To Philly With Care

Twins, my god. We’re going to have a son and a daughter. I got off the phone with Jass and called her Gran. “To what do I owe this pleasure Maxime?” I loved Gran, she and her late husband had always been there for Jass.

“Do you know what Jassmine’s favorite gem is?” I asked, semi-terrified. “I need to find her a very special ring.”

Gran chuckled. “Max, you know she loves you. Why get her a ring now?” This was a test, I knew it.

“Because she should be completely secure in how _I_ feel before our children join us.” I sighed. “I could get her a ring and it would be a good one, but it wouldn’t have the meaning it needs without input from you.” I was nervous, Jass and her Gran meant the world to me.

“Max, get your butt down here. Don’t tell anyone you’re coming. You would have loved her Grandfather, you’re much alike. Damn what the family wants, you love her. I already have the ring you’re going to give her, she’ll know how we _both_ feel then.” The fiery woman hung up and I made fast plans to get to Philly.

The next day I was standing in the Richard Family Jewelry Vault. It was huge. “Max, the ring I’m about to give you is the same ring that Jean asked me to marry him with. It has long been the bone of contention between the family but Jean and I decided long ago it would be Jassmine’s.” She opened a case and there sat a lovely ring. “It was created in 1929 so it’s now 84 years old. Natural Sapphire from Burma that’s 5.61 carats, the diamonds are all round cut stones and total a carat by themselves. The outer sapphires are cabochons and are another carat. The band is platinum.” She stopped and choked up a bit. “I wore this ring for 62 years. I took it off when we put my beloved Jean in the ground. That day I also took off my wedding band that matches the ring and put on this black band I wear.” She showed me the matching wedding band. “My children have asked again and again about these rings. Jean and I put in our wills that they would go to our favorite grandchild, if we had been smarter we would have named her and settled it forever.”

That got me wondering. “Gran, how did you and Jean meet? I know so little about your family. Jass hates talking about everyone but you.” Gran patted my arm, put the rings back into the case and locked it all up again.

“Come, Jassmine may hate her family, and with good reason mind you, but you have every right to have your questions answered.” She led me through the large mansion into the kitchen. “I’ll make us some good tea and we’ll look at photographs and I’ll tell you everything you need to know.” She laughed. “Probably more than you need to know, but you will understand Jass much better after.”

After the tea was made and the albums pulled into the dining room, I helped Gran into her chair and sat next to her. “Pictures used to be for more important occasions than they seem to be now, at least when I was young.” Opening the first album she set her grizzled hand on the first shot fondly. “This is Jean and I’s engagement photo. You can’t tell by this, but my hair was once the same color as Jassmine’s. Jean had hair similar to yours.” I thought about that. I knew from Jass that her Grandfather just never woke up one morning.

“Gran, do you remember when he proposed to you, the date; or even when your wedding date is. I’m getting an idea on how I want to propose to Jass.” I asked as tactfully as I could. Nearly 2 years later you could still see how much she loved her husband. The last thing I wanted was to cause her pain.

“Of course, silly boy. He proposed on the Ides of March 1948 and we were married on September 9th, 1949. Before that though, we met when we were young at church, the same one we even now still attend. My mother and his were also both in the The Magdalen Society of Philadelphia. Then it was to help fallen women, it morphed over time and became the inspiration for Bastion in fact. Anyway, that’s where they met and as their children came along, we got drug along to events. When I and my sisters were old enough we began sewing things for the people who lived there. That’s my first memory of Jean. With his mother watching us all sew. Antoinette used to compliment me on my stitches, call me her Modiste. In fact…” Gran turned the pages.

“Here it is, I made both of these dresses.” The picture was of two women dressed in high fashion ready to go out somewhere. “This is Marie and Antoinette. Marie was Jean’s only sister. He had 4 older brothers but only Jean and Marie made it through both World Wars.” She turned the page again. “After Jean and I got married, Michael was born in 1953 and his sisters in 1955. So I am not surprised you and Jass are having twins, they tend to skip a generation or two on my side of the family. Unfortunately neither of my girls survived so Michael stayed an only child. That might be part of his problem, he never learned how to share. He was a good boy and never disappointed us but he had a mean streak.” That explained a lot.

“Anyway, Jean didn’t drink, smoke or raise his voice at either of us. Of course it was fashionable to drink a lot and smoke but neither of us ever did. When we would argue, Jean would get to a point and go out for a walk. Sometimes he walked for hours, but he always came home.” She stopped for a moment. “Maxime, do you like to dance?”

At first I wondered if Gran had lost it until she kept going. “The Foundation has it’s Annual Labor Day Dance on the 2nd. This year it’s a Swing Dance theme. Jassmine might not want to go seeing that her parents and siblings were especially cruel when she told them about the babies, but _I_ want her there.”

I smiled. “Gran, she’ll be there. The Foundation is important to her, she won’t want to miss this.” I leaned in and whispered as I heard a door open. “Maybe you can help me not stand out.”

Gran laughed. “Oh my dear boy, never change. She loves that you stand out. She had been ignored by Society until she began being the face of the Foundation. Then she met you and now she’s the envy of so many. You look at her like Jean used to look at me.” She sighed. “Jassmine has bloomed in the last year into a lovely woman who attracts the right people to her. Part of that is how I raised her and the other part is because of you. You stand out because you aren’t born into money, you’ve earned it. Do not let anyone tell you are less because of it either.”

A lovely woman walked into the dining room. “Tante Marion? Oh you have company.” She turned to walk out when Gran stopped her.

“Oh Monique, this is Max he’s Jassmine’s other half.” She patted the chair on her other side. “Come sit, we’re looking at pictures and talking about the Labor Day Dance.”

Monique moved over and sat down. “So, you’re who my cousin fell for. My mom told me that you are expecting. Congratulations. Although it has started my mom asking when I’m going to give her grandchildren.” Monique laughed. She looked at the picture we had just turned to. “Oh my mom told me about this. This was when Great Gran Antoinette died wasn’t it?” In the picture were Jean, his sister and what I guessed were their eldest children.

Gran nodded. “That was such a sad day. A few days after we buried her we found out that Jean had gotten everything. Marie was given first choice on Maman's jewelry but your own grandfather hated that she wasn’t named in the will at all.”

Monique laughed. “Grandpa Ted was a right royal bastard, Grandma Marie just about floored him when she divorced him and he found out the paperwork he signed without reading was a prenup. Turned out that when Great Grandpa Henri died, Uncle Jean and Grandma got 1/2 of his estate with the rest going to their mom. Grandma Marie never told Grandpa Ted about that money so she was very well set when they divorced. Speaking of, have you told him yet about The Clause?”

Gran stiffened a bit. “No, I have not. I have shown him the rings however.” She then sighed. “Max, I might as well tell you now. What she is referring to is a clause that Jean put into his will. Jassmine does not know about this clause because well, her father hates it, although I know he told both of the other two. The clause is this, that when Jean’s grandchild marries and if they have my rings, meaning my blessing, then they directly inherits the entire Richard Estate.”

I felt as if my breath had been stolen. I knew that I was “the poor one” in our relationship, not that money mattered to either of us. Gran continued. “That is the real reason the family has been fighting over my rings, they want control of everything. Jassmine’s brother and sister both tried to get those rings from me, but as I told you earlier they have always been hers. This is how much she meant to Jean and means still to me.”

I took a sip of my now cold tea as I digested this. “So in other words, hang on tight to her because her parents and siblings are going to get even nastier?” Both ladies nodded solemnly. I knew what I had to do then. “Gran, she’ll be at the Labor Day Dance. I have no idea what she’ll wear yet, but she’ll be there.”

Monique giggled. “Oh if you can convince her to go, _I_ can get her dressed and looking incredible. In fact I have this sweet mint fabric on my pile right now that’s dying for the right dress. I can easily meet you guys at her place and have dinner ready when you get there.”

Gran smiled. “Monique, thank you. Jassmine won’t be happy about going probably but you being willing to make her dress will help with that. We can easily look in Jean’s closet to see if I still have anything that you can use as well.” She got up and bullied both Monique and I into following her.

It didn’t take her long to find an outfit for me to wear. I felt odd wearing her dead husband’s clothes, until both she and Monique gasped. “No, not that one.” Gran rummaged through and found a navy blue trousers and shirt. “Change into these while I find the bow tie and suspenders.” She went to a drawer and began looking through it. I changed and came back out to being turned around and having suspenders put on me. Then the bow tie was tied. “Perfezione. (Perfection.)”

Monique just nodded as she showed me the mirror. I couldn’t believe what I saw. There was a picture of Jean in an outfit much like this on the mirror. I didn’t look a lot like him, but I surely could rival him. “Yes, Jass in the mint dress and a navy tie belt on it. You two will look off the charts.” There was approval in Monique’s voice.

“Yes they will. Change back Maxime. I will put these aside for you as I know my son and other grandsons will want to raid the closet. I think that I would also like a dress Monique, if you don’t mind.” I carefully took off the tie and suspenders and handed them to Gran. “In fact if you would like I believe I have some fabrics in my sewing room. Feel free to look and choose one.”

Once Monique was out of the room, Gran laughed. “That girl and fabric. Maxime, would you please take Jass and I to the Dance. If only so this old woman knows that her favorite grandchild is loved by someone who deserves it.”

I had changed and come back out. “Madame Richard I would be honored to take you and my beloved to the Labor Day Dance. May I now formally ask for Jassmine’s hand in marriage?” I offered her my arm as we began to exit the room.

She smiled. “My dear boy, you already have my blessing. You have since took her in that Christmas without need for an explanation. Yes, I know that it was your mother who let her cry it out, but you have never pushed where her family is concerned. You also make it abundantly clear that I am welcome whenever I would like. In short you are the man she needs you to be. Now, I have never seen a hockey game, but I would like to.”

I smiled. “Gran, if you want to go to a game, I’ll make it happen. How would the first home game of the season sound? I can clear it so that you can sit with Jass in the family suite.” My own family preferred to sit in regular seats but it would be safer for both Jass and Gran to be in the family suite.

My phone rang suddenly and I grabbed it. “Hello. Hi babe. Not much, missing you. I can’t wait for you to come home either.” Gran chuckled as she figured out who it was. “Really? I think Gran would love it if you visited her. You wanna what? Ok, sounds good. No, if you’re tired that’s fine you need to take care of you. Ok I’ll see you when you get home then. Je t’aime.” I hung up with a smile on my face. With a chuckle I looked at Gran again. “She’s going to come over tomorrow and tell you all about her doctor’s appointment. I’d love to spoil it for you but then Jass would know I was here and wonder why.”

Gran chuckled. “Max you are a wonderful man and Jassmine is the luckiest girl in the world to have you. Now let’s go figure out what pattern and fabric I’m going to wear so Monique will have time to do her dress when you get back here.” I spent the rest of the evening learning more and the differences between 1940s fashion and modern fashion than any man should probably know, oh and learning more about why Gran and Gramp were the most important people in Jass' life.