"I was thinking that perhaps in the summer you and David can come home and visit. Your grandmother is dying to see you. You know she'll never be able to come visit here," Julia said softly as she sifted through a pile of linens that had been brought from home as one of Christy and David's wedding gifts.
Christy did not respond as she sat on the edge of her bed and stared out the balcony door window panes. A thin blanket of snow rested on the ground and the world was cold and peaceful outside. She could see the schoolhouse from here, smoke rising from the chimney and curling toward the gray sky above. Inside, Margaret was teaching a room full of children, and Christy wanted to be there with them. Or with David and Alice who were visiting Raven Gap. Or even with Neil, who was out making his rounds in the cove. Or with her father, who was reading downstairs…anywhere but here with her overbearing mother, her whimsical plans, and constant avoidance of the elephant in the room.
Julia had spent the Saturday evening after Christy had awoken, trying to get close to her daughter. David and Neil had kept the woman at a distance to avoid stressing Christy. William had retreated to a quiet state of contemplation, hardly speaking at all. He just watched his daughter, and the events that surrounded her, taking it all in. On Sunday, after church, Julia had begun acting as though the events the day before had never happened, much to Christy's annoyance and disappointment. Her parents had hurt her deeply, and then dismissed it as though they had done nothing wrong. Her father said little to nothing, and Julia said too much but never enough. Christy could barely take another minute of it.
"Christy, are you listening to anything I'm saying? I brought my wedding dress, thinking you could wear it for your wedding like we always planned. Let me go pull it out of my trunk and you can try it on."
Christy stood and moved toward the dresser, looking at herself in the mirror. "I don't think it will fit, Mother."
Her mother froze at the door and dropped her hands to her side. Slowly she turned back toward her.
"Oh," Julia nodded. "Yes."
Christy watched her mother's eyes drift over her body and rest on Christy's expanded abdomen. She forced a smile and Christy's hand moved to cover her belly.
"Why don't you just say it?" Christy asked.
"Say what, darling?" Julia asked, looking up at her daughter's face in the mirror.
"That you're disappointed…that you don't want this grandchild."
Julia's eyes widened in horror. "I will not say something that I do not mean."
"Mother, you haven't said a word about the baby since I woke up on Saturday night. You're trying to cover it up, even forget, because it is a disgrace to our family. And I wish you'd just say it because I know you're thinking it."
"Christina…" Julia moved toward her daughter, a hand reaching for her daughter's arm.
"Do not touch me," Christy moved away from her.
"No, Christy do not act like this. You have to try to understand. You have months to process this and get used to the idea. Your father and I had it thrown into our faces unexpectedly and I have to say, quite unfairly. You had months to write us…and you refused."
"I was afraid you would do exactly what you did on Saturday."
"Well, we would have been shocked and upset to be certain. But you could have explained, Christy. We would have believed you. Darling…. We love you. We are your parents and we have raised you to be honest and trustworthy, and we would have believed you."
"But Mr. Stone has close business ties with father, and you made excuses for him when I wrote to you about the logging. You told me I was being unreasonable for cutting him off. You took his side."
Julia sat on the bed again, her hands in her lap.
"Yes, you are right. We did."
"You have to realize, Mother, that after what I had been through with him, getting that letter from you hurt me more than I will ever be able to describe. I decided right then and there that I had to keep this baby a secret from you for as long as possible."
Silence hung in the air.
"Your father is going to press charges the moment we are home again."
"Oh, no!" Christy exclaimed rushing toward her mother. "Please, he can't."
"And why not?" Julia demanded. "Heavens, Christy, you aren't making any sense."
"If you press charges, he will find out about the baby. David and I don't ever want him to know that this is his child. As far as this baby and our other children are concerned, this baby is David's. Do you understand?"
Julia sighed. "Well then what do you want us to do, Christy?"
"Apologize!" Christy demanded, tears springing forward. "Tell me that you love me, that you support me, and that you'll love this baby."
"Of course we do. Oh, Christina Rudd Huddleston, don't you ever doubt that. Our idea of what is best may be different than your idea, but that doesn't mean that we don't love you. You are our daughter. You are everything to us. You and your sister always were, and always have been our entire world. If, this the way you want to live your life, then we will stand behind you, and David, the entire way. I promise, Christy, and I love you. I'm sorry that we hurt you."
"I'm sorry that I tried to keep so much of my life hidden from you these past few months. I've just been so afraid. I've realized how much of my life is out of my control, and I'm frightened."
Julia drew her daughter close. "The Lord holds us all, Christy. Your life has always been out of your hands, because you give it to God. We are so proud of you for that. The Lord holds you in His hands."
"United States Mail!" Ben Pentland's voice echoed throughout the mission yard and floated toward Christy, Julia and Fairlight, who were out scooping up snow into bowls.
"Hello, Mr. Pentland!" Christy greeted with a warm smile.
"Afternoon, Miss Christy. What are ya'll doin'?"
"Fairlight is showing us how to make ice cream with snow," Julia explained, stepping forward and extending her hand toward the mail man.
He shook it, smiling brightly. "Sounds like a right good time, Mrs. Huddleston."
"Won't you stay, Mr. Pentland?" Julia asked.
"Naw, I got a heap a letters to get delivered. Speaking of which, I've got one here for the Reverend. Would you mind giving it to him, Christy?"
"Of course not," Christy smiled as Ben handed her the envelope.
"Do you have anything in that sack for us?" Fairlight asked. She had been waiting on a payment from Asheville for a quilt that she sold.
"Fairlight, you know you just get prettier every time I see ya?"
"I'll take that as a no," Fairlight forced a smile. "Christmas ain't gonna be much a Christmas this year."
"You've still got a couple of weeks of waiting here, Fairlight. It'll come," Ben assured her. "Well, I've got places to be while there's still daylight. Afternoon, Ladies."
"Goodbye, Mr. Pentland," Christy waved. When he was gone, Christy turned toward Fairlight and her mother. "I'm going to take this to David. I'll be back."
She made her way to the barn, her feet treading carefully over the snow. She placed a hand under her belly, feeling the baby move in response. She pulled open the door and stepped inside to find David brushing Prince.
"David?"
He looked up when he heard her and smiled brightly. "Hello, love. What are you doing all the way out here?"
"Mr. Pentland was just here. I brought you this," She held the envelope up so that he could see it.
He set down the brush and made his way toward her. He pressed his lips to hers and then reached for the letter.
"It's from Mother," David smiled. "She must have finally gotten my letter about the wedding and baby."
Christy waited in nervous curiosity as he opened it and skimmed over its contents. She watched his face carefully.
"She's coming for the wedding," David told her. "She'll be here next week, on the twelfth."
"Well, the more the merrier I suppose," Christy said. "We still have an open bedroom she can move to."
David nodded and kept reading. "She's happy about the baby, Christy, and she can't wait to meet you."
Christy smiled and David pulled her close. "She is absolutely going to love you."
"I hope so. She's stuck with me, at this point."
David grinned. "Yes, she is, and I'm so glad. I love you."
"I love you, David," Christy smiled, wrapping her arms around him and resting her head on his chest.
"I'm glad everything is sorted out with your parents," David commented.
"Me too," She nodded.
"Guess what?" He whispered.
"What?"
"We're getting married in twenty days."
Christy giggled. "Yes, we are."
He kissed her forehead. "I can't wait."
Christy's smile faded and she pulled back. "David, there's something I've been wondering about."
"Alright…what is it?"
"Are you…will you…"
"What, darling? Just ask me."
"Are you really going to want me when I look like this?" She turned to the side to show off her large belly.
"I've always wanted you, Christy," David told her with a soft frown.
"I mean…I mean in the way married couples…intercourse, David," She finally finished with an embarrassed blush.
"So do I."
She looked up at him. "Oh….oh."
He smiled. "You're beautiful, you know that?"
"Not like this, I'm not."
"Oh, but you are, Christy."
"My face is swollen."
"Very little, and absolutely glowing."
"I haven't seen my toes in weeks."
"Well, I can see them. Does that count?"
Christy giggled and shook her head. "No."
He placed his hands on either side of her abdomen where her coat no longer could reach. "Our baby is growing in here, Christy, and it's the most beautiful thing I've ever seen. I cannot wait to have you. All of you."
Christy smiled and closed her eyes as David kissed her passionately on the lips.
"Thank you, David," Christy whispered. "Thank you for making me feel like I'm beautiful even when I find it hard to believe."
"You're always going to be beautiful to me. Even when your hair is silver."
"Are you finished in here?"
"Yes."
"Then come learn how to make snow cream with us," Christy reached for his hand and pulled him toward the door.
"What in the world is snow cream?" He asked, closing the barn door behind them.
"Ice cream made of snow. It's the only way they can ever have ice cream in the Cove. Fairlight is teaching us, and if we learn it, maybe we can make it with our children."
"That sounds like a wonderful plan," David grinned, looping an arm around her waist to help her over the uneven ground and slippery snow. "And then, if you want, I'll walk you over to the schoolhouse so you help Margaret finish up the lessons for the day."
"Oh would you?" Christy asked in excitement. "That would make this a perfect day."