Jill Churchill: The Accidental Florist

"They're permits. Come out in the backyard and see what's going on." "jeez, " he exclaimed. "What's that big room for?"

"Mel's home office. He had a room in his apartment for working at home, so I'm giving him one here."

Mike moved closer to look through an unfinished section. "Even a bathroom. Mom, have you spent our whole inheritance on this?"

She laughed. "Just part of it. Uncle Jim has retired and had the same architect and contractor add a woodworking room for him. So I latched onto the same men. Since the weddings have been moved up by three weeks, it won't be finished in time."

"Weddings, plural?"

"Yes. On Friday the family goes to a judge's chamber for a civil wedding, then Saturday is Addie's blowout wedding."

"Why did you let her take charge?"

"To save part of your inheritance. She's paying for the hotel rental, and the food, and the band for dancing later."

"Still, that's not right."

"It's okay by me. Free food. Free band for a dance afterward, and also a free dinner for the rehearsal dinner, which is her responsibility."

Mike just shrugged. "I guess that does make sense. When do Grumps and Nana get here?"

"Thursday. Katie's staying with them at the hotel. I've sent a car service to take her at four. Your grandparents arrive tomorrow at ten in the morning. Would you want to come along with me to the airport to pick them up?"

"It will have to be in your car. I won't force them to ride in the back of my truck. So, when is Mel's awful mother arriving?"

"We have no idea. And I'm not going to ask."

"You don't know when she's coming? You don't know if she's paid for hijacking your wedding?"

"Second and fake wedding. I've checked with the hotel and she has made a full payment. So I assume she'll probably come, just to get something to eat that she's paid for."

"What about the rest of it? Flowers and stuff like that."

"I'm paying for all the flowers. And I've alerted the hotel planner that if Addie tries to stuff the front with bridesmaids and groomsmen, they have to sit with everyone else."

"Mom, when did you get so tough?"

"When you quit mowing my lawn and Katie quit cooking for us." Jane laughed. "And I no longer have to put up with Grandma Thelma. That was a huge relief."

"Was she giving you trouble?"

"Lots of it. She tried to forge an addendum to your father's will saying if I remarried, I'd cease to get my third of the pharmacy profits."

Mike opened his mouth and nothing came out for a minute or two. "You squashed that, I hope."

"I told her that if she tried to get away with it, I'd take her to court for fraud and forgery. She'd become so much more bitter and combative over the last few years."

"I'm glad I wasn't around to have to endure her. She's always been nasty to me."

"You, too?"

"Because I once told her I wanted to be a plant patent attorney. She only heard the `plant' word and jumped all over me about having nothing but a gardening job."

"Why didn't you tell me this before?"

"Because I knew you'd go ballistic."

Jane grinned. "I guess I would have. Let's don't even talk about her anymore. It's too upsetting. You and Todd decide where you want to go for dinner. I don't want to labor over a hot stove in this heat."

After Mike came home with a tux that fit perfectly without any changes, Todd and Mike decided dinner should be at an Italian restaurant. Later, when the three of them got out of the car, Jane realized that the building was huge. "Have you made reservations?"

"Oh, Mom. We're not stupid. It's a huge buffet and you can choose from about fifty different things, and even go back for seconds."

"How did you know about this, Todd?"

"Elliot invited me along with his family two or three weeks ago. Don't you remember that?"

"Sure. But you never said where you'd gone. Let's go in. I'm starving."

By the time they'd eaten, Jane was stuffed to the gills. She'd started with bruschetta and a big salad with grilled chicken. Then she went back for spaghetti and meatballs, and finished with tiramisu.

"Do they have gurney service to the curb?" she asked her boys.

"Probably not," Mike said, "but if you want we could roll you to the car."

When they returned home, Jane was feeling the results of eating so much. She decided to go to bed early. Tomorrow would probably be a long day.

Unfortunately, she couldn't get to sleep. Her stomach was hurting. So she got back up and took a few Tums. That seemed to help. And by eleven she was sound asleep. But her last thought before sleeping was that she had to be up early to go to the airport with Mike to pick up her parents. She set her alarm for seven in the morning.

She woke moments before the alarm went off, feeling better, but not quite up to normal. She took a quick shower and dressed, then went downstairs to make a very bland, unbuttered piece of toast, and another two Turns. Soon she felt like her usual self. Perky and feeling good about what a nice day it would be, seeing her parents after a long time. Almost two years since they'd been to Chicago.

Mike drove his mother's Jeep, since he knew his mother hated parking at the airport. He'd just drop her off. "You have your cell phone, right?"

"I do.""And is it charged?"

Jane gave him a slitty-eyed sideways glance. "It is." "Call me when you have their luggage out the door, and I'll cruise around until I find you."

Jane opened the passenger door in a distinctly huffy manner and was muttering as she walked into the airport. "Is your cell phone charged?" Had Mike, a full-fledged adult in law school, decided that his mother was becoming a bit dotty?

She had no ticket and wasn't allowed to meet her parents at the plane. So she went down to the baggage area and took a paperback mystery novel out of her purse. Luckily, the plane was on time, and she kept looking up at intervals watching people coming down the escalators. Soon she spotted them and raced to the right baggage carousel. Stuff was already coming off as she hugged and kissed her mother.

She's gone gray, Jane thought, and it suits her with that short curly hair. Her dad waited until his wife and daughter finished hugging and gave Jane a big bear hug. "You're looking good," he said. "Are you a nervous bride?"

"Not nervous, but a bit harassed. You got my e-mails about Thelma trying to trick me and then going to a nursing home and dying?"

"That must be a huge relief to you," her mother said.

"It was. But I had to go to the funeral with Ted. Dixie wouldn't go and I thought he needed a woman along to defend him from the church ladies."

"Oh, here comes our luggage, Michael. Can you find a trolley to get it outside?"

In a minute or two, Jane's dad was back. And Jane realized that they'd brought an enormous number of bags stuffed to brimming and even two medium-size trunks.

She didn't dare ask until they were in the car. She called Mike and said, "We're taking the luggage outside right now," and in a whisper, added, "There's a whole lot of it."

Mike pulled up, opening the back door of the Jeep, and hugged each grandparent. Then he started loading up the back section of the Jeep. He was half afraid it wouldn't all go in but managed to wrestle it in after moving a few things around twice to make them fit.

"Michael, you ride in front with Mike, and I'll ride back here with Jane," Cecily said.

As they pulled out onto the highway, Mike asked, "Why are you guys so loaded down with luggage and trunks?" Michael turned his head and winked at Cecily.

"Should we tell them now?"

"Why not?" Jane's mother said. "It wasn't meant to be a secret. Michael and I are officially retired. Now we can finally settle down somewhere, and we thought Chicago would be perfect."