I kept my head down for the rest of the song. Seeing my dad nearly moved me to tears, and I decided for the rest of the song to just sing and pretend nobody was even there.
I finished the song and made a small bow to a round of applause. I headed into the rows of pews where I found Michael and sat right next to him. He told me how beautiful and special I was before we focused on my dad who had gone up there to preach the sermon.
He was all torn up at the beginning, and he wiped his eyes and said how thankful he was for me sharing the song and especially for God's grace. I knew that's what he had been thinking, and it was still hard holding back tears as I watched him get himself together enough to preach.
Before I knew it, church was over and we went to my grandma's to eat lunch. Her fried eggplant was a favorite of Michael's, and he usually ate about twenty pieces of it before she was done frying it.
He was currently inside intercepting piece twelve or so while the rest of us lounged around the house, doing other things and waiting for her to finish up. I was on the back porch with my mom and dad, and we could see Michael and my grandma through the kitchen window. Maw-maw had put him to work breading eggplant, and she paid him in bites.
Jacob yelled at my mom to come see something on his new motorcycle, so she got up to go do that. With my parents' permission, Michael had given it to him as an early graduation gift, and Jacob was anxious to show it to anyone who would stop and look.
I personally had already looked it over about 250 times since Jacob got it. He loved it so much that he basically wanted to take it apart and put it back together just for fun. Michael had created a monster, and I shook my head and smiled as my mom walked over to the side of the house to get a motorcycle lecture from Jacob.
"Ivy, baby, I wanted to tell you thank you for…" my dad cut off what he was saying in such a way that told me he was trying not to cry as he said it. "I just wanted to thank you for singin' this morning."
He touched my leg with a comforting hand, and I smiled at him.
"That's a really special gift you have, Ivy. You get it from your mother. She could sing like that. It's special, and I'm not just saying that because I'm your dad. I think you're able to minister to a different generation with that voice, Ivy."
"Michael's in a unique position, too," I said. "He's able to reach people even you or I wouldn't be able to reach. He earns the respect of a certain group just because of what he can do with motorcycles. Did you know Michael met Mr. Morrow's brother in prison?"
My dad nodded. "I heard something about that but then the Sheriff said he couldn't find where he had a record."
I let out a sigh. "He doesn't have a record because he wasn't in there serving time. He was there because he chose to be. It was a rough prison, and they couldn’t keep a Chaplin, so he volunteered. He talked shop with them, and earned their respect. And after about a year of planting seeds, Mr. Morrow's brother ended up accepting Christ. Mr. Morrow had been trying to get his brother to believe in God for years, so he wrote a letter, explaining that he had accepted Christ and that it had come about through a young man who had been volunteering at the prison. Mr. Morrow was so thankful for his brother's conversion, that he gave Michael the shop."
My dad took a second to let what I said sink in. "Why haven't you mentioned that?"
I shrugged. "I guess I knew it would make you like him, and I wanted that to happen without trying to convince you."
I knew Michael was a different type of man than my father. But I also knew that they could be different and equally as good—equally as capable of reaching people.
My dad breathed a long sigh before squeezing my leg. "I do like him," he said. He glanced toward the window where his mom and Michael were working. "I'm proud of you—proud of both of you."
I smiled, knowing it was not only a sweet statement but also an apology.
"I'm proud of you, too," I said. It always gave me a funny feeling to say that to people who were older than me, but I did it anyway.
Dad glanced at me with a smile and thanked me. I was looking at him when Michael came out of the house. I noticed he was carrying a piece of eggplant.
"Is that for me?" I asked before he ever made it out of the door.
"It wasn't, but you can have it if you want."
I had been sitting on a swing with my dad, but got up so I could meet Michael. He grinned at me as he held the eggplant in the air. I chomped the end of it, taking about half and leaving the other half for him. He popped the rest into his mouth just before he reached out to take me by the waist. I went easily into his arms, and we smiled at each other as we chewed the completely, utterly delicious bite of food.
My dad got up, saying something about checking out Jacob's motorcycle as he opened the screen door and walked outside.
"How many of those have you had already?" I asked, staring into his gorgeous blue eyes. I really didn't care how many he had I just felt like I wanted to flirt with him by asking questions.
"Too many," he said. "I'm already full. Can't you feel my big belly?" He poked out his belly, and I touched it, but it was just trim and hard.
"You're just trying to get me to notice how muscular you are," I said, still flirting.
"Nu-uh," he said. "I don't care if you see how big my muscles are or not." The whole time he said it, he was slowly bringing his arm out front so he could flex his bicep. He held his crooked arm between us and stared down at his own muscles as if he was completely serious even though I knew he was being silly. "Go ahead and squeeze it," he said with a straight face. "Feel that."
I felt his arm and then looked at him with wide eyes, lifting my eyebrows as if I was completely shocked. "Wow," I said. "You must work out."
"I do," he said, confidently nodding. "And I have my own business. I build motorcycles. I have to do a lot of heavy lifting and manly stuff."
He was so good at being completely serious that it was all I could do to hold back a smile.
"Sounds interesting," I said with a straight face. "Motorcycles, you say?"
He nodded.
"Did you get all these muscles just from motorcycles?"
He nodded again.
"I think I want to go to your motorcycle shop."
"You can," he said. He leaned in, placing a gentle kiss right on my lips. "Why don't you just move in?" he asked after he kissed me.
I nodded. "I think I will."
Epilogue
Michael
Not even a year later
"Twins?" Michael asked, looking totally dumbfounded. "Are you serious? Two of them? Two babies? Does Ivy know?"
"Of course she knows," the nurse said. "She was sedated for the delivery, but she's already met the babies."
"She has? They already came out? Two of them? Are they here? Where are they?"
Ivy's family was in the waiting room with Michael, listening to everything that was being said. They heard the birth process had begun four hours before, and Michael had been pacing the waiting room floors ever since.
"Mrs. Bishop is still a little groggy, but everything went well. She had the chance to meet the babies, and they're both healthy."
Ivy's mother let out a relieved sigh and collapsed into her husband's arms.
"Are you saying there were two babies in my wife?" Michael asked.
The nurse looked at him. "Yes sir, two," she said. "A little boy and a girl."
Michael felt light headed, and Ivy's mom made the noise to match—another gasping sigh that sounded like she wanted to pass out.
"So, they're not identical?" Jacob asked dazedly.
Honestly, it didn't seem like a bad question to Michael at the time, but the nurse chuckled at Jacob.
"No, they're not identical," she said. "One's a boy and one's a girl."
"Two babies?" Michael asked, staring at the nurse but not really seeing her.
"Yes sir. Congratulations. They're nice looking little ones."
Another happy whimper came from Ivy's mom.
"Ivy Bishop," the nurse said with a smile. She reached out to pat Michael's shoulder, indicating that she wanted him to follow her. "I think the mother would like to see you, if you're ready."
Michael followed the nurse down two long hallways before they reached Ivy's room. The door was cracked, but Michael couldn't see anything until he stepped inside. The nurse went in before him, and Michael had to take a few steps into the room before he could see his wife.
There she was—her dark hair pulled away from her face—that angelic face that was smiling sleepily at him. She had two bundles in her arms, and both of them were swaddled and seemed content. One was in pink and the other in blue, and Michael glanced at them for a second before looking at Ivy again. She was completely out of it, but he could see that she was happy and seemed comfortable.
There was another nurse in the room when they arrived, and Michael didn't even see her before she spoke. "She's already fed them both," the second nurse said. "She believes in breast feeding, so we brought one of our leche nurses up here to get her going. I think they did real good. The babies are resting." She leveled Michael with a stare and gestured to Ivy. "She's going to be tired for a little while, and she's going to have her hands full with two babies, so you take care of her. Is her mama here to help?"
Michael nodded dazedly.
"Good, well, I'm going to let you meet your children. Congratulations, Mr. Bishop. We'll be right next door at the nurses station if you need anything." She nodded at nurse one, and they both walked out, leaving Michael in the room with his new family.
He instantly went to Ivy's bedside. He started to sit next to her, but he couldn't help himself. In one agile motion, he kicked off his shoes and swiveled to sprawl out right next to her. He lifted his arm above his head and settled on his side, staring down at Ivy. He meant to look at his new babies, but he couldn't take his eyes off of his wife. She stared back at him with a tired but altogether serene smile, and he got lost in her dark brown eyes. She was beautiful. He loved her so much.
"Do they look like you?" he asked, hoping they did.
(Another tired smile.) "Look at them and see," she said, staring up at him.
She stretched upward as if inviting Michael to kiss her, and he did so with no hesitation. He kissed her cheek and then her mouth. "I can't believe there are two of them," he whispered.
"I know," she whispered back. "I don't remember anything. They just woke me up and told me."
Michael finally tore his eyes off of his wife to look at his children—first the little girl wrapped in pink, and then her brother. "Which one's older?"
"Jane."
"I hope that's the one in pink," Michael said, teasing her.
She smiled and nodded sleepily.
"Are we still going with Jesse for a boy?" he asked.
Ivy nodded.
"Why'd you change your mind about Shannon for a girl?" Michael asked.
Ivy shrugged one shoulder. "I just did. I don't have to change my mind. We can still go with Shannon if you want. I just thought Jane sounded good with Jesse, you know, for twins. But we don't have to. I'm good with anything."
Michael looked at his beautiful daughter. He touched her delicate forehead with the utmost tenderness. He had never felt something so soft. "Are you Jane Bishop?" he whispered. His eyes stung when he said it, and he took that to mean that Jane was the right name. He glanced at his wife, nodding with wide eyes in hopes of keeping them dry. "I think she's Jane," he said. "Jesse and Jane. I like it."
Ivy gave Michael a content smile as she stared up at him. "Don't forget Ivy and Michael," she said, tiredly. "We're gonna love each other forever and ever."
She nudged her chin for another kiss, and Michael put his mouth on hers the instant she looked up, kissing her three times in a row like he just couldn’t stop at one.
He smiled at her. "Ivy and Michael forever and ever," he said.
The End
(till book 2)
Thank you for reading Ivy and Michael's story. The Bishop Family Series will follow the lives and loves of Ivy and Michael Bishop's children and grandchildren. Next stop, the eighties.
Other titles available from Brooke St. James:
Another Shot:
A Modern-Day Ruth and Boaz Story
When Lightning Strikes
Something of a Storm (All in Good Time #1)
Someone Someday (All in Good Time #2)
Finally My Forever (Meant for Me #1)
Finally My Heart's Desire (Meant for Me #2)
Finally My Happy Ending (Meant for Me #3)
Shot by Cupid's Arrow
Dreams of Us
Meet Me in Myrtle Beach (Hunt Family #1)
Kiss Me in Carolina (Hunt Family #2)
California's Calling (Hunt Family #3)
Back to the Beach (Hunt Family #4)
It's About Time (Hunt Family #5)
Loved Bayou (Martin Family #1)
Dear California (Martin Family #2)
My One Regret (Martin Family #3)
Broken and Beautiful (Martin Family #4)
Back to the Bayou (Martin Family #5)
Almost Christmas
JFK to Dublin (Shower & Shelter Artist Collective #1)
Not Your Average Joe (Shower & Shelter Artist Collective #2)
So Much for Boundaries (Shower & Shelter Artist Collective #3)
Suddenly Starstruck (Shower & Shelter Artist Collective #4)
Love Stung (Shower & Shelter Artist Collective #5)
My American Angel (Shower & Shelter Artist Collective #6)
Summer of '65 (Bishop Family Book 1) Page 14
