I’d be that forgiving.”
“Of course you would, Lois. You’re a wonderful person and our daughter is too. I was very proud of her when she forgave you.”
Just then the Best Man began to clink his champagne glass to call for everyone’s attention which brought Lois and Clark’s conversation to a halt.
“For those of you who don’t know me, I’m Dave, Ken’s older brother, and the Best Man. It is my honor and pleasure to say a few words about the happy couple. Ken is the last of us brothers to get married and I’m sure my mom despaired of him ever finding the love of his life.” The crowd laughed at that, many of them looked at Lydia who was nodding her head in agreement.
“When Ken told us that he’d met a reporter when he was in the hospital and that he was going to marry this woman we were all surprised. He’d never talked about any woman he’d dated like that, especially as they hadn’t dated at that point. He talked about this woman as if she were near perfect and we all assumed it was a case of love being blind. Well, when Ken brought Lara to our Christmas gathering, I saw that he’d been very accurate in his description.
“When I first met Lara, I thought that Ken should go out and buy some lottery tickets because he had to be the luckiest guy on earth to have a wonderful person like Lara fall in love with him!” Again the audience laughed and Ken blushed and gave his brother a nudge in the side. “Lara, as you all know is a beautiful woman but it’s not her physical beauty I speak of. She’s the kindest, gentlest person and very down to earth to which I credit her Kansas upbringing.” Lara blushed prettily as Dave extolled her virtues.
“Ken is a great person, a great brother and, I know, he will be a great husband. So, it is with great pleasure that I propose this toast. May Lara and Ken be as happy in fifty years as they are today! To Lara and Ken!”
“To Lara and Ken!” Everyone echoed to great applause. As the crowd fell to eating the DJ played soft mood music in the background. When dinner finished the waitstaff cleared the dishes and the DJ called Lara and Ken to the dance floor.
“Ladies and gentlemen, Lara and Ken have requested for their first dance the song “When You Love Someone” sung by Brian Adams.” As Lara stepped into Ken’s arms the first strains of the song floated over the gathering.
When you love someone
You'll do anything
You'll do all the crazy things that you can't explain
You'll shoot the moon
Put out the sun
When you love someone
You'll deny the truth
Believe a lie
There'll be times that you'll believe you can really fly
But your lonely nights have just begun
When you love someone
Ken guided Lara around the dance floor as they gazed deeply into each other’s eyes. “I’m so glad you picked this song, honey, it’s beautiful and it reflects how we feel about each other,” Ken whispered in Lara’s ear which made her shiver deliciously.
“This isn’t dancing you know.” Lara looked into Ken’s eyes mischievously a moment later.
“It isn’t?” Ken replied confused.
“Nope, real dancing is floating around the room three feet off the floor.” Lara leaned in and kissed him quickly. “Dad used to dance that way with me when I was little.”
“Maybe we should save that for when we’re alone, huh. We don’t want to give away the secret in front of all these people!” Ken hugged his wife close the feel of her in his arms soothed his soul. When the second verse began other couples, including Lois and Clark, joined them on the floor.
When you love someone
You feel it deep inside
And nothin' else could ever change your mind
When you want someone
When you need someone
When you love someone
When you love someone
You'll sacrifice
You'd give it everything you got
And you won't think twice
You'd risk it all
No matter what may come
When you love someone
You'll shoot the moon
Put out the sun
When you love someone
Dancing continued for some time then, after they cut the cake, it was time to toss the garter. A chair was set in the middle of the dance floor and Lara sat down. The couple had previously discussed how they would handle this tradition as neither one of them wanted to make Lara uncomfortable but they still wanted to have some fun.
Ken knelt in front of Lara who drew her dress up just past her knees where a white lace garter rested on her right leg. As “Another One Bites the Dust,” by Queen played in the background Ken trailed his hand sensuously up her leg. He grasped the garter with his fingers and slowly drew it back down to her foot and off, their eyes locked the whole time.
When the cheering stopped the call came for all bachelors to gather on the dance floor but Clark held back.
“Why aren’t you getting in there, Clark?” Lois asked, “You’re an eligible bachelor.”
“I’m the bride’s father Lois, it wouldn’t be right.” Clark’s embarrassed expression said it all.
“Oh go on, it’s all in fun anyway,” Lois said with a playful grin as she pushed him onto the floor. Clark walked to the back of the crowd sure that this position would not be conducive to catching the garter. However, when Ken turned his back to the assembled bachelors, he tossed the garter so far it sailed over everyone’s heads to land right in Clark’s hands!
Clark looked over to Lois as she valiantly tried to suppress a laugh, her eyes twinkling. He put the garter in his pocket and rejoined Lois with a disgruntled look on his face.
“It’s gonna be fun, Clark,” he mimicked, “Yeah right!”
“Hey, how did I know Ken had such a strong arm?” Lois said innocently. “Tradition says that you’re the next one to marry, got any hot prospects, Kent?”
While Lois may have been teasing Clark was extremely serious when he replied. “I can think of one,” he said, his eyes locked onto hers for a moment. The mood was broken when the call came for all single women to go to the dance floor for the bouquet toss. Before she even had a chance to demure Clark pushed Lois, gently, onto the floor.
“I’m gonna remember this, Kent,” Lois whispered, sure that Clark would hear her. Lois’s luck was not nearly as good as Clark’s because she was nowhere near the bouquet as it flew into the crowd.
For the next few hours, Lara and Ken circulated the room talking to friends and family, people they hadn’t seen in quite some time.
“Pam, you know my husband, Ken, right?” Lara said when she and Ken walked over to her boss’s table.
“Oh yes, we met when you brought him to the newsroom open house. It’s nice to see you again, Ken,” Pam said. “This is my friend, Gary Burns.”
“Pleased to meet you, Mr. Burns,” Ken said, shaking hands. Gary Burns was about six-foot-tall, in his early forties, of average build with dark brown hair that was greying at the temples.
“Gary, please. Your DJ plays great music, not like a lot of weddings I’ve attended.”
“Yes, he does. Pam told me you loved to dance. I see that you two have taken advantage of the music,” Lara said with a smile.
Gary smiled at Pam. “Pam’s a wonderful dancer. It makes dancing a pleasure with such an accomplished partner.”
“I’m sorry we can’t stay and chat longer but we have a lot of people to see,” Lara said reluctantly.
“You two go ahead. Come on Gary, I love this song!” Pam grabbed Gary’s hand and led him back to the dance floor.
“Gary seems like a nice guy,” Ken said.
“Yes, he does and Pam seems to like him a lot. She told me he’s an architect and she met him at a charity function. I think she’s been dating him for a while.”
“Do you think they’re serious?”
“I hope so, Pam’s a great person and she deserves to be happy.”
As they were heading over to talk to Ken’s grandparents Ben Pierce caught them.
“Lara, I want to apologize to you and Ken for what Lindsay said. I don’t know what possessed her to talk to your mother like that,” Ben said embarrassed.
“Don’t worry about it, Ben. I’m used to Lindsay by now. I just ignore her, though maybe you should apologize to Lois.”
“I’m planning to but I saw you first. Anyway, I’m sorry she made a scene, I’ll see you later.” Ben turned away to head in Lois’s direction.
“I don’t envy him,” Lara said. “I heard Lois talking to Dad earlier and she was quite upset.”
“I wondered why you seemed distracted, eavesdropping were you?” Ken chuckled.
“No! I just heard Dad mention Lindsay’s name and I tuned in for a moment.” Lara’s blush told him that she’d done more than listen for a moment.
“Whatever you say, dear,” Ken said innocently as they continued to make their rounds.
**********
Continued in Chapter Thirty-Two
