The Girls in Skirts

Chapter Six

The Sunday morning after their rushed wedding Adam and Maddie timidly walked into church together and were instantly whisked into the Pastor's office by the First Lady. She had called Maddie last night to ensure that the couple would indeed be at the morning service, and then she had stood by the front entrance of the church waiting for the new couple to arrive.

The pastor sat behind his desk as organ music began to play inside of the sanctuary.

"I just wanted to make sure the two of you were doing alright." His voice was kind and he stood to pat them both on the shoulders. "Marriage is a beautiful thing, a good marriage takes a lot of hard work and sacrifice but it is a beautiful, God designed plan for our lives."

A broad smile was plastered on his face. His hands remained on their shoulders, one on Maddie's and one on Adam's. His eyes connected with Adam's. "Everything has gone smoothly?"

Maddie's stomach plummeted. She knew what that question meant. She knew exactly what the firm hands holding their shoulders and male to male eye contact meant with that question. The pastor was asking Adam if he and Maddie had correctly consummated their marriage in the 38 hours that they had been married.

Adam bobbed his head up and down as a response and pastor squeezed their shoulders under his firm grip. "Good. I'm glad."

Maddie's face was flushing redder by the second as she stood in the office. Pastor began rattling off a string of Bible verses and discussing the sanctity of marriage and how now Adam was her spiritual leader, the head of their household. Maddie needed to now submit to him and be a dutiful and supportive wife. He was explaining the umbrella principle to the couple, a concept he taught over the pulpit frequently.

"God will lead and guide you through a Spiritual authority" He was talking about himself, Pastor was the spiritual authority, he was God's anointed leader. Adam's job was to stay under Pastor's umbrella of protection and Maddie's was to stay under Adam's umbrella. The child they would welcome in a matter of months would be under Maddie's umbrella and together they would all follow God's design for obedience and authority.

"If you follow this Biblical principle your marriage will thrive and your children will grow up safely."

Maddie tried to listen but her mind was still stuck on the thought that she now had a sex life that was being talked about and checked up on. Just days ago Maddie had been given a sermon on her sinful, lustful ways. Her pastor had told her that because she was carrying a baby she could not pray to become a 'born-again virgin' but she did need to pray that she could be a good and dutiful wife and that God would honor her new commitment and bless her unborn baby.

Sex had been something that had been forbidden and she had been condemned for desiring and now she was being encouraged to be a dutiful and submissive wife. The conversations occurring just days apart from one another made her head hurt.

After the wedding ceremony on Friday Adam had surprised her by taking her to the nicest hotel in town. "We don't get to have a honeymoon, but we can at least have a special night." He had shrugged sheepishly as he explained his thoughts to her. Maddie had thought the gesture was incredibly kind and thoughtful. She liked this new side of Adam that she was beginning to see more often, the side that tried so hard to be a good husband and make her feel important.

Inside of their hotel room Adam had done his best to make her feel like it was a special wedding night too. He had taken her into his arms in a way that had become familiar to her. Gone was the darkness of Sunday school classrooms and the feeling of having to be silent and sneak around. For the very first time Maddie and Adam had all of the time in the world and all of the privacy that they always longed for.