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"I wasn't trying to be kind; it was my stomach I was worried about. I know Clay didn't like my cooking, but he didn't know that I didn't like it either." Charlie chuckled. "Now, tell me, how come you never came over before Willa got here?" Charlie asked her.
"Well, to tell the truth, you two were usually working, and that house wasn't made for a lot of visitors."
Charlie stopped the buggy for a moment.
"What are we stoppin' for, Charlie?" Cora asked as he stared out at the horizon.
"Look at that sunset!" he told her, as he put his arm around her. "Beautiful isn't it?"
"Why," she glanced at his arm and smiled. "Y-yes, it is."
They sat there for a few minutes then went on down the road. "At our age, we need to stop and smell the roses, when we get the chance." He smiled.
Cora got very quiet.
"You think we should rebuild?" Charlie asked her.
"I think with them getting married you should, yes. They'll more than likely start having babies and you'll need more room. You got a nice property Charlie, but you and Clay honestly live like bachelors all the time. You don't think much about a nice place to live."
"I guess that's true. We've neglected the house, just us two there. Maybe we will fix it up now." Charlie beamed.
"But I been thinking. Maybe all of you should come visit me every other week. We could have a big dinner and enjoy the visit too."
"Now that sounds like a good idea Cora." He looked off and then turned to her to stare at her for a moment. "You know I was always jealous of Sam."
Cora turned her head at him and looked him in the eye. "Land sakes, why?"
"He had a nice big house, and a great wife." Charlie told her.
"Beth was a good wife to you, too."
"Oh sure, she was. She was a great cook, and she could cut a rug too. But after she died, I was awful lonely. I tried not to let it show because of Clay, as I know he was feeling so down too. After she died, we became sort of hermits. We let things go around the house, as there was nothing to encourage it. I honestly didn't believe Clay would ever marry though. He never spoke of women; he always went to town and took care of what ailed him. But I could tell there were times he was as lonely as I."
"Yes, I know the feeling Charlie. But I didn't know how to get you out of that, so I stayed away and let you be."
"Well, I wish you hadn't. I'm not like Clay in that regard. I liked marriage and not havin' a wife was hard for me."
"It's always hard when you lose someone Charlie, especially someone you love."
"I guess you know that better than most." Charlie looked at her. "But in your senior years, you seem to want to have someone by your side, to share things with. You get too old to do some things, and yet your mind isn't old."
They stared at each other a long moment.
"You're quite a lady Cora. Thanks for what you did for Willa today. I've never seen her so happy."
"They deserve to be happy Charlie, they'll have enough problems along the way, but as much love as I see in their eyes, I think they'll be fine."
"I think you are right. You know for a while; I didn't think Clay would ever get married. I was at the point of nagging him about it when Willa showed up. He just didn't show any interest. But when Willa arrived with her father, I saw a spark in his eyes that I'd never seen before. At first, he tried to hide his feelings, so did she, but you can only hide so long."
Cora put her hand on top of Charlie's, and he stopped the buggy.
"They'll need a powerful love to withstand the hate and the worry they are gonna go through. People haven't forgotten the old days. Hatin' Indians got to be a habit with a lot of folks." Cora told him.
She hadn't moved her hand and Charlie smiled as he glanced down at them.
"I know. But with the right person you can do a lot."
"I believe that too Charlie, and they are both good people."
