A Very Special Wedding

"The Writer's Cramp"  winner, 2/19/09

A Very Special Wedding

She was the last person anyone expected to see there. So much had happened in a few short months. It all began with a daydream.

The big day was almost here. Jane couldn't wait. It was hard to believe she was finally graduating. Now she could start realizing all her dreams.

She and her boyfriend, Chad, could be married in six more months. Her mom and dad had promised. If they both graduated and felt the same in six months, her parents would give their blessing.

Already, Jane had been scouring the classifieds for apartments. They had plenty of time yet, but it was so much fun. She had a job lined up. Everything was set. Today she had interviewed with an old attorney friend of her Aunt Molly's and would start work as an office assistant on the Monday after graduation. Jane couldn't believe her good luck.

Chad was already working part time as a night manager at a restaurant. Jane was using his car so she had to pick him up after work; then he would drop her off at home.

"Mom, I've got to leave to get Chad. Be back in around an hour," she yelled as she grabbed her keys.

"Be careful. It's bad weather out," her mom yelled back.

It was pouring cats and dogs. Now she wished she hadn't kept the car. She started down Lebanon Road toward 113.

"These stupid windshield wipers need replacing. That will be a good job for me tomorrow," Jane mumbled to herself as she squinted to see. Traffic was not too bad, but Lebanon Road was winding and narrow. She had to be careful not to cross the centerline.

The road was bordered by a river and, even in good weather, it was not easy to drive. Jane saw something move out of the corner of her eye. It looked like an otter. She was going to hit it. She swerved.

That was the last thing she remembered before waking up in the hospital. Her arm was in a cast; she had bruises everywhere, and, boy, did her jaw hurt. She thought she might even be missing some teeth!

Her mom was sitting by her bed when she woke, and she began filling her in on what had happened. Jane had run off the road into a telephone pole. She told her mom about seeing the otter. Apparently, he (or she) had gotten away safely.

It looked like all of her and Chad's plans would have to be put on hold. She would be in the hospital for around a week, but it would take months for her arm and broken jaw to heal.

As she was recuperating, she got to spend lots of quality time with her parents and Chad.

One evening after she was home, her mom came into her room and sat on her bed.

"I want to talk to you about something, Jane. Something your dad and I should have told you long ago. This accident has made me realize how important it is." Her mom looked very serious.

"Before your dad and I were married, we always talked about how we wanted children. But after we were married several years, we found out we couldn't have children of our own. We adoped you, Jane. And, believe me, you've been the best thing that ever happened to us."

Jane couldn't believe her ears. She never suspected. She had millions of questions. She and her mom talked late into the night.

Her mom said Jane's birth mother had been a teenager in trouble; a teenager who had been an acquaintance of hers. Each had been the answer to the others prayers. She told Jane her name, and that she would help look her up if Jane wanted to.

Jane certainly did want to. With a little investigating, they soon had an address and a phone number. Her name was Anne Raynor, and she lived not far away. She wanted to see Jane!

They bonded immediately and were soon planning more reunions. Jane told Anne about her upcoming marriage, and it seemed no time before the actual wedding day arrived.

It turned out to be a beautiful day for the garden wedding at her parents' home. Her birth mother, Anne, was beaming. Best of all, Jane had two "mothers of the bride."