It doesn’t take long for our small group to shift from the beach to an outdoor dinner on the grass, and while everybodytakes their seats to be served, Nola and I make the rounds. Our first stop is to hug Stella. She throws her arms around us and holds us for a very long time, during which, Roy Orbison’s song starts playing.
“I’ve been thinking about it long and hard, and I have exciting news.” She pauses for effect, holding us both out at arm’s length. “I’m gifting you two my song,” she says as if it’s hers to give away. “It fits your love and I’m turning it over to you—retiring it from my patient care protocol.” Stella beams at her announcement and sways along to the music in her bright purple floral kaftan.
“Oh, Stella,” Nola gasps. “I don’t know what to say!”
My wife bites the inside of her cheek hard enough I can see her jaw flex, trying to keep the dignity of Stella’s graciousness intact. Leave it to my grandmother to think this is better than anything else she could possibly bestow upon us.
“You don’t have to say anything, dear. Welcome to the family,” Stella says, planting a tickled kiss on both our cheeks. “I know you’ve been part-Hutchings for a year, but now you’re really stuck with us. We’re lucky to have you and Emma join us officially.”
Nola tears up, and I knowthisdeclaration is actually the perfect thing to gift her. She’s never not felt appreciated and wanted by Stella—at least once the painting was done—but getting that final, verbal stamp of approval for her and Emma is the cherry on top.
Stella missed us over the summer, but Opal stayed by her side and my sisters took turns visiting once a month. She made it the whole time we were away without any relapses but confided in Nola over the fall that Nola’s caretaking was much better than that of her other granddaughters and never to leave her again.
Nola cried when she told me Stella lumped her in as a granddaughter. She missed my grandma when she and Emma were in Europe, but it ended up being a really good trip for the two of them to take together. They were able to focus on their relationship without school, friends, or me getting in the way, and Emma’s been less angsty than she was a few months ago.
I’m sure by tomorrow it will change again, but Nola has seemed more optimistic about parenting a teenager, which is a positive. Though her good mood could also stem from career news. The curator from the Museum of Modern Art saw her portrait of Stella in Austria. She loved it and they have a meeting after the holidays to discuss next steps toward putting a piece of Nola’s work in their collection. I’m so proud of her.
We make our way around the table to Madelyn. Grabbing our hands, she says, “I knew this would happen for real, and I couldn’t be happier.” Turning to Nola, she leans in. “Let me know when he’s being a pain, and I’ll fly you to wherever I am to crash with me for a few days. Okay? Blink twice if you need me to save you now.”
This makes Nola laugh as she gives her attention to Violet. “I’m so sorry we weren’t able to get together when I was in Salzburg, but maybe sometime I’ll go to Europe again and you can take me to your favorite place to get Apfelstrudel.”
“I would love that,” my sister says with a huge smile that doesn’t quite reach her eyes.That’s not like Vi at all and under any other circumstance, I’d pull her aside and ask what’s going on. Second weddings are not the time for that, though, and I tuck the thought away for later.
“I’m so glad I’m being traded in by both of you now that I have a wife,” I tease them.
“You’ve had a wife for a year,” Madelyn says, like duh. “A really good one too.”
I can’t disagree there. Nola’s been the best thing to ever happen to me, and I can’t imagine what life would be like without not only her challenging sass but also the way she loves me unconditionally.
“Can I have dessert already?” Emma pops in between our group to plead with her mom. “I am too hot to have a mixed plate. Ice cream is the only thing I’ll be able to eat.”
I watch Nola assess her child with a raised brow. “You, darling child, have had too much sugar and not enough water, protein, or rest.”
Emma’s hands go to her hips. “I feel like I’ve heard that before.”
“Yep, sounds like something I’d tell you.” She ruffles her daughter’s hair and excuses herself to go help Emma back to her table with all her grandparents and aunt and uncle.
I use the interruption to move on to the next table, where I receive high-fives and pats on the back from a few of my teammates who made the off-season trek to our destination celebration. I’m given marriage advice from a group of unattached rookies when my mind slips back to that night this whole Hawaiian adventure was born. I’d been home two hours after the Seafarers lost out in the final game of the American League Championship Series to the Texas Armadillos at home.
Nola climbed into our bed and eagerly showed me the plane tickets, the block of rooms she’d booked at Maui’s new Pineapple Resort, and the wedding package she’d picked out.
Explaining further, she’d told me stone-faced that Belle declared wearing a cream dress—on the beach—and exchanging wedding vows, written from the heart, wassomething every woman should do once in her life if she wanted a long and happy marriage. With logic like that, there was no way I could deny her that experience.
I’d been upset we hadn’t made it all the way to the World Series. Before I left the stadium that night, Aaron had tried to guilt me into four more chances to get there, but I was done. I’d been upfront when I signed with the team, that more than anything, I wanted a chance to leave the Major Leagues on my terms. I was doing that. Nola presenting the idea of another wedding was the perfect way to kick off our new life.
I’d held her and told her it was so good to be home—well, in one of our homes. She followed up with some quip about my good timing because I was needed at Garnet Charter a few nights later to reenact the Jack Sparrow waterboarding for the school Harvest Carnival. I tickled her until she screamed for mercy. Then I kissed her senseless. Two months later, here we were.
“Anybody seen Larsen? He lost a bet and I’m ready for him to pay up.” Our batting coach, Spalding, peers around the tented dinner space at the family and close friends who have traveled all this way to be here on this big day. The guys shake their heads, and Spalding looks at me. “Hutch, welcome to the married club. You’ll love it and hate it.”
“I’ve already loved it for a year, man,” I remind him, looking over at his wife, who’s chatting it up with my agent’s date. I’m not lying, though. Sure, our marriage hasn’t been perfect but it’s always been worth fighting for. Everything about being with Nola has been comfortable and easy from the minute I met her in the bar hallway.
“You’ll get bored coaching the Falcons and be begging to come back to the Majors,” he snorts. “I give it two years.”
“I guess we’ll see,” I shrug, and Nola comes up behind me, giving me a love pat square on the butt.
“What will we see?” she asks.
“If I will still be crazy about you and our life in Boise after coaching the Falcons for a few years.”The Boise team is a rookie team and the best work-life balance for me. For us.