With just a few weeks to go before the wedding, both Jon and Katie put it in high gear. Katie spent a fair amount of time flying back and forth to New York while she juggled business in two cities. Becca joined her when she could as they worked on moving the corporate part of the business to New York, where Becca would be moving to oversee things when Katie was back in Boston. Katie put things on hold in Boston for a few months until after the wedding and house renovations were complete. While she thrived on being busy, she finally decided to take Jon’s advice and let some things go, even if just for the time being. While she was excited about the new venture, it was hard to shut down the portrait part of her business for a few months. She knew it would never again be the same, this business she had built from the ground up. It had been her baby. But like all babies, the it was growing and changing.
Back in the burbs of Boston, the kids life suffered very little upheaval. Katie began feeling like she was wearing a different hat at every turn. Mom one week, which had been nice since slowing down business. She had more time with the kids when they were home. Entertainment photographer extraordinaire the next week, bouncing from shoot to shoot, from meeting to meeting, and back again. All while trying to finish up wedding plans. The saving grace for Katie had been Carol. As she did so very well, she had taken the reins and made sure every little detail was taken care of for the upcoming nuptials. She basically only required Katie to give the final word, but Katie couldn’t fault anything Carol did. Not that she would want to. Through it all she learned why Jon was who he was. It was because of family, and despite so much fame and fortune, they were all still so close and involved with each other. A large part of that had to do with Carol and the values they had instilled in the boys growing up.
Two weeks before the wedding Katie made one last trip with Becca to New York before she would be taking off for a month. They had secured a 10,000 square foot top floor studio in a building not far from the Soho condo. Becca would oversee the renovations there while Katie was gone. Sophia and Brandon would be with their grandmother at home, who was flying up from Nashville to stay with them while the newlyweds were on their honeymoon.
On Monday morning, the week of the wedding, Katie poured herself a second cup of coffee and made her way out to the back porch after getting the kids on the bus. The morning was cool, but she had replaced the screens with windows, so the porch was comfortable as she slowly propelled the swing with her foot, coffee in hand. She looked over the backyard, noting that the colors were about to peak in the next week or so, just as she had wanted for their wedding. October was her favorite month and no one did it better than New England. The forecast for her wedding day so far promised to be perfect with high 60s, maybe hitting 70, gentle fall sun and vibrant fall color all around. She enjoyed the view a few minutes more before the phone ringing brought her back to reality. She rose from the swing, reluctantly, and went back inside to answer the phone.
“Hello, darling.” Katie was greeted by Carol’s warm voice. “How are you doing?”
She set her coffee on the kitchen island and pulled up a stool.”Hi Carol. I am good. Just enjoying a few quiet minutes before the circus gets underway this week.”
“Very good. It will be a busy week. But I am calling now because I wanted to let you know I will be flying in on Wednesday morning at 10.” Carol paused, rustling papers in the background.”I am due at the Inn on Thursday, but I wanted to come in a day early so we could go over any last minute things. Would you be free to do that on Wednesday?” Carol inquired.
Katie nodded to herself, before she answered, “Yeah. I am pretty open until Thursday, too. Why don’t I pick you up? The kids will be off to school. If you like we could bring lunch back here and go over anything we need to. You can stay here and head up Thursday, if that works.”
“Perfect. Christoph will drive me up and will be available for any running around I need to do after that point.” Carol answered. “Are you sure I won’t be in your way if I stay?”
Katie smiled, ‘Not at all, Carol. I am really not that swamped this week. You have taken care of so much, I am not really worried about anything. You made this so easy on me, what would I have done with you?”
“Well, now, I have enjoyed it, Katie. Such a sweet girl like you deserves her day to be as perfect as it can be.” Carol assured her. “I wouldn’t do this for just anybody, you know.”
Katie knew what she said was true. While Carol did have a heart of gold, she could also turn it off if she felt someone was not deserving of the effort. Katie knew that Carol was protective of her family, and she had made it very clear, by her actions, that she had let Katie into their inner circle.
“I know, Mrs. B. And you know how much I appreciate it.” Katie said seriously.
“I know you do. That is why I do it.” Carol answered. “Now enough of that. You go relax some more and I will see you on Wednesday.”
Katie filled the first part of the week with packing for the honeymoon and getting her hair cut. They had decided to take a month to explore Europe. It was something Katie had always wanted to do, and even though Jon had been there more than he could count on two hands, he rarely ever had the time to see anything except the inside of a hotel room or arena. Jon was stopping by on Thursday before heading up to Rockport later in the day. Katie was taking the kids out of school and heading up with her parents on Friday. Jason and his family were flying in on Friday and going directly there from the airport. Becca was staying in Katie’s room on Friday night, as they were trying to keep a few secrets from Jon. He had yet to see her in her dress. She had originally purchased two, but had finally decided on the simple ivory beaded dress, that hung up in the back of her closet, waiting to take it’s trip down the isle.
Becca worked through Tuesday, and showed up at Katie’s house that evening, bags in hand. As the maid of honor it was her job to make sure Katie was in good spirits and on task. She took her job very seriously so had informed Katie she was moving in for the remainder of the week. Katie let Becca and her luggage in, happy to see her friend. So many things were going through her mind all week.
On one hand she was beyond excited for her wedding day with Jon. But on the other hand she was sometimes struck with disbelief that this was really her life now. They decided to wait for the bulk of the renovating to take place after the honeymoon. So the carriage house remained the same for the time being. Walking around her kitchen, it could have been any day, or any year, with nothing changing at all. She could almost pretend the last year and half were a dream if she tried really hard. She felt like she should pinch herself sometimes to really believe it all. Yet she fielded calls from New York, finishing up a few loose ends on the new studio. It had been more than a week since she had been at the little studio only minutes from her house. It has been years since she had went more than a day away from the studio, unless on vacation. Change was abound, and while it would take some getting used to, she was mostly excited for the new adventures. As her best friend joined her in the warm kitchen, Katie felt a sense of calm wash over her. Everything was just as it should be. Katie smiled to herself, feeling more sure of that than ever before.
Chapter 85
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