~December 31, 1905. One year later: Wedding~
Bailey chose my dress for me. Winnie was the maid of honor. Bailey, Katherine, Lucy, Harriet, and Albert were the bridesmaids. I thought Albert was joking, but he wore a suit matching the dresses of the bridesmaids. Crutchie had to choose between the boys for the groomsmen. Jack was obviously chosen as the best man.
All the bridesmaids were in their places at the front of the church and I was waiting for my cue from the pianist. There it was. The second note of the iconic wedding song. That was when I was supposed to walk down the aisle. So I did. I saw Jack hand Crutchie a white handkerchief. My soon-to-be husband bat his eyes with it. Claire and William are tailors. They set the boys up with rental suits for today. Crutchie watched as I walked towards him. Medda, Claire, and Winnie's mother, Carrietta ordered me to not walk too fast.
When I got there, Crutchie looked me over. If this was a cartoon, there would be big red hearts in his eyes. The priest began his speech. We told him to conclude at exactly midnight.
"Charles, do you take Emilia to be your lawfully wedded wife?" The priest nodded.
"I do." Crutchie nodded quickly.
"And Emilia, do you take Charles to be your lawfully wedded husband?" He asked me.
"I do." I responded, a grin on my face.
"Okay, by the power invested in me, I pronounce you husband and wife." He smiled. "You may kiss the bride... In about twenty seconds."
Is it always twenty seconds?
"Go!" The priest said quickly. Crutchie and I kissed, the entire church shouting cheers.
~Two years later, April of 1907.~
I'm now 23. Charlie is 24. He told Jack and I that he didn't want to be Crutchie anymore. He didn't want to be known for his crutch. I had been feeling rather sick lately. I had just come back to Wallop to talk to my husband.
Lucy was behind the counter watching her niece, Gabrielle, as she looked at all the books. Winnie had Gabrielle just months after our wedding.
"Hey, Emilia!" She smiled, then her face fell. "What's wrong?"
"Nothing." I shook my head. "I just have to talk to Charlie."
"Okay, got it." She nodded, eyes turned back to Gabrielle. Then I went up the hidden stairs and found Charlie making a cup of coffee.
"Can I talk to you?" I asked, voice shaking. He looked up worriedly.
"Of course!" He nodded, scooting two chairs out and sitting in one of them. I sat in the other. "What's wrong?"
"Nothing, nothing at all." I told him, cracking a small smile. His eyes scanned my face. "Don't freak out."
"Why would I freak out?" He cocked his head. "Unless...?"
"Unless." I nodded, beaming.
"Really?" He jumped up, almost forgetting that he couldn't walk without a crutch. I leapt up and steadied him. "Are you really...?"
"Yes." I nodded. He enveloped me into a tight hug.
I was pregnant.
~Another two years later, 1909~
They were born on December 31 just before midnight. They being the twins. It shocked us too. The coincidences. It was a boy and a girl. Ella and Elliot were born fifteen minutes apart. They both have mousy brown hair, a mix of ours. And they both have the same cluster of birth marks across their noses. Ella likes to draw and Elliot likes to write.
~Fifteen years later, final stop.~
1924. The twins are sixteen years old. Ella had a lot of suitors, while Elliot chased them off.
The end.