Free A May-September Wedding by Bill Sanderson

herself for a little bit."
    Cal came in to
help extricate his granddaughter from her snowsuit and collect a
hug from Elaine before scooping Emily up and taking her into the
living room.
     
    Elaine
wandered into the kitchen to help. "How are you, Phyl?" Elaine's
tone was warm, which aroused Phyl's curiosity.
    "It's a bit
strange to be setting this up without your mum on the other side of
the table fussing and not hearing Harry and Cal argue over which
football game they're going to watch. But other than that..."
    Elaine stepped
closer, and asked, a bit nervously, "Is there something going on
between you and Dad?" Then seeing Phyl's shuttered reaction, she
continued, "I'm sorry Phyl. I've got pregnant head going and I'm
blurting things again. Can I start over?"
    Phyl was torn
between amusement and annoyance but said, with a hint of a smirk,
"Merry Christmas, Elaine, how have you been?"
    Elaine
returned the smirk and said, "Merry Christmas to you, Phyl. I've
been mostly fine now that I'm past the morning sickness. I want to
thank you for all of the support you've given Dad since Mom died.
And I've noticed that he seems to think you're pretty special. And
now that I've gotten to know you better I understand why Mom and
Dad wanted to spend time with you guys." Elaine took a deep breath.
"So, if there is anything going on between you, I understand and
approve."
    Phyl stood
still for a bit and responded, "Well, as fond as I am of Cal, he's
said nothing to me. We certainly haven't got anything going on
between us." Yet.
    Elaine sat
down at a chair with a sigh and started folding napkins. She sighed
again and said, "That's too bad. Dad needs someone and you'd be
perfect for him, but he's probably hung up on the age difference
thing." Elaine snorted. "Well, that's part of why I was so wary of
you. I didn't know where to slot you in because all of my parents
friends were like, old, and you and Harry weren't. And then I
married a younger man..."
    Phyl rolled
her eyes and interrupted, "Five years younger isn't anything."
    "You wouldn't
think so, but I only know two other couples where the husband is
more than a year younger than the wife. I know lots of couples
where the husband is older."
    "Twenty-one
years?" Phyl was curious.
    "Three or four
actually. And if you were looking for someone, Dad would make a
good choice. Brian says it makes a difference if the man is
divorced or widowed the second time around. Widowers usually make
really good husbands if they remarry because they actually want to
be married. The divorced guys are often looking to recapture their
youth. Kind of like the difference between wanting a cat and
wanting a kitten."
    Phyl was
puzzled by the analogy. Elaine tried to explain, "There are two
types of people who get kittens, the ones who think kittens are
cute and the ones who like cats well enough that they enjoy the
kitten phase but also enjoy their cat long term. The divorced guys
who want really young trophy wives will dump them as soon as they
stop being cute."
    "That makes
sense. If Cal marries again, it will be because he wants to marry
the lucky woman. He's too sensible and honourable to marry just for
the honeymoon." Phyl's gaze got a bit vacant as she briefly
fantasized about honeymooning with Cal. Elaine politely ignored the
wistful look on Phyl's face as she turned her attention back the
stack of napkins.
     
    "How was the
drive up, Jeremy?" Cal hugged his youngest son and then
Patricia.
    "We didn't
drive, Dad. Patty's parents handed us a pair of airline tickets for
an early Christmas present. So we had a late supper and presents
with her folks last night in Dartmouth and hopped the early flight
this morning on Porter."
    Patricia
leaned into her husband and said, "And don't bother offering to put
us up. I used my reward points to book us into the Chateau Laurier
while we're here. But you might have to keep Jeremy company on the
twenty-seventh. I've booked a whole day for myself at the spa."
    Elaine