Wedding Bell Blues

A Character Post by Dr. Quig Quigsly of Candle With Care

Some say I have a supporting role in my fiancé’s adventures, but I have a starring role. My name is Octavian Henry Quigsly, IV, and I’m the third person in my family to be a Medical Examiner. Men in my family have been called Tavy, Henry, and Hank. I was very happy to get the nickname Quig.

I come from a long line of males who have the unique talent of being able to detect the person who is meant to be my life partner. Generations of my family moved every few years to give their male offspring a better chance of finding their forever person. However, much to my Mom’s dismay, we settled in Savannah as soon as I set eyes on Tabby more than two decades ago. We were both in grade school at the time, but she was The One.

What was it about her that attracted me? Can’t say it was her happy attitude, her friendly smiles, or her almost blonde hair. I just KNEW. I had never felt that way about anyone before.

S,o I made it a priority to be around her as much as I could. She loved piggyback rides so that’s what we initially did together since I am a few years older. During high school, my father sent me off to private school because he wanted to make sure that the separation didn’t change the way I felt about Tabby.

It darn sure didn’t. I rushed over to see her every time I came home, careful to always stay in the friend zone. Sometimes I watched her from afar, not in a stalkerish way, but looking out for her and making sure trouble didn’t find her. When teen-aged boys started sniffing around her, I unabashedly ran them off.

As the years rolled by, she never once looked at me as date material. I was stuck in limbo, near her but I  couldn’t make her mine as I wanted, not without her romantic interest. As her pal, I was allowed to hug her on first sight but that was it. Then I came up with the brilliant idea of inviting her to a movie night, one evening a week. She went for it. I turned on the charm, gave her back rubs, fixed her favorite snacks, and anything I could think of for her to see me as a man with feelings for her.

With each visit, I gradually moved out of the friend zone. We began “dating” on our movie nights. She sat closer and closer to me, and I extended my arm out on the couch behind her. Sparks flew!

My plan worked. We advanced to friends with benefits, then I coaxed her into sleepovers at my place, and we became a couple.

Four months ago I asked her to marry me and she said yes. I was overjoyed, but then she wouldn’t set a wedding date. She kept saying she wasn’t ready. I worried I’d lose her by rushing her into marriage so I practiced patience. She was worth the wait.

My mom took matters into her own hands and planned a fancy engagement party. Tabby agreed wholeheartedly to that. Mom kept reminding me that it would be easy to turn the shower into a wedding. . My father’s best friend was a Justice of the Peace, and I’d already bought our wedding rings as soon as Tabby agreed to marry me.

Though I didn’t want to bulldoze Tabby, I hedged my bets, just in case. She met me at Probate Court and we both signed for a marriage license. Much to my surprise, she never once commented that I’d put the date of our party as our official ceremony.

Then she got involved in another crime investigation and I nearly lost my mind with worry for her safety. I needed to marry her and protect her better. I spent every free moment with her, helping her, holding her, whatever came naturally. And it all did. She was The One.

As the party approached, I sweated bullets. Would I push for a wedding that day? Would she spontaneously say she was ready? What would I do? What could I do?

Will you help me with some suggestions?

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