Chapter 22

Her parents were ready when we arrived and welcomed us joyfully. Karen charged out of the car grabbing both of her parents in a bear hug. Missus Mason untangled herself from her daughter and came over to me and gave me a hug and kissed my cheek. “Hello, Brad. Thanks for bringing Karen and yourself to see us. She said something about a ring?”

“She’ll show you when she calms down.”

“She will but she’s so much happier now with you solidly in the picture.”

“I’m very happy to be in the picture.”

She gave me another hug and pulled me into the house. Once in the kitchen with its bright lights, Karen showed off her ring. She stood with me facing her happy parents. We each had an arm around each other. They were facing us with Mister Mason’s arm around his wife. The three of us were happy but Karen was constantly quivering with her excited joy. She was so excited that she wasn’t coherent. Finally, I held her and said, “Love, calm down. We’ll be here all weekend. And this isn’t the last trip we will make here.”

She started to say something twice and stopped each time. She pulled the arm I had around her tightly to her and put her head on my shoulder. “Lover, I’m so happy. My life is so good.” We chuckled together. She led me into the living room and sat me down in a big easy chair. She got into my lap curling up comfortably with my arm around her. She laughed happily. “Okay, I’ll hold still. I’m in my second favorite place.”

Her dad looked puzzled. “What’s your favorite place then?” I almost stopped him from asking. I suspected it was a trick question. It was.

She grinned. “Lying in bed in his arms, of course.”

Her father and I blushed. Her mother grinned. “I always said that Karen would have no shame before us with the right guy. Don, they are truly in love.”

“Helen, that’s on the edge of too much information.”

“It confirms my decision. Karen, when you get your stuff, put it all in your room.” Karen’s mouth dropped open and she jumped her mother. It’s good she was sitting down. Karen moved into her lap hugging her tightly. Her father was beside his wife on the sofa.

Karen looked at him and said, “Will that be all right with you, Dad? I sleep so much better with Brad beside me. I haven’t had one nightmare with him beside me.” She looked at me. “Brad, I would have nightmares at the dorm and, before leaving for college, I would have them here. I would crawl into bed with Mom and Dad or one of them would get in with me to calm me. I can’t tell you how many nights I cried myself to sleep in that dorm room.”

“The nightmares stopped that Thursday and I sleep happily with your arms around me.” She came back to my lap. “Mom, Dad, one thing I haven’t told you in my emails happened a week ago.” She told them all of the story of Patty and John. “I only broke down once when Brad rescued me. He is my rock. His love has finished my healing.”

Both of her parents were in tears. Missus Mason said, “Thank you, Lord. Karen, we’re so happy for you. You were our dream daughter and now you’re turning into a fine, young woman.”

Mister Mason said, “Brad, you have completed our joy in our daughter. Looking at your face tells me that she completes your joy, too.”

Karen kissed me hard and held me making that purring sound that told me, as it always does, that she is very happy. We stayed that way with her parents watching with happy smiles on their faces.

Finally, Missus Mason exclaimed, “Supper! It’s done. We need to eat before it’s ruined! Karen, would you help me?”

“Of course, Mom!” She bounced off my lap. She and her mother scurried into the kitchen.

Mister Mason said, “Brad, did you two have any plans for this weekend?”

‘“Sir, we are here to see you two and spend time with you. I know that Karen wants to nail down a date before we leave. We plan on church Sunday. Our loose target is to get back to the dorms by suppertime to eat with Melissa and Paul.

“In Karen’s email, she told you that Melissa is now her roommate. The ‘why’ is that Patty was Melissa’s roommate and Melissa didn’t want to stay in that room even with Patty gone. Paul is my roommate and has been since I started last year. Melissa and he are getting married, too. Unless someone objects, we are planning a double wedding. They are Methodists, too.”

He said, “Would Melissa want a wedding at her home church?”

“No sir. She started going last year thanks to a former roommate. She isn’t a member yet though will become a Methodist either at the church at school or at Paul’s home church very soon. She had some rough times growing up though nothing like Karen’s. Her mother is still not a churchgoer though her younger brother is. Paul says that he is a good guy and he had started going to a Presbyterian church on his own while Melissa was off to school. Melissa’s mom is not abusive but is neglectful, if that makes sense. Melissa and Paul have said that she will attend the wedding sober or not at all. Melissa’s not happy with her mother’s lifestyle. There has been some ‘tension’ between them.”

Mister Mason chuckled. “Somehow, I believe that might be an understatement.” He chuckled some more.

Karen came in then and said, “Dinner is served.”

The delay in eating had harmed nothing. After the prayer, we dug in. Dinner was a simple but very, very good stew with some sudden different flavors in it. Missus Mason had garlic bread with it. I said, “This is excellent! Love, make sure you bring this recipe to our marriage.” I grinned broadly. “We can’t live on love alone!”

Karen looked at me and said, “We could try!” She gave me an impish smile. She leaned toward me and we rubbed our noses together and kissed lightly.

Missus Mason said, “Brad, in church you will be a big disappointment. There were a number of guys who have asked about Karen while she has been gone. For her to return with a fiancé will disappoint them and their mothers.” She grinned.

Mister Mason said, “The girls will be disappointed to realize that Karen has ensnared you and they won’t get a chance.”

“I am wonderfully trapped.” We all laughed. Our meal passed happily with the warm food and the warm feelings that we all had toward my lovely lady. We had brownies for desert and Karen had run the coffee maker. She, her dad, and I had coffee. Missus Mason had water with her brownie. The three of us killed the pot.

Missus Mason said, “Don’t forget to prepare for in the morning.”

Karen said, “That won’t be a problem. We beat the alarm every morning. Brad and Melissa have to make the early run to switch rooms, clean up, and then we meet for breakfast.”

She looked at her parents and said, “We wake up together every time. We always wake happy and well-rested.”

She chuckled. “I have to tell you about Sunday morning. Missus Gillis approves of us and they have a big house. There are two guest bedrooms. One is beside Brad’s room with a bath in between. The other is beside Suzie’s room with a bath in between. To Brad’s surprise, his mom put me in the one close to Brad thinking we would be together Saturday night. We woke early and had made coffee. We were sitting in the kitchen when she came in. She said something suggestive and Brad said that Suzie slept with him when she got home wanting to talk him about Matt, her guy. He didn’t mention that I slept on his other side all night.

“Missus Gillis then said something about us being together. I talked about how Brad and I enjoyed being together last night and dancing together for the first time. She hinted around at it again. I told her about how my room in her home was so much closer to Brad’s than at college. We had her going!

“She was dizzy with our nebulous words to answer her questions.”

Missus Mason laughed. “I know you will be together and in the same room.” She looked at me and added, “Unless Karen makes you sleep on the floor!”

Karen said, “Not a chance!”

Missus Mason grinned, “Karen, it is a pretty small bed.”