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Constance smiled at him. She wasn’t sure she agreed, but that was all right. She was happy with her marriage. How could she have any complaints when she was married to such a caring man?
After the dance, Leonard took Constance home. “You seem to have enjoyed yourself.”
“I did! I’m glad I got to meet your sisters-in-law before everyone else in the family. I’m a little nervous about church tomorrow.” Constance felt strange admitting it, but he couldn’t help her if he didn’t know how she felt.
“Oh, don’t worry. My family is going to love you.”
She looked at him for a moment in the light of the full moon, but then she shrugged. “I certainly hope so.” What she really wanted though was his love. Not sure she’d ever get it, she’d have to settle for his family loving her.
For their midnight meal, she served the chicken and dumplings she’d reserved from her contribution to the church social. She wasn’t sure if he’d eaten it at the gathering, but she wanted him to try it, so he could see she was a superior cook to his friend’s wife.
Leonard frowned at his plate. “I’ve had a lot of chicken and dumplings meals this week.”
“But they were all made by your friend’s wife. This was made by me.” Tears sprang to her eyes, but she blinked them away. Constance felt chastised for cooking her favorite meal for him, and it stung a bit.
“I guess.” He stuck his spoon into the food. “I’ll survive it.” He took a bite and nodded. “This is really good.” He could tell he’d upset her, and he wanted to make it better, but he didn’t know how. “Best chicken and dumplings I’ve ever had.”
“But you don’t like chicken and dumplings?” she asked.
“They’re not my favorite. I really am a man who loves his beef.”
“I’ll try to do better in the future,” she said, her voice sounding a little off, even to her own years.
“We’ve only been married five days. You can’t know everything about me.”
“I would if we’d courted like a normal couple.” Constance had already felt like her marriage to Leonard was inferior, but his not liking chicken and dumplings made it even worse.
“We are a normal couple,” he said, covering her hand with his. “Just because we met differently than my brothers met their wives, I don’t think our marriage is any less than theirs.”
She nodded but didn’t meet his eyes. She felt as if all her hopes and dreams had been squashed by his words. Maybe she wasn’t going to live happily ever after no matter what her fantasies had been about this marriage.
*****
Constance was still feeling a bit less the following morning. They were up earlier than they usually were so they could be on time for church, and Leonard didn’t seem to realize anything was even wrong. That was good, she guessed. That way he wouldn’t try to fix something or pretend to feel something he didn’t.
On their way to church, he talked about all of his brothers. “Amos is the oldest, then comes Peter, Jack, Stan, Charles, and Luke. All are married. All have at least three children, sometimes four. And then Amos has five.”
She nodded. “That’s a big family.”
“It is, but it’s a fun one. I’m so excited about you meeting my ma.”
“Betty and Caroline said I should call her Ma Berry.”
“Yes, that’s what she has all her daughters-in-law call her. That way there’s no confusion when the women mention Ma.”
Constance smiled. “I think it’s a good way to do things.”
Leonard parked the wagon on the church lawn and helped Constance to her feet. “If I wasn’t expecting an invitation for Sunday dinner from Ma, we would have walked. It’s a beautiful morning.”
“Yes, it is. I think I’m going to like your South Dakota.”
He offered her his arm, and she took it. They walked into the church together, his eyes scanning the small crowd there. “There she is.” He walked toward one side of the church and stopped in front of an older woman. “Ma, this is my wife, Constance. Constance, this is my ma.” He had a huge grin on his face as he introduced the two of them, excited they were finally meeting.
Mrs. Berry looked Constance up and down. “You look too skinny to have babies.” She put her hands out and grabbed Constance’s hips. “Maybe you can do it.” Looking at her son, she said, “Don’t get too attached to this one. You may need to have someone waiting for you after she dies in childbirth.”
Constance was horrified by the words, wondering what her new mother-in-law was thinking to say that. “I’m built like my mother, and she’s had three children with no problem.”
“Time will tell, won’t it?”
