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Hazel had started her married life with nothing from her past but a few photos and her son. Even after only a week, she could tell it had been the right move, one she should have done long ago. Without the constant feeling that nothing had happened, and everything was as if they were coming home, Hazel was able to look at her siblings’ smiling faces and think of the good times instead.
Rolling over in bed, she missed her husband. He had gotten up first, and she could hear him in the shower getting ready for his day. Debating whether she should join him or not, her decision was made when John Henry walked into the room carrying his stuffed monkey.
With the move into the house, John henry had been upgrade to his own bed. No longer was he trapped until someone took him out. So, he was free to get out of bed and wander through the house. For the first time in his life, he was able to just crawl into his mom’s bed unannounced. Sometimes it was a good surprise, and sometimes a bad one.
“Morning, baby,” she said to him as he climbed into the bed.
“Morning, Mommy.” He looked toward the door he knew Ruston was behind.
“Ruston’s in the shower,” Hazel told him, and he just nodded.
“Ruston was hoping for company, but I can see you already have some.” He stood in the open doorway, wearing just a towel around his hips.
“I was thinking about it, then not.” She looked him over from his wet hair to his bare feet.
“Ruston,” John Henry said and scurried off the bed to go to him. No doubt the boy loved to spend time with the new man in his life.
“Morning, John Henry.” He lifted the boy into his arms. Hazel secretly hoped the towel would fall, but it held. “Morning, wife.”
“Husband.” She grinned and fell back onto the pillow, letting him deal with the little boy.
“What are you doing today?” Ruston sat on the bed next to her, John Henry on his lap.
“I don’t know. The house is cleaned out now.” She looked at the ceiling that had occupied her days all week.
“Come to church.” He ran a finger over her shoulder.
“Why?” She turned and looked at him.
“Because it’s Sunday, and I want you there.” His finger continued its trail down her arm.
Groaning, she looked up at him. “Are you sure it’s Sunday?”
“Positive.” He lifted her hand and kissed the back of it as John Henry jumped from his lap and left the room.
“Won’t you be nervous with me watching you work?” she teased.
“Please, Haze?” he asked as he set her hand down.
From the day she had said yes to marrying him, she knew this day was coming. He wanted her to go to church. There was no getting away from it; when she put his ring on, she had agreed to it. Not that that knowledge had made her any more willing to go. He hadn’t asked her before they got married, and she was hoping he wouldn’t push after.
“For me.” His sad blue eyes bore into her.
Rolling away from him, she mumbled into her pillow, “Fine.”
His hand slid down her bare back, and he kissed it as he said, “Thank you, Hazel May.”
* * *
Three hours later,Hazel was sitting beside Natalie, wishing she had just said no to that man. He was all smiles in front of the sanctuary, but she was not. Natalie was more fidgety than John Henry and kept leaning to Sam or Hazel to say something.
Looking across to where she used to sit, the pew was empty. When she had first arrived, she had wondered how she was going to not sit with her grandma, but the older woman had not shown up. Natalie had said she hadn’t been there the day after the wedding either. Hazel did not know what that meant. Was she never coming back to church because Hazel was married to the minister now? Or was it because she was there, period?
Had the older woman finally found a way for her to not have Hazel in her life? Could she now move on with her life without the reminder of the grandkids she lost? Had Hazel been that easy to leave?
“He keeps looking at you, Hazel. You have to pretend to want to be here,” Natalie whispered to her as Ruston delivered his sermon.
“Quit talking, Natalie,” she whispered back without looking at her friend.
