My Father's Ring

             

Chapter Ten

Rachel's day finally arrives and she was more beautiful than Bart could have ever imagined in his wildest dreams. The crowd of onlookers waits with great anticipation when the piano begins to play the Wedding March. The sound of chattering halts immediately and the tears begin to make their presence known. In the corridor leading to the sanctuary stands a very nervous and scared little girl waiting to become Mrs. Rachel " Cinders " Clark. She turns to her mother and says with tears, " This is the most wonderful day of my life and I love you so very much." Her mother smiles and comments, " I love you too now go become a married woman, my little girl before I blubber all over myself. " her mother rushes into the sanctuary to find her seat for the proceeding. The man that loved her more than life itself stood patiently waiting as the rear door opens and in steps the most beautiful vision he had ever seen, she was just indescribable with words. The music from the piano plays while being accompanied by a room full of tears. Her father slowly walks her down the aisle in perfect time. She looks up at the minister and it is them away was no other than the Reverand Billy Graham and she almost faints dead away where she stood. He says to her,   " remember, Rachel this is your day." The entire church is as quiet can be considering the circumstances. He then can be heard saying, " I now pronounce you husband and wife and Bart you may now kiss the bride. " they rush out of the church to the awaiting car that whisks them away to their new life as Mr. and Mrs. Bart Clark. Her mother sits there in silence and being bathed in the moment of happiness, while her husband stands there as lost as a new puppy on what he should do in this situation. They arrive at their honeymoon sweet as Bart carries her over the threshold of the door. He places her on the bed as they fall into one another's arms for a very passionate and enduring kiss to seal the deal. They share a glass of wine in a truly romantic moment. She lays on the bed as she opens her silkened garment and offers him the first touch of her unspoiled fruits for him and him alone. In moments their bodies mesh together in a true lovers fashion as they pleasure one another into the night. Their moans of pleasure fill the quietness of the room with the ecstasy of two passionate lovers. The morning arrives and her virginity like time is no more. In the morning they are awakened and the first words from his mouth are, " I love you, Rachel Clark." As they repeat everything all over again in a true lovers fashion. It would be in a matter of months that they both would discover the results of their honeymoon through an office visit with old Doctor Drake. She immediately calls her mother to inform her that she will be a grandmother in less than six months. The next six months seem to drag by like a slow burn and hour by hour the days are becoming longer as her patience becomes shorter. "Bart, remind me to never to have sex with you again? " she starts rocking back and forth in an attempt to get her odd shaped body moving in the same direction. Bart stands there watching like she was a circus monkey when she yells, " stare at me a little longer and I may do the trick! or get over here and help me get up!" He immediately grabs her by the hand and assists her to the bathroom for her morning bath. She stands there naked as the water is running into the tub. Bart hardly said a word even though he didn't know what to say with this being their first child. She looks at Bart and says, " I bet I look rather disgusting to you being such a tub of lard?" He replies, " actually I think you look absolutely beautiful with your glow of motherhood." He helps her into the shower chair that set in the bathtub and then he returns to the living room to watch the rest of the morning news.  He had been watching the news for about twenty minutes when Rachel screams from the bathroom, " Bart! Come quick something is wrong!" He runs into the bathroom and is terrified when he sees her sitting on the shower chair and a tub full off blood. She yells, " quick give me some towels that she places between her legs to slow down the bleeding. She pulls on a cotton robe as he picks her up and carries her to his Cadillac and places her in the front seat. They rush to the University Hospital which was about twenty minutes away from their home. They arrive at the emergency room as the medical staff hastens her into the labor department and then they call her doctor. In the waiting room stands Bart,  her parents, Aunt Joann with her son David Dewayne, and a few close friends. Bart paces back and forth waiting for a word from the doctor to her condition. Just as the doctor came out a strange thing happened to them. One doctor announces that a baby girl was delivered with no problems as family and friends were overjoyed to hear the good news of the new arrival safe and sound of Candice Renee Clark. It was just at that exact moment another doctor comes out and shares with another family the sad news of their mother's death. It was like a mixture of sugar and salt, while one family is filled with happiness over their bundle of joy. In the same precise moment, another family was in turmoil over the death of their mother. One was as sweet as sugar while the other was a bitter pill to swallow. It took about thirty minutes for the staff to prepare the child to be viewed. Everyone was standing at the viewing window with great anticipation. The nurse brings the Clark baby out and presents her to the family in a sterile environment and then places the child in her bed. The sign above the child was, " Candice Renee Clark along with the date of September 13 if 1965. Joann speaks up and says in reference to Candice, " how much she looks like my David Dewayne when he was born with those same beautiful blue eyes. Rachel's parents look at her in a quite peculiar way as if her statement was very odd. Her mother puts her arms around Bart and comments to him, " son you two kids did very well, Candice is so very beautiful and the greatest gift that God could have ever given us on th
is day. Her husband who had a tear in his eye just stood there almost speechless. Bart thinks to himself how he wished his mom and dad were there to see their first grandchild. The curtain to the viewing window is finally drawn close as the visiting hours are finally over for the night. Bart goes to Rachel's room to sit with her for the evening, but she is already fast asleep for the duration. Bart sits there in his chair realizing the wonderful life they have in front of them. In the depth of his heart, he has come to understand how one little girl has changed the entirety of their lives. He then sits down and writes a poem about their beautiful
daughter entitled the porcelain cup.

The End of Chapter Ten