Stitches in Time (21 page)

B
y the time mid-June arrived, many changes had taken place. Brenda and Tina had moved into their new condo and invited Haley and me for a delicious Mexican dinner. Chloe and Henry returned from Hawaii ready to begin their married life together. And three days later Chloe's new granddaughter, Elizabeth Chloe, arrived. She would be called Eliza.

My mother's cast had been removed a few days earlier and each day we forged more of a bond. I had come to see that the past thirty years had been no easier on my mother than they had been on me. Her life seemed to consist of teaching art at the university, occasional social events with colleagues, and that was about it. She had never traveled and she had never fallen in love again. Although she probably wouldn't admit it and certainly would not complain about it—it was obvious that her life had been very lonely. I almost got the feeling she felt she had been doing penance over those thirty years. And that made me very sad.

I was sitting on the patio knitting and thinking about what Chadwick had asked me the evening before. Betty was retiring in September and he very much wanted me to be her replacement. I hated to leave Yarrow in the lurch, but I'd certainly be giving her plenty of time to find somebody new. Not only would I be able to see a lot more of Chadwick, but I thought I'd truly enjoy learning the real estate business. After discussing it, I told him I'd make a decision soon and I was now convinced I wanted to do this.

I glanced at my watch and saw it was almost six. Chadwick was picking me up shortly for dinner at his house. Haley was spending the night at Tina's, providing us with another opportunity to be creative.

I walked into the house to bring my knitting inside and check on things before I left for the night. The house seemed empty without Haley and Ginger here. She had brought the puppy to stay with her at Tina's. Both girls adored the dog and not for the first time I silently thanked my mother for rescuing both Fred and Ginger. Fred was very good for my mother while she was recuperating and I knew she welcomed his constant company.

I saw Chadwick pull up in the driveway and walked to the door, a smile covering my face.

“You look gorgeous,” he said, coming inside and pulling me into an embrace.

Rather than my usual shorts or capris, I'd decided to wear a sundress.

“Thanks,” I said, after he kissed me.

He reached for my hand. “All set to get creative?” he teased me.

“More than ready,” I assured him.

When we got to his house, he led me outside, and I was surprised to see the lower patio area had been set up with an ice bucket holding champagne, flutes, and a bouquet of red roses in the center of the table.

“I thought we'd sit down there overlooking the river,” he said. “It's such a beautiful evening. Dinner won't be ready for a while.”

“Sounds good.” I followed him down the terraced steps.

It was a gorgeous June evening. Not too much humidity and the perfect time to be sitting outside. After he opened the champagne, he passed me a flute and sat beside me.

“It's beautiful out here,” I said, letting out a sigh of contentment. “Oh, I've made a decision.”

“About us?” he asked, reaching for my hand.

I smiled. “No, about replacing Betty in September. I think I'd like to do that. I think it would be good for me to learn something new. You won't be too tough of a taskmaster, though, will you?”

He threw his head back, laughing, and squeezed my hand. “No, I can assure you I will be most fair. Have you told Yarrow she'll be losing her delivery person?”

I shook my head. “No. I wanted to tell you first. And besides, I'm giving her three months to find somebody else.”

“Well, I couldn't be happier. I think we'll work very well together.”

I saw something flittering in my peripheral vision and turned to see what it was.

“Oh, look! Dragonflies.”

A swarm of dragonflies hovered over the water.

We both stood up and walked to the railing for a better look.

“They come here certain times of the year,” Chadwick said. “Did you know they represent renewal and living in the moment?”

I nodded. “I do. They're so fragile and teach us how important every moment is.”

Chadwick took my hand and turned me to face him.

“Have you thought about that other decision? About us? We said we'd discuss it and try to come up with a solution.”

I shook my head. “No. I'm not sure what we should do about being together more and . . .”

Before I could complete my sentence, Chadwick was kneeling on one knee and had produced a small velvet box from his pocket. He flipped it open and a stunning marquise-cut diamond ring was staring up at me. The football shape was surrounded by other diamonds.

My hand flew to my mouth and I gasped. Although I'd thought perhaps we would end up together, I certainly was not expecting a proposal tonight.

“I love you, Isabelle. I've loved you from the first moment I saw you. I want to be with you forever and I think that's what you want too. Will you marry me?”

He slipped the ring on my finger without waiting for my response and stood up.

I looked at the ring. I looked at him. And I knew without a doubt this was one of the happiest moments in my life.

I nodded as I stared into his handsome face. And then I nodded more emphatically before I said, “Yes. Yes, I'll marry you.”

He pulled me into an embrace and then held me at arm's length as the huge smile on his face reflected our joy.

“I was hoping that would be your answer. I know it might seem a bit soon but I don't think that time has a thing to do with happiness or love.”

I knew he was right. Love is love no matter how short or how long.

He placed a kiss on my lips and in that moment I felt like time was standing still and I was embarking on a journey that I had always been meant to take. Each step, each disappointment, and each loss had led me right here, to this moment in time.

“I love you, Isabelle. I'll love you forever.”

He took my hand and brought it to his lips to kiss.

“I love you too,” I said and felt moisture stinging my eyes with emotion.

He topped off our flutes and raised his. “Here's to spending eternity with you.”

“To us,” I said.

“And now we have to choose a wedding date. When do you think?”

“I don't know,” I said, sitting down. “I wasn't expecting this. What do you think?”

“Next week?” he said.

Surely he was joking but the expression on his face looked serious.

“Next week?” I repeated.

He reached for my hand and gave it a squeeze as a smile crossed his face.

“In truth, yes, I'd love for us to be married next week. But I want you to have the kind of wedding you'd like.”

I hadn't given any thought to this either and remained silent.

“Big? Small? Huge? Over the top?” he asked. “Whatever type of wedding you'd like is what we'll have.”

“I think I need a little time to think about it.”

“Okay,” he said, standing up and leaning down to kiss me. “You give it some thought. Come on, we'll have dinner. Will you have an answer by the time we have coffee?”

I saw the smile on his face but wasn't certain he'd been joking.

* * *

We were sitting on the patio sofa enjoying coffee and cognac.

“I don't want to pressure you, Isabelle, about a wedding date. But it just seems really silly to wait too long. There's no reason to.”

He was absolutely right. I nodded.

“But depending on what type of wedding you'd like will determine when it can happen.”

“Gosh, I'm really not sure, but I know I don't want over the top. Maybe something along the lines of what Chloe and Henry had. Small but tasteful and elegant. How does that sound?”

He smiled and gave my hand a squeeze. “Perfect. I was hoping you'd say that. But I do want to throw out another possibility. My parents would be more than happy to host a grand scale wedding at their home. If you think you might like that.”

“Would you?”

“No,” he said, without hesitating.

Now I squeezed his hand. “Good, because neither would I.”

“How about here?” he said. “We could have the ceremony down there on the patio overlooking the river and there's plenty of room up here for a reception with about a hundred guests. I've done fund-raisers here before and it's a nice setting.”

I laughed. “A hundred guests? That's not too small.”

He grinned. “I know. But I have to be realistic. This will be a first for my parents. A son getting married. And I know they're going to want to invite many of their friends and my dad's business associates.”

I thought of my mother and how she had missed the opportunity to be mother of the bride my first time around. “I love it,” I said. “I love the idea of having it here.”

“Great,” he said. “Now all we need is a date.”

“September. Late September. That'll give us a little over three months to plan and get everything done. What do you think?”

“I wish it were tomorrow, but yes, September sounds great. Maybe we'll be so busy with all the planning the days will fly by.”

I stood up and reached for his hand. “And now it's time to enjoy that creativity we do so well together.”

He laughed and stood up to pull me into an embrace.

“Just what I'm going to love. A wife who knows her mind and can make a good decision.”

I
hated to leave Chadwick the following morning, but I had my deliveries to make and Haley was due home from Tina's by eleven. When I went into the tea shop to get the coffee and muffins, I was happy that Yarrow was busy with a customer, because I wanted Haley to be the first to see my engagement ring.

I went directly home after my deliveries and waited for my daughter.

I picked up the phone and dialed Petra's number. When she answered, I said, “Save the date: September twenty-fourth,” I told her. “Because I need you to be my maid of honor.”

I heard the gasp that came across the line and smiled.

“No! Really? You and Chadwick are getting married? When did this happen? Oh, my God, Isabelle, I'm so happy for you.”

I laughed. “We are—he proposed last night. Very romantic, by the way. Complete with a swarm of dragonflies and a ring that took my breath away.”

“I just knew it the moment I met him. I knew you two were destined to be together. This is so exciting. What did Haley and your mother say?”

“You're the first to know. I'm waiting for Haley to get home from Tina's. And I plan to visit my mother later.”

“I hope you know that I couldn't be happier for you. Have you made any plans for the wedding?”

“Well, not too many yet. But we have decided that it will be held at Chadwick's house. We'll have the ceremony overlooking the river and the reception at the house.”

“Perfect. And you know if there's anything I can do to help, I'll be there.”

“I do know that. Thanks. Oh, have to go,” I said as I heard the front door close. “Haley's home.”

“Okay. Love you. Call me when you get a chance with more details.”

I hung up as Haley walked into the kitchen with Ginger at her heels.

“Hey,” she said. “You finished your deliveries?”

“I did, and there's something I want to talk to you about.”

“Okay,” she said, reaching for a banana from the fruit bowl and perching on a stool at the counter. “What is it?”

I stood across the counter from her, keeping my left hand out of sight.

“Well . . . Chadwick proposed to me last night.”

Her head shot up. “Really? You're getting married?”

“We are. September twenty-fourth.”

“Oh, wow. I'm so happy for you, Mom. I like Chadwick a lot.”

“I was hoping that would be your reaction,” I said as I placed my hand on the counter in front of her.

She leaned over to touch the ring and then jumped up to give me a hug.

“Wow, that is some ring, Mom. Oh, my gosh, this will be my third wedding this year.”

I laughed as Ginger danced in circles with excitement.

“Where will we live?” she asked. “Will we be moving into Chadwick's house?”

I nodded. “Yes, we discussed that last night. Is that okay with you?”

“Sure. It's just down the street. I won't have to change schools when we go back in the fall. I love his house. Who else knows? Did you tell Nana?”

“Not yet. I only called Petra, and you're the first to see the ring.”

I didn't miss the look of pride that crossed her face.

“Wait till Chloe and Mavis Anne and everybody at the yarn shop find out. They'll be so excited for you.”

I smiled. “Okay. Let's have lunch and then I'm going over to Nana's to tell her. Do you want to come?”

“No. I think this should be a special time for you and Nana. You know?”

I did know, and once again I marveled at the insight my daughter possessed.

* * *

I hadn't called beforehand, so I hoped that my mother was home. I rang the bell and was happy when she opened the door.

“Isabelle,” she said, and there was no doubt she was happy to see me. “What a nice surprise. Come on in.”

Even before I stepped over the threshold I flung out my left hand. “I'm getting married. I need
you
to help me plan my wedding.”

Her gaze flew from the ring, up to my face, and down to the ring again. I saw the tears that filled her eyes as she pulled me into an embrace.

“Oh, Isabelle. How wonderful!”

I followed her inside and sat beside her on the sofa.

“My gosh, when did this happen?”

“Last night,” I said, and shared the details.

“September twenty-fourth. That doesn't give you a whole lot of time, does it? Have you decided on any of the plans yet?”

“Only the date and that we're holding the ceremony and reception at Chadwick's house.”

She nodded. “Oh, that's good. That will eliminate trying to get a venue in just a few months. Will it be a large wedding?”

“Moderate size. Just around a hundred people, and that's because Chadwick said his parents will want to invite a lot of old friends and business colleagues.”

“Yes, of course. Well, how about invitations? That will really be the first thing to get done. They have to be printed and mailed out so people can respond. You'll need a pretty firm count when you get in touch with the caterer. Are you having a sit-down dinner or a buffet?”

I could see there was going to be a lot more to planning this wedding than I was aware of. When I'd married Roger, we had a civil ceremony and a dinner at a local restaurant afterward with about ten people.

“Gosh, I don't know. Hold on,” I said, reaching for my phone. “Let me give Chadwick a call. He's at the office today.”

He must have seen my name on his caller ID because he answered by saying, “I love you, Isabelle, and I miss you.”

I smiled. “I love you too, but sit-down dinner or buffet for the wedding?”

I heard him laugh. “I take it you're at your mother's?”

“Yeah, and I think there's going to be a lot more to planning this wedding than I realized.”

“Whatever you'd like, but I was thinking we could get married around five and then have a hot buffet dinner. I have a caterer I've used a number of times and they do a really nice job. I'll get the company I use to set up a few tents in the garden area and that will give us plenty of room for people to mingle and then sit down to eat.”

I was beginning to feel grateful for the expertise of both my mother and Chadwick.

“That sounds perfect. Okay. Oh, and my mother said we have to do the invitations first so they can be mailed out.”

“Right. Why don't you go to a printer with her and bring home a couple of books? We can sit down together this evening and choose what we'd like.”

“Okay.”

“As a matter of fact, plan to bring your mom and Haley and come for dinner at my place this evening. Is it possible to get to a printer this afternoon?”

I looked over at my mother, who had been listening. “Do you have plans this afternoon? Or could you go with me to a printer to get a couple books to look at?”

“I'm your wedding assistant. Of course I can go.”

“She said . . .”

“I heard her. Great. Okay. So get the books and come over to the house around five. I'll leave here early. I love you.”

“I love you too,” I said, hanging up and letting out a whoosh of air. “Wow. This is going to be a lot of work.”

My mother waved a hand in the air and laughed. “This is going to be a labor of love. Trust me. Okay, how about if we have some coffee while we look through the phone book for some printers.”

* * *

We pulled up in the driveway of Chadwick's house shortly after five.

“Oh, Isabelle, what a beautiful house,” my mother said, leaning forward in the passenger seat. I realized she had not been here before.

“It is,” I said.

Chadwick had given me a key so I rang the bell to let him know we were there, unlocked the door, and we walked inside.

“Hey, beautiful,” he said, coming from the kitchen with a towel over his shoulder.

He kissed me and then gave Haley and my mother each a hug.

“Come on in. Soft drink, coffee, ice water? What can I get you?”

“Ice water would be great,” my mother said. “What a beautiful home you have.”

“Coke, please,” Haley said before heading out to the patio area.

“Thanks. Isabelle, why don't you show your mother around and I'll get the drinks.”

I placed the wedding invitation books on the kitchen counter and proceeded to give my mother a tour of the house.

We returned to the kitchen to find Chadwick putting a casserole dish into the oven.

He turned around and smiled. “I hope you like country casserole. It's a southern favorite in my house that Mary has been making for years. Pasta, chicken, cream of chicken soup, veggies, and cheese.”

“Sounds wonderful,” my mother said, taking the glass of water he passed her.

“It does,” I agreed. “You'll have to share that recipe with me when we get married. On second thought, never mind. I'll just let you make it.”

My mother and Chadwick laughed.

“Sounds like some pre-wedding cooking lessons might be in order,” my mother joked.

Chadwick passed me a glass of wine.

“Why don't we take these books out to the patio table?”

By the time dinner was over, we had made our decision about the wedding invitation.

“Oh, we'll need a count,” my mother said. “Do you have any idea how many we'll need?”

Chadwick nodded. “I spoke to my mother earlier. She's over the moon, by the way, and said she'll call you tomorrow, Isabelle. She would also love for us to go up there and stay a few days so she can meet you, Iris, before the wedding.”

“How thoughtful,” my mother said. “Yes, of course. I'd love to go. You just tell me when.”

I smiled. Something so simple and yet I knew it meant the world to my mother.

“My mother said her part of the guest list will be about sixty with friends and family,” he said. “And I have about twenty-five friends and colleagues. Have you made a list?”

“I'd like to invite Charlotte, my sponsor,” my mother said. “And maybe a few others from my salsa class.”

“And I want to invite all the regular knitters,” I said. “But that's less than ten. And David and Clive, of course.”

“That's fine. Okay, why don't we order a hundred and ten invitations? That'll give us some extra in case we think of somebody else before we mail them out.”

I nodded. “My mother and I will return the books tomorrow and get them ordered.”

“Oh, did you ask Petra to be your maid of honor?” Chadwick asked.

“I did. Of course, she accepted. Do you have a best man?”

“Yes, I'm going to give my good friend Drew a call. We've known each other since we were kids and went to college together. You'll meet him when we go up to Atlanta.”

For the girl who had always felt isolated when it came to family, I was beginning to feel that my world was about to expand in a huge and wonderful way.