Generation 3- Chapter 9: L'arbre cache souvent la forêt

The next  few days I spent completely wrapped up in Lemon Drop. My father reluctantly let him stay with us, despite his semi-awareness that this was the fellow who had broken my heart once when we returned from Chambrie. I can't say I was in love but I when I was around him I was completely consumed by his presence. Everything else seemed to fade away besides his handsome face.

I should've known better than to play with fire...

The day he arrived we spent all afternoon at the pier. Everything that had happened previously between us was completely forgotten. He was here with me now and I was on cloud nine.

 

 We spent hours giggling, snuggling, talking the hopes and dreams talks of new couples and somehow the whole wine, dine and ditch he had done to me and the answering machine message never came up and I never brought it up. 

The evening at the pier ended in much the same way as the one in Chambrie had....I leave it at that.

 Days and then weeks passed in that lusty bliss that new couples have and then it was time for Lemon Drop to return to Chambrie due to his visa expiring. I could not bear the thought of him leaving and he comforted me telling me he would return as soon as possible. My dad was happy to have him leave, he and Lemon Drop never became very friendly towards each other. On what was to be our last day together we decided to return pier we had visited on our first day back together.

 

 "I will miss you so much my Margie. I do not want to return, their is nothing in Chambrie for me without you"  I swear when he said  things like that I just melted like butter. 

Suddenly the thought of him leaving was unbearable, I ran outside to the beach and he followed behind me. I made a rash decision. I was tired of being alone and look what had happened to my dad. My mother had left him alone very early, too early...she had been so young and they were so in love. I wanted a chance at a happy marriage like they had. So I did what seemed like the only thing to do. I proposed.

And he said yes.

"But mon cher, I have to leave today. My visa." he purred coyly.

"Well why wait? Lets go get married today. At city hall." I said nonchalantly. This was so unlike me, but I didn't care. I needed a change in my life and I wanted Lemon Drop to be that change.

When I arrived home I sent Lemon Drop in to make some calls to his family and arrange for his belongings to be shipped here. My father was seated in one of his favorite spots, grinning at me and daring me to join him to a game. I sat down but I guess the serious look on my face must have startled him. 

"I have something to tell you Dad."

"What's that sweetheart?" 

"Lemon Drop is staying here in Sugar Valley with me."

"How is that sweetie? I thought he had to return because his visa expired today..." his voice faded off and he pulled his chair back a little, looking curiously at me.

"We got married Dad."

"Congratulations" his voice was anything but thrilled. He sounded cold and angry which shook me up a bit. I had never heard my Dad talk that way. He was one of the most sweet and soft spoken men I had ever met.

"Dad, could you a least sound a little happy for me?"

"Happy for you?! Happy that you are going back to school now in Briocheport? Happy that you married a man you barely know? Or happy you married a man that broke your heart once already? I don't like him Margarita. I'm not even sure I want him in the house."

I was almost too taken aback to speak but my voice finally caught up with me.

"Are you telling me we aren't welcome to stay?" 

He looked a little defeated at this "Of course you can stay Margarita. And it looks like I don't have much of a choice about the...other one." 

Dad left and went into the house to find Lemon Drop where he basically told him that old stand-by "If you break my daughter's heart, I'll break your neck" sort of thing. Lemon Drop looked rather unphased by the threat.

Things went swimmingly well for another month. I was on cloud nine and Lemon Drop wanted me to stay home and study for my medical examinations that were coming up while he was looking for a job. 

"Don't worry mon cher, I'll take care of you."

All was well and good until I woke up feeling nauseated for the third morning in a row. 

"Uh-oh" I said to no one in particular when the realization came to me that I was late and I was never late. A short trip to the grocery store and a visit to the library bathroom where I had been studying concluded my initial thought. I was pregnant.

I waited patiently that evening for Lemon Drop to return home, he was late and I was anxious. I  couldn't keep my hands off my belly. I was going to be a mom. I didn't think I was close to ready and my brain was starting to wake up from the lust-induced fog I had been in. What about school? Boards? Did I plan to stay here? What about Briocheport? Diana? Draegan....

Oh little belly, what are we going to do?

And where was my husband?