Happy Friday! R&R!
Neil found Alice in the kitchen later on in the morning helping Ruby Mae make breakfast.
"Smells good," Neil commented.
"Breakfast will be ready in a few minutes," Alice told him, her eyes remaining on the coffee grinder as she gave it another whirl. They all had been surviving on coffee to stay awake with Christy through the night. "How did Christy and the baby seem?"
Neil poured water into the basin by the door and washed his hands. "Christy's exhausted and it'll take her a few days to recuperate. The baby seems fine, but I want her still for a couple of days just to make sure. I don't want her walking around on that ankle either. She needs to stay in bed until I tell her she can get out of it."
"I don't know how anyone is gonna keep Miz Christy in bed for very long," Ruby Mae told him.
"It will be a difficult task," Neil agreed.
"But one that can be accomplished," Alice assured them.
"I want her to eat this morning," Neil said.
"Here, thee can take this up to her, Ruby Mae," Alice said, preparing a plate for Christy and placing it on a tray. Then she made another one. "And this one is for David."
Ruby Mae picked up the tray and left to take it upstairs to Christy's room.
"I just called Margaret and told her I'd be home later this morning. Will you be fine here?" Neil asked.
Alice's hands froze over the skillet, spoon suspended midair. She didn't respond.
"Alice?" Neil asked.
"Yes, thee needs to return home and rest," Alice told him.
Neil nodded, staring at the back of her head. Silence fell over them. "She's trying, Alice. She…she wants to stay, Alice. But a lot of that is depending on her relationship with you. You are one of the most important people in her life. If you don't mend your relationship with her…"
Alice spun around. "Do not tell me what I need to do about my daughter. She has had so many chances, Neil."
Neil looked down. "I know that better than anyone, Alice."
"Yet thee are giving her another one," Alice concluded.
"Yes," Neil nodded and looked up at her. "Yes, I am. Who am I to condemn her for her actions when mine have been just as horrible? There is a lot you don't know about our marriage, Alice. About what happened during those last few months."
Alice did not respond. Neil stepped closer.
"She lost a baby," Neil said softly, and Alice looked up at him with wide eyes. The pregnancy had been a secret, even from Alice. "We told no one. She didn't want sympathy. But we started falling apart rapidly after that. I blamed myself for not being able to save the baby. She fell into a dark depression, but I was so caught up in my own pain and making it about me, that I didn't even notice how deeply she was hurting. I should have…God, she had a miscarriage. Of course her heart was broken. We both wanted that baby… She couldn't take it anymore, and that's when she faked her drowning."
Alice's shoulders began to shake, and she looked down to hide her tears. Neil put his hand on her shoulder.
"I know that she has hurt you deeply, Alice. She broke my heart more than I could ever have imagined she would. But she's still your daughter, and she's still my wife. And I've learned that harboring anger and hatred for her was hurting me and the people around me more than it was hurting her."
Alice looked up at him, tears in her eyes. Neil said nothing, just looked at her.
"I'll come see Margaret soon," She said at last.
"Thank you," Neil whispered.
The October sun returned for the last two days of the month, melting away the early snow and warming the cove once more. The snow storm had been a sign of what was too come throughout the winter, and everyone picked up the pace with their preparations. Women canned as much food as they could, men gathered firewood for days straight. Mud was added to the cabin walls for further insulation, and more quilts were stitched. As November came upon them in a brilliance of orange, yellow and red, the cove was a flurry of activity. Alice returned to Raven Gap, and Neil accused her under his breath of running from her problems when he returned to check on Christy and found Alice gone.
Neil was not satisfied that Christy's ankle was well enough for her to be out of bed, so she remained there, growing impatient. Margaret took over classes at the school, and between her, David, Neil, and Christy's input, school continued on. Neil was amazed that Margaret was getting along with the children so well, but each time he arrived to help with science class, she seemed to be doing well with them. Further joy was added to his heart, when instead of rejecting Neil's turn to God, Margaret asked questions about it, and seemed to accept it without complaint. When arguments arose, frequently, they did not let it go on and on. They resolved things quickly, something they had never done before. So Neil and Margaret continued to dance around one another, playing house in his cabin until the day came when they both knew they would need to make a decision about their relationship. For now, they simply enjoyed getting reacquainted with one another.
David spent every spare moment with Christy, and they began to make plans for a Christmas Eve Wedding. She wrote a letter to her parents, though she left out the information about the baby. She knew she would regret not telling them, but each time she meant to, she put it off. She knew they would insist on her coming home. Finally, she decided that when they came for the wedding and discovered their daughter's predicament, she would be far enough along that she couldn't travel anymore and the wedding would be so close that there would be nothing they could do to stop it and force her to return to Asheville. They would simply have to accept it and let her be. That was, of course, as long as their plans melded well with hers.
Christy looked at David as he stood in her room, pacing the floor. Her ankle was propped up on a pillow, and her hands firmly rested over her stomach as she sat in the bed.
"David, what is wrong?" Christy asked for the tenth time since he had entered five minutes ago. Her book was discarded in her lap.
"I…" David started and then shook his head, looking down at his feet.
"What?"
"Your father called."
"He did?" Christy asked. "Oh, I wish I could have gone down to talk to him. This ankle is-"
"Christy… They're coming early."
Christy shot up. "What?!"
"Your father insisted, and I couldn't say no. I told them they'll likely get snowed in for the whole winter, but that didn't seem to change their minds. They don't understand why you want a Christmas Eve wedding so badly, but your mother wants to be here to help prepare. They'll be here three days after Thanksgiving."
Christy moaned. "What am I going to do? I haven't told them yet. I was going to…I really was. But I just never felt like the time was right."
"You could call and tell them ahead of time."
"I don't think that would be appropriate. How can I tell them something like that on the phone?"
"I know. I'm sorry, Christy."
"Mother will faint at the sight of me," Christy muttered. "Then she'll march up here, pack my bags, and drag me home with her."
"She can't just decide your life for you. We're getting married. Surely she wouldn't drag you away from me."
Christy smiled devilishly. "You really don't know my mother very well, do you?"
David sighed and came and sat beside her. "Christy, is there anything I can do to help?"
Christy shook her head. "No. We'll just deal with it when they get here. Maybe I can convince Neil to insist that I stay in Cutter Gap so she has no choice but to let me stay."
David leaned forward and kissed the side of her head. "I love you, Christy. I'm going to be here the whole time."
Christy looked up at him, peace coming over her. "I know. And I love you so much."
Neil inspected Christy's ankle, David looking over his shoulder, quite annoyingly. He had already done a check-up on the baby, and David had got to listen to the baby's heartbeat.
"Well, the bruising is lessening and the swelling has gone down. Can you walk on it?"
"I did this morning."
"Good. Any pain?"
"Not much."
"Well, then Miss Huddleston, if you promise to take it easy, I would say you are officially allowed out of bed."
Christy smiled. "Thank you, Neil."
Neil closed his medical bag and picked it up. "No problem."
David helped Christy up and led her downstairs where breakfast was waiting on them. Margaret was helping Ruby Mae put breakfast on the table. David helped Christy into a chair and Neil held out Margaret's chair for her before Ruby Mae and the men sat down.
"Let's pray," David said, taking Christy's hand in his. The others all joined hands as well before David began. When he finished, everyone released each other's hands, except for David, who held onto Christy's. Christy looked up in surprise as he raised her hand to his lips and kissed it softly.
Christy smiled, blushing as he looked at her. When he finally released her hand, Christy glanced at Neil, who was watching her with a blank face. She quickly looked away.
"Christy, how many days until your parents arrive?" Margaret asked.
"Thirteen," Christy said with a sigh. "They're getting here three days after Thanksgiving."
"Have you told them?"
"No," She said flatly.
"Her mother is going to want to take Christy back to Asheville," David explained.
"Well, I don't think that would be wise. You'll be six months along by then. It would be dangerous for you to travel," Neil told her. "And I'll tell your mother that too. She doesn't scare me."
They all laughed softly.
"I know she doesn't, Neil. That would be wonderful of you to tell her that. She can't argue with you very well."
"No one can," Margaret announced, and Neil jabbed her with his elbow. "Well, I'm glad you're getting to return to school, Christy, but I'm going to miss the children."
"Well, I would greatly appreciate it if you would take over when I have the baby," Christy told her.
"I'd love to," Margaret said and the two women smiled at one another.
Silence ensued. After a few minutes, Ruby Mae spoke up.
"Miss Christy… it's time for school."
Christy scooted her chair back and stood, David standing too.
"Thank you, Ruby Mae," Christy said as she crossed the room to grab her books. David helped her into her coat as Margaret told Ruby Mae she would wash the dishes.
Christy turned back to David.
"Have a good day," David said. "I'll be there later to help with Bible and math."
"Alright. Thank you, David. I love you."
"And I love you," David said.
David leaned down and kissed her, hugging her to him. Neil pretended to be busy talking to Margaret about their plans for the day, but he couldn't help but notice the way Christy wrapped her arms around David's neck.
"Bye…" Christy smiled at the rest of them as she then headed for the door. "Thank you for coming so early."
"No problem. Have a good day, Christy," Neil said as Margaret clung to his arm.
Christy disappeared out the door.
"Grantland, can I speak to you outside for a moment?" Neil asked.
David nodded and the two went outside and stood on the porch.
"What's on your mind, Doctor?"
"It's about Christy."
"What about her? Is she alright?" David asked in alarm.
"No, no it's nothing like that. Everything's fine. Listen, I realize you and I have had our fair share of disagreements about Christy."
David nodded.
"I want you to know, that I don't think she could have made a better decision in choosing you. You're going to make her very happy, and I can see it all over her face that she loves you."
David looked astonished that Neil MacNeill was saying all of this.
"Margaret and I are going to try again. I just wanted you to know. Margaret finally seems happy here, and that has a lot to do with you and Christy. I…I've said and done some pretty awful things to you, Grantland. I didn't respect you, because of what you believed in. But I was wrong…about all of it. I apologize for that, and hope you can forgive me."
"Thank you, Neil. You have no idea how much I appreciate that. I hold nothing against you. And as far as Christy is concerned, we're all powerless when it comes to her. I can never hold the fact that you cared about her against you."
"Christy's a remarkable woman. She deserves what's best for her. But I swear, Grantland, you hurt her in anyway and I will make you regret it."
David smiled. "I'll take care of her, Doctor. You have my word. I love her more than I ever thought possible. I hope that you can feel that way about Margaret again."
"I'm already halfway there," Neil admitted.
Neil smiled and the two shook hands. On the other side of the door, Margaret was leaning against the door, listening and smiling. Love was moving in their hearts once more, and she felt the warmth and the power of it fill every fiber of her.