Chapter 10: From 'Catching Dem Hands' to 'Catching Dem Feels'
Later that night, after dinner.
Mary sat on the couch with her head in her hands, she couldn't believe what she was about to do this but..it had to be done. She took some time and dressed nicely...but not too nice so it still seemed like she was going to be surprised.
She had picked out a lovely yellow A-line maternity dress with blue and white floral print all over it. It was mid-calf length, cross front, and babydoll style. It was sleeveless but the cross front covered her shoulders. A pair of blue and white ballet slippers covered her feet. Her hair was kept down since Joseph had a habit of putting his hands in her hair.
Chewing on her bottom lip, Mary rubbed her stomach nervously. For an hour now she heard movement outside and people gathering. This was really going to happen...but she was going to get answers, and that was most important.
The knock at her door made her jump. Mary took a deep breath, got up and opened it. Her eyes went wide as she stepped outside. Her porch had been decorated with candles and white flowers. The Seeds stood a few feet out from the steps and the followers separated themselves into two sections so there was a group on each side of the Seeds.
She swore she felt her heart stop for a moment as she looked Joseph over. He looked..handsome. Not that she hadn't seen it in him before but it was more pronounced now.
Joseph wore his best ironed pinkish shirt with the black embroidering along the collarbone along with a pair of black slacks. His hair wrapped in a tight bun. Mostly, she noticed he had his glasses off so she got to see his blue eyes completely-the evening sky bringing them out beautifully.
Mary moved to stand at the steps and Joseph put his hand up, stopping her from moving.
"If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. If I give away all I have, and if I deliver up my body to be burned, but have not love, I gain nothing. Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful..." Joesph said in his booming voice so everyone could hear. He started to walk towards her. "I had become arrogant. I believed that I could carry the burden of saving souls and saving my children by myself...even with my dear Brothers and Sister at my side. Then God threw me a curveball, one named Mary," he smiled, the others chuckled softly. "I had the simple job of falling in love while she was realizing the new life that God was trying to give her. Like most of us, she refused at first...and loudly as well," he smirked, slowly making his way up the stairs.
"Then our God reminded me to support this woman, this...Mary Winters, like we support each other. I almost forgot that and while I did, poor Mary suffered. But, I finally got my head on straight," he said and stopped on the step below where she stood, taking her hand. "Love is a big word so I will not force it upon her but I can see it in her eyes and feel it from her heart that she cares about me...not only me but all of us," he said looking to the crowd. "With all my mistakes, missteps, and problems...you are learning to love me..." he said looking to her. With his free hand, he pulled out the ring box and opened it, holding it out in his open hand. "I couldn't ask for anything more than that."
Mary's eyes were already watery as his words had truly touched her, but she blamed it internally on pregnancy hormones..well, she tried at least. But the ring was...something else. The thing was, it was what she had always envisioned what her ring would look like. A simple princess cut emerald surrounded by tiny diamonds, and the band itself rose gold. She never told anyone here of the ring, she wondered how he knew.
"I want to continue learning to love each other Mary. God has given us happiness and I'll be damned if I'm going to miss out. Will you allow me to be the father of your child, allow me to be your doting husband, will you be the mother of our flock? Will you marry me?" he asked her softly.
Hot tears slipped down her face and Joseph dropped her hand to catch them with his thumb.
"...Yes, yes I'll marry you," she whimpered, saying that faster than she had expected to.
With a calm smile, he slipped the ring onto her ring finger then moved onto the step she was standing on. He put the box back into his pocket then looked at her pretty face. His hand slipped into her hair, fisting it gently as he held the back of her head. Joseph leaned in and kissed her on the lips.
Mary groaned softly into their kiss, not expecting that sort of passion and deepness from him, figuring it would be too lustful...more unexpectedly, she found herself returning the kiss.
The crowd cheered happily, some of them crying happy tears. When Joseph pulled away Faith was the first to reach her and hug her tightly.
"Welcome to our family Mary. Welcome My Sister and Our Mother to our Family," she mewed into her ear as Mary hugged her back.
"Thank you, Faith, thank you for always being so kind even when I didn't deserve it," Mary mused.
Faith just shook her head then kissed Mary's forehead, she moved along to Joseph. John came up and gave Mary a hug.
"I'm so sorry for breaking your tattoo gun," Mary apologized with a smile.
John cracked a smile, "Do not worry about it, Mary. You'll be a Seed soon...and that is all that matters," he told her.
It was Jacobs turn, he hugged Mary and kissed her forehead.
"Be good to Joseph. He hasn't allowed love into his heart for so long," Jacob said surprising Mary to a point.
"I could never hurt him. I get it now, well...I'm starting to. I promise," she mewed.
Jacob smiled, caressed her cheek then moved along.
Joseph came over to Mary and linked his arm around hers, "Come, love, your children await," he told her.
Mary nodded and they stepped down to greet their 'children'. It was such an odd feeling to have complete strangers love and devote themselves to you...thinking you were their salvation. Most of them said little prayers for the happy couple, Joseph was beaming as he watched their children take to Mary so so well. Of course, he lovingly blessed them all in his affectionate way.
After about a half an hour, everyone started to go back to their homes. Joseph lifted her hand to his lips and kissed it softly.
"Let us go inside and decompress," he suggested to which Mary nodded.
They headed inside and she plopped down on the couch kicking off her shoes off her now swollen feet.
Joseph removed his jacket but then moved into the kitchen, when he came back, he had a basin full of hottish water and Epsom salts stirred in. "Here love," he mused, kneeling to put it at her feet. He gently lifted her feet up by the ankles and put her feet into the basin.
Mary hissed happily and wiggled her toes, "You didn't have to do this, I'm fine you know," she told him.
Joseph moved so he kneeled on the floor to the side of her legs. His hands held her swollen tummy at the sides and he placed a tender kiss on her stomach.
"I apologize for that love, but its something you'll have to get used to. I do not want you to do anything you don't feel like when it comes to affections but...I do plan on doting on my soon to be wife and mother of my child," he told her with a non-threatening serious tone, his hands still rubbing her stomach.
"Excuse my ignorance but when it comes to affections, I'm guessing you're referring to the more innocent stuff?" she asked.
He nodded, "Nothing serious until we're married," he told her. "You cleansed yourself in the river when you allowed us to, your purity is restored. I cleansed myself as well so we both can be pure until we're married," he explained to her.
She nodded but Joseph noticed the look on her face.
"You have a problem?"
"Oh, not with waiting or anything but..hell dude, I'm a feminist...I don't like when a woman's worth is directly connected to her 'purity'," she mused.
"I understand how that can be unnerving. It's more of a spiritual thing when it comes to myself and my flock. If it was truly a problem, you, an unmarried pregnant woman would have a lot more problems," he said.
She nodded, "That makes sense. You really take people no matter what their 'worst' may be huh?" she asked.
He nodded, "One's past is of no consequence once you've been cleansed, confessed, and atoned. After that you are a clean soul," he smiled at her. "God does try to keep up with the times," he said, his hands coming up to take her left arm into his hands...fingers running along the sleeve tattoo he noticed earlier. "Even God can appreciate art like this," he told her.
It was a piece of art. A music staff wrapped around her bicep with a pair of headphones drawn to be 'worn' on her shoulder. The wire that one would use to plug the headphones into something was tattooed plugged into her heart but due to the placement, he could not see it and wouldn't until they were married. Within the music staff was a series of notes, it looked to be from a certain song. The lyrics to the song were written out on top and on the bottom of the staff as it wrapped around her arm. To complete the sleeve, empty spaces were filled with what looked to be burnt/ripped music sheet paper (so it looked like her skin had torn to expose said music sheets) and the 'paper' had small lyrical passages that she thought highly of/connected to.
Joesph let his single index finger run along the music staff, he read the lyrics that were wrapped around with it aloud. "My head won't leave my head alone. I don't believe it will until I'm dead and gone. My head won't leave my head alone. I don't believe it will until I'm six feet underground." He looked up to his soon-to-be bride that was looking downwards, embarrassed by her macabre lyric choice. Taking her chin between his fingers, he gently moved her head so she was looking him in the eyes. "Why are you embarrassed, My Mary?" he asked softly.
Mary blinked out a few tears, letting him into her past more and more would assure him that she was growing to trust him...which was a damned good thing if she wanted them to have the bond she would need to further the plan she was working on.
"My life...was so so dark. You know, I confessed to you all of my sins, and I didn't leave anything out. I know you said my sins are cleared and I'm 'pure' now but... it's hard for me to accept the fact that God wants me to lead the flock when there are women here more deserving of the role he has given me. There are women here more deserving of being your wife as well," she said, sniffling ...though she wasn't faking it. Looking back on her life, there were plenty of moments that did hurt her heart deeply at times.
Joseph gave her a loving look and kissed her forehead. "Why don't you let me dry your feet, you go into your room and dress into something more suited for comfort and we'll have a nice long talk. I think it will do us both a lot of good," he said.
Mary pursed her lips together nervously but nodded. She hated 'talking' or 'debating' with him...she usually found herself really into it. He was quite smart while being so empathetic. Mary did not realize that with her plan, his charms would be turned up 100%, and it was a battle not to fall for them. This would be tough on her part.