Longing to Belong - Chapter 24
Chapter 24
Birch Creek, July 2003
Louise scratched her head for the third time in a row. The flower band on her hair itched, and the rest of her attire was making her extremely uncomfortable. Her new shoes pinched and the material of the dress squeezed her budding bosom tightly. Barely ten days ago she had her last, and both dress and shoes had fit like a glove. Maybe since she might have had what Teaspoon called a growth spurt, not too noticeable, but just enough to make her suffer the discomfort.
Lou was in no hurry to grow up; at school there were girls that were at least two heads taller than her, and they even wore bras. Although Lou had her first period early, her body had not changed so fast, and the breasts and height other girls already had were not very prominent in her, so she looked younger than her twelve years. Her father still saw and treated her as if she were six, and when he and Rachel had been making arrangements for their wedding, he had suggested she could be the flower girl. A flower girl! At twelve!!! Lou had been visibly outraged, and Rachel had stepped in and said she was old enough to be her bridesmaid. Although Lou hated anything related to this wedding, Rachel’s suggestion had cheered at the time.
It turned out she was the only bridesmaid, and the most uncomfortable in history with all probability. The wedding was just a little event with just family and close friends in attendance, and the civil ceremony took place in the garden of the new house. Just the day before Lou had to bid goodbye to her home and pack her belongings. Her new bedroom looked like a display showroom. The furniture, curtains, and bedclothes were all brand new. Lou had chosen everything herself, and in theory she should love her new room, but the reason behind the move was enough for Louise to see everything in darker hues. Louise wouldn’t sleep in her new digs yet. Rachel and her father would go to Acapulco for their honey, and in the meantime she would stay with the Cains.
Louise fidgeted in her seat uncomfortably, squeezing the posy of flowers in her hands tightly as the Judge of the Peace’s solemn voice drifted to her. It was a warm day with not one single cloud in the sky. Not even the weather agreed with her! She wished there was a storm, a blizzard, a hurricane, anything that would cause the wedding to be called off, but no… the day was perfect, and there was no way back.
Lou ventured a look across the aisle formed by the arrangement of chairs in the garden. Jimmy and Cody, clad in suits, glanced ahead, visibly bored by the ceremony. Lou wondered if they felt like her. It wouldn’t be nice to see another man taking their father’s place. As far as Lou had seen, both brothers treated Teaspoon with affability but it could well be a front… just as she was doing, pretending to be okay with this wedding while she was burning inside with indignation.
Cody must have noticed her eyes on his and turned his face to find Lou glancing in his direction. It was not in his nature to ignore or simply acknowledge her with a courteous nod. He was bored out of his mind, and as he always found a reason to act like a clown, this time was not so different. So still directing his attention to Louise, he closed his eyes and pouted his lips exaggeratedly as if he were kissing someone.
Lou blushed furiously and snapped her head back to the front. Stupid boy!!! She was boiling with rage and her cheeks were flaming hot from humiliation and embarrassment. That… that… Cody was a total moron! And soon she would be living with him under the same roof! Twenty-four hours a day!!! How was she going to put up with such a twat! What on earth had she done to be punished in this way?
Please, please, don’t let my dad marry Rachel Dunne. Please, please, she kept repeating her prayer to the God she had forgotten in her last years. Her prayers, though, were not responded the way she wanted as soon Teaspoon and Rachel uttered the formulaic ‘I do’ at the Judge of the Peace’s question. That was followed by a ‘I pronounce you husband and wife’ and ‘You can kiss the bride’. As Teaspoon and Rachel shared the first kiss as a married couple, there was an uproar of clapping and cheers around them. Soon the newlyweds were surrounded by a horde of well-wishers. From a discreet position Lou watched the two brothers kiss their mother and hug Teaspoon. Everybody looked happy and bore happy smiles, and Lou knew that she would have to keep pretending. Yet, in these few minutes when nobody was watching her, she could leave her mask off and wallow in self-pity.
Teaspoon eventually managed to escape the melee of guests and stood in front of her, beaming in obvious joy. “Come here, love,” he said, opening his arms, and automatically Lou ran to him. She hugged him tightly, closing her eyes and inhaling the familiar smell of the soap they used at home. She wondered if now her father would smell differently, and maybe be a different person. Was this the last day of their family? Maybe from now on Teaspoon would stop being the father she knew and loved. “You look beautiful, my angel,” he whispered as he pulled away.
Louise did not feel beautiful, but an uncomfortable oaf, but instead of contradicting his words, she pasted a fake smile on her lips. “Thanks,” she replied softly. Rachel approached shyly. Instead of the traditional fluffy white wedding dress, she had chosen an elegant ensemble in cream: a knee-length halter-neck top, whose front was embroidered and embellished with beads. She wore the hair in a becoming French twist, with some natural lilies ensconced in her blonde tresses.
“May I give a hug to the youngest member of my new family?”
Lou felt uncomfortable as she embraced the woman. The hug was brief as the girl pulled back as soon as she could. Louise felt no better than a Judah, a hypocrite, hugging Rachel with in reality if she could have her way, Rachel wouldn’t be in her and her father’s life at all.
“Your dad’s right. You look very pretty.”
Lou kept quiet, unsure how to respond, and smiled her fake smile. Rachel also remained silent deep in thought. She was no fool, and she knew that Lou was not at ease with the wedding. No matter what Teaspoon wanted to believe, Rachel knew better. Lou hadn’t come to terms with the idea that her dear father was in love. Rachel had even suggested once or twice that they should put off the wedding and let Lou have some time to get her head round the idea of their marriage. However, Teaspoon had not concurred and insisted that there was nothing wrong with Lou, so Rachel had eventually dropped the matter. Louise was after all his daughter, and he should know her better. Hopefully, the girl would come around when they started living together as a proper family.
A tap on her shoulder snapped her out of her thoughts. Jimmy appeared next to her holding out his cell phone. “Call from your beloved first-born, mom,” he said sarcastically.
Rachel eagerly snatched the pone from her son’s hand, and sent an apologetic look at her new husband. “I have to take this call.” Teaspoon nodded knowingly, and as her eyes turned to Lou had been a few seconds before, she realized that the girl was gone. Not giving another thought to Lou and their complex situation, she focused her attention to the incoming call. “Honey!!!” Rachel exclaimed as soon as she pressed the phone against her ear.
“Mom, congratulations!”
“Thank you, love. You know, it’s such a shame you can’t be here. The family isn’t complete without you.” Rachel bit her lower lip to stop her emotional tears from showing. Her eldest son was still backpacking through Europe, and she felt a part of her heart was missing today.
“I know, mom, but today is about you and Teaspoon, nobody else.”
“Are you really happy for me?” she asked, still unsure how her eldest felt about her marriage to another man. He was very close to his dad, and Rachel feared he might feel like Louise, and his disapproval would devastate her. That would mean that when he returned to San Francisco, he might stay away from her more and more and his visits would dwindle until he didn’t come anymore.
“Of course I am, mom. When I talked to Teaspoon on the phone the other day, he sounded like a good man. I know my mother is intelligent and wouldn’t lose her head to marry someone who is not good for her.”
Rachel smiled in relief. “So tell me where you are now. Still in France?”
“No, Italy. Rome, to be precise. The county is amazing, mom. Beautiful food, comfortable weather, and the people… Italian people are so warm and kind. I’m even considering moving here for good.”
“No…” Rachel could help but let out in a choked cry.
“Just kidding, mom. Well, maybe wishful thinking, but you know I’ll be back in the States in a few months. My time for playing will be over, and I’ll have to do some serious studying and working.”
“And visit your old mom.”
“That’s my number one on my to-do list. And I’ll be looking forward to meeting Teaspoon.”
“And don’t forget his little girl, Louise.” Rachel was about to say that she was sure he would like Lou as well, but stopped. How could she claim something she wasn’t sure of herself? Louise was still a mystery to her, and despite spending more and more time with Teaspoon and consequently with her, Rachel couldn’t say she knew the girl. Lou was so serious and quiet, and even though Rachel had tried to engage her in conversation every single time they had been tighter, she had not had any luck. Lou was always polite, but didn’t say any more than what was expected from her. Teaspoon kept saying that his daughter was much more cheerful and talkative, but she was just shy around her. Rachel hoped that now they were all going to be a family, the situation would change and Lou would let the ice wall of her façade melt because Rachel really wanted to know her and honestly say she liked her.
“Mom? Mom?”
Rachel got startled as the voice on the phone broke into her thoughts. “Sorry, son. For a second my mind drifted miles away.”
“I gotta go now, or else, I’ll have to sell everything I owe to pay the phone bill. Enjoy today, mom, and we’ll talk soon.”
Rachel smiled. “And I love you too, Kid.” And then she pressed the red button on the phone ending the conversation, hurting for her absent son, but at the same time very happy because today she had married the man she was in love and be happy with for the rest of her life.
Birch Creek, July 2003
Louise scratched her head for the third time in a row. The flower band on her hair itched, and the rest of her attire was making her extremely uncomfortable. Her new shoes pinched and the material of the dress squeezed her budding bosom tightly. Barely ten days ago she had her last, and both dress and shoes had fit like a glove. Maybe since she might have had what Teaspoon called a growth spurt, not too noticeable, but just enough to make her suffer the discomfort.
Lou was in no hurry to grow up; at school there were girls that were at least two heads taller than her, and they even wore bras. Although Lou had her first period early, her body had not changed so fast, and the breasts and height other girls already had were not very prominent in her, so she looked younger than her twelve years. Her father still saw and treated her as if she were six, and when he and Rachel had been making arrangements for their wedding, he had suggested she could be the flower girl. A flower girl! At twelve!!! Lou had been visibly outraged, and Rachel had stepped in and said she was old enough to be her bridesmaid. Although Lou hated anything related to this wedding, Rachel’s suggestion had cheered at the time.
It turned out she was the only bridesmaid, and the most uncomfortable in history with all probability. The wedding was just a little event with just family and close friends in attendance, and the civil ceremony took place in the garden of the new house. Just the day before Lou had to bid goodbye to her home and pack her belongings. Her new bedroom looked like a display showroom. The furniture, curtains, and bedclothes were all brand new. Lou had chosen everything herself, and in theory she should love her new room, but the reason behind the move was enough for Louise to see everything in darker hues. Louise wouldn’t sleep in her new digs yet. Rachel and her father would go to Acapulco for their honey, and in the meantime she would stay with the Cains.
Louise fidgeted in her seat uncomfortably, squeezing the posy of flowers in her hands tightly as the Judge of the Peace’s solemn voice drifted to her. It was a warm day with not one single cloud in the sky. Not even the weather agreed with her! She wished there was a storm, a blizzard, a hurricane, anything that would cause the wedding to be called off, but no… the day was perfect, and there was no way back.
Lou ventured a look across the aisle formed by the arrangement of chairs in the garden. Jimmy and Cody, clad in suits, glanced ahead, visibly bored by the ceremony. Lou wondered if they felt like her. It wouldn’t be nice to see another man taking their father’s place. As far as Lou had seen, both brothers treated Teaspoon with affability but it could well be a front… just as she was doing, pretending to be okay with this wedding while she was burning inside with indignation.
Cody must have noticed her eyes on his and turned his face to find Lou glancing in his direction. It was not in his nature to ignore or simply acknowledge her with a courteous nod. He was bored out of his mind, and as he always found a reason to act like a clown, this time was not so different. So still directing his attention to Louise, he closed his eyes and pouted his lips exaggeratedly as if he were kissing someone.
Lou blushed furiously and snapped her head back to the front. Stupid boy!!! She was boiling with rage and her cheeks were flaming hot from humiliation and embarrassment. That… that… Cody was a total moron! And soon she would be living with him under the same roof! Twenty-four hours a day!!! How was she going to put up with such a twat! What on earth had she done to be punished in this way?
Please, please, don’t let my dad marry Rachel Dunne. Please, please, she kept repeating her prayer to the God she had forgotten in her last years. Her prayers, though, were not responded the way she wanted as soon Teaspoon and Rachel uttered the formulaic ‘I do’ at the Judge of the Peace’s question. That was followed by a ‘I pronounce you husband and wife’ and ‘You can kiss the bride’. As Teaspoon and Rachel shared the first kiss as a married couple, there was an uproar of clapping and cheers around them. Soon the newlyweds were surrounded by a horde of well-wishers. From a discreet position Lou watched the two brothers kiss their mother and hug Teaspoon. Everybody looked happy and bore happy smiles, and Lou knew that she would have to keep pretending. Yet, in these few minutes when nobody was watching her, she could leave her mask off and wallow in self-pity.
Teaspoon eventually managed to escape the melee of guests and stood in front of her, beaming in obvious joy. “Come here, love,” he said, opening his arms, and automatically Lou ran to him. She hugged him tightly, closing her eyes and inhaling the familiar smell of the soap they used at home. She wondered if now her father would smell differently, and maybe be a different person. Was this the last day of their family? Maybe from now on Teaspoon would stop being the father she knew and loved. “You look beautiful, my angel,” he whispered as he pulled away.
Louise did not feel beautiful, but an uncomfortable oaf, but instead of contradicting his words, she pasted a fake smile on her lips. “Thanks,” she replied softly. Rachel approached shyly. Instead of the traditional fluffy white wedding dress, she had chosen an elegant ensemble in cream: a knee-length halter-neck top, whose front was embroidered and embellished with beads. She wore the hair in a becoming French twist, with some natural lilies ensconced in her blonde tresses.
“May I give a hug to the youngest member of my new family?”
Lou felt uncomfortable as she embraced the woman. The hug was brief as the girl pulled back as soon as she could. Louise felt no better than a Judah, a hypocrite, hugging Rachel with in reality if she could have her way, Rachel wouldn’t be in her and her father’s life at all.
“Your dad’s right. You look very pretty.”
Lou kept quiet, unsure how to respond, and smiled her fake smile. Rachel also remained silent deep in thought. She was no fool, and she knew that Lou was not at ease with the wedding. No matter what Teaspoon wanted to believe, Rachel knew better. Lou hadn’t come to terms with the idea that her dear father was in love. Rachel had even suggested once or twice that they should put off the wedding and let Lou have some time to get her head round the idea of their marriage. However, Teaspoon had not concurred and insisted that there was nothing wrong with Lou, so Rachel had eventually dropped the matter. Louise was after all his daughter, and he should know her better. Hopefully, the girl would come around when they started living together as a proper family.
A tap on her shoulder snapped her out of her thoughts. Jimmy appeared next to her holding out his cell phone. “Call from your beloved first-born, mom,” he said sarcastically.
Rachel eagerly snatched the pone from her son’s hand, and sent an apologetic look at her new husband. “I have to take this call.” Teaspoon nodded knowingly, and as her eyes turned to Lou had been a few seconds before, she realized that the girl was gone. Not giving another thought to Lou and their complex situation, she focused her attention to the incoming call. “Honey!!!” Rachel exclaimed as soon as she pressed the phone against her ear.
“Mom, congratulations!”
“Thank you, love. You know, it’s such a shame you can’t be here. The family isn’t complete without you.” Rachel bit her lower lip to stop her emotional tears from showing. Her eldest son was still backpacking through Europe, and she felt a part of her heart was missing today.
“I know, mom, but today is about you and Teaspoon, nobody else.”
“Are you really happy for me?” she asked, still unsure how her eldest felt about her marriage to another man. He was very close to his dad, and Rachel feared he might feel like Louise, and his disapproval would devastate her. That would mean that when he returned to San Francisco, he might stay away from her more and more and his visits would dwindle until he didn’t come anymore.
“Of course I am, mom. When I talked to Teaspoon on the phone the other day, he sounded like a good man. I know my mother is intelligent and wouldn’t lose her head to marry someone who is not good for her.”
Rachel smiled in relief. “So tell me where you are now. Still in France?”
“No, Italy. Rome, to be precise. The county is amazing, mom. Beautiful food, comfortable weather, and the people… Italian people are so warm and kind. I’m even considering moving here for good.”
“No…” Rachel could help but let out in a choked cry.
“Just kidding, mom. Well, maybe wishful thinking, but you know I’ll be back in the States in a few months. My time for playing will be over, and I’ll have to do some serious studying and working.”
“And visit your old mom.”
“That’s my number one on my to-do list. And I’ll be looking forward to meeting Teaspoon.”
“And don’t forget his little girl, Louise.” Rachel was about to say that she was sure he would like Lou as well, but stopped. How could she claim something she wasn’t sure of herself? Louise was still a mystery to her, and despite spending more and more time with Teaspoon and consequently with her, Rachel couldn’t say she knew the girl. Lou was so serious and quiet, and even though Rachel had tried to engage her in conversation every single time they had been tighter, she had not had any luck. Lou was always polite, but didn’t say any more than what was expected from her. Teaspoon kept saying that his daughter was much more cheerful and talkative, but she was just shy around her. Rachel hoped that now they were all going to be a family, the situation would change and Lou would let the ice wall of her façade melt because Rachel really wanted to know her and honestly say she liked her.
“Mom? Mom?”
Rachel got startled as the voice on the phone broke into her thoughts. “Sorry, son. For a second my mind drifted miles away.”
“I gotta go now, or else, I’ll have to sell everything I owe to pay the phone bill. Enjoy today, mom, and we’ll talk soon.”
Rachel smiled. “And I love you too, Kid.” And then she pressed the red button on the phone ending the conversation, hurting for her absent son, but at the same time very happy because today she had married the man she was in love and be happy with for the rest of her life.