about her. They had to see to it that both she and the baby would be fine, so they made sure she didn’t do anything strenuous.
“I know she does,” she continued, “but it still doesn’t make me feel any better. I always dreamed of the day my girls would be married, and how I wanted to be the one to take care of everything.” She was beginning to weep. “I can’t believe my baby is getting married.”
Miranda walked over to her mother, and put her arm around her shoulders. “Now, Mama, you mustn’t feel this way. Cassie’s very happy, you know that. It would hurt her to know you felt this way. Come on now, cheer up. Just think, in only four months there’ll be a new baby in the house, and you’ll still see Cassie a lot. She’s not going to be far.”
Mary wiped her eyes and looked at Miranda. She reached out and patted her on the arm, “I know, honey. I’m just a little emotional right now, that’s all. It’s natural for us pregnant women. I’ll be alright.”
Miranda hugged her mother, “I know you will,” she agreed. “Now enough about that, what’s Cassie doing anyway?”
“She’s upstairs fixing her hair,” she replied, then laughed. “I think this only makes about the tenth different way she’s done it. She says she just can’t get it the way she wants. She’s so nervous. You’ll see one day.”
With that, Miranda grew solemn. Seeing this, her mother apologized. “Oh, Miranda honey, I’m sorry. How thoughtless of me. I wasn’t thinking.”
Knowing how her mother was feeling, Miranda tried to look happy. “It’s alright Mama. It just still hurts sometimes, that’s all. I’ll be fine.”
Aunt Alice had been quiet through all this, when she finally blurted out, “Okay, you two, enough of this sentimental nonsense. There’s work to be done. Miranda, help me set the tables, and Mary, if you want, you can finish making the tea.” Each of them went about their individual chore and the time passed quickly. Soon, it was time to leave for the church.
As Cassandra descended the stairs, her father, Frank, took her by the hand and marveled, “Look at my little girl. How beautiful you look, sweetheart! Ben sure is one lucky fella.”
There she stood, in her elegant ivory satin wedding gown with an attached wide gathered skirt. The neckline of the dress was trimmed with a hand-made lace ruffle. Her hair was drawn up and to the back of her head, where it was arranged in soft curls. She was truly a vision.
With tears in her eyes, she replied, as she reached out and hugged him, “Oh, Papa, I love you!”
“I love you too, pumpkin. Never forget that. I hope you and Ben will always be as happy as you are at this moment.”
As she pulled free from his embrace, she determined, “We will be. I have no worries about that. I love him so much.”
“Well, all I have to say is, he’d better take good care of you, or he’ll have me to answer to.” She only smiled, for she knew her father was only joking, his way of trying not to show the emotions he was feeling.
Suddenly everyone else entered the room. Aunt Alice announced, “We’re ready to leave now. Come on you two. Time’s a wasting. Are you ready, Cassie?”
Cassie’s voice quivered, as she answered, “About as ready as I’ll ever be. We might as well go.”
Each felt a tugging of sadness, knowing that today Cassie was leaving her childhood behind. Soon she would become a woman, a prospect that made her very nervous.
***
By the time they had reached the church, it was mostly full. Cassandra, Miranda, Mary and Alice went through the side door of the building, then into the small room in the
“I know she does,” she continued, “but it still doesn’t make me feel any better. I always dreamed of the day my girls would be married, and how I wanted to be the one to take care of everything.” She was beginning to weep. “I can’t believe my baby is getting married.”
Miranda walked over to her mother, and put her arm around her shoulders. “Now, Mama, you mustn’t feel this way. Cassie’s very happy, you know that. It would hurt her to know you felt this way. Come on now, cheer up. Just think, in only four months there’ll be a new baby in the house, and you’ll still see Cassie a lot. She’s not going to be far.”
Mary wiped her eyes and looked at Miranda. She reached out and patted her on the arm, “I know, honey. I’m just a little emotional right now, that’s all. It’s natural for us pregnant women. I’ll be alright.”
Miranda hugged her mother, “I know you will,” she agreed. “Now enough about that, what’s Cassie doing anyway?”
“She’s upstairs fixing her hair,” she replied, then laughed. “I think this only makes about the tenth different way she’s done it. She says she just can’t get it the way she wants. She’s so nervous. You’ll see one day.”
With that, Miranda grew solemn. Seeing this, her mother apologized. “Oh, Miranda honey, I’m sorry. How thoughtless of me. I wasn’t thinking.”
Knowing how her mother was feeling, Miranda tried to look happy. “It’s alright Mama. It just still hurts sometimes, that’s all. I’ll be fine.”
Aunt Alice had been quiet through all this, when she finally blurted out, “Okay, you two, enough of this sentimental nonsense. There’s work to be done. Miranda, help me set the tables, and Mary, if you want, you can finish making the tea.” Each of them went about their individual chore and the time passed quickly. Soon, it was time to leave for the church.
As Cassandra descended the stairs, her father, Frank, took her by the hand and marveled, “Look at my little girl. How beautiful you look, sweetheart! Ben sure is one lucky fella.”
There she stood, in her elegant ivory satin wedding gown with an attached wide gathered skirt. The neckline of the dress was trimmed with a hand-made lace ruffle. Her hair was drawn up and to the back of her head, where it was arranged in soft curls. She was truly a vision.
With tears in her eyes, she replied, as she reached out and hugged him, “Oh, Papa, I love you!”
“I love you too, pumpkin. Never forget that. I hope you and Ben will always be as happy as you are at this moment.”
As she pulled free from his embrace, she determined, “We will be. I have no worries about that. I love him so much.”
“Well, all I have to say is, he’d better take good care of you, or he’ll have me to answer to.” She only smiled, for she knew her father was only joking, his way of trying not to show the emotions he was feeling.
Suddenly everyone else entered the room. Aunt Alice announced, “We’re ready to leave now. Come on you two. Time’s a wasting. Are you ready, Cassie?”
Cassie’s voice quivered, as she answered, “About as ready as I’ll ever be. We might as well go.”
Each felt a tugging of sadness, knowing that today Cassie was leaving her childhood behind. Soon she would become a woman, a prospect that made her very nervous.
***
By the time they had reached the church, it was mostly full. Cassandra, Miranda, Mary and Alice went through the side door of the building, then into the small room in the
Similar Books
