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That night after dinner,Addie and I strolled through the rose garden at the big house. We talked about where we might like to decorate our little cottage and when I would start at the school and the latest edits on her manuscript. This would be my life, I thought. Sweet and uncomplicated, with Addie at my side.
“Do you want children?” Addie asked. “I’ve never asked you that.”
“I’ll be happy either way. As long as I have you.” Now that we’d moved behind some large shrubbery, I pulled her against me to kiss her. She tasted of Lizzie’s sweet lemonade.
With her arms around my neck, she spoke against my mouth. “Did you ever think you’d feel this happy?”
“No, never.” I kissed her again with all those pink roses around us. My pink rose of a girl.
24
ADDIE
On my wedding day,I stood in front of the mirror in my bedroom. We’d just buttoned my dress, and I stared back at my reflection. Aunt Annabelle hadn’t had time to make anything elaborate, but the simple white silk with its modest neckline suited me just fine. Tucked in at the waist, the bodice hugged my gentle curves.
My mother fastened the veil to my hair and stood back to look at me. “Lovely, darling,” she said.
Fiona smoothed the short train of my dress and stood next to me in the mirror. “Perfectly perfect.”
Cymbeline, powder brush in hand, gave me an up-and-down assessment. “Yes, you look beautiful.”
Delphia, sitting on the window seat with Josephine, had been surprisingly subdued all day. She would not say it, but I knew this rite of passage pained her. For the first time in her life, she would go to sleep tonight without me in the same house.
After we’d moved all of my things to the cottage yesterday, I’d caught Delphia crying on the porch. She waved me away and refused to talk, but I knew it hurt to let me go. It had been the two of us for a long time now.
I turned to Delphia. “What do you think?”
“I think you’ll do fine.” Delphia gave me a weak smile. “And James better treat you like the queen you are.”
Josephine wrapped her arm around Delphia. “Don’t worry, sweetheart, you’ll be next. Soon we’ll be putting you into a wedding dress.”
“I don’t know,” Delphia said. “Viktor hasn’t brought any prospects to me.”
Cym laughed. “Are you still waiting for that?”
“He promised me when I was a little girl that he would find my husband,” Delphia said, jutting out her chin. “And none of you are allowed to make fun of me about it. He knows the kind of man I want.”
“One like him,” Cym said. “But you’ll have your own man, uniquely made by God just for you.”
Delphia looked skeptical but said nothing further, getting up to kiss my cheek. “Come on, sister of mine. It’s time.”
Suddenly, I was nervous. I looked around at the loving faces of my sisters and Mama. They were all smiling. Jo and Mama both had tears in their eyes. “All the people will be looking at me.”
“Aren’t they lucky to see such a pretty bride?” Cym said. “And I promise, it’s over before you know it. I barely remember my ceremony.”
“Same with me,” Jo said. “And anyway, it’s just the first day of saying ‘I do.’ Every single day of your marriage requires you to say yes all over again. Try to remember that during the hard times—love is always worth recommitting to. It’s a choice every day to love each other and to make sure the other knows how much.”
“Quite true,” Mama said. “There will be times when you have to try a little harder to understand each other and come to compromises. Regardless, you’ll find it the very best kind of work. Nothing will ever be as rewarding. Except your children, of course.” Mama started crying. “Oh, my dears. How can it be that the years went so fast? I can see each of you as little girls by just closing my eyes. Now you’re all grown. Even my babies.”
Jo and Cym wrapped their arms around Mama, kissing her cheeks and reassuring her that they would always need her.
“Think of all your grandchildren,” Fiona said.
“I’m very blessed,” Mama said. “To have them all near me and to have the pleasure of watching them grow up without having to do any of the work.”
“You’re about to be blessed again,” Fiona said. “It’s confirmed. I’m having another.”
