CHAPTER 39
Waking up in her childhood home, Beth marveled at how she felt—calm, rested, steady. Not jittery. Not overwhelmed. Just… ready.
Wanting a moment to reflect, she quietly slipped off the couch and tiptoed around her sister’s body sprawled across the floor like a starfish—wondering when she had joined them in the night.
The scent of coffee drifted in from the kitchen, warm and inviting, but Beth reached for her Bible and headed to the porch swing instead.
The new porch swing.
A sleepy smile pulled at her lips as she stepped outside. She settled onto the swing, pulling her feet up and wrapping her hands around the Bible like it was a favorite blanket.
“I can’t believe he actually replaced the old one,” she murmured, laughing softly to herself as memories from the night before flickered behind her eyes.
She flipped to Ephesians and let her eyes fall to the words at the end of chapter five.
“For this reason, a man shall leave his father and his mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.” “This mystery is great; but I am speaking with reference to Christ and the church…”
Beth’s eyes paused on verse 33.
“Each husband is to love his own wife the same as himself, and the wife must see to it that she respects her husband.”
A breath slipped out of her—long and full of truth.
“I’m his wife, Lord,” she whispered. “From the beginning, that’s what I wanted. But I’ve felt guilty for being happy… like if I enjoyed it, if I let myself feel joy in this marriage, I was somehow agreeing with the way it started. And that’s not it at all.”
Her eyes stung, but not from shame. Just peace.
“I don’t want to spend our life together holding back joy. Today is the day we do it Your way. I want to lean into the excitement, the beauty, the peace—and let go of the guilt. I want to honor You in every part of it.”
She sat in that prayer for a moment, breathing it in. Letting it settle.
The front door creaked.
Beth glanced up just as Kim stepped outside—yawning, sleep still in her eyes, holding two mugs of coffee like a cherished gift.
“How are you holding up, my sister-friend?” Kim asked, settling beside her on the swing.
The warmth of the mug hit Beth’s fingers as she took it, grounding her. She smiled, wrapping both hands around it. Kim was her best friend—but more than that, she was her spiritual sister, and that bond? It ran deeper than anything Beth had ever known with her own sister.
Beth took a slow sip and tucked her face behind her mug, her heart fluttering.
“I’m so excited…” she whispered, grinning wide.
Kim’s hands flew up almost spilling her coffee. “Well, it’s about time!”
“What’s about time?” Lynn croaked from the doorway, curls wild, coffee in hand, robe barely tied. She sipped her coffee like it was the only thing keeping her upright.
“She’s excited,” Kim said, mock-whispering.
“Yeah, she is…” Lynn tossed a wink. “…excited for tonight.”
Beth groaned and dropped her face into her hands. Kim let out a snort.
Sue stepped onto the porch, pausing to hug Lynn as she headed back inside. Then Sue crossed over to the swing, pressing a kiss to the top of both girls’ heads.
“What’s going on out here?” she asked, though her smile said she already knew.
“NOTHING!” Beth said, muffled behind her hands.
“Lynn was being hysterically inappropriate,” Kim said through laughter.
Sue laughed, soft and knowing. She didn’t need the details—she could only imagine what her colorful daughter might’ve said to her older sister on her real wedding day.
Beth smiled behind her mug, her heart full. The morning light filtered through the porch slats and kissed the edge of her bare feet.
Let the fun begin!
Excited, she jumped up and headed inside, following her mom to the kitchen where she found her sister perched on a stool—one elbow on the table, chin resting in her hand, the other hand still curled around a half-empty mug... fast asleep.
Beth’s eyes flicked to the counter—and she gasped.
Sue looked up at the sound and immediately pressed a finger to her lips, nodding toward Lynn.
“She outdid herself, didn’t she?” Sue whispered, following Beth’s gaze.
“How did she make something so breathtaking in such a short amount of time?”
Kim stepped in the kitchen and wrapped Beth up in a hug from behind.
“Oh, Bethy,” she breathed, laying her head on Beth’s arm. “That cake is stunning. It looks like it belongs in a gallery.”
Beth leaned into Kim’s embrace eyes still locked on the cake. “Lynn’s artistic abilities never cease to amaze me.”
Sue moved to the counter and began dishing up breakfast—plates piled high with eggs, bacon, toast, and pastries. She handed one to each of them and set a third beside her sleeping daughter.
“She said she was up until four this morning working on it,” Sue whispered. She grabbed the coffee pot with one hand and waved the girls gently toward the door with the other. “Let’s eat in the den and let your sister sleep.”
“I don’t think I can wear the new heels I bought for the wedding.” Beth said rubbing her foot where there was already a blister forming.
“You should go barefoot. That’s what I would do.” Lynn said, reaching for her glitter eyeliner and moving to apply it.
“You are not putting that on me.” Beth stopped her sister by covering her face with her hands until the younger Stoner backed away. “And I can’t go barefoot. I guess I’ll just wear my old heels. That’ll be okay right?”
“Of course, your dress is going to cover it anyway,” Kim assured her while taking all of the glitter products away from Lynn, then tossing them out the bedroom door.
Lynn flopped backward onto the bed with a dramatic groan. “Okay, so what I’m hearing is... no glitter at all. Tragic.”
“Correct,” Kim said, pinning another curl into Beth’s updo. “You’ll survive. Probably.”
“I’m just saying,” Lynn said, pointing a toe in Beth’s direction, “if it were my wedding, we’d be done rhinestoning Aunt Helen’s veil by now.”
“You tried to rhinestone my prom dress, remember?” Beth said. “I had to physically remove the bedazzler from your hand.”
They giggled at the memory.
“Lynn, you did an unbelievable job with our cake,. Thank you.”
“Yep,” Lynn said, hopping up and moving to the closet, “you need to get into that dress before Pastor Steve walks in to check on us and combusts.”
Kim helped steady Beth as she stepped into the gown. The room quieted the moment the fabric settled into place.
Sue stepped into the room, smile soft, eyes already misting.
“Turn around, sweetheart.”
Beth did.
Her mom’s hands were gentle as she zipped the dress slowly, smoothing the fabric once it was in place.
“I still remember the day your Aunt Helen wore this veil,” Sue said softly, holding the delicate piece in her hand. “She cried the whole way down the aisle... and your Uncle Roy never took his eyes off her.”
She slid the comb into Beth’s hair, just above the bun. The veil draped down softly, resting just below her shoulders.
Beth blinked hard. “You think she’d like it on me?”
“She’d love it. She’d be so proud of you.” Sue smiled.
Beth turned back to the mirror. The veil shimmered in the soft light, her sister beaming behind her, her mom right beside her.
“Okay,” Lynn whispered dramatically, “we’re definitely rhinestoning the veil if I ever get married.”
Laughter broke out around the room—just in time to keep their eye makeup from streaking down their faces.
“Your Aunt Helen would’ve laughed at that too. She would’ve loved your loud, crazy personality.” Sue kissed her younger daughter on the cheek.
Donald’s arm was warm beneath her hand. Steady. Beth pressed her fingers gently into the fabric of his jacket as they waited on the porch steps. The sun was sinking behind the mountains, streaking the sky in violet and gold.
Her veil caught a breeze that tugged gently at the jeweled comb tucked into her bun.
Donald stood beside her, posture stiff, eyes fixed straight ahead.
“Your mother and I love you, LizzyBeth,” he said, voice even. “Previously, I said we would need to see what kind of man Dr. Jensen really is.” He gave a small nod—more to himself than to her. “Based on how he has treated you and managed this unusual predicament, I am satisfied.”
Beth swallowed.
“You two will need to keep God at the center of your marriage,” Donald added. “That won’t change.”
He reached down and patted her hand. It wasn’t warm or lingering—just a confirmation. His way of letting her know she was doing good.
“I know, Daddy,” she said softly, hugging him tightly.