Page 57 of Below the Far Horizon
“Wow,” Grace said, putting her hands together and trying to pretend it was a clap and not out of shock. She was not expecting that, but her mom had said something about life getting shorter and not wanting to waste any days, and she felt the same way about her own relationship. Plus, there was no doubt that Gita and Don were perfect for each other.
She smiled sincerely. “Congratulations! I’m so happy for you.”
“Thanks,” Gita said, beaming at her daughter and then looking back at Don.
“That’s awesome, Dad. I am surprised it’s so soon, but it feels like perfect timing.” Trevor sounded like he was telling the truth, and Grace believed him. After all, she’d never heard him lie. Unlike her ex. That was just one difference, a major one, but one of many.
“Thanks. We figured you two would be happyfor us. Now we have to announce it to the rest of the family. I didn’t want to wait, so I’ll probably call your sisters this afternoon.”
“And I’ll call your siblings as well. We’re probably going to have a wedding within a week or two, since we didn’t want to drag it out. But we wanted everyone to know before we actually got hitched.”
“That’s considerate of you,” Trevor said.
“Anyway. That’s our news. What’s yours?” Gita said as she and Don continued to hold hands.
Was it okay to share the news of their own relationship? Grace only hesitated a moment before she felt certain her mother would not mind in the slightest and would actually want to know. “I said some things to Trevor on our kayaking trip that weren’t true. And I got enough courage to talk to Trevor about them.”
Trevor smiled at her, and she kinda stumbled. She hoped he would take over, and he seemed to read that on her face.
“We decided that we are going to be together. I haven’t asked her to marry me yet, Dad. You’re faster than I am, but I suppose that’ll be coming, because that’s the direction our relationship is headed. That’s our goal, right, Grace?”
He lifted his brows, as though wanting to make sure that he wasn’t saying anything that she didn’t agree with. She appreciated the fact that he was careful and concerned about her.
“That’s right. Although, I’m a little bit upset that you allowed your dad to beat you.”
“Maybe I want to get a ring first. I noticed that your mother doesn’t have one.”
“I told him not to worry about it. At my age, jewelry doesn’t mean anything at all. I have plenty of rings but no husband. I’d rather have a husband than a thousand rings.” Her mother gave another sweet smile to Don.
“You’re getting a husband, and you’ll have a ring if you want one. I just didn’t want to force you to wear something you didn’t want.”
“It never even occurred to me that you might not want a ring.” Trevor looked at Grace.
She lifted her shoulder. “A ring says to the rest of the world thatyou’re married, but I guess having a ring for a ring’s sake doesn’t really mean anything to me. It’s just for what it says to everyone else.”
“A wedding ring, then, but not an engagement ring?”
Maybe they should have this conversation in private, but she wasn’t going to shut him down. And she didn’t care if Mom, and now her future stepfather, heard.
“Yes. That would work just fine. Honestly, I don’t care. Having the husband, like my mom said, is the most important thing. A husband with character and integrity, someone I can depend on, someone who will be honest with me and keep his word. I would take that over a thousand rings any day, too.”
“Sounds to me like we’re in agreement,” her mother said, looking over at Grace.
Grace looked around the table, at the family that had been cobbled together. She thought about how hopeless her life had been not that long ago and how hopeful it looked now. It was funny how just a few turns of the earth happened and everything was different.
Maybe it wasn’t so funny after all, since God promised to work everything together for her good. Sometimes she just had trouble remembering that.
Twenty-Seven
“Inow pronounce you man and wife. You may kiss the bride.”
Don’s head lowered and she lifted hers, and they shared a chaste but warm and happy kiss as the living room erupted in claps and cheers.
There weren’t a whole lot of extra people at the wedding, just Grace’s sisters and their husbands and Stacy’s children, along with Trevor’s siblings and their spouses and children as well. Don had one sibling who had come in for the wedding, and Gita had a couple siblings there with their spouses as well. All in all, it was less than thirty people. But that made the living room very crowded.
“They look good together, don’t they?” Trevor leaned down and whispered in Grace’s ear. He loved having her beside him and had been watching her more than he’d been watching the couple in the front say their vows. She had been deeply interested and engaged, and had almost seemed on the verge of tears a couple of times.
The wedding didn’t move him nearly that much, but it made him want to have a wedding of his own.
