Reunion (The Monkees Family Vol. 3)

Chapter 67

Gabby and Micky flew home to L.A. in order to celebrate Christmas with the Monkees family and so that Micky could meet with David Fishof and the guys to figure out whether the reunion tour was a go. But first, there was another matter of great import that was taking place and it all had to come together very quickly. Della's family had loaded up the shotgun when they found out she was pregnant and insisted that she and Davy commit their love to the bonds of holy matrimony before the baby arrived. They had intended to get married in any case, but Della's family were conservative Christians and could not abide the thought of their precious grandchild being born out of wedlock, and since Della was only about six weeks along, she figured she might as well go ahead and say yes to the dress while her stomach was relatively flat and she'd look good in her wedding outfit. So the Monkees family quickly assembled a wedding celebration instead of planning their usual birthday party for Davy and Mike, and crossed their fingers and hoped that Mike would prove himself to be a family man for at least that one day and show up.

Fortunately, Mike's continuing sense of obligation to make sure that Davy stayed sober through all of life's vicissitudes, be they positive or negative, convinced him that his presence at the wedding was essential, and no one had to pressure him into being there. He just appeared without putting up a fuss and stood by Davy's side as his best man, quietly supporting him through what turned out to be an extremely emotional and moving exchange of loving vows of eternal support and affection between Della and Davy. No one who witnessed the couple's demeanor during the brief ceremony had any doubts in their minds that this was finally the real thing for Davy. He had found his true mate in life and love, and had grabbed hold of the best chance he'd ever have for a lifetime of happiness if he stayed honest, open and willing to nurture it.

Gabby and Micky clasped hands tightly as they communicated silently their tentative confidence that at last Davy was on a path to health and happiness, and shared equal measures of relief and pleasure at being witnesses to such a turn of events. Micky bent down and whispered into Gabby's ear "I guess Della was right – pigs really can fly," to which Gabby responded with a suppressed giggle and a poke in the ribs for Micky.

Della's cousin Maisy, who had lived with Della's family since the premature death of her own parents as the result of racial violence and been like a sister to Della, served as maid of honor and that was the extent of the rest of the wedding party. With all the water that had passed under the bridge over the years with the Monkees family members, she and Davy wanted to just keep things simple and not importune anyone else into being part of the wedding. It was only when Mike appeared as best man that word began to circulate more widely about the contribution he made to straightening Davy out and elucidated just how highly Davy regarded Mike. Somewhere between her third and fourth glass of champagne, Wendy unspooled the tale of what had happened in Las Vegas and how Mike bluffed the gangster into letting Davy go free without him having to pay his ransom, and how Mike leveraged the situation to pressure Davy to promise to go to rehab. Mike shifted uncomfortably in his chair as he watched Wendy get progressively drunker and chattier and wondered what other secrets she might divulge before too long. He suggested she take a break and that they get some air.

Guiding her by the elbow out to the terrace of the restaurant where the party was being held, Mike beheld her alone for the first time in more than a year. They had by now stopped all face-to-face contact, or at least he had, by sending an assistant and a driver to pick up and drop off Robbie when it was time for his visitation privileges with him to commence and end. Occasionally they would speak by phone, but Mike tried to avoid those situations as well, preferring for them to exchange information through his secretary or his lawyer. Now here they were with no barriers between them. He knew he had a tiger by the tail and he had no earthly idea how to control her or what to do with her. He just knew that it was worse to be in the room with her gabbling on about him while he was pinned down like a butterfly to a microscope slide to be studied and admired or gawked at. This was the lesser of two evils.