Thursday's Child (28 page)

Pastor Jack’s voice echoed. “Niamh, if you repeat after me. I, Niamh Frances, take thee, Jared Jason…”

Everything spun as she remembered their honeymoon in Guernsey, being pregnant before, walks in the park and teasing Jared over dinner. Her hand rose to her head, the pain and sudden influx of too many memories, making her dizzy.

Jared looked at her worriedly as her whole body went cold and numb. “Hon?” he said. “What’s wrong?”

A quiet murmur broke out amongst the congregation.

Niamh looked at him, tears falling uncontrollably. Everything spun and went dark and she fell.

****

Jared pulled her into his arms, holding her gently. He knelt and laid her on the floor, his fingers automatically going to find a pulse.

Pastor Jack looked over the congregation. “Is there a doctor here?”

Footsteps ran down the aisle and a suited figure knelt beside him. Jared looked up. “Derek…”

Dr. Derek Clay smiled at him. “Did she eat this morning?” he asked starting to check Niamh over.

Her mum nodded. “She wasn’t hungry, but she ate. She’s been complaining of a headache. It’s a bad one. She refused pain meds, but wouldn’t say why.”

Dr. Clay nodded. “I want to check her over completely. May we use the vestry, Pastor?”

“Of course.”

Niamh groaned and opened her eyes, blinking hard.

Jared immediately leaned over her. “Hon?” He gently sat her up, his arm around her. “Let’s get you into the vestry, so Derek can check you over.”

Niamh shook her head. “No, I’m OK.”

“Please, just come and sit down for a minute. Get away from everyone looking at you.”

“OK.”

“Then let’s take you through,” Dr. Clay said. He helped Jared move her over to the vestry.

As they left the chapel, Pastor Jack announced a hymn and the organ started playing. Jared helped Niamh into the chair and sat next to her.

Dr. Clay took her wrist again. “How’s your head? Your mum said you have a headache?”

“Really bad one,” she whispered. “Just need a minute.”

“Then let me give you something for it.”

“No.” The word came out hard and fast and surprised Jared.

He sat quietly, giving the doctor room to work.

What’s wrong? She’s shaking like a leaf. Did I push her into this? Is this an after effect of yesterday? Maybe I should have cancelled or postponed the service
.

He took a deep breath and took her hand. “What is it? Hon, if you can’t do this, if you don’t want to marry me...” His voice trailed off, a sick, devastated feeling welling up inside him. He was all too aware of his family, Niamh’s family, and their friends standing in the chapel, singing, probably wondering if there was actually going to be a wedding.

Just like he was.

He took a deep breath and continued. “If you can’t marry me, then we can stop now. It’s fine.”

Niamh looked up at him. “No, I want to marry you.” She drew in a deep, sharp breath. “The headache just got a bit much for a moment.”

“Then maybe you should take the meds Derek offered.”

“I can’t. I’ll explain later, I promise.” Her gaze held his, her eyes glistening. “I love you. I want to marry you. Now.”

“I’m glad. I love you, too. Are you sure you’re all right? You want some water or something?”

She shook her head. “No, I’m fine. Have you got a tissue?”

He nodded. He pulled one from his pocket and handed it to her. “Don’t want it back though,” he teased as she used it.

“Just as well,” she answered, tucking it up her sleeve. “I’m fine now.”

Dr. Clay looked at her. “As soon as the service is over, I want you back in here so I can check you over again. Is there a reason you’re refusing pain meds?”

“That’s fine and yes, but I’ll tell you later. Please don’t make me keep refusing them. Right now, I just want to get married.”

Jared offered her a hand up and led her back into the church and over to where Pastor Jack stood.

He stopped singing and smiled hesitantly at them. “Is everything OK?”

“Everything’s fine. I’m sorry,” Niamh apologized. “I have this really bad headache, that’s all.”

“Are you all right to continue?”

Niamh nodded. She took a deep breath and looked at Jared taking his hands again. The hymn finished and the congregation sat down.

Pastor Jack looked at them. “We’re going to continue as Niamh is feeling better and wishes to carry on with the wedding.”

Liam dropped a hand on Jared’s shoulder as he stood next to him again. “Is she really OK?”

“Other than having a headache and being stubborn, she’s fine.”

“I am here, you know,” Niamh told them. She rolled her eyes. “This is meant to be a wedding, not a circus.”

Jared snorted. “Too late for that.”

Pastor Jack looked at Niamh. “Repeat after me. I, Niamh Frances, take thee, Jared Jason, to be my wedded husband.”

Niamh looked at him and then at Jared. A small smile started at the corners of her mouth and spread over her entire face. Her eyes sparkled and then lit up like Christmas tree lights. “I, Niamh Frances, take you, Jared Jason, to be my husband, my partner in life and my one true love. I will cherish our friendship and love you today, tomorrow, and forever. I will trust you and honor you. I will laugh with you and cry with you. I will love you faithfully through the best and the worst, through the difficult and the easy. What may come I will always be there. As I have given you my hand to hold so I give you my life to keep.”

As she spoke Jared’s eyes filled with tears and his heart welled up within him, until he thought it might burst with joy. Those were the vows she had originally used when she first married him eight years ago. He let the tears fall, not bothering to wipe them away.

She finished speaking and looked at Pastor Jack, smiled slightly and then looked at Jared. She reached up on tiptoe and whispered into his ear so only he could hear. “I remember. Everything.”

He pulled her into a hug. “Oh, hon,” he whispered. “That’s the best wedding present a man could ask for.”

She hugged him. “I love you Jarrie Jace,” she told him.

He looked at her and kissed her soundly.

Pastor Jack gave them a moment and then coughed slightly. “We haven’t got to that part yet,” he said gently.

Jared smiled awkwardly at him. “Sorry. She just got her memory back. All of it.”

At that, the whole church erupted into rapturous applause.

Niamh blushed hard and buried her face in Jared’s jacket while he just hugged her, a huge grin on his face.

Once things had calmed down, Pastor Jack nodded to Liam who placed the rings on the Bible. Pastor Jack then offered them to Jared.

Jared took the smaller of the two and placing it half way down Niamh’s finger said, “With this ring I thee wed, with my body I thee honor and with all my worldly goods I thee endow. Again.” He slid the ring the rest of the way down and raised her hand to his lips, kissing it.

Niamh took the other ring and put it onto his finger. “I give thee this ring as the token of the covenant made between us this day and the pledge of our mutual love.” She slid the ring on completely and kissed his fingers.

Pastor Jack smiled at them. He spoke a few more words and then smiled again. “I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may now kiss the bride. Again...”

Jared grinned and pulled Niamh into his arms, kissing her.

Pastor Jack turned to the congregation. “I give you Mr. and Mrs. Harkin.”

As rapturous applause broke out again, Niamh looked at him, a huge grin on her face. She kept her voice low enough for only him to hear. “I have a question for you, Mr. Harkin.”

“What’s that, Mrs. Harkin?”

“You know this separate bedroom thing we had going on…”

Jared raised an eyebrow. Where was she going with this? And was now the time?
She sure knows how to pick her moments, Lord
. “Uh, yes, but I actually have every intention of sharing your room tonight.”

“I didn’t mean that. I meant, could we redecorate what was your room?”

He scrunched his nose. “Is this the time to talk about this?”

Her grin widened. “I have a wedding present for you…Daddy.”

His heart leapt within him, tears filled his eyes.
Lord, does she mean? Are you not only giving her back to me whole, but a child as well?
“Daddy? Niamh, are you pregnant?”

Niamh nodded, tears glistening in her eyes. “Yeah. Two weeks before the car crash, when we made up the fight. ’Sides you did say barefoot, in a shift and pregnant. I’m just fulfilling the obey part of the vows.” She kissed him. “I love you.”

He lowered his face to hers, kissing her, not caring they were the center of attention. Everything was all right. God willing, they’d get their happily ever after.

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White Rose Publishing

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May God’s glory shine through

this inspirational work of fiction.

AMDG