“We know that’s kind of fast, and we know the town’s going to be talking. Especially because Summer is living here. So, we kind of were keeping it under wraps for a bit. I wanted to give her time to get to know me so that she can decide whether she can put up with me or not.”
“You know it’s the other way around,” Summer said, poking him in his side.
He caught her hand and threaded his fingers through hers.
Marjorie smiled at the sweet gesture.
“It’s so that she can make sure that she wants to put up with me. You guys all know that,” Gilbert said, earning a chorus of, “yeah, we know,” around the table.
“Thanks, guys,” Gilbert said, rolling his eyes.
He waited for everything to die back down before he said, “I just wanted you guys to know, and then I also wanted to ask if you guys could just kinda keep it on the down-low until you hear that she and I have announced it. Which…it won’t be too long. Unless she kicks me to the curb.”
“Get away while you still can, girl,” Roland called.
If Marjorie were his sister, she would have poked him in the side, but instead, she just shook her head. She had to say something in defense of her son.
“You’re getting a good man, Summer. Gilbert is a wise choice.”
Summer smiled at her and nodded, and Marjorie had the feeling that Summer didn’t need her to tell her what a good man Gilbert was. It looked like she already knew.
“That was a nice defense, Mom,” Gilbert said to her, smiling.
“Dad is the best,” Larissa said, looking up with admiration in her eyes at her father.
Marjorie smiled too. Larissa was still at the age where she idolized her dad. She hoped she would never grow out of it, although the polish always became tarnished a little as a person grew older, and a child became a teenager and then a young adult. They realized their parents weren’t perfect and did indeed have faults. Buthopefully, they came back around and realized that everyone had faults, and that their parents had done the best they could.
Her kids had all gone through that to some extent, and she thought that all of them had come back around and didn’t demonize her, but realized that she’d done the very best she could.
She looked forward to the happy Christmas season ahead, even though she knew that every year nothing ever went as planned.
There would be squabbles and heartbreak, problems and issues, but the good would always outweigh the bad, because God would see to it.
She thought about the doctor’s report that she had just gotten back and wondered how that would play into things in the coming year. She had determined in her heart that she wasn’t going to think about it over the holiday nor allow it to ruin anyone’s celebration, so she quickly pushed it aside.
Life was good.
Chapter Twenty-Six
“Wow. What a day,” Summer said, practically falling down onto the swing from sheer exhaustion.
“I know my family can be a little much,” Gilbert said as he sat down beside her, a good six inches or so away.
She appreciated him putting down some guidelines and following them, but right now was one of those times where she would like to just crawl into his side and cuddle there.
She was so tired her bones ached, but after they put the kids to bed, he had suggested that they come down and sit on the swing for a bit, and she had consented immediately. Anything to be able to spend some time with him. They hadn’t been alone together all day.
“Do you think you’re going to be able to handle that?” he asked easily.
He didn’t tell her, but she saw it as an opening to conversation.
“I know I am. You’re well-liked among your siblings.”
“And I like them. And they loved you.”
“They just like teasing you about me putting up with you. That seemed to be the favorite subject of the day.”
“Maybe you should take it a little more seriously than what you are. I might be harder to get along with than what you think.”
