[2016] Widowed and Pregnant

by Christian Michael

  “Hello Sir? My name is June, and I was wondering if you happened to know of any large weddings taking place in the area today or in the near future? You see, I know a man that is going to get married around here shortly, by the name of Jacob Jones, and I really must speak with him before the wedding.”

  The old man behind the counter scratched his beard, rolling his eyes in the back of his head as he thought. Suddenly, it was as though the lights came on in his brain, and he nodded.

  “I do know of that wedding, and it’s a good thing you got here when you did. That wedding is going to take place at the North Chapel tomorrow afternoon, but I am afraid I don’t know where you can see him before the ceremony.”

  June’s heart thudded in her chest, and she smiled. She remained as calm as she could, and asked for directions to the chapel. The man scrawled down directions on a piece of paper, and handed it to her. She smiled again and thanked him, hiding how much jubilation she felt as she left the store.

  Once back on the street, June clutched the note to her chest. She knew she was on the right track, and she felt so incredibly close. All she needed to do now was find a hotel to stay in, and wait for the next day. June scanned the street, looking both up and down, trying to find a hotel that looked fancy.

  If she found a hotel that was more upscale, she thought she would be more likely to run into Jacob before the wedding. She finally decided to head in the direction of the chapel, and find a hotel on the way. The closer she was to the chapel, the easier it would be to find it in the morning.

  Perhaps I ought to look for the chapel before the streets get crowded. I can find some easy landmarks to follow, then when the wedding is closer I can find it easily.

  June was pleased with her idea, and proudly walked up the street heading for the chapel. Suddenly, she heard a voice calling out, and she turned around in surprise.

  Behind her an older woman was hurrying over to her, waiving her hands in the air and calling for her to stop. June was confused, she didn’t know anyone in this town, and she didn’t recognize the woman. She looked down to see if she had forgotten anything in the store, but seeing all of her things at her side, she decided to wait for the woman to catch up to her.

  “Can I help you?”

  She spoke before the woman reached her, and the woman stopped in the middle of the street, placing her hands on her hips.

  “Are you June?”

  June cautiously nodded, and started to reply.

  “I don’t want to hear anything you have to say!”

  The woman snapped at her, and June took a step back in surprise. She still didn’t recognize the woman, and she was curious as to how the woman knew who she was. There wasn’t anyone back home who had known where she had gone, and she certainly didn’t know anyone this far west.

  “Who are you?”

  She didn’t care if the woman wanted to listen to her or not, she deserved to know who this was confronting her.

  “My name is Mrs. Grendal, and I am the mother of the bride.”

  Chapter 7 – The Threat

  June’s heart sank and she thought she was going to be sick. She felt the color drain out of her face, and her heartrate pick up. She tried to speak once more, Mrs. Grendal put her hand up.

  “I said I don’t want to listen to you! You have no business being here, and you best go back to where you came from. My daughter is going to marry Jacob tomorrow, and nobody… I mean nobody… is going to ruin this. I have spent too much time setting this whole thing up for some stranger to come in and ruin it all.”

  June felt humiliated, and furious. She wasn’t going to stand here and be scolded by a woman she didn’t know, let alone a woman that only cared about money. She loved Jacob, and she hoped he felt the same about her. Nobody was going to keep her from telling him how she felt, not even the mother of the bride.

  “I can go where I please, and I am going to talk to Jacob. If your daughter loved him, and he felt the same about her, I wouldn’t say a word, but I know that is not the case, and I am going to say my piece!”

  Mrs. Grendal’s face changed to a scarlet red, and she formed her lips into a tight smile. She made her way forward, walking towards June with quick small steps, and June fought the urge to run. She held her ground, and even stood tall as Mrs. Grendal leaned in towards her, so no one on the street would be able to hear what she said.

  “If you come to that wedding tomorrow, I will have you arrested on the spot. Like I said, nobody is going to ruin tomorrow for me. Nobody!”

  With that, Mrs. Grendal turned on her heel, and walked away, leaving June standing on the street, feeling humiliated. June felt her breath catch in her throat, and she gasped to keep herself under control. She wanted to cry, and yell, and tell Mrs. Grendal she couldn’t arrest her, as she had done nothing wrong.

  That’s just it. I haven’t done anything, so what is she going to arrest me for? You can’t arrest someone for going to an open wedding, and you can’t arrest someone for speaking their mind. I am going to that wedding tomorrow no matter what.

  June tied her broach up against her throat, and looked at herself in the mirror. She had spent a sleepless night tossing and turning in her bed, wondering what she was going to say to Jacob. She worried about what would happen when she reached the chapel, but she reassured herself that she couldn’t be arrested.

  June had gone to the chapel the night before to see when the wedding was to be, and learned it was going to take place at two o’clock that afternoon. She could hear the clock on the bank down the street chime the noon announcement, and she felt butterflies form in her stomach.

  I can do this. I’m not going to let some crazy old woman scare me off. I’ve come clear across the country. Nobody is going to turn me back now!

  June finished buttoning her long, maroon dress, and gave herself a final look over in the mirror. She didn’t think she stood out from the crowd too much. All of these people had money, and though she didn’t think she had as much money as they did, she knew she held her own in the group.

  When the time drew near for the wedding, June made her way down to the street. She scanned the people on the walkway as well as in the street itself, but she didn’t see any faces she recognized… or the sheriff.

  Stop it. You aren’t doing anything wrong, and you can’t get arrested for it. Just stay calm, and act like you know what you are doing.

  June slowly made her way towards the chapel. There were people all over the street, going both towards and away from the chapel. June still didn’t see Mrs. Grendal, but she kept an eye out nonetheless. She settled in behind a small group of young women all heading for the church at the same time.

  It was easy to slip inside with the group, they were all talking amongst themselves and didn’t pay any attention to her. There wasn’t anyone at the door to greet them, so June simply walked in and sat down in the pew. There were people all over inside the church, some looking as though they were there to admire, and others helping set the place up.

  You should try to talk to someone. Sitting here all by yourself is a sure giveaway you weren’t invited.

  June scanned the room, looking for someone who looked friendly. The problem was, she wasn’t sure who was there for Jacob, and who was there for his bride. Perhaps that crazy old woman had even told people to watch out for her and send her away.

  Thankfully, more people started filing in and sitting down, so June felt as though she fit in more. She tried to stay calm, and rehearse what she was going to say to Jacob, but nothing seemed to be good enough.

  I guess you will just have to say what comes to mind when it happens… if it happens. Who am I kidding? You could very well lose your nerve when he walks in… or when she does.

  June could feel her nerves getting the best of her, but she told herself to stay strong. In just a few minutes, the wedding would begin, and June would make her move. Suddenly, the organ started playing, and June felt her stomach flop around inside of her.

&nb
sp; It was now or never.

  Chapter 8 – A Wedding Intervened

  June was so nervous she felt sick as the progression started. She almost lost her nerve and ran out of the chapel, but suddenly, Jacob appeared. He looked so refined, and so elegant in his suit. The sight of him was enough to strengthen her resolve and keep her in her place.

  June didn’t know what she was going to say or do, but she knew there was no way she was going to leave without saying what she wanted to say. She was just on the verge of standing up and calling out his name, when the bride appeared. All of the company rose, and June bit her tongue as the bride took her place in front of Jacob.

  June didn’t think, she couldn’t leave any time for it. Before anything else happened, she was going to say her piece. She pushed her way into the aisle, and tried to run to the front. Before anything could happen, she felt a hand fall on her shoulder.

  She turned to see who it was, and to her horror, the sheriff had his hand on her shoulder.

  “I am sorry, but I am afraid I have to ask you to leave.”

  June yanked away, and tried to make her way up the aisle, but she was pulled further away. All she could think to do was yell, so she called out as loud as she could.

  “Jacob! Jacob!”

  “Quiet! Remove this nuisance from the wedding!”

  Mrs. Grendal stood forward, and started coming down the stairs toward her. June kept yelling, but she was being pulled away. Suddenly, there was another voice that rose above the rest, it was Jacob’s.

  “Jacob! What is this?”

  Jacob ignored the protests and walked down the aisle. June pulled away from the sheriff, and stood in front of Jacob.

  “Jacob, I just want to say something to you. All I want you to do is listen, and when I am done, you can tell me how you feel about it.”

  She waited, and Jacob nodded.

  “Since that few minutes we spent together, you are all I have been thinking about. I have never felt this way about anyone, I have never loved before, and I love you. I think it is silly and foolish for us to marry people we are supposed to marry, when we don’t care for them. I care for you, and I want to be your bride.”

  She wanted to continue, but nothing was coming out. She wanted to keep telling him how much she cared about him, and how she wanted to be with him. She wanted to prove to him that she would be a better wife for him than this other girl whom he didn’t care for.

  He put his finger to her lips, and brushed the tear from her cheek. June didn’t even realize she was crying before he did that, but now that he did, she felt so at home, and like this was so right.

  “Jacob!”

  Jacob turned and held up his hand, then turned to address the entire crowd.

  “My family, and my friends, I have some news to meet. You are now seeing for the first time in my life a woman who loves me. Giselle…”

  He turned to face the bride at the altar.

  “I am sorry I brought you all the way up here to tell you I can’t marry you. You look lovely in your dress, and I can’t tell you how much I wish you are going to be happy with whoever you marry, but I can’t marry you.”

  Giselle opened her mouth, then shut it and stormed out. Her mother yelled how she couldn’t believe Jacob or how he could do this to her and her family, but Jacob didn’t care. He scooped June up in his arms and held her close.

  “I have to tell you something. Since the day I left you on that platform, you are all I have been able to think about as well. I wondered what it would be like to be married to a woman that cared about me, and one that was willing to think for herself and make her own decisions.

  I wished there was a way I could see you again, but I figured you were gone. You were going to marry the man you were set to marry, and he was going to be the luckiest man in the world.”

  June could feel the tears rushing down her face the more Jacob spoke, and she was so happy she had made the decision to come this far. Yes, it had been crazy, and yes, she knew she would shock her parents and her friends with what she did, but she didn’t care. She had found the man she was going to marry, and she loved him.

  For the first time in her life, she was truly happy, and she couldn’t wait until the next day. From now on, her life was going to be happy and exciting. There was going to be a reason for her to wake up and a reason for her to get dressed. She wasn’t going to be a picture for the family, she was going to be part of her own family.

  Never before did June expect to fall in love with the person she was going to marry, and there was nothing in the world that could compare to it.

  Finally, her life was complete.

  THE END.

  Love Never Fails

  Mail Order Bride

  CHRISTIAN MICHAEL

  Chapter 1 – Mary Needs a Mother

  The rain pattered against the window of the schoolhouse, and Jason twisted his hat in his hands. His daughter, Mary, sat on the bench beside him, letting her legs dangle freely. She swung her feet carelessly back and forth.

  “Mary sit still,” her father said in a low voice.

  “But why Papa? I’m so bored!”

  “Because you need to act like a lady.” Jason would have continued his speech, but the door to the back of the school opened at that moment, and he stood to greet the teacher.

  “I’m sorry to keep you waiting, Mr. Shoats, but I’m afraid the weather made travel a little difficult.”

  “It’s quite all right Mrs. Johnstone. I trust you have a ride home in the rain?”

  Mrs. Johnstone smiled and nodded, then turned to look at Mary.

  “I have some cookies left over from lunch in my bag. If you want to go wait in the coatroom you may have them. I will only be a minute with your father.”

  “Yippee!” Mary shouted as she leapt off the bench and ran down the aisle.

  “Mary! You must walk while indoors! You –“ Jason sighed and shook his head.

  “I’ve been trying my best to teach her some manners, but it’s hard when she’s in school all day then has to wait at my brother’s shop while I finish up. I know Jack doesn’t have to time to teach her while he’s trying to run the store, and a stable is no place for a little girl.”

  Mrs. Johnstone held her hand up to stop him.

  “No explanation needed, Mr. Shoats. It’s quite all right. I know that you have a lot to do with the stable and trying to keep a roof over your heads, but Mary’s manners aren’t what I wanted to talk to you about. It’s her schooling.”

  Jason looked down at the floor, nervously twisting his hat in his hands as he listened. He hated these discussions with the teacher. Always had, even before it was just him and his daughter. Now, without the support or help of his wife, he felt even more pressured by the teacher.

  “What about her schooling? She’s here every day, and I hear her reciting her lessons at the dinner table…”

  “She may recite something, but they certainly aren’t her lessons.” Mrs. Johnstone replied curtly, and a pang ran through Jason’s heart as the teacher continued.

  “She is falling behind in her reading to be honest, and I don’t think she’s even trying. She seems to have lost all interest in schooling or any academic subjects at all for that matter.”

  “Well, she has been through a lot-“ Jason began, but once again he was cut off by Mrs. Johnstone.

  “I am sorry for your loss, Mr. Shoats, and I can only imagine what losing a mother can do to a child, but that was months ago, and your daughter isn’t getting any better in her studies. Now, I am afraid she is going to hold up the class if we don’t do something about this.”

  Anger welled up inside of Jason, but he held his tongue. The last thing he needed to worry about right now was making the teacher mad and getting his daughter expelled.

  Life had been a struggle the past few months. His wife, Lucinda, had passed away with fever. He had done everything in his power to help her recover, and in spite of taking her to every doctor in the area, she fina
lly succumbed to the illness.

  Jason had worked long hours at the stable, trying to catch up on the doctor bills and keep himself and his daughter fed and clothed. The payments for the house were due to the bank, and he didn’t have time to help her in school. In fact, Mary had been spending the afternoons after school with her Uncle Jack in his little shop while Jason finished up his work at the stable.

  Suddenly, their conversation was interrupted with Mary poking her head into the room.

  “Papa! The rain’s letting up! Can’t I go out and play in the puddles? Please Papa! Please please please please please!”

  Jason turned to face his daughter, and said firmly, “Honey, I have to talk to your teacher right now, I need you to wait out in the other room, and I’ll be right there.”

  He struggled to keep his voice low, trying not to yield to his frustration, although he felt right at his wit’s end at this point.

  “But Papa! This is taking forever! I’ll be right outside! Please Papa! Please?” Mary was running around in circles by the door, waving her arms around and yelling.

  Finally, Jason couldn’t keep his voice down any longer.

  “All right!” He yelled, “But stay right outside where I can see you out the window. And don’t get all muddy, you hear?”

  “Yay! Thank you, Papa!”

  Mary turned and ran out the door, completely undeterred by her father’s outburst, and began jumping in every puddle she could find.

  Jason watched her go, then took a deep breath in before letting it back out slowly.

  “I’m sorry for that, she gets excited, and forgets that she has to wait her turn.” Jason turned back to the teacher, hoping she didn’t mind the exchange.