Marriage Matters - By Cynthia Ellingsen Page 0,148
she said, her voice practically shaking with excitement. “Tonight, I have a very special, very meaningful activity for all of us.”
Chloe gave her a suspicious look. “Why are you all amped up? What, exactly, will we be doing?”
“We . . .” June beamed. “Are going to write our wedding vows!”
Sixty-nine
Kristine stared at her mother. “I’m sorry. What?”
The last thing Kristine felt like doing was writing her wedding vows.
“Yes!” June clapped her hands, the glare of her diamond practically doing the cha-cha in the light from the kitchen. “That’s why I asked you the other day if you’d already written them. If you had, then I would have found something else but I have to write mine, so does Chloe and, of course, so do you.”
Bustling toward the long dining room table, June took a seat and Chloe followed. Silently, Kristine joined them.
On the table were three stacks of paper, each paired with a gorgeous fountain pen.
“Those are from me.” June smiled. “Look at the inscription.”
Kristine squinted at the silver pen. It reminded her of the one she’d gotten Kevin for their anniversary. This one read, With ye I wed . . . and the upcoming date of the wedding.
Chloe looked about ready to cry. “Grandma, that’s . . . that’s really special.”
“This is all very special,” June said. “How many women are lucky enough to get married with their entire family?”
Kristine watched her daughter out of the corner of her eye. Chloe looked pale, withdrawn and exhausted. It was as though the prospect of the wedding was too much to handle. Catching her eye, she gave her a look as though to say, “Are you alright?”
Chloe looked down at the table. Then, putting on a brave smile, she gave a sharp nod.
Sliding on her reading glasses, June reached for her notebook. The glasses were red and white striped. Finally, a pair Kristine did not own.
“Wedding vows.” June beamed. “Wedding vows started back in the Roman Empire.”
“They were created as a way to keep a marriage together via the honor system, instead of through signed documentation. The Book of Common Prayer is the first known location where standard wedding vows appeared, as far back as the 1500s. A variation of these vows are used in traditional ceremonies today. However, many brides and grooms choose to write their own personalized version of vows to share with their spouse to create a stronger level of intimacy at the ceremony.”
Closing the book, June gave a serene smile. “Isn’t that lovely? So. With that in mind . . .” She slid off her reading glasses. “I think we should all get started.”
The dining room was filled with the sound of pens scratching across the page, filling the empty space with strong and solid words of love. Kristine stared down at the paper, her mind blank. So many years ago, she and Kevin had written their own vows and read them to each other at the front of the church. They had been so simple but they’d still gotten choked up. As if they couldn’t believe their luck in finding true love. Slowly, she brought the nub of her pen to the paper and waited for a wave of inspiration.
Nothing came.
June and Chloe continued to scratch away. Every few words, June would go so far as to let out a satisfied little grunt. Kristine’s page remained blank. Finally, as June gave a happy little sigh and pushed her paper away, Kristine slowly got to her feet.
“Would you mind getting me some water?” Chloe’s pen was between her lips. “Since you’re up?”
Kristine didn’t answer, just held on to the edge of her chair. June looked up. As soon as their eyes met, her mother seemed to know.
“Kristine,” she said, leaping to her feet. “Please don’t do this. You’re making a big mistake.”
“Do what? What is she . . . ?” Chloe asked. Her voice trailed off, probably at the look on Kristine’s face. “Mom.” She laid the pen on the table. “What’s wrong?”
Kristine thought of the weeks, months and years in front of her, if she chose to stay with Kevin. The loneliness, the desire for something more. She imagined standing up in the front of the church, next to her mother and daughter, as they made promises they meant to keep.
“I can’t do it.” Kristine bowed her head. “I can’t go through with this. Mom, I’m really sorry. Chloe, I’m really sorry. But I just can’t do it.”