Chapter 40
On the morning of March 21st, Mike woke before Kelly and placed a small gift on her pillow. He turned off her alarm clock and went into the kitchen to make breakfast. Even though Kelly was supposed to go into the office and meet with Bob, Mike had called asking if she could postpone for a couple of days. After he told Bob about his plans, Bob had laughed and said that Mike and Kelly could take as much time as they needed. Kelly rushed in a few minutes after Mike started making breakfast and said, in a frenzy. “My alarm didn’t go off! I’m going to be late!”
“Don’t worry about it. I called Bob and told him you weren’t coming in.”
“Hooray! I finally get to know what the secret is!” Kelly stood on her tiptoes and kissed Mike. She saw the breakfast he was making. “You can bring me that in bed.”
“That was the plan,” he said wryly.
“Wait, where are the boys?”
“Karen dropped by a few minutes ago to take them to school.”
Kelly climbed back into bed, wondering what Mike’s plans were for the day. Were they going on a picnic? It was the first day of spring, one of her favorite days of the year. It represented new life, things blooming, and warmth. Before long Mike came in with a tray and sat beside her. “You don’t want me to feed you, do you?” he asked.
.Kelly punched him in the arm. “No, silly. Wait! Are there grapes on this plate?”
Mike rolled his eyes and watched her eat. They talked about trivial things and then lay in bed watching game shows for a while. Finally, Kelly stretched and said, “School or no school, it’s time to take a shower.” She got up and went into the bathroom. She was just about to wash her hair when the bathroom door opened. Sometimes when Mike was feeling mischievous, he would flush the toilet and laugh as she screamed when the water turned cold. She braced herself. But Mike didn’t flush. Instead, he pulled back the curtain and stepped into the shower with her. Her heart flip-flopped as he moved nearer and kissed her.
A little while later, they were both dressed and sitting on the couch relaxing. They decided to play a game of cards; Kelly beat Mike twice, and then he said, “I’m hungry again. Let’s go to lunch.”
He took her to a little café. It was a place she loved to go with friends, but Mike had always said the food was too “girly.” However, he knew it was one of her favorite places, so this time he indulged her. As they sat at the table, Kelly asked, “So is this the surprise, a wonderful day off with all of my favorite things? This is great.”
Mike smiled, “Something like that.”
After lunch, Mike took Kelly to a few antique shops. She loved trying to find bargains or interesting things. At the last store, Mike found a beautiful broach and bought it for her. She threw her arms around him and gave him a lingering kiss right in front of the saleslady. The woman just smiled and sighed wistfully. “Just like my husband and I used to be when he was still on this earth.” Mike took Kelly’s hand, bid goodbye to the shopkeeper, and escorted Kelly to the car.
As they were driving home, Andrew said casually, “Your parents called last night. I forgot to tell you. They planned a trip to Destin this weekend, and they said they’d be stopping by today on their way. I thought maybe we could go to dinner with them or something.”
Kelly was pleasantly surprised. “Great! It’s been awhile since I’ve seen them; things have been so busy. What time will they be here?”
“I’m not sure. Sometime late this afternoon, I guess.”
When they arrived at home, Andrew told her he needed to go to this office for just an hour or so. Kelly decided to stretch out and take a nap, something she was never able to do on a school day. She only dozed, but it felt wonderful. She lay there thinking about the day, how sweet it had been for Mike to plan this for them on one of her favorite days of the year. The sun was shining outside, and she was tempted to take a walk, but she wasn’t sure when Andrew would be home. She did, however, do some housecleaning in case her parents came by the house before or after dinner.
Mike arrived home at about 4:00. He tossed his briefcase on a chair and sat on the couch beside Kelly as she folded clothes. “I told Karen to keep the kids for a while after school so that we could have plenty of time together,” he said. He put the laundry basket aside and pulled her to him. She laid her head on his shoulder and sat that way until the phone rang.
“Kelly! It’s Mom. We’re in town and check into a hotel. Have you had a good day?”
“Wonderful day,” Kelly answered. “Mike’s been spoiling me all day.”
“Listen, do you think you could get Mike to drop you off at the hotel before we go to dinner? I bought you a few outfits, and I wanted you to try them on to make sure they fit. Plus, I wouldn’t mind a little mother daughter time.”
Kelly asked Mike, and he agreed. “That would be fine. You want me to come on over?”
“Yes, then we’ll have some time to spare.”
Mike drove Kelly to the hotel and told her he would see her at dinner. She knocked on the hotel door, and her father answered. “Well, there’s my little girl! Come on in.”
He hugged her as she steeped in the door and then went back to the bed to watch baseball.
“It’s so good to see you,” her mother said as she hugged Kelly. “You look so good. Ready to try on some clothes?”
Her mom had bought her a couple of summer outfits. They were cute and fit perfectly. Then her mother pulled something from her hanging bag. It was a beautiful pink dress. It was a flowing material with an empire waist and tiny pearls lining the neck. Kelly fingered it and said, “Wow.”
Her mother smiled. “I couldn’t resist. I thought you could wear it on Easter on some special occasion or something.” Kelly tried it on and came out of the bathroom with a flourish and a twirl. “Oh, honey, it’s beautiful,” her mother exclaimed. “Why don’t you wear it tonight? We’re taking you to that really fancy restaurant tonight, the one you told us about awhile back.”
“Do I need to call Mike and tell him to wear a coat and tie?”
“No, we told him.”
“Oh, so you were in on this special day conspiracy. I guess we’re capping off the night with a fancy dinner.”
Kelly’s mother smiled. “Well, we wanted to do something special for the two of you.”
At 5:30, Kelly and her parents got into the car and her father began driving. They turned left at a red light, and Kelly looked at them, confused. “You turned the wrong way at that light. Carmello’s is to the right. Didn’t Mike give you directions?"
Her parents didn’t respond, and Kelly dropped it. Her dad was notorious for not asking for directions. She figured whenever they got lost enough, he would break down and ask for her help. Kelly leaned back in her seat and shook her head, chuckling softly. In a few minutes, however, they turned into the park. Kelly was confused; maybe her dad was stopping to get his bearings. Instead, her parents got out, and her dad opened the door for her.
“We’re going to the park in our dress clothes? What in the world is going on?” Her parents didn’t answer, but her father took her hand.
They reached a clearing, and Kelly’s breath caught. There were flowers everywhere and a trellis with roses. Mike’s parents, brother, and sister, and their families were there as well as Karen and the boys. Mike had his back toward her, and she couldn’t tell whom he was talking to. Finally he turned around and smiled at her. He walked to her and took both of her hands. As if on cue, everyone else sat in the folding chairs except the man Mike had been talking with earlier. It was their pastor.
“Mike, what is all this? Is this part of the secret you’ve been keeping?”
“Yes, it is,” he replied. He kissed her lightly. “A few months ago, you said that God had done so much for us, it was like being married all over again, and you were right. I thought we might want to make it official.” He knelt down without letting go of her hands
, and she realized what he was about to do. “Kelly, will you marry me all over again?”
Kelly fought back tears, but they rolled down her face anyway. She couldn’t speak for a moment. Then she said, “Yes I will.”
Mike stood then and kissed her. They forgot about their families and drew the kiss out, holding each other more tightly. The pastor cleared his throat and said, “Are you two ready? That’s supposed to come at the end of the ceremony.” Everyone laughed.
Mike took Kelly’s arm and walked her down the aisle. As they walked, Mike whispered to her, “You look so beautiful.”
Kelly smiled and said, “You’re not so bad yourself.”
The pastor prayed, and then Kelly and Mike exchanged vows for the second time. In the same way that today was the first day of spring, it felt as if Mike and Kelly were beginning as well. Kelly kept her eyes focused on Mike as he told her again that he would love, honor, and cherish her as long as they both lived. The pastor prayed one more time and then said, a twinkle in his eye, “Now you may kiss the bride.”
Kelly and Mike kissed again, tears and laughter mingling with their kiss. When they pulled away, their families, their boys, and Karen came forward, hugging and congratulating and giving God glory. Afterward, they loaded into their separate cars and headed toward the fancy restaurant. Kelly and Mike drove to the restaurant alone. Kelly turned to him and asked, “How did you do all this? Did everyone but me know?”
“Everyone but you and the boys. I knew they couldn’t be trusted,” he laughed.
They all enjoyed a wonderful dinner at Carmello's, and after they ate they sat for a long time, exchanging stories. Mike and Kelly listened and laughed, holding hands and gazing at each other. Finally, Mike’s sister laughed and said, “I think the two lovebirds are ready for their honeymoon. Maybe we should break up the party now.”
Everyone dispersed with last hugs and mummers of praise and congratulations. Karen took the boys hands and explained that they would be spending the night with her. Mike and Kelly walked to his car, still holding hands. Mike opened the door for her, and then walked around to the driver’s side. Before he fastened his seatbelt, he leaned close to Kelly and kissed her. “I wish I could express to you how much I love you,” he whispered.
“I have an idea,” Kelly said, her voice barely above a whisper. They drove in silence, and Kelly felt the same anticipation building in her heart that she had felt years earlier when they were driving on their first night as husband and wife. She blushed as she looked out the window, remembering how nervous she had been.
Mike led her into the house without turning on the lights. He turned and kissed her, pressing her against the closed door. Kelly heart swelled and she was dizzy. Mike pulled away and traced her lips with his thumb. He kissed her again and traced her shoulder blade. He ran his fingers through her hair, and Kelly’s heart was pounding so loudly she was sure Mike could hear it. They made their way up the stairs and to the bedroom. They fell onto the bed, and then everything was wonder and joy and passion. Kelly wasn’t sure how long they were together, crying and laughing and clinging to each other. Eventually they lay in each other’s arms, exhausted and happier than Kelly could ever remember being. Mike rose up on one elbow and looked at her. He touched her face and said, “Do you know what I would like to do?”
Kelly laughed and said, “I think we just did.”
Mike smiled and said, “Yes, that too. But right now I’d like to pray.”
They both slid off the bed and onto their knees. Mike put his arms around Kelly, and they bowed their heads.
“Lord, Jesus, you really are a God of miracles and grace. We want to praise you for being able to do exceedingly abundantly above anything we could ask or imagine. I thank you so much for Kelly, the love of my life, my best friend. Thank you for her love for you, her beauty, and the passion I feel when I look at her. You have blessed us so much. Help us to remember this night, the night our marriage officially became new. Keep us remain close to you and to each other always. Help her to know how much I love her right now and for the rest of our lives. We love you Lord, and we marvel at what you are able to do. Thank you again, and help us to walk close to you and to each other. We praise you and love you.”
They knelt that way for a long time, weeping over God’s love and restoration. Kelly looked at Mike from the corner of her eye. This was the man she loved, the only man she had ever loved. He was more than she could have ever dreamed, and he was kneeling beside her. No matter what came tomorrow, a year from then, or twenty years down the road, she knew that God would be walking with them. And she lifted up a silent voice of praise from deep in her heart, amazed that even if she were faithless God would always remain faithful, every day of her life.
Psalm 32
Blessed is he whose transgressions are forgiven,
Whose sins are covered.
Blessed is the man whose sin the Lord does not count against him
And in whose spirit is no deceit.
When I kept silent about my sin my bones wasted away
Through my groaning all day long.
For day and night your hand was heavy upon me;
My strength was sapped as in the heat of summer.
Then I acknowledged my sin to you
And did not cover up my iniquity.
I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the Lord,”
And you forgave the guilt of my sin.
Therefore let everyone who is godly pray to you while you may be found;
Surely when the mighty waters rise, they will not reach him.
You are my hiding place;
You will protect me from trouble
And surround me with songs of deliverance.
Selah
About the Author
Laurie Gilbreath is a southern born and bred former teacher turned freelance writer, editor, and curriculum designer. She has loved writing since she was able to hold a pen and has always loved a good love story. Laurie enjoys writing about strong but feminine southern women, and she receives inspiration from the women in her own life as well as the view of the like oak trees with hanging Spanish moss from her home office window. She currently resides in Georgia with her family, which consists of several beloved humans and one beloved dog.
More Books by Laurie Gilbreath
Magnolia Secrets
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