But by the time Hector was finished dressing as well and they were leaving, the nervousness still hadn't set in as
badly as she'd thought it would. It was most definitely there. Just - not as painfully as she'd expected it to be. She
slipped on the sunglasses they'd bought on one of their road trips and slung her leg comfortably over the seat
behind Hector once he'd gotten the bike set up and ready to go. Long legs did serve her well more times than not,
she had to admit as she slide her arms around Hector's waist, snuggling in against his back. Hands spreading against
his chest.
He did have a very nice chest too.
He started the bike up just as he saw Paige coming down her driveway. Waving to her briefly he took off down the
street before she could even get to the end of her driveway. One obstacle to the day down. But oh so many more to
go.
Sure, he'd explained about his family, and she'd heard stories, but meeting them in the flesh was a whole different
animal. And one he wasn't sure she was ready to meet. She seemed more centered, but that was when they were
alone. And his family was overbearing under the best circumstances. And when him and his father got going...well,
last time it had nearly come to blows.
But they had a bit before that. A nice long drive, with just the high way, the wind, and her arms wrapped around him,
He wondered if Dee would mind if he did this christening thing via telephone or something, and then realized. Yes,
she definitely would.
Andi relaxed into Hector. Loving this part. The ride and the journey and Hector. If it ever rained they were in trouble
but oh, she did love being on this bike with him. From time to time she rested her chin on his shoulder at stop lights
and turns. Asking questions about where they were or what they'd just passed. Comfortably curious. And once,
patting his stomach, she got him to slow down enough on a long empty stretch of road for her to laugh about the
cows grazing in the wide empty stretch of land that flowed down from one shoulder of the road.
She could tell when they were getting close. All his muscles started, very slowly, very invisibly, knotting. Absolutely
nothing changed about an inch of his outward appearance and yet she could feel it in him. Long before they pulled
into the still fairly empty parking lot of a magnificent church. She had to tip her head back to get its full view once they
were close enough.
She was a very long way indeed from her parent's compound in Africa...
Lowering her face she rested her cheek against the back of his shoulder and found herself hoping Cassie was here
already.
He took off his helmet and shook out his hair as he looked at the church and whistled. "Well, here we are." He said.
"Don't worry, it's my first time in a Catholic church too. Last time, she was Lutheran." His poor sister let the men in her
life direct her spiritual path. Though they had all been raised Methodist. Him? He couldn't tell the difference between
any of them. Heaven was good, hell was bad. That's what they all boiled down to.
He spent more time in the parking lot identifying the cars. He recognized his father's. Dee's. And that was about it. Not
surprising, since he didn't even know who the father of the latest one was. So there was the paternal side to be
accounted for, that he couldn't account for. He exhaled and got off the bike.
"Come on, let's find you a bathroom."
She unslung herself from the bike as well, running a hand through her hair to set it in some kind of order as she
slipped her hand into his larger one. Looking up at the church again.
"I've never been through a Catholic service either." She admitted. Strangely, because he was tense, it kept her own
tension from spiraling too high. Just - enough to be uncomfortable without her having to put her head between her
knees and concentrate on breathing. She gave his hand a light squeeze and gave him a smile. And they went in.
There was a brief room in the beginning of the church with a new guest book and several benches. One of the large
wooden double doors was open and she could hear voices, muted and slightly echoing, coming from inside its
interior. Everything had a smell to it. Incense and candles and wood waxing polish. But there were steps to the side
and a clearly marked sign that pointed out there was a bathroom in that direction - much nicer than having to stroll
into the church proper to find one - and so Andi gave Hector's hand another light tug and went that way instead. Put
off the meet and greet a moment longer. She had no problems with that.
Outside the door, she paused and turned. Looked up at Hector and found his eyes with hers. She was only nervous.
It was most likely a great many worse emotions he was dealing with. Gentle she cupped his cheek. Just standing that
way for a moment before she leaned up and kissed him. Soft and complete.
"I'll be just a moment." She promised. "And then we'll go do this together, yeah?" Another smile and than she was
through the door. And it was easily tempting to pull him in after her just for his presence. But they might frown on
even the appearance of that kind of thing here.
He nodded as she disappeared into the bathroom. He was not going to pace. Or have racing thoughts. He was just
going to stand. Outside the ladies' room, leaning against a wall. Arms folded over his chest as he waited.
They could have done this by telephone. They did for Josh. When there was no way he could come home for a timely
christening. Worked out fine. He didn't have to see his father, or bear Vanessa's presence. Just talk the talk and
hang up. Went well.
He already had a feeling that previous one was idealistic, and would be a far cry from this one. He was an idiot for
dragging Andi to this. He really was. He leaned his head against the wall and stared at one of the stained glass
windows. She was going to deserve sainthood after this.
He heard his father's voice and stayed still, then shook his head. He could tell from his father's very tone that he had
tied one on early today. Perfect. The son of a bitch couldn't even be sober for his grandson's christening.
Then again, he'd never been sober for any other event, or day of the week ending in 'y', so why start now, right?
"Oh, fuck off." Brett shrugged off his daughter's hand and shambled down the steps. "Think I can find the crapper in
a place this fancy without help." He laughed, a raw sound. "Unless you're afraid I'll shit in the confessional."
That did it. Get crude enough and Diane backed right off. As if she was too good to hear down to earth words. That
was the problem with his kids. All had their noses in the air. Too good for work. Not too good to spread their legs for
every dick that came along though. Jesus. You'd think the girl would have gotten tied off or something by now
because she sure wasn't getting any closer to having taste in the men she chose. He rested a meaty hand against
the wall and found his way around the corner. And right into his son.
It was a bit of shock and there was a pause as they looked at each other across the space of the small hall. Hell. He'd
known the boy was coming. Hadn't Vanessa made it a point to constantly nag at him about it for the past week and a
half? Bitch wouldn't shut up about it in fact. But - it was those eyes. Those dark, dark eyes under that dark, dark hair.
Julia's eyes glaring at him. And it always hit him hard and right in the gut. Like she was looking at him from her grave.
Only she'd never looked at him with such raw hatred and loathing. Not even at the very end...
He wished he had another beer but Vanessa had made him leave the extras in the car. ‘Couldn't drink in a church’
and shit like that.
"Thought you'd got yourself shot." He growled at the dark eyes.
He had heard his father coming. Everyone probably did. And there was no where to go. He was heading for the rest
room, so he couldn't hide in there. And if there was someone else in the ladies' room, well he couldn't chance going
in there. And the corridor was a dead end. No where to go.
He stared at his father, hoping he'd choose silence and go take a shit, leaving Hector in peace. But no! He had to say
something, didn't he?
Hector's jaw tightened at his question and his eyes narrowed. "I got better." He said evenly. He just had to get
through the christening. That was all. His father wouldn't cause a scene during the ceremony, Vanessa wouldn't let
him. She was all about appearances, so Hector was sure she could control him for a half hour or however long it took.
"But thank you for your concern. It's touching."
Brett made a dismissive, spitting sound. Snotty. The boy had always been snotty. And he didn't miss the sarcasm in
the tone either. Condescending. Always thinking he was better than his old man. Like running around with a gun
shooting towel heads made you somebody.
"Thought we'd be fucked." He stated. "Stuck taking care of your vegetable ass for the rest of our lives. All because
you can't hold down a real job." He swivelled his head and raised his voice to a familiar bellow. "Diane! Get your ass
in here and slop over your brother! He's staking out the bathrooms!" He looked back at those dark eyes. Laughing.
"Just in case they find weapons of mass destruction in here too?" He asked snidely. Then, still chuckling, he let
himself into the men's room.
Hector actually made a movement to go after his father. He knew how to shoot him below the belt. He always did. But
Diane, hearing her father's bellow, came running, even in her heels.
"Hector!" She said, knowing her brother was going after her father. It always ended the same, Hector stopping himself
just short, or being stopped. She just always hoped it wouldn't begin that way. "Hector, he's been drinking..." She
said, trying to excuse him.
"You think?" Hector said and ran his hand through his hair and inhaled. Exhaled. Inhaled. Exhaled. He knocked on
the ladies' room door. "How are you doing?" He called into Andi, trying to make his voice sound perfectly casual and
maybe even jovial.
"Oh just ace." Andi replied in a voice that indicated, despite what the word sounded like, she was being sarcastic.
"Think I've made a bit of a bish with the lacing. Can I borrow you in here for a moment?"
"Sure." Hector said. "I'll be right out." He said to Dee, who just stared in shock. Her brother was going into the ladies'
room at the request of a female voice. She thought either Cassie was pulling her leg, or had taken up drinking like
their father when she first heard the news. She had been sure Hector had been putting her on...but....there was that
voice.
Hector smiled at his sister and came into the ladies' room, shutting the door behind him. "I did not understand a single
word you just said." He said with a chuckle.
"Sorry." Andi turned around from where she was trying to sort out the lacing on the back of the dress while looking in
the mirror to give him a sideways smile. It was a nice dress, very soft and sweetly flirty and the fabric went a long way
toward flattering her shape she thought. But it laced in the back to cinch in the waist in and she'd made a bit of a
tangle with the long ribbon. The fact that her hands weren't exactly steady might have contributed to the cause but
she wasn't about to admit to that.
And - she'd heard the yelling voice outside too.
"I should tell you that's what you get for not speaking the proper Queen's English." She told him with a soft smile.
Stepping forward with a sigh to wrap her arms around him and settle close in a hug. "But I think it’s my fault. I get
sloppy with my words sometimes." Her lips twitched. "Bit of a clanger on my part, yeah?"
He returned her embrace and buried his face in her hair. "Again, might have to hire a translator." He said with a
chuckle that was already bordering on tired. And they just got here. "Okay, let's see what we can do about the ribbon
thing." He released her and turned her around. Time was of the essence. The sooner they got out, the sooner the
ceremony would end and the sooner they could leave. Before things got ugly.
He laced up the back and tied it. "All set." Another deep breath. "Ready?"
It was funny how easy it was to forget your own nerves when your heart was aching for someone else. Really it was.
She picked up the pack she'd already folded her other travel clothes into and slipped its strap over her shoulder
before reaching up and tenderly smoothing his hair back into order. Or more ordered than it had been.
"Yeah." She slipped her hand into his and gave a light squeeze. "I think I'm presentable."
Yes. It truly was amazing how fast nerves vanished when you were aching for someone else. And how fast they came
back, she thought, as they stepped out and she found herself face to face with a very shocked looking, very pretty,
young woman. How very fast and hard they came back.
"Hello." Andi gave her a smile and a nod.
Diane blinked a couple of times, eyes wide as she looked at the taller woman, even though she was wearing pretty
high heels. She looked at her brother and then at the woman again. "Hi." She said, and a few more beats went by.
"Diane, this is Andi. Andi, my sister Diane. She's Tyler's mom." Hector supplied.
"That's me!" Diane said with a bright forced smile, a smile she was pretty sure she'd be plastering on all day. "Well,
let's get you seated and Hector in place." Before their father came out of the men's room preferably. "Brian's got
Tyler."
"I thought it was Rick." Hector said, honestly confused.
"No, Rick is Tyler's father, Brian is my boyfriend."
"Ah."
Andi walked smoothly along next to Hector. Realizing, which she really should have before, that she was going to be
spending some, if not perhaps all, of this ceremony surrounded by people she didn't know because Hector was
probably going to be up front holding the baby. And as sweet as she suspected he'd look with a baby in his arms,
Diane might not be the only one wearing a plaster smile soon.
But it was all right really, she told herself as they stepped into the church proper and Andi was swallowed with a
sense of vaulting space and rich, old colors and scents. Hand safely in Hector's she could ignore where she was
going for a moment to look up at that impossible ceiling and around at the beautiful walls and windows. Oh, she
wasn't entirely a country bumpkin, she had lived in London for years and visited quite a few European cities. But -
churches - they never stopped fascinating her. Man's attempt to house God properly...
And it was a good stall so she didn't have to watch the faces turning toward them from the first few pews in the front
of the church. But then they were there. In front of them. And there really wasn't anything for it. Andi focused on the
faces in front of her as Diane introduced them to her and forgot to tell them who she was. Reminding herself that this
really wasn't such a horrible thing. She was a grown adult and more than able to handle strangers. She enjoyed it all
the time. Just - she never had to worry about whether most strangers liked her or not...