Sisters and Husbands (32 page)
“So don’t tell her he’s here,” Charmaine said.
“Know what?” Beverly said. “The last thing we want to do is start things off with bad luck.” Beverly stood and ushered Julian
toward the front door. She smiled at him. “If we’re going to get married, let’s do it right.”
E
velyn held the bouquet in her hand and walked down the aisle of the community church. She reached the front pews and caught
a glimpse of Kevin sitting with Andre and Rebecca on the bride’s side. At the last minute, Evelyn had asked Reuben not to
attend. They were planning to see a movie together later that evening, and she was excited to have something to look forward
to. But it was too soon to spring a new man on Andre and Rebecca. It would only confuse them, maybe even anger them. If she
and Kevin could agree on anything at this point, it was to make the upcoming divorce as painless as possible for their son
and daughter.
She smiled at the minister as she approached the altar. Could she see herself ever getting married again? Maybe, maybe not.
She wasn’t ready to think that far ahead. She had descended into a dark hole when Kevin left, and for a while she had lost
her way. Wife, lover, soul mate. That woman had been coldly tossed aside. She had wandered about dazed, confused, and bitter,
trying to get her bearings until the news about Kevin and Valerie snapped her out of her stupor. Now a new woman was emerging,
one with no ties to Kevin or any other man, and she would get through this one day at a time.
Charmaine fussed with the veil on Beverly’s face just a few seconds longer and then turned and walked down the aisle behind
Evelyn. She soon spotted her family near the front of the church. Tiffany and Kenny sat on opposite sides of Tyrone. Russell
sat next to Kenny. Both Kenny and Tiffany looked totally miffed. Tiffany was pouting. Kenny had folded his arms tightly across
his chest.
Not a good sign, Charmaine thought. The two teens had had a spat that morning about something so trivial that Charmaine couldn’t
even remember what the heck it was. That Tyrone had felt the need to plant himself between them at the church meant they hadn’t
made up. And to think they were getting along so well at the bowling alley just last night. Obviously, she and Tyrone still
had much work to do when it came to those two.
She looked at Tyrone, and he winked at her when she passed by. Yeah, Charmaine thought as she smiled and winked back at him.
This was definitely a man worth working hard to hold on to.
Beverly slipped her hand under her father’s arm, and he patted her hand as if to soothe her nerves. She laughed softly and
whispered in his ear. “Don’t worry, Daddy,” she said. “I’m not going anywhere.”
They marched down the aisle together behind Charmaine, and Beverly saw her mom in the first pew on the left side smiling proudly.
Julian’s parents were holding hands and smiling from the opposite side.
Beverly glanced toward Evelyn and Charmaine, standing on the altar, looking gorgeous in their coral-colored gowns. Thank God
for those two, Beverly thought. With a lot of loving patience and a little sisterly prodding they had helped her finally get
past her silly fears to this point.
Her father handed her off, and she lifted her gown and stepped up to the altar with Julian, the man who would help her navigate
from here on out. She and Julian faced each other before the minister and clasped hands together. Beverly looked into Julian’s
eyes and smiled. She was ready to say, “I do.”
- For those who have read
Sisters & Lovers,
how have Beverly, Charmaine, and Evelyn grown or changed over the past ten years? - Which of the three sisters has grown the most? Which has grown the least?
- Did Beverly make the right decision about whether or not to marry Julian? If so, why? If not, why not?
- Do too many American women have unrealistic expectations of marriage? Do they expect marriage to be a perfect life, or like a fairy tale?
- What are Beverly’s greatest strengths and weaknesses?
- What are Charmaine’s greatest strengths and weaknesses?
- What are Evelyn’s greatest strengths and weaknesses?
- Which sister is your favorite and why?
- Which sister is you least favorite and why?
- Was Charmaine right to go to bat for her son Kenny, even at the risk of destroying her marriage?
- Do you think that Beverly and Julian will last?
- Do you think that Charmaine and Tyrone will last?