Chapter Thirty
N ana must have noticed the collective distress of her family, because she said in her new drawn-out way, “Hush. It’s a vow, not a real marriage.”
That seemed to help all of them. Except for Duke. He bent down and whispered into her ear, “This is real to me, my love.” Who knew how much time Nana had left? If this was what she wanted, this was what she’d get.
The pastor continued. “Grace and I spent time together early this morning, and she has some words she would like to share with you. They are simple, but hold great wisdom. And it begins with the reality that life on earth is short.” He pulled a piece of paper from his Bible and cleared his throat. “Hold the door for others. Wear the costume and the fancy dress. Kiss the boy. Buy the island. Say the kind words—not just to others, but most importantly, to yourself. Wear the cheap plastic rings and your inherited diamonds at the same time. Bring soup to your sick neighbors, but not the soup that you’ve had in your freezer for two years. Apologize when you hurt someone. Admit when you’re wrong. And stop judging yourself. Do you know who is the meanest when it comes to judging you? You are. Stop focusing on everything you did wrong in your life and focus on what you did right. And go to the funerals, because they’re not an ending. They’re a beginning. You’re more important than you think you are.” The pastor paused for effect.
“Now,” he began, “you are all welcome to join in this next part. If you are here with a loved one, feel free to hold their hands and look into their eyes.”
There was movement in the crowd, and he gave them a moment before he proceeded. “If you love someone, love them like you’re the only two people in a raft together. There will be rocks to get past. And the water will be cold. There is a waterfall up ahead—it could be a big one, it could be a little one. Love your person like you’re about to go over the edge together. What does that mean? It means you don’t take them for granted. You use every God-given sense to show your love—tell them, touch them, look into their eyes, breathe in who they are, and most of all, appreciate them. Then, when the time comes, take turns holding each other above the water. Why? Because they’re the person with whom you chose to share your raft. For better or for worse. If you’re lucky, the waterfall will be a long way off, your waters will be calm, and your raft will hold air. During those times, enjoy the sounds and the view together. When those moments happen, hold each other close and be thankful.”
Nana and Duke never took their eyes off each other, and Brooke wondered how Nana didn’t have a crick in her neck. “Grace Warter and Duke Bradley.” He turned to face them instead of the crowd. “Do you agree to be in the raft together?”
“We do,” they said.
The pastor turned to Cornelia and Trigger. “And you?”
“I do,” Cornelia said.
“I do,” Trig said. It wasn’t time yet, but Trig leaned in for a kiss. Cornelia started to deny him, but then softened and kissed him back.
“Brooke and Nathan.” The pastor faced them. “Grace informed me that the Warters have a family saying when it comes to choosing a life partner.”
Brooke knew exactly what was coming.
“Marry the man who loves you more.” Pastor Thompson cleared his throat. “This may not be biblical, but I can see where it might work.”
Cornelia interrupted. “It is designed to keep the woman safe, and it is what we hope for when it comes to our daughter. A woman can learn to love a man, but a man must be wholeheartedly in love with a woman in order for her to be happy.” The words sounded a bit defensive, but she tried to ease them by adding, “And it is possible that Nathan might be that fine gentleman.”
Brooke was instantly infuriated. “No,” she said. Adrenaline shot through her as she addressed the crowd. She didn’t mean for her voice to be so loud. “Sorry, everyone. But, no .”
Cornelia’s face turned bright red, and Brooke saw her dad slip his arm around her mother’s waist to hold her up.
“Sorry, Mother,” Brooke said. “But Nate doesn’t love me more, and I don’t think he should.”
Cornelia made the face that had become very familiar over the course of Brooke’s life. The one that said shut up immediately or there will be hell to pay .
“Why would anyone get married to someone they don’t love as deeply as possible?” Brooke went on.
Cornelia managed to speak in a sing-songy twang despite her pinched lips. “I’m not saying you won’t have love for him, I am simply saying that he should love you more.”
“I do love her more,” Nathan spoke up. “Maybe more than she loves me, and maybe not. We’re still working on that.” He squeezed Brooke’s hands. “What I am happy for everyone in this room to know is that I love her more than enough.”
Brooke instantly relaxed. She trusted that whatever he said was exactly what was needed in the moment.
“I love her more than enough to get in that raft with her,” he continued, looking at her instead of the crowd. “I know Brooke. I’ve known her since middle school. And I know that if that raft has a hole, we’ll plug it together. We’ll work together to reinforce that raft and make it stronger. And I know, without a doubt, that the relationship we are building now, this newfound old love, will be more than enough to handle whatever lies ahead.”
Pastor Thompson took control again. “And do you, Anna Brooke, agree to be in a raft with Nathan?”
“I do,” she said, her eyes still glued to him, his words zooming back and forth, forging a speedway between her heart and mind.
Nana waited a few seconds before snapping her fingers at the pastor. “Tell the folks it’s time to eat.”
“A quick prayer, and then we will retire to the cafeteria where I have taken the liberty of reserving several tables for this delicious-smelling food.” He prayed for good health and smooth sailing for the couples, and he thanked the crowd for showing up when they thought they were coming to a sad event. “God always brings good from the bad if you work with him,” he reminded them. “This unusual ceremony is a prime example.”
*
When Brooke walked downstairs a week later, there sat Nana in Trig’s recliner watching The Price Is Right . She was skinnier than before the stroke, and the wrinkles in her face were more pronounced, but the fire in her eyes was still flaming hot.
“Hey, Nana,” Brooke said.
Nana held up a bony hand to wave but never took her eyes from the television.
“Did you have breakfast already?”
“Yes,” Nana said, still not looking at her granddaughter. For the few days Nana had been home, Duke had joined them at the breakfast table every morning. Despite the fact that he had a huge house on a vineyard, he appeared to have moved into Nana’s little cottage.
“Are you okay?” Brooke asked.
“Fine,” Nana said.
“Nana.” Brooke scooted as close as she could to her. “I want to know how you really are.”
Nana looked at her like Brooke was a fire ant that needed to be sprayed with poison. “Don’t bother kissing up to me, Anna Brooke. Oh, Nana this, and oh, Nana that. How are you doing, Nana? Do you need me to wipe your butt, Nana? Just pretend like I’m not here.” She looked like a furious little elf engulfed by the big leather chair. Her words were still a bit slurred, and her face slightly drooped, but all in all, she’d made a remarkable recovery.
“Do you want to tell me what’s wrong?” Brooke asked.
Nana grunted. “Duke’s gone into the winery today, and he won’t let me go with him. I told him that I work there, too, but he wasn’t having it. Said I’m supposed to rest and regain my strength. Well, I’ll tell you how I regain my strength—by doing ! Not by sitting here like some old shell of a cicada stuck to a tree.”
“I’m meeting some folks at Camp Dogwood today if you want to come along,” Brooke said.
Nana was off the chair and scooting toward the back door faster than the wheel on The Price Is Right . “Wait for me. I’ve got to get out of my slippers and house dress.” She stopped for a second. “And with whom is our appointment?”
“Our contractor and some subs.”
“What are we working on?” She stopped again. “Oh, hell. I forgot. Duke’s trying to appease me by taking us all out to supper.”
“Oh, right!” Brooke said. “I almost forgot. The big Grace is out of the hospital celebration.”
“I mean, I do like a celebration.” She smiled. “That man bothers the tar out of me.” She took a few steps into the kitchen to check for Cornelia. “I’m surprised your mother has not been in here bugging me six ways to Sunday about what I’m going to wear and what she’s going to wear and all of that hooey. How much time do we have?”
“I believe he said three o’clock.”
“And you have the time to do that whole meeting?”
Brooke nodded. “Now that I bought a boat, I do.”
“Good girl. And you’re bringing our boy, right?”
Brooke smiled at how her family always referred to Nate as theirs . “I am.”
The meeting took several hours, and Nana asked many surprisingly astute questions. Brooke was grateful she was there. Nana was tired afterward, so she waited in the boat while Brooke ran up the winding iron stairs of the lighthouse to her brand-new bedroom, stopping at the top to appreciate the scene. The place was barely inhabitable—there was still so much to do. But the windows had been replaced and the utilities were hooked up. She’d cleaned it herself, wiping deep into every corner and crack and vacuuming up years’ worth of dirt, dust, and spider webs. It gave her a feeling of pride to see her big bed with fluffy white comforter and sink-into-it mattress taking up space in the circular room. The afghan Nana knitted some twenty or more years ago lay folded at the foot, and the nightstands she’d bought secondhand and refinished herself held tall silver lamps. Next to the lamp on the right side was a framed photo of her and Nate. She had on a pink backpack and held a large wheeled suitcase. He had on an ill-fitting suit jacket with a tie and wrinkly, too-short khaki pants. In his hand was a Walmart bag. She’d found the photo in one of the old stalls by the horse paddock. It had been filled with bins of craft supplies and at least twenty years of camp pictures. One of the counselors, God only knew which one, must have gotten a shot of them on the day they met. It never made it onto the camp bulletin board, but it found a much better home now.