This is the first of what I believe to be 13 chapters, I think one of the running threads that's going to tie all the stories together is that somewhere in each will be the phrases "Good morning, husband, Good morning, wife.", or something similar. I am going to try and do them chronologically so it's gonna be interesting to see how it all plays out.
Peach Blossoms: Richard James Webber - Adele Henriette Webber (1980)
Rain steadily beat against the windows of the small, two bedroom house. Richard Webber lay awake, listening to the sounds of the rain. He turned his head and gazed at the vision of loveliness that was Adele Grant. "No," he corrected himself. "Webber. Adele Webber. Adele Henriette Grant Webber." He smiled as he put his arm around her sleeping form, letting her long black hair tumble down her back, and stared at the gold band on his left hand. She was beautiful, filled with southern charm and hospitality, but she could become a force to be reckoned with when crossed. Most importantly, however, she'd said yes. Yes to marriage, yes to moving to the other side of the country, and last night she'd said yes to spending the rest of their life together.
He stroked her fine, ebony skin as he remembered the first time he saw her. Her and her folks had just moved into the apartment across the hall from him. His mother had sent him over with a basket of baked goods in an attempt to be neighborly. Looking back he was grateful she had, because it was Adele who came to the door and it was Adele who had made the sun shine a little brighter, the flowers bloom a little bigger.
The doorbell pulled him out of his lazy revere. Careful not to wake his sleeping bride, he slipped out of bed and went to answer the door.
Adele sleepily opened her eyes only to quickly shut them again. She was waking up in Seattle, in cold and rainy Seattle. She didn't want to be waking up in Seattle, she wanted to be back home in Georgia, where it was sunny and warm. She missed the peach blossoms that were sure to be blooming outside her bedroom window back home. Why the hell had she agreed to come here?
But she remembered why, she remembered exactly why. She smiled as she twisted her wedding ring. She, Adele Grant, aged 25, was newly married, and she had married the man of her dreams. Richard had plans, not like most of the boys back in Atlanta who's biggest aspiration was to take over their fathers business. No, Richard was determined to become someone important, someone who the people back home would be proud to say they knew. But, most importantly, he wanted her to be right there with him. Her grin widened as she imagined the life they would have, filled with love and prosperity. Not to mention children, many, many children.
Finally she opened her eyes and sat up in bed. Immediately her hands flew to her mouth in surprise. The entire bedroom was crammed full of peach blossoms. They were everywhere, spilling out of vases, sitting on chairs, there were even petals scattered across the floor. In the middle of it all stood Richard, with a tray containing waffles, and fruit, and coffee, and a single peach blossom in a vase.
Richard chuckled, seeing the look of amazement on her face. "I knew you loved to see the peach blossoms bloom, and I knew you wouldn't get the chance to see it this year, so I decided to bring them too you." Richard smiled, setting the try down in front of her. "Breakfast in bed m'lady?"
Adele was truly stunned, she didn't know what to say. "Oh Richard!" She breathed, "It's so beautiful!"
He grinned as he went over to the ancient gramophone in the corner. It had been a wedding gift from his mother and had fit perfectly in the corner of their bedroom. Placing a record on the turn table, Richard walked back over to his wife as the sound of Jack Lemon singing 'I Wanna Be Loved by You' filled the air.
"I've been planning this for weeks," he confessed as he lay down beside her. "Had the flowers delivered this morning before you woke up and managed to whip up a pretty good batch of waffles if I do say so myself. Do you like it?"
Adele felt the pricks of tears in her eyes. "Like it?" She took his face in her hands, careful not to upset the tray of food in her lap. "It's perfect, thank you so much." She kissed him and he happily kissed back. They went on for a few moments before he stopped and leaned his forehead against hers.
"Good morning, wife."
She giggled. "Good morning, husband." And kissed him again.
For those of you who might be wondering how I got 1980, when Adele had her miscarriage in 2007 she was 52 and it was said that she had married Richard when she was 25. Thoughts, comments, concerns?