Anna's Visions (11 page)

Wes stood, walked over to her, tilted her chin up and
looked into her eyes. “Tori Ann Hicks, will you marry me?”

Tori jumped up, threw her arms around his neck, and
cried, “Of course I will! I just didn’t want to straddle you with a baby–”

Wes placed his finger to her lips. “First you’ve got
to stop acting like a baby yourself. I don’t need two.” He looked into her eyes
and asked, “Do you think you can learn to be a mother instead of a spoiled
little kid.”

Tori nodded and whispered, “I’m not excited about all
this, but what’s done is done – and I think we’ll make great parents. I love
you.”

As Wes held her and kissed her tenderly, Grammy wiped
her eyes with her apron and said, “Okay, now that’s settled, next weekend,
you’ll go across the border into Illinois, and get married where you don’t need
parental consent if you’re sixteen or older. All you’ve got to do is get a
blood test, take the results to the courthouse, apply for a marriage license,
and then go down the hall to see the Justice of the Peace. That’s it!”

Poppy smiled. “One more thing, kids. You’ll have to
keep mum about it until it’s done. We don’t need Ed and Mona or Wesley’s
parents on the warpath!”

“I don’t think that will be a problem,” Tori said,
looking at Wes, who nodded in agreement.

Jill wiped her nose on her shirttail and blew a hard
breath as if her lungs were about to explode.

Tori hugged Jill. “You can breathe now. It’s all
settled. Thanks for being here with me.”

Jill patted Tori’s hand. “Like where else would I be
when my best friend is in a dilemma?”

Grammy reached across the table for Tori’s other hand,
“Next weekend and wham-bam it’ll be done.” She banged her hand on the table as
if it were a gavel.

“Verdict rendered,” Tori mumbled, and she wanted to
say,
Wham-bam and I didn’t even get a thank you ma’am.

“If that’s all, may we go now?” Wes asked. “We’ve got
a lot to talk about, and all this is going to change a lot for me.”

Grammy replied, “That’s all we have to say, except
that we’re here for you and we’ll do whatever we can to help.”

Poppy stood and extended his hand. “Wes, I know you
well enough to know you’d do the right thing. I know it’s been a shock and that
it’s going to take some adjustment, but you’re going to do just fine.”

Poppy walked to Tori’s side and put his arm around her
shoulder. “Sorry I yelled at you, but you need to be taken down a notch or two
sometimes. I’ve got the red hair and the temper, too, but it got me into a lot
of trouble when I was young.” He kissed her on the forehead. “Life is easier
when you get your temper under control.”

“You can say that again,” Grammy said with a laugh.
“It took years to break him, but I did.” She laughed again. “It was like
breaking a bucking bronco!”

They all laughed, and then said their goodbyes, but
there was still very little talk in the car on the way home.

Wes pulled into the Hicks’ driveway and gave Tori a
peck on the lips. “I’ll call you later.”

“Okay,” she said, hardly recognizing her own voice.

As they watched Wes drive away, Tori hugged Jill.
“I’ll go upstairs and pack. Can you drive me back to Grammy’s?”

“You know I will,” Jill said, hugging tighter.

“I’ll call you later.” Tori turned to go inside the
house. “I just want to be alone for a while.”

“I understand.” Jill smiled. “I’m just a phone call
away. See you later, alligator.”

“After while, crocodile,” Tori replied.

When Tori walked into the kitchen, it was the first
time she could remember being glad that both her parents were at work when she
came home.

She went upstairs and packed her suitcase, wondering
how it would all end. She lugged her bag downstairs, then left a note on the kitchen
table telling her parents she’d be spending the next week with Grammy and
Poppy. They wouldn’t think twice about it.

She picked up the phone by the back door and dialed
Jill to tell her she was ready. Then she sat on the top step of the porch and waited.
A few minutes later, Jill tooted the horn of her red Pinto, and Tori walked out
to the curb, looking around as if she’d never see home again – and in a way, it
was true.

She climbed into the car and said, “Okay, let’s do
this thing.”

* * * *

Every day for the next week Tori was so sick she could
barely get out of bed. Grammy brewed her special herb tea and forced Tori to
drink it.
Tori was
grateful she was at Grammy and
Poppy’s, so Momma and Daddy couldn’t see her in such a condition. They wouldn’t
worry – or get suspicious either.

By the following Saturday, Tori’s stomach had settled
down. She ate a few bites throughout the day and by afternoon she was feeling
stronger. “Today is the day,” she wearily said as she dressed in a baby blue
two-piece suit, slipped on the white pumps, and piled her hair on top of her
head with a half dozen hair pins.

She stared at her hair, still amazed at how curly it
was. It had been virtually straight until she had entered puberty, but when the
hormones kicked in, so did the curls along with the freckles. She applied her
makeup, picked up her clutch bag, and headed outside, where she sat in the
swing, twisting her hands and wondering if Wes was going to back out.

She wanted Grammy to come out and sit beside her and
hold her hand, but Grammy was puttering in her bedroom looking for the cameo
broach that belonged to her grandmother, so she could give Tori the traditional
“something old” for the wedding.

Finally, Wes pulled into the driveway and Tori sighed.
Her life was crumbling around her, and there was nothing she could do about it.
She had plans for after graduation, including going to
business
college
with Jill, but that wasn’t going to happen now.

Wes parked his car and when he stepped out, he looked
very handsome in his dark brown suit, white shirt, and beige tie. Tori felt her
heart flutter. She loved him so much, but neither of them was ready for
marriage.

Sorrow filled her as she realized her life as she had
always known it was gone. She was going to be a mother. She had to accept
responsibility and stop being a big baby. She wondered if she would ever get
the education she wanted and become a career woman. Many women juggled
motherhood with a career, but she wasn’t sure she was capable of doing it
herself.

Wes walked toward Tori, smiling as if he were the
happiest guy in the world. His eyes were full of love, and Tori didn’t detect
any regrets. Jill and Billy walked beside him, Jill in a pink, two-piece suit
and Billy in a navy blue suit, white shirt, and blue tie. Tori thought they
made such a beautiful couple.

Grammy stuck her head out the front door. “Ya’ll come
on in.”

They stepped into the living room where Poppy had his
Brownie loaded and ready to take pictures. Grammy told them how she wanted them
to pose as Poppy snapped away. When Grammy was satisfied, she and Poppy wished
them well and sent them on their way.

When they reached the main highway that would lead
them to Illinois, Tori looked at Wes. “Do your parents know we’re getting
married?”

“Yes,” he said with a sigh. “I told them all about
it.”

“Well, what did they say?”

“They agreed that we’re doing the right thing.”

“I guess they hate my guts!”

“They don’t hate you, Tori – don’t act stupid. They’re
not jumping through hoops, but they wished us love and luck. They know it’s
going to be hard for us, but they promised to do whatever they could to help.”

“Oh.” Tori didn’t know what to make of their comments.
She knew her parents wouldn’t jump through hoops when they found out either,
but she also knew they’d help them the best they could. They were lucky to have
the parents they had.

During the drive, they didn’t laugh and joke around
like they usually did. This was a solemn occasion, and they all knew it. When
they arrived in Illinois, they had no trouble finding the courthouse, and Wes
took charge and led them through the formalities, which was good, because Tori
was in a daze.

The ceremony was nice enough, but Tori could hardly
consider it a wedding. To her it was just a piece of paper they needed to prove
they were married, even though they did exchange vows and wedding bands.

When they left the courthouse, they found a parking
ticket on the windshield, which was the last straw. Wes ripped it from the
windshield, wadded it into a ball, walked up the street a piece, and threw it
into a street trashcan. Nobody said a word. Then they headed back to Grammy and
Poppy’s.

When Wes pulled into the driveway, Tori saw her
parents’ car. “Oh, hells bells,” she mumbled. She didn’t want to get out of the
car when Wes parked and turned off the ignition.

Wes walked around to the passenger side and held the
door open, then took Tori’s hand and led her toward the house.

Her mother came down the porch steps and hugged Tori.
“Well, I must say this was a surprise. I wish you would have confided in me,
but I guess you were more comfortable with Grammy.” She wiped away a tear and
added, “Even so, I have to admit that I’m happy with the idea of being a
grandmother. And young lady, you have to get to the doctor as soon as possible
and get started on prenatal vitamins.”

“I know Momma,” Tori said, glad that it was all out in
the open. “There’s a lot I have to start doing and a lot I have to stop doing.
Just give me time to adjust to all the changes, please. And I don’t want to
think about all that lies ahead of me. Let’s enjoy the rest of the day – it
is
my wedding day, after all!”

“I couldn’t agree more!” her dad said, giving Tori a
big hug. Then, he shook Wes’ hand. “Welcome to the family. I always knew it
would happen eventually.”

In the house, Grammy handed them all a glass of
lemonade and led them in a toast to their new life. Everybody finished the
refreshing drink, made small talk for a few minutes.

“Well, I suppose you young people want to head out for
whatever you’re going to be doing tonight,” Grammy eventually said.

Tori hugged her parents and grandparents, took Wes’
hand, and Jill and Billy followed them to the car.

Wes had reservations at the Executive Inn, where they
again ate lobster – and it felt good to laugh and talk like they had back in
the good old days – which hadn’t been all that long ago.

After the meal, Jill and Billy congratulated them
again, wished them the best, and went on their way. Tori watched until Jill was
out of sight, her heart wanting to run to her, hold her, and beg her to spend
the night with her.

Wes took Tori’s hand. “I got us the bridal suite.” His
eyes danced as if he were the happiest groom in the world.

Tori put her arms around him. “That sounds nice.”

They held hands as they stepped into the elevator, got
off on the fifth floor, and found their room. Wes carried Tori across the
threshold and grunted as if she weighed a ton. They both laughed.

The room was beautiful and romantic.
Tori wasn’t
anxious to perform the sex act but it was her
wifely duty. This time it was much different and slightly uncomfortable.
Nothing to rave about and she was glad when it was over, which was rather
quick. However, lying in Wes’ arms was wonderful.

“Till death do us part,” Tori whispered.

“Till death do us part,” Wes whispered and kissed her
deeply.

As Wes held Tori she could feel his body shaking, and
she felt a tear drop onto her shoulder. She wondered if it
were
a tear of joy or remorse, but she didn’t ask. She just let her own tears join
his.

Anna’s Note

June 3, 1975

I feel like I did the right thing in coaxing Tori and
Wes to get married. However, I have a gnawing feeling that Tori might resent
Poppy and me for it on down the road. So I guess time will tell. Or maybe I’ll
have a vision. The only thing I’m getting so far is a strong feeling … danger
is waiting.

Anna West-Morgan

Chapter Eight

Tori spent most of her time with Grammy that summer.
She so loved the country, but she found herself lonely and depressed most of
the time. For the past three months, Wes had been putting in ten-hour days at
his landscaping job. Tori knew he needed money for college, but she missed him
terribly and resented his absence. Grammy did her best to cheer Tori up, and
sometimes it worked, but most of the time it didn’t.

Tori spent her afternoons sitting on the porch swing,
chewing her nails, and waiting for Wes, hoping he’d come and take her to a
movie, out to dinner, or
anywhere.
The only time they managed to spend
any real time together that summer was on her eighteenth birthday. Big whoop!
Eighteen was supposed to be a person’s
big
birthday, but she was
pregnant and there was nothing to celebrate, as far as she was concerned, so
even that day hadn’t been what she’d call
quality
time.

It seemed like everybody’s life was moving forward
while she was forced to just sit around and get huge. She hated the feeling of
being confined and restricted.

At the end of August, Wes would be off to the
University of Kentucky, and football was all he ever talked about. He’d found a
part-time job as a mechanic in Lexington, working late afternoons and every
other weekend. She was happy for him, but that meant he’d only be able to see
her two weekends out of the month, and she’d never see him during the long
football season.

Jill had enrolled at the local business college, and
though Tori tried to be happy for her, she couldn’t stop feeling sorry for
herself, especially when she thought about how different
her
and Jill’s lives were going to turn out. Jill would get a diploma – and she’d
get a pile of poopy diapers. It just wasn’t fair.

The day Wes left for college, Tori tried to be brave.
She wished him well, but she hated him for leaving her behind. After that, time
slowed to a crawl. Tori felt lost without Jill and Wes, her two best friends.

October finally rolled around. The days were cooler
and the nights getting nippy, which was a great relief from the heat and
humidity of the dog days of summer. Late one Saturday afternoon, Tori was
sitting in her usual spot in the swing, pushing back and forth and wishing
Poppy would oil the chains. A mild and refreshing breeze was blowing, and she
stared at the beauty surrounding her.

The trees were putting on their fall fashion show,
adorning themselves with leaves of orange, yellow, and reds. She looked around
her and realized the world was beautiful – even if she was choosing to see it
as ugly because life hadn’t been going the way she wanted it to.

The beautiful leaves reminded her of the fireplace
that Poppy had built with multicolored stones he dug from a quarry. Many times
as a child she had sat in front of it and admired its beauty. And she marveled
at the masterpiece that Poppy had poured his heart and soul into making.

At that moment, surrounded by the splendor of fall,
she vowed never to think of her situation as a mistake again. It was what it
was – and as Grammy always said, there was a reason for everything, including
the new life growing inside her. She closed her eyes and pictured Jill’s
beautiful face and smile, which filled her with longing to see her kindred
spirit. She sighed deeply, and just as she opened her eyes, she saw a red Pinto
coming up the driveway!

Tori stood and did her pee-dance as she waited for
Jill to park her car. Then she ran down the steps and met Jill as she walked
toward the porch.

“I’m so glad to see you!” Tori hugged Jill so tightly
she squeezed the breath from both their lungs.

Jill grunted. “Good golly, Miss Molly! Don’t choke me
to death. I’m glad to see you, too. Boy, your hormones are on a rampage today.”

They held hands as they walked onto the porch and sat
in the swing. Jill looked around. “You know, this is my favorite place in the
whole world. It’s so beautiful and peaceful out here.”

“It’s funny you should say that,” Tori replied. “I was
just thinking that this is the prettiest place next to heaven.” She looked
toward the blue sky. Big puffy clouds streaked the sky, and she had the urge to
reach up and grab one to use as a pillow.

They sat in silence for a few moments and Tori’s heart
filled with a renewed sense of hope – something she hadn’t felt in a long time.

“Oh,
my gosh
!” Tori said,
quickly putting her hands on her enlarged stomach.

“What is it?” Jill asked. “Are you okay?”

“The baby just kicked – or something,” Tori said. “Dr.
Harrison said it would feel like a butterfly flutter at first, but that wasn’t
a butterfly – it was a field goal kicker!”

“Let me feel.” Jill put her hand on Tori’s stomach.
“Well, sweet potato pie and kiss my grits! I can feel it. I can’t believe it’s
jumping around so soon.”

“Moving around?” Tori replied. “It feels more like
it’s rearranging the furniture in there! And I’m only into my forth month.”

“That’s so cool,” Jill said, shaking her head.
“And miraculous, when you think about it.”

“You know, it didn’t seem real to me until this
moment,” Tori gazed down at her stomach with her hands lovingly rubbing over
it. “It
is
a miracle, really.” Tears stung her eyes. “You have no idea
how a moving baby can fill a heart with such love. I love my baby more than you
or
Wes. I didn’t think that was possible.”

“I’m kind of jealous.” Jill patted Tori’s stomach. “I
can’t imagine what it feels like inside you. Wow, that’s something else!”

“Let’s go find Grammy.” Tori stood and headed toward
the front door.

Grammy was in the kitchen staring out the window over
the sink, gazing upon the Morgan graveyard as she often did.
“Grammy!”
Tori cried, causing Grammy to startle and grab her heart. “The baby moved! Do
you want to feel it?”

“Tori, sweet, someday you’re going to give me a heart
attack. What did you say?”

“I said the baby moved. Do you want to feel it?”

“The baby moved?” she asked. “Well, sure I want to
feel it.” She placed her hand on the top of Tori’s stomach and felt around the
top, bottom and both sides, like she was directing traffic.

“There it goes,” Tori squealed.

“Be quiet a minute,” Grammy said, closing her eyes
tightly and slowly moving her hand around and around on Tori’s stomach as she
hummed.

Tori and Jill exchanged glances,
What
is she doing?
It was somewhat spooky.

“It’s a boy! Oops, I didn’t mean to spoil the
surprise,” Grammy said, but her eyes said she wasn’t sorry.

Poppy came
through the back door.

“Our great-grandson is moving and shaking,” Grammy
said, with her hand glued to Tori’s stomach.

“That’s good.” Poppy smiled, and then began to wash
his hands for supper. Poppy had never been one for putting on a great show of
emotion, especially when it came to pregnancy, moving babies, and other “woman
things.”

Jill stayed for supper, and then she and Tori cleaned
the kitchen while Grammy and Poppy sat out on the porch, as they did every
night. When they’d finished, they went to Tori’s bedroom, laughed, talked, and
acted silly like they used to do when they were little girls.

Jill left at ten o’clock because she had an early
class the next morning.

As Tori kissed her goodbye, she said, “Will you please
come back and see me as soon as you can?”

“I will, I promise,” Jill replied.

Tears filled Tori’s eyes as she watched the red Pinto
disappear down the long driveway. She turned and went into the quiet house,
which told her that Grammy and Poppy had gone to bed. She decided to go to bed
herself. She still wanted to sleep at least nine to ten hours. She slipped on a
nightgown and sank into the warmth of the featherbed. She closed her eyes and
visualized a baby boy. He’d have black hair and brown eyes – just like his
daddy. He’d have his mother’s mouth and chin.

She patted her stomach gently and whispered, “I love
you, my little man. I can’t wait for your daddy to feel you kick. You kick real
hard for him. Okay?”

The next morning, Tori awoke with her heart full of
joy. She wanted the week to pass quickly because Wes would be coming in for his
bi-weekly visit.

When Friday arrived, she was anxious all day. Finally,
Wes pulled into the driveway. By the time he had gotten out of the car, Tori
was
by his side. “The baby has been kicking for a week!”

“Really?” he said with a smile.

Tori grabbed his hand and put it on her stomach.
“Really!
He’s been hopping around like a Mexican jumping
bean.”

A few seconds later, Wes said, “I don’t feel
anything,” He pressed harder as if he were expecting the baby to kick his hand
away.

“Give him time. He’ll wake up and start in pretty
soon,” Tori said, throwing her arms around Wes’ neck and kissing him happily.

“Wow! I forgot how good a kiss could feel,” he said,
hugging her tightly.” You sure have a sweet set of lips!”

“And the best is yet to come,” she said with a wink.
“Come on in the house. Grammy has supper going, and I know you’re hungry as
well as thirsty. I’m hungry all the time now that the sickness is gone. I’m
going to be as big as a barn before this baby is born!”

Grammy had supper on the table and Wes and Tori sat
next to each other holding hands. After Poppy had said grace, he began telling
Wes that he thought his grandson-in-law was one heck of a man for carrying a
full class load, working, and making the long drive to see his wife every other
weekend.

Wes reveled in the admiration, and Tori thought he
deserved the right to do so. She admired him, too. He
was
one heck of a
man, and she was sure he would be one heck of a daddy, too.

After supper, Wes and Tori walked around the farm as
the moon and bright stars lit up the sky. They held hands, hugged, kissed, and
acted like the teenagers they used to be. Tori felt as if she were glowing as
bright as the moon.

Every few minutes, Wes roamed his hand over Tori’s
stomach. “I still haven’t felt it kick yet.”

“He’ll move when he gets ready. He moves the most when
I’m trying to sleep. I guess he’s trying to get me use to staying up all night
after he gets here, huh?”

Wes looked at Tori and cocked his head to one side.
“Why are you calling the baby a
he
? I thought you said it was going to
be a girl.”

Tori smiled. “Oh, I’ll go ahead and tell you. Grammy
saw him in a vision – and you know we never doubt Grammy’s visions.”

Wes didn’t respond.

“I’ve got an idea,” Tori said. “Grammy and Poppy are
asleep by now, so why don’t we go snuggle on the featherbed while you tell me
all about your classes and job? I miss talking and laughing with you.”

Before Wes could answer, Tori took off running toward
the house. “The last one to the bed is a rotten egg!”

Wes quickly caught up with her and pulled her to his
body. “Don’t be running like that! You’re going to jostle my baby and scramble
its brains, you goofball.” They laughed, looped arms, hurried into the house
and into the bedroom.

Tori flopped onto the bed and gazed at her stomach.
“What do you think of my tummy? Does it turn you off?”

Wes climbed into bed, kissed her stomach, and sweetly
said, “I think it’s sexy.” Then he kissed his way up to her lips, making her
understand what all those romance movies and books had been talking about.

They lay in each other’s arm and talked about the
silly things they had done during high school. At one point Tori laughed so
loudly that she wondered if she had wakened Grammy and Poppy. She looked over
Wes’ shoulder half expecting Poppy to come running into the bedroom with a
shotgun, ready to shoot an intruder.

After talking for a long time, Tori snuggled against
Wes’ warm body and fell asleep.

* * * *

The next morning, the farm’s rooster woke Tori and Wes
up at the crack of dawn. “That’s the loudest cockle-doodle-dang-do, I’ve ever
heard,” Tori mumbled as she pushed off the bed, hurrying for the bathroom.
“Another joy of pregnancy.
Pee, pee, all the time,” she
said, and giggled.

Tori returned to the bedroom, and Wes was sitting on
the side of the bed, running his hands through his hair and rubbing his eyes as
if he couldn’t wake himself up. When he finally stood up and reached for his
jeans, Tori ran over and pinched his butt.

“Hey, take it easy! You don’t want to bruise the bun.”
He took her in his strong arms and added, “I’m so happy when I’m with you. You
can always make me laugh.” He kissed her, and then said, “We may never make it
to the breakfast table.”

Tori pulled away and giggled. “Go on in the kitchen
and pour me a cup of coffee. I’ll get dressed and be with you in a minute. Do
you want to go find Jill and Billy after we eat? I know they’d love to see us.
Maybe Grammy won’t have a cow if we leave. She won’t let me out of her sight
and it drives me crazy.”