Little Tastes of Red Mire

(2) Changing Wade: Marry Me [Bride's Perspective]

Annaleigh

"I'm gonna marry you one day." He promised fervently against my heated skin, his breath a smooth whisper in my ear. My flesh tingled hotly at his words, a familiar sensation overtaking my body. "I promise to give you a wedding you deserve one day, Anna." 

What was I doing and why was I thinking about him again? It was possibly the millionth time I'd asked myself just this morning, but I couldn't quite pinpoint an answer. I wasn't sure if I would ever have an answer. I knew that it was worse the closer to 3 it got, and that with each passing minute the urge to crawl out of my own skin and hide was growing.

"What's up, bud?" The soothing masculine voice was the best thing I'd heard in ages, but seemed to break the wall between fidgety and downright nervous I'd erected between three and five this morning. My carefully arranged, hand picked bouquet slipped from my hands onto the concrete stairs the petals of the fresh English tea roses scattered across the ground. However my immediate concern wasn't the extravagant flowers I'd just crushed almost carelessly, it was the man standing across from me in a freshly pressed suit, running a hand through hair that was starting to sprout more grey with each passing day. Looking at the man who'd raised me, loved me unconditionally, and gave everything to make the three women in his life undeniably happy, I realized I wasn't. And I wasn't sure when my happiness had ended. But I did know one thing for sure, I couldn't do this. I opened my overly made up mouth to tell him what had crossed my mind, but it seemed something was on his mind.

"You know, bud," his voice wavered, "I can't tell you how proud of you I am. You've built your life, become a woman your mother and I are so proud of."

My heart plummeted to my feet. My dad liked Jason, they spent one Friday a month catching up over a few cold ones. Was I going to disappoint my parents if I admitted that I was in way over my head? I couldn't bare the thought. Jason and I had rushed our relationship, likely in the belief that this too had come next in our lives. We had the careers, mine as a semi-successful three times published writer, his as a junior marketing executive. Jason had inherited a home in central Fort Worth that we now shared. For all intents and purposes we were headed in the right direction. But my heart was screaming the opposite.

"It's not too late, bud. We're going to support you either way, so you should know that your mom's waiting in the car. Nothing you do will change how much we love you." I could scarcely speak, the lump in my throat was thick and dry.

The lines around his mouthed crinkled, mimicking the ones around his eyes, a glimmer of humor I hadn't seen in too many days to count.

"Your sister wore her tennis shoes just in case you decided to call it off. I knock a couple of times to give her the signal and she's out in two shakes."

And funnily enough, I had worn mine too.

Two Months Later

"This doesn't feel right," Mama repeated, watching mournfully as I finally packed up my overnight bag and the last box of my belongings. I wanted to laugh at her pitiful routine but didn't have the heart to. I was going to miss her as much as she was going to miss me, even if it was only a matter of a ten-minute drive through town. My new apartment wasn't much, definitely nothing like being home but I desperately needed to start rebuilding my life. I'd been bumming it at my parents' for over six weeks, trying desperately to find the inspiration to write and a new place to live — considering Jason had calmly packed all of my things and sent them to me from Fort Worth. It genuinely concerned me how civil he'd been through this whole thing, but deep down I figured he had been just as unhappy as I had.

"Mama, I have to do this. I can't live at home forever." But even as the words came out of my mouth and my eyes met her, I nearly buckled. It was the same one she had the day I moved out at 19. Tennessee Daniels was by no means an overly sentimental woman, she definitely left that to her twin sister Texas, however when it came to her children, well all bets were off. My determination to leave died down a notch but I knew I couldn't back down. At 25 I definitely needed to have my own place.

"Mama!" Iris's voice echoed down the hall instantly dispelling the somber mood of my departure. I was grateful for this, especially as Mama wandered toward the hall to investigate. For a 17-year-old there was always something going on, especially for princess Iris who ruled the roost as a junior at Red Mire High.

Faint sounds of speaking could be heard through the walls along with excited squeaks, making me wonder what had Iris in a tizzy. Instead of packing now I was curious what the latest drama was among the halls and had begun to slowly creep forward to eavesdrop on their conversation.

"... and officer Montgomery had to arrest him! Right there in class!"

My chest tightened uncomfortably hearing those words. I knew which Montgomery they were talking about. Wade Montgomery was the last person I wanted to see. Hazily I wandered back to my suitcase to snap it closed. It seemed ridiculous to worry about this now, after all, I'd spent almost two months back home and hadn't run into him one time. Why should I start worrying now?