The color drained from Katie's face.
“Please tell me that you mean that you're having second thoughts about your dress or floral arrangements or something.”
Aubrey bit her lip and shook her head as she twisted her bracelets.
“Did something happen? Or are you just nervous? What would make you say that?”
“It started at the rehearsal yesterday. When Nick seemed shocked that I wanted to keep my maiden name. I just assumed that he assumed that I would. But the fact that we didn't really know how each other felt about it, well, it got me thinking.”
“Let me get this straight, you are having second thoughts about marrying Nick today because he was surprised when he heard you weren't changing your name? Are you crazy?”
“Yes, I think I am.”
“But he said it was no big deal. And I know Nick, he loves you so much, he wouldn't care if you change your name to Big Bird, honestly, you're making too much of this, sweetie.”
“That's just it. You know Nick; you've know him for many years. I thought I knew him, but how much can you really know about someone in six months. He told me that he thought when we have kids someday that I would quit my job to stay home with them.”
“That monster!” Katie exclaimed in mock horror. “How could he?” She smiled and patted Aubrey on the shoulder. “Honey, if that's the worst thing he's gonna do, consider yourself lucky!”
“It's not that, I mean, issues like that will come up, I know. It's just that, well, it took me by surprise that I didn't know that about him and really got me thinking, what else don't I know. Are they going to be little things or big issues? What about his past? Do I know everything I need to know to spend the rest of my life with him?”
“You love each other, that's all you need to know. You wouldn't have told him you'd marry him if your heart wasn't ready, right?”
“I guess it just hit me last night how little we know about each other. What about you and Kyle-was there anything you found out about him after you were married that surprised you?”
“Kyle? Well, it was different for us, I've known him since I was four.”
“That doesn't help! See what I mean, Nick is practically a stranger compared to that.”
“Stop this thinking, Aubrey, it's not doing you any good. This is supposed to be the happiest day of your life and you are going to marry someone who I know adores you and loves you with his whole being. You know, he wasn't always the happy go lucky guy that you see. It was long ago but there was a time, after him and Tracy lost their baby that I didn't think I'd ever see him happy again. Since he's met you, he's the happiest I've ever seen him, it's like..”
Aubrey's mouth gaped open as she held up her hand. “Hold up! Him and Tracy lost their what?”
Katie's eyes got big and she thought about what she said. “He did tell you about Tracy...didn't he?”
“Yes, he told me that Tracy was his girlfriend in college, but he never said anything about a baby? They had a baby? Are you kidding me?”
Aubrey started pacing again and clenched her jaw so tight it started twitching and the vein in her forehead was throbbing.
“Now I have to stop this. I can't marry him. We need to postpone this, you have to help me!”
“Hold on, okay, just hold on. Let me explain what happened. What happened was that the week after him and Tracy broke up, she found out she was pregnant but a couple months later had a miscarriage. They had broken up anyway, but losing that baby was harder on him than it was on her and he was really depressed for awhile. It might be a part of his life that he just wants to forget. He's very sensitive, you know that.”
Aubrey kept pacing as Katie peered out the window. “Guests are starting to arrive, Aubrey. I know it's taboo for the bride to see the groom before the ceremony but I think you should talk to Nick. I'm going to go get him.”
“Wait! I want you to do something for me,” Aubrey told her, rummaging through the drawer of the large mahogany desk in the study. She pulled out a pen and a pad of paper and started writing quickly, her hand flying over the paper in quick, furious motions.
“What are you doing?” Katie asked.
“I want you to take this to Nick. They are questions for him. I need to find out years worth of information in the minutes before our wedding. Tell him I want to see him but not before he answers every one of these questions for me.”
Katie walked over and tried to peer over Aubrey's shoulder but she was blocked.
“What kind of questions?”
“Just stuff off the top of my head that helps me understand what kind of person he is.”
She finished writing and handed the list to Katie.
Katie looked at the list and then back to Aubrey. “You just came up with these off the top of your head?”
Aubrey nodded as Katie looked back at the list. “Okay, if you say so.” She said as she folded it up.
Before she left, Katie gave Aubrey a hug, being careful not to muss up either of their updos. “I love you as if I've known you my whole life and I know that's how Nick feels about you, too. If ever two people were meant to be together, it's you two.”
Aubrey blinked back tears as she gave Katie a pat. “Thank you, that means a lot to me.”
“Okay, I'm off to get Nick this list, but you need to talk to him, too. And you're running out of time.” She pointed out the window to the rows of seats that were now filling fast with guests awaiting the ceremony to start.
Once Katie left, she was left once again with her own thoughts. The knot in her stomach was causing her pain as she thought about Nick not telling her that his ex-girlfriend lost their baby.
Her emotions ran from sadness to anger and back again to sadness. There was another knock on the door and she felt the anger come over her once again as she knew there hadn't been enough time for him to answer all the questions and he probably was just here to laugh about it and not take this seriously.
She swung the door open, put her other hand on her hip and said “You better have all of those questions answered!”
But to her surprise, it wasn't Nick standing on the other side of the door. It was Granny Ruby, her great-grandmother, looking sweet although a little surprised herself. “Questions?”
“Oh, I'm sorry Granny Ruby, I thought you were...someone else.”
“Oh, I hope I didn't disappoint you, then. Let me get a look at you! Aubrey Rose Gray, you are the most beautiful bride I've ever seen!”
Aubrey smiled, feeling some of her anger and stress wash away.
“Thank you, Granny,” she said as she leaned down to hug her. “I could say the same thing about you. You look stunning, the most beautiful grandmother there ever was!”
Granny did a little turn to show off her sequined jacket and skirt set, giggling. It made Aubrey giggle, too. Granny Ruby's daughter, who had been Aubrey's grandmother, had died from cancer when Aubrey's mother was just a young girl, so Aubrey never got to meet her. After she died, Aubrey's mother was raised by Granny Ruby, who looked and acted like she had access to a fountain of youth. She always had a spring in her step and a twinkle in her eye and Aubrey could always count on her to lift her spirits.
“What are you doing back here, Granny?”
“Well, I was on my way to the ladies' room when I overheard your sister saying that you'd gotten cold feet and had locked yourself in the study.”
Aubrey rolled her eyes, “I'm going to have to do something about Jackie. She's such a drama queen! The last thing I need is for her to be spreading that around.”
“Oh, so it isn't true then.”
“That I've locked myself in the study? There's no barricade here; the door is just closed, not locked.” She laughed nervously.
“I mean about getting cold feet.”
Aubrey looked down at her hands and then into Granny Ruby's kind blue eyes.
“Kind of,” she squeaked, the lump in her throat growing bigger.
“There's nothing to be ashamed of
, my dear, it happens to most brides. I know the feeling first hand; it happened to me, too.”
“It did?”
“Mmmhmmm, it sure did. And it happened to my mother before me, too. She told me her story on my wedding day and it helped me to calm my nerves. What are you nervous about, darling? Is it that you feel that you don't know him well enough? That you're not sure if you're ready to marry yet?”
It was unnerving how spot on her great-grandmother was. She nodded her head and said, “That's pretty much it. I love Nick, of that I have no doubt, but all of a sudden I feel like we're rushing into this. I know it's silly, I had our whole engagement to think this through and it is just hitting me now. I feel sort of foolish that I didn't think of this earlier; I should have stopped myself and realized that I was moving too fast.”
Granny Ruby smiled at her with kind eyes. “Time is relative, my dear. My mother and father were married for over sixty years. That's a long time, isn't it? They had one of the most loving marriages, full of devotion and inspiration for anyone that knew them. It was the of our whole family-they had eight children, 40 grandchildren, 63 great-grandchildren and so far, 13 great-great-grandchildren. Hopefully you will add to that number, too. So many beautiful, wonderful human beings have come from that union of love”
“Wow,” Aubrey said.
“Yes, wow, indeed. But like I said, time is relative. You've known Nick for six months and that is seeming to you like a short time. But do you know how long my mother and father knew each other before they were married?
Aubrey shook her head.
Granny's eyes twinkled as she spoke. “They didn't meet until the day they got married?”
Aubrey stared at Granny in confusion. “What? How can that be?” She wondered if Granny had misspoke or if there was a punchline coming.
But Granny just smiled, that same twinkle still in her eyes.
“You heard me right. They met the day they married. You see, your great-great grandmother was a mail order bride. She answered an ad placed by a man looking for a wife. My father was one of the first settlers in an area were women were scarce and he thought it the best way to find a wife for himself. And as for my mother, well, she never told me the reason she decided to become a mail order bride to a man she'd never met, but she did tell me that it took her whole family by surprise. But her mind was made up, she went out west to meet her husband on the day they wed and they made it worked. Because both of them were committed to making it work. They grew to love each other and were committed to each other. They went to church, worked hard, raised their family and when problems arose, as they do in every marriage, my dear-there is no marriage that is immune to the challenges of life, they worked through them together, always as a team. They taught me that a marriage is made of respect, kindness and compromise.”
“I can't even imagine marrying someone I'd never met.”
“Your great-great-grandmother Rose was a strong woman. You remind me a lot of her and it's only fitting you were named for her. She trusted her instincts and I trust mine. My instincts tell me that Nick is a good man. In the short time I've known him, he has displayed grace, patience, kindness and a great love for you, my dear. Will there be surprises ahead for the two of you? I'm sure of it. Life is full of surprises and bends in the road. It makes the journey interesting. But you shouldn't let a fear of that unknown road rob you from a lifetime of happiness.”
Aubrey felt her eyes fill with tears. Granny held Aubrey's hands in hers. “I hope I made you feel a little better, dear.”
“You have,” Aubrey said, her voice shaky, “I know that you're right. Nick is a good man. What's wrong with me?”
“Nothing, my dear, other than you're human. Nobody's perfect, not your self, nor Nick. Nobody. Never expect perfection but find the good in everyone. And you have a good head on your shoulders. In time, I hope you learn to trust your instincts as I've learned to trust mine. I think you and your cousin Hannah have both picked wonderful men to spend your lives with and I have no worries for future. Ben and Nick are wonderful men. Now your sister, on the other hand, that's one I have to worry about.”
Aubrey laughed as Granny headed back toward the door. “I know there's not much time left before the ceremony, so I'll find my way back to my seat, dear. I will be there to support you and am so happy for you and Nick.”
“Thank you so much, Granny, I can always count on you to make me feel better when I need it most. What would I do without you?”
She leaned in the doorway, watching Granny Ruby walk back down the hall and feeling a sense of calm wash over her. She momentarily even forgot about her anxiety until she was startled by Nick's voice behind her.
“I know I'm not supposed to see you yet, but Katie told me it was urgent that I talk to you and gave me this list of odd questions. Am I on some kind of hidden camera show?”
She spun around to face him but before she could answer, he began to read from the list, “How do you feel about guinea pigs?”
“Umm, it's a long story. Come in here for a minute, please.”
She pulled him into the study and leaned in to give him a hug.
“She told me you were upset, you don't seem upset.”
He pulled away from her as he looked her over from head to toe. “And, oh my gosh, Aubrey, I don't even have the words to tell you how beautiful you are.”
She felt her eyes well up again. “Thank you. I know I'm breaking all sorts of taboos by having you see me right now, but I'm glad Katie sent you. I was really messed up when I talked to her.”
“But you're better now? And you never told me what all these questions are about.”
“I'm feeling a little better now.” She took the list out of his hands and saw that he answered the questions, every single one. She didn't even care what the answers were, the fact that he answered them all spoke volumes.
“Sorry about the questions. After what happened last night with the whole name thing, I just started freaking out about how little we actually know about each other. I was even having second thoughts about going through with this today.”
“I know everything I need to know about you. I never would have asked you to marry me if I didn't love you. I know that I don't know everything about you, and who knows, maybe I never will. But that's the fun part of this journey we're starting together. It will be full of surprises, but I know there's nothing we can't handle together.”
Aubrey smiled at him. It was practically the same advice that Granny Ruby had given her. Her instincts were right.
She was almost ready to move on but there was one issue that was still nagging her. “I agree completely. We are on a journey together. For the rest of our lives. And the only way I can do that is to ask for your complete honesty. Do you promise to always be honest with me, Nick?”
He looked slightly confused. “Of course. I've always been honest with you.”
“Katie told me that Tracy had been pregnant. That you lost your baby. You never told me about it before. And I know it's not exactly lying, but it's also something pretty big that happened to you and you never told me about it. Why couldn't you trust me to tell me that?”
A stunned look came over him. He lifted a hand and ran it through his dark hair and walked over to the window overlooking the guests that she had been looking through just a short time ago. He looked back at her and said, “I'm sorry. You are right, I should have told you. I don't know why I didn't, it's just one of those things that are hard to talk about even though I'm over it. I remember when I told you about Tracy, I thought to myself, someday I can tell her about the baby. But the opportunity never came up again, to be honest. I mean, I rarely think about it anymore.”
He walked over to her and grabbed her hands in his. She loved the feel of his strong hands wrapped around hers. Her eyes met his as he went on. “Aubrey Gray, I will say it to you now, I will say it in my vows, I will say it every day. You are the love of my life. I will always be honest with you and always love and prot
ect you. I can't promise that I won't make mistakes but only that I will do my best to always make you happy.”
She felt like a fool for every questioning that they were meant to be together. He embraced her and kissed her forehead. She looked up at him with eyes full of love.
“I wonder if it breaks any taboos if I kiss the bride before the ceremony.”
“Just a quick one, Mr. Smalley. Our guests are waiting.”
He smiled as he leaned in and their lips met in a passionate kiss that gave Aubrey a tingle that went down her spine. She could get used to being kissed like that every day for the rest of her life.
The two of them made their way to the foyer where the rest of the wedding party was waiting for them to begin their trek out to the rose garden and down the aisle. And as she walked down that aisle, she winked at her Granny Ruby as she passed and silently hoped that she could be as strong as women in her family before her. After a heartfelt ceremony among the roses, they were pronounced husband and wife. And when the minister introduced them for the first time as Mr. and Mrs. Nick Smalley, she felt Nick give her hand a squeeze as they made their way back down the aisle, the first steps of the journey that she knew they were meant to take together. And Aubrey thought to herself, you know, 'Aubrey Smalley' doesn't sound so bad after all.
THE END
Author’s Note: Thank you for purchasing this ebook,
I hope that you enjoyed the story of Aubrey and Nick.
I invite you to read the sweet love story of how Aubrey's cousin Hannah met Ben, in Hannah's Christmas Hope, available in Kindle Edition.
Hannah Miller has adjusted to life after losing her husband three years ago, focusing on building a future for herself and her young son, Andrew. Falling in love again is the last thing on her mind.
After the family dog, Shadow, runs away, Andrew makes two Christmas wishes: to get his dog back and to get a new dad. When Shadow is returned by a handsome stranger, Andrew thinks both wishes have been answered.
Ben Murphy is an attractive veterinarian with a big heart and Hannah has a hard time controlling her emotions when she’s near him. But after a startling- discovery, she wonders if another chance at love is too much to hope for after all.
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