Class Reunion

“I am never going to survive this week,” Jeff whined as he stood in front of the mirror in his and Chris’ suite of the hotel.  “I’m too old for all of this at one time.”

“Excuse me?” Chris snapped.  “I know you didn’t just blab that o word around me, when you know my birthday is five months before yours.”

“And what are you two doing together?  Don’t you know it’s bad luck to see each other before the ceremony?” Laura exclaimed as she came into the room.

“Mom, Chris and I have been living together for 9 years now,” Jeff whined.  “If we haven’t split up by now, actually getting married isn’t going to break us up either.”

“Next thing I know you are going to tell me that Colonel and his Chris are together in his room as well,” Laura complained.

“No, Gramma,” Colonel said as he walked up and hugged her tight.  “He left an hour ago to go home and get ready.”

“You youngsters have no respect for traditions,” she huffed.

“Mom, my son and I are about to have a double wedding to marry our boyfriends,” Jeff pointed out.  “Nothing about that says tradition.”

“One of you could have worn my mom’s wedding dress,” Becky’s now 12 year old daughter Sadie piped up as she joined her Gramma in the room.

“You just had to take her to the drag show at this year’s pride festival, didn’t you Colonel?” Chris asked his soon to be official stepson.

“Well, I didn’t think the little twerp would try to talk all of us into being drag queens,” Colonel protested.

“Don’t call your cousin a twerp,” Jeff and Laura both scolded.

“I can’t do this,” Jeff whined and threw his hands up in the air.  “I’ll just get married without a tie on.”

“Come here son, I’ll help you,” Ben told him.  “You’ll have to get on your knees though.  If you bend over so I can reach you, I won’t be able to get it as tight as it should be.”

Jeff walked over to Ben as he maneuvered his wheelchair into the room.  Ben had a stroke three years that left him unable to walk, but it hadn’t affected his upper body or his mind thankfully.  “Are you sure you are up for this today, Dad?  You have been spending an awful lot of time back at medical appointments lately.”

“You just try and keep me from being here to see my son and grandson getting married,” Ben said firmly.  “Who knows, the day might even turn out even more special than you think.”

“I don’t know how it could,” Colonel mused.  “Dad and I are both marrying our Chris’ on the day of Dad’s thirtieth high school reunion, marking the tenth anniversary of us all getting together, right here in this hotel.”

“It’s time for you guys to be in the banquet room,” Renee said as she entered the suite while still knocking on the door.

The group followed her down the hall to the room set up for the double wedding and reunion which were all happening together.  Just outside the doors of the room, Ben stopped Jeff and Colonel.  Laura started sniffling and wiping tears, then went ahead into the room.

“Jeff, Colonel, I can’t tell you how much it means to me that I am here to see this day with you,” Ben told them.  “I heard you telling Laura that nothing about today is traditional, and I was really glad to hear you say that, because I have a very untraditional request to make.  I know that neither of you are brides to be escorted down the aisle by their father, but you see, it’s always bothered me that I couldn’t do something more to prove to the world that in my mind and definitely in my heart you two are every bit as much family to me as Laura and Becky.  I thought of a way to do that if you wouldn’t mind, and if you will help me just a little bit.”

“Grampa, you know I would do anything to help you,” Colonel said as he wiped tears from his face.  “And of course we’re family.  You and Gramma are the only grandparents I have ever had, and you have been the best anyone could ever have.”

“Dad, I thought we settled this long ago,” Jeff told him.  “You are my parents every bit as much as you were Kyle’s.”

“Well, I want to show the world that, boys,” Ben said as he placed his hands on the arms of his chair, and began to push himself up.

“Grampa, what are…. I don’t understand,” Colonel mumbled.

“What this stubborn old codger is trying to say is that he wants to walk down the aisle with you boys, as your family representative, similar to what he did when Becky got married,” Laura told them as she held a set of forearm crutches to her husband.  “All those appointments have been for physical therapy, so he could do this if you would let him.”

“Let him?” Colonel sputtered.  “I’d like to see anyone stop my Grampa from doing anything he sets his mind to.”

“I…” Jeff started then choked on tears and emotions.  “I would be so honored to have my Dad walk down that aisle with me and my son on our wedding day.  I love you so much, Dad, you too, Mom.”

“Laura, I don’t think I will need those crutches for this walk,” Ben told his wife.  “I know I am supposed to use them, but if I do I can’t hold the hands of my family as I escort them to the men they love.  Maybe we could have someone follow along behind with the chair, just in case though.”

“I’ll do that, Dad,” Becky told them as she wiped tears from her eyes.  “That gives me the chance to be in my brother’s and my nephew’s wedding too.”  What followed was one of the happiest, most tearful family hugs in history.  As the three men walked down the aisle to meet the two Chris’, Jeff looked around at a room packed with familiar faces all full of admiration and happiness for him and Colonel.  He had never felt so wonderful in all his life, and somehow he knew that Kyle was watching over them all with a smile as well.