“Absolutely. It was the right thing.” And she knew her mom meant it. As long as she believed something was right, she’d go through hell and high water no matter what it cost her. But in this case, Charlotte felt that her mom was getting back as much as she was giving. God was gracious.
After she hung up with her mom, she wanted to call Janice because she knew she would be getting back from her honeymoon today. But after checking the clock, she realized it was too early, so she put it off. She’d missed her a lot this week. She was just about to start a letter to an old friend when she heard a knock on the door. Gloria stood there with bag in hand. Charlotte’s hand flew to her mouth. “Oh no. I forgot. Did you come earlier?”
Gloria smiled and nodded. “Don’t worry about it. I just went over to see Gordon first instead. It’s no big deal at all. He just needed to work on his sermon so I thought I’d try again. Is it going to work out okay? I feel like I’m an awful imposition.”
Charlotte grabbed her and pulled her in. “Not at all. I love your visits. I was just wondering what I was going to do for the rest of the day. I’m between books, and that always throws off my routine.”
Gloria laughed so quietly, it reminded Charlotte of a delicate fairy the size of Tinker Bell. “That throws me off too, but reading them, not writing them.” She walked in and set her bag down.
“Would you like a cup of tea or something?”
“That would be lovely.”
So they sat down in the kitchen and began to chat. “So, how are the wedding plans coming?”
“Fine. It’s going to be really simple. I’ve decided to just buy a regular dress that I’ll be able to use again. I’d hate to spend all that money on something fancy. My sister is picking out her own dress to stand up with me, so I don’t have anything to do about that. By July there should be plenty of flowers in my mom’s yard, so we’ll pick a bunch for bouquets.”
Charlotte smiled politely at this account and thought how practical Gloria was and how easy and carefree a wedding like that would be, but she knew in her heart of hearts that she’d want a big wedding with all the trimmings. She wasn’t sure whether she was right about that or not. “I heard the church women were planning a big reception. We have some of the best cooks in our congregation. I can’t wait.”
“Oh, I told them not to bother. A nice wedding cake will be fine. That’s the one item that we’ll order and pay for. Gordon seemed a little disappointed about that, but after I talked to him he could see my point.”
This whole conversation was depressing Charlotte, so she changed the subject. “All this talk of marriage makes me think about some of my favorite heroines in classic stories. Who’s your favorite heroine?”
“Oh my, there’re really very few that I admire. My favorite books are biographies, often of single women. I admire their grit and determination.” She paused for a sip of tea. “I guess if I had to pick one, I’d say Jane Eyre. She was so deserving. What about you?”
Charlotte struggled after that answer but decided to be honest. “I have two. Elizabeth Bennet from Pride and Prejudice.” Gloria nodded in agreement. “And Scarlett in Gone with the Wind.” This was obviously too much for Gloria.
“How could you possibly admire Scarlett? Elizabeth I can understand, though she cares too much about appearances to please me, but Scarlett? She’s awful.”
“I know. I think that’s why I like her. She’s what I think women often want to be: powerful and strong, yet extremely feminine.” Gloria looked like she was about to say something so Charlotte interrupted her. “Now don’t get me wrong. I don’t think we should be like Scarlett, not at all.” This seemed to mollify Gloria. “But I like reading about her a lot. You have to admit she’s extremely interesting.”
“I don’t think I have to admit that at all. She’s despicable.”
Charlotte decided that East would never meet West in this case, so she changed the subject. “The parsonage is awfully nice. Will you do any redecorating when you move in?”
“Oh no, I’d hate to waste the church’s money that way. It’s fine.” Gloria looked at her watch. “Oh my, an hour’s gone by already. I need to run a quick errand then meet Gordon back at the church. We’re going to do some hospital visits this afternoon.”
Charlotte saw her to the door and felt guilty for her ungenerous thoughts toward her. Gloria was an excellent person who would add a lot to the whole community, but she couldn’t help feeling a little sad for Pastor Gordon. She couldn’t even sort out why she felt that way.
CHAPTER twenty two
Charlotte finally got a hold of Janice a few days later. “How was it?”
“Divine. The Bahamas are perfect. I’m sure that heaven will have a Bahamas section.”
“What’s it like coming home to motherhood?”
The dreamy tone of Janice’s voice immediately changed. “Kind of a shock. I think I’m going to be bad at it. Gina doesn’t listen to me at all, and I just want to be her friend. I hate the discipline part. I feel like crying each time I scold her.”
Charlotte thought that the honeymoon was over. “I’ll bet. It seems like it would be hard enough to adjust to marriage without throwing motherhood on top of it.”
“Yeah, I think that’s why God let our courtship go so smoothly. He knew I’d need all the help I could get for part B.”
“How are you going to cope?”
“The question is, how is my mom going to cope? I’ve called her three times already today.”
“Well, if you feel like you need a break, or just want company in the middle of it all, I’m pretty free.”
“Thanks, Charlotte. That means a lot. Tomorrow I start back at the bank part-time, which I think will be good. Gina and I will get along better if we don’t spend quite so much time together.”
They didn’t talk again until Bible study on Wednesday night. “You look great, Janice. What a lot of freckles you have after all that sun.”
“I know. I’m hoping my freckles will grow so numerous that they’ll look like a tan.”
“How’s motherhood going?”
“Better. The part-time thing is helping a lot. I actually look forward to picking her up at one o’clock. Then she goes down for a nap after we’ve read five thousand books. After that, Sesame Street and Mr. Rogers. By then I’ve started dinner and she’s wide awake and ready to play. I like it.”
Victor interrupted. “Don’t let her fool you. She’s about ready to pull her hair out when I get home. Sometimes I think I’ve gotten there just in time, before she’s decided to run out into the street screaming.” He said this with a grin on his face, so Charlotte assumed that they thought this was a normal way to adjust to their circumstances. She liked them both.
On Friday night, she once again headed to the rink for a figure skating lesson. She worried a bit about this lesson because they’d be learning to skate backwards. The instructor had demonstrated it for them last week, making it look as easy as walking. She couldn’t even walk backwards. She’d never be able to do this.
Frank skated by her and grabbed her hand to twirl her around. She began to fall and threw her arms around him, dragging him down onto the ice. They ended up in a pile laughing like preschoolers. The instructor told them that pairs skating wouldn’t be until the last lesson, which brought a titter of laugher from everyone.
The lesson began with the instructor showing them how to start with their skates pointing together at the toes. Then he demonstrated how to curve their skates out into an arc which propelled them backwards. Charlotte wobbled precariously but stayed on her feet as she brought her skates back in. She felt a great sense of victory, as if she’d just landed a triple Lutz, and diligently practiced the rest of the night until she could cover half the rink without falling.
Afterwards a group decided to go out to one of the bars. Frank looked at her with a question in his eyes, obviously wanting her to go. But she looked over at the high school girls and shook her head no. He caught the cue and
smiled and waved as they left. She walked over to the girls to chat. “You girls are doing really well out there. I’d give a lot to have your grace.”
“Aren’t you the romance writer?”
Oh no, here it comes. “Yes, I am.”
“We’re friends with JoAnn. She’s like a new person since she met you.”
Charlotte was embarrassed that tears came to her eyes. She brushed them away quickly. “Thanks for telling me that. It means a lot.”
The other girl who hadn’t spoken yet said, “Would you repeat that class you taught? There’s a bunch of us that would like to come.”
“Of course. I’d love to. How about I give you my number, and we’ll work out the details later.”
“Thanks! We’ll call.”
It happened that the only time they could meet was Sunday afternoon, making Charlotte’s Sundays rather busy. But a few of the girls came with her to youth group afterwards, which surprised Charlotte. This group of girls was quite different from the last. The first group had a church background and was pretty familiar with the Scriptures, but most of these girls had never stepped foot in a church and all of them demanded proof of the things she was saying. These sessions lasted twice as long, with many more questions; a few girls dropped out after the first one, but the rest stayed and were growing. After a few weeks, Pastor Gordon pulled Charlotte aside before youth group. “Charlotte, I want to thank you for all the work you’re doing with these girls. Their lives are being transformed because of you. I want to apologize for every suspicious thing I ever said about you.”
His eyes held such warmth that she wanted to hug him, but she knew that would be inappropriate so she simply said, “Thank you, Pastor. That means a lot coming from you.”
Two weeks later, one of the girls came to Charlotte’s door an hour before the group met. “Could I talk to you for a minute?”
“Sure, Carrie, come on in. Have you eaten lunch?”
The girl held her stomach and made a face. “No thanks. I don’t feel much like eating these days.”
Charlotte frowned but opened the door so she could step in out of the cold. “What can I do for you?”
“I have a problem. I haven’t wanted anybody to know, but I feel like I can tell you. You’ve got to promise that you won’t tell anyone.” The girl looked at Charlotte fiercely, as if swearing her to a blood oath.
“I’ll not tell anyone if I feel you aren’t in some kind of danger. That’s the best promise I can give.”
The girl relaxed and said, “I’m bulimic.” She stared at Charlotte, waiting for a response.
Charlotte was actually surprised. She was sure she was going to tell her she was pregnant. “I see. How long has this been going on?”
“About a year, but now it’s getting so that my stomach hurts all the time from so much vomiting, and I’ve started to bleed down there”—she pointed to her lap—“from all the laxatives.”
“You need to get to a doctor, you know.”
“I know, but I can’t go here. Everyone in town would know if I go here.”
“Have you talked to your mom about it?”
“No, she’d just yell at me.”
“I can’t take you to a doctor without your mom’s permission. How about if I come over to your house tomorrow night and we talk to her about it together?”
The girl sat there looking trapped. Finally she said, “Okay. But you’ve got to tell her. I can’t say a thing.”
“That will be fine. I’ll come over after dinner.”
The next night Charlotte’s own stomach hurt at the prospect of facing Carrie’s mom. She didn’t even know her, after all. As soon as she was sure they’d be finished with dinner, she drove to their house and knocked on the door. A young boy with two teeth missing answered. He stood there looking at her without saying anything. Charlotte finally broke the silence. “Is your mom here?”
“Mom!” he yelled, then disappeared down the hallway, leaving the door wide open. A plump woman in blue jeans and a sweatshirt walked up with a dishtowel in her hand. “I don’t want whatever you’re selling and I don’t have time to take any political surveys or sign any petitions.”
“I’m not doing any of those things. I’m here because Carrie asked me to come. She wants me to help her discuss something with you.”
“If this is about going to space camp, I’m going to skin that girl alive. I told her we can’t afford it.”
“No, this isn’t about space camp. May I come in?” She was starting to shiver standing on the doorstep.
The woman nodded but continued to regard her with suspicion. She turned her head and yelled “Carrie!” so loud that Charlotte jumped. “Go ahead and sit down.” Charlotte chose a place on the sofa, and the mother sat in an overstuffed chair that had seen better days. Carrie walked in and sat down on the sofa next to Charlotte. She looked like she wished she could disappear into the cushions. “What’s this about, Carrie?”
“Mrs. James, your daughter has an eating disorder.”
For a large woman, she leapt to her feet quite nimbly. “What? Who are you anyway, and what do you think you’re doing telling me nonsense about my daughter?”
Charlotte remained seated and tried to keep her voice calm. “I don’t blame you for being upset. I’m a perfect stranger to you. Carrie has been coming to my house for a study on Sunday afternoons.”
The woman squinted her eyes as if seeing Charlotte for the first time. “You’re that romance writer, aren’t you? What kind of silly stuff are you telling these girls?”
“Carrie has been making herself throw up, and she’s been using laxatives for about a year. She’s in bad enough shape now that she needs to see a medical doctor.”
“Well, why didn’t you say so?” She looked at Charlotte as if she were involved in a conspiracy with her daughter. “We’ll go see Doc Morgan tomorrow.”
Carrie spoke up. “No, Mom. I can’t go see him. Everyone in town would know.”
Her mom looked at her for the first time. “Why didn’t you tell me instead of going to a perfect stranger?”
“You yell a lot, Mom.”
Her mother blushed bright red. “I only yell because I love you. You and Timmy are my life. I sweat blood for you two. I’ve always told you to come to me with trouble.”
“I was scared. It was easier to tell Charlotte.” She then looked at her mom with pleading in her eyes, reminding Charlotte of a puppy she used to have. Carrie had almost yelled those words, but now her tone became soft. “I’m really sick, Mom.” Her eyes teared up and Mrs. James came over and threw her arms around her.
“It’s going to be all right, honey. We’ll get you some help. My HMO covers a doctor in Carlston. I’ll call him tomorrow, and we’ll get you in to see him.”
The tears came in earnest now and Charlotte decided it was time for her to leave. Mrs. James stopped her. “I’m sorry I almost bit your head off. I can see you just wanted to help. We’re much obliged.”
Charlotte nodded and slipped out the door.
CHAPTER twenty three
Ice skating ended and play practice became more intense, but Charlotte loved it. She’d made new friends, and even had a group over for dinner one night before rehearsal. She and Frank still saw each other regularly and she wondered where their relationship was going. She knew he was just waiting for a word from her, but she couldn’t quite give it.
Their dates had taken an interesting turn. They did a lot of sledding, snowmobiling, and skating, which almost always put them with a crowd so they rarely had a moment alone. But now the snow had melted and winter was winding down. They needed to find a new avenue for their energies. They both started including each other in things they had to do anyway, which worked out rather well because they now had a friend to invite along. During one of these events, Charlotte met Shari, Frank’s ex. She’d just moved back into town and looked great. Charlotte could see what Frank saw in her. She was cute and lively, full of humor. They seemed to click as if S
hari had never been gone.
A few weeks later, Charlotte got a call from Frank. “Charlotte, I don’t know how to say this.”
“You and Shari are getting back together.”
She wished she could see his face. “How in the world did you know that?”
“I knew the night I met her. You guys are meant to be with each other.”
“I can’t believe it. Are you mad?”
“Not at all. It’s been a great time, Frank, but we both know it wasn’t going to work out between us.”
“You’re the greatest, Charlotte. I don’t think Shari would have taken me back if it wasn’t for you. You taught me a lot.” His voice had sounded excited up to this point, but now he grew sober. “I hope you find someone too.”
“Thanks, Frank. But I’m doing fine.”
They hung up, and Charlotte cried. Not because Frank wasn’t available any more, but because she felt lonely. She was glad she had the play.
The performance was a rousing success. Her mother came to watch with Lyla, and they sat with Mrs. Bartholomew. All her high school girls were in attendance, and she was touched that many of the church people came, including Pastor Gordon. He beamed a huge smile, clapping enthusiastically when she came out for the final bow with the rest of the cast. His smile filled her with warmth.
Her mother was waiting for her when she came out of the dressing room. It alarmed her that she was leaning heavily on Lyla. “It’s been too much for you tonight, Mom. Let’s get back to the house.”
“I loved every minute of it, but I must admit I’ll be glad to see a bed.”
When they got up the next morning, Margaret made an announcement. “Now that your play is over and you are a little freer, I’d like to propose that we go to London.” Charlotte and Lyla looked at her as if she’d suggested they form a band a do a world tour.
“Mother, what are you thinking? You don’t have enough energy to do all the normal stuff.”
“My whole life I’ve planned on going to London, so I’m going. You two can either come with me or stay here.”
Lyla looked at Charlotte to see what she would say. All Charlotte got out was “Mother” again before Margaret interrupted her. “Now, little one, I’m not being unreasonable. I checked into a tour package that allows me to do as much or as little as I want. I’d like to see the Tower of London, the changing of the guard and the Royal Kew Gardens. We also would get tickets to Les Miserables on Saturday afternoon. We’d fly over there on a Monday and come back on a Sunday. You girls can shop or whatever while I’m resting. I wouldn’t do any more than I do now. I don’t have another chemo injection for several weeks. What do you think?”
Crispens Point - Book 1 of the Blackberry County Chronicles Page 13