The next morning was all sunshine. The couple went to the restaurant and had the Bridal Breakfast including mimosas. Valerie was on top of the world. Sitting across the table with real linen and the elegant setting was something she had never experienced. Then she looked at her husband. Her husband. Valerie’s heart fluttered.
The server, attired in a white shirt, black bow tie, and comber bun poured their coffee from a silver coffee pot. Valerie was speechless. She looked at Jeff and her heart melted. He looked like a movie star to her.
They casually had their breakfast and made plans for the day. Valerie wanted to go around to the shops. She had never seen so many elegant things. Jeff watched his new bride as she perused the different shops. He stayed outside for the most part, fancy dresses, and fine jewelry weren’t on his top ten.
By mid-afternoon, the couple decided to stop at a little shop with three tables and chairs in front. They ordered sandwiches and a bottle of wine that was suggested by the owner. The afternoon air was getting much cooler, so decided to dine inside.
Their order came with the sandwiches cut into four pieces. The server opened the wine and poured a small amount into the glass in front of Jeff. He tasted the wine and smiled his approval at the server. He poured Valerie’s first. At the first sip, she closed her eyes and sighed.
“My beautiful bride,” Jeff said smiling at Valerie, “we might as well talk about our honeymoon. It will be a few days before the job is finished. Then I can take some serious time off. Have you thought about where you would want to honeymoon?”
Valerie answered with an emphatic “Yes”.
“I want to go to the cabin. I want to do all the things we did the first time you brought me there.”
“Baby, it’s going to be December. It might snow.” Jeff reminded her.
“I don’t care, “Valerie responded in a rough tone,” “Oh, that sounded a bit rude, I’m sorry. I want to spend my honeymoon with my husband and the magical places he showed me. The enchanted path, the waterfall, everything. Mostly the wonderful love he made to me. The place where he stole my heart forever.”
Jeff chuckled, “It did not sound rude Ginger Snap. To me, it sounded like a girl wanting a dream to come true. Nothing rude about that. The look on your face as you thought about the places we saw together. It was the first time I had ever seen them that way. To me it was a place to hunt and fish, with you it was an Enchanted World. That can only happen when two people are deeply in love.”
On the way back to the hotel, they walked the opposite side of the street. Different shops, different Ohs and Ahs from Valerie. There was a curious little shop squeezed between two larger shops. It was just a bit wider than a double stairwell. Jeff was curious.
When Valerie came out of the shop she was in, Jeff held out his hand to her.
“Baby let’s go into this little shop. I don’t know why, but it is drawing me in. What do you think?”
“Sounds like fun,” Valerie smiled back.
When they walked in, a little bell tinkled softly. It did not bring an attendant. They heard the sounds of a waterfall, birds fluttering, and the ceiling was made of clouds passing over a blue sky. They wandered through the shop leisurely examining what seemed to be little displays.
Not really for sale, but to stop and watch. The little displays were mesmerizing. Jeff heard Valerie quietly call him from the back of the shop.
“Jeff,” Valerie’s voice was pure excitement, “this looks exactly like the waterfall you took me to at the cabin. It’s almost a miniature of it. I could almost feel the spray from the water when we walked behind the falls. I can even smell the water and feel the coolness of the cave on that hot day.”
“This is amazing, Valerie. This entire shop reminds me of our places at the cabin. This is weird, almost spooky. Did you start something magical at lunch?” Jeff’s face looked amazed.
They were slowly walking to the front of the shop to leave. They stopped and looked at every display along the way. When they got to the counter just before the door, Jeff and Valerie stopped dead in their tracks. They looked at each other, then again at the counter.
On the counter was a replica of the waterfall, they admired so much. Next to it was a paper bag still folded. A small person, almost childlike walked up behind the counter. He just looked at them for a moment and smiled.
“Do you like the fountain? There is only one like it in the world. If it pleases you, take it.” And he walked away.
“We just can’t take his merchandise without paying. But he didn’t give us a price or anything. How do I know we will leave enough without insulting him Valerie, this is nuts.”
“Jeff, I hope you don’t think you married a person with mental problems, but when he came up to the counter, I felt calm. Almost warm. Why the waterfall? We were just talking about it. I think it’s, it’s – I don’t know. All I know is we are supposed to have it. Don’t ask me how I know.”
“I am never going to get into a conversation about the sixth sense you girls have. It’s been proven too many times. If you think he offered it to us, we’ll take it.”
“I truly believe he meant it for us,” Valerie assured him.
They walked back to the hotel room and got their swimsuits on. Valerie removed the present from the bag and placed it on their chest of drawers. She couldn’t stop looking at it. When Jeff saw Valerie in her new swimsuit, he gave her a long wolf whistle.
“Baby, you look great. Maybe I should take a blunt object with me to the pool.”
“Jeffery, stop. You’re such a flatterer. Oh, and don’t stop that part.”
When they got to the pool, other couples were sitting around. They started up conversations with them and enjoyed their company. The was an older couple sitting in lounge chairs holding hands. Valerie and Jeff walked up to them to say “Hi”. When they did the wife spoke up.
“Hank, meet the newlyweds. And what are your names.”
Her face was turning red when Valerie responded. “My name is Valerie, and this is my husband, Jeff. How did you know we are just married?”
“Well,” Hank explained, “Agnes mentioned to me how often you would look at your rings and the smile on your face. A new bride looks radiant, and you my dear look radiant.”
“Guilty as charged. Jeff planned everything. I was completely surprised. He treats me like a queen,” Valerie boasted.
“Hank and I wish you many, many years of blessings and happiness. Remember, always do everything you can together.”
Jeff and Valerie smiled and thanked them and found chairs not far from them. A server came by took their drink order, and asked if they wanted a snack. They declined. Jeff told Valerie the Bride’s dinner was prime rib. Valerie was all for waiting.
They stayed at the pool for a couple of hours then decided to go to the room and relax. When they walked into the room, they both stopped and looked at the present. Still wondering how it happened.
As always, Valerie went to freshen up first, then Jeff. Their bed had been turned down and looked inviting. They were quite tired from the excursion on the main street. Valerie looked at Jeff, he nodded in agreement.
Valerie slid under the covers then Jeff followed. She moved back until her bare butt was planted firmly against Jeff. He reached over Valerie and caressed her breast. He loved feeling this intimacy with her. They fell asleep wrapped in their love.
Jeff woke up first. He gently nudged his bride out of her slumber. Valerie stretched and smiled at Jeff through sleepy eyes.
“Prime rib, anyone?”
Valerie was jumping out of bed, “Count me in,” she said.
They went into the dining area and the maître d’ escorted them to a table with a sign: Reserved Mr. and Mrs. Thurman. Valerie was trembling a little with all of the excitement. Jeff felt like he had been crowned king and Valerie was his queen.
The waiter brought the champagne, poured their glass, then set it in the iced bucket on a stand and left. He returned about ten minutes later with the menu. A six-ounce cut of prime rib, rare. Your choice of two sides, and beverage. They looked across the table at each other.
“Valerie, this has been wonderful. Beyond my every dream. But I want you to know, it means absolutely nothing without you as my wife.”
Valerie was looking at Jeff in the eyes. She was staring at him. Her eyes turned pink and filled with tears. “Jeffery,” Valerie’s voice was shaking. “You have said many beautiful things to me but what you just said, I cannot tell you what my heart is feeling. My, God, I am a very lucky woman. Thank you for loving me.”
That’s when they noticed the server was standing there waiting to place their meal in front of them. Valerie was trying to shed her tears when she looked up at the server. He was smiling at them.
“Pardon me for being so bold, sir. I have witnessed many wonderful scenes. The exchange between you and your new bride was the most beautiful and moving I have ever experienced.”
He placed their dinner and then filled their champagne glasses. Smiled, bowed respectfully then left. They smiled at each other and began to casually enjoy their feast. They reminisced about the day they accidentally bumped into each other outside of the courthouse. When Jeff brought up their first tryst behind the grass bush, Valerie blushed. She reminded him they were only in third grade.
When Valerie started talking about the cabin, she teared up. She took Jeff on a stop-by-stop tour of memory lane. She didn’t miss anything. When she started to talk about the waterfall she stopped.
“Jeff, that shop we were in. It seemed to me like a replica of the cabin and the surroundings. And what about the waterfall statue sitting on the counter, and that little person? I felt so good there. I don’t understand any of it.”
