“Good morning,” Melody said in greeting. She eyed the box and then met Charlie’s gaze. “Please come in.” She showed them to the front room.
“Charlie, just leave the box on the sofa and go. You can come back for me in an hour.”
He deposited the box and kissed his mother’s cheek. “I’ll see you soon.” He then came to Melody and gave her a kiss on her head before heading for the front door.
Melody turned to Abigail Decker and motioned to the empty part of the sofa. “Please have a seat. I’m anxious to know you better.”
“As am I to know you. I’ve long prayed for Charlie to find a wife.” She took a seat and added, “And you seem a perfect fit for him and our family.”
Melody pulled Marybeth’s rocker closer and took a seat. “Why do you say that? You’ve only just met me.”
“I can tell the sincerity of your heart. It’s evident in your very nature. You are wholly unspoiled, and it no doubt drew Charlie’s attention. He has long despised women who esteem themselves higher than others or demand to be the center of attention. Worse still were the ones who only showed interest in him because his family is wealthy and well-placed in society.
“You seem quite content to blend into a sea of people and draw no attention to yourself, and yet you are the very focus of their concern. I was touched at the number of people who stopped by the table to offer their condolences on your father’s passing. It would seem you are both quite loved by this community.”
“Da always had a way of making folks comfortable. He was a friend to all and never cared about social standing. Da left me quite an inheritance. He and his brothers had a business together in Ireland, and when Da knew he was dying, he sold his share back to his family. I’m not a pauper coming to Charlie for his money. I have no expectations of Charlie, in fact, except perhaps that he love the Lord.”
“I know.” She looked at Melody as if she had some special ability to see into her heart. “You are an exceptional young woman, and I believe you and Charlie will have a wonderful marriage.” She lifted the box onto her lap. “I hope you don’t mind, but when Charlie’s father wired me that you were getting married, the first thing that popped into my head was about the wedding itself. Bertram mentioned that it would be a small affair, but I thought it important that you have a special gown for the ceremony. Have you already found one?”
“No, I don’t have one. I figured to wear my Sunday clothes. It’s not that I couldn’t go to one of the shops and buy something. I just didn’t feel like it, what with having lost Da. In fact, the last dress I bought was for his funeral.”
Mrs. Decker nodded. “Well, I asked Bertram about your size. He said you were my size, and that made it rather simple. I do believe we are very nearly the same.”
Melody had thought as much herself. The woman was quite petite and beautiful. Her face bore few wrinkles, and her salt-and-pepper hair seemed complementary rather than a reminder of age.
“Charlie is our last son to marry, and ... well, I just wanted to do something special for you.” She removed the box’s lid and set it aside. Pushing back the tissue paper, she revealed a gown of embroidered white silk.
“I wanted you to have something lovely to start your new life. You’ve had your sorrows, and although you will continue to have moments of grief from time to time, I’m hopeful that marriage to my son will bless you with happier days.”
Melody was touched by the gift, but more so by Mrs. Decker’s words. “You speak as one who knows.”
She nodded. “I do. I lost my father the year I turned twenty, and my mother died a year later. I miss them to this day. There are so many times I have wanted to speak to them, show them something, or just be in their presence. With the birth of each of my boys, I wanted more than anything to get my mother’s advice ... experience her approval and pride in her grandsons. With my father, I longed for his sage counsel.”
Melody smiled. “My father was a wonderful counselor. I think I probably went to him at times when I should have gone to God. I have had moments of worry that God took him from me for that very reason.”
“Never. That is not the nature of God. Yes, the Bible says He is a jealous God, but He is fully capable of winning our trust and affection without robbing us of the very loved ones He gave us.”
A sense of relief washed over Melody. “It is reassuring to hear you say that. Da was just so very important to me, and without him, I feel a great emptiness. Sometimes the sadness just sweeps over me, and I realize once more that I’ll never again have him here to talk to ... to laugh with.”
“And for a while, each reminder will be like the first moments after he left you.”
“Yes!” Melody said, nodding. It helped so much that Charlie’s mother understood.
“Over the years, that will ease, but it will never completelyleave you. There will always be moments when he’s the only one you long to speak to or share something with. And, my dear, that is quite all right. It neither offends God nor need separate you from Him.”
“I’m so glad you came today. I was nervous as to what you might say. After all, we aren’t well acquainted.” Melody gave the older woman a smile. “But I feel as if we’ve known each other for a very long time. I feel you can see right into my heart.”
“God has put us together for a very important purpose,” Mrs. Decker replied. “I have long loved and cared for Charlie, and now I will turn that task over to you. However, just be aware that I will go on loving him, as well as you. Now, why don’t you try on this dress, and we’ll see if any alterations are needed.”
Melody got to her feet. “I feel so very blessed. Here I lost my da, but now I’m gaining another set of parents. I’ll once again have a mother and father who care about me. That’s a completely unexpected gift, and I will cherish you both.”
The next evening, following the church service in which Dr. Scott spoke of God’s goodness and mercy, Melody joined Charlie at the front of the church. She had never felt more loved or beautiful. The gown given to her by Charlie’s mother was perfect in every way. It was closely fitted in the front with a curved neckline that had been trimmed in delicately embroidered flowers. The sleeves were full to the elbow and then tight to the wrist. There was a full silk skirt with an overlay of lace, and tulle that gathered with a silk train to spill out behind Melody’s tiny frame.
Marybeth had arranged her hair in a twist of curls andtopped it with the veil that Abigail Decker had included with the gown. The only thing missing had been the shoes, and Granny Taylor had managed to find a pair that were simple but perfect for the outfit.
Meanwhile, Charlie had dressed in a new three-piece suit. The dark gray color suited him and the occasion. Melody wondered if his mother had also brought it from Chicago.
Dr. Scott asked the congregation to stand as he offered prayers for the marriage. Melody was grateful that Charlie’s father still held fast to her arm. The warmth of the room, despite the open windows, was causing her to feel a little uneasy. And the gravity of this lifelong decision was rather overwhelming. Even good things could be somewhat unnerving.
