Page 48 of Sugarplum Dreams
“I’m pretty sure the diamond goes on first? Or is it the wedding band?”
“I think the wedding band goes on first.” She really wasn’t up on all those things, but that was the way she had always seen them.
“Then, here, take that off for a second and let me slip this on first. They should look good together, because they were a set.”
He didn’t say anything else as she slipped the diamond ring off, and he slid the wedding band on her finger.
She went to put the diamond ring back on, but his hands met hers and he grasped the ring in her fingers. “May I?”
“Of course,” she said.
“With this ring, I thee wed. Forsaking all others, I pledge my life to you, until death do us part.” He spoke the words as he slid the ring on her finger, similar to the vows they’d spoken at their wedding, but these came from his heart.
They made tears prick in her eyes. She swallowed hard, staring down at her hand but not seeing it. He’d been better to her than anyone in her life had ever been. He treated her well, had stood by her, even when her kids had been a disaster, had chosen to marry her when his life would have been so much easier if he hadn’t. Had taken her children as his own. Had given her everything she needed, and told her that whatever was his was hers too. He hadn’t said a word when she rearranged a few things in the kitchen and had gladly given up his bedroom so that she could have it while he slept on the couch.
“They’re perfect,” she said with a slight tremble in her voice, but she looked up and smiled at him to let him know that there was nothing wrong. “Can I put yours on?”
He nodded.
She took the ring, fingering it for a moment, knowing it would fit because he had bought it, and wanting to do the same for him that he had done for her.
She took his hand and slid the ring over his finger, wriggling it a bit as it got stuck on his knuckle. “With this ring, I thee wed. I pledge my life to you, in sickness and in health, until death do us part.”
The light in the hall was bright enough for her to see his teeth glint as he smiled. Maybe she held his hand a bit too long, but somehow their fingers twined together, and he turned a little, and she took a step closer, his free hand coming up and pushing back the hair away from her temple as his lips came down and he touched them to her forehead.
“Thank you,” he whispered, and she didn’t know why he was thanking her.
“It’s me that should be thanking you. These rings are beautiful. I’m honored to wear them.”
“No. Thank you for pledging your life to me. A good woman is rather to be had than great riches. You’re worth more than any material things to me. You, and your children, our children, have filled a spot in my life I didn’t even know was empty. I just wanted to thank you.”
Maybe that was what the rings were. A thank you for all the things he just said.
She hadn’t gotten a chance to try to figure it out or unentangle it and explain to him that she was the one who was grateful, and he said when he pulled back a bit, “I wanted to apologize for the way you found out about the Secret Saint tonight.”
It all came rushing back, the betrayal, the clenching of her chest as she realized that maybe he hadn’t lied to her, but he had definitely kept something from her that was rather important.
She didn’t say anything, but involuntarily her fingers clenched around his.
His hand came up and gently pushed her hair back again, trailing his fingers through it, and maybe if she had been able toform a coherent thought, she would have noticed that he seemed to enjoy the way her hair felt against his fingers as they moved slowly down, allowing the strands to slide through.
“I know that wasn’t good. I just wanted you to know that I didn’t mean anything by it. I quit doing it after I saw you, your children, the difficult things you had been through, and found out your story. That’s when God clearly told me that what I was doing as a Secret Saint wasn’t what I was supposed to be doing. And I’ve mentioned this before, but I don’t think it was necessarily to help you. I think God knew that I needed you. I needed your children. It was for me. Not you.”
Her eyes widened as he spoke in the dim light, saying words she wasn’t expecting to hear.
“I thought maybe marrying me was just an extension of the Secret Saint. Taking it a little bit too far.”
“No. I promise you. I’ve never lied to you. Everything I’ve said has been the absolute truth. I know it looks bad that I didn’t tell you about it, but I was done with it. I had given it up. I wasn’t doing it anymore because I knew I couldn’t do that and take care of my family. And this is where I’m supposed to be. Right here, with you.”
That wasn’t what she was expecting to hear, but it was exactly what she needed to hear. Everything he said was exactly right. She just hoped it was the truth. Because if it was, it was exactly the right thing for him to do and say.
“You gave up a lot for me.”
“I gained more,” he said softly.
She nodded, although she didn’t necessarily agree. She didn’t really see it that way. She saw someone who was good at everything being benevolent, and maybe giving up his opportunity to fall in love on his own, and being saddled with someone he didn’t choose. Except he really did choose her.
“The rings are beautiful. Thank you so much,” she finally said, looking up at him, not knowing what else to say.
