Mary Kendall, A Ghost Story

Mary Kendall, A Ghost Story
The Wedding

An insistent knock has Jamie scrambling to open the door before it wakes Damien and Mary. It looks like it will be a lovely day for a wedding. The sky is a brilliant blue that reminds one of a warm summer's day, and yet large snowflakes fall drowsily from the few clouds in the winter sky. Jamie sincerely thanks the Fates for the lovely day.
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A wedding surprise that Jamie ordered for Damien and Mary has arrived. The courier delivers an ice chest stocked with gourmet meals as well as some of their favorite comfort foods like cheesesteak and hamburgers. Everything is prepared, ready to heat and enjoy eating. Jamie puts everything up in the fridge and freezer and prepares their breakfast for them as he can hear one of them in the shower. He leaves a note explaining the hotel stay and the prepared food. He expects Layla to arrive in two days, so he will be back home in time for that. He places covers over the plates, pets Lia and grabs his duffle bag and rides to the hotel. He registers and unpacks his good suit and dresses for the wedding. The books he brought with him are left on the dresser. Jamie wants to continue to try to discover something in the old texts that might help Mary.
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He heads to Louie Falls and finds the arch, flowers and fire pits have been delivered and placed in front of the iced over pond. It looks lovely and he hopes they will be happy with the choices. Jamie kindles the fires in the pits to provide warmth to the area. He chats with the horses, convincing them to allow the humans to use the park for the wedding with no interference from the local horse population.
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Mary finishes her shower and goes back in the bedroom to see if Damien is awake. He is! He greets her with a loving kiss.
“It looks like a gorgeous day for a wedding my love.”
“I am so very happy Damien. The Fates are kind to provide such a magnificent day for us. I feel they must be happy for us as well.”
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They walk downstairs arm in arm and find the table set for two with breakfast prepared. Damien spies the note that Jamie left and reads it aloud to Mary as she sits down at the table. They enjoy the gourmet breakfast and toast Jamie with their coffee mugs.
“Jamie is such a sweetheart to plan the lovely food for us as well as leave us alone for a few days. He did not have to do that.”
“No, he didn’t, but that is Jamie. Underneath his clowning and sometimes arrogance he has a heart of gold.”
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After finishing breakfast, Mary and Damien get ready for the wedding. Mary puts on the gorgeous dress she picked out for the wedding. She knew she had the perfect dress to wear for a winter wedding in a trunk in the attic. She floats over to the strange mirror and looks at herself in the dress. She is genuinely shocked to see her real image staring back. It is blurred, but it is her. She closes her eyes and is getting ready to scream for Damien when she looks again. It is her ghostly self in the mirror now. She sighs wistfully. Wishful thinking.
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Bekka sits on the floor sketching her ideas for Damien and Mary’s bedroom. Now that they have officially become a couple her original idea for the master bedroom must be adjusted. She soon realizes it is time to get ready for the wedding and puts aside her sketch pad and changes into something nice but warm for the wedding.
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A limo arrives taking Mary and Damien to the park. The guests are already at the park and they are greeted with congratulations, hugs and hearty handshakes.
Damien is surprised to see Renauld and Catarina Vanderburg. Renauld explains he saw the marriage license application at City Hall and of course he was the one who approved and signed it. He and Catarina felt they should attend the wedding of two of Hidden Springs most notable residents. He called and spoke to Jamie about the details. “I enjoyed meeting you when you received the award for solving Miss Mary’s case. We both love a great love story and positively had to attend the wedding.”
“It is our honor to have you both here sir.”

Jamie greets Catarina and welcomes her to the wedding. “I see my Goddaughter Rebecca. Is she a friend of the bride or the groom?”
“Goddaughter? Rebecca is here at the bride's invitation,” he informs her. Jamie does not want to mislead Catarina and wants her to be aware he has an interest in her. "I met her at the park recently and we have all been getting to know her." Jamie wonders if his courtship of Bekka will be a problem with Catarina. He knows she did not like his motorcycle at all. Surely she knows Rebecca rides a motorcycle. She didn’t trust him until he rid her home of the poltergeists that no other hunter was able to do. She in fact provided a nice bonus for the job. Now he has something else to worry about.
Catarina excuses herself to Jamie. “I will go introduce myself to the bride. I did meet Mr. Nazario at City Hall when he received his award.”
Jamie hopes to have a chance to talk with Rebecca, but she is chatting with Emmaline and the wedding is due to start.
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Damien and Mary take their places under the arch as the music begins to play. Damien playfully catches snowflakes while waiting for the guests to gather to witness the ceremony.
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Mary places a ring on Damien's finger as she proudly makes her vows to him. “Your love has grounded me, and I'm a better person just knowing you. Your love has revealed a new path in my life. Your faith in me gives me hope for myself and us. Your encouragement to accept what is and may not ever change has helped me grow and find peace. Even with the uncertainties that we face in our future, I know we can face them together with the love that binds us together. You are my heart, my soul, my one, my only. This ring represents a promise that I will love, honor, cherish and stand by your side forever and beyond.
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Damien places a ring on Mary’s finger and holds her in his arms as he vows to her. "Your love completes me and we are no longer two separate people, but a part of each other. Our hearts beat as one. I will keep looking and searching for whatever it takes to bring you back to this world fully and completely. Always know this. I love you as you are now. I will always love you as you are now if this is what the Fates decree for our lives. That will never change. Wear this ring knowing that you are mine, and I am yours, and you are loved with all my heart and every last breath in me.
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Jamie is awed by the love they have for each other and he tears up as they say their vows to one another. He can feel their emotions, and he knows their souls are truly bonded this day as it should be. His heart is overflowing for his best friend, and yet it aches to have Rebecca look at him the way Mary looks at Damien. He sneaks a peek over at Rebecca and notices that she seems to be glancing his way with concern on her face, not love.
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The vows are said, and Damien and Mary are now husband and wife. He kisses his bride and she returns his kisses as the guests toss rice at them, a symbol of fertility and prosperity. Damien can’t seem to stop kissing Mary and the guests clap as he dips her and kisses her once again.
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A beautiful cake had been baked and decorated for the wedding. Damien and Mary cut the cake and invite everyone to enjoy a slice. A few of the guests, including the ghosts, had to leave a little early. It was a beautiful day and a beautiful wedding and Damien and Mary enjoy sitting with their friends eating cake and chatting about the wedding and various other plans.

Catarina sat next to Mary while eating and talked to her about what she wanted to do with her life. A few weeks ago Mary would have been tongue tied and retreated in her shell at such an approach. Damien’s love gave her the confidence to answer Catarina honestly. “I plan to take things one day at a time for now. We are getting closer to spring, and I am usually pulled back to the netherworld at that time. We are still investigating options and hope to stop that course from happening. Damien and I are realistic it still might happen.
“My dear, you and Damien are both very brave, and the love shines very strongly from both of you. I know you can handle whatever comes. If I can do anything to help, I will. Renauld’s ancestors were royalty and we have quite an archive of old texts. I will start going through them and see if I can find anything that might help. I will send word to you right away if I find anything.”

“Mrs. Vanderburg, that is so awesome of you to offer. I will tell Jamie if you discover something, or you could contact him directly.”
“Jamie?" She questions as she looks over at Jamie who is chatting with Renauld. “He’s the ghost hunter right?”
“Oh yes, but Jamie is much more than a ghost hunter, ma'am. He has studied the occult and the supernatural since he was very young and has great knowledge and understanding of what could be dangerous to try. He is also very sensitive to emotions and able to help troubled souls whether they are ghosts or humans or supernaturals. Without even seeing me, Jamie was able to take away much of my anger that had built up inside of me over the decades. He and Damien saved my soul. Jamie with his skill and Damien with his love. I was close to turning into an evil poltergeist.”
Catarina Vanderburg looks at Jamie and nods her head as she thinks to herself that she needs to have another chat with this interesting and overly confident young man.

Before long the newlyweds are saying their goodbyes and hugging everyone and thanking them for making their day truly special. Damien gives Jamie a tight hug. “Thank you for all you’ve done, but most of all thank you for helping me find Mary.”
“Enjoy your brief honeymoon. I wish we could have arranged a trip. Perhaps next year. Don’t forget to feed Lia. I’m certain she would love some leftover lobster.” he grins at Damien knowing he would not forget Lia. “Please let me know if Layla shows up early. She is freakin' scary, and I don’t want y’all left alone with her.”

Damien and Mary enjoy the limo ride home as they sip a glass of celebratory nectar in between passionate kisses home.
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