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The night before the wedding Nick came over with his mother. Kelsey was sure he merely wanted to reassure himself she would be at the church. But Nick kept quiet most of the evening.
Tina had given Kelsey a blue garter. When they were alone for a moment, she explained she had bought it on a whim, and was secretly dreaming of the day she could wear one. "But you needed something blue," she explained hugging her to her.
They laughed together, even though Kelsey didn't feel like laughing. How could she, she was about to break Nick's heart.
Mama Rosa insisted Kelsey wear her antique pearl necklace, handed down through the Leonetti family. It was perhaps the most precious piece of jewelry the woman owned and she was letting Kelsey borrow it. Kelsey felt hot tears sting her eyes. Such a warm gesture endeared his mother in her heart. Something borrowed something blue. Mama Rosa cried openly, and then laughed when she put it around her neck, and told her how glad she was to have another daughter. How could she tell this beautiful woman she couldn't marry her son?
The rehearsal had gone smoothly, Kelsey barely remembered saying "I do." It was just a dry run, she told herself.
They had spoken with the priest several times, and each time Kelsey tried to get a word in edgewise, Nick interrupted. They had taken the lessons together. Nick seemed happy to go to any length. They were prepared, the priest said happily.
The caterers finally got everything straight for the huge reception, planned at a local hotel. As big as the wedding was turning out to be, things were beginning to fall into place. The flowers arrived on time. Not one thing to delay the inevitable.
But later that same evening Kelsey held the phone to her ear and spoke to Nick very quietly from her apartment. "I'm sorry Nick. Sorry I let this go so far. I can't go through with the wedding. I just can't. And I must hold you to the contract Nick, I'm sorry."
"Kelsey, don't do this," Nick shouted into the phone.
"I should have stopped it sooner. But, it's got to stop. I can't go through with this—this farce. I won't live like that again!"
"But Kel—."
The phone went dead.
She hung up, as the tears began to fall, she couldn't wait for a reply, it was too painful.
Her mother, who was standing by the closet, putting the protective plastic over the wedding dress turned to her, her face mirroring concern.
"Kelsey, what have you done?" She asked in a breathless murmur.
"I've stopped the wedding Mother. I had to. Nick's not in love with me. He's in love with being a father. He's a wonderful man, and I had to do it for his sake as much as mine."
Mrs. O'Sullivan came to sit on the edge of the bed as Kelsey put the phone down. Slowly she wrapped an arm around her. "Are you so sure of that?"
"Yes, I am."
"I see." She was saying in that detached voice she used so often with Kelsey, but almost as soon as she said it, she shook her head, "I had such hopes for the two of you."
"Hopes? For me and Nick? I don't understand you, Mother. I really don't. I thought I knew you all these years. You are like a stranger, these past few weeks. Have I misjudged you somewhere along the line?" She got off the bed and looked down into her mother's somber face. "You've always wanted me to marry money, you and daddy made no secret of it. Nick has none. He's not into concrete. You are bound to realize. He's a construction worker. He's from a poor family; surely you've known that all along. Why are you so infatuated with him?"
Mrs. O'Sullivan smiled sadly. "It's true, at least it was. I wanted you to marry money because I thought at one time that would make you happy. I mean your ambition seemed to drive you to be rich, and successful, I knew nothing less would satisfy you. Perhaps Ralph wasn't right for you darling, but he did teach you how to feel, how to hurt. And I think you've finally learned how to love a man, because you learned how to hurt first. You are so like your father, so busy, always working. And yet, the two of you are the loneliness people in the world. When Nick came into your life you seemed to come to life again. Like you were before Ralph. You've changed Kelsey right in front of me, and for the better."
"The two of us—. Mother! What are you talking about, father lonely?"
"Of course he is. And has been for years. Only he doesn't know it." When she saw the confused look on Kelsey's face she smiled again patiently. "We've never talked much before, Kelsey. Nick has helped us in that regard, too. Oh, what a breath of fresh air he is. Like your father was to me."
Kelsey looked stunned at her mother.
"It's time; we need to talk like a real mother and daughter. It's time someone in this family opened up." Her mother took her hand. "Never be afraid to love unconditionally, Kelsey. Never be afraid to open your heart. When your father and I first met, I was from a very rich and old southern family. I'm sure you already know this. You're grandparents never made secret of it. I've never told you—but your father, however, was not a rich man. At least not then."
Kelsey interrupted. "He wasn't? I don't understand. I always thought—."
"That's my fault. You assumed we were both rich. We've never discussed it. You so admired your father—and so you should. Let me tell you what a really fine man he is. You barely knew your father's folks; they died so early in your life. He was from such a warm and loving family, like Nick." She squeezed Kelsey's hand. "But, he was just graduating from College when we decided we were in love, and had this dream of an empire he wanted to build."
Mrs. O'Sullivan's eyes glazed over in fond remembrance. "I took one look at those dreamy blue eyes of your father's and his dream became mine. I was head over heels in love with him. But my father harshly disapproved of our getting married. He said we'd live in squalor."
Kelsey's eyes widened. "How cruel. Poor father."
"Yes, poor father. Your father was a very proud man. Perhaps too proud. From that day on he was determined to prove my father wrong. Our love sort of took a backseat to that proof. Oh, he didn't mean it to, of course. He worked hard, very hard. And he made something of himself. But somewhere along the way, he forgot how to just live."
