* * *
"Ave Maria . . . " The talented cantor's lilting voice filled the half-filled church.
The resounding organ notes ran chills up Eugenia's sweating spine. She wept, in part because this was her special song, but mostly because she could not express her emotions in any other way. The cantor sang,
"Gratia plena, Dominus tecum,
"benedicta tu in mulieribus,
"et benedictus fructus ventris tui, Jesus,
"Sancta Maria, Mater Dei . . . .
Eugenia wore the delicate, elegant white-laced wedding dress that her mother had worked on for so many months. It felt snug and heavy and perfect on her thin shoulders. It both constrained and comforted her.
Zachary stood next to her, straight-backed, debonair in a black suit and new black shoes. She had seen the black felt hat he had bought for the reception later on. Her eyes searched Zachary's face; two deep oases of bright blue amidst a tanned landscape of desert sand. A thin nose divided the two halves perfectly, the whole scene supported by a strong, confident jaw.
Through the pale fabric of memory, she saw herself dabbing at a falling tear with the pink silk handkerchief she nervously clutched in her white-gloved hand.
Father Grady's soft voice asked Eugenia if she would like to become Mrs. Zachary Adams. "I do," she answered. Yes! A thousand times yes.
Eugenia almost fainted when Zachary confirmed his 'I do,' so overcome with joy had she been.
So long ago. So young and so full of love, she thought wistfully. She painfully turned over in her bed and stared in wonderment at the man suddenly beside her. Zachary lay on top of the covers, his blue eyes serenely taking her in. Eugenia's heart raced and, once again like that wonderful, exciting day so many years ago, the world got a little bit dimmer, a little bit darker. She looked to Zachary for reassurance. He smiled. "It's almost time for you to come home, Genie."
"Oh, Zach," she mouthed, another small tear tickling the side of her face. Like so long ago. She blinked away the other tears. "I want to, but I'm so frightened, Zachary. Take my hand and stay with me, just for a little while?"
* * *
Eugenia convulsed violently, in the process throwing off her covers. "Mother Adams? Can you hear me?" Cold, bony hands grabbed her by the shoulders and painfully shook her. She groaned in agony, her eyes tightly closed in a futile attempt to ignore the present.
"Mother Adams? Are you okay?" Fanny's voice overlaid with thick syrupy concern.
Eugenia reflected on how the increasing darkness helped her to cope better with Fanny. She realized she would need more time if she was ever to love her daughter-in-law but, regrettably, time now proved to be as elusive to hold on to as flowing water.
With the last of her strength Eugenia willed her eyes open, even though it meant having to look into Fanny's stone cold eyes once more. A look of disgust crossed Fanny's face but Eugenia chose to ignore it. Time had become something too precious to be wasted on lost causes. Eugenia asked, "Martin? Where is Martin?"
Fanny's voice took on a sharp edge and her speech slowed, as if she was addressing a small child, hard of hearing and somewhat retarded. "I told you earlier, Mother Adams. Marty went out to get groceries. Alright? Now, why don't you take another one of these little pills and we'll see if you can't get back to sleep."
Fanny had already tapped a shiny lime green pill out of a plastic bottle when Eugenia's world went dark again. Her squealing mutated into Fred's voice. He was telling Eugenia that it was time now for them to be going to the wedding.
"Fred?" whispered Eugenia.
"No, Mother Adams. There ain't no Fred here. Alright? Now listen to me. This is Fanny here. Do you hear me, Mother Adams? It's me, Fanny!" Fanny's voice pierced through the haze of Eugenia's mind as she muttered, "The old witch can't die while Marty's out."
Fanny violently shook Eugenia again. She panicked and yelled in Eugenia's ears, "Mother Adams? Do you need a doctor? Do you want me to phone Dr. Frennette?"
"Ethel?" Eugenia replied. "Tell Martin that I love him very much, will you?" Eugenia mouthed the words silently, her breath feathering Fanny's cheek.
"What are you saying, Mother Adams? Mother Adams? What is it that you want?" Fanny's words drifted away again, drowned out by the canned laughter pouring from the black and white Philco. Fred warned Ethel that if she knew what was best for her she'd return that fur coat. Lucy, with her hair-brained scheme, would mix everything up and Eugenia and Zachary, who were now rocking side by side in their pine rockers, would get a big laugh out of the show.
"Zach," Eugenia said, stretching out to touch his broad shoulder.
Zachary looked at his wife and smiled. "Yes, sweetheart?"
"It's good to see you again, Zachary. I've been missing you for so long." She couldn't help dabbing at her eyes with the pink handkerchief.
"And I've missed you so much, too, Eugenia," he replied.
"Can we stay together, now?"
"Yes. Forever, sweetheart."
Eugenia closed her eyes and breathed in deeply, easily, combining the past and the future in a single breath.
The End
About the Author:
JT Therrien writes fiction in genres from literary to romance, ranging in length from short story to novel. He also writes a series of middle grade fiction about the adventures of Shadow, the black Lab.
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