Authors: Ruth Ann Hixson
"Give me that phone!" Mark shouted at Sherry.
"You have the phone on speaker. He heard what I said." Lisa disconnected.
Mark grabbed the phone and tried to call her back but it went to voice mail. "Lisa, you had no reason to talk to Sherry like that!" he yelled into the phone. He returned the cell phone to his belt clip. "I gotta go help with the milking. Maybe Dad and I can get one of those windows installed tonight."
The two large windows were in the back of the garage where Mark had told Sherry to tell the delivery men to put them. He told her they were for the two side windows in the dining room and living room. Maybe they could turn the thermostat up a notch once they were installed. It would certainly be a big improvement over the plastic that covered the windows.
She spent most of her time in the den where it was warmer. Transcribing the diaries kept her busy but she still had to spend some time in the colder part of the house. She forgot to tell Mark that the firewood was getting low so she called him.
"We can load some on the truck so Dad can bring it when he comes over tonight. What are you making for supper?"
"Beef and gravy with biscuits and broccoli and carrots in a cheese sauce. Canned peaches for dessert."
"Sounds good. I love you." He disconnected.
When he returned home, he informed Sherry, "I talked to Darryl Bayshore today. He said Elena has an inoperable brain tumor. There won't be any trial. She isn't competent. I guess they are going to try to shrink it with chemo and radiation. She will have an attendant with her when Darryl and Helen aren't home."
****
Sherry sat at Mark's desk in the den carefully writing the diary into a notebook. It was painstaking work. Not only was the script different from modern writing, the ink had turned brown and faded. Having to wear the white cotton gloves made writing difficult but they were necessary to protect the crumbling pages.
Sherry was finding it difficult to concentrate on Wednesday morning. She was quite dissatisfied with the planning for her wedding. Her mother had taken over along with Jan, Hannah and Samantha Sturgus, Sherry's grandmother. They were very hush-hush about it. Not one time had she been asked for her opinion. Rather than quarrel about it, she had buried herself in her work. But it intruded into her thoughts, making her short tempered. And Mark was the one who got the brunt of that ill temper.
Sherry knew that the only reason she was marrying Mark was that she was pregnant. She had too many doubts about whether she was truly in love with him or just infatuated by his handsome face and easy manner. His one flaw was his quick temper but he had managed to keep that in check even when she snapped at him. He seemed to understand the strain she was under. She resolved to be kinder than she had been. It wasn't all his fault.
She knew that her pregnancy came from the first time they'd had sex and that was her fault. If she hadn't been mad at the world that night..."If..." she muttered. "If" no longer mattered. She was pregnant. She wasn't ready to be a wife let alone a mother. She laid down her pen and got up to stand at the window watching the wind strip what leaves were left from the trees and whirl them across the yard.
She wandered to the kitchen for something to eat. It seemed she was always hungry lately and her comfort foods had changed. Despite warnings from her mother about eating too much salt, she still craved potato chips. Potato chips and ice cream. The current flavor was mint with chocolate chips. She heaped a dish full of the ice cream and picked up the bag of chips and headed for her favorite spot. The brown chair in front of the fireplace.
She felt so alone. Mark was working and her mother was off heaven only knew where. She knew Frank was busy but she was tempted to call him anyway. He had always been there for her. She wondered why. She meant to ask the next time she saw him.
****
"I stopped by the nursing home to see your grandmother a few days before she died," Frank explained to Sherry as he sat in her kitchen with a cup of coffee. "She was all in a stew about your mother being irresponsible and you'd have no one to take care of you. I promised her I'd look out for you. After that she settled down and went to sleep. After she died I realized I'd made a promise I might not be able to fulfill. But she'd left the house to you so I figured you'd be showing up sooner or later. You know the rest. I've tried to be here for you whenever you needed a friend."
"Does Jan know?"
"She does now. I told her that night your mother told you I was your father. I don't remember when I've been madder. If she hadn't told me the truth I think I would have strangled her without compunction. That woman has a way of getting on my nerves."
"Thank you for looking out for me. Maybe someday I can repay you."
"Some things can't be bought. Friendship is one of them. I'm glad to welcome you to our family. I can understand how Mark fell in love with you so quickly. You have a way of getting into a person's heart. I love you the same as I love Lisa."
"To bad Lisa doesn't share your feelings. I asked her to be maid of honor at our wedding. She turned me down. Said she already has tickets for the football game."
"Mark told me. Boy, is he mad about it. I hope you have a second choice."
"Linda. Mark said that since Chad will be best man Linda would be the right choice. I like her though I don't know her very well. I don't even know where the wedding will be. Mom took over and she won't tell me anything. She says it's to be a surprise. It's my wedding."
"That's between you and your mom. I better get back to work or I'll have to fire myself. See you later, kid."
As the week wore on the tension mounted until Sherry felt like screaming whenever someone said something to her, especially her mother. But Alison spent very little time at home. On Friday she came home with a lace veil that looked like it was from the twenties. But it had aged to a cream color and would match Sherry's cream-colored dress, the dress she'd purchased for the prom she never attended.
"You can wear my silver sandals. The heels aren't very high. Something borrowed. What's new? You bought that dress at the thrift store."
"It only has cap sleeves. That pink and silver scarf Mark bought me for my birthday is long enough to wear like a stole."
"What do you have that's blue?"
"Nothing I'd want to wear to my wedding."
"What about your under clothes? I have a blue half slip."
"That'll work. Where did you get the veil?"
"It was Hannah's. She wants you to have it. Your great-grandmother bought all the flowers." She went on to explain who would get what color flowers."
"That's a lot of roses. Aren't they expensive?"
"These are the little roses. They are your great-grandmother's choice. She has lots of money and will have her way no matter what. You are her only great-granddaughter."
Saturday morning, Sherry awoke with a pounding headache. She hadn't slept well and as a result Mark hadn't slept well. But he was up at four-thirty to go help with the milking. Sherry lay in bed wishing she didn't have to get up. She didn't want to get married but it was that or give birth to an illegitimate baby. She knew Mark would never allow that.
She put a mental gun to her head and forced herself out of bed and dragged her tired body to the bathroom. She wondered if it was safe for her to take a pain pill. She had never been pregnant before but she was aware about some of the do's and don'ts of pregnancy thanks to her mother. Maybe Mom would know if she could take something for pain. She had a lot to learn. Like not too much salt because it could raise her blood pressure.
She pulled on jeans and a blue striped shirt. She added her oversize sweater. It would be cool downstairs even though, with the two side windows installed, Mark had turned the thermostat up to sixty-four.
Mom was in the kitchen working on her second cup of coffee "Where's it going to be held?" Sherry asked as she poured herself a cup of coffee.
"At your father's place."
Sherry sat down at the table and pulled the potato chip bag toward her. "Okay. I just wondered. Can I take a pain pill? I have a really bad headache this morning."
" Maybe acetaminophen. Ask your doctor."
"She won't be in on a Saturday."
"Ask Rose when you see her today."
"Rose is coming?"
"Um-hum. She's going to sing. Is that what you're going to eat for breakfast? Potato chips."
Sherry shrugged. "Why not? I've never gotten sick on them. Mark's back."
"You two need to get around. It's almost eight-thirty."
"I thought the wedding is for eleven-thirty. It won't take three hours to get dressed."
"We are going to your grandmothers' house so they can fuss over you. Mark's supposed to go to Chad's."
"Mark has to shower and shave," he said as he walked in the door. "There's plenty of time." He popped a potato chip in his mouth. "Is that all you're having for breakfast? Why the frown? Don't you want to get married?"
"Which of those questions do you want answered first. No, this isn't all I'm having for breakfast. I plan to get a dish of ice cream to go with them. I'm frowning because I have a bad headache." She paused and answered in an ill-humored voice, "I don't want to get married. I have to get married." She got up to take the ice cream from the freezer.
Alison cut in. "Take your stuff over to Chad's to shower and shave. Leave Sherry to me."
Mark stared at Sherry dumbfounded. "You don't want to marry me?"
"I'm sorry. I didn't mean that. I don't feel too good. I'm afraid I'll spoil it all."
He pulled her into his arms. "I love you."
She slipped her arms around his middle and laid her head on his chest. "I love you, too. I'm sorry I don't feel well."
The phone rang and Alison answered it. "Yes. They're still here, standing in the middle of the kitchen hugging. Sherry has a bad headache and Mark's consoling her." She paused and listened. "If you think you can do any better, you're welcome to try. I can't shoo them away like chickens."
"Why are you trying to get rid of us?" Mark asked. "Who were you talking to?"
"You're sure full of questions this morning. I'm going to put Sherry's and my things in the car and then we're leaving."
"Not until I finish my ice cream," Sherry protested.
"Bring it along. You can eat it in the car. Mark, did you have breakfast?"
"I ate over at Mom's. Dad insisted."
"Then why are you still here?" Alison went to the living room where Sherry's dress and accessories lay on the couch. She carried them out to her car. "Come on. It's time to go."
Alison swerved to miss an oncoming delivery truck. "That was close."
"Try to drive more careful, Mom. I almost spilled my ice cream."
"You're getting potato chip crumbs all over my car," Mom complained. "I just washed and vacuumed it yesterday."
"You're the one who wanted to leave before I ate my ice cream."
"It's not the ice cream you're getting all over my car. I hope your humor improves before we get to your grandmothers' house."
Enough of the negative stuff
, Alison thought as she searched for a more genial subject. "I'll call Rose when we get there and find out what you can take for pain. It sucks to have a headache on your wedding day."
"I didn't sleep much last night. Mom, I don't want to get married. I too young and inexperienced."
"Don't complain to me. I'm not the one that got you pregnant. What difference will there be to be married to Mark or having him living with you?"
Sherry shot her mom an impish grin. "If he's my husband I can't kick him out if he crosses the line. I'm afraid he won't be satisfied with me and look for greener pastures. I have a mirror. So does he. All he'd have to do is wiggle his finger and he'd have women falling all over him."
"He loves you," Alison said gently. "He already tried the rich, beautiful woman thing. It didn't work. He's marrying you because you're the kind of woman he wants. The kind of woman who will fit into his life. Give the man credit for something. He'd do anything humanly possible for you and you know it."
"Listen to you. Last week you were trying to split us up."
Alison gave her a rueful grin. "I grew up a lot since then. Isn't that what you're always telling me? Grow up and act responsible. I'm trying. I want you to have a good life. Not like the life I've had."
"Mom, a lot of that was you own stubborn fault."
"I won't dispute that point. I just hope it's not too late to make up for the stupid things I've done. I'll try to be a better grandmother than I was a mother. I not forty yet. I'm not ready to be a grandmother. But you didn't ask me whether I was ready. You and Mark hopped into bed together and now you're pregnant. You do what you have to. I learned that the hard way."
Her mother's insight didn't make Sherry feel any better but she resolved to get through it.
Just
take
one step at a time
, she thought as she got out of the car at Grammy's house.
Chapter 32
Samantha Sturgis met them at the door still in her blue fleece robe. "Come on in. Grammy's still having breakfast. Do you want tea or coffee?"
"Tea," Sherry answered. "My stomach's a little queasy this morning."
"That's the potato chips and ice cream," Mom cut in. "I'll have coffee. May I use your phone? I have to call Rose Dale to find out if it's all right to give Sherry Tylenol for her headache."
While Alison made the call, Sherry followed her grandmother to the breakfast room where Grammy was spreading strawberry jam on her toast. Sherry went to her and kissed her cheek. "How are you this morning, Grammy?"
"Oh, I'll be fine once I get moving around. These old bones stiffen up when I sleep. I'm in high spirits though. My only great-granddaughter is getting married today."
At eleven o'clock they went out to Alison's car. Sherry leaned her head back and closed her eyes to block out the bright sun that made her headache worse. She didn't realize how far they had gone until she opened her eyes. "Mom, you missed your turn."