Apple at 17
“I now pronounce you husband and wife.” The justice of the peace pushed the license closer to the young couple standing on the opposite side of the worn mahogany desk. Put your John Henry on the dotted line and we’re done, Mr. and Mrs. Cates.”
“We’re married?” Apple asked as she gazed at the man she loved with absolute awe in her voice.
“The knot is tied,” the older man announced tiredly. “Be sure and give the receptionist my fee.”
“Thank you, we will!” Apple grasped Alan by the arm. “I’m so happy I could cry.”
“I know the feeling,” Alan muttered under his breath.
“Pipe down.” His father popped him on the back of the head with his hat and handed him a folded twenty-dollar bill to pay for the short civil ceremony. “Remember what she did for you.”
Apple seemed oblivious to her groom’s less than enthusiastic attitude. She was busy hugging her mother and her new mother-in-law, accepting their congratulations, and assuring them their marriage would be a long and happy one. “I can’t wait to set up housekeeping. I’ll cook dinner for y’all. We’ll have a party!”
“You’d better move along, Sissy.” The bride’s father encouraged her to join the young man she’d just wed as he walked out the door of the courthouse toward his souped-up blue pickup.
“Oh, I’m ready to go. I can’t wait to start our new life.” Clutching the small bouquet of carnations she’d purchased at the neighborhood grocery store, Apple hurried down the steep staircase to the street. “We’ll call you tomorrow. Thank you for everything! We love you!”
“Oh, come on, Apple. Enough is enough.” Alan settled behind the wheel and waited impatiently while his new wife opened the passenger door and crawled up into the cab to join him. “I’ve got stuff to do.”
“I know.” Apple let out a long, contented sigh. “I made a cake for us.” She reached over to rub his arm. “And then we have our wedding night to look forward to.”
“At least there’s that,” he mumbled, gazing into the rearview mirror as he was about to pull out into the street.
“I’m sure it would be more exciting if we’d never made love before, but…” She leaned over to kiss Alan’s cheek. “We couldn’t wait. I couldn’t resist you.” Her new husband didn’t comment, he reached over and took her hand, giving it a slight squeeze.
Apple entwined her fingers with his, turning her head to gaze out at the window. “We’re going to have a good life. The little house your parents rented for us is just perfect. You have your job with your dad and we have our baby on the way.” She turned his hand over to rest on her abdomen. “I’ve dreamed of our future. I have it all mapped out. Everything is going to be perfect.”
“You aren’t the only one with dreams, Apple.”
“I know. You want to see the world. Travel. Write the great American novel. Have adventures.” She looked at him with pleading eyes. “We can have adventures together.”
Alan’s jaw tightened and he exhaled slowly. “Yea, sure. Except you’re pregnant and I have to support our family.”
“I have complete faith in you. You’re so smart.” In her mind, Alan was a genius. Unlike her, learning came easy to him. She didn’t even know how many languages he could speak.
“Yea, but I planned to go to college. I can’t see that happening now.” He tried to keep his voice even, but the panic rising in him was hard to contain.
“I know, but there’s time. We have our whole lives to look forward to. You’re healthy now and that’s all that matters.”
“Thanks to you.”
Apple didn’t try to evaluate the clipped timbre of his words. Alan had been through so much. He’d lived his life under the cloud of an uncertain future. “I’m so grateful I could help you by giving you a kidney. Finding out we were a perfect match in every way just seemed like fate.” She raised his hand to her lips and kissed it. “I love you so much. I love you more than anything in the world.”
Even though Alan was driving, he closed his eyes for a few seconds, trying to block out the turmoil he was feeling. Conflicting emotions roiled in his chest. Gratitude. Resentment. The heavy burden of responsibility. The suffocating feeling of being trapped in a situation he had no control over. “I love you too.” Or at least he used to think he did.
“Don’t worry. Everything is going to be fine. We’re going to be happy. You’ll see.” Apple turned her head to look out the window again. The rose-colored glasses she wore made the world seem like a wonderful place.