Post Fractalization

Chapter 10

“Shit!” Emmett said as he stood at the door of the sun porch looking out at the rain that continued to fall.

“What?” Brian asked as he came up behind the tall queen.

“Jennifer really wanted the wedding outside and just look at that,” Emmett responded gesturing at the inclement weather. “We’ve had so much rain lately. Your grass is going to be a fucking quagmire, even if it stops raining.”

“My grass is never a fucking quagmire!” Brian declared. “It absorbs water efficiently and quickly. It’s supposed to stop raining tonight.”

“We’re going to have to hold the ceremony in here,” Emmett said ignoring Brian. He looked at the stacks of chairs which had just been delivered and placed in the sun porch because it was raining outside. “Just look at all these fucking chairs. The guests will be packed in like sardines.”

“Well, we do have a rather large family,” Brian snorted.

“You’re a big fucking help. Why didn’t you build that goddamn pavilion that Jennifer asked for?”

“Hey, you big old nelly bottom, don’t take this out on me.”

“Who else can I take it out on? This is a disaster.”

“What’s a disaster?” John asked as he entered the sun porch having just got off the phone. He was working from home so he could be of any assistance that might be needed by the wedding planner. “And did I hear mention of a pavilion?”

“Yes,” Emmett said looking pointedly at Brian. “Some person, who shall remain nameless, promised a pavilion, and this weather indicates that we are going to need it.”

“I would have built a pavilion,” John said seriously. “It would have been beautiful.”

“Can you whip one up by tomorrow morning?” Emmett asked.

“That might be cutting it a might fine.”

Emmett heaved a huge sigh. “This fucking wedding,” he griped. “Look at it out there.” He pointed out the windows of the sun porch at the continuing downpour.

John licked his finger and held it up in the air. He gave a mischievous wink to his brother. “Wind will switch around tonight and start things clearing out.”

“Wha…What are you talking about? How do you know?” Emmett asked in amazement.

“My index finger just told me,” John chuckled.

“Fuck! Does everybody think this is a fucking joke? I can’t do everything inside this sun porch, as spacious as it may appear to be,” Emmett said his eyes getting full of tears. “What am I going to do?”

“You’re going to go to your cottage and get Drew to fuck you senseless,” Brian declared taking Emmett by the shoulders, turning him around and shoving him gently towards the front door of the cottage. “Then you will have some lunch and a beauty sleep, so you can look fabulous tomorrow.”

“But…”

“Go, get out of here, Emmy Lou. You can’t control the weather.”

“But…”

“I said go! Get Drew to work his magic.”

“But…

“What, for fuck sake?”

“Drew’s in Pittsburgh.”

“Shit!” Brian reacted. He had been counting on Drew to calm the big fairy down.

“Don’t you have things to do for the wedding?” John jumped in.

“Yes,” Emmett said mournfully.

“Then go do them. The weather will take care of itself.”

“You promise?” Emmett asked hopefully.

“I promise,” John said crossing his heart.

Emmett disappeared out the door without a further word.

“Do you realize what you just promised?” Brian asked.

“Yes,” John smirked.

“What will happen if the weather doesn’t change?”

“We’ll deal with it.”

“But…”

“Now you’re sounding like Emmett.”

“Fuck!”

John laughed. “It will be all right, Brian. It will be what it will be.”

“Why did you promise Emmett the weather would change?” Brian asked with a frown.

“Just heard it on the weather report on the radio,” John chuckled.

“And they’re right … what? About point zero zero seven percent of the time?”

“It’s a little higher than that.”

“Can you build a fucking pavilion by tomorrow morning?” Brian asked hopefully.

“You won’t need it.”

“You are fucking nuts, big bro’.”

John stuck his finger in his mouth and held it up. “It will be fine.”

“You and that fucking finger,” Brian said shaking his head. John merely laughed.

 

*****
 

“Easy, Mol,” Owen said as he helped his very pregnant wife from the car.”

“I can’t fucking move,” Molly groaned as she finally got vertical. She was having more of those twinges and she had just had another rather strong one. “I want this baby out!”

“I want the baby too,” Jennifer said as she came around the car. “But I don’t want it today or tomorrow.”

“Maybe if I forced it out right now,” Molly said hopefully, “I could be ready for the wedding tomorrow.”

“I don’t think so, sweetheart,” Jennifer replied kissing her daughter’s cheek as she held an umbrella over their heads. “Then your dress wouldn’t fit.”

“I could put a belt around it,” Molly suggested as she waddled towards the front door of Edna’s Treasures beside her mother. Owen brought up the rear with their bags.

“Mom, Molly,” Justin said as he opened the door for them. “Glad you made it in one piece. Come in out of the rain. Hi, Owen.”

“I think it was a great idea that we come up here today and not wait till tomorrow morning,” Jennifer said as she kissed her son and shook the rain off the umbrella she had been carrying.

“We had to keep you and Seth apart for tonight,” Justin chuckled.

“Where’s Brian?” Molly asked.

“Out in the sun porch with John.”

“Are they planning what the fuck we’re going to do if this rain keeps up?” Jennifer asked.

“I think they’re designing a makeshift pavilion,” Justin giggled.

“Oh, Justin, it’s going to be such a mess,” Jennifer said, her eyes filling with tears. “I wanted everything to be perfect.”

“It will be,” Brian said as he and John came in from the porch.

“How can you say that, Brian?” Jennifer groaned. “It’s still raining.”

“I have it on good authority that it’s going to clear off tonight and it will be beautiful tomorrow.”

“And what authority is that?” Jennifer asked with a quizzical look. At least the tears had been pushed away for the moment.

“My big brother,” Brian smirked.

“John!” everyone said.

“I did predict the big snowstorm at Christmas,” John said with a grin. “Have faith.”

“From your lips to God’s ears,” Jennifer said.

“I’ll be sure to tell Him,” John said with a smile.

“Hey, pregnant lady here!” Molly spoke up. “I need to sit the fuck down.”

“Come on, Mol, I’ll help you,” Owen said dropping their bags and taking his wife’s arm. He led her into the kitchen where she could sit at the kitchen table. She preferred a harder chair that made it a little easier for her to get out of.

“Is she going to make it through the wedding?” Justin asked. “She looks like she’s ready to pop.”

“I know, sweetheart, but she has a couple of weeks before her due date.”

“Let’s hope they calculated correctly,” Brian piped up. “I don’t want no babies being born in this house.”

“Shut up, Brian,” Molly yelled from the kitchen.

“Don’t cross her,” Jennifer warned. “She’ll cut off your balls.”

“Pregnancy hormones,” Brian smirked. “Thank the gods, you didn’t have any of those when we were having Bree.” Justin gave his husband a death glare that would rival one of Brian’s best.

“I heard that,” Molly called out. “I’ll get you, Kinney, when I don’t weigh nine hundred pounds.”

Brian chuckled.

“Be careful, Brian, she’ll make you pay,” Justin warned. “I know from experience.”

Brian’s smirk suddenly left his face.

 

*****
 

Bree came home from school and everyone’s spirits perked up as a result. Her smiling face and infectious laughter made them all feel better on the gloomy day.

Everyone settled in at Edna’s Treasures and Justin started dinner. The rain was still falling but not as hard. Jennifer was standing in the sun porch staring out at the rain.

“It will clear,” John said gently as he walked up behind her.

“I wish.”

“It will be a beautiful wedding whatever happens, Jennifer. You can bank on that.”

“Thanks, John. That’s what I needed to hear.”

“If it’s still raining, I’ll start the pavilion in the morning,” John said with a gentle smile.

“You promised it was going to clear,” Jennifer smiled.

“Oh, right!”

“You are as bad as your brother,” Jennifer chuckled.

“That puts me in fine company.”

“That it does.”

“Gamma,” Bree called from the doorway, “come play with me.”

Jennifer laughed. “Yes, sweetheart, I’ll be right there.”

“What else would you be doing on the eve of your wedding?” John asked with a smirk.

“I can think of one or two things that involve Seth,” Jennifer said feeling much better. “But since we’ve been banned from seeing each other, playing with my granddaughter is the next best thing.”

John watched a happier Jennifer walk into the house to play with Bree. His work there was done.

 

*****
 

“What time will Seth be here?” Justin asked as they sat around in the sun porch after dinner.

“He’s coming up in the morning. I’m not sure what time,” Jennifer replied.

“Is he bringing his brother?”

“Yes, his brother’s flight gets in at ten and they’ll come here as soon as Seth picks him up at the airport.”

“What’s his brother’s name again? I don’t remember,” Justin asked.

“Samuel,” Jennifer said. “And it is Samuel. He never shortens it to Sam.”

Brian snorted. “I wouldn’t either.”

“Brian, you be nice to him. He’s a part of the family now,” Jennifer warned.

“Not for a few more hours.”

“Brian,” Justin warned arching an eyebrow at his less than politically correct husband.

“If the weather would only cooperate,” Jennifer sighed as she looked out at the rain.”

“It’s tapering off,” John said with a wink.

Jennifer couldn’t help but smile.

“Auntie Molly, can I sit with you?” Bree asked as she stood beside the chaise where Molly was relaxing after dinner.

“I think I can squeeze a bit of room for you,” Molly said as she shifted her heavy body over. Bree climbed up beside her. “The baby’s kicking field goals,” she said to her niece. “Want to feel?”

“Yeah,” Bree said her eyes getting very big.

“Put your hand right here,” Molly said, taking Bree’s hand and placing it on her belly.

“Ooh,” Bree laughed as she felt the baby make her hand bounce on Molly’s tummy. “Cool.”

“Can I feel too?” Patrick asked having watched Bree’s reaction.

“Sure, there’s always room for one more.”

Patrick climbed up on the other side of Molly. She placed the boy’s hand so he could feel the kicks too.

“Neat,” Patrick responded with a smile. “When will the baby be here?”

“Any minute,” Molly laughed.

“Bite your tongue,” Brian told her.

“I want this baby out.”

“How does the baby get out?” Bree asked.

“Basically I push it out from down here,” Molly said matter-of-factly. She pointed to her crotch.

“Gross!” Patrick reacted.

“Will it hurt?” Bree asked with a frown.

“You bet your ass,” Molly replied.

“I thought I could be a baby doctor,” Bree told her aunt. “But maybe not.”

“I wouldn’t be an obstetrician either, Bree,” Molly chuckled. “There are lots of other things to be.”

“Yeah,” Bree said thinking about that.

“Are you ready to be a flowergirl tomorrow?”

“I’m ready,” Bree declared.

“Good girl,” Molly said as she gave Bree a hug.

“She’s going to be a great mother,” Owen said to Jennifer as he watched his wife with the two children.

“She certainly will.” Seeing Molly with the children made Jennifer realize that it didn’t matter one iota what the weather was like for the wedding. Children were the important things.

 

*****
 

The wedding day dawned gray and windy, but not rainy. It had stopped raining overnight and the breeze had dried up a lot of the water. Brian came in from the gardens where he had been surveying the state of his plants. Everything looked great, having benefited from the prolonged April showers. All they needed was some sun to make the flowers look positively magnificent. Brian had been working on his gardens for weeks to have them in top notch condition for the wedding day.

“Your gardens look great, Brian,” Justin said as he walked into his husband’s arms.

“If only the sun would come out,” Brian frowned.

“Can’t you wave your magic wand and make it appear.”

“I usually save my magic wand for you,” Brian smirked.

“I’d share … just this once,” Justin chuckled.

“Then let there be sunshine for my Sunshine,” Brian said grabbing his crotch.

“You are so bad.” Justin laughed at the antics of his husband before kissing him. But when he looked up the sun was shining.

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