Seven
Rebekah
* * *
I’m sitting in Adam’s enormous tub with water much higher than I’ve ever experienced in my life. My dad would have a coronary if I used this much water, but I don’t think Adam will mind. The hot water didn’t run out while I was filling it, and it feels so good.
I flinch when there’s a knock on the bathroom door. “You okay, sweetheart?”
“Yes,” I call out. What if he comes in? That seems silly since we’re getting married this afternoon. Why should I care if he comes in?
“I have a bag of stuff I think you’d like to have in the bathroom. I’m going to cover my eyes, bring it in, and set it next to the tub for you, okay?”
I giggle. “Okay.” He’s so chivalrous, and I can’t keep from smiling as he backs into the room, one hand over his eyes.
He has a large plastic bag in his hand, and he scoots all the way to me before setting it down. “Do you see the jets around the center of the tub?”
“These strange holes?”
He chuckles. “Yes, sweetheart. If you fill the water so it’s a few inches above them, you can turn them on. There’s a button near the faucet. See it?”
“Yes. What do you mean, turn them on?”
“Try it. You’ll love it. The water will circulate through those holes and whoosh out of them. I’ll warn you. It’s kind of loud, so don’t let it startle you. But it’s luxurious.”
“Um, okay.” I have no idea what he’s talking about, but now I’m curious. “But that’s a lot of water.”
“There’s plenty of water for you to take nice baths, sweetheart,” he says softly. “I’ll leave you to it.” He rushes out of the room.
When the door closes, I lean over the side of the tub and stare into the bag. Holy cow. I’ve never owned anything this luxurious in my life. Some of these things I’ve never had before. I pull out body soap, shampoo, conditioner, and bubble bath and set them in the corner of the tub.
I have to turn the water back on to get it as high as Adam suggested. It feels so good. I’ve never gotten to relax in a tub of hot water. This is a luxury in and of itself. I remember having bubbles a few times as a small child. My mother got them. So, after reading the directions, I pour a few caps into the stream of water. When it gets high enough, I turn it off and push the button.
Squealing, I nearly jump out of my skin. Adam said it would be loud, but I wasn’t expecting so much to happen, and the force of the water shooting out of the jets is bizarre. The bubbles grow as I lean back and close my eyes. I’ll never stop smiling.
Eventually, I slide under the water to get my hair wet and use all the products, including the razor that was in the bottom of the bag. Mama taught me and Hannah to shave several years ago, but I haven’t done so in a long time because I didn’t have any more razors. Taking my time so I don’t cut myself, I shave under my arms and up my legs. I suspect Adam will like it.
When the water gets chilly, I finally turn off the jets, pull the plug, and climb out. The towel Adam left on the vanity for me is nicer than anything I’ve ever owned. Huge and fluffy. It feels like a cloud around my body.
I slowly work through all the tangles in my hair. It’s softer than ever before. The conditioner did that. I’m so spoiled by this bathing experience that I never want it to end. And apparently, Adam isn’t going to let me leave.
Married… It seems so foreign to me. Am I really getting married today? I figured there would eventually come a day when my dad married me off to some strange man, but I was never looking forward to it, so I did my best to keep him happy. I thought if I made myself indispensable to him, he wouldn’t make me leave.
It probably worked, but I paid a high price because there was no way to please him. He was never happy, no matter what I did. He was always a grouchy man who complained about everything, but he’s been so much worse since Mama died.
Lately, his downhill spiral has been making me anxious. Every time he comes home from wherever he goes, he yells at me. Sometimes, he backhands me or drags me to the cellar to think about whatever I did to piss him off. It never mattered what it was. It could be for anything. I learned that fast. There was no pleasing him.
I set the brand-new comb I was using on the vanity and look at myself in the mirror. I don’t remember when I last stared at myself. I don’t even know who I am, except that I’m no longer my father’s slave.
Am I attractive? I have no idea. I’ve never worn makeup. I don’t own any. My hair is wild. I suppose some people like the color and others don’t. My mother always said it was stunning. She said the same about my sister’s nearly white-blond hair. Mama had a combination of both of our hair, a strawberry-blond color that both Hannah and I envied. All three of us have the same blue eyes.
My father never said either of us was pretty. I never heard him tell Mama she looked nice, either. Maybe he did so a long time ago and I just can’t remember. I hope so.
Am I crazy to marry a man I basically met today? He doesn’t seem to think so.
A soft knock at the bathroom door is followed by Adam’s deep voice, the one that sends shivers up my spine every time he speaks. “Can I come in, sweetheart?”
“Yes.” It’s his cabin. It seems odd for him to ask permission, but it makes me feel good, knowing he respects my privacy.
