Monday night, Mojo and Prince Charming broke the news to my mom and dad about their wedding. Both of my parents took the news well.
A couple months ago, my mom had mentioned she told Mojo not to get married, thinking it would cause her to not finish her schooling, lead her to not follow through on her plans with the Air Force, and on and on. At the time, I understood what my mom was thinking, but I also knew that Mojo would do what was right for her. She’s a smart girl and she’s old enough to make her own decisions.
My dad? Well, he would be fine with just about anything Mojo decides because he knows she’s past the age of making poor decisions.
Both of my folks really like Prince Charming (always have). And yet, I do know they worry about her making big decisions about “the rest of her life” at the young age of 21.
Hence, the secrecy surrounding the wedding.
We went to the Brigantine in Del Mar for a family dinner. King Arthur and I drove down to join my older sister and her husband (the ones who have taken care of Mojo since she was 9), my little sister, my parents, and, of course, Mojo and Prince Charming himself. Ostensibly, the dinner was to celebrate Charming’s graduation from college, his receiving his commission, and a last hurrah before he left on his first set of orders. Since KA and I got there early, we stopped at a shop and enjoyed looking around at antiques, repurposed goods, and smelled wondrous homemade soaps. We also stopped at the beach for photos (the few I took, since I brought just one lens and instantly regretted as the surfers were out and having a great time). I kicked off my shoes, dug my toes in the sand, wandered down to the water and got my feet wet a bit. When I put my huaraches back on, I loved the feel of the sand still between my toes and the fact that the sand stayed with me for the whole night. Just that simple exercise reminded me of what I’ve always known: I’m a total beach gal. I have always been one and I wish it weren’t so expensive to live by the beach because I would be there every single day, rain or shine.
Finally, we headed to the restaurant, had an appetizer, and waited for everyone. Mojo and the Prince showed up before everyone else so I took them outside and got a few photos of them together. The very moment they stood together and his arm went around her, Prince Charming would give my daughter a kiss. It was just beautiful to watch them together. They are really and truly deeply in love. It’s evident in all they do.
Finally, the rest of the family arrived and we settled around the table. Appetizers for everyone else, conversations going in every direction, and Mojo kept her left hand covered so my parents couldn’t see her ring. One of the conversations involved Prince Charming’s orders and him having to leave at the end of the week (the day before graduation [which had been postponed a week due to the fires]). My mom said she hoped the Prince wouldn’t forget about Mojo, and Mo replied, “I don’t think that’ll happen, Grammy. He can’t!” And after the food was on the table, she told my parents she and Prince Charming had wed. My mom said, “Well, I guess you’re right: he won’t be able to forget you now!”
We’d all been holding our breath when Mojo made her announcement. We were worried there could possibly be yelling, hurt feelings, or even a heart attack. None of that happened, though. Just smiles and a couple tears of joy and lots of congratulations.
Dinner was yummy, as was the cake my big sis had brought for the celebration. Family photos, stuffed tummies, endless smiles, and a million hugs, and then we headed out the door for our long drive home.
Mojo will join her husband in July when she drives his belongings out to him somewhere in the middle of the United States. After that, she’ll come back to Cali and finish up with her paperwork so she can get started with her Air Force career. While it’s not ideal for her to be going off to Basic Training so soon after getting married, the kids will be entitled to separation pay and they’ll use that for their nest egg. Prince Charming will be focusing on his job (and probably taking classes online for his next degree) and Mojo on hers. When they finally get together, they’ll be ready for whatever life throws at them next.
I really am super happy for them and proud of them for planning out how to manage their time apart, how they’re going to continue their education, how they’re going to manage their finances, and planning out the rest of their lives. They have their heads on straight. They have their eyes on the prize. And they know now they have total support from the entire family.
Before we left for the evening, I got a couple wallet-sized photos from the wedding, which are just absolutely lovely. I can’t wait to see the rest! And I have a promise from Mojo to come up and visit before she leaves.
My darling girl is all grown up. She’s a married woman. She’s on the brink of so many major things and she’s not only confident about what’s coming her way, she’s happy at the prospect of all of it.
Seeing her like this…seeing her so absolutely joyous…it makes my heart overflow with love and happiness. I couldn’t have asked for a better son-in-law and I couldn’t have hoped for a better daughter. I’m a lucky woman, I am.