Page 91 of The Wedding Run
“Not on our wedding day?” Charlie asks.
“We can probably make that an exception. Personally, I wish I’d read it months ago. Maybe I would have spared all of us the humiliation and expense. But then again, maybe Momma knew best.”
“I think Momma would want us to read the letter whenever we feel ready.”
Charlie shakes her head.
Elle ignores her. “What do you think the teabag means?”
I shrug. “Different teas have different health benefits. Or maybe it’s that all the pieces of tea leaves are like memories in our heritage, and family holds them together. But I don’t know.”
“Maybe,” Charlie offers, “it was an accident for it to be in the envelope.”
As I study the teabag in the saucer, with the tea’s color deepening, an idea hits me. “You need hot water.”
“Duh,” Charlie says. “Lukewarm doesn’t work.”
“Exactly!” Realization takes shape in my mind. “A teabag is only dried, withered leaves. But with hot water…”
“It makes tea,” Charlie finishes in a flat tone. “This is not a new concept.”
“Together,” Elle interprets, “they create something special.”
“But they both have to be all in,” I add. “They give their all and change to become something new. Together.”
A tremor ripples through me. That’s what Momma and Daddy did with their marriage. Dad was fully committed to being a husband and a father. He never wavered, never closed himself off from us, even when it was hard or seemed impossible.
“That’s so beautiful,” Elle says, handing me the cup. “So romantic.”
“It makes sense now,” I explain. “In her letter, Momma said she couldn’t give Dad or our family as much as she wanted because she was so ill. Daddy had to take up the slack. But that’s how marriage is: all in.”
“One hundred percent,” Charlie says.
“Maybe if we read the letter,” Elle suggests, “we could help you interpret it.”
Charlie’s look says, ‘Enough already.’
“Fine.” Elle pinches her lips. “I guess if you’re both all in, then no matter what happens, you’re covered.”
I hug them both. “If you only give fifty percent, meeting the other halfway, then it isn’t enough when you go through difficult times.”
“Full commitment makes the union complete,” Elle declares.
“Right,” Charlie says. “And Derek wasn’t fully committed. We could all see that.”
“He gave what he could,” I defend him, “but I was holding back too. Momma helped me see that.” A longing for something more rises within me.
“You think it’s possible to find a partner, like what Momma and Daddy found?” Elle asks, her tone reflective.
I touch the teabag’s label. It’s such a simple yet profound reminder of a deep truth. “I hope it’s possible.”
But I’m doubtful. Because I’ve lost Luke.
CHAPTER 47
Libby
After I shower and put on clean clothes, Elle, Charlie, Bailey, and I head to a local park where we played as children. It holds special memories of us scampering over the jungle gym, having picnics beneath the giant oaks, going on Easter egg hunts, and enjoying Fourth of July parades. We pack bagels, fruit, and homemade cookies in a picnic basket, along with a thermos of instant coffee because we haven’t figured out the espresso maker yet.
