After telling Matthew the news, he took April in his arms and gave her a hug. “I know you’re not happy about this because you needed to mail them out this week. You’re just hiding it from me so I won’t worry about you. You hate it when I worry, don’t you?”
April nodded. “You know me so well.”
“Hey, we’ve known one another for years and I know you inside and out. And you still fascinate and intrigue me to no end.”
April had been holding in her frustrations while telling Matthew about the invitations, but now he was making it hard for her to keep it in. She quickly blinked away the tears that wanted to fill her eyes. “How do I fascinate you?”
Matthew chuckled. “Oh, April sweetie! The things that I admire about you aren’t complex at all. I see beyond the surface.” He gently patted his chest next to his heart. “You know…what’s deep down inside here.”
“What do you mean?” she asked curiously.
“It’s your laughter when you’re excited…the look in your eyes when you become mischievous and tease me…your sad countenance when you’re disappointed…your frustration when you feel offended…and your deep faith in God. All these things make you the person you are. That’s the person I’m in love with.”
“Really?” she asked, softening little by little.
Matthew nodded as he pulled a handkerchief from his pocket and dabbed her eyes.
“Of course, I’m attracted to you physically, too. There’s no doubt about that. But you know what I mean. I love your smile, the twinkle in your eyes, and the smell of your hair after you’ve washed it.”
“Really?” April said as she cuddled into his arms. “Tell me more. I’m enjoying this. You know what? You came at just the right time. I was so depressed before you got here.”
Matthew grinned when he saw her brighten from his compliments. “Well… I really shouldn’t say this but…no, no! I won’t mention it.”
April looked into his eyes with great curiosity. “What?”
“Well…”
“Tell me. I want to know.”
“You’ll think I’m strange.”
“No, I won’t. Tell me.”
“Okay.” With a grin, he said, “The smell of clay on your hands after creating your masterpiece is out of this world.”
April burst into a fit of laughter. That did it. The tension she was feeling when talking to her sisters about her dilemma began to disappear.
She finally looked up into his face and said, “Where shall we go on our honeymoon, Matthew?”
He shrugged. “Where do you want to go?”
“Well, I’ve been writing down a list of places.”
“A list?”
“Uh-huh.”
She pulled a small notepad from her purse and showed it to him. Then she sat down on the sofa.
After scanning it, he smiled. “Long list!”
After handing her the notepad, he sat beside her. “I’m hungry. What shall we do for lunch?”
“Hmm. Should I make something or shall we go out to eat?”
“It’s up to you,” he said as he pulled a piece of paper from his shirt pocket. “By the way, here’s another recipe for you to try out. It’s one of my favorites and real easy to make. It’s a casserole.”
“Casserole?” She looked at it and nodded. “Sounds easy enough. Hmmm, noodles, cheese, cream of chicken, mayonnaise…” April looked up at Matthew in amazement. “Mayonnaise?”
“Yup. That’s the secret ingredient. You can use canned chicken or boil it fresh. It’s your choice. My favorite ingredients are the green peppers, onions, and mushrooms.”
“I’ll try it,” she said as she placed it in her purse.
“So,” said Matthew. “What do you think about having our honeymoon in the mountains?”
April nodded. “Sounds fun. We could learn how to cross-country snowshoe and take skiing lessons while we’re there.”
Matthew frowned. He wasn’t interested in breaking a leg on his honeymoon. “Okay, I changed my mind. Let’s pick another spot.”
April scanned her list and then her eyes brightened. “How about the Baja Peninsula in Mexico. I hear it’s quite warm in the winter.”
“Hmmm,” said Matthew. “We could rent a beach house that’s secluded and spend some special time together swimming, laying on the beach, and eating Mexican food. Yum!” He grinned with excitement. “We could watch the sunset wrapped in a blanket with no one else around but the two of us. We could also make a bonfire and sit on the beach together and snuggle.”
April’s eyes brightened. “Yes! We can even take a boating tour and see all the coastal sites. We could even take a scuba diving class. What do you think, Matt?”
Matthew’s face instantly became sober. “But April…”
“What’s wrong?” she asked curiously.
“I’m not interested in taking tours or scuba diving.”
“Oh.” She bit her lip in concentration. “Well, we’ll think of something, I’m sure.”
Matthew frowned. She didn’t seem to realize that all he wanted was to be with her. Heck with tours and snowshoes and diving lessons. All he wanted was for them to get to know one another better… more intimately. He just wanted a nice romantic honeymoon. That was all.
April touched his cheek. “What’s wrong, Matt?”
He shook his head. “Nothing.”
She wrapped her arms about him and gazed into his eyes. “You can’t fool me. What’s up?”
He smiled. “Okay. It’s like this. I don’t want to see Niagara Falls, go snowshoeing, or take boating tours. I just want to be alone with you. That’s all.”
April almost melted on the spot as she listened.
He took her hand and squeezed it as he softly said, “You see…we’ll be getting to know one another in a completely different way. We need to spend time together eating delectable foods, taking strolls through a park or on a beach, and just be together. That’s all I want. This is a special time for us. It’s a time without any worries or pressures. It’s a time of intimacy… if you get my drift.”
It finally dawned on her what he was saying. April’s heart skipped a beat as she realized that he was completely and undeniably devoted to her. What more could she want in a man?
She kissed him and smiled. “I understand, Matt. Don’t worry about a thing. I got the message.” Then April took his hand and tugged. “I’m starved. Let’s make something to eat since we’re not putting stamps on envelopes.” She took his recipe from her purse. “Let’s try this out.”
He nodded and followed her, and then instantly stopped in mid-stride. “Wait a minute.”
“What?”
“I almost forgot.” He dug a small box out of his pocket and handed it to her.
April’s eyes widened as she looked at the box. “What is it?”
Matthew grinned. “Open it and see.”
She opened the hinged box and inside was a lovely necklace.
“Well?” he said nervously. “What do you think? Is it your style?”
“I love it,” she said as she flung her arms around his neck.
“You do?”
She kissed him tenderly on his lips. Then she leaned back and smiled. He looked so pleased. Taking the necklace from the box, she gazed at it lovingly and then he took it from her and put it around her neck.
She looked up and blinked a few tears away. “I love it. I really do.”
“I’m so glad. When I saw it in the window, I thought of you.”
April’s eyes brightened. Then she grabbed her cell phone from her purse and pulled Matthew toward her so their heads were touching. Then she stretched her arm out with the cell phone in her hand and said, “Smile!”
Click! She took the picture. After tapping a few keys, she pushed “send” and the photo was on its way to her parents and sisters and a few friends.
Matthew was amused by her excitement.
“Okay!” April said excitedly. “Let’s prepare something to eat.
Matthew wanted to burst into laughter. She was so adorable. April was very social and loved to share news with her sisters and friends. That was something he had to get used to. Women were so fascinating. Especially this one!