Page 83 of Bartholomew
With nothing more than a nod in agreement, we made our way back to the dining table, just in time to see Gideon carrying the second dish of lasagna to the table.
“For fuck’s sake, you all polished off the whole first casserole?” I exclaimed, finally getting a grip on my thoughts as we sat back down at the table.
“Have you tasted her cooking, man? If you die, I call dibs on Delilah,” Gideon sputtered out between bites.
“I already called dibs, thank you very much,” Ruth piped up from her seat. All of us stared at her before erupting into laughter.
“It’s always the quiet ones,” Levi shook his head at his wife.
“Yes, yes, it is,” I agreed, my eyes focused only on Delilah. She blushed, but took another bite of her food. Her eyes lifted, meeting mine to the side. My Delilah.
“So, are you finally ready to go through with it?” Levi asked again as we all finished our plates.
“Are you finally ready to fuck off?” Malachi tossed right back, his fork clattering against the plate as he leaned back in his seat, arms crossing over his chest.
“What is the big deal, man? We all agreed, and you just keep digging your heels in like it’s the worst thing on Earth,” Levi fought.
“Because it is the worst thing on Earth,” Malachi chuckled humorlessly.
“It really isn’t,” I tossed my two cents in. Ruth and Delilah stood from the table, clearing the dishes and cleaning up. I would have helped them, but Delilah had already let me know that this would be a good time for her and Ruth to talk. I wanted to give them that time and space.
“Listen, just because the two of you found good matches, doesn’t mean any of the rest of us will. A match for me doesn’t exist,” he muttered.
“Think of it this way, Kai. The faster you go through with it, the faster it’ll all be over,” Gideon offered.
“Listen, I just think that we all need to be open to the marriages Mother and Father bring forward. Things feel tense at the church and the faster we can get this over with, the faster we can get out of here and start the lives we all want.” Levi’s words hit each of us and a silence fell over the room. I could hear Delilah and Ruth speaking in the living room, despite their muffled words.
The conversation picked back up a few minutes later, with Malachi and Gideon discussing renovations to his boat. Levi and I busied ourselves with talk about making sure Ruth and Delilah had time together more often, especially while we were busy with the Elders. Before long, everyone was making their excuses and readying themselves to leave.
“Call me anytime, if you have questions,” Ruth spoke quietly to Delilah as she and Levi made their way out onto the front porch.
“Thank you, I will,” Delilah said with a vibrant blush. Finally, we had the house to ourselves again. We both breathed a deep sigh.
“Your brothers are quite the characters,” she chuckled.
“They are, but they mean well.”
“Oh, don’t get me wrong. I will take them any day over my sisters. My sisters are utter torture to be around.” We both made our way down through the house, turning off lights as we headed towards the bedroom. It was late and entertaining guests had taken it out of both of us it seemed. Plus, the sooner we got to bed, the sooner these thoughts would quit plaguing me.
“What a night,” she sighed, plopping down on the bed.
“You can say that again,” I agreed, sitting down beside her. “But it went well, didn’t it?” She nodded as I took her hand, our fingers intertwining. I looked at our hands, my thumb rubbing over the simple gold band on her ring finger.
“What was it that Ruth wanted to talk to you about?” I asked, wincing after the words were out of my mouth. “Sorry, that’s not really my business, is it?”
“No, it’s fine for you to ask, Ollie,” she reassured me, her other hand covering our clasped hands. She was all comfort and understanding, patience and kindness. Gideon had been right; I didn’t deserve her. She was one hell of a woman.
“She brought me something,” she admitted a little reluctantly.
“What is it?” I turned towards her, searching her face for whatever was causing her discomfort in this conversation. “You look concerned.”
“Not concerned, exactly. Embarrassed maybe?” she admitted.
“I’m here to listen, not to judge, love.” Motherfucker, that word would not stop coming out of my mouth.
“It’s easier to show you.” She fished around in the pocket of her dress and pulled out a white stick-like object. Immediately, my brain shut down in a panic. I knew what that was.
A pregnancy test.
