PART 7

 

“Don’t worry,” Andrew told William as he checked her pulse. “She’s just asleep.”

 

“She’s going to be fine,” Colleen continued. “Weak, but fine.”

 

“She’ll need time to recover,” Andrew finished. 

 

William breathed a sign of relief. “Thank you, Lord.”

 

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

 

A week later, although still a little weak, Rebecca was able to get out of bed and join everyone for supper at the table.

 

“It’s good to have you up and around again,” Jo said to Rebecca from the head of the table.

 

“It’s good to be up and around again, Jo,” she told her as she passed a plate of mashed potatoes over to her fiancée, who was sitting beside her.

 

“So, when are we getting married?” William asked her, a twinkle in his eye.

 

“Tomorrow,” she answered.

 

“Tomorrow?” her mother asked her.

 

“Yes, everyone is here.  I want to get married tomorrow.”

 

“Tomorrow, it is, honey,” William had a satisfied smile on his face.

 

“Wonderful,” Michaela said.  “Oh, Rebecca, I’m so happy for you.”

 

Young Rob was sitting in between his mother and nick. “Mother?” he asked Jo.

 

“Yes, Rob?”

 

“When are you and Nick going to get married?”  Everybody eyes Jo and Nick, eagerly awaiting an answer.

 

“Soon,” Nick answered him.

 

“Nick asked me to marry him a week ago,” she looked at her son, “and I said yes.”

 

“Really?” Rob asked her, a huge smile forming on his small face.

 

“What, you couldn’t hear Nick when I said yes?  I figured the entire state could hear him yell,” she teased Nick.

 

“I got a little carried away,” Nick said, slightly embarrassed, as everyone laughed.

 

“Nick, may I call you Pa?”

 

A smile spread across Nick’s face, “I’d be honored if you would, Rob.  As long as your mother doesn’t mind.”  He looked at Jo.

 

Jo raised her eyebrows.  She hesitated a little, mind wandering toward Fritz; but then realized that Robby needed a father.  “Yes, of course you may, Rob.” She told him.  She knew that Fritz wouldn’t mind.

 

“You two never really answered the original question, Aunt Jo,” Franz pointed out.  “When are you going to get married?”

 

“Well, we haven’t really decided yet.”

 

“Tomorrow, Jo,” Rebecca said.

 

“Tomorrow?” she looked surprised.

 

“Yes, I love the idea of a double wedding, don’t you, William?”

 

“Fine with me, but only if that’s what Nick and Jo want.”

 

“Well, what do you think, Jo?” Nick cautiously asked her.

 

“Well,” all eyes were on Jo. Jo knew what she wanted. “I think that I love the idea; however, I have nothing to wear.”

 

“Oh, that’s no problem, Jo.  If we ladies work together in the morning, we’ll be able to come up with something,” Becky said.  The other ladies agreed.

 

“Wonderful,” Jo replied, as she glanced over at the huge smile adorning Nick’s handsome face.

 

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

 

The next morning was a very busy morning.  The wedding was planned for later that afternoon.  For their honeymoons, William and Rebecca were going to go home to William’s house and Jo and Nick were going to spend the night alone out at Rebecca’s place.

 

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

 

“Where’s the lace, Aunt Rebecca?” Colleen asked her.  All of the ladies were at Rebecca’s shop trying to get together a dress for Jo to wear that afternoon.

 

“Boy, am I glad I already have my dress done,” Rebecca told her sister from the chair on the other side of the room.  Still weak, she was told to stay seated; however she still managed to give orders on how to do things.  “The lace is in the second drawer, Colleen.” She pointed to the cabinet that held a lot of her sewing items.

 

“Yeah, it’s a good thing your dress is done,” Michaela said.  She heard Amanda start crying in the other room.

 

“Mama, Manda’s crying,” Katie told her mother. 

 

“I know, Katie, but Mama can’t get to her right now.” Michaela told her daughter.  Just then they heard another cry coming from the same room.

 

“Oh, no.  She must have woke Kaytlin up,” Becky said, as she tried to hold the fabric for the skirt into place.

 

 “Bess, Nan, Mother, Somebody, could you check on the babies?” Michaela asked, desperately.

 

“Nan and I will go check on them,” Bess told her.

 

“We will?” Nan asked.  Bess gave Nan a scary look.  “Oh, yeah, we’ll go check on them.” Nan smiled as she and Bess went into the other room.

 

“They’ll make good mothers someday,” Becky said.

 

“Sure, they will.  They just don’t know it yet.” Meg, Jo’s oldest sister said.

 

“Nan? A mother?” Amy, Jo’s other sister, said astonished.  “Bess would make a nice mother; but Nan?”

 

“Sure, Amy.  I think she could be.” Jo said.  Jo was standing in front of the mirror modeling what pieces of her dress were done.  The rest of the ladies were sewing together the fabric, or sewing on sequins and lace.

 

“Hey, we’ll get this dress done before you know it, Jo,” Rebecca told Jo, who was standing in an only half-done wedding dress.

 

Just then, they all heard Nan’s voice coming from the other room. “EWWWW,” she yelled. 

 

“One of them must be in need of a change,” Rebecca said, as everyone laughed.

 

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

 

“What do you think the women are doing right now?” William asked.

 

“Probably worrying themselves silly over a dress,” Nick answered.  The men and boys were out at Walden’s Pond.  The soon-to-be grooms were sitting on the ground watching the rest of the guys throwing a ball around with Robby.

 

“It’s nice and quiet and calm and peaceful here today.” Nick looked over at William.  “I can tell you one thing, though.  I hate to be at that seamstress shop right now.  Needles and thread and everything else you can imagine are probably flying all over the place.”  He sat up to watch the other.  “Yep, I’d much rather be here relaxing and doing absolutely nothing.”

 

“I know what you mean.  I definitely much rather be here right now.” William agreed.

 

“Hey, you two,” Matthew yelled over to them.  “Come on, join us!”

 

William and Nick got up and went over to join the group in a game of keep-away.