The Pregnant Bride (a bonus Scott Family story!!)

So many Scotts, so little Scotch

Ian Sinclair had his long legs up on an ottoman and was sipping a dark amber liquid that made his eyebrows go up.

"You don't like it?" his wife guessed. 

"It's...different," he nodded. 

"Planter's Punch. It's kind of a Southern Thing. I once snuck some at a party when I was like, maybe, 7 years old? I threw up for days."

"Seven?"

Laurie shrugged. "You know my early years were kind of wild."

"Oh, aye," he took another sip and his eyebrows bounced up his forehead again. "So this is what passes for a wee garden wedding in your family?"

Laurie turned and took in the whole spectacle.  The church grounds were next to a town park, which had also been rented for the day. There were posh marquees up all around - some outfitted with furniture like lounges, some with food stalls and bars, some set up as play areas for little or big children. In a long tent at the back, a DJ was spinning tunes and people were dancing. There were even water stations and commemorative water bottles. 

At least 500 people were wandering around in party clothes, laughing and having a good time.

The workers were color-coded. The servers walking around in red shirts were cleaning up and delivering food and drinks. The baby-minders in baby blue shirts were playing with their charges. The security in yellow shirts were strolling around and keeping an eye out. 

One of the baby-blue ones was standing near Laurie and Ian. 

"Where's your charge, then?" Ian asked her. 

The young woman blushed and handed a card to Laurie. "Ma'am."

"She's my babysitter, Ian," Laurie laughed. 

"Oh! For fu-"

"Ian!" Laurie pointed to all the people around. "Southern manners!"

"I'm from the North, love. Scotland is decidedly North."

"She's here to make sure the air purifier is working and that I have everything I need. If we don't need her, she'll help with Chloe."

"Doesn't Chloe already have a blue person?" Ian sat up and looked over to the bouncy house. He quickly spotted his daughter's flying red pigtails. Nearby was a young woman in another light blue shirt obviously chatting with her.

"We're fine," Laurie told the young lady standing by. "If you can just keep an eye on my emergency bag there and the oxygen levels on that behemoth purifier - I'd be grateful."

The woman nodded and stepped back out of earshot. 

"This has to be costing the bloody earth," Ian looked around again. 

"From what Alice says, the reception is all on her father. She's the first to get married and he missed the elopement."

"Most dads would be pressed to pay for an open bar. I swear there must be a petting zoo somewhere."

"Hardly!" Laurie made a face. "And, honestly, all this is probably Ari's doing. San just handed over the funds. I doubt this even compares to his Beverly Hills lifestyle."

"For all that, it's well done," Ian acknowledged. "Having this tent with proper oxygen for you was a good touch."

"They weren't about to have a reception that I couldn't attend," Laurie watched as Jeb and Alicia moved from tent to tent greeting people and smiling. "When I was first diagnosed with COPD, he was so angry. Like it was something he could have protected me from."