33

Have not I commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage. For the Lord thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest. Thomas repeated the verse in his mind, but it did little to ease his rattled nerves. He could hardly believe it had only been a year and one month since he’d first laid eyes on Margaret and now he stood at the altar ready to marry her.

His brand-new suit had arrived just in time for the wedding. Everything had worked out, including the arrival of Bolivar’s newest resident, the Reverend Phillip Everly, all the way from Tuscaloosa, Alabama.

Mrs. Everly sat on the second row, looking more in control than any woman Thomas had ever encountered. Her five little charges sat beside her, from youngest to oldest, with legs crossed and backs straight. Thomas doubted they were such angels when their mother had her back turned.

Mrs. Logan sat up front. She dabbed at her eye with a fancy hanky. Thomas had never seen it before and figured she’d had it put away for an important event such as her daughter’s wedding.

He managed a weak smile in her direction. It was the best he could do with the antics going on inside his stomach. A pang of grief washed over him that his own mother couldn’t be there to witness his marriage.

Reverend Everly made a gesture and the high-pitched whine of a violin chord cut through the cool autumn air. Mr. Langley sat with the instrument wedged beneath his chin. A hushed silence came over the small crowd gathered there.

So much change had come to pass with the end of the war. No one would have believed this man, who had only months earlier threatened to turn Thomas in to the Confederates, was now a good friend of the Logans. So much so that he was willing to provide the music at the wedding. There truly was no limit to what God could do in the lives and hearts of His children.

Thomas nearly jumped out of his skin when a hand clamped around his shoulder. He took a deep breath and wiped the beads of sweat from his upper lip. “What are ye trying to do, Miller…scare the life out of me?”

Ensign Miller chuckled and patted Thomas’s shoulder. “Get a grip on yourself, man. It’s your wedding day. Try to enjoy it.”

“Aye, yer right.” Thomas shrugged his shoulders. “I’m just a bit jumpy.” Thomas adjusted his suit coat and shook his arms.

Miller and Thomas had become fast friends over the past few months of working together. And since his own brother couldn’t make it to Texas for the wedding, he was happy to have a friend standing by his side for support. It was a comfort knowing he would be taking Margaret to meet his brother and father soon after they were married.

~*~

Margaret knelt down to Jeremiah’s eye level and put her hands around his small arms. “All right now, Jeremiah, you know what to do, right?” Just to make sure, she gave a quick reminder of his duties. “You walk down between all those people sitting in chairs out there, OK?”

He shook his head and frowned.

Margaret scratched at a bit of food on his cheek, only making his frown deepen. She softened her voice and smiled at her little brother. “But you’re all dressed up in your best pair of overalls, and you get to carry this pretty pillow Mama made!” She showed him the small pink pillow Mama had adorned with ribbons. “Feel how soft it is.” He rubbed the fabric with his tiny hand. “Will you do it for sissy?” The extra syrup in her voice must have done the trick, as Jeremiah closed his eyes and nodded his head. Margaret put the pillow in his hands and turned him toward the sheet they used as a curtain to hide behind. “Good boy. Now walk down to where Thomas is.” She patted him on the bottom and sent him on his way.

From the sounds coming from those in attendance, it was clear they liked her idea of having Jeremiah walk as a pageboy in the ceremony.

Papa had missed the whole exchange between the two of them, as he was occupied retying all the loose ribbons June had undone on her dress while they waited for the wedding to begin. Margaret peeked around the sheet to see Jeremiah run down the aisle before jumping into Mama’s lap. She shook her head and smiled.

“Margaret, get over here and help me get June’s clothes back on her!”

“Yes, Papa.” She finished tying the ribbons Papa had missed and admired how beautiful her little sister looked. Mama had saved back the pale blue dress that had been passed down from one sister to the next. Now it was June’s turn to wear it on this special day. Margaret wanted to cry tears of joy. “Oh, June Marie, you look so pretty.”

June threw her arms around Margaret’s waist and squeezed her tight. “So do you, sissy.” She then gasped and slapped her hands onto her cheeks. “Where’s my flower-girl basket?”

“I got it right here.” Papa handed it to her.

“Whew, that was close.” She took the basket from Papa and headed out from behind the sheet, making her presence known. “Here comes the flower girl.”

Laughter filled the air as June walked down between the two rows of chairs. She threw the flower heads on the ground like a little princess. All was fine and good until she came to the reverend’s family and took a whole handful of the dried flowers and, for some unknown reason, flung them at Reverend Everly’s middle boy.

Margaret looked heavenward and shook her head.

Mama jumped from her chair and snatched June from the aisle.

Margaret turned back to Papa and tears welled up in her eyes. He hugged Elizabeth and pressed her head against his shoulder. Even though the doctors weren’t in favor of her coming home, the final decision was Papa’s to make and he had allowed it.

Margaret couldn’t believe how far Papa was willing to go to make her wedding perfect. And he had succeeded.

Elizabeth wore one of Margaret’s prettier hand-me-down dresses. Mama had to take in the seams to fit her now-tiny frame.

Papa released Elizabeth and gestured toward Margaret, who was holding her hands out to her. Even though Elizabeth had gained back some of her lost weight, Margaret felt her rib bones as they embraced. It was hard for Margaret not to cry, especially seeing Papa with tears in his eyes.

“I’m so happy you could be here for the wedding.”

Elizabeth held her at arm’s length and smiled. She lifted her hand to Margaret’s face and wiped away a tear. “I’m happy to be here too.” She hugged her sister again. “And I’m happy that you are marrying Thomas. I…I almost ruined everything.”

Margaret patted her back. “Oh, hush up. You didn’t ruin a thing. Everything turned out perfect. Now get out there before Mr. Langley’s arm falls off from playing that violin for too long.”

Elizabeth smiled as Papa pulled the sheet back for her. He kissed her on the cheek and handed her a small bouquet of wildflowers tied together with a satin ribbon. She turned and winked at Margaret before heading toward Thomas and the minister.

Margaret picked up the last accessory left on the porch swing, her own bouquet of wildflowers. She ran her fingers down the length of the blue satin ribbon before looking into Papa’s eyes.

He cupped his palms around her face. “You know how proud I am of you?”

“What do you mean, Papa?”

“Honey, I don’t know of any young woman who could have made it through all you have and still have so much love in your heart and a beautiful smile on your face.”

She hugged him tight. “Oh, Papa, it’s not me at all. I give God all the credit…and you and Mama, of course.” She didn’t want to cry on her wedding day, but it was too late. She wiped her eyes and tried to put a big smile on her face. “All right now, there are people waiting for us.”

Papa lowered the veil over her face and offered his arm to her as they hooked elbows.

The sheet was pulled back a final time, allowing everyone in attendance to see the bride.

She didn’t see anyone but the love of her life, Thomas Murphy.

~*~

The makeshift curtain had opened and closed so many times Thomas wasn’t sure if Margaret was ever coming out, but this time, he saw her. Mr. Langley must have stopped playing his violin because he no longer heard the music.

Everyone in attendance turned toward the curtain and stood as she and her papa appeared.

Thomas had never seen her look so majestically beautiful as when she walked down the aisle. The nervousness he’d felt earlier seemed to have melted out through his legs, leaving them mushy as fresh butter in August.

Even though the gown had belonged to Mrs. Logan, it appeared to have been made especially for his bride-to-be. The soft peach-colored fabric made her skin appear darker than usual.

Thomas peered at her bare shoulders for the first time and it took his breath away. Raven hair peeked out beneath the veil covering her face. He could make out the color of her violet eyes, sparkling behind her veil. Never had he seen a more beautiful woman in his life, and she was about to become his…forever.

Mr. Logan paused before reaching him and pulled the veil back, revealing Margaret’s face.

Thomas sucked in a deep breath and let it out slowly.

Mrs. Logan sniffed and put the hanky up to her nose when Mr. Logan kissed his daughter on the cheek and put her hand in Thomas’s. He then sat down next to his wife and held her hand.

Margaret took her place next to Thomas. She held his hand and looked into his eyes, melting away any fears he held.

Reverend Everly cleared his throat, and they both smiled and turned toward him.

“Thomas and Margaret have asked that I read these passages found in the book of Ruth. The truths held here in these verses will forever be a holy pledge between Thomas Murphy and Margaret Logan.

“And Ruth said, Intreat me not to leave thee, or to return from following after thee: for whither thou goest, I will go; and where thou lodgest, I will lodge: thy people shall be my people, and thy God my God. Where thou diest, will I die, and there will I be buried: the Lord do so to me, and more also, if ought but death part thee and me.” The reverend closed his Bible. “Please bow your heads.”

Everyone bowed their heads as Reverend Everly prayed.

Except Thomas and Margaret. While words were being sent to God on their behalf, the young couple gazed into each other’s eyes. No words were spoken, but in those few brief moments an unspeakable amount of love passed between them.

Thomas repeated the vows as instructed by the reverend. “I, Thomas Murphy, take thee, Margaret Logan, to be my wedded wife, to have and to hold from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, till death us do part.”

It was at that moment when Margaret began to say her vows that Thomas realized the wonderful thing that was about to happen. When Margaret said those two little words…I do…their lives would forever be entwined together. He would be her husband, and she would be his wife, and the two would become one flesh.