Mother of the Bride

Georgie was tired. Her first vacation in three years had come on the heels of attending Chamber Institute at the University of Delaware.

She knew she was burnt out. Even though her boss continually told her there was no such thing as "burn out," she knew there was. She loved her work but she now thoroughly hated her job.

When her husband suggested that they move back to Oklahoma, she wasn't sure that was a good plan. She couldn't imagine being in the same town as her mother-in-law. That seemed like a recipe for disaster.

On the other hand, Georgie knew that her grandmother's days were numbered. She was closing in on 90, rarely got out of bed anymore and her health was failing. Georgie really wanted to be there for her. Additionally, her mother was getting along in age as well. She would need support once she lost her mother.

Eventually Georgie caved to the idea of moving back home. She looked forward to taking back their rental home and refurbishing it.

Her children, on the other hand, were not at all pleased. Neither of them considered Oklahoma to be home. After all, they had spent most of their lives in Virginia. However, the truth was it was time for both of them to jump out of the nest anyway.

Georgie didn't worry about her daughter. She was strong, determined, driven and highly talented. She would succeed in any field that she chose.

Her son, on the other hand, seemed to be wandering. He didn't have a clue as to what he wanted to do with his life; only what he didn't want. He didn't want to go to college.

Georgie realized that would severely limit his options but she also knew that she could not force him to do anything he didn't want to. College was too expensive to finance without a commitment.

As the day rolled around to make the final move, Georgie had mixed feelings about her daughter's plans to move in with her boyfriend. Although she knew the two of them would eventually get married, she was old fashioned enough to wish they would wait for that before living together. However, she managed to shake the provincial feelings out of her head and wish them well.

Her son had decided to move in with some friends. They had chosen an inexpensive bachelor pad that was in a safe neighborhood. Although she didn't really want to, she let go of that string as well.

The first few weeks back home were busy. Their rental home had not been well cared for by the real estate company. There was a lot of repair work to do before they could get down to decorating. Although her husband's father helped him with labor, the costs for supplies quickly ate through their savings.

Nonetheless, the final result was stunning. The house turned out exactly as Georgie had pictured it in her mind. She was home and she was content.

The closeness she had always longed for with her mother finally came to fruition. They spent weekend after weekend at garage sales, on shopping trips and at the movies; giggling like schoolgirls and best friends.

On the job front, Georgie had been asked to run the floral shop at Vance Air Force Base. She loved the change of pace. At last she could fully express her creative side.

The only cloud hanging over head was her mother-in-law. Alma still made no attempt to mend broken bridges. She spent what little time they had together berating Georgie. After a few months, Georgie gave up and stopped making any friendly gestures toward the woman.

Instead, she suggested that her husband spend at least one full day a week at his mothers. He also spent the biggest part of most mornings running errands for her and making sure she had everything she needed before he went to his evening job.

The arrangement seemed to work until one Saturday, when they went to the movies to see "Titanic." Shortly after getting situated, his mother called demanding he bring her some milk at once. The cost of the tickets was a waste of money. They proved to be the straw that broke the camel's back in her relationship with her mother-in-law.

After nearly a year at the floral shop, Georgie received notice that the base had decided to close it. They wanted the space for expansion of the BX. That meant it was time to find another job.

However, luck was with her. The Oklahoma Small Business Development Center was looking for an administrative assistant for the director of the northwest territory. Since Georgie had small business experience from her work at the Chamber of Commerce, she seemed tailor-made for the job. It proved to be a perfect match.

Everything was settling down beautifully. Georgie's daughter decided to get married the following spring and she wanted her mother to do the flowers and make the wedding dress. Although excited at the prospect, Georgie was rusty in her sewing skills and uncertain she could it justice.

Still, she shopped for the pattern and fabric and was able to find exactly what she wanted almost immediately. With her daughter's natural beauty there was little need to guild the lily. A simple satin gown would fit the bill and Georgie pulled it off with flying colors.

The return to Virginia for the wedding was a triumphant one. Everything was perfect for everyone in her family at last.

The wedding flowers came together without a hitch and the wedding turned out exactly as planned. It wasn't until everything was over that it struck Georgie that she had lost her baby girl. She cried all the way back to Oklahoma.

NOTE: Stay tuned for the final chapters of "The Georgie Chronicles."