Marriage Matters

Sixty-eight

Thursday night, June received a visit from holiday carolers. The doorbell rang and, since she was expecting Chloe and Kristine, she threw the door open without even checking the peephole. To her surprise, a cheerful-looking group, decked out in antlers and carrying sleigh bells, was clustered together on her stoop.

There was a time, not too long ago, when June would have shooed them away. This year, though, she drew her faux-fox shrug around her shoulders, rested her hand on the doorframe and listened. The woman in the middle was short and plump, with a bright red nose. A soprano, her voice cut right through to June’s heart and filled her with an incredible sense of joy.

When Chloe and Kristine finally arrived, June was still slightly giddy. After all, she’d been serenaded by beautiful music, was just over a week away from her wedding and about to spend the evening with the people who she loved.

Throwing open the door, June held her daughter and her granddaughter tight. They were stomping their feet like horses, freezing in the chilly winter air. It was that time of year where Kristine tried to stay off the roads and took the train in and out of town instead, and June was tempted to make her stay over since Kevin was out of town anyway and it was much too cold for her to take the train back home.

“Come in, come in!” Quickly, June helped them to remove their coats, hats and mittens. “I’m so happy to see you. I have cocoa brewing on the stove and cookies in the oven.” Earlier, she had sent a plate of these away with the carolers.

“Oh, it’s so cold.” Chloe shivered, slipping off her boots. She stomped her feet on the ground. “I think my feet are wet. No wonder.”

Kristine peered at her daughter’s feet. “You need to start putting plastic baggies over your socks like I taught you.”

June tsked. “Like I taught you,” she said, smiling.

Leading them into the kitchen, June poured the cocoa, set out plates and eyed her family in delight. “Well. This will be the last Thursday we will have time to meet, just the three of us, before we’re married. Or . . .” June winked at Kristine. “Renewed.”

“Yay.” Chloe’s voice sounded weak from the cold.

Kristine nodded. “Yup.”

June clasped her hands in delight. “Well, let’s all have a seat,” she said, her voice practically shaking with excitement. “Tonight, I have a very special, very meaningful activity for all of us.”

Chloe gave her a suspicious look. “Why are you all amped up? What, exactly, will we be doing?”

“We . . .” June beamed. “Are going to write our wedding vows!”