Left-Handed Engineers From MARZ
Marlone's Wedding, part II

"I can't believe you're wearing those shoes," Marlone said to Zephyr.

"Mom, they're perfectly good shoes."

"You're doing this to me on purpose, aren't you? Oh crap, the photographer's here. Where's Tammy? Portia, you look beautiful. Fix your strap. Come on, let's make this quick!" In a flurry of pale pink, Marlone dashed downstairs. Portia followed her, smirking.

Zephyr sighed and sat beside Reg on the bed. "I guess we should go downstairs. You doing all right?"

Reg almost smiled. "Tammy is a flower girl."

"Yes, I know. We need to go downstairs and watch the flower girl get her picture taken with my mother."

"Can't," said Reg.

"Why not?"

Reg pointed out the window. Zephyr looked down into the backyard, where a small child in a white dress was skipping around in circles, a dandelion chain around her neck, daisies in her hair, and a huge grass stain visible down the front of her dress.

"Oh god," Zephyr mumbled, then strode to the top of the stairs. "Found your flower girl!" he shouted into the chaos downstairs. "Backyard!"

The noise level increased as someone ran to fetch Tammy, and then increased again as Tammy was fussed over. Several people admonished her not to cry, and then admonished each other not to make her cry. When things finally quieted down, Zephyr took Reg's hand and they wandered downstairs and into the living room.

Someone inquired about the limo. "We didn't rent a limo," Marlone replied. "Luellen was going to lend us her SUV."

"Luellen left already," Brian observed.

"Hey, whose antique Buick is that outside? It'd be awesome if you could go in that!" someone suggested.

Marlone looked at Zephyr. Zephyr shrugged, then nodded. After some bantering, they managed to get the entire wedding party (Portia, Tammy, Marlone, and Zephyr) into the Skylark, plus Reg driving and Brit snug in the middle of the front seat. It had started to drizzle, so the top-up versus top-down argument was settled quickly.

The church was only a ten-minute drive away. A church official, a skinny young man who looked as if he may have been the pastor's son, greeted them and helped arrange the wedding party. Half listening to his instructions, Zephyr watched as Reg and Brit walked hand in hand into the church, Brit gabbing animatedly and Reg listening raptly.

"Are you giving the bride away?" the young man asked Zephyr.

"Yeah," Zephyr replied. "I tried selling her, but I got no takers. Ow!"

"Gramma, why'd you hurt Uncle Zephyr?" Tammy asked in full DeCastle sincerity. Portia covered her mouth with her hand and coughed a few times.

Marlone glared at Zephyr. "Don't ruin my wedding," she growled.

"I'm not! It's a great wedding so far!"

The church official shifted uncomfortably as he waited for the bickering to stop. Zephyr bit back his next joke for the kid's sake. Better to just get this over with, and avoid antagonizing his mother further. He offered his elbow to the bride. Tammy started down the aisle, and Portia followed, accompanied by some guy from Jack's family. Marlone fluffed her dress nervously with her free hand.

"Smile, Zephyr."

"I am, Mom."

"Stand up straight."

"I am.

"Well, stand up straighter."

Zephyr bit back yet another comment.

Finally they got the signal to move forward.

"I can't believe you're wearing those shoes."

Zephyr forced a grin as he took measured steps through the gawking crowd. "Mom, forget about your pathetic, poor excuse for a son for just a minute and..."

"Zephyr!"

"...and focus on your wedding! It's your day and you look beautiful. Nobody's even looking at me. All they care about is you. So enjoy it."

He glanced around, and tried to convince himself of the truth of that... but all the faces that beamed at his mother seemed to be sneering at him. He knew almost no one in the church. He wondered how many of them Marlone knew, and what she had told them about him. This could be the first glimpse many of them ever got of sweet Marlone's horrible, cruel, burdensome son they had heard so much about.

After an eon, they reached the front of the church, and Zephyr backed away and ducked quickly into the front pew. He immediately wished he had joined Brian, Reg and Brit. Glancing over his shoulder, he spotted them. Brit was still monopolizing Reg's attention, silently this time. They seemed to be examining something in her lap. Was it too late to move back to their pew? He looked at his mother, who had her back to him, but decided against it anyway. She was already peeved at him, and he knew from experience that he needed to be as discreet as humanly possible. He sat perfectly still as the pastor droned on and on.

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