The Brooch

September 25th...

September 25th...

The day had finally come...

Laying in her bed fast asleep, Maple eyes suddenly popped wide open, as she sat straight up in the bed with an expression of horror on her face, as she abruptly mumbled out loud..:

MAPLE: "I'm gettin married today..."

In that sudden revelation of reality, Maple fell back on the bed as her eyes fixated on the sunny morning ceiling...

What seemed like only a few months to most, to Maple, it seemed a lifetime... Her day was finally here. And she couldn't believe it...

On a cool crisp Thursday morning, as the sun shined brightly like a portrait in the sky, better yet, without one speck of a gray cloud flying over, the ladies one by one awoke. And all zealously prepared for the day...

Grandma Hastings and Mama Woods woke up early to fix all a hearty breakfast for the big day! As others fought for the showers in both the upper and downstairs occupied bathrooms.

Everyone, ate except for Maple. Who could blame her? That girl was a ball of nerves! Not mention her minor scrap with Tator, just a few hours prior, didn't help matters much...

Fortunately for Maple, she, Josephine, and Cornelia snuck outback to her cabin to clean up there. And away from the rowdy chaos....

"That's weird?" Maple said opening the cabin door.

"Whut is?" Cornelia and Josephine curiously asked.

Maple peculiarly looked at Josephine who stared back at her with an oblivious look of query.

"Nothin..." Maple murmured shaking her head and brushing it off.

But underneath, Maple thought to herself...

MAPLE: "Am I goin bonkers? Cause I swear I kin smell Andrew."

She could smell a hint of his favorite cologne misting in the morning air. But surely he wouldn't dare have invaded that cabin. Or even be hidden somewhere in there!

Tator did see someone in the cabin that night... And Andrew was nearby? Closer than they realized. Had he been in that cabin? If so, what was doing there? And why? Was he waiting for her to do as Tator insinuated? To come take her in the night and supposedly run off with her and leave Tator at the altar?

Nonetheless, Maple found herself becoming more paranoid than usual and on the lookout just before she stepped in the bathroom to shower.

She tried her best to clear her head and not think on the last time she was with Tator. The argument part that is. But as she stood in that shower, his face kept popping up in her mind. Worse... when Andrew suddenly invaded.

Surely he wouldn't dare try and pull anything today? Especially of all days? Tator's words got into Maple's head like water to a sponge, about Mr. Wellington and Andrew.

If anything did possibly occur, how was she gonna handle that situation? And what about Josephine? When was the last time she officially saw her husband? And were they even trying to work things out? What if they didn't? And Andrew didn't want to. But wanted to instead still try to confess his love for Maple and stop the wedding? Oh the wheels in Maple's mind were spinning. And she was losing control as she worked up a sweat in that shower...

Standing at the sink brushing her teeth while Maple showered Cornelia, could hear Maple endlessly mumbling as she concernedly said...

"Maple? You alright in there?"