text: Elle stood in Jay's kitchen looking confused. Jay said he had something important to tell her but nothing prepared her for the words that came out of Jay's mouth.”Elle I don't want a girlfriend”. Elle's heart began to break she had heard those same words from Jay thirty years ago. Elle and Jay had recently reconnected and Elle was hoping it would last this time. Jay looked down at the ground nervously as he continued “I want a wife”. All in the span of thirty seconds Elle went from heartbroken to the happiest she had ever been. Elle and Jay had been high school sweethearts they dated until their junior year. One day Jay drove Elle home. On the way home Elle told Jay she loved him. She knew something was wrong when Jay pulled over, “Thank you” responded Jay. The next words he uttered haunted Elle for the last thirty years. “Elle I don't want a girlfriend”. Elle couldn't believe what she was hearing she told Jay she would walk the rest of the way home. Elle's heart hit the cold hard ground at the same time her feet did. Upon hearing news of the breakup Elle's parents were just as heartbroken. Jay and his family moved away the following week. Elle and Jay took a few days to themselves before telling family and friends about their engagement. They decided to break the news to Elle's family first. They told Elle's family during a birthday celebration for Elle's mom. Elle and Jay's engagement came as no surprise to her family who predicted this from a conversation they had with Elle six months earlier, when Elle called from work saying “you will never guess who came into the store today”. Elle's family was elated by the news especially Elle's mom who always held a soft spot for Jay. Her family made several toast to the newly engaged couple. Elle's mom Vicki pulled Jay aside and told him she never gave up on him. She even carried around Elle and Jay's prom picture in her wallet as proof. Jay couldn't help smiling. He admitted he had kept a framed copy of the same picture on his nightstand for the last thirty years. Vicki then asked Jay to consider a quick wedding to Elle in Las Vegas. Vicki was ill with a lung disease and she knew she didn't have much longer to live. Vicki explained to Jay how she wanted to see her daughter get married and how she loved Las Vegas. Jay said they hadn't discussed wedding plans yet but he would bring up Las Vegas as a venue. Vicki smiled and gave Jay a kiss on the cheek that almost ended up on his lips. Elle walked up to her mom and Jay noticing the lipstick print to side of Jay's lips she commented “engaged for a week and your already kissing other ladies”. “Watch out for my mom she's a cougar”Elle teased. Jay couldn't help but to agree with Elle his future mother in law was one of those senior silver foxes that had aged extremely well. The next morning Jay brought Elle coffee in bed he and declared “I love spring don't you?” Elle responded” um sure but it's winter right now”. “I mean for our wedding a nice spring wedding. A spring destination wedding maybe Las Vegas, that way we can get a vacation out of it it” said Jay. “Have you been talking to my mother”? Responded Elle. “No” Jay lied “but now that you mention it your mom would love it if we got married in Las Vegas”. “True but you hate crowds and Las Vegas is always crowded” argued Elle. “I do hate crowds but when I'm with you I only see the two of us” said Jay “Awe alright you win Vegas wedding here we come” squealed Elle as Jay tackled her in the bed to seal the deal. The winter days blew by in flurry of excitement as Elle, Jay and Elle's mom planned what was suppose to be a small quiet destination wedding. Elle had no idea when her mom hijacked her wedding plans. Maybe it was when she came home early one day to find her mom's car parked in the driveway. When Elle entered her house she found Jay and her mom chasing away the winter cold. They were huddling next to a roaring fire drinking hot buttered rums looking at wedding chapel brochures. Elle thought to herself that her mom and Jay looked like a modern Hollywood couple getting ready to give a Katie Couric interview. She could see the headline Silver Fox Beauty to Marry Daughters High School Love. Elle laughed to herself at her crazy thoughts. “Hi honey” they both exclaimed at the same time. “We were just looking over wedding chapel brochures, you should see some of these venues they are incredible. Did you know we could get married on a pirate ship plank”? Said Jay excitedly. “I had no idea, is there a hot buttered rum for your cold fiance”? Asked Elle. “You can finish mine dear I have to get going I just came by to see the brochures that the wedding planner sent over”. Stated Elle's mom as she sent them both an air kiss. “What wedding planner”? said a confused Elle “ The one I hired as a gift” said Elle's mom as she was leaving. Elle shouted “what” but her mother just ignored her and left. Elle turned her confusion to Jay “did you know about this”? Questioned Elle. “I just found out about it this morning when your mom called saying she was coming by to see the brochures”. Said Jay “Ugh why does she always do this” screamed Elle “ Elle don't be mad she just wants to be involved it's sweet, be glad she is still here” said Jay. “I know, I know I'm lucky but she always takes over everything she even picked my dress without me”! Said a frustrated Elle Jay handed Elle her moms slightly touched hot buttered rum and gave her a kiss that made her toes curl. Elle who was now soothed by the kiss said “Now let's see those brochures and pick a venue before my mom does”. The last week of spring finally came and it was time for a wedding. Elle paced nervously outside the chapel where she was waiting with her father.” “ Where could mom be?, I can't believe she would be late for my wedding.” said Elle “You know your mom it's always one more minute playing the slots. Besides we still have another twenty minutes”. Said Elle's father in a concerned tone. “Maybe mom went back up to the room can we go check?” Elle asked her father. Elle's father said “We can go check if that will make you feel better but I was just there and the only one in the room was Jay putting on his suit”. “I'm sure your mother is on her way here she was playing the Wheel Of Fortune slot machine next to the elevators when I came down. She said she would be right behind me”. “We still have time let's go check” said Elle. Elle and her father walked towards the elevators creating quite a stir. Elle in her beaded sparkling wedding dress that her mom picked with out her and declared the perfect Vegas wedding dress. Elle's father was dressed in his gray morning suit. Several people stopped them to offer congratulations. Elle laughed at the confusion of having her father mistaken for her groom. Elle and her father made it to the elevators when they spotted a crowd gathered around the Wheel of Fortune slot machine. The pair managed to squeeze their way in front just in time to see Elle's mom Vicki being held in Jay's arms. Jay's mouth was firmly planted on Vicki's. The scene reminded Elle of two dancers who let the mood of the dance sweep them into a kiss. Time seemed to freeze as Elle's eyes welled up with tears at the realization that this was no kiss of passion but a kiss of life. Paramedics rushed in and quickly took over CPR. Jay spotting Elle in the crowd rushed to her side. Jay explained that he came downstairs and found Elle's mom playing the slot machine she asked Jay to walk with her to the chapel only when she got up she collapsed in Jay's arms.”I just started giving her rescue breathes before I even got her to the ground.”said a distraught Jay. Elle and Jay followed the ambulance to the hospital. When they arrived Elle's mom had started breathing on her own and shortly after their arrival had regained consciousness.