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Chapter 22
“Okay, time to focus. What is on your mind, Mom? We are all yours. The best distractions on the mountain have gone for a walk and won’t return in less than an hour for anything short of a poopy diaper.”
“Oh, well. I have some news to share, and I am not sure exactly how to start. I had planned on writing down my thoughts. This conversation is coming a little sooner than I had anticipated.”
“Stalling, Momtu? Not like you. Are you sick? Is there someone who needs to be buried, figuratively or literally?”
“Oh, Tom. Don’t talk that way. Someday, someone will believe that you boys actually kill people. I mean, I know in the past… That’s to say, I know during the war and all, but now you are all civilians. Don’t say things like that.”
“Beth, you are wringing your hands. What is going on?” Tom’s voice reflected a seriousness that he reserved for work. She could tell she was worrying them, which was not her intention. She just didn’t know how to broach this subject.
“Just spit it out, Mom. You don’t need sugar, so stop trying to feed us a spoonful. We aren’t kids anymore. What is wrong?”This time, the furrowed brow was on Sarah’s face, and Beth was starting to feel guilty for the emotions swirling at the table when she hadn’t even made the announcement.
“Fine. I am in love. I am dating Dr. Fox, and he has asked me to marry him. I said yes but that he couldn’t propose until I spoke with you two to make sure it was okay. No, not okay. I am not asking your permission, but I would like to know that you will be happy for me and welcome him into the family.” Taking a deep breath, Beth eyed the two people she thought she loved most in the world. She did love Sarah and Tom, but she now knew that her heart held room for one more. Tom and Sarah were looking at her with wide eyes, seeming to be processing all the information she had just dumped on them.
“EEEK!” Sarah stomped her feet on the floor as she clapped her hands, then abruptly stood, circled the table, and nearly knocked her mother out of her chair as she hugged her where she sat. “Yes! Of course we are happy for you. You deserve love just like we do. How awful would that be of us if we just married our true loves and gave you a hard time about finally finding yours! EEEK!”
Tom reached across the distance and took her hand in his. “You have our full support. I would say this was all very fast, but if my mother were sitting here, she would say it was about time. I know you have loved him for a long time, and I am happy you have reached the point where you feel comfortable moving forward together.”
“What do you mean, ‘It is about time’? We just started dating a few days ago.” Confusion clouded her features.
Taking the seat closest to Beth, Sarah took her left hand in hers. “Mom, remember a few years ago when Annette and I showed up at work to surprise you with a girls’ night. We brought you an outfit and sent you back inside to change. Dr. Fox walked you out and kissed you on the cheek beforehe opened your door and helped you into my car. Annette mentioned then that you two were blind and needed to hurry up and make things official. She had no idea how solidly you had that poor man in the friend zone. I, for one, am thrilled that you finally let him out. This may seem quick to you, but for the rest of us who have been watching all these years, your relationship has been like watching paint dry or grass grow. If this was my first romance novel, it would never sell because you take slow burn to a whole new level.” Her voice was gentle as she squeezed her mother’s fingers. She could see that Beth was overwhelmed by these observations.
“Oh, is this the ring?” Sarah asked, retrieving Beth’s hand from Tom’s light hold.
“Um, no. This is sort of a betrothal ring. He promised to marry me as soon as I was ready. When I am ready to say yes, he will propose for real and give me an engagement ring. He would like the wedding to take place quickly. He thinks we have wasted enough time, and it seems like my family agrees with him.”
“We do,” Tom added. “I know someone who has a plane and can fly him here in a matter of hours. We also know a handful of folks who are licensed officiants. We also have a church in town, and the pastor should be available if we need him, considering it is the weekend.”
A laugh burst from Beth, “You sound just like Chad. He would have married me before we left the ship if I would have let him.”
“Why didn’t you? That would have been romantic,” Sarah sighed, thinking about it.
“No, I never planned to marry again and don’t need a whole big wedding, but I do want my family to be there. Phi is too small to get on a plane. If I have your blessing, then I was thinking about a small February wedding. Perhaps on the beach. Just the family.”
“I have commitments in early February that I cannot easily get out of, but mid-February works well for me. What about you, Sarah?” Tom asked.
“What about a Valentine’s Day wedding. It is a little overdone, but in this case, it is almost poetic. Dating on Thanksgiving, engaged on Christmas, and married on Valentine’s Day. Now, doesn’t that sound like a plot to a romance novel!” Beth laughed; her daughter was having too much fun with this.
“I will run the date by Chad when I call him later this evening, but I am sure he is fine with whatever date we choose. I just want to make sure all of you will be there. I need to call Annette and have her check her schedule as well.”
“Mom is going to make it happen; of that, I have no doubt. Now that she is retired, she has all the flexibility in the world,” Tom assured her.
“So, do I get to be Matron of Honor and Tom the best man? I look especially good in coral. We could have a sunset wedding on the beach. The guys can wear tuxedos with rolled-up pant legs, and we ladies can go barefoot with the dresses hemmed to our ankles. What do you think?” Her eyes sparkled with excitement.
“I think it sounds lovely, but there will be a small meal whenever we have it and dancing and such, so I am not sure about the no shoes part,” Beth replied thoughtfully.
“No worries. We can wash our feet and put them on later once we leave the beach. Call Dr. Fox up and see what he says. We can spend the rest of the week making plans. We can go dress shopping when you come back at Christmas, and I can come visit and help you pack up the house in January. It sounds like a short time, but really, it is over two months, which is just long enough.”
The comment about the house threw Beth off kilter a little. She hadn’t thought that far ahead. She loved her home. She and Chad would need to discuss this later.
Tom’s phone vibrated with an alert, and a few minutes later, Natalie strode into the house and hugged her while Sarah excitedly announced the news that they were having another wedding. Not long after, Eric arrived with a sleeping Phi and shushed everyone until he could safely tuck her into her bed. Then, upon returning downstairs, he joined the merriment to the best of his abilities.
“Congratulations, Mom, I am happy for you.” After hugging her tenderly, he turned to Tom and asked, “Do we know if this man is trustworthy? Background check? Financials? Social history?”
Tom nodded his head that all was in order until the final category, “There is a bit of a scandal…”
“Scandal? What kind of scandal? You know we can’t have anything damaging Tom or my good name!” Sarah burst out.
