DISCLAIMER: Catherine Marshall’s beautiful story of “Christy” is owned by the LeSourd family. I am in no way attempting to receive credit for or profit from either the characters from the novel or those of the television series based upon the novel. Any additions in story were created by the author for the purpose of personal amusement only. Title: The Wedding By Rebecca L. Odle Finally school was out for the day and at last Christy had time to sit down and think with out being disturbed. Lately, it seemed, she never had a moment to herself. With wedding preparations and all, what free time she used to have was now spent working on wedding details. But now at last she had time to rest and think. Her thoughts were pulled back in time to the day she arrived,…her first day of teaching,… hearing Mountie first speak,…and finally, to last December, just a little over a month ago. That was when, on Christmas Eve, Neil had proposed to her on the front porch in the cold night air. How happy she had been,…and still was! Now, here it was, Wednesday, February 12th, just one more day until her very own wedding on February 14th, Valentine's day! "Well," a familiar deep voice said, startling Christy from her thoughts, "sitting there doesn't get those papers graded!" It was Neil. Christy looked up and smiled at the handsome face with rugged features she'd grown so fond of and loved. "I was just daydreaming," she said. Looking out at the bleak February sky, the young doctor replied "That's just about the only thing a day like today is good for." Christy nodded and said "Well, I had better get over to the mission. There is still much to be done before Friday." "I thought you women would be long done with that by now!" Neil teased. "Are you serious?" Christy asked, while gathering up a few books and papers from her desk. "We have to finish cleaning the mission tonight because all my family is arriving tomorrow afternoon. The school has to be swept and dusted tomorrow after school. Alice wants to do a last minute check tonight to make certain every thing is ready. Tables for the meal after the wedding will have to be set on Friday. And you think everything is ready?! I don't think we will get it all done in time!" Neil chuckled at Christy's frustrated expression and said, "Don't worry, my dear, don't worry. You'll get it done in time. You can do whatever you set your mind to, believe me, I know!" As they stepped out to the schoolyard, Christy snuggled closer to Neil causing him in return to tighten his grip around her shoulders. "It's so beautiful here," Christy whispered softly while gazing up at the majestic fog-covered mountains. " They never cease to amaze me." Looking down upon her lovely face Neil replied, "Ahh, but their beauty could not hold a candle to you, my love!" Laughing as she hurried up the mission steps ahead of Neil, Christy exclaimed, "It's so chilly out! I certainly hope it's warmer and sunnier on Friday! What if it snows, or worse yet, what if it rains? What will we do?" Laughing again, he replied "Christy, come rain or shine or if the sky falls in Friday, we are getting married, that is, if you still want too." "Nothing in the world could keep me from being at the church Friday!" As they entered the mission house, they were greeted by an unhappy Ms. Ida. "Good! I'm glad to see you decided to join us in making sure every thing was ready for your wedding!" Ida's sarcasm was directed at Christy. "I'm sorry," Christy apologized. "I guess I lost track of how late it was. I hope you haven't started without me." "No, I was just coming to fetch you," Ida replied. "If you're ready, we can start now." "Yes, I'm ready, just let me put my books upstairs," Christy answered. "Well, I still have a couple more calls to make so if you women will excuse me, I'll be on my way," Neil said. Bending down, he gently kissed Christy on the forehead and whispered, "Good bye, my love! I'll see you tomorrow!" Christy whispered a good bye and Neil left. Christy ran upstairs, left her books on her bed, and went in to the parlor. Upon finding only Ms. Alice and Ms. Ida, Christy asked where Ruby Mae was. Alice replied, "Didn't she tell you? She went to walk home with Bessie Coburn so they could talk, since Bessie wasn't allowed to come over today." BANG! The front door slammed shut and a red headed girl was standing by the doorway. It was Ruby Mae. "Ye ain't started without me have ye?" asked Ruby Mae worriedly. "No, Ruby Mae we haven't, but you had better get in here!" Christy said laughing. Ruby Mae ran in and sat down on the sofa by Christy. " Tomorrow thy family is to arrive in El Pano, right?" Alice asked Christy. "About how many people does thou expect?" "About fourteen or fifteen, I believe," Christy answered. " Most everyone in the Cove is planning on being here Friday. I doubt if the church will hold everyone. I would say some people will have to stand or sit outside. Let's hope the weather is nice," Alice stated, smiling. And so the evening continued… After dinner was over and the dishes were washed, dried and put away, Christy at last had time to go up to her room and write in her diary. Wed. Feb. 12th 1913 "Dear diary, Today was my last day teaching as Miss Christy Huddleston. David will be teaching tomorrow so I can be here and ready to welcome Mother and Daddy and the others when they arrive. I wonder if I am doing the right thing, marrying Neil and all. It's not that I don't love him, because I do love him, more than words could say. But it's not even been a year since Margaret died of typhoid in Atlanta where she was living at the time. I remember how devastated Alice and Neil had been upon hearing the news of her death. Is it right to marry Neil so soon? Another reason I wonder if I am doing the right thing is because of David. I have hurt him terribly. He's hardly said a word to me since he found out Neil proposed to me and I said yes. By marrying Neil, I am hurting David. What am I to do? I love Neil. It is late and tomorrow will be busy so I will close." Christy awoke early the next morning, before the sun was even up. She lay in bed thinking of the questions that had troubled her the night before and also of all the people here in the Cove that she had grown to love. How different her life was here compared to what her life in Asheville had been. After a quick breakfast and a check through the house to assure them that all was in its place, Christy and Alice set to the task of baking for the meal tomorrow after the wedding. Pies, cakes, cookies, breads, vegetables, and meats were prepared or ready for the oven. At around noon, Christy's family arrived and so the day was filled with happy greetings, laughter and even a few joyous tears. It was late when Christy wearily but happily made up to her room. It had been such a wonderful day, having her parents here, most of her aunts and uncles, a couple of her cousins, her grandparents, and her best-friend, Emma Campbell. Christy hadn't seen Emma since she came to Cutter Gap and it had been such a happy reunion for both friends. Wanting to keep the joy of today forever, despite her tiredness, she opened her diary to write: Thurs. Feb. 13th 1913 " Dear diary, All the family arrived today and I was so happy to see them! Emma arrived today also! We were so happy to see each other that we cried! I love my family and Neil so much! I was worried that my family might not except Neil as part of the family! When I saw that everyone seemed to immediately like Neil and was welcoming him to the family, I was elated! Words cannot express my joy! But joy isn't the only thing I feel right now; I also feel fear and doubt. Tonight is my last night as Miss Christy Huddleston. This time tomorrow I will be Mrs. Neil MacNeill. I don't regret my choice to marry Neil and I know I love him, oh how I love him! I'm just not sure I did the right thing by saying "yes". What if…no!, no 'what ifs'! I don't want any more doubts in my head about whether marrying Neil was right or wrong. I have enough already. As I already said, I love Neil and don't regret my choice. It has been a long tiresome day and tomorrow I become Mrs. Neil MacNeill, so I will say good night!" Friday morning, February 14th, dawned bright and warm, much to Christy's relief. Everyone was up early and getting ready. Tables were set up outside where food was to be put for the meal after the ceremony. Children ran about outside, giggling in excitement. Their laughter drifted up to Christy's open bedroom window where Christy was finishing getting ready, with the help of her mother. Fairlight, Ruby Mae, and Emma, all three of whom were to be in the wedding, had just gone downstairs to head over to the church, leaving Christy and her mother alone. "There!" said Mrs. Huddleston, buttoning the last pearl button on Christy's dress, which had once been her own. "That's the last one! Now stand back and let me look at my baby. You're all grown up," said Christy's mother sadly. "Mother, you've not said much about my marrying Neil. I would like to know what you think about it," said Christy to her mother. "Christy, you know I had hoped that you'd be home by now, NOT getting married. I guess I knew in my heart when you left, you'd never come back to being my little girl again, you'd never truly come home. But I will tell you this, Neil is a very lucky man. And I love you!" Christy hugged her mother saying, "I love you too, Mother, I love you too!" As Christy and her mother came down the stairs to head to the church, they were met by Christy's father. Before taking her arm, he said to her, "My girlie's all grown up but how I love her, and my girlie she'll always be!" As Christy walked down the aisle of the church, she saw the faces of the people she loved most, both from Asheville and from Cutter Gap: her friends, her family, her students. Yet all these seemed to melt together as she looked at the face, Neil's face, at the end of the aisle. A face so filled with love and hope. And as he smiled at her, every fear, every doubt she had ever had, no longer seemed to exist. And she smiled back. This was the best Valentine's gift she could ever receive, true love. THE END