House Divided (20 page)

Though it was late, I found myself in the
music room and, once again, at the piano. I got my old Christmas sheet music
out and played to my heart’s content. I had always loved Christmas music. I was
one of those annoying people that played it well before Thanksgiving. There’s
just something so happy about Christmas music, and I needed a little merriment
after that disastrous dinner.

After a couple of hours of playing, I went
to bed hoping I would wake up in the morning to a Christmas miracle.

I didn’t know if I would get my miracle
when I woke up, but at least I had my aunt coming home that afternoon to look
forward to. Something I wasn’t looking forward to, though, was church. I didn’t
want to see Mr. and Mrs. Jackson, but I knew it would disappoint my aunt if I
didn’t go. At least Brady would be there. I wasn’t sure how much I would see
him today, though. I was hesitant to invite him over, and I couldn’t and
wouldn’t leave my aunt alone at home. She would have to be carefully monitored
for the next couple of weeks, and I just wanted to be at home and shut out the
rest of the world. Don’t get me wrong, I wanted Brady there with me, but I
didn’t know how my aunt would feel about that, and in light of what Brady
suspected, I wasn’t sure if he would want to be around my aunt.

I begrudgingly got up and got ready. I had
bought a couple of new dresses the day before, so at least I had something to
wear that I didn’t wear last week. New clothes usually made me feel better, but
not today. I decided to straighten my hair, and then I applied my make-up. I
kept staring in the mirror, wondering what I should do and if there was any way
for Brady and me to be together without making our families miserable, or
ourselves, in the process. As I sat there contemplating, I heard the doorbell.
I wasn’t expecting anyone, and it was early.

I was surprised to see Brady at the door,
even though I shouldn’t have been. He was decked out in a suit and tie, but he
wore cowboy boots. He looked gorgeous as usual.

“Hi handsome, what’s the occasion?”

He walked right in and kissed my cheek and
hugged me tight. “I just wanted to take my girl to church.”

Aww.
I hugged him
tighter. I really did love him.

“And I was worried about you and us,” he
said.

I reveled in just being in his arms. I
craved the comfort they offered. “I know, and I’m sorry.”

“Ellie, please quit apologizing to me. I’m
the one that’s sorry.”

“What do you have to be sorry for?”

“Because I should have been man enough to
stand up to my family ten years ago, then I wouldn’t be picking you up for
church today. I’d be at home helping you get our kids ready, or at the very
least having breakfast with you at our table.”

All lovely, lovely thoughts.

I led him to the drawing room and sat on
the couch with him so I could see his face. “Brady, you were a kid. You did
what you thought was best at the time.”

He touched my cheek gently. “No, I did
what my family thought was best.”

I tried to convey my love for him with my
smile. I don’t know if it worked, but at least he smiled back briefly.

“Ellie, I know what I did hurt you and
that you don’t completely trust me.”

“Brady, I trust you.”

He gave me a knowing look. “Not the way
you used to, and I don’t blame you. I know I have a lot to make up for, and
that the road ahead of us may not be as smooth as we would like it to be, but I
promise you that it will be worth it and that I’m in it for the long haul. I know
if we’re together, we can overcome anything that comes our way.” He pulled me
into his arms. “Please don’t give up on us.”

I settled into him so naturally. It was a
perfect fit. “I’m not going anywhere.”

I heard him and felt him release a huge
breath of air. “I love you,” he said.

“I love you, Brady Jackson.”

He kissed the top of my head. “By the way,
you look beautiful.”

“Thank you.”

I sat up and looked at him. “Are you
hungry?”

He grinned. “Are you offering to make me
breakfast?”

“I hope that cake didn’t give you any
grand ideas.”

He followed me back to the kitchen. He sat
at the counter, and I went to the refrigerator and pulled out fruit, yogurt,
milk and a couple more items out of the freezer. I retrieved the blender. Brady
smiled at me the whole time while I made blueberry pomegranate smoothies.
Thankfully Doris had left some homemade blueberry muffins that I could offer
him as well.

I set a smoothie in front of him. “Drink
up, cowboy.”

He looked at the glass warily. “Is this what
you eat in the city?”

“Hey, don’t knock it until you try it.”

“Do I get kisses for trying it?”

“Do I really have to bribe you?”

He pulled me to him and kissed me deeply.
“Nope. I just wanted to kiss you,” he said as soon as he released me. He picked
up the smoothie and took a large gulp. He set it down and smiled at me. “Not
bad, darlin’.”

I raised my eyebrow at him. “Not bad?”

He laughed. “I meant, yum.”

I threw a muffin at him and he laughed
harder. I sat next to him and drank his smoothie while he ate Doris’ muffins. I
looked over to him enjoying the muffins I didn’t make. “Are those good?”
I
knew they were fabulous.

He just smiled and his eyes danced with
amusement.

“You know I’m not going to be one of those
sweet little wives that cooks and makes all sorts of cutesy crafts that can be
donated at the church bazaar. And once a month I get a little grumpy and I’ll
eat chocolate ice cream for dinner, and I don’t know how to garden or can or
anything else that is very homemakerish.”

He just kept smiling at me.

“And I hate doing laundry.”

He inched closer and kissed me once and
tugged on my hair. “Anything else, darlin’?”

“I’m not a big football fan either.” I
knew that was a blasphemous statement considering where and how I grew up.

“So you’re trying to tell me that instead
of watching football, I’ll have to make-out with my wife while the game is on,
and I might not get a lot of home cooked meals, and I won’t have a garden to
weed and I won’t have any handmade doilies to put my drink on and I’ll have to
keep our freezer stocked with chocolate ice cream and I have to do the
laundry?” He stroked my cheek. “Sounds perfect.”

“You’re such a liar, Brady Jackson.”

“As long as you’re the wife, it’ll be
perfect.”

I just rolled my eyes at him.

Brady told me he would clean up while I
finished getting ready. I didn’t have much left to do, but the whole time I was
in my room, I kept thinking maybe I had been overthinking this whole thing. I
loved Brady, and now that we were together, I couldn’t imagine being without
him. No one made me laugh and smile like him, and I could be myself around him.
I knew he didn’t care that I wasn’t Suzy Homemaker.

“I asked Doris to give me cooking lessons
while I’m here,” I mentioned on our way to church.

He chuckled. “Seriously, Ellie, I don’t
care if you can’t cook.”

“I know, but someday I’m going to be a
mother, and I at least want to feel like I’m competent in the kitchen and that
I can make something edible.”

He just smiled that smile I loved so much.

As soon we arrived at church and parked,
Brady turned to me eagerly. “How many children do you want?”

I smiled coyly. “I don’t know. Two or
three? How about you?”

He tugged on my hair. “I was thinking at
least four or five?”

“At least?”

He inched closer and kissed me lightly on
the lips. “I’m willing to negotiate.”

“Maybe we should have one and see how that
goes before we get any big ideas.”

He rested his hand against my abdomen.
“You don’t know how much I’m looking forward to you having my baby.”

I pulled on his tie to bring him closer.
“Me too, and I’m thinking sooner rather than later.”

He grinned and then groaned. “Ellie,
remember last night when I said you’re good at driving me crazy?”

“Uh, huh.”

“If you keep making comments like that,
you may push me over the edge.”

I smiled wide.

“Darlin’, I think we better get into the
church before I have any more thoughts that will require a cold shower.”

I couldn’t help but laugh. He, on the
other hand, opened his door quickly and helped me out. As we walked across the
parking lot, hand-in-hand, we were the main attraction once again. I’m pretty
sure a few ladies ran in quickly, I’m sure in hopes of being able to spread the
news. Brady noticed too, and he looked down at me and winked. I decided I was
going to try and be more like Brady and find amusement in the situation rather
than annoyance.

Well, our little ladies had done their
job; it was like everyone was waiting for us to arrive when we entered the
chapel. I reminded myself, amusement not annoyance, and I smiled. Brady loved
the attention, and he made sure to pull me close and kiss my head. I’m sure my
aunt was getting a call at that very moment.

Brady and I had not discussed where we
would sit. We had never sat together in that chapel before. Our parents never
allowed it growing up. I looked over to the left side, and there sat his
parents. I really didn’t want to sit by them, but I wouldn’t object if that’s
what Brady wanted. Brady thankfully led us to the right side, in the middle,
and we sat down. His momma looked over at us, and I think the plants in the
chapel may have wilted. His daddy just kept looking forward. Brady looked over
to his momma, and she turned away from us. Brady squeezed my hand tightly. I’m
sure she was livid. Oh well, she was never going to like me.

Dave Mayfield saw us and walked in our
direction. As soon as Brady saw him, he put his arm around me and pulled me
closer. I couldn’t help but laugh a little.

When Dave approached us, he looked
disappointed. “So, you really are back together.”

“I told you not to even think about it,”
Brady answered.

“Elle, what do see in this loser, besides
his good looks and money?” Dave asked.

I looked at Brady and winked. “Where do I
even begin?”

Brady gave me that smile I loved so much,
and he kissed me once gently on the lips.

“Ok. I get it,” Dave said as he sat down
in front of us. More Jackson people on the Eaton side. It was like an epidemic.

Brady reached up and patted him on the
shoulder. “Sorry, man.”

“Yeah, yeah.”

I was flattered that he liked me, but he
couldn’t hold a candle to the man next to me.

Next came in my favorite five-year-old.
She looked cute as a button in her green plaid Christmas dress. She and her
parents walked straight over to us and sat in the same row. Kendra and Benjamin
gave me conspiratorial smiles as they walked past us to sit down. For some
reason, I had a feeling this was another coordinated plan. I braved a peek at
his momma, and I think I could see steam coming out of her ears. Her sons had
just broken protocol and ranks. Their momma wasn’t the only one having a
reaction to the turn of events. Mrs. Jackson’s friends seemed to be rallying
around her, and there was a low buzz of whispers that could be heard, but one
person seemed delighted, and that was the pastor. He came over and greeted us
all kindly and gave us a wink. I liked him.

Caroline gave Brady and I each a big hug
and then tried to worm her way in between us. Her uncle scooped her up and put
her on his lap. “I don’t think so, darlin’, I’m sitting by Miss Ellie today.”

She gave him such a look. She was going to
make a fine sassy southern woman someday. She folded her arms in a huff. “I
love her too, you know.”

I tried my hardest not to laugh out loud.
We were in church after all. I took her tiny hand in mine. “I love you too.”

She smiled at me and then gave her uncle
an “I told you so” look. I had never seen her behave in such a way, especially
toward him. He took it all in stride and hugged her tight. “But I loved you
first.”

She seemed appeased as she sat back
against her uncle. Brady put his arm back around me and pulled me as close as
he could. I looked at Caroline on his lap and thought someday it would be our
little girl on his lap. The thought made me tear up a little.

Brady looked at me with eyes full of
concern. “Everything ok?”

“I’m just happy.”

He kissed my head sweetly.

The chapel was still abuzz until the pastor
got up. He looked over his congregation and then he zeroed in on Brady and me
and started a sermon on love being the defining characteristic of God and why
it should be of mankind. He talked about how God didn’t have sides or even
football teams and that he loved all of his children equally and unequivocally.
While he talked about the beauty of love, he kept looking in our direction. I
had a feeling a lot of people were. It was a stirring sermon. I just hoped his
parents got the message, but I also hoped that I remembered it too.

I think some people got it because we had
a lot of people from both sides of the church come up to us afterward and tell
us how happy they were to see us together again. I couldn’t believe it. Maybe I
would get my Christmas miracle.