The church was old and lovely, but JC took no notice. This was the day he would either impress the Carlisles he was good enough for their only daughter or he was a waste of her time. He had butterflies the size of condors in his stomach. It wasn’t like before he went on stage; there he was in his element. Meeting his fiancée’s family was new territory for him. That morning he had taken great care getting ready and had consulted Francesca on what to wear. After shaving his face smooth, he dressed in the dark blue turtleneck and black slacks Francesca had lain out for him. The navy blue wool topcoat was classic, a present from his cold weather fiancée. Francesca had spent the morning reassuring him, sometimes with gentle teasing, sometimes with soft kisses.
Helping her out of her coat, JC once again reflected on Francesca’s classic style. Audrey Hepburn came to mind. Simple elegance. Where had his gypsy gone? The ivory wool coat covered an ivory silk blouse and brown suede shirt. Understated chic — no primary colors, nothing flashy. Even her hair was done in a French twist. Did her family suspect her wilder side?
For a brief moment he allowed himself the comfort of pressing her close as his hands lingered on her shoulders.
“I love you, darling,” Francesca murmured quietly as she reached back to rest her hand on his smooth cheek. A small reassurance she realized he needed.
He nuzzled her palm in silent thanks before he stepped away to allow her to slip out of her coat.
Francesca hung her coat then JC’s before, taking his hand once more.
“Don’t let go all day,” he muttered.
“Hmm... that could be hard,” she stated teasingly. “I eat with my right hand. And I have to take communion, hold my missalette and hymnal...”
“Okay, I get the idea,” he smiled down at her. She had a wonderful way of jollying out of his moods.
JC allowed himself to led into the sanctuary. Richard and Jeffrey Carlisle he recognized from the newspaper. Lucia Carlisle he guessed at easily; she was the image of how Francesca would look in another 25 years or so. He guessed the other man was Edward, knowing Johnny was seven years younger than Francesca. For being Francesca’s twin Edward had his father’s black hair and blue eyes, not his mothers coloring as his sister did. All the men wore suits as did Lucia. Maybe Francesca was a rebel after all.
“No Johnny?” Francesca asked as she approached.
Lucia Carlisle sighed dramatically. “That boy is never on time, Fancy.”
Francesca kissed her mother’s cheek. “He is a grown man, Mama. How are you today?”
“Other than Johnny adding to my grey hair? I am wonderful.” Lucia eyed JC. “Your young man is very handsome.”
“I think so.” Slipping her arm around JC’s waist, Francesca formally introduced him. “Mama, this is JC Chasez.”
“Pleased to meet you, Missus Carlisle.” JC extended his hand.
“Pah!” Lucia waved away his handshake and embraced him warmly. “You are going to be my son. Call me, Mama.”
JC was slightly taken aback. What? No inquisition? “Thank you... Mama.”
“Daddy, Jeff, Ed, this is my fiancé JC.” Francesca completed the brief introductions.
“Sir.” JC shook hands with Richard Carlisle making sure to keep his grip firm. “Jeff. Ed.” More handshakes were exchanged. Whew! That was over! JC thought.
The family was seated as they nearly always did. Jeffrey, Edward, Richard and Lucia then Francesca sat closest to the center aisle. She usually was the buffer between the habitually late Johnny and their mother. Today JC sat to her right.
Just before mass began, a movie star handsome young man with longish black hair and sparkling blue eyes wearing a leather jacket and jeans slid in next to JC. He offered his hand. “I’m John Carlisle,” he whispered. “You must be JC.”
“Glad to meet you, John,” JC said quietly. And he sincerely was! The baby of the family seemed to be the least formal of them — someone JC was more likely to have something more in common.
“You could come on time once and save yourself the lecture, you know,” Francesca told her brother in a low hiss.
“I am on time. Mass hasn’t started,” Johnny pointed out. “Beside what is a Sunday without Mama’s lecture?” He gave her a cheeky wink.
Francesca reached across JC and cuffed her baby brother.
“Sure you wanna marry this one?” Johnny asked JC.
“Yeah, I am,” he replied as the service began.
“Your young man has a lovely voice for hymns,” Lucia told Francesca as the family found their coats and prepared to depart the church.
Johnny laughed. “Mama, that’s what he does! His group was once called the biggest thing in the world.” Being twenty-five Johnny Carlisle had seen the Mickey Mouse Club and knew of NSYNC. He shrugged. “You couldn’t go anywhere or turn on TV without his face being there.”
Not only was Francesca’s younger brother most likely to his easiest ally in the Carlisle family, he was the only one who recognized him! JC could only shake his head in bemusement.
“And before you grill him on his ability to provide for Fancy, Dad...” Johnny began. “JC Chasez can probably cover our combined assets and then some. He’s worth an assload even if he never works again.”
Lucia crossed herself. “Such language in church!” she scolded.
“Yeah and notice I wasn’t struck by lightening,” Johnny retorted.
“The twit was deliberately provoking Mama,” Francesca muttered as she drove JC towards her parents’ North Shore home.
“I like John,” JC stated.
She spared him a quick glance. “I was pretty sure you would.”
“I probably have the most in common with Johnny.”
“Probably.”
“Francesca?”
“I love him. I probably have the most in common with him too. He is more likely to stop in and say ‘hey’ than Jeff or Ed. I love all my brothers of course. But Jeff is a bit too serious — even though Justine has wanted in his pants since we knew what sex was. Ed...” She shrugged. “He is a brilliant surgeon and a swell guy. He’s a compassionate doctor with a great bedside manner...”
“But he is no smart assed little brother you adore because you can’t help yourself,” JC finished for her.
She laughed. “Exactly.”
The house where Francesca was raised was just as JC had envisioned. It was nearly a mansion. An imposing brick manor house built in another century for one of Chicago’s wealthy families. The grounds were well manicured and extensive. There was even a wrought iron gate at the entrance.
“Wow.”
“It’s a little overwhelming,” Francesca admitted.
He didn’t see how she and Johnny had grown up so... normal.
“Honestly, darling, we are just a regular family. We just had more to start with.”
“Sorry, babe. I’ll reserve judgment on that.”
The next Carlisle family tradition to which JC was introduced was that of the entire family participating in brunch preparation. Off came jackets. Sleeves were rolled or pushed up. Aprons were donned by all. The large, surprisingly country kitchen became the family hub.
When Lucia passed an apron to JC, Francesca laughed.
“JC is bound to be more decorative than useful,” she announced. “He’s housebroken and that is about it.”
Lucia clucked her tongue. “You are how old?”
“Twenty-nine, ma’am,” JC announced.
“Fancy is a cradle robber!” Johnny crowed with glee.
“Huh?” JC realized he knew Francesca’s birthday was in the spring but he didn’t know her actual age.
“You are such a brat, Johnny,” Francesca grumbled. To JC she said, “Yes, darling, you are marrying an older woman. I’m thirty-two. Feel free to take the ring back—”
JC wrapped his arms around her from behind. “I’ve always preferred older women. The ring stays.” The warm look she gave him said it all. “Just goes to show my good taste and sense.”
“Yes, it does,” Jeffery confirmed. “Older women have more to offer than some empty-headed child.”
“So says the old man!” Johnny taunted.
“Daddy, can I go beat up on Johnny?” Francesca asked her father.
By the indulgent look Richard gave his daughter it was clear she was his beloved somewhat spoiled princess. “Be my guest, Fancy.”
“Oh, goodie!” She grabbed Johnny by the ear and led him away from the others.
“Hey!.. Dammit, Fancy… Ow!…” Johnny protested his mistreatment.
JC laughed as Francesca once again cuffed her brother a couple of times. “I take it that Francesca got away with murder as a kid.”
“Our Fancy was always an angel. She indulged Johnny,” Lucia replied.
“And she is paying for it now,” Edward added.
A moment later, Francesca rejoined them. “Baby brothers are a pain.”
“They can be. I like Tyler a lot more now we’re older,” JC said.
“Fancy says your parents moved to the Chicago area. We would love to have them over,” Lucia stated, using this as an opening to learn about his family.
“Actually I think you’ve met Mom. Karen Chasez.”
“Small? Blonde?”
“Yep, that’s my mom.”
“You don’t much look like her.”
“No, ma’am, I don’t.”
As the Carlisle family jointly prepared their meal JC was relegated to gopher and table setter. He stayed at Francesca side as much as possible though he relaxed considerably.
No matter how wealthy and successful the family members were as Francesca had said they were just like any other family.
He discovered that despite the appearance to the contrary, all were proud of Johnny. They admired his dedication to making Chicago a safer place. Amazingly he made detective at an early age. He of all his sibling was the family whiz kid, skipping two grades in high school and doing college in three years.
Jeffery not only dealt with wealthy real estate he often lent a hand with Habitat for Humanity — wielding a hammer.
Edward was fifteen minutes older than his twin, saying Francesca hadn’t wanted to come out into the world. He joked vanity of others paid for his true calling — helping children.
Despite the fact she was a pampered only daughter, Francesca had not turned into a spoiled brat or a selfish whiner. The love and attention had only served to make her see her good fortune. She had known early on she was one of the lucky ones. Her life-long friendship with Justine gave proof to that.
Best of all Richard and Lucia seemed to still be very much in love after so many years of marriage. They had met when Lucia was a foreign exchange student in high school. The Carlisles were her host family. When Richard came home for the Thanksgiving break from college it had been love at first sight. When she returned home, Richard retrieved her a few months later, declaring he couldn’t live without her.
JC told them of his beginnings. His adoption by the Chasezes. That he stayed in touch with his birth mother. He spoke of the Mickey Mouse Club and NSYNC. How music was his passion. And that love at first sight was very real — it was what he had felt for Francesca.
“How did she come by the name Fancy?” JC asked as the meal was coming to a close.
“When she was little she loved to play dress up,” Lucia recalled. “She said she was ‘fancy’. The name merely stuck.”
Francesca wrinkled her nose. “And the most common nickname for Francesca is Fanny. I did not want to be named for a body part.”
JC chuckled.
“What does JC stand for?” Lucia asked.
“Joshua Chasez. Joshua Scott Chasez is my full name. When I was new at MMC they had a Josh already. They gave me initials. Now family and old friends are about the only ones who call me Josh.”
“Fancy calls you JC...”
“Yes, ma’am.”
“You don’t want her to call you, ‘Josh’?”
“Mama, I’ve known him as JC since we met — and he knows me as Francesca. I would have trouble renaming him.”
“I don’t like initials,” Lucia stated.
“Then by all means, Mama, call me Josh,” JC told her. “We’re family, right?”
Lucia smiled brightly. “Yes, we are.”
As JC and Francesca prepared to leave early that evening for the Loop, Richard patted JC’s shoulder and shook his hand. “Welcome to the family, son.”
“Thank you, sir,” JC replied.
“Bye, Daddy.” Francesca hugged her father warmly. “See you next week.”
“You just bring JC back with you.” Over his daughter’s head Richard winked at JC. “We may even teach him to cook.”
Francesca snuggled into JC’s arms as she prepared for sleep that night. It had been a good day. Despite JC’s anxiousness he had been welcomed into her family. She never had any doubt. He was a man with solid values and respectful nature. She smiled to herself — what was there not to love? He was also a loyal friend and a fantastic lover…
“What’s the smile for?” JC asked.
“You are so the total package.”
“How’s that?”
“You clean up good as to be presentable to parents. You are polite and did a wonderful job of not saying ‘fuck’ even once. My folks really liked you.”
“I liked them. Johnny invited me to hang with him sometime.”
She snorted inelegantly.
“Now, Fancy...” he teased.
“What, Joshua?”
They laughed.
“JC,” she corrected.
“Francesca,” he amended.
“Not only can I take you home to Mama, you’re naughty enough I like to keep you in bed.”
”What your folks don’t know...”