Silver Arrow
Copyright© 2012 by Coaster2
Chapter 27: Not Where I Thought I'd Be
The conversation with Katherine deSilva was ... unique. I think she knew exactly why I wanted to talk to her and she decided to make it as difficult for me as possible.
"Uhhm, Mrs. deSilva, ... Katherine ... I wanted to talk to you ... about Rose."
"Yes," she said, expressionless.
"You see, I'm in love with your daughter and I want to marry her." I'd pretty much nervously blurted this out.
"What makes you think you're a suitable husband for my daughter?" Again, with the deadpan delivery.
Now that question I hadn't anticipated.
"Well, I have a good job, a nice place to live, and ... and ... I love Rose."
"Your job is driving a bus, the place you live is at the discretion of Harlan Cummings and I haven't heard you tell me that Rose is in love with you."
This was getting frustrating. I decided to go straight to the heart of the matter.
"Katherine, Rose is in love with me. She has consented to be my wife. She will live with me and my children in the house. I'm asking you for your blessing, not your permission. We are both mature adults and can make these decisions for ourselves."
Kaboom! I really laid it on the line in a rare moment of frustration. For a moment I thought I'd ruined everything, but then I saw just the hint of a smile from Rose's mother.
"That's better, Doug. You've had my blessing all along. No one has reached Rose the way you and your family have. I worried for a long time that she would never find a man who would be good enough for her. She has very demanding standards, as you've probably already discovered. I think she's chosen very well and I wish only that the both of you will be very happy."
I breathed an audible sigh of relief.
"Thank you, Katherine. I will take very good care of Rose, I promise."
The wedding took place in September in Davis at a very nice, modern church. There were about eighty people in attendance. I was happy that my parents had come, but even more pleased that Diane's parents and Christie had made the effort to be there. That was something I didn't expect, but it made the day for me. Christie's wedding present was a balloon payment on her mortgage, far ahead of any projection I had. She was becoming a very successful entrepreneur and would be a wealthy woman some day. My only hope was that she would find the man she was looking for who would complete her life.