Coffee Cup Confessions - Trish Williford Page 0,50
and white china place settings make me cringe at the thought of how much this all would have actually cost if we had bought it. Thanks to Ally’s connections, everything is on loan for the evening.
Our guest list includes just over two hundred people. By the looks of the crowd, I’d say there are at least one hundred and fifty people here, and the night is still early. We invited family, friends, and coworkers to help celebrate their special night.
For twenty minutes, Jake and I have been attempting to make our way across the room to greet my parents, but we’ve been stopped numerous times by guests making small talk. Finally, I reach my mother, who’s looking stunning in a sleeveless cream dress.
“Misha, oh, honey, you look absolutely marvelous!”
It feels really good to hear my mom say that. I’m usually the cute one, and Mandy is the marvelous one. I bought a strapless black lace dress especially for tonight and let my hair go natural, like Jake prefers.
“Thank you, Mom. You look beautiful.”
She hugs me and then looks to Jake. “Don’t you look dapper this evening!”
He bends down and kisses her on the cheek. “Congratulations on your anniversary.”
“Where’s Dad?” I ask.
Mom waves her hand. “Probably watching the Blue Birds game on his phone somewhere. Who knows?”
The band leader comes on the microphone and asks everyone to take their seats for dinner to be served. I watch as Mom hurries across the room and finds Dad. They walk to their small, romantic candlelit table tucked away in the corner. Jake grabs my hand and leads me to the table we are sharing with Bentley, Ally, Mandy, Noah, and Drew.
“Ally, you really outdid yourself. Everything is so breathtaking,” Mandy says.
“It really is. Thank you for all that you did.” I smile.
Ally blushes, compliments obviously making her uncomfortable. “It’s no big deal; it’s my job.”
Bentley walks onto the stage and takes the microphone for the toast.
“Thank you, everyone, for coming out tonight to celebrate our parents’ fortieth wedding anniversary. Mandy, Misha, and I are extremely grateful that all of you were able to join us to make this a special evening for Mr. and Mrs. Gregory Gallagher.
“Growing up, I remember some of my friends telling me how cool my parents were and how they wished they’d had parents like mine. I’ve always known I was lucky to be born into this family. The amount of love my parents have shown my sisters and me has never made us once question if they ever had a favorite child.
“It’s me, if you didn’t know.
“They have taught us so much just by leading by example. Dad has shown me how to treat a woman the way she deserves to be treated, and in return, I have been blessed with my amazing wife, Ally. My sisters have seen the way he treats my mother, and they know what they deserve out of a relationship. I have never seen either of my sisters happier than they are right now. Mom has been the best mother and wife anyone could ask for. She made sure that we had a hot dinner on the table every night, she helped us with our homework, and she spent individual time with each of us to show we were all special to her, all while still being a caring wife to my dad.
“The only gripe I have about them is their seriously embarrassing PDA. It’s pretty gross to see my dad grab my mom’s boob or my mom pinch my dad’s butt. But if we’re going to get to the nitty-gritty of it all, it’s better that they do that than fight.
“Mom, Dad, we are thankful for everything you two have done for us over the years. Thank you for being positive role models, thank you for taking such great care of the three of us, and most importantly, thank you for loving one another. The happiness that you bring each other makes all of us strive to have that same type of love.
“Everyone, please raise your glasses to the happy couple. To Greg and Emma.”
The crowd cheers their names in unison and claps at Bentley’s speech. Mom dabs her eyes with a tissue and blows kisses to us. I’m so glad this evening came together so well.
After dinner, the dance floor is occupied with most guests. Jake grabs my hand and drags me out in the middle for the first slow song of the night.
“You look so pretty,” he says.
“You’ve already told