Splendidly Ever After

Chapter 1 The sun glinted through the almost rhomboid-shaped window as it made its journey below the line of the horizon. Soon the sunset would be a memory. RJ placed the checklist to the side and double-checked the gauges. He saw his co-pilot heading to the metal stairs that connected the jetway to their narrow-bodied airliner. The scene in front of him played out like other moments he had seen countless times before. The tug operator below jawed at another employee on the tarmac. Baggage crews worked to load up checked-in luggage. He heard passengers walking and loading up behind him, entering the cabin. He sipped the coffee that the attendant had provided to him and took a break from reviewing the last notations involving the flight details. He loved these moments. He felt alive. Maybe his positivity was colored by the thoughts of his wedding day coming up. He didn’t know. He couldn’t put his finger on it, but in the last few months, he had never been happier. In a few weeks RJ Davis would be on a plane, on his own honeymoon, to the man he loved. He relaxed his shoulders and closed his eyes for a second. The hum of the engines provided a moment for quiet meditation. RJ’s focus ended when he felt his jacket vibrate. Shit! He hesitated for a second and looked over his shoulder past the open cockpit doors. Passengers still streamed through, finding seats as some hauled rolling suitcases that barely fit the one long aisle down the middle. RJ glanced at the number. He pursed his lips, looked up, shook his head, and thought about it. He could take the call now, minutes before they left or he could call back later. The cockpit noise would be a plausible excuse. He drummed his fingers on the display panel next to him then decided. He punched the green button. “Hey, Mom.” “RJ, I got the invitation. Is this a good time to talk?” He detected the flatness in her voice. Unemotional. Not a happy tone. No initial pleasantries or chit chat that sometimes she was prone to begin most of her conversations. “Sure. About what?” “That you’re getting actually go through getting married.” “I was going to tell you.” RJ then heard silence. After two seconds passed he interrupted. “Really I was.” He heard her sigh over the phone. “I would have thought you would have told me, rather than me finding out about it through a formal invitation. Is it going to go this time? It didn’t the last time.” She paused then continued. “Never mind. Barry and I belong to this new church.” RJ’s head whipped back, his eyes narrowed. “And? Why would that be an issue?” “We don’t believe in same-s*x marriage. It’s not in our faith. It’s an abomination of what marriage is supposed to be.” RJ bit his lip. Even though marriage was legal now in Florida and several other states due to recent court rulings, he’d expected flak. But Mom? His mom had no problems with him coming out. “Mom, I don’t understand why this would be an issue. We were going to get married close to two years ago.” “I remember there were lots of issues. Right? You guys broke it off so I thought you both weren’t going to do what you’re doing. Anyway, I didn’t think you would actually go through with it! I mean, it isn’t right. This whole thing—” “What?” He heard silence on the phone and before he realized it, his voice went an octave higher. “Wait a minute! You divorced Dad. You and Barry couldn’t get married in his church then you found a church that would accept you both. If this is your new church telling you what you should and shouldn’t believe, don’t you think there’s some hypocrisy here?” A flight attendant poked into the cockpit, “Here’s the manifest, Captain.” RJ nodded, moving his head away as his right hand grabbed the spooled papers. She stood there, her head c****d to the side. He didn’t know what she wanted but before he could ask her, she stepped back. Right behind the attendant stood the co-pilot, Quentin, who stepped inside the small area, sliding past her as she closed the cockpit door. Quentin then bolted it from the inside, took his seat, and wiped his brow as he did so, revealing his thinning hairline on top. RJ’s mother continued. “The Bible is God’s Word. There’s no basis for what you and Pad are doing.” He felt her words stab his heart. “I love you, RJ, but having a public display is going too far.” “Mom, I’m not going to argue with you.” “I’m not going to your wedding!” she said, her voice rose. “I think it’s shameful that you’re putting me through this and making a spectacle out of the whole thing. Why can’t you both just live together without making a show of it?” RJ shook his head. He couldn’t believe that his mother—his mom of all people was telling him this! “I—I—don’t understand. I thought Dad would be the one having this conversation with me. Not you.” “You’ve got half-brothers and sisters who look up to you. You’re embarrassing the whole family by going through this!” RJ clenched his fists. He wanted to yell but he knew it would be a complete waste of time. The only person who would feel good about yelling was himself. Instead of yelling he counted silently for a few before responding. “This isn’t you, Mom. And if it is, it’s because Barry or that church has brainwashed you. I can’t believe you’re saying all this.” “You have no right to make these comments about him. Or me. I’m not the one brainwashed. This is my idea not to go. You have to understand that I love you, but I don’t approve of this. This is wrong. Wrong, wrong, wrong. Anyways, I don’t want to talk about this anymore or argue about it. I have to pick up the grandkids.” Her flat, cold voice returned. “Don’t expect us at your wedding.” I heard you the first time. Before he could say anything, the phone line went dead. He grunted and threw his head back on the headrest. “Ugh. She makes me so mad.” “Sorry, man,” said Quentin. “I heard part of that. Who needs her if she’s judgmental and completely against it, right?” RJ sighed. “Right. Except Pad wanted her and my whole family to be there. It’s getting less and less like that.” “Any way she’ll change her mind?” “I doubt it. My mom never changes her mind. Never admits she makes a mistake. I’m afraid she’s not coming.” “Well, that’s her loss, right?” RJ half-smiled. His thoughts raced on what he would tell Pad when he got home. He loved Pad. There was nothing that was going to stop this wedding. Not now. Both Pad and RJ were in a better place in their relationship. I’m not going to screw it up this time. He looked at his watch. Less than fifty minutes to get to Orlando from Atlanta by air. He calculated another half-hour afterwards to do their post flight items. If only he could delay the timing of when he had to tell Pad. Breaking the news to Pad that his mom wouldn’t be attending would piss him off and Pad probably wouldn’t talk to RJ’s mother for a long time. He groaned. A few cousins already texted him that they weren’t coming and he knew that a handful of family members would just ignore the RSVP deadline on their mailed invitations. He hadn’t really counted on his younger half-siblings coming, or Barry’s kids whom he barely knew, but he counted on his mom being there. He didn’t like this kind of conflict. This family-based stress just pissed him off. His attention came back to the task at hand. Air traffic control established contact and gave them their priority for queuing after telling them which runway. RJ checked the gauges again, powered up the plane to be pulled onto the tarmac and waited for the chocks to be removed. Quentin said something. “What?” “Hey, at least I’m going.” Quentin laughed. “Now if I can a nice woman to go with me.” RJ scratched his head and smiled. “I can’t wait to get married but no offense, Quentin, but I’m almost wishing Pad and I elope to Vegas or something.”