Chapter 22
Chapter Twenty-Two
“ A re you sure you’re going to be okay?” Charity asked for what felt like the hundredth time. Marjorie smiled benignly, as though Charity could ask her a million times and Marjorie would still give her the same patient answer.
“We’ll be fine, won’t we, children?” she asked as she looked around the table at the kids who sat eating their breakfast as she helped feed Evans who sat in his high chair.
“We get to spend the day with Grandma!” Banks called out, grinning and smiling and looking excited.
“I’m not jealous about that,” she murmured as they waved to Marjorie and Wilson and she walked out of the kitchen.
“It is a little disheartening, isn’t it? We work our butts off to give them good lives, and they’re okay with it, but Grandma comes, and they go wild with excitement.”
“Probably because she’s going to play the quiet game,” Charity said with a wink at Wilson.
He chuckled with her and opened her side of the pickup so she could get in.
Even when they had children, he always opened her door for her. He said that he wanted to set a good example for his boys. To show them that women deserve consideration and respect.
She watched as he walked around the front of the vehicle.
So many people said that when a man was the head of the home, the woman was automatically in subjection and couldn’t live her best life or whatever, but after spending several months with Wilson, Charity was sure that it was all in how seriously a man took his duty to treat the woman the way Christ treated the church and gave himself for it.
She never felt like she was less than. And the conversation that they’d had a month ago when she opened her business haunted her, but she didn’t think it was because he didn’t want her to earn money, or because he didn’t want her to have a business.
But she couldn’t quite put her finger on what it was.
She had the feeling that it was something that he was a little bit ashamed of and didn’t want to talk to her about.
Even though he said he wanted to be able to talk to her about anything.
It seemed like he had tried but hadn’t quite been able to get everything out that he needed to say.
Maybe she was just making stuff up. Maybe there really wasn’t any problem, and it was in her head.
“Are you going to tell me where we’re going?” she asked as he put the car in reverse and pulled out of the drive.
He had fed the cows early and made sure she didn’t have any last-minute baking to do, so they could have the whole day together.
Both of them knew it was their anniversary, and they’d greeted each other with “happy anniversary” that morning. It was funny that they were keeping track, and every month they marked it.
She was sure after they had been married for a few years, or maybe it would not even be that long, it would be old hat, but their relationship was new. And she appreciated the fact that Wilson was trying to make it…romantic, maybe?
She wasn’t exactly sure, but whatever the effort was for, she appreciated it.
“Don’t you want to guess?” he asked, grinning at her as though they shared a silent joke. Banks was in the stage where he wanted people to guess everything, whether it was what he was doing next, or what he had already done, or how his day was, the standard answer was “guess!”
“I really have no idea. I mean, it has to be somewhere within a day’s ride, because we have to make it back today. Your mom didn’t bring an overnight bag.”
“You’re right about that. We’re not going more than half a day’s ride away.”
“And I’m guessing that we’re going to eat, since we skipped out on breakfast and I’m starving and you have to be practically dying, because you fed the cows and haven’t had anything to eat since you got up.”
“You’re right. I’m pretty hungry.” He shot her a grin but then put his eyes right back on the road.
“And we’re going down the mountain, so it’s something that is in this direction.”
“That’s correct. I’m not trying to confuse you by taking the long way.”
“All right. But beyond that, I really have no idea. An auction?”
“Would you enjoy that?” he asked, sounding surprised.
“If I’m with you,” she said easily, remembering how much it had meant to her when he had said that he wanted to be with her.
Her words made him smile. “Try again.”
“Out to eat?”
“We’re going to eat. But we’re going to do something else.”
“Man, I don’t know. I’d say a riverboat cruise, but I don’t think there are any riverboat cruises around here, and I’m honestly not sure they’re even a thing.”
“I think it might be a thing, but you’re right. If they’re around here, I’ve never heard of them. But that’s close.”
“Is it close enough for you to tell me?”
“Really? You don’t want it to be a surprise?”
“I want to look forward to it! That’s part of the fun.”
“All right. I have tickets for the Blue Ridge train tour. They’re going to feed us, take us for a ride, and I think as they’re turning the train around, there’s a lookout with a great view and information about the Virginia Railway or something like that.”
“Wow. I’ve never even heard of that. But hey, if I get food, it sounds fun.”
“It sounded good. I read the reviews, to make sure that people weren’t complaining about it, because I know how much you love it when someone else feeds you. It would be pretty disappointing if the food ended up not being very good.”
“I appreciate that,” she said, feeling happy that he had remembered something that meant so much to her.
“It seems like your business is going really well, but you haven’t talked about it lately, so I figured I’d ask.”
“It’s going great. I have orders almost every day. And I guess I haven’t mentioned it because I know that you weren’t completely all for it, and I wasn’t quite sure what the issue was.”
“You know, I wasn’t quite sure what my issue was, either. I just don’t allow it to bother me. I never did figure it out for the most part.”
He didn’t look away from the road, and she felt like he was telling her something that maybe he was a little bit ashamed of or embarrassed about.
“Okay?” she asked, waiting.
“I was jealous.”
“Jealous?” she asked, shocked and trying to make sense of his answer.
“Yeah. And I know that sounds really weird, but you were so excited about it and happy, and I guess it bothered me the same way the kids did today when Mom comes in and they all act like she’s the best thing that ever happened to them, and we’re just here, slaving away every day all day long trying to keep a roof over their heads and keep them fed and alive, and they act like Mom’s Superman or something. ”
“I see,” she said, and she really did. He was jealous because she was excited about her business, but she hadn’t shown the same excitement for him.
“Is that all you’re gonna say?” he said, blinking his eyes over at her, a self-deprecating grin on his face.
“No. I guess not. I’m trying to figure out how to say that you mean more to me than the business does, and you’re right, I did kind of act like the kids, but I wasn’t jealous or anything of your mom because I know that they love her, and that makes me happy, and also I know that they love me, and eventually if Grandma was with them all the time, they would act that way when I showed up. But deep down, I know they love me.”
“I guess that’s what I finally reasoned out, that I was being silly to be jealous of you doing something and not seeming excited about me. It was pretty much the same. I knew you really liked me.”
He didn’t use the word “love,” and she didn’t miss that.
But she didn’t correct him either, because she wasn’t going to tell him that she loved him.
But she had been kind of feeling like she did love him.
Not maybe the way the world saw love, although there were some odd feelings stirring in her chest every time he was around that made her feel like maybe there was some attraction.
The problem was, she didn’t feel like he was attracted to her.
So it was hard for her to admit that. Still, she was pretty sure she could tell him that she loved him and it would be an honest thing.
But maybe she had just been so set on showing him that she got caught up in it and hadn’t thought about saying the words.
Not today though. She wasn’t going to make today awkward. Not any more than she already had with her questions.
“That’s the right conclusion,” she finally said.
“And I’m sorry that I hurt your feelings, I really didn’t mean to.
I guess… I guess you’re right. I hate to say that I took you for granted.
Especially after what my first husband did.
I would like to think that I’ll always appreciate someone who’s kind to me, but in reality, I guess I’ve already messed that up. ”
“As I’m sure I’ve taken advantage of you, too.
And taken you for granted. But that’s kind of the point of remembering our anniversary.
It’s just kind of a reset every month for me to be like, ‘hey, do something nice for your wife, because you know you want to.’” He put a hand up.
“I don’t want you thinking that I have to force myself to be nice to you.
That’s not it at all. Just sometimes… You get put on the back burner because there are other fires that demand attention, and you’re content, even if you don’t get everything that you probably should as my wife. ”
“I get more than I deserve.”
They grinned at each other and kept chatting until they reached the train station, right on time, as the train was being loaded as they pulled in.
“We better hurry out, that train has my dinner on it,” Wilson said as he opened her door and helped her out.
They held hands as they walked across the parking lot. Wilson showed the conductor their tickets, and they got on and found their seats.
The ride went by quickly, and before Charity knew it, several hours had slipped past, hours which she had spent laughing and enjoying the company of her husband.
Just before the train reached the station, she excused herself from the table to go back and use the restroom. As she was walking back between the tables, an older lady caught her hand.
“You two look so cute together. I’ve been enjoying this entire day just watching you two enjoy each other. I hope you know you have something special.”
“I know I do. He’s amazing.”
“I meant between the two of you, but you’re right, he’s amazing, but you are too.”
The old lady patted her hand, and Charity took that as her cue to continue on. But the lady had reminded her that it wasn’t every day that someone had what she had with Wilson.
Could that be this elusive thing that everyone else got married for? That they looked for when they got married? Had they developed that after marriage?
Was that possible?
She had hoped and prayed that her husband would find her attractive, but she hadn’t thought that they would have that special, soul-deep bond that made someone feel like they married their soulmate.
Was that contrived? Could people develop it over time, even if they didn’t think they were in love to begin with?
That went so far against everything that she had been brought up to believe that it was hard to grasp at first, but unless she and Wilson just lucked into each other, which she didn’t believe for one second, it seemed like it was something that could develop if both people were focused on living for the other and being kind.
She made her way back and didn’t see the lady sitting there, but she didn’t think much more about it, other than to remind herself that she wanted to thank Wilson for being such a sweet date. She supposed that’s what this was, a date.
“So was it a good anniversary?” Wilson said after they had disembarked from the train and he helped her into the pickup.
“The best. Although, I don’t know. Every anniversary has been good so far.”
“This is only the third one. Hopefully they get better from here.”
“I feel kinda bad though, because it’s always you doing stuff for me. You should let me plan our next anniversary.”
“I can’t do that, because I already have something in mind.”
“Are you serious?” she asked, knowing that that anniversary was a full month away, and he already had plans for it? He really knew how to make her feel special.
“I sure do, and I’m looking forward to it, because I know you’re gonna love it. And that’s all you’re going to get me to say,” he said, giving her a nod and a smile before he shut the door.
She wasn’t going to try to get it out of him. But she had a whole month to look forward to it, which was kind of nice.
“And just so you’re aware, it’s a lot of fun for me to do fun things for you, and I don’t need anything in return, just your laughter and your smile and getting to spend the day with you and be in your company is more than enough.
Not to say that to be sappy, I mean it.” He sat down, closing the door and putting his seat belt on.
“You know what I mean?” he asked as he started the truck.
“I do. But you made me feel spoiled. In a really good way.”
“Good. That’s how I want you to feel. Like you have a husband who thinks the world of you.”
That’s exactly how she felt.