No Real Wedding?

Toni liked Lucy, from the first time she’d met her she liked her spunk and her courage. Toni was having lunch at Millie’s Boarding House and as she picked over her salad saving the best bits for last she looked up wide eyed at what she’d just heard.

"What do you mean you’re not having a real wedding?"

"Well…what I mean is we can’t afford all that what with the bakery going up down on the corner, which Max Skinner was kind enough to make me a loan…and do you know Andy insisted his name be on it too. He didn’t want me to be totally responsible for the loan."

"Men are like that Lucy, Richie’s in with me on the rehab center…but about the wedding Lucy."

"Andy doesn’t care Toni just so we’re married."

"Have you talked to Rev. Harris? Lucy let me help…I’ve got all this money sitting in Max’s bank…Richie won’t let me use it for anything he has to do with…I can help."

"I appreciate that Toni I really do…I guess we could get Rev. Harris to say the words over us…maybe after church one Sunday or something."

Toni took a long drink of her iced tea, "about the reception…I could do that."

Lucy laughed, "You don’t have to do anything Toni…sit in the pew while the vows are spoken if you like."

"I’ll talk to Andy…I’m telling you Lucy you’ll regret it someday when you look back, its special and it ought to be more than a Sunday school lesson. What’s he doing in the kitchen right now anything? Ask him if he’s got a minute."

"Toni…okay but he’s not going to like this."

Andy came out looking worried, "something wrong with the salad Mrs. Roberts?"

"You young man can call me Toni and the salad is perfect as you well know, sit down a minute."

Andy looked at Lucy and sat down.

"I know you two are about to get married with no big wedding planned, that’s fine, but you should have a wedding to remember Andy…and I’ve said the same thing to Lucy…I want to help. I’ll pick up the tab and for the reception…have it here after the church service and if that’s a problem we can have it at our house. Lucy needs a dress and you need a nice suit."

"Oh…well that’s awfully nice of you…Toni, I mean we’ve talked about just the ceremony. I don’t know what it would cost…"

"That doesn’t matter…what matters is that you have a wedding Andy. Everybody in The Glen loves you and Lucy how do you think we’d all feel if we found out you’d run off to Coffs and got married and we weren’t a part of it."

"I wouldn’t want anything fancy you know, not like what you and Richie had."

"It doesn’t have to be anything like that."

Andy smiled and looked over at Lucy who was disbelieving what she was hearing and seeing, "okay you and Lucy plan it…thanks you’re great Toni, " Andy gave her a big kiss on the mouth which surprised and delighted her before disappearing back into the kitchen.

Toni picked up her fork and raised a brow at Lucy, "see…now about the dress…I know a perfect little boutique in Coffs."