by Joy Redmond
Tori wasn’t going to be able to recall many of the exact words of the ceremony, but she knew the sweetness of that day would stay with her forever.
The reception was a gala, with music, dancing, laughter, and good food, all shared with the people they loved most in the whole world.
Billy made the champagne toast, and then Wes and Tori intertwined arms, and Tori touched the glass to her lips, but she didn’t let the champagne go into her mouth. Wes gulped his down, and Tori laughed. He probably needs a good belt.
After the reception, Wes and Tori ran through a shower of rice, waved goodbye, climbed into Wes’ car, and sped away, dragging tin cans and old shoes that had been tied to the bumper.
As they drove away, Tori snuggled close and cooed in Wes’ ear, “And they lived happily ever after.”
They spent a week in the mountains of Tennessee, and Tori decided the mountains were closer to Paradise than the beaches of Florida. Her love for Wes was overwhelming, and she realized that Grammy had been right when she said their love would last forever.
Back in Madison, Tori and Wes started hunting for an apartment that they could afford on their salaries, but her parents talked them into living with them so Tori and Wes could save the money that would have been spent on rent and use it for a down payment on a house.
Tori knew that if Momma could have had her way, they would have lived with her and Daddy for the rest of their lives. They agreed to stay just long enough to save up for a home of their own.
A month later, Tori was sick to her stomach, couldn’t get enough rest, and dragged through each day at work. Every Friday was a great relief because she’d have two days to sleep.
One Saturday morning, Tori heard the phone ring twice, but she didn’t want to answer it. A second later, Wes yelled from the bottom of the stairs, “Tori, Grammy is on the phone. Do you want me to tell her you’ll call her back?”
Tori swung her legs off the bed. “No, I’ll talk to her. Tell her to hang on while I use the bathroom.” A few minutes later, Tori sluggishly made her way downstairs and picked up the receiver that was dangling beside the phone. “Hi, Grammy,” she said without the usual pep in her voice.
“Hi, sweet. I know it’s early, but I had to call because I’m so excited.” Grammy paused as if waiting for a comment. When Tori didn’t say anything, she continued. “I had a vision this morning as I looked out the kitchen window. It was clear as day – you’ve got a little one on the way!”
Tori instantly snapped awake. “Really! You saw a baby? But Dr. Harrison said I probably wouldn’t be able to carry another baby. Oh, Grammy, what if I miscarry? I don’t think I could go through that again.”
“Tori Ann, you should know by now not to doubt me,” Grammy scolded. “I’m telling you that I saw a newborn baby in your arms. You’re not going to miscarry. It was a clear vision! God is going to send your baby son back to you.”
“I’m not doubting you, Grammy. Your word’s good enough for me. Oh, my. Wes is going to be so happy – I think. We haven’t talk about children, but things are much different this time.”
Grammy chuckled. “Wes will be proud as punch. Trust me on that, too.”
“Okay,” Tori said, doing her pee-dance. “Thanks, Grammy. I’m going to tell Wes now. If you hear a loud whoop out at your place, you’ll know it’s us.” Tori place the receiver back on the phone and yelled, “Wessss!”
Wes walked into the kitchen, smiling broadly. “I heard your end of the conversation, and I have a pretty good idea of what Grammy was telling you – and yes, sweetheart, I’m very happy.”
Wes enfolded Tori in his arms and she returned his hug with all her strength. “No wonder I’ve been feeling so puny lately. I don’t guess I’ll ever figure out when I’m pregnant, but Grammy always knows.”
Wes picked Tori up, swung her around, and then kissed her as he let her feet touch the floor. “We’ll be the best parents in the world. Just wait until Mona and Ed hear the news. They’ll be out tomorrow buying baby clothes. And my parents will be thrilled. Ours will be their fourth grandchild, but they’ll be excited. They were broken-hearted last time.”
Tori placed her index finger over his lips. “Shh…that’s all in the past.” Just as she said those words, she was overwhelmed with a wave of nausea and had to run for the bathroom. That cinched it – Grammy’s vision was right again.
When her mother came home after her Saturday morning shopping trip with Rose Moss, Tori told her that she was going to be a grandma.
Laughing and crying at the same time, Momma said, “That settles it. You and Wes have to stay here until the baby is born because you’re going to have to buy a bigger house than you first planned on.”
Tori laughed and gave her mother a warm hug. “Any excuse to keep us here, huh? But you’re right. We’ll need a big house. After all, we might have a whole bunch of kids before it’s all over.”
That night Wes and Tori decided that they would stay with Tori’s parents until the baby came. Tori was happy that Wes agreed. She wanted to be close to her momma for the next nine months.
Anna’s Note
May 12, 1978
Tori’s wedding was beautiful. Exactly the kind of wedding she’d been dreaming of since she was a little girl. I asked the Lord to let me live long enough to see Tori back home and He did. I didn’t ask for any more time after that. I figured He had kept His end of the bargain and I wasn’t going to ask Him to extend my stay, but He gave me time to see Tori marry her soul mate.
June 16, 1978
Tori just turned twenty-one. I hope the Lord will let me stay long enough to see my great grandbaby. But if my time is about up and the Lord is ready. I’m ready.
Anna West-Morgan
Chapter Eighteen
Tori was in her seventh month, tired of being pregnant, but thankful there had been no complications. Dr. Harrison had requested that she take a leave of absence from work her last two months, and she planned to start the paper work the coming Monday.
Tori pulled her blue Chevy Nova into the driveway, glanced out the window, and smiled as she saw Jill pulling her trusty old Pinto into her parents’ driveway.
Jill stepped out and yelled, “Hey, meet me in the front yard in ten minutes and I’ll drive us to Grammy’s.”
“Okay, ten minutes,” Tori yelled back, and then headed inside to change clothes. Her feet were swollen and the only shoes that were comfortable were her slippers. She didn’t bother to grab anything to eat. She knew Grammy would have lunch ready as she always did when she came for her Saturday visit.
When Tori was ready to go, she headed for the Moss’ driveway. Just as she opened the door of the Pinto, Jill came running out of the front door. As Jill slid behind the steering wheel, she patted Tori’s stomach. “How’s the little fellow doing?”
“He’s doing fine. Dr. Harrison says my measurements are what they should be for a seven-month fetus, my blood pressure and urine are normal, but he wants me to stop work for the next couple months. He doesn’t like any of his expectant mothers to work during their last two months. So I guess I’ll be retired until little Wes is six weeks old. I hope I don’t go crazy from boredom.”
“I don’t think anyone would notice the difference,” Jill said with a laugh. “You’ve always been crazy.”
Tori gave Jill a playful nudge, and on the drive to Grammy’s they talked about the baby and all the plans they had for him as he grew up. They knew those plans would probably irk him, just as their parents’ plans had irked them.
Jill pulled the Pinto to a stop in front of the familiar old farmhouse. The Morgan Farm was still their favorite place on earth. As they opened the screen door and stepped inside, Tori called out, “Grammy, we’re here.”
“In the kitchen, girls,” Grammy called back. “Come on in.”
Tori and Jill walked into the kitchen and found Grammy taking biscuits out of the oven. “Poppy will be here in a few minutes. He wanted me to make some fresh biscuits to dunk into
his sorghum molasses he bought from Mr. Thompkins this morning. You know how he loves his molasses,” Grammy said, setting the hot pan on top of the stove.
“I love molasses, too.” Tori reached for a biscuit, expecting Grammy to slap her hand and tell her to stop acting like a heathen. “Mr. Thompkins makes the best. I think little Wes must have a sweet tooth because I’ve sure been craving sweets.”
Grammy laughed. “I think we all have some unusual cravings while we’re pregnant. With me, it was apples, but not just any apples. They had to be from that one particular tree by the chicken house. I just couldn’t get enough of them.”
Jill reached into the cabinet and took out a bowl. “Well, I may not be pregnant, but I’m definitely not about to pass up a chance to dunk one of your biscuits in molasses, Grammy.”
After Poppy came in and they’d all finished their snack, they headed for the living room. Grammy sat in her rocker, reached down, and when she raised her head, she handed Tori an unfinished sweater she was knitting.
“It’s only half done,” Grammy said with a smile. “But it should be ready by the time he needs it.”
Tori caressed the soft yarn, knowing every stitch had been handmade with love. “He’s going to be a handsome dude in this,” she said, hugging it to her heart, and then handing it back to Grammy.
* * * *
The next two months were the longest of Tori’s life, but the last week had finally arrived, and one afternoon she was sitting on the sofa, staring at some inane program on TV in a vain attempt to keep from being overwhelmed by boredom. Her feet and ankles were badly swollen, making it almost impossible to wear shoes.
She heard Jill’s Pinto pull into the driveway next door, so she got up and waddled to the front door to say hello and invite Jill over to keep her company for awhile. As she watched from the front stoop, Jill got out of the car and headed straight to Tori’s house carrying a large sack.
Jill loved to buy stuffed animals for the baby, and Tori couldn’t bring herself to ask Jill to stop, even though she had no idea what they were going to do with them all.
Jill hurried up to Tori and gave her a hug. “I bought a bag of seed so we can fill the bird feeders. Do you feel like helping me?”
“Sure,” Tori said, eager to get outside. “Let me get a coat. That was a good idea. I know the birds are having a hard time finding food after all the snow we got last night.”
They stepped inside, where Tori slipped on Wes’ goose down coat, some gloves, and her dad’s snow boots. Then she announced, “I’m ready. Let’s go feed some birds.”
As they filled the feeders, first in the Moss’ backyard, and then in the Hicks’, Tori blew a hard breath. “Wait until you see my ankles. I look like I’ve got elephantiasis. I know it’s natural for pregnant women to have swollen ankles, but this is ridiculous. Momma wants me to stay off my feet until I go into labor, so she’s taking a week off from work so she can pamper me.”
“I’m glad she’ll be home with you.” Jill nodded her head. “You could go into labor any day now. Billy and I will come over a few nights and the four musketeers can play cards. Maybe that’ll help keep your mind off your elephant legs.”
“That just might do it,” Tori said.
“And if you go into labor while we’re there, we can all go to the hospital with you.” Jill’s eyes widened as if she had come up with a master plan to alleviate all of Tori’s misery.
“That sounds good to me.” Tori shivered. “Man, it’s cold out here. Come on in the house with me for a while, will you?”
Jill stayed with Tori until Billy came to get her about an hour later. Momma invited them to have supper with them, but they had plans to eat with Billy’s parents.
Tori was exhausted and went to bed after dinner.
The next day, her mother stayed home and insisted that Tori keep off her feet. She also wanted Tori to elevate her legs on pillows, but Tori just couldn’t stand to sit still for very long. She waddled through the house, helping as best she could while Momma did a little cleaning. Then Tori slowly made her way upstairs and packed a suitcase for the hospital.
For the past week, Jill had been coming over in the afternoon to help Momma cook, and most nights she and Billy ate with them. Tori usually headed for bed by nine o’clock. She was so tired of being pregnant and sometimes she found herself wishing she were still a little girl without a care in the world, spending weekends and summers with Grammy and Poppy on the farm. Life had been so simple back then.
Tori awoke the next morning, rolled out of bed, rushed for the bathroom, and bumped into the grandfather clock that stood midway down the hallway. She chuckled at the thought of how many times that had happened during her life. Maybe someday she’d remember how far that clock stuck out and wouldn’t keep running into it.
After her trip to the bathroom, she got dressed and headed downstairs, holding onto the railing with one hand and her aching back with the other. Her back pain had gotten worse over the past two days. She finally made it into the kitchen, where her mother poured her a cup of coffee.
“It’s about time you got up, sleepyhead,” Momma said playfully. “Wes and Daddy ate everything I cooked this morning, but I’ll fix you whatever you want. Would you like some bacon and eggs, or would you rather have pancakes?”
“I think I’ll have all three.” Tori laughed and patted her belly. “One nice thing about being pregnant is that I won’t have to worry about my weight until after little Wes gets here.”
After breakfast, Momma and Tori spent much of the day sorting through Tori’s old baby clothes – receiving blankets, undershirts, sleepers, socks, and booties. Momma had carefully hand washed each item and as she held them up one by one, she told stories of dressing Tori in those same clothes.
“Now it won’t be long until I’ll be dressing my first grandchild,” Momma said.
“And it won’t be a moment too soon for me.” Tori laughed. “I’m ready to stop being pregnant and start being a mother.”
When they finally had all the baby clothes folded and placed into the baby chest, Momma made Tori sit down and elevate her feet while she started supper.
After they had all eaten, Tori walked into the living room, hoping Wes wouldn’t be too late. Being an assistant football coach required a lot of hours after the last bell rang and the other students headed home. She walked over to the window and looked out at the night sky. She couldn’t remember when she had seen a more beautiful moon, and its reflection off the snow made the world outside as bright as day.
She walked back into the kitchen, picked up the receiver of the wall phone by the door, and dialed Grammy’s number.
“Hello, sweet,” Grammy answered.
“You always know it’s me before you answer, don’t you?” Tori said with a chuckle. Then a tidal wave of love and warmness flowed through her. She wanted to be beside Grammy at that moment, caressing her crooked fingers, and looking into her gentle, wise eyes. Tori drew her emotions in check. “How are you feeling, Grammy?”
“I’m fair to middling,” Grammy answered, her usual response when someone asked about her well-being.
As Tori listened to Grammy’s sweet voice, she suddenly had an overwhelming urge to cry. “Grammy, I love you so much,” she blurted out. “You’ve always been my idol, my teacher, and my protector. You’ve made my life so rich – and Jill’s, too. No two girls ever had a Grammy as wonderful as you. We’ve been so blessed.”
Grammy’s voice broke as she responded. “Tori, you’ve been the hub of my life, the air I breathe, and the sunshine of my days. I’m the one who has been blessed.”
Suddenly, a pain ripped through the lower part of Tori’s back and sweat broke out on her forehead an upper lip. She leaned against the door. “Thanks, Grammy, I just wanted to call and say I love you, but now I think I need to get my feet up. I’ll talk to you tomorrow.”
“Love you too, sweet,” Grammy said as they hung up.
Tori put the phone on the hook, p
ushed back the curtains on the door, and peered outside. Snow had started to fall in large flakes and there were several inches on the ground. Then she thought she saw some movement between the shrubs on the far side of the carport. She dropped the curtain and cold shivers ran up her spine. “Foolish, just foolish,” she mumbled.
“Are you okay?” Momma asked.
“Yes,” Tori said, turning around. “I just thought I saw something outside. It was probably my imagination.”
“Well, come and sit down,” Momma said as she placed a chocolate cake on the table and then turned toward the fridge to get ice cream. “This will take your mind off whatever it was. It was probably a rabbit. They love to play in the snow.”
“That’s what it was,” Tori said, feeling even more foolish. “I love to watch the little rabbits run and kick up their hind legs as they play in the snow. They’re so sweet.”
Her dad joined them in the kitchen and they all ate cake and ice cream. Then Daddy leaned back in his chair and patted his belly. “Good grub, honeybunch.” He stood, gave Momma a hug and a gentle pat on the rear end, and added, “Now I’ve got to go back to the store and finish some of the bookwork. My partner took a couple weeks off to loaf around with her daughter, you know.”
“Okay.” Momma smiled. “But try not to be too late.”
“Night, Daddy.” Tori hugged him before strolling into the living room. She turned on the television and flipped through the channels, but there was nothing interesting, so she picked up the phone and called Jill, but got no answer. Then she remembered that Jill told her that she would be coming home late that night.
Tori’s back pain was getting worse, so she decided to turn in, even though it was only seven o’clock. “I’m going on to bed, Momma. See you in the morning.”
“Goodnight, sweet. Get some rest,” Momma called out.