Page 33 of Surrender

“You don’t have anything to say, Ma?” I asked.

She sighed. “When you first told us you were getting married, I wanted to be happy for you, Jacob. I’ve dreamed of you getting married and making me a grandmother for years. Then you told us you were marrying a stranger, and that just didn’t sit right with me. You’re my son… my baby boy. The thought of somebody hurting you when I know how pure your heart is hurts me. I just… I feel like you rushed into this. I wished you’d taken the time to get to know this woman before you married her. You’re acting like our concerns aren’t valid as your parents.”

I shook my head. “You have the right to be concerned. You made valid points, and I can’t fault you for that. But I am a grown man. I don’t do anything without exhausting all possible outcomes. You and Dad taught us that. If the risks had outweighed the gains, I would have washed my hands with it. I prayed every day for months on end for God to bless me with my perfect match, and when He did, I prayed every day that He would bless our union.”

I leaned forward on my elbows and looked her dead in the eyes so she could feel me.

“I’m over the issue of you two not agreeing with this marriage. My problem was the way you acted at my wedding. You were both rude, not only to me, but to my wife. Jessa was the first person to come up there and make her feel welcomed into our family. Jessa… who barely likes people, gave her a chance. That’s all I’m asking you for. Get to know her. Share family traditions with her. Teach her secret family recipes. Make her feel like she belongs because as long as she’s with me, she’s where she belongs.”

I stood from the table and smoothed my hands over my shirt.

“You don’t have to like it, but you can at least respect it. Now, if you will excuse me, I’d like to get back to my wife.”

I looked at my sister, and she stood as well. Just to prove that I wasn’t bitter, I pulled my mother into a hug and kissed her cheeks.

“I love you, Ma. You and Pops raised me to be a good and solid man. You have to trust that I know what I’m doing.”

She nodded slowly. “I’ll try.”

I prayed that she would try. Maybe if she got on board, she could persuade my father to as well.

I’d been sitting outside my parents’ house for about fifteen minutes, trying to convince myself to go inside. While I wanted to get this over with, I wasn’t sure if today was a good day. Maybe I needed to wait a little while. Just as I cranked up and went to back out, the front door flew open, and my father stormed out with his gun in hand. It was then I realized that I wasn’t in my car, and he probably thought something suspicious was going on.

Throwing Jacob’s car in park, I opened the door and stuck my head out.

“Daddy, it’s me!” I yelled.

“Kachelle? I almost took your head off.”

He tucked his gun away as I shut off the car and climbed out.

“Why would you come out here with a gun?” I asked.

“Why would you sit outside this house in a strange car and not announce yourself?”

“It’s Jacob’s car. His sister met us at the airport, and they went to their parents’ house.”

“Hmmm. Why didn’t he take you with him?”

“The same reason I didn’t bring him with me. We need to talk. Where’s Ma?”

“She’s in there.”

He led the way into the house, and I was a little sad that he didn’t greet me with hugs and kisses like he normally did. With slumped shoulders, I trailed behind him into my childhood home. Inside, I found my mother in her favorite rocking chair knitting.

“It’s just Kay,” my father said, tucking his gun back in the hall closet where he usually kept it.

“Hey, Mama.”

“Kachelle.”

She didn’t move to greet me like she normally did either. I sighed as I took a seat on the couch, and my father took a seat in his recliner.

“Your daughter wants to talk,” he said, looking over at my mom.

She stopped rocking and placed her knitting in her hand.

“What do you want to talk about Kachelle?”