suddenly appeared in the doorway.“Pay for what trip? Is somebody going on a trip?” he asked cheerfully.
Josie jerked upright, her spine stiffened as she heard his voice. She was so wrapped up into the conversation with her mother, they hadn't even heard him arrive home from work earlier than usual. She had hoped she would've finished the discussion with her mother and had time to get back up to her room before he arrived. But it was too late now.
She stood up, turned to her mother and quickly said, “We can finish talking about this later, I'll excuse myself now.”
Josie tried to make her way out of the room but George took a step to block her. She could feel her heart starting to beat a little faster.
“You can't leave yet, I've yet to hear about the trip we're paying for. Is that how I'm welcomed home?” He laughed as he leaned in and gave Josie a kiss on the cheek. She kept her eyes on her mother the entire time. A hint of agitation flashed in her mother's brown eyes.
“Yes, Josie, you must stay so we can tell George about your trip.”
Josie gulped. She hadn't had time to express her wish to her mother that she'd like to keep her marriage to Sam just between them until it was closer to the time she'd have to leave. Her eyes pleaded with her mother to stop, but her mother wasn't looking at her anymore, she was looking at George.
He walked over to her and gave her a kiss on the cheek as well. “Hello, my darling. Yes, do tell me about this trip, please.”
“You might want to sit down for this.”
“Sit down?” He looked at her with eyes full of curiosity.
“We were talking about Josie's wedding trip,” Charlotte told him.
George laughed heartily, as if it was a joke. “Wedding? She's planning out her wedding trip now? Why she's only a schoolgirl. Honestly, there's no need to rush things along, Josie, you'll be all grown-up before you know it.”
Charlotte looked at Josie to see if she would explain and when she didn't respond, she said, “Josie has told me she's made up her mind. She's decided that she is going to marry a rancher named Sam who lives in Texas. They've been corresponding with each other for quite some time and have, apparently, fallen in love, so Josie says.”
“I do love him,” Josie interrupted, “I feel that he we are meant to be together. The trip I'll be taking is to Texas, where I'll marry him. But you needn't have to pay for anything; Sam will take care of the arrangements.”
George looked at Josie as if she had three eyes. His mouth was gaping open and he looked from Josie to her mother and back again. “This isn't a joke? She's serious? Josie, how can you possibly be serious about getting married ?” He spit the word out as if it were a curse.
“I'm eighteen now, it's my right, my choice, and it's one I've given a lot of thought to.”
“But you have the perfect life here, and your mother is here. Texas is very far away you know.”
Not far enough, Josie thought to herself. How dare he tell her that she had the perfect life. She could feel her blood pressure rising as he tried to convince her to stay.
“Do you not know how beautiful you are, Josie? You'll have local men fighting for your hand, why go off to marry someone so far away, to a man you've never met?”
“You wouldn't understand if I tried to explain it to you. I hate being beautiful. It is a curse and I don't want men 'fighting' for my hand who only want me for my looks. Beauty fades...what happens to me when I age and am no longer beautiful, will I still be a great prize? I want someone who wants me for me. The real me. This was the only way for that to happen. I know Sam, I know his soul, I love him without caring a bit what he looks like and he feels the same way about me.”
Josie did not give George a chance to respond. She turned around and left the parlor and went straight to her room without looking back. She locked her door, plopped on her bed. She missed her father terribly at
Josie jerked upright, her spine stiffened as she heard his voice. She was so wrapped up into the conversation with her mother, they hadn't even heard him arrive home from work earlier than usual. She had hoped she would've finished the discussion with her mother and had time to get back up to her room before he arrived. But it was too late now.
She stood up, turned to her mother and quickly said, “We can finish talking about this later, I'll excuse myself now.”
Josie tried to make her way out of the room but George took a step to block her. She could feel her heart starting to beat a little faster.
“You can't leave yet, I've yet to hear about the trip we're paying for. Is that how I'm welcomed home?” He laughed as he leaned in and gave Josie a kiss on the cheek. She kept her eyes on her mother the entire time. A hint of agitation flashed in her mother's brown eyes.
“Yes, Josie, you must stay so we can tell George about your trip.”
Josie gulped. She hadn't had time to express her wish to her mother that she'd like to keep her marriage to Sam just between them until it was closer to the time she'd have to leave. Her eyes pleaded with her mother to stop, but her mother wasn't looking at her anymore, she was looking at George.
He walked over to her and gave her a kiss on the cheek as well. “Hello, my darling. Yes, do tell me about this trip, please.”
“You might want to sit down for this.”
“Sit down?” He looked at her with eyes full of curiosity.
“We were talking about Josie's wedding trip,” Charlotte told him.
George laughed heartily, as if it was a joke. “Wedding? She's planning out her wedding trip now? Why she's only a schoolgirl. Honestly, there's no need to rush things along, Josie, you'll be all grown-up before you know it.”
Charlotte looked at Josie to see if she would explain and when she didn't respond, she said, “Josie has told me she's made up her mind. She's decided that she is going to marry a rancher named Sam who lives in Texas. They've been corresponding with each other for quite some time and have, apparently, fallen in love, so Josie says.”
“I do love him,” Josie interrupted, “I feel that he we are meant to be together. The trip I'll be taking is to Texas, where I'll marry him. But you needn't have to pay for anything; Sam will take care of the arrangements.”
George looked at Josie as if she had three eyes. His mouth was gaping open and he looked from Josie to her mother and back again. “This isn't a joke? She's serious? Josie, how can you possibly be serious about getting married ?” He spit the word out as if it were a curse.
“I'm eighteen now, it's my right, my choice, and it's one I've given a lot of thought to.”
“But you have the perfect life here, and your mother is here. Texas is very far away you know.”
Not far enough, Josie thought to herself. How dare he tell her that she had the perfect life. She could feel her blood pressure rising as he tried to convince her to stay.
“Do you not know how beautiful you are, Josie? You'll have local men fighting for your hand, why go off to marry someone so far away, to a man you've never met?”
“You wouldn't understand if I tried to explain it to you. I hate being beautiful. It is a curse and I don't want men 'fighting' for my hand who only want me for my looks. Beauty fades...what happens to me when I age and am no longer beautiful, will I still be a great prize? I want someone who wants me for me. The real me. This was the only way for that to happen. I know Sam, I know his soul, I love him without caring a bit what he looks like and he feels the same way about me.”
Josie did not give George a chance to respond. She turned around and left the parlor and went straight to her room without looking back. She locked her door, plopped on her bed. She missed her father terribly at
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