by Joy Redmond
Wes pulled into the Hicks’ driveway and gave Tori a peck on the lips. “I’ll call you later.”
“Okay,” she said, hardly recognizing her own voice.
As they watched Wes drive away, Tori hugged Jill. “I’ll go upstairs and pack. Can you drive me back to Grammy’s?”
“You know I will,” Jill said, hugging tighter.
“I’ll call you later.” Tori turned to go inside the house. “I just want to be alone for a while.”
“I understand.” Jill smiled. “I’m just a phone call away. See you later, alligator.”
“After while, crocodile,” Tori replied.
When Tori walked into the kitchen, it was the first time she could remember being glad that both her parents were at work when she came home.
She went upstairs and packed her suitcase, wondering how it would all end. She lugged her bag downstairs, then left a note on the kitchen table telling her parents she’d be spending the next week with Grammy and Poppy. They wouldn’t think twice about it.
She picked up the phone by the back door and dialed Jill to tell her she was ready. Then she sat on the top step of the porch and waited. A few minutes later, Jill tooted the horn of her red Pinto, and Tori walked out to the curb, looking around as if she’d never see home again – and in a way, it was true.
She climbed into the car and said, “Okay, let’s do this thing.”
* * * *
Every day for the next week Tori was so sick she could barely get out of bed. Grammy brewed her special herb tea and forced Tori to drink it. Tori was grateful she was at Grammy and Poppy’s, so Momma and Daddy couldn’t see her in such a condition. They wouldn’t worry – or get suspicious either.
By the following Saturday, Tori’s stomach had settled down. She ate a few bites throughout the day and by afternoon she was feeling stronger. “Today is the day,” she wearily said as she dressed in a baby blue two-piece suit, slipped on the white pumps, and piled her hair on top of her head with a half dozen hair pins.
She stared at her hair, still amazed at how curly it was. It had been virtually straight until she had entered puberty, but when the hormones kicked in, so did the curls along with the freckles. She applied her makeup, picked up her clutch bag, and headed outside, where she sat in the swing, twisting her hands and wondering if Wes was going to back out.
She wanted Grammy to come out and sit beside her and hold her hand, but Grammy was puttering in her bedroom looking for the cameo broach that belonged to her grandmother, so she could give Tori the traditional “something old” for the wedding.
Finally, Wes pulled into the driveway and Tori sighed. Her life was crumbling around her, and there was nothing she could do about it. She had plans for after graduation, including going to business college with Jill, but that wasn’t going to happen now.
Wes parked his car and when he stepped out, he looked very handsome in his dark brown suit, white shirt, and beige tie. Tori felt her heart flutter. She loved him so much, but neither of them was ready for marriage.
Sorrow filled her as she realized her life as she had always known it was gone. She was going to be a mother. She had to accept responsibility and stop being a big baby. She wondered if she would ever get the education she wanted and become a career woman. Many women juggled motherhood with a career, but she wasn’t sure she was capable of doing it herself.
Wes walked toward Tori, smiling as if he were the happiest guy in the world. His eyes were full of love, and Tori didn’t detect any regrets. Jill and Billy walked beside him, Jill in a pink, two-piece suit and Billy in a navy blue suit, white shirt, and blue tie. Tori thought they made such a beautiful couple.
Grammy stuck her head out the front door. “Ya’ll come on in.”
They stepped into the living room where Poppy had his Brownie loaded and ready to take pictures. Grammy told them how she wanted them to pose as Poppy snapped away. When Grammy was satisfied, she and Poppy wished them well and sent them on their way.
When they reached the main highway that would lead them to Illinois, Tori looked at Wes. “Do your parents know we’re getting married?”
“Yes,” he said with a sigh. “I told them all about it.”
“Well, what did they say?”
“They agreed that we’re doing the right thing.”
“I guess they hate my guts!”
“They don’t hate you, Tori – don’t act stupid. They’re not jumping through hoops, but they wished us love and luck. They know it’s going to be hard for us, but they promised to do whatever they could to help.”
“Oh.” Tori didn’t know what to make of their comments. She knew her parents wouldn’t jump through hoops when they found out either, but she also knew they’d help them the best they could. They were lucky to have the parents they had.
During the drive, they didn’t laugh and joke around like they usually did. This was a solemn occasion, and they all knew it. When they arrived in Illinois, they had no trouble finding the courthouse, and Wes took charge and led them through the formalities, which was good, because Tori was in a daze.
The ceremony was nice enough, but Tori could hardly consider it a wedding. To her it was just a piece of paper they needed to prove they were married, even though they did exchange vows and wedding bands.
When they left the courthouse, they found a parking ticket on the windshield, which was the last straw. Wes ripped it from the windshield, wadded it into a ball, walked up the street a piece, and threw it into a street trashcan. Nobody said a word. Then they headed back to Grammy and Poppy’s.
When Wes pulled into the driveway, Tori saw her parents’ car. “Oh, hells bells,” she mumbled. She didn’t want to get out of the car when Wes parked and turned off the ignition.
Wes walked around to the passenger side and held the door open, then took Tori’s hand and led her toward the house.
Her mother came down the porch steps and hugged Tori. “Well, I must say this was a surprise. I wish you would have confided in me, but I guess you were more comfortable with Grammy.” She wiped away a tear and added, “Even so, I have to admit that I’m happy with the idea of being a grandmother. And young lady, you have to get to the doctor as soon as possible and get started on prenatal vitamins.”
“I know Momma,” Tori said, glad that it was all out in the open. “There’s a lot I have to start doing and a lot I have to stop doing. Just give me time to adjust to all the changes, please. And I don’t want to think about all that lies ahead of me. Let’s enjoy the rest of the day – it is my wedding day, after all!”
“I couldn’t agree more!” her dad said, giving Tori a big hug. Then, he shook Wes’ hand. “Welcome to the family. I always knew it would happen eventually.”
In the house, Grammy handed them all a glass of lemonade and led them in a toast to their new life. Everybody finished the refreshing drink, made small talk for a few minutes.
“Well, I suppose you young people want to head out for whatever you’re going to be doing tonight,” Grammy eventually said.
Tori hugged her parents and grandparents, took Wes’ hand, and Jill and Billy followed them to the car.
Wes had reservations at the Executive Inn, where they again ate lobster – and it felt good to laugh and talk like they had back in the good old days – which hadn’t been all that long ago.
After the meal, Jill and Billy congratulated them again, wished them the best, and went on their way. Tori watched until Jill was out of sight, her heart wanting to run to her, hold her, and beg her to spend the night with her.
Wes took Tori’s hand. “I got us the bridal suite.” His eyes danced as if he were the happiest groom in the world.
Tori put her arms around him. “That sounds nice.”
They held hands as they stepped into the elevator, got off on the fifth floor, and found their room. Wes carried Tori across the threshold and grunted as if she weighed a ton. They both laughed.
The room was beautiful and romantic. Tori wasn�
��t anxious to perform the sex act but it was her wifely duty. This time it was much different and slightly uncomfortable. Nothing to rave about and she was glad when it was over, which was rather quick. However, lying in Wes’ arms was wonderful.
“Till death do us part,” Tori whispered.
“Till death do us part,” Wes whispered and kissed her deeply.
As Wes held Tori she could feel his body shaking, and she felt a tear drop onto her shoulder. She wondered if it were a tear of joy or remorse, but she didn’t ask. She just let her own tears join his.
Anna’s Note
June 3, 1975
I feel like I did the right thing in coaxing Tori and Wes to get married. However, I have a gnawing feeling that Tori might resent Poppy and me for it on down the road. So I guess time will tell. Or maybe I’ll have a vision. The only thing I’m getting so far is a strong feeling … danger is waiting.
Anna West-Morgan
Chapter Eight
Tori spent most of her time with Grammy that summer. She so loved the country, but she found herself lonely and depressed most of the time. For the past three months, Wes had been putting in ten-hour days at his landscaping job. Tori knew he needed money for college, but she missed him terribly and resented his absence. Grammy did her best to cheer Tori up, and sometimes it worked, but most of the time it didn’t.
Tori spent her afternoons sitting on the porch swing, chewing her nails, and waiting for Wes, hoping he’d come and take her to a movie, out to dinner, or anywhere. The only time they managed to spend any real time together that summer was on her eighteenth birthday. Big whoop! Eighteen was supposed to be a person’s big birthday, but she was pregnant and there was nothing to celebrate, as far as she was concerned, so even that day hadn’t been what she’d call quality time.
It seemed like everybody’s life was moving forward while she was forced to just sit around and get huge. She hated the feeling of being confined and restricted.
At the end of August, Wes would be off to the University of Kentucky, and football was all he ever talked about. He’d found a part-time job as a mechanic in Lexington, working late afternoons and every other weekend. She was happy for him, but that meant he’d only be able to see her two weekends out of the month, and she’d never see him during the long football season.
Jill had enrolled at the local business college, and though Tori tried to be happy for her, she couldn’t stop feeling sorry for herself, especially when she thought about how different her and Jill’s lives were going to turn out. Jill would get a diploma – and she’d get a pile of poopy diapers. It just wasn’t fair.
The day Wes left for college, Tori tried to be brave. She wished him well, but she hated him for leaving her behind. After that, time slowed to a crawl. Tori felt lost without Jill and Wes, her two best friends.
October finally rolled around. The days were cooler and the nights getting nippy, which was a great relief from the heat and humidity of the dog days of summer. Late one Saturday afternoon, Tori was sitting in her usual spot in the swing, pushing back and forth and wishing Poppy would oil the chains. A mild and refreshing breeze was blowing, and she stared at the beauty surrounding her.
The trees were putting on their fall fashion show, adorning themselves with leaves of orange, yellow, and reds. She looked around her and realized the world was beautiful – even if she was choosing to see it as ugly because life hadn’t been going the way she wanted it to.
The beautiful leaves reminded her of the fireplace that Poppy had built with multicolored stones he dug from a quarry. Many times as a child she had sat in front of it and admired its beauty. And she marveled at the masterpiece that Poppy had poured his heart and soul into making.
At that moment, surrounded by the splendor of fall, she vowed never to think of her situation as a mistake again. It was what it was – and as Grammy always said, there was a reason for everything, including the new life growing inside her. She closed her eyes and pictured Jill’s beautiful face and smile, which filled her with longing to see her kindred spirit. She sighed deeply, and just as she opened her eyes, she saw a red Pinto coming up the driveway!
Tori stood and did her pee-dance as she waited for Jill to park her car. Then she ran down the steps and met Jill as she walked toward the porch.
“I’m so glad to see you!” Tori hugged Jill so tightly she squeezed the breath from both their lungs.
Jill grunted. “Good golly, Miss Molly! Don’t choke me to death. I’m glad to see you, too. Boy, your hormones are on a rampage today.”
They held hands as they walked onto the porch and sat in the swing. Jill looked around. “You know, this is my favorite place in the whole world. It’s so beautiful and peaceful out here.”
“It’s funny you should say that,” Tori replied. “I was just thinking that this is the prettiest place next to heaven.” She looked toward the blue sky. Big puffy clouds streaked the sky, and she had the urge to reach up and grab one to use as a pillow.
They sat in silence for a few moments and Tori’s heart filled with a renewed sense of hope – something she hadn’t felt in a long time.
“Oh, my gosh!” Tori said, quickly putting her hands on her enlarged stomach.
“What is it?” Jill asked. “Are you okay?”
“The baby just kicked – or something,” Tori said. “Dr. Harrison said it would feel like a butterfly flutter at first, but that wasn’t a butterfly – it was a field goal kicker!”
“Let me feel.” Jill put her hand on Tori’s stomach. “Well, sweet potato pie and kiss my grits! I can feel it. I can’t believe it’s jumping around so soon.”
“Moving around?” Tori replied. “It feels more like it’s rearranging the furniture in there! And I’m only into my forth month.”
“That’s so cool,” Jill said, shaking her head. “And miraculous, when you think about it.”
“You know, it didn’t seem real to me until this moment,” Tori gazed down at her stomach with her hands lovingly rubbing over it. “It is a miracle, really.” Tears stung her eyes. “You have no idea how a moving baby can fill a heart with such love. I love my baby more than you or Wes. I didn’t think that was possible.”
“I’m kind of jealous.” Jill patted Tori’s stomach. “I can’t imagine what it feels like inside you. Wow, that’s something else!”
“Let’s go find Grammy.” Tori stood and headed toward the front door.
Grammy was in the kitchen staring out the window over the sink, gazing upon the Morgan graveyard as she often did. “Grammy!” Tori cried, causing Grammy to startle and grab her heart. “The baby moved! Do you want to feel it?”
“Tori, sweet, someday you’re going to give me a heart attack. What did you say?”
“I said the baby moved. Do you want to feel it?”
“The baby moved?” she asked. “Well, sure I want to feel it.” She placed her hand on the top of Tori’s stomach and felt around the top, bottom and both sides, like she was directing traffic.
“There it goes,” Tori squealed.
“Be quiet a minute,” Grammy said, closing her eyes tightly and slowly moving her hand around and around on Tori’s stomach as she hummed.
Tori and Jill exchanged glances, What is she doing? It was somewhat spooky.
“It’s a boy! Oops, I didn’t mean to spoil the surprise,” Grammy said, but her eyes said she wasn’t sorry.
Poppy came through the back door.
“Our great-grandson is moving and shaking,” Grammy said, with her hand glued to Tori’s stomach.
“That’s good.” Poppy smiled, and then began to wash his hands for supper. Poppy had never been one for putting on a great show of emotion, especially when it came to pregnancy, moving babies, and other “woman things.”
Jill stayed for supper, and then she and Tori cleaned the kitchen while Grammy and Poppy sat out on the porch, as they did every night. When they’d finished, they went to Tori’s bedroom, laughed, talked, and acted silly like they used
to do when they were little girls.
Jill left at ten o’clock because she had an early class the next morning.
As Tori kissed her goodbye, she said, “Will you please come back and see me as soon as you can?”
“I will, I promise,” Jill replied.
Tears filled Tori’s eyes as she watched the red Pinto disappear down the long driveway. She turned and went into the quiet house, which told her that Grammy and Poppy had gone to bed. She decided to go to bed herself. She still wanted to sleep at least nine to ten hours. She slipped on a nightgown and sank into the warmth of the featherbed. She closed her eyes and visualized a baby boy. He’d have black hair and brown eyes – just like his daddy. He’d have his mother’s mouth and chin.
She patted her stomach gently and whispered, “I love you, my little man. I can’t wait for your daddy to feel you kick. You kick real hard for him. Okay?”
The next morning, Tori awoke with her heart full of joy. She wanted the week to pass quickly because Wes would be coming in for his bi-weekly visit.
When Friday arrived, she was anxious all day. Finally, Wes pulled into the driveway. By the time he had gotten out of the car, Tori was by his side. “The baby has been kicking for a week!”
“Really?” he said with a smile.
Tori grabbed his hand and put it on her stomach. “Really! He’s been hopping around like a Mexican jumping bean.”
A few seconds later, Wes said, “I don’t feel anything,” He pressed harder as if he were expecting the baby to kick his hand away.
“Give him time. He’ll wake up and start in pretty soon,” Tori said, throwing her arms around Wes’ neck and kissing him happily.
“Wow! I forgot how good a kiss could feel,” he said, hugging her tightly.” You sure have a sweet set of lips!”
“And the best is yet to come,” she said with a wink. “Come on in the house. Grammy has supper going, and I know you’re hungry as well as thirsty. I’m hungry all the time now that the sickness is gone. I’m going to be as big as a barn before this baby is born!”