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"I cannot believe how beautiful it is today." Mrs. Browley stated one afternoon in early November. "Some years, we have snow by now but it's sunny and warm out."
"It truly is a blessing since we still have so much to do before winter hits us." Mr. Browley responded.
"Oh, can't we put the work off for an afternoon and go have a picnic down by the river?" Priscilla chimed in.
"That's a wonderful idea." Mrs. Browley said.
"Oh, can we pa? Please, please?" Both Mason and Priscilla chimed in.
"I suppose a little family time is more important. We can take the afternoon off. But that means double time tomorrow. You up for it, men?" Mr. Browley turned to both Mason and Chris.
Mason jumped up "I'll go get my fishing pole."
Chris nodded to Mr. Browley then turned to Hanna to see her tender smile and twinkling eyes. He couldn't imagine being able to spend any alone time with her if the family was buzzing around but to just be near her was good enough for him.
Although the breeze sent a chill through the air, it was strangely warm for November. The sun shined bright in the clear blue sky wafting with a few billowing clouds. Mrs. Browley had packed a light basket and the family headed through the yard, across the field and to the tree line.
"Where should we stop?" Mrs. Browley asked when they reached the river.
"Let's go down to the peninsula." Priscilla suggested.
Chris remembered the last and only time he'd been to the peninsula. It was a mixed emotion day when he thought he was losing Hanna forever and when he felt that she truly began looking at him with different eyes. Eyes full of love.
"That sounds good to me." he said giving Hanna a sideways glance.
They all reached the peninsula. Mrs. Browley set up the blanket then sat down to knit as the sun warmed her face. Mr. Browley sat down next to her with his pipe.
"Pa, let's go down a bit and see if we can catch something for supper. I brought an extra pole."
"Alright." Mr. Browley moaned as he rose again to his feet. "It was nice to sit down for that three seconds." he said with a wink to Mrs. Browley. "Let's go, son."
"I'll set out the food in just a little while." Mrs. Browley stated to Chris, Priscilla and Hanna. "Priscilla, I wove that yarn you wanted for you know what for you know who.." she stated with a wink.
"Maaa.." Priscilla whined shushing her mother. She ran over and took the spot that her father had just occupied, leaned over to her mother and whispered something. Mrs. Browley looked over to Chris and Hanna, then nodded to Priscilla.
"Why don't you two go for a walk." Mrs. Browley stated. "Chris, you've never seen the woods. Hanna, why don't you take him and show him our tree." she smiled at Priscilla then returned to her knitting.
Hanna and Chris exchanged looks then headed up the river. How perfectly that had worked out.
They reached the log stretched across the river and carefully crossed it. Chris wobbled a bit but Hanna almost ran across like she'd done hundreds of times before.
The fallen, dried leaves crunched under their feet as they made it further and further into the woods.
Not being able to control himself any further, Chris grabbed Hanna's hand, whipped her around and embraced her, kissing her deeply.
Hanna accepted the advance but then pulled away. "We cannot do this." She exclaimed.
"Do what?" Chris asked.
"It's not proper to even kiss me until you have asked my father's permission to court me."
Chris' stomach sank. He'd not even contemplated having to talk to Mr. Browley about his feelings for his daughter. Another thing he'd longed to be in the future for. In 1998, you did not have to ask the father anything. The decisions were made solely by the girl.
Chris gulped. "Okay." he simply said.
"The sooner the better." she stated. "Ma wanted me to show you our 'family tree', as we call it so let's head that way then you can go find pa."
She grabbed his hand and took him a little further into the woods. Soon they came upon a hollowed out tree. "This is it." she said.
Chris looked at the tall, dead stump and shrugged.
"Ma likes to hide treasure here. She used to tell us it was from the forest fairy, so we'd come out here to see what she left. We're all too old to believe that now but she still hides things here every so often. We all claimed it our tree, come look."
They rounded the tree and on the back side of it were the initials of the family at the height of how old they were when they were carved. Only feet above the ground were the initials P.B., a little higher M.B., then H.B. Up to eye level were the initials of Mr. and Mrs. Browley, R.B & G.B. in the middle of a carved out heart.
Chris imagined another heart engraved next to theirs. A heart that cradled the new initials of C.S. and H.S.
"What are you thinking so deeply about?" Hanna asked looking up at Chris' longing look.
"Nothing." he said with a smile. He gulped again. "I guess I'd better go find your pa." he said swallowing hard.
As they neared the peninsula, Hanna ran ahead to join her mother and sister as Chris kept trucking forward to find where Mr. Browley and Mason had decided to stop and try their luck with the salmon.
His heart began thumping erratically when he saw the two, sitting off in the distance talking and laughing.
'At least he's in a good mood.' Chris thought. 'hopefully I don't change that.'
“Chris, you decided to join us. We’ll have to share the poles since Mason, here, only brought two.”
Chris swallowed hard trying to keep down his stomach. “Uh, um actually sir, I was wondering if I could, um, speak with you.” He glanced to Mason with apologetic eyes. “in private?”
“Sure. Mason, why don’t you go find out when it’s time to eat. Tell ma we’ll be back in a little while.”
Mason hesitantly and with a frown packed up his fishing equipment and trudged up the river.
“Is something wrong?” Mr. Browley asked. “You’re not fixing to leave us, are you?”
“No.” another gulp. “Quite the opposite. You see.. sir.. I um, well I want to, uh...”
“Whatever it is, it’s usually better to handle if you just push it out. Say what you have to say.” Mr. Browley said kindly but with some impatience.
“Sir, I love your daughter and I wanted to ask your permission to date, er.. court her.” Chris clenched his eyes shut waiting for any reaction. Whether it be yelling, screaming, a punch in the face. He didn’t know what to expect.
“I will assume that you mean my eldest daughter?” Was Mr. Browley’s first comment.
“Yeah.” Chris answered surprised.
“How does she feel about you?” was his next question.
“I know she has feelings for me. She was the one who asked me to come speak with you.” He said with hesitation in his voice. How awkward it was to share his feelings with the father of the one he loved. She was his daughter, his baby. Chris had no idea what it felt like to be the father of a daughter but he could imagine that this was just as uncomfortable to Mr. Browley as it was for him. That thought actually made Chris feel better. It was up to Mr. Browley, though, and that made Chris sweat even though the breeze was growing chillier.
Mr. Browley took a deep breath and exhaled it sharply. “Chris, I had my doubts about you when you first arrived. You were challis and full of attitude. You were a closed book with a strong wall around you. Over time, however, I have seen you soften considerably and you’ve worked hard to earn your spot in this family. As long as your intentions for my daughter are pure and you’re not playing games with her or this family then you have my blessing.”
Chris let out the breath he was holding.
“However...” Mr. Browley added.
Chris sucked the breath back in.
“I would like to speak to Hanna and Mrs. Browley before my answer is carved in stone.??
?
“Absolutely.” Chris responded.
“Now.. let’s go see if that food is ready, I’m starved.” Mr. Browley got back up onto his feet. He gave Chris a half smile and patted him on the shoulder, just as Chris had seen him do to Cale in the back yard, what seemed like months ago.
He couldn’t believe how smoothly that had gone. He would never be in a hurry to do it again but compared to the scenario he had worked up into his mind, it was a piece of cake. He wondered what he was so worried about in the first place, did he not know the Browley family? They have always been understanding, patient and kind. To put up with how Chris used to behave, they’d have to be.
Knowing that Hanna loved him and how fond Mrs. Browley was of him, he had no worries that a family wide blessing would be bestowed upon him and Hanna.
They were rounding another corner of the beginning of their lives, together.