by Leah Atwood
Madison returned a kiss and then gave a pointed stare toward his parents.
He looked their way and his gaze landed on their suitcases. Narrowing his eyes, he pointed to them. “Why are those out here?”
“There’s an art show in Philadelphia this week.” His dad appeared ignorant of Archer’s dismay. “Since Mom’s surgery isn’t until next week and she’s doing fine now, Violet and I decided to attend.”
Archer rubbed his eyelid, taking deep breaths to control his anger. “Is spending time with your family that difficult?”
“Of course not, but we’ve spent several days here, and everything is under control.” Dad flashed a patronizing smile. “We’ll return in time for the surgery.”
He glared at his mom. “You promised Elise a trip to the park tomorrow.”
“There will be time for that when we come back.” Mom reached out to pat his arm. “She’s just a kid. She’ll understand.”
“No, she won’t. Because she is a child.” He practically spit the words. “How is she supposed to understand that her grandparents, whom she never sees, would rather gallivant off to some art show than spend time with her?”
“Don’t speak to your mother like that.” Sparks ignited in his father’s eyes.
Biting his tongue, he resisted the urge to tell them they didn’t deserve the role of parent. He couldn’t say anything. What was it that Gran used to say when he and his siblings had an argument? If you can’t say anything nice, don’t say anything at all.
Madison came to his side, put a calming hand on his shoulder. “Breakfast is ready.”
The meal was a tense affair. He glared at his parents. Their behavior shouldn’t have surprised him, but it did. The hope he’d carried since he was a young boy that his parents might one day step up, never faded but always got crushed.
Mom and Dad ate quickly, eager to be on their way. Whether to see the art show or escape his wrath, he didn’t know.
Madison tried to start a conversation several times but the effort fell to mute ears.
Breakfast ended after fifteen minutes of strain. His mom carried her plate and Dad’s to the sink. “We’ll be on our way.”
The rest of them stood from the table and walked to the front door. Dad carried both the suitcases.
“I’ll call you later.” His mom gave him an uneasy hug.
He’d received more affection from the elderly ladies at church. “Drive safely.”
Once they left, he leaned against the door and let out a heavy sigh.
Without a word, Madison enveloped him in a warm embrace.
He allowed himself her comfort, reminded himself he’d turned out all right, regardless of his parents’ abandonment. God had blessed him with Gran and Granddad to play dual roles in life as parents and grandparents. Now he had Madison. His parents’ treatment stung, but he couldn’t let the bitterness rule. He had too much for which to be thankful.
Drinking in a final breath of Madison’s honeysuckle-scented hair, he pulled away. “I’m sorry for all that.”
“There’s nothing to be sorry about.” She kept a hand on his forearm. “Are you okay?”
“I will be.”
***
The church was packed. Archer scanned the sanctuary for a place where he and Madison could sit. A new family occupied his usual spot. He loved to see the church growing. After the disastrous morning at home, he was grateful for another reason to smile. His parents were only a small facet of his life, and he wouldn’t permit them to interfere with the life he’d eked out.
Madison tapped his shoulder and pointed to the middle of the sanctuary. “I see an empty space up there.”
They claimed the spots before anyone else could.
Once settled in to the pew, Madison flipped through the bulletin. Summer approached and there was more information than normal, due to the multiple summer camps and fundraisers. “I like your church. It’s bigger than mine, but it hasn’t lost that personal touch.”
“I love it here.” He slid an arm around her shoulder. “Thanks for coming with me and trying it out the last few weeks.”
“I’ve enjoyed it. Everyone’s so welcoming, and Pastor Dean’s sermons always speak to me.”
The service began with a congregational singing and then announcements. Two more songs before the kids were dismissed for children’s church.
After Bess Flowers sang a song, Pastor Dean took the pulpit. “Today we’re going to talk about marriage and its sanctity.”
Archer’s muscles tensed, and he exchanged a glance with Madison. Of all days to sit through such a sermon. He opened his Bible to Genesis at the pastor’s instruction. He listened for a few minutes about God’s plan for marriage, and that God created Eve to be a helpmeet for Adam.
This isn’t so bad so far.
Then Pastor Dean moved on to a new point—marriage is to be honored and respected.
Every word, every scripture quoted, pierced Archer. He removed his arm from Madison, sat with his hands tightly clenched. The sermon seemed to never end, but a glance at his watch told him they were only fifteen minutes into the message.
This much conviction in that short of a time? How am I going to make it through the entire sermon? He squirmed in his seat. Finally, he couldn’t take it anymore. He’d never left mid-service, but he sprang to his feet and fled the sanctuary. “Forgive me, Lord, for not trusting you and not honoring marriage in the way you intended.”
Within seconds, Madison joined him. “Are you okay?”
“No.”
“The sermon?”
He nodded. “This is wrong, Madison.”
A mom came through the doors, bouncing a crying infant on her shoulder.
Archer pulled Madison into a nearby room and shut the door for privacy. “I never should have asked you to marry me. Not like I did anyway.”
“I’m not clear of the blame.” She lowered herself onto a padded metal chair. “Marriage should be forever, and we made light of it by agreeing to marry with an end date in mind.”
He moved a chair beside her and sat. “That sermon was brutal, but I needed to hear it.”
“How do we make it right?”
“Not end the marriage.” His blood pulsed through him, his heart drummed against his chest.
“But—”
“Hear me out. Please.” He put a finger to her lips with a feather light touch. “Most people date and fall in love before getting married, but our relationship has been different. However, the end result’s the same. I love you. I want to spend my life with you and have a real marriage.”
“You’re not just saying that because God wants us to stay married?”
Not the response he’d hoped for, but it wasn’t a denial of love. “I meant every word I said. With every fiber of my being, I know you are the woman I want to spend my life with. Will you stay married to me and forget about an annulment?”
Moisture puddled in her eyes, and she gave him a shaky smile. “I love you, too. Yes, I’ll stay married to you.”
Wrapping her in a loving embrace, he knew God had brought Madison into his life, even if they’d jumped the gun on his plan.
“Let’s repeat our vows, here and now.” Madison looked at him with joyful eyes. “The start of our new life.”
He folded her hands in his, locked gazes with her. “I, Archer Reeves, take you, Madison Nichols, to be my wedded wife. To have and to hold, from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness or in health, to love and to cherish 'till death do us part. And hereto I pledge you my faithfulness.”
Madison blinked back tears and repeated the vows. “I, Madison Nichols, take you, Archer Reeves, to be my wedded husband. To have and to hold, from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness or in health, to love and to cherish 'till death do us part. And hereto I pledge you my faithfulness.”
Chapter Fifteen
“It’s settled.” Madison laid her phone on the kitchen c
ounter and turned to Archer, who was making them sandwiches for lunch. “I can break the lease on my house and if I can find a renter to take over, I won’t have to pay another month’s rent. I just got off the phone with the new family from church that Anna told me about and they want it. They were on a month-to-month lease at a small apartment until they found a house.”
“That’s great.” Archer topped the ham with a slice of provolone cheese. “No comments from Anna?”
“No, other than that she thinks we should tell Mom and Dad now that we’re married. Surprisingly, she is happy for us despite thinking it was rushed.” She laughed. “Proof of just how much you’ve won her over.”
“She didn’t seem so happy when we told her Monday.” Archer topped the sandwiches with mayonnaise and then put the second pieces of bread on.
Madison grabbed the cheese and lunch meat and replaced them in the bottom drawer of the refrigerator. “She was in shock. Anna’s a planner. What we did is beyond the scope of her imagination.”
“Did you explain why we’re waiting?”
“Yes, and I told her we’ll tell them next week after my cousin’s wedding and Gran’s surgery.” She tapped a finger on the counter. “That reminds me—I found out Sean will be there tonight.”
“At your cousin’s wedding?” Only a hint of his distaste for Sean lurked in his eyes.
She nodded. “I didn’t realize he’s friends with the groom.”
“How’d you find out?” Archer opened a bag of sour cream and onion chips before popping one in his mouth. He poured a handful on each plate.
“Teresa, my cousin, didn’t know that Sean and I aren’t on speaking terms and mentioned it yesterday.” She wrinkled her nose. “At least it’s a big wedding, so there’s a good chance we’ll only have to see him from afar.”
“It’s not a big deal if we run into him.” Archer carried the plates to the table and then came to stand in front of her. “I can play nice.”
A smile tugged at her lips. “I know, but I’m not ready to talk to him.” She pulled at his shirt pocket to bring him closer. “No one talks bad about my husband.”
“I can’t believe I’m saying this, but let it go.” He kissed her forehead then winked. “In case you haven’t noticed, I’m the one you married. For life. You should feel sorry for him because he’ll never have a wife as great as mine.”
How she loved this man. His sense of humor, forgiving spirit and for so many other reasons. “I love you.”
“And I love you, but if we’re going to finish moving you in here permanently before tonight, we better eat and get going again.”
She let go of him and took a seat at the table by one of the plates. “I hate when you’re right.”
He released a loud chuckle. “Don’t worry, it won’t happen that often.”
“Any word from your parents?”
“They’ll be back Monday.” He rolled his eyes. “They’d planned to come tomorrow, but they found another exhibit they just had to see.”
“There’s a bright side to that.” Her mouth turned to a slow smile. “We have an extra day alone.”
“Well, I certainly can’t be upset about that.”
They ate quickly in order to resume packing her house. Each day they’d worked a few hours in the evening, and because she didn’t have a lot, they were almost done.
They arrived shortly after two for the final collection of her goods. Finishing the packing didn’t take long.
Scanning the house, she felt little remorse at leaving, which surprised her since she’d loved the place. “I will miss this kitchen and dining room.”
“What did you say?” Archer came in from the living room.
She hadn’t realized she’d spoken out loud. She waved a hand in a wide gesture around the two rooms. “I’ll miss this.”
“You can redo our kitchen like it if you wanted.”
“Thanks, but I love your kitchen.” She shuddered. “Besides, the thought of tackling a project like that sounds like torture.”
He arched a brow. “You didn’t do this?”
“No. That is beyond my skill level.”
“It fits you so well, I never even questioned it.”
“It’s one of the reasons, right behind the great deal I got, that I took the house.” She looped an arm through his. “But this is your fair warning. You’re on your own for all those remodels and upgrades you mentioned. Otherwise, you’ll probably end up paying a contractor more to fix whatever damage I caused.”
“I’m sure it’s not that bad.”
She pinched her lips, holding in a laugh. “Did you see that hole in the wall downstairs?”
“Right outside the garage?”
“Yes. That was from me trying to anchor a screw in drywall.”
His eyes lit with humor. “How did you get a hole…? Never mind. I don’t need to know.”
“After that, I only hung frames light enough to be held with a simple nail.”
“All right. I’ll keep that in mind.” He looked at her with a somber face. “I have a confession.”
What could it possibly be to cause the long face? “Yes?”
He broke out in a roguish grin. “I snuck a peek at several of your paintings when we packed them yesterday.”
Relief crashed over her and she swatted his arm. “You’re in so much trouble. For a second, you had me nervous.”
“They’re really good. I think we should hang some in the house.”
His praise redeemed him.
“Maybe.” The alarm sounded on her phone. “Two-hour warning. We still have to unload everything when we get home and then get ready.”
“Let’s go.”
***
Weddings never made her weepy, but as Teresa and her new husband, William, walked down the aisle, Madison dabbed a tissue to her eyes.
The ceremony took place in an eighteenth-century mansion, and the lights were made to replicate antique lanterns and projected a similar soft glow. Teresa wore a gown of antique Spanish lace, which added to the romanticism.
Another round of tears sprung when Teresa and William passed. The happiness radiating from their faces spoke of an everlasting love.
A phenomenon she understood, now that she had found Archer. She hoped people saw that same joy when she looked at him. She loved him more than she thought possible to love someone, especially in such a short time.
Archer squeezed her hand, and a single glance from him told her his thoughts were similar. Their path to ‘forever after’ wasn’t traditional, but it didn’t make their love any less meaningful. What mattered was that they had committed, before God, to love each other for the rest of their lives.
The bride and groom exited the building, followed by the wedding party and immediate family members.
When it was their aisle’s turn to leave, Archer escorted her out with her hand on his elbow. They made their way through the receiving line, offering congratulations to the newlyweds. Per the wedding planner’s instructions, they went back inside while wedding photos were taken.
A thirty-something woman directed them through the mansion, past the grand staircase and to the vast backyard where the reception would be held. White pillar candles in clear glass hurricanes lined a cobblestone path to a garden area, squared off by expertly manicured hedges. Among the colorful array of flowers, were over fifty round tables, each one set to sit eight guests. In the center, a dance floor had been set up.
In awe, Madison tried not to gawk. She’d attended many weddings in her life, but none with this level of sophisticated beauty. Everywhere she looked, there was timeless romance, from the string quartet in the front right corner, to the white lights strung from end to end, side to side. Wisps of baby’s breath and white roses created simplistic centerpieces that complemented the natural colors of the venue’s garden.
They circled the tables until they found one with their names on the place cards. Archer pulled out her chair.
“Thank you.”
“Diet cola if they have any. Water if not.”
“I’ll be right back.”
While he was gone, Anna and Paul joined them, followed soon after by their parents.
“Where’s Archer?” Paul asked.
“Getting drinks.”
A member of the catering staff approached their table with a tray of hors d'oeuvres.
Madison chose two and picked another three for Archer.
Her father and Paul left to get a drink for them and their wives. Compared to the last several events, her parents were getting along much better.
Mom moved to the chair between Anna and Madison. “While it’s just us girls, I want to share something with you.”
She caught Anna’s questioning stare, and she sent back a discreet shrug to say “I don’t know.” It couldn’t be a divorce announcement, could it? Who did that at a wedding? But if her parents perceived a light at the end of the tunnel that could account for the affability between them. Her stomach tightened. She hated the constant fighting, but the “D” word?
“First, I’m sorry for all that your father and I have put both of you through all these years. We fell into a pattern of arguing and didn’t realize how bad it had become.” A bittersweet smile revealed frown lines from years of turmoil. “Two weeks ago, we entered marriage counseling. There’s a long road ahead of us, but I feel great about the progress we’ve already made.”
“That’s wonderful.” Madison leaned over to hug her.
“I’m so happy for you and Dad.” Anna joined the hug. “We’re all here for you and will pray for you.”
“Thank you.” A blush rose on her mom’s neck. “He even made us reservations for a weekend away next month at a bed and breakfast.”
“Wow.” Her jaw dropped. “Dad really is making an effort to change.”
“He’s not the only one. I have to own my faults as well.”
The men returned, and Madison’s mom moved back to the other side of the table.
