The line to get the new car tags was mercifully short that Friday. Barbara hoped she could be out of there and back at work in the time she would have taken for lunch. She waited as someone who didn’t speak English tried to communicate with a clerk. Barbara fixed her gaze on the window of another clerk, who was almost finished with the man she was waiting on.
The insurance company had decided to total Emily’s car. Instead of just replacing it, Barbara used the insurance money for down payments on two used cars — one for Emily and one for Lance. A church friend who worked at a dealership had quickly found her two old cars in good condition, and if they could keep them running, it would make all of their lives easier.
She’d been conflicted about the whole thing — whether to ground Lance for life for sneaking out and rushing into danger, or to reward him for putting April’s life before his own. Her pride in his heroism trumped her maternal anger. So Lance was getting the car for which they’d been saving.
She got to the window, paid for the tags, and waited as the clerk typed the information about both cars into her computer. Finally, Barbara took the tags, stuffed them into her bag, and stepped out of the office.
She caught her breath when she saw Kent, dressed in a tuxedo, a soft smile on his face.
“Kent, what are you doing?”
“I was hoping I’d catch you here,” he said.
She could see the mischief in his twinkling eye. He took her hand.
“Kent? What is it? Why are you so dressed up?”
He walked her a few steps up the hall. “I thought while you were here, you might want to stop by this office.” He turned her to the door that said MARRIAGE LICENSES.
Her heart jolted, and she brought her hand to her mouth.
He pulled her inside the county clerk’s office, and before she could speak, knelt on one knee, holding a sparkling diamond ring in a little black velvet box. His eyes misted. “Barbara, I don’t want to wait another day to start my life with you.”
Tears filled her eyes, and she bent to frame his face with her hands. “I don’t either,” she whispered.
“Will you marry me?”
She kissed him as he came to his feet. “Yes! Yes, I’ll marry you!”
“Now?” he said.
Only then did she realize that the woman behind the desk was videotaping them. She laughed and wiped her tears. “What do you mean now?”
“I mean now. We can get the license here. There’s no waiting period, no blood test, no nothing. We can get married today.”
She stared at him, then looked at the grinning stranger with the camcorder. Married today? But she didn’t have a dress. She’d thrown on a pair of pants and a blouse today, she hardly had any makeup on, and her hair was a mess.
Was this how she wanted to marry Kent?
Suddenly, joy erupted in her heart and spread across her face. “Okay, let’s do it.”
The office staff applauded. Barbara was giddy as they filled out their marriage license application, then waited until they were given the form in a white envelope.
“Good luck,” the woman said, handing Kent the camcorder.
Kent stopped before taking Barbara out and kissed her in the doorway. Were they going to do this right here, with a judge? Suddenly she had cold feet. She couldn’t marry him today! Not without Emily or Lance.
“Mom?”
Barbara spun around.
Beaming, Emily waited in the hallway just outside the door, balancing on her crutches and holding an ivory silk dress and a short veil in her arms. “I think you would have picked this out for yourself.”
Barbara gasped and took the dress. “It’s perfect! Oh, honey!”
“Then let’s go get you married,” Emily said.
“And I don’t have to do anything?”
“Nope,” Kent said. “It’s all done. The preacher’s waiting at the church, and our friends will be arriving soon. You have plenty of time to get ready.”
“What about Lance? He’s in school.”
“I got him out early,” Kent said. “You had me on his emergency list, remember? I figured a wedding was a good enough reason. The principal gave him an excused absence.”
Teary-eyed, she took the dress so Emily could crutch out. They stepped out of the building, and in front of a limousine stood Lance, outfitted in his own black tux. He looked so mature, so handsome in it. He, too, was grinning from ear to ear. “Well, did she say yes or what?”
Barbara threw up her hands. “Of course I did!”
Lance let out a whoop as the chauffeur opened the back door. “Then let’s go do this!” Barbara felt like royalty as she got into the car with the people she loved most in her life, and headed off for the church.