by BWWM Club
“Thank you Janet.” Leah said returning the hug and feeling empathy towards the woman who had suffered so much.
*****
“I like her,” Leah said quietly as they were in the car on their way back. The trees were gently swaying in the slight breeze and she could see the flowers lifting their heads proudly to take advantage of the brilliant sunshine.
“She likes you too.” Paul reached over to clasp her hands folded in her lap.
“She has been through so much in her life and yet she has the faith to give God thanks. I would like to write her story.”
“You want to write a book about my mother?” Paul glanced at her fleetingly as he negotiated the bend in the small dirt road.
Leah nodded. “Do you think she would agree?”
“I am sure she would,” he glanced at her curiously. “I didn’t know you wanted to write?”
“The idea just came to me while I was there with her.” She told him. “Stories like hers need to be put out there. Sometimes we tend to take things for granted and think that our situation is the worst there is but there are people with far worse than we could ever experience. I can attest to that. I spent my life blaming God for taking away my mother and to make it even more, I thought he took away my father as well but I was blessed to have been loved by the single parent I had. You on the other hand, survived without both parents and made something of your life and you attributed it all to God. I feel so ashamed now at how bitter and cynical I had gotten.”
He had stopped the car underneath a shaded oak tree and turned towards her. “Your life before made you in the person you are now baby,” he told her gently. “We all lost our way at some point but God has pointed us back to the right way and that’s all that matters. I am glad you are who you are and I am happy that you have discovered the need for improvement. I love you no matter how you view life.”
“Thank you,” she whispered. “I love you too.”
*****
They were married on July 1st by Pastor Leo. It was a beautiful Saturday afternoon that at first looked cloudy but had turned out to be a clear and sunny day. The sanctuary was filled to capacity and as Leah waited outside she could not help but reflect on the way her life had turned. Her dress was of a billowing white that molded her upper body to perfection and drifted in soft waves down to her ankles. Her hair had been swept up on top of her head and a magnificent tiara placed in the curls. She was wearing topaz earrings and a matching necklace that Paul had given her a few days ago and her make-up was almost non-existent, not that she needed any.
She had started writing the book and had entitled it: ‘Breaking through the mold’. She had ended up spending a lot of time with Paul’s mother and had gotten to know and love her.
“You are the kind of daughter any mother would wish for,” Janet had told her tremulously. She was always taking little packages for her and the other residents when she visited.
“Don’t you want to live someplace by yourself?” she had asked the woman one day, thinking she would talk to Paul about them finding a place for her.
“I am happy here,” Janet said decidedly. “I don’t trust myself to be alone my dear; I prefer to be around people. I haven’t touched cocaine in years and I have no intention of doing so but you never know.”
She finally made her way inside the church slowly as the wedding march began and she saw the crowd stood to their feet but she only had eyes for him. He looked resplendent in a dark blue suit with a carnation in his lapel. His hair had been combed back from his face and he had a small smile on his lips.
He came halfway to meet her and took her arm in his and they walked the rest of the way up the aisle.
“Please be seated,” Pastor Leo instructed the congregation.
“We are gathered here this afternoon to celebrate the love of our dear brother Paul and our sister Leah. God has joined them together and we want to give Him thanks for the union. The couple has requested to say their own vows but before they do so I would like to ask if there are any objections to this union taking place?” he waited a spell and then continued. “You may repeat your vows.”
They turned to each other and held hands. “Leah my love. You came into my office and into my heart and I finally found the one I was looking for. I asked God for someone like you and he has given me the greatest blessing there is. I promise to take care of you, cherish you and never take you for granted and I would prefer to give up all that I have than to lose you. I am honored to be yours and I promise that it will only be you and no one else.”
Leah clung to his hands, the tears in her eyes. “Paul,” she began huskily. “I never knew a love like this until you showed me. You have taught me so many things. How to forgive and move on and how to let God into my life. I did not believe that a man like you existed and I thank God that he has chosen me to be with you because nobody else would do and I promise you that I will honor you and respect you and love you until I take my last breath. I love you.”
The congregation was hushed as the couple stared at each other; their love apparent for everyone to see. A love that had been borne out of a need that had been met.
“The rings please.” Pastor Leo took the rings from the Deacon and they put them on each other’s fingers. “Ladies and gentlemen, I present to you Mr. and Mrs. Paul Maitland.”
The congregation stood and cheered as the couple exchanged a passionate kiss before they made their way down the aisle.
Janet waved to them with tears in her eyes and when they got outside they were hugged and wished all the best in their new lives.
The reception was held at the same place, in the huge auditorium and they mingled with the well wishers before taking their seats at the head table. Before long it was time for the bride and groom to dance and they took to the floor.
“My wife,” he whispered against her ear as they circled the dance floor. “You complete me.”
“My husband, you make me feel so special.” She told him, wrapping her arms around his neck. “I will always love you.”
He bent to kiss her lingeringly on the lips and pulled her closer to him.
*****
When they made love that night he took her to heights that she had never dreamed possible to reach. He was very gentle with her knowing that it was her first time and she clung to him after, crying in his arms as they celebrated their love together.
“I want kids,” he told her quietly as he held her in his arms. “Maybe four,” he kissed her on the head as she snuggled closer to him.
“I see,” she said in amusement. “Are you sure that will be enough?”
“Think we should have more?” he asked her with a straight face.
She punched him playfully in his flat stomach. “Ouch,” he started tickling her.
“Stop!” Leah said laughing as she held his hands together.
“I want a family Leah and I am kind of scared, wondering whether or not I will make a good father considering my background.” He told her seriously when she had stopped laughing.
“Are you kidding me?” she rested on her elbow and looked down at him. His brown hair tinted with blonde was tousled and he looked boyishly handsome. “You are going to make a great father.”
*****
He had started work on the place they were going to call home. He had workmen there doing the construction and had told her he wanted her input so she was working with the contractor to tell them what they needed. They had argued about how large it was going to be. She wanted only four bedrooms but he was insisting on six bedrooms and the same amount of bathrooms, a front and back porch and a massive kitchen.
“Considering that I hate cooking that kitchen is going to be wasted,” she had told him dryly as they stood in the shell of the building.
“I love to cook,” he had told her, planting a kiss on her cheek. “And besides I am going to employ someone to do that sort of thing. And I was thinking that my mother could come for visits and stay over sometimes.”
He added.
She had turned to look at him in surprise. “I think that’s a wonderful idea.”
She was working between the home where she was compiling the notes for the book she was writing and helping out in the soup kitchen as well as learning to bake with Gladys. Paul wanted her to be in on meetings because he said that she was now his partner in everything.
“I have patches of my life that I cannot account for,” Janet said sadly. It was the middle of August and they were sitting under the shade of a red oak tree where Leah had brought cookies as well as a scrumptious lemon meringue pie that Gladys had given her. She had left Paul in a meeting and told him she would be back by about three. She had also brought pitchers of ice cold lemonade.
Leah reached over and gave the woman’s hands a gentle squeeze.
“Tell me what you remember.”
“I grew up with an abusive father and a drunk for a mother and as soon as I could, I left and lived on the streets trying to survive,” she paused and stared off into space as if she was back in the past. “I started hooking when I went to live with this guy. I thought I was in love and I thought he felt the same way but it just happened that he wanted to sell me to the highest bidder. I became numb to my fate and I started doing drugs to help me to cope with what I was doing.”
Leah could not imagine what she had been through and she found herself once again grateful that she had had a loving father who made sure she was taken care of. It brought her to the realization that there were many children out there with similar stories. “Did you ever try to go back home?”
“Once,” Janet said with a rueful laugh. “But the situation had gotten worse so I left again. I was an only child and I was never loved, that has got to be the most awful feeling in the entire world.” She looked down at her daughter-in-law’s hands on hers. The girl had stopped taking notes and Janet wondered if her memory was that good for her to remember everything said. “I got pregnant and did not know who the father was and the jerk I was hooking for threw me out and I lived on the street until I had the baby and then I knew I wanted better for him so I left him on that step and I have not regretted it.”
“You gave him a better life,” Leah said gently.
Janet nodded. “Sometimes I wonder if Paul will ever understand why I did what I did.”
“He does,” Leah assured her. She had spoken to Paul about talking to his mother in length; but although he had said over and over that he had forgiven her; Leah was sure that there was still some part of him that felt resentful.
“I wish I could do it all over again.” She said sadly. “But in life you do not get do overs. You just have to learn from your mistakes and move on from them.” She smiled suddenly. “I have a lot to give God thanks for. I have been given a second chance with my son and I have a beautiful daughter as well and possibly grand children on the way.”
“You’re as bad as your son,” Leah said with a laugh. At the rate her husband was going, it might be sooner than later. “What happened after you gave birth and you left Paul at the home?”
“I went back to doing what I had been doing all along until an overdose landed me in the hospital and I almost died. They put me in rehab and that was where Paul found me. I did not know who he was and when he told me, I just started crying my eyes out. I did not deserve him looking for me and I was ashamed of the condition I found myself in. This handsome young man who had done so well for himself was the son I had abandoned, it was too much.”
Leah spent the time with her consoling her and realizing that what she had gone through was nothing compared to what Janet had been through.
*****
She was at the house overseeing the painting of the walls when she felt it. Suddenly she was admiring the mixture of orange and red paint that was going to be in the kitchen when she felt her stomach started heaving.
“Could you excuse me?” she asked the middle aged contractor and without waiting for a response she rushed into the bathroom. She leaned back against the cool tiles and closed her eyes wearily, feeling the beads of sweat on her brow. It was almost the end of September and the weather had turned chilly so she had on a blue cashmere sweater that suddenly felt too hot for her body.
“Mrs. Maitland are you okay in there?” Mr. Clarke the contractor asked in concern.
“I am now.” She answered totally forgetting that she had left the man out in the hall way. The house was almost completed and they were planning to move in by the second week of October. “Probably something I ate.”
“Your husband is on his way,” he told her.
“You called him?” Leah rolled her eyes in exasperation. Paul had told her to wait for him while he finished dealing with some reports but she had told him she was going ahead before him, now she was not going to hear the last of it.
“I am sorry but when I did not see you come back, I thought something was horribly wrong.” He said contritely.
“You did the right thing Steven,” her husband’s voice sounded just outside the door before he pushed it open and came in. “Baby what’s wrong?” he rushed to her side, kneeling down in front of her and lifting her chin to look at her pale face.
“I smelled the paint and just started throwing up,” she told him in a weak voice.
Her eyes narrowed at the broad smile he was suddenly wearing. “That’s funny?”
“I never thought it possible for me to be happier than I was when you married me but I lied.” He told her, picking her up into his arms. “I think we are going to be parents’ honey,” he told her gently at her uncomprehending look.
Her eyes widened as she realized that she had been so busy that she had not realized that she had not had her monthly period for the past month. “I am pregnant?”
“It looks that way.” He said beaming from ear to ear as he stepped out of the bathroom with her still in his arms. “I am going to be a father Steven!” he shouted as soon as he saw the man.
“Congratulations Paul, Mrs. Maitland,” he said beaming at them. “This house is going to be ready at the right time.”
“Shouldn’t we make sure before we go telling the world?” Leah asked him teasingly.
“I already know.” He told her, setting her gently on one of the stools in the half finished kitchen. Mr. Clarke had gone outside to give them some privacy. “Do you have any idea how happy I am right now?” he cupped her face and looked down at her tenderly, his hands trembling slightly.
“I am beginning to see how much,” she told him huskily, reaching up to wipe a tear from his eye; incredibly moved by his show of emotions. “You’re going to make a wonderful father.”
“I promise you that no matter what happens in life I will always be there for you and my child.” He rested his head on her forehead.
“I know my darling.” Leah held him gently. “But I also want you to know that your mother regrets the choices she made where both of you are concerned and she wants a second chance. I know you keep saying that you have forgiven her but you also need to let go. You are the one who is always telling me to forgive and forget. What about you?”
He stood there, his arms around her and his head on hers and for a while she wondered if he was going to respond. Then he said huskily. “You’re right,” he whispered. “I need to do that.”
They left there and went to the home where his mother lived. Throughout the drive there he held her hand and kept looking at her. “You’re not going to coddle me to death are you?” she asked him.
“Absolutely.” He said with a smile.
“Mom, we have some wonderful news.” He said as soon as he stepped inside the room. Janet had been sitting by the window knitting a sweater and her eyes lighted up as soon as she saw them and her smile widened at his use of the word ‘Mom’. “We are going to have a baby.”
“Glory be to God!” she shouted getting to her feet and coming over to hug both of them tightly. “I am going to be a grandmother.”
She hurried away to tell the rest of t
he residents before coming back inside the room. “I am so happy I can hardly contain myself.” She brushed the tears from her cheeks. “The Lord has given me a second chance that I don’t deserve and I don’t know how to thank Him!”
“I love you Mom,” Paul told her as soon as she sat back down.
Janet stared at him, her expression one of disbelief. “What?”
“I said I love you,” Paul went over to her and sat on the arm of her chair. “I want you to know that I have forgiven you for the past and I want us to start fresh now.”
Janet broke down, burying her face into her hands, she sobbed as if her heart would break. Paul held her to him gently, looking over at Leah who was smiling at him. A breakthrough had occurred.
Chapter 7
He did not allow her to do anything around the house. They had moved in by October and he had hired a decorator to handle the interior. Her husband did not do anything in half measures, she thought as she ran her hand over the curving staircase of the split level house. The master bedroom was done in burgundy and gold and the massive four poster bed was set on a dais. The bathroom took her breath away with twin basins and the lights sunken in the ceiling. There was a large shower stall as well as an off white bath that could hold six people comfortably.
The yard was landscaped with gently rolling grass and flowers of all descriptions. He had also included a vegetable garden around the back, saying that in his spare time he was going to do some gardening. They had been to the doctor and her next appointment was going to be in November. He had cried that night they went home and she had held him as he hugged her tightly to him. He bought her everything and he did not stop even when she told him she had enough.
“How are you?” he asked her as they held hands and walked around the huge yard. It was a little chilly and they had put on jackets. The sprinkler had come on and the wet grass had a perfume of its own.