One Night in New York

Chapter Twenty-Three

I've fantasized about my wedding day and my life as a designer since I was a little girl. I sat back and reflected on the more innocent times in my life; playing dress-up in my mother's dresses, or cutting and sewing her clothes back together. We all have dreams of meeting our prince charming and becoming something special when we grow up, and my dreams were finally coming true.

I'd always wanted to be a designer, a mother to a little girl, and a wife to a wonderful man. Now that I'd completed two of the three tasks, I could move on with my story. It was nearly August, and I had been through a lot in the previous nearly year. The majority of it felt surreal, but I knew it happened because I was there, exactly where I was supposed to be. Does it bother me that my career had to be put on hold? Of course, my younger self knew exactly what she was talking about when she daydreamed about her life.

I was sitting at home, and all I could think about was setting a date for our wedding. Liam and I discussed wedding dates and decided on Saturday, October 10th. That meant I'd have exactly two months to plan a wedding. Well, less because we chose the date on August 12th, but who was counting? Fortunately for me, Liam hired a wedding coordinator who could pull off an event in a week. We also decided to fly in our family because the majority of them were still out of work due to the virus, relieving some financial stress. We went online and purchased tickets for each of our immediate family members who were traveling from out of state, and we put them up in one of the most opulent hotels in town.

The governor had also lifted the restriction on receptions of no more than fifty people, so we planned our wedding around the date we first met. Many people were aware that Liam and I met one night in New York on October 11, 2019. Because the 11th was a Sunday, we decided to get married the day before. It would be one year to the day when our reception ended at midnight.

I had the planner come over the following week to go over the venue details with me. We had planned to marry and have our reception at a museum on Fifth Avenue, and I couldn't have been more thrilled. Was this actually happening? I mean, I knew it was, but it all seemed a little surreal. I went from a struggling receptionist to the soon-to-be wife of one of New York's most prominent people. I felt like someone needed to pinch me to wake me up. So, let's get back to the big day. At the time, I had chosen a wedding gown. With no time for that, it wouldn't have been designed as I would have liked, but it was absolutely stunning. Melanie, the dress designer, agreed to bring it over the following week to be fitted and to allow for any last-minute alterations.

With all of the details, my mind was racing a million miles per hour, but luckily, I had my best friend in the world, Angie, by my side, guiding me through it all. She was always my rock, the person I relied on the most, and I knew she'd make sure everything went smoothly. Of course, Liam was my rock, but let's be honest: men aren't always the most helpful when it comes to wedding planning.

Later that night, Angie would join me in going over the guest list, menu, and getting started on our tribute to Connie. We wanted to do something special to honor her memory because she would only be present in spirit. That day would be about more than just Liam and me; it would also be about the woman we had all lost a few months before.

Thomas would be staying with us for the next two months as well. He felt terrible about bouncing between our house and Andrews', but none of us cared because he had been through something no one wants to go through at a younger age. We were all there for him no matter what and would always be. Once the wedding was over, he told us he would be heading back to his home, trying to move on with his life, but at that moment, Connie had her grandpa daily, and we had help with watching her so we could plan the big day.

Angie planned to arrive around 6:00 p.m that night to finalize the details. We decided to order pizza, open a bottle of wine, and get right to work as soon as she walked in. Of course, after Angie had had her time with the baby. I was sure she'd spend the first hour or so adoring Connie, but why wouldn't she? She was the best Auntie a child could ask for. Angie lavished her with gifts on a regular basis and paid her visits almost daily. She had also not returned to work, so Angie had a lot of free time, which I took advantage of.

I spent the rest of the day attempting to prepare for Angie's arrival. I knew it was just planning, but we had so much to do and so little time. I needed everything to be exact or I wouldn't be able to concentrate. My best friend arrived soon after, after a day of prepping and cleaning whatever I felt like cleaning.

"Hey, love," Angie said, walking through my door. Liam and I gave her access to enter our home whenever she wanted, so ours became her second home.

I walked right up to Angie, who hugged me quickly and then let go just as quickly. I couldn't help but laugh as she ran up to hug her niece, who she was clearly obsessed with.

"Mask!" I quickly yelled.

"Oh, shoot. Sorry sis, I forgot." Angie yanked her mask out from her purse, placing it over her face before reaching for Connie.

I knew Covid had been there for a while, but Connie was still young, and I wanted to keep her safe for as long as possible. Of course, she'd be at our wedding, but we'd informed everyone that she'd be off-limits for the night and that they'd all have to wear masks. It would be difficult to plan a wedding during a global pandemic, but we refused to let it completely take over our lives. Sure, it was terrifying, but we couldn't stay scared forever. We needed to get on with our lives as we adjusted to our new normal.

After a brief period of adoration for Connie, Liam took our daughter next door, leaving Angie and me to get to work after a few glasses of wine. We started with his mother's dedication because I thought it would be the most important. Liam had no idea how detailed we'd go because I wanted it to be a surprise for him. Angie and I went through old photos, selecting the best ones to represent Connie's life. We intended to enlarge the photos and display them in one section of the venue, with one large one in front, next to where we would say our vows.

Then there was the guest list. We had reduced the number from over three hundred to a more intimate one hundred and twenty-five. We wanted it to be mostly close family and friends, as we were still concerned about the global situation. We began contacting each family, ensuring that none of them had traveled outside of the United States or had recently been diagnosed with the disease. If they had, we would have politely asked them to stay home. It was strange, but we took every precaution to avoid contracting the virus.

The rest of the evening was spent thinking about food and what I wanted to try. We intended to have a chef come to our house the following weekend to prepare a menu tasting of our choices. I did solicit Liam's opinion on that one, as he was adamant about having some steak option. For the non-meat eaters, we chose a Swordfish pan-seared in a white wine reduction. For everyone else, we chose an eye fillet pan-seared with butter, garlic, and thyme, and a chicken Francese pan-seared in a lemon butter sauce. For sides, we'd have fresh green beans and roasted new potatoes with Parmesan and olive oil. A dessert table would feature Tiramisu, Mini Panna Cotta, and an assortment of all cannoli types. A beautifully organized display of fruit would sit next to the dessert table, ranging from chocolate-covered strawberry bouquets to freshly cut melons and seasonal fruit, and, of course, the four-tier wedding cake.

The detailed planning continued well into the evening. I wasn't bothered because I was used to getting very little sleep. Angie, on the other hand, was experiencing exhaustion. I just laughed as she started complaining about how tired she was.

"OK, Nat, we got a lot done, so I am going to head home. I am too worn out. Planning a wedding is hard work," Angie told me.

"Try planning a wedding and taking care of an almost two-month-old. Then let's talk about how tired you are," I sarcastically said. I laughed as Angie snickered right alongside me.

Everything was getting started. I was determined that the perfect wedding would take place without a hitch. Aside from meeting with the wedding coordinator, the next step was to see my lovely gown. And it was quite a sight.