Chapter 14 Our Adventure Awaits
The wedding was a small affair, just as Belle had requested (much to Robby's joy-he would have endured anything for his Belle, but the assurance that he would not have to say his vows in front of a throng of people he did not know, helped his panicked state to be much less than it would have been, otherwise). In fact, despite the beautiful backdrop of the turn of the century room, the flowers dusted in gold and embedded in the navy ceiling tiles, there were no decorations, no chairs, just the two of them, a preacher, and Jeff and Ruby as witnesses.
Belle told him that doing so, and having it at the art and humanities building would help them save for their honeymoon-and Robby had taken a deep breath and waited for her to tell him where those bright eyes wanted to go, and he was going to make it happen, even if he had to sell everything he owned to do so. He breathed only slightly when she giddily mentioned a cabin in the mountains a few hours away. He then imagined a cabin on the top of a hill where he would be forced to climb, and wouldn't be able to do so very many times. There would be adventures-long hikes she would want to take, probably some rivers she would want to cross, and he knew there was a waterfall somewhere that would probably be difficult to get to, even if he strapped the brace on, the whole time. Even this, he was resolved to do because Belle wanted it, but he hated that he would be seen as so weak, right out the gate in this whole marriage adventure.
Turned out he needn't have worried, of course, this was Belle after all. She had taken him by the arm a few days before their wedding and showed him her research. She had found a cabin easily accessible for him, no hills to climb or any such nonsense, and yet boasted of both a lake and mountain view-they would just be at the bottom of said mountain. The activities she wanted to know if he might like, all involved driving in the car and very short walks with no inclines-all wheelchair and stroller friendly, thus smooth-and while there was a waterfall venture in the list of things Belle very much wanted to do, she had planned the shortest and easiest route and assured him that she had read over a hundred reviews assuring her that he would be able to get to it. She had smiled throughout the explanation and he realized that she didn't harp on that these activities were easy on a cripple like him, but it was obvious that she had researched each and every activity with both his issues in mind. There was even a series of hot springs where there would be massage places they could go (where he could go, no doubt) to find relief from pain. Oh how he loved her! How could he have worried that she would be there to watch him fall and fail at everything she could easily do, when at every step of their relationship she had shown him that she was there to make the way as comfortable as possible? She was his comfort, he had discovered. Wherever she was, he felt his most at ease, the most like himself. Wherever she was, he wanted, and yearned to be.
There was the day, three days before the wedding, where there had been a knock at his very bare apartment-a handful of boxes stood at each side of the door, waiting to be transferred and brought to the big house, as their official moving day was the day before the wedding, though most of their things were already at the house. He opened the door only to get an armful of a very distressed Belle.
'Sweetheart, what is the matter?!'
She was sobbing on his shoulder, and he would have guided her to a comfortable chair, if he had one, but all he had was a solitary kitchen one, where another stack of boxes served as a table. He stood at her side, lamenting that he had already changed into his pajamas and all his handkerchiefs were in his room. She gathered herself, much to his relief, as each sob broke his heart into tiny little pieces. Though he had no idea what had caused the tears, he was about ready to turn the world upside down to make her smile again. Once the tears had slowed, he pulled himself up, refusing to wince or groan over his leg, and limped over to the kitchen and pulled out the tea things.
'Things always seem better after a cup of tea, dearest.' He cooed, though every part of him was on fire to know what had caused his Belle the distress she was experiencing. When he came back with a cup, and set it down in front of her, she put her arm over his and then wrapped her arms around his waist, seeking comfort. Comfort from him! It still amazed him after all this time that she would do so, but he didn't flinch any more-in fact, he put his hands on her shoulders, cradling the back of her head and gently put his hands through her hair.
'Thank you, Robby.' She whispered
'Umm, you're very welcome, sweetheart-though I don't have a clue as to what I've done to deserve the thanks.'
'By being you-by being-safe. I'm not afraid anymore when I'm with you, I-I appreciate that you are always here for me.' She hiccuped through the words. Afraid, his Belle, afraid. There was only one person who seemed to evoke into Belle's life.
'What happened, Belle, won't you tell me?'
'I went and told dad about the wedding. I thought. I don't know what I thought-It was stupid really, but I thought that perhaps, even though there won't really be an aisle to walk me down, he might at least be there- to be there for me, just this once, you know?' She looked up at him through her tears and Robby nodded in understanding even though his dangling fist was clenched tight in expectation of what happened.
'But no. He wasn't doing well-the house was a mess, I don't think he's taken care of himself at all, and he was just upset that I hadn't been there to take care of things, basically. Still upset that I had left him there, he said. Actually he said a lot of things, and none of them were very nice.' She sounded so broken-hearted over it, that it caused Robby to seethe with anger he normally reserved for thoughts towards his own father. These thoughts were worse, because his father always had the unfortunate side effect of making Robby believe him. It was one thing to hurt him-it was quite another for someone to hurt her.
'All that to say.' She sighed dejectedly. 'He won't be at the wedding, and probably for no other part of my life either.' A sob erupted once more and he pulled her into an embrace. 'I'm sorry.' her voice hoarse from the crying. 'I shouldn't be so upset. I knew it was a long shot that he would come, I just didn't expect so much anger.'
He pulled her away for a second, just to scan her, and make sure he couldn't find an injury.
'He didn't hurt you, did he?' Robby worried.
'No, no-but' and her voice was so small. ' I was worried he might. He was so angry for my apparent disregard of his wants and feelings-such a wild and feral look about him, that I was worried. T-that's why I came here. Like I said, when I'm with you-well, it's the only place-It's the best place where I feel safe.'
Robby's arms had made their way around her again and he squeezed her tighter, his eyes shut in apprehension, worried for her at first, and relieved now that he knew she was physically unhurt. Emotionally… That ,in comparison ,he would be the safe haven was saying something for the situation she had been in before. He had vowed that day, sitting in front of the little Victorian house, all that time ago that he would protect her, provide for her a way to be safe forever. He was only two days away from making that promise into a covenant of 'till death do us part'. He ground his teeth and vowed again that with every bit of power he had-little though it was, cripple as he was-he would keep her safe for as long as he lived.
That night had been one of quiet comfort, and they approached the new day as a new opportunity to remember the life they would forge together. Belle, ever the brave one, met the day smiling and as happy in her plans of the future as she had before the disastrous meeting with her father. She said no more about it, but in all her smiles and melodious laughter, he found she still stole wistful sighs and sad looks when she thought he wasn't looking.
On the day of their marriage, the day was beautiful, and despite the lack of parental support on either side, they began the important life journey very well. Marriage normally takes from existing families and creates a new one-and they found that they were more than enough family for each other. They were a team, a comfort, a safe haven for each other that neither had before. The domestic bliss that Robby had only seen a glimpse of when Belle had stayed at his apartment was made an even better reality now that they were married.
They developed routines that maximized the time they could spend with each other around their work schedules, and they never seemed to tire of each other's company. Every season, every experience was made better because Belle was not just a part of it, but she was with him, a part of him, they were a family unit together. Every evening was looked forward to, because Belle would be there and it meant reading together, or him showing her how to restore an item or she showing him her ideas for marketing his items to sell quicker.
Everything changed a week before their first anniversary. Robby was bursting with news. A little shop downtown had been on their radar for a good seven months. Of course, for most of that time, the building had been unattainable, because for one, the building was not for sale, and secondly, they didn't have the money to put any sort of down payment on it. While their spare bedroom in the house was bursting with inventory, it sent a sort of panic over him to think about venturing out on his own again, as much as he longed to at the same time. He was doing well with his little side business, and it was beginning to make more than he was making working for the art and humanities building. He knew he could do better with his own place and more time to work-he knew because he had done it before. This time though, there was Belle to think of, and to worry over. Between the two of them, and the amount of sales they attended each week on their days off, they had amassed a large collection of vintage books as well and Belle had learned how to value, market and sell them by herself-helping free some of his time with his little side business.
They had driven past the property every day not paying much attention to it, but one day after a long night of discussing what they wanted to do for the future (Robby's leg had given him more problems than usual and Belle, in her usual comforting fashion had worried over his brace he had to wear and wished he didn't work at a job that seemed to overexert his leg like it did), Belle had suddenly gasped and squealed a little when they passed it. After a while his heart had finally gone back to normal after the scare she had given him, and they had even been married long enough that she looked sheepish afterwards and he looked only a little annoyed. She pointed out the teal building with checkered stained glass in the windows.
'Isn't it just precious, Robby?' He had slowed down after her gasp and took in the building. It was small, but he had to admit, the building was indeed, precious.
'Mmmm, that it is, sweetheart-but what's got you so…'
'Don't you see? It would make the perfect vintage shop and bookstore. Don't you think?' She chewed at her lower lip and her eyes were pleading with him to see the same sort of potential she saw in the place.
He had agreed with her, though they both knew where their finances stood. They were doing better than just getting by-with the two jobs and the side business they were keeping their heads above water, but Robby knew just how dangerous and volatile life-especially in the entrepreneur world where his side business lay-could be. Again, the thought of going solo again, both elated and scared him. The fact that Belle was so enthusiastic to the idea showed just how comfortable she had become with him-how much she trusted him in both his business and work ethic. She had sighed more than once that she wished her father had half the amount of business sense and focus that Robby had-and it had given him both a sense of pride and made him ache for Belle's past.
After that, Belle had opened an extra savings account and called it Our Next Adventure. She wrote in her little journal each week, updating the amount they had been able to put back until it had grown into a little nest egg. Robby meanwhile had researched the market value of the building, figured out who the owners were, and gotten to know the lease information of the current residents. He waited, and waited, and waited. The amount in the savings account increased, as Belle found fun, and unusual ways to save money so they would be able to afford 'their new adventure'. Her eyes would light up as she dreamed outloud and spoke to him about how she imagined things would be when they could work for themselves. She never spoke as if it was impossible, no she always started with 'When you buy that little shop and we set it up…'. She held enough confidence for the both of them. And borrowing from her strength he waited a little more.
Tonight he knew they had it. The shop had been put on the market, and he felt confident he could talk the owners into an arrangement that would be beneficial to both parties. He just needed to talk to Belle. His body was tingling with anticipation. She would be happy, he thought-just like he was, but he knew they would also be terrified of the unknown. Already beginning to tremble, he got out of the car, knowing his Belle would have something smelling good when he entered. On Saturdays she loved to bake something new for them to try when he got home.
Opening the door, he breathed deep, realizing something was off. There was no smell of baked goods, no singing or humming in the kitchen, no apron clad, and flour doused Belle to meet him.
'Belle?' He ventured, a little worry creeping in.
'In the kitchen!' He relaxed only slightly, the wobbliness of her voice evident in her declaration. He came into the room, and met a smiling Belle, which caused him to let out a breath he was holding, though her eyes held a mysterious hue. She was ringing her hands and walked over and gave him but a chaste peck on the cheek, her whole face doused in red-he had no idea what was going on.
'I have something to tell you.' They both said together. Robby's eyebrows went up, Belle laughed nervously.
'You tell me your news first.' Robby said, smiling reassuringly to Belle's nervous demeanor. He wondered if he looked as unsure as she did at that moment.
'Alright.' She ran off to his bewilderment, his heart racing at her unusual behavior. She came back, cheeks flushed and eyes now dancing their normal happy dance, and extra sparkle seemed to have appeared at some point during the running around.
'Look! Look, Robby!'
She held a test stick up with two solid pink lines. 'I'm pregnant!'