Another cup of Christmas cheer, re-run from last year. xo, Amy
“Do you love him?”
“I’m marrying him, aren’t I?”
He looked down at his hands. “You know what I meant.”
“He’ll be a good father,” she continued, “He’s a tradesman, he has his own business, he’s popular, and he’s a really, really nice guy.”
“But do you love him?”
She broke eye contact. “He’s very… sweet, he really is.”
“Did your cousin Elizabeth talk you into this?”
“No!” she said, too quickly. “Anyway, I have to go. We’ll be married Friday. There’s a lot to arrange, yet.”
“I could be a good father,” he murmured.
She shook her head. “You’re an apprentice! You live with your mother!”
“This is my child, too. Besides, what will you tell your fiancé?”
She blushed. “He doesn’t know I’m not a virgin. Don’t spoil this. This isn’t about me and you, it’s about giving our child a decent home.”
A tear rolled down his cheek. Suddenly compassionate, she took his head in her hands and rested her cheek alongside his. “If it’s a boy, I’ll name him after you. If it’s a girl, after your mother.”
“Thank you,” he whispered.
“And keep working. Once you’ve got the skills, Joseph will hire you. I’ll see to it. You will know your child,” she promised.
He nodded. “Please go now.”
She hesitated, but gathered her things and left.
God, how he loved her.
He wondered how she would explain the pregnancy to her new husband. Well. Mary would think of something.
Copyright 2005 Amy Frushour Kelly. All rights reserved.
Reproduction by any means prohibited without prior written consent.