by Irene Brand
Debbie and Laurel had chosen to have their last breakfast by themselves and, having come to grips with Debbie’s leaving, Laurel met her daughter with a smile when she came into the kitchen.
“God has sent us a beautiful day,” she said. “I’ll admit I had some doubts about planning an outdoor reception, but it’s going to be perfect.”
“It was good of Pete and Brenda to volunteer to watch over the cake and punch while we dress for the wedding. By that time the ladies from the church will be arriving with the food,” Debbie said.
“We have very good neighbors.”
“I’m glad. That way, I won’t worry about you so much. Mom, I hate to leave you.” Tears formed in Debbie’s eyes, and Laurel struggled momentarily with her own emotions.
She hugged Debbie and said, “I know you do, and I hate to have you move so far away. But think of all the fun and anticipation when you come home for a visit.”
“Or when you come to visit us.”
“And there’s always the telephone. We can talk often.”
“Would you want to move to Colorado?”
“Not at this time in my life. In his type of work, Dereck may move several times, so I can’t be following you around. It’s the biblical way for man and wife to be on their own. The Scriptures teach that a man should leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife. That means the wife, too, must leave her family to be with her husband. I’ll be fine. I’ve come to peace with your leaving.”
“Thanks, Mom. You’ve taken a load off my mind. I’ve been feeling guilty about going away.”
“Don’t worry about it. Dereck is a fine man, and I like his family, too. You’ll be in good hands in Colorado. I want you to be happy.”
“Like you and Daddy were? You’ve never talked about him and your life together.”
With a composed smile, Laurel said, “After twenty years it’s hard to recall many things, but I do remember we were happy on our wedding day.”
That answer seemed to satisfy Debbie, and Laurel was glad she’d suppressed Jason’s true character. She didn’t want anything to spoil Debbie’s big day.
Chapter Eleven
The tones of the antique piano filled the house as the pianist from Bethel Church presented traditional and contemporary music for twenty minutes prior to the wedding ceremony. About thirty people were seated in the entrance hall, including Cousin Kevin’s two daughters and their families, as well as some distant Cooper cousins. Watching them, Micah sensed that some of the men had more than a passing interest as they looked at the mansion, making him wonder if one of them was trying to force Laurel to sell her home.
Seemingly uncomfortable in a formal black robe, Pastor Jensen took his place at the foot of the stairs. Dereck and his brother, dressed in identical black three-button suits with pale gray accessories, walked slowly to the left of the minister. Dereck’s three-year-old nephew, the ring bearer, also wore a black suit. He clutched the leg of his father’s trousers and peered anxiously around the entrance hall, obviously looking for his mother.
Kaitlyn Howe, Debbie’s maid of honor, wore a sleeveless three-quarter-length dress of cream chiffon over mint green lining with ruffle detail at neckline and hem. She walked down the stairway and took her place to the left of the minister. The ring bearer’s dainty five-year-old sister followed Kaitlyn, intently scattering rose petals.
The music swelled to a loud crescendo, and the pianist’s fingers tapped a staccato warning before the room reverberated to the music of the Bridal Chorus from Lohengrin.
Debbie and Laurel appeared at the top of the stairs, paused momentarily, and slowly descended.
Debbie had chosen a lightly pearled white lace gown with off-the-shoulder neckline and long illusion sleeves with button detail and a chapel train. Instead of a veil, she wore a delicate crystal and rhinestone tiara.
Laurel, looking as lovely as her daughter, was dressed in a champagne, heavily beaded chiffon cap-sleeved A-line gown with a sweetheart neckline.
Micah took photos until they paused in front of the minister, and since there would be no more pictures until the conclusion of the vows, he took time to admire the woman he loved. He knew the bride should be the focal point at a wedding, but he couldn’t take his eyes off of Laurel. Debbie was pretty, but she’d never have the beauty of her mother. And when he considered all of the trials that Laurel had endured, he wondered how she could have turned out as she had. It had to be an inner beauty spawned by her Christian faith.
While the minister spoke to Debbie and Dereck of the spiritual responsibilities of marriage, Micah renewed his conversion. Believing that Jesus was His Savior as well as his Lord, Micah knew that he was now in a condition to join his life with Laurel’s. She had never said so outright, but he didn’t believe she would marry anyone who didn’t cherish the same spiritual values she did. He had made up his mind that he’d accept a part-time professorship at Walden College, and he intended to join the fellowship of Bethel Church.
Micah roused himself quickly from his roller-coaster emotions when the minister said, “You may now kiss the bride.”
Debbie would never forgive him if he’d missed that event, and he snapped into action. If Debbie was going to be his daughter, he wanted to stay in her good graces. He put Laurel out of his mind and concentrated on photographing the rest of the wedding and the reception.
The bride and groom greeted everyone at the reception and participated in the customary rituals of cutting the cake and drinking glasses of punch with arms inter-twined. After the bridal party ate a light dinner, Laurel and Kaitlyn went upstairs with Debbie to help her out of the wedding dress and into traveling clothes for the planned honeymoon to Niagara Falls. From New York, they would go directly to Colorado without returning to Oaklawn.
Debbie’s room already looked empty. She’d packed all of her possessions in boxes that were stored in the U-Haul trailer, which Dereck’s parents would tow to Colorado. She wouldn’t return to Oaklawn until Thanksgiving or Christmas.
So far, Laurel hadn’t shed any tears. She’d kept a smile on her face, sometimes with an effort, but now was the time she had to be bravest.
Exhilarated over the attention she’d received, Debbie had laughed and cried alternately through the afternoon. But she looked radiant now, as all brides should, when she turned to Laurel.
“Oh, Mom, I don’t know what to say.”
“Don’t say anything. It’s been a wonderful day, and I’m happy for you and Dereck. Today has been the culmination of my plans for you. Nothing will ever break the ties between us, but from now on, your priority should be Dereck and the grandkids I hope you have for me. I’ll be fine.”
But Debbie must not have been convinced that Laurel was doing as well as she pretended because when she said goodbye to Micah, embracing him and kissing his cheek, she whispered, “Look after Mom while you’re here, will you?”
Micah gave her a thumbs-up and said softly, “I intend to.”
As Debbie waved goodbye to everyone, and Dereck held the car door open for her, Micah momentarily wondered why she’d asked him instead of her cousin Kevin to look after her mother. Did Debbie suspect that there was more between Laurel and him than friendship? If so, she must approve.
Perhaps knowing that this was a difficult time for Laurel, as soon as the honeymoon car decorated with streamers and tin cans disappeared down the driveway, her church family rallied around her. “Now tell us what needs to be done,” Pastor Jensen said.
“Goodness! I hardly know where to begin,” Laurel said, looking around the lawn. “The rental company will be here within the hour, and they’ll dismantle the tents and take the chairs. I’d like to send the leftover cake and the food to some of our shut-ins. Also, the top layer of the cake needs to be put in the freezer so Debbie and Dereck can have it on their first anniversary.”
“I’ll take care of the cake,” Brenda Howe volunteered. “And a few of us will make up trays of food to take to the nursing homes.”
“Could someone rearrange the flowers to be used in church on Sunday morning?” Laurel asked, and she soon had a volunteer for that.
Micah asked Johnny Sizemore, one of Laurel’s renters who had returned for the wedding and had settled into his apartment next door to Micah’s, to help him. They supervised restoring the staircase and the entrance hall to their normal condition, taking down all the decorations. Kaitlyn ran the sweeper in Debbie’s bedroom. Within three hours, the guests were gone, and it was hard to believe that there had been a wedding. The lawn was ruffled where the guests had milled around, but a few days of growth would take care of that.
Suddenly Laurel was alone.
Micah had taken his film into Knoxville to send it for processing to the company that did his professional work. Having refused Cousin Kevin’s insistence that he should stay and keep her company, Laurel stood in the middle of the hallway.
The house seemed deathly quiet, but after the turmoil of the past few days, she welcomed the silence. Her friends had done such an excellent job of setting the house to rights that there was nothing for her to do. She changed into cotton pants and shirt and walked barefoot to the portico. Surprised at the peace that consumed her, Laurel sat in her favorite rocking chair and put her aching feet on a stool. She was weary to the bone, but she drew a deep, satisfying breath.
She must have gone to sleep, for she suddenly realized she wasn’t alone, and she opened her eyes quickly. Micah stood at the foot of the steps.
“I thought I’d find you here. I won’t be offended if you say you want to be alone, but I’m here if you want to talk.”
“I’m not sure I want to talk, but come and sit with me.” She held out her hand.
He clasped her hand tightly and took a chair close beside her. “Have you been crying?” he asked tenderly.
“Just a little, maybe. I don’t know if you’ll understand this, but actually, I’m glad the day is over. I’ve been dreading Debbie’s leaving ever since she and Dereck became engaged. I suppose I’ve really been dreading it since the day she was born. I’m glad it’s over.”
“I was proud of you today,” he said, and her eyelashes lowered from the love she saw in his eyes. “You must have been hurting, but you didn’t show it. You seemed as happy as Debbie was, and if I may say it, you were as pretty as the bride. You looked radiant.”
Laurel blushed. “I was happy. Debbie and I have entered a new relationship. I sent her off with the advice that Dereck should come first in her life now. I’ve come to terms with her leaving, and I have a new outlook for the future. I’ve lived my entire life for other people. After my parents were killed, I lived with my grandmother. Because she’d taken me in, I felt like I should be at her beck and call. After Jason was killed, I didn’t want to stay at Oaklawn, but I felt guilty to take Debbie away from her grandparents, so I stayed on, thinking only of them and Debbie. Now I’m free to do what I want to do for a change, and I like it. Is that being selfish?”
“Not at all.” Micah had thought that once Debbie was married, he could approach Laurel about his feelings for her. Now that he’d found the one and only woman to make him happy, he was eager to tell her so. But he decided that this wasn’t the time to speak of his love and desire to marry her. Let Laurel enjoy her freedom a little while.
“You should have a life of your own,” he agreed.
“That’s what I think. I feel free for the first time in my life.”
“Now that Debbie is married, would you consider contacting the police if the calls continue? Or your telephone company might be able to trace the calls.”
“I don’t know,” Laurel said. “Perhaps I should. I’ll think about it.”
She yawned, and Micah stood. “I won’t keep you any longer. But don’t hesitate to call me if you need me. You know I’m a light sleeper.”
Still holding her hand, he helped her stand.
“Knowing that will make me rest much easier. Thanks for everything, Micah. You’ve made a big difference this summer.”
He tugged on her hand and she came closer. For a few days, Laurel would need a friend more than she’d needed to be presented with making a decision to marry or not to marry. Although he longed to do so much more, he simply held her close for a moment, so close that their heartbeats seemed as one. He kissed her hair and let her go.
The next few days, Laurel slowly adapted to her new role in life. She puttered with her flowers, sat often in the rose garden doing nothing. She walked to the river every day. She spent a lot of time reading the Bible, reveling in God’s love for her. She memorized a verse from the first book of John. “God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in him.” And the more of God’s love she received, the more Laurel was inclined to accept Micah’s love. She knew he loved her because she had correctly interpreted the tenderness and glow that smoldered in his blue eyes.
Micah didn’t approach her often, although she was conscious of his watchful eyes. He mowed the yard, and she was pleased with the smooth mat of grass that no longer showed the imprint of hundreds of footprints.
One day, when he returned from Knoxville, Micah brought her a copy of a magazine that carried the first article about his research in South America. He autographed the article with a flourish and handed it to her.
“Thanks!” Laurel said. “I’m flattered to know such a famous author. I’ll enjoy reading it when I go to bed tonight. I like to read a while before I turn out the lights.”
“I’m going to the apartment and read through the article to see if there are any printing errors. Nothing I can do about it now, but I want to be sure my words haven’t been misconstrued.”
“If you’re free tonight, come for grilled steaks about six o’clock. I’ve been eating leftovers from the wedding dinner, and a steak will be a welcome change.”
“Sounds good to me. I have some vegetables I need to use. I’ll bring a salad.”
“That will be great. I still have cake for dessert.”
Micah stifled the jubilation he felt inside. He’d been wise to leave Laurel to her own thoughts for a few days. And he thanked God for giving Laurel the healing she needed. Making the salad took more time than he’d expected, so he hadn’t finished reading the article before six o’clock. Micah carried the magazine with him and laid it on a chair while he took over cooking the steaks. Laurel put the plates on the table and ice in their glasses and chatted about the phone calls she’d received from Debbie and Dereck. She seemed rested and happy so Micah decided she’d had no more troubling communications from her harasser.
After they’d finished eating, he cleaned the grill while she carried dishes into the house.
“I didn’t finish reading through my article,” he said, “so I brought the magazine along. If you don’t mind, I’ll finish doing that here. This garden is such a pleasant place.”
“I’d like for you to stay. The excitement of the wedding is wearing off now, and I’m getting lonely. My friends have been attentive—calling or dropping by for a few minutes. I know they’re trying to help me. Most of the time I’m all right, but the quietness in the house is sometimes unbearable, especially at night. I’ll bring my copy of the article and start reading it, too.”
Laurel stretched out on the lounge, and Micah sat at the table with the magazine spread before him, a pencil in his hand. Before reading the text, Laurel turned the pages of the article looking at the pictures and reading the captions.
In one picture, a small monkey swung from a limb with both feet. The animal’s mouth was open, a grin on its face, as if it enjoyed swinging. In another photo, Micah had caught a falcon descending with one outstretched wing toward its prey on the ground. She particularly liked the picture of a purple morning glory with a black insect fastened to its frail petals.
“You’re an excellent photographer,” she exclaimed. “I can’t wait to see the wedding pictures. I’m sure they’ll be wonderful.”
“I hope so, but remember taking wedding pic
tures isn’t my forte. I’d rather photograph landscapes and wildlife. I seldom feature pictures of people.”
“But you have a picture of people on the last page of this article.”
“That’s the crew of scientists I worked with for over a year. I took that photo as we relaxed around the cook’s tent after we’d worked all day. The editor thought a picture of the crew would be interesting.”
“There are ten of you, including several natives.”
He turned to the photo she’d mentioned. “That guy hunkered down in front of the group is the scientist in charge of the expedition. He’s from Massachusetts, and he had an assistant from the United States, but the other naturalists were from South America. They hired natives to set up camp, haul baggage and cook for us.”
“Micah!”
The alarm in her voice startled him.
“Who’s the man standing apart from the group to the left of the picture? He’s not a native!”
“That’s Tex. If he had another name, I never heard it. He was an American, but he’d lived in Venezuela for years, and spoke Spanish as well as the natives. Most of the time I forgot he wasn’t a native.”
Laurel pulled on the collar of her blouse as if she was choking. Her skin had paled to a ghastly white, and she breathed unevenly. She looked ready to faint. With one fluid leap, Micah was kneeling beside her.
“My dear, what’s wrong?”
She pointed at the picture, opening her mouth as if she was trying to speak and couldn’t. Her eyes implored him.
