Page 30 of Wisteria Winds
Danielle smiled, still getting used to her mother’s enthusiasm for an island wedding. “It sounds like everything’s coming together. I’ve barely had to lift a finger.”
“Indeed, though I still think your timeline’s pretty rushed. Three weeks sure doesn’t leave much margin for error.”
“Well, Bennett and I don’t see any reason to wait,” Danielle said. “The gazebo will be finished, the plans are in place, and honestly, Mom, I’m just ready to be his wife.”
“You really do love him, don’t you?”
“With all my heart.”
Cecilia reached across the table to squeeze her daughter’s hand. “I’m glad. Although your father and I didn’t work out in the end, we had that kind of love. The kind that makes you impatient to begin forever together.”
Danielle felt a lump form in her throat. Her mother rarely spoke about her father after the divorce.
“I wish he could be here,” Danielle said quietly.
She’d been afraid to say it before, not wanting to upset her mother, but she did wish that her father could walk her down the aisle.
“He will be there in his own way,” Cecilia said. “Actually, it’s something I wanted to discuss with you.”
She reached into her very expensive handbag and took out a small velvet box.
“I brought this from New York. I thought maybe you might want to wear it at your wedding.”
She opened the box to reveal a delicate sapphire and diamond bracelet.
“Your father gave this to me on our tenth wedding anniversary. ‘Something blue,’ he called it, to make up for the wedding jewelry that we couldn’t afford when we got married.”
“Mom, it’s beautiful. But are you sure?”
“Oh, absolutely sure. What do I need it for? It would mean a great deal to me if you’d wear it. It’s a way for him to be a part of your day. Oh, Danielle, he would have been so proud of the woman you’ve become. The way that you care for others, and the way you’ve created life on your own terms.”
Danielle’s eyes welled with tears. “Even though I didn’t become a research physician like you wanted?”
Cecilia looked down at her newly manicured hands and then looked back at Danielle.
“I wanted you to follow in my footsteps because I knew that path. I understood it. I felt like I could keep you safe. But you found your own way. A better way for you. And seeing you on that island with those people who absolutely adore you, and Bennett, well, now I understand that you made the right choice.”
“Thank you. That means more to me than you know.”
The server arrived with their meals, and when he departed, Cecilia carefully closed the velvet box and passed it across the table.
“Something blue,” she said simply. “And something from your father.”
Danielle took the box and held it to her chest.
“Thank you. I’ll treasure it.”
They ate in silence for a few moments before Cecilia spoke again.
“So, I’ve been meaning to ask you, what are your plans for the clinic while you’re on your honeymoon? Bennett said you might have to do interviews for temporary coverage.”
“Actually, yes. We do have another doctor, Zach, who works on the island, but he’s on leave right now. His mother has been ill. But Dr. Patel from Savannah General said that she can come because she’s between positions and looking for something short-term. So she’ll come to the island next week to meet the residents and learn the systems.”
“Oh, that’s excellent. I’m sure continuity of care is very important in a place like that. And afterward, will you be staying in your cottage or moving in with Bennett?”
“We’ll stay in my place for now. It’s smaller, but I love it so much. And Bennett’s is more… utilitarian,” she said, laughing. “Eventually, we’ll build something together. Something with room to grow.”
“To grow? Are you planning to expand the clinic?”
