Olivia's Mine (7 page)

“Oh God, Lucy. I’m so sorry.”

“It’s not your fault Marty, I know that, I
didn’t mean that,” she whispered. But her voice held for Marty, a
note of disbelief. “I just don’t know how we’re going to cope up
here if she is deaf. Maybe we will have to move earlier than we
planned. To get her some help. There aren’t any other deaf children
here. We’ll need to get her into a special school.”

“We’ll do whatever you want to do,” Marty
offered, trying to console her.

“I want…I want them to be healthy beautiful
children.”

“They are healthy, beautiful children Lucy,”
he said softly, trying to comfort her.

“What are we going to tell everyone? Even my
parents noticed how quiet she was, for heaven’s sake. I haven’t
said anything to them yet. It’s only a matter of time before
everyone will know.”

“Lucy,” Marty’s voice became firm. “She is a
wonderful baby girl. She has a hearing problem, that’s all. I don’t
mean to make light of it, but it’s no one’s business but this
family’s. Who cares what other people say? Who cares what other
people think. Your parents will love her no matter what. They’re
great people. We will cope. Be strong, Lucy. This isn’t like you at
all.”

“That’s because for once in my life I feel
totally helpless.”

Marty didn’t know how to take that
comment.

“You’re not alone in this Lucy. You have me,
you know. The pain and the joy, I feel all of those things
too.”

Lucy took a deep breath.

“I know, I’m sorry Marty. I’m just not
dealing with all this very well. I can’t really say it’s a shock
because we suspected it. But still, when you have your worst fears
confirmed, it’s a bit hard to shake the feeling of despair.”

“I knew I should have gone with you.”

“No, I wanted some time alone, to think about
things.”

“Things like what?” Marty asked
nervously.

“Oh heavens no, Marty. We are fine. I love
you. No, I didn’t mean that. I just meant, you know, people always
expect me to be a certain way. Even you, you just said it. “It’s
not like you, Lucy.” Well, Lucy needed to be someone else for a
while. I needed some quiet time. I left the kids with the folks one
night and went for a long, long walk. I needed to sort this out for
myself, alone, without having to be “happy Lucy.” I thought about a
lot of things. I though about how lucky we really are, all of us.
We have a nice life, and we have each other. And I thought about
how she wasn’t the only person in the world with this problem, and
how doctors were learning more about the condition every day. The
doctor told me many deaf people grow to lead normal, healthy,
productive lives. I thought about how we’d all have to learn sign
language so we can communicate with her, and how we could make it a
game for Robbie, you know, tell him it was a secret language only a
few people could understand. I had a good cry. A couple of good
cries. Then I pulled myself together and went back to mom and dad’s
and pretended, at least for the time being, that nothing was wrong.
So you see, deep down, I know you are right, and this will pass.
It’s just a little difficult, that’s all.”

“Still, I wish I could have shared some of
that load with you. That’s a lot for one person to take on by
yourself, and she is my daughter as well. But I do appreciate that
you want to spare everyone else some pain. You know your mom and
dad will find out eventually, and knowing your mom, she’s probably
already got it figured out. I’ll talk to them about it when I go
down for the derby. Let me take care of that burden for you,
okay?”

She nodded.

He brought her a handkerchief so she could
take care of her tears.

She wiped her nose.

“Lordy,” she said, “it’s running more than
Melissa’s.”

Marty laughed. The tension had been broken,
at least for the time being.

“Tell you what, why don’t you go to the
wedding with Frank and Liv tonight and enjoy yourself. I’ll watch
the kids, give you a break. There’s not a baby-sitter to be had
tonight. I tried to find one. So one of us will have to go, and one
of us will have to stay. Did you like Liv?”

“Yes, she seems really nice. She likes to be
called Olivia though.”

“Well then, it’s settled. Go get your party
dress out. The bright pink one you love so much. You don’t get
enough occasions to wear it. Olivia won’t know any people there,
other than you and Frank, so she’d probably really appreciate you
introducing her around. Just take it easy when you do okay? No
calling McMichael’s nanny the ‘ferocious frauline’, all right?”

Lucy smiled. “But redheads should never wear
pink. And I don’t call her that. Well, not within ear shot
anyway.”

“Like that has ever stopped you before. And
you know what I mean. Go easy on the locals. But do her a favour
and let Olivia know who’s related to whom. Have a good time. Have a
few dances for me tonight.”

“But what about you? Are you sure?”

“I’ll have my own dances at home here with
the kids tonight, and just be thankful that I have all of you.
It’ll be my special time with them. I did miss them, you know.”

“Marty, you are a wonderful man. I love you.
Thank you,” she said, giving him an inviting kiss.

“Don’t you need to get ready?” he asked.

“I think the bride’s the only one that really
has to be on time,” she said.

Frank and Olivia stood outside her new
home.

“What are you doing?” she asked.

“I want it to be a surprise.”

“It already is a surprise,” Liv said. “You
are supposed to carry me over the threshold of our first home,
don’t you know anything?”

“Well, I can’t do that if my hands are over
your eyes.”

“Exactly,” she said.

“Okay babe. You’re the boss,” Frank said and
picked up his bride.

“I’ll cover my own eyes,” Liv said, and did
so.

He carried her into the house.

“A woman who knows how to compromise,” Frank
laughed “I knew I had a good one.”

Frank put her down and took a deep breath.
Liv uncovered her eyes. She had imagined what the house would look
like, in her deepest, darkest moments of uncertainty. But she was
quite pleasantly surprised after all. It wasn’t the Bower
homestead, to be certain, but it was compact and tidy, rather cute
actually. She noticed the engagement photo right away.

“Oh Frank…I love it!” she said.

“Really?”

The sincerity in her voice was actually a
shock to Frank.

“Yes, show me more. Show me the kitchen, show
me the bedroom…”

“Uh, Liv, this is the kitchen. It’s a
kitchen/living room combined. See turn around, there’s the
oven.”

She laughed. “I’m only teasing you. It’s
fine, it’s wonderful.”

She threw her arms around Frank and gave him
a tender kiss.

“I would like to see the bedroom though.”

She tugged at his shirt. The tug was felt
from his heart down through his loins.

“Do I need to carry you over that threshold
too?” he asked, pointing at the bedroom door.

“It depends if you want to be lucky or not…”
she smiled.

“Why argue with tradition?” he said,
gathering her up in his arms once more.

“Do we have time?” Liv asked. “Aren’t we
supposed to be at the wedding event of the century?”

“Oh, we have time,” Frank assured her. “I
think the groom is the only one who has to be on time. And just
what has Lucy been telling you about the people in this town?”

“She says, they’re always late.”

“Then so be it.”

He took his lady into the bedroom and lay her
on the bed he had carefully strewn with soft pillows.

“Have you missed me?” he asked.

“You have no idea how much,” Olivia whispered
in his ear, her breath heated with the passion she felt. “And
you?”

She lay on top of him. He took her soft hand,
with the long, slender fingers, and started leading them on a
journey that started with a kiss on his lips, and carried down his
body, entwining in his chest hairs, skimming over his navel, and
resting between his legs.

“Isn’t it rather obvious?” he asked her.

The nights had been long since they had been
apart, even for this short while. How she wanted to be beside him,
walking with him, telling him her deepest secrets and fears in an
honesty only man and wife can share. He had been her first and only
lover, and his body was a safe haven for her. The wedding night had
not been their first night together, that had happened several
years before while they were both young and curious. It had been an
awkward journey of discovery, with desire overtaking fear as they
moved closer to that first sweet release.

There were some subtle changes since she had
last seen him. His hair had grown, cascading in waves behind his
ears that were never there when his hair was close cropped. His
arms and legs were firm and hard due to the constant physical
activity. He had a kind of confidence that never surfaced around
her family. Perhaps the mine was a good place for him, she
thought.

He glanced at her and saw the same young girl
he had fallen in love with as a teen. She still had that carefree
way about her, but there had been a maturity of late, perhaps due
to her leaving her family ties behind and beginning a new life.
Frank was glad she was out from her family’s influence. It was a
time for them to begin something new, something where he would be
her lover and provider.

This thought was in his mind as he gently
eased her onto her back and raised himself over her where he could
take her beauty in. She reached for him, their eyes meeting
together, a smile crossing both their faces. So began their
intimacy in their first new home, something they would never have
again, but always remember fondly.

A little later than originally intended,
Frank and Olivia went to the Bentall's to pick them up. They were
surprised to learn that Marty was staying home. Frank said he would
try to smuggle a shot of McMichael’s good rye back for Marty.

When she first arrived at the wedding
reception, Olivia felt like she was being starred at more than the
bride was.

“Why is everyone looking at me?” she asked
Lucy.

“Because you’re young, married and not
pregnant which is more than they can say for the bride…oh and
because you’re new here,” Lucy laughed. The earlier events of her
day were being put behind her.

“What?” Olivia gasped.

“Forget the story about them moving away and
wanting to get married in front of their friends. This is an
old-fashioned shotgun wedding plain and simple. But relax and have
a good time because it is a McMichael shindig after all, and they
don’t come often and they don’t come cheap. The bar is free
tonight.”

“Are you sure? About the bride I mean?”

“Olivia, this is a small town. I’m sure.
Okay, first things first, that stern looking woman with the two
beautiful girls, that’s Mrs. Schwindt. She’s the McMichael nanny.
Those are McMichael’s daughters, Lara and Christina. They are the
royalty of this town.”

Mrs. Schwindt, decked out in her Sunday
finest of black on black, reminded Olivia of a governess her father
had once hired who lasted about a week and a half. She had beaten
the children once too often and had been caught by her father who
promptly smacked her back and threw her out the door faster than
she came in. But the two girls didn’t seem terribly frightened of
the woman, so Olivia told herself not to judge a book by its cover.
The youngest daughter, Lara, as beautiful as Lucy had said, had
long blonde hair tied up in a French braid for the occasion. She
wore a lovely knee-length blue velvet dress with lace around the
collar and cuff, and a few flowers in her hair. Olivia thought she
must have been a flower girl during the wedding ceremony as her
dress was a younger version of the one her sister Christina wore.
Christina, Olivia noticed, was a truly blossoming young woman with
hair as fair as her young sister’s, and a smile that lit up the
room. She was on the verge of adolescence, and Olivia noticed the
teenage boys hovering around her.

“See that woman over there in the green dress
with the hideous hat with the bird on it?” Lucy continued. “That’s
Mary Alice Carpenter, the local seamstress. Had to let the bride’s
wedding dress out twice the past few weeks, she tells me. Notice
how forgiving the cut of the gown is. The older man over at the bar
is Dr. Van den Broek. She’s been in to see him a few times lately.
And the skinny gal over there is Diana the hairdresser. Says that
the bride’s hair won’t hold a curl anymore. Some say that’s just an
old wives tale but, three plus three equals six and that’s about
how many months we all figure she is along. Now shhh! McMichael’s
nearby.”

McMichael, playing the role of father-of-the
bride for his niece, was pleased with the way the event was
progressing. The wedding was a grand affair with plenty of food and
plenty of liquor. He was a self-proclaimed frugal man, but when he
did things, he did things right. He had even brought a professional
band up from Vancouver to provide live music. Everyone seemed to be
having a good time, he thought, as he glanced around the room. As
beautiful as the bride looked today, there was the lovely Lucy,
stealing the show as she always did when she walked into a room.
She had danced most of the night away, with the single and married
men alike lining up for a chance to take her for a twirl. As
gorgeous as she was though, he couldn’t explain why his heart
literally skipped a beat when he gazed upon the woman now standing
beside her, with the lovely long chestnut hair.

“Nice wedding, Mr. McMichael,” Frank said as
he passed by with a couple of drinks in his hand.

“Is that your wife Frank? Over there with
Lucy?”