Marriage of Necessity

~4~ Oysters and Pearls

The morning after the Olton's much-needed scrubbing, we get ready for our trip into town for church. I'm nervous. This is the first time, besides Preacher Donovan, that I will be meeting the town folk. These pesky butterflies are back, and flapping with a vengeance.

I get dressed in my Sunday best, and make sure the children are in theirs. After giving them a once-over, I make up my mind right then and there that I will be going to the mercantile tomorrow for fabric. These children, and Matthew, are in desperate need of new church clothes. The ones they're wearing are ragged and too small for all three of the children. It's obvious that they haven't had any new clothes since their mama died.

We go to the wagon, and I accept Matthew's hand for help. I wish we could take wagon rides more often; His hand feels glorious in mine. It reminds me of when I would find oysters in the ocean. Anytime there was a pearl inside one of them, the pearl fit inside the oyster so perfectly, it was as if they were one.

He might be the oyster to my pearl. Hopefully one day he will open himself up enough to see me there, snug and waiting.

The children climb in back while I sit on the bench up front. I have to focus on their playful banter, and not the man grazing his thigh against mine.

This is the Lord's day, Sophie Brennan, so you best start praying that your thoughts become more pure before you sit down in that church.

I shake my head, trying to stop my inner monologue.

"You feeling ok, miss?" Matthew asks, startling me. He hardly ever says anything to me, so I'm in shock he is now.

"I'm fine, why do you ask?"

"I had an uncle who twitched the way you do."

Despite myself I chuckle, surprising him.

"I don't have a twitch. I'm just trying to get a clear head."

He nods, staring out at the dirt path ahead of us.

"Ain't what ya hoped for I reckin'."

"I didn't know what I hoped for."

He's quiet for such a long time, I figure he's done talking.

Suddenly he spits over the side of the wagon and clears his throat. "I never figured a nice young lady would answer the ad. Sorry it was so misleading."

"T'wasn't misleading. Your ad said you needed a strong woman to raise three children. I'm strong and I see three children in the wagon."

I see him nod out of the corner of my eye, but he says nothing else the rest of the way to church.

When we get to the familiar building, Matthew helps both Remi and I down from the wagon before he hitches the team. Once he does, we walk in. I'm ignoring the stares from everyone.

My lands! I'm drawing more attention than Uncle Edner did the time he took too many nips of the whiskey. He was caught without a stitch of clothing on down by the beach, and we heard about the full moon for weeks.

Matthew ignores the stares as he leads his family to a spot in the middle of the little room. I sit next to him, and Jamie sits on my other side.

While we're singing the hymns, I notice what a lovely deep voice Matthew has. The way he harmonizes in the right places leaves me a little stunned. What other treasures does this man hold? My alto voice blends nicely with his, proving once again how perfectly we fit.

The message was quite lovely. The messages back home were always the "fire and brimstone" type. This wasn't. It was more about grace and love. It left me feeling encouraged and ready to be myself; Let Matthew see the real me.