Scene 4 – Wedding Plans
The story in brief to date, see Chapters 1-3 for further background.
Katie and Thomas were childhood friends whose parents were very close. Naomi and Ricky Renaldo and their next-door neighbours Stella and Calvin Campbell had been friends during those childhood years, but as work opportunities changed they drifted apart until one day Naomi discovered Thomas at the local mall in the city Tom now worked in. He discovered Kate by coincidence had her fashion business in the same city which Naomi was visiting. They were reminded of young Katie’s wedding game with friends and Tommy being dragged into the game as the “husband” and childhood trauma when a wedding ring could not be found. Naomi found some old wire in her husband Ricky’s workshop and fashioned a play ring out of it. Tom renewed acquaintance with Kate and helped when one of her workers hacked the designs and sold them in Europe before Kate could send them to fashion houses there. Tom and his IT savvy friend found the hacking devices and software and neutralized them only to be confronted by the worker Manuel and his criminal friends. Tom’s friend was injured, police were involved, and a frightened Kate insisted on Thomas spending the night to protect her. The result was the realization by both they were meant for each other and marriage commitment made with Kate retrieving that old bent wire childhood wedding ring she’d kept over the years as a pledge between them for marriage. The story moves on from there.
Confronting Differences
Naomi could hardly contain herself. She’d been working on Kate to get married for years but the only one who she’d apparently shown an interest in was Manuel. It was only when Thomas surfaced after the families had been separated for many years Naomi started encouraging a rekindling of their childhood friendship in the hope Manuel would be crossed off the list. Naomi detested Manuel, there was something about him that had pressed emergency buttons. On the other hand, she worshiped Tommy. She was angry with Kate when it was learned Kate had been tolerating Manuel just to get back at her Mom who she felt was interfering in her life choice of a partner. It had all sorted out now Tom had made a commitment to marry her daughter. She was ecstatic.
Naomi had been talking about the coming wedding without a pause and itching to get on with planning. But Kate had been under pressure sorting things out with police and trying to recover some of the money from fashion houses in Europe Manuel and his criminal friends had been syphoning off. It would be impossible to claw back money sent out of the country to tax free havens in a way that couldn’t be traced. Armed with the police report she’d ranged the fashion houses trying to sort things out. But she’d drawn a blank there. From their point of view original designs had been produced under another name, these had been paid for and the fault lay with Kate in not protecting her intellectual property. Kate was frustrated and the wedding pressure from her Mom finally tested her patience.
Kate marched Naomi to the reception lounge at the office and sat her down with a very purposeful look on her face. She was trying to keep the lid on her frustration, so it didn’t wound the mother she loved dearly but who could sometimes come on a little strong in her Latino passion.
“OK Mom let’s settle this now, enough already! I know Tommy’s probably spending all the time he can with his friend put into critical ward at the hospital with serious stab wounds because he helped us. But I suspect that you’ve been coming on strong with him too. How many times have you phoned him today Mom? I bet he’s not game to come around and be pressured by you. So, you’re spoiling my time with him when he could make it. How many times have you phoned him today? Don’t you spoil this as I need him.”
Naomi waved her hands in response. “Only five times today Kate, he’s my son in law and I love him! I want you two to be married soon and give me grandchildren to spoil. Your Daddy is not here to comfort me, she crossed herself, is it too much to ask you this?”
Kate shook her head, she was in borderline anger now. How much more pressure could she endure? This had been a terrible month for her emotionally and financially. The last thing she needed was to see Tommy walk on her because of her Mom’s misguided love. Then as she saw the disappointment in her Mom’s eyes she sighed. What could they expect, it was their heritage to be passionate. Kate was passionate. She made a mental note to try and control that as Tom was of a different background. That was OK when the Campbells and Renaldos had been close friends, but what about marriage. Would those differences be an issue? Kate had modified that heritage in her boarding school years, but would it be enough to ensure a harmonious marriage? She remembered how Tommy the boy had resisted Katie the girl in childhood, but they remained close friends despite that. Would that accommodation as friends then be enough for a marriage where differences would certainly arise? She’d loved Tommy as more than a friend then and found the love even more powerful now. This had to work, she needed him and would tread carefully without sacrificing personality, but her Mom was not making this a good start.
“This is the deal Mom, you’ll give Tommy a break until his friend is out of hospital, you’ll stop phoning him so many times a day as he has work to do and its important to him. He loves you, so don’t destroy that love with your over enthusiasm. You’ll stop pestering me about marriage until I’ve sorted the business problems out! Agreed?”
Naomi teared up and nodded her head. “I just want things to work out Kate, I’m a Mom!”
She brightened up, “Shall I give Father Murphy a phone call, we’re Catholics so he’ll want to interview Tom before the wedding. He’ll have to go through the conversion lessons before he’s willing to marry you. He’ll probably want to work with you too. You never attend confession, so you’ll have to be counselled and change. The children will have to be trained correctly.”
Kate exploded in a torrent of Spanish and Naomi put up both hands in resignation “Maybe I need to go home for a while, I thought you needed me here while so many problems have to be solved. A Mother should always be there for her daughter?” She looked at Kate uncertainly.
Kate closed her eyes and shook her head. “You’re always welcome here Mom, just stop obsessing over this wedding. No more talk about weddings. No phoning Father Murphy!” She turned and went back to the work area where her workers were pretending to work and not listen. Kate wished she’d decided on walled in office space as she noted her workers smiling.
“I’m glad you find it so entertaining!” There was an explosion of laughter from the workers and Kate’s anger evaporated. She began to laugh too, and Naomi snuck into her bedroom in embarrassment.
Kate sat in front of her laptop thinking. This religion issue was a real one. I was true as her Mom had pointed out Kate was only a nominal Catholic, but she still identified with her church and it had never entered her mind in all those years she’d wanted to be Mrs Kate Campbell that religion would possibly come between them. She knew Tom was a Baptist, whether he took that seriously or not she didn’t know. She felt wretched at the discovery.
What if Tommy’s parents wanted a Baptist wedding? She had no idea what Baptist’s did, but the Sisters in her college housing dormitory had told her in whispers all Protestants were in danger of hell fire. The thought of hell fire sobered her. Would she be prepared to endure hell fire for Tommy? She felt wretched! This had to be resolved. She took out her IPhone and messaged Tom asking if he could meet her at a restaurant that evening.
The answer came back quicker than she expected. “Will your Mom be coming?” She burst out laughing and her workers looked up inquiringly.
She messaged back immediately. “No silly! Just you and me.”
“OK, see you at 7pm then 😊
Kate put the phone away and went back to design. They’d talk about it that evening then.

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