Page 102 of Dear Henry, Love Edith
“What’d Peg say?” a man in a John Deere hat asked.
“Something about Edith needing to walk slow becauseshe’s having a girl,” Mustache Man shouted from two pews over.
“Edith’s having a girl?” another voice said. “I didn’t even know she was pregnant.”
“Edith’s pregnant?”several voices responded.
Edith closed her eyes. “Oh, here we go again.”
The collective gasp coupled by a chorus of shouts drowned out any possible rebuttal. Several bursts ofwoo-hoo, “I knew it!” and applause exploded around the sanctuary. From behind her, Julie screamed, “I’m baking the cake for the baby shower!”
“We’re still getting wedding cake, though, right?” Gladys banged into a floral decoration. “We better still be getting wedding cake. James, do something.”
Edith caught a quick glimpse of the preacher shaking his head and closing his Bible behind all the commotion. “I now pronounce you husband and wife,” he muttered.
A handful of rice smacked Edith in the face. “Oops. Was I supposed to wait?” a boy asked.
“I call dibs on being the godfather,” Lance shouted.
Henry met Edith halfway down the aisle and brushed rice from her shoulders. “Just for the record, you’re not...”
“No,” Edith responded.
“Didn’t think so.” Henry glanced around the sanctuary. “Want me to try and set everybody straight?”
“Let’s just go dance and eat cake. They’ll figure it out eventually.”
“I like that plan.” Henry wrapped her inside his arms as the crowd flowed past them and out the doors.
“Pregnant ladies can still dance, right?” the Mickey Rooney look-alike said.
“Sure they can. Congratulations!” The mailman slapped Henry on the back.
“Yeah, and great wedding,” the man in the John Deere hat said on his way past. “Wish all of them could be as straight and to the point.”
“You can say that again,” his tall friend said.
“Wish all of them could be as straight and to the point.”
The tall man groaned. Once everyone had filtered out and left them alone in the sanctuary, Henry released Edith and took a step back. “Can I tell you something? When I saw you at the end of the aisle—you know, for that one minute before everything got weird—I couldn’t help thinking about the first time I saw you.”
“Because I’m so beautiful and took your breath away?” Edith batted her eyelashes.
“I was thinking more because your face is covered in welts.”
Edith smacked him in the stomach. “And here I was about to give you the most romantic gift of your life.”
“Hey, I love welts. Welts are beautiful. Give me the gift. Especially if the gift involves making that pregnancy rumor true.” He scorched a trail of kisses down her neck. She squealed and ducked out of his arms.
“Follow me.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
She led him down the hallway to the room where she’d dressed to get ready. Then flung open the door. “Ta-da. I made it myself.”
“I... bet you did,” Henry said, rubbing a palm over his mouth and taking a step closer. “And what is it exactly?”
Edith looked from him to the object in question and back again. “It’s a symbol of our love. What did you think it was?”
