Angie Morrison-Skellington was a strict woman of about 76 who took a great pride in being able to disable people using just her words. She had heard that Jack was seeing, and living with, a young woman and was curious to see what she looked like. Of course when she had heard this news she pictured a temptress, a whore, a money grubbing wench and was fully prepared to stop this immediately if it was called for.
She walked up the path to the front door, rapping sharply on its oaken surface. Shuffles emitted from inside and Jack greeted her, smiling wanly.
“Mother-”
“I want to see her.’’
“What, no hug?”
“Jackson, I’ll hug you when I see you deserve it.’’
Jack stood up to his full height so that he towered over her. “You will not be rude, understand? This is my house, and my rules apply.’’
Angie pursed her lips. “All right.’’
He turned and began walking to the parlor. “This way.”
Sally stood in the parlor, the voices of Jack and his mother wafting in from the front hall, barely audible. She wondered if the dress she wore, the black one with a white ribbon around the waist, was too laidback for this type of meeting. Jack had told her about his mother and from the tone he had used, Ms. Skellington wasn’t a relaxed woman in the least bit.
Footsteps neared the door and Sally stood erect as Jack came in, flashing her a bright smile and, standing by her, gripped her hand.
An elderly woman stepped in after him, her dark gray hair pulled into a severe bun and crescent glasses perched on her long nose.
At the sight of Sally, the old woman froze, and then offered a chilled smile.
“Mother, this Sally Mathews. Sally, this is my mother, Angie.’’
Sally smiled at Angie and Angie seemed taken aback as she studied sally.
This young woman wasn’t what she had been expecting; she was tall, skinny, polite…..Beautiful. Her looks said homemaker but the way Jack was looking at her said “goddess”.
“So, Sally dear, how long have you and my son been seeing each other?”
Sally glanced at jack and then back at Angie. “Oh, a few months…Five maybe.’’
Angie nodded curtly. “You must be excited, what with the wedding being so close.’’
Sally felt jacks hand tighten on hers and she looked up at him, seeing the pained half smile that flickered across his face as he looked down at his mother.
“Y-yes, I’m looking forward to it.’’
“And-”
“Mother, you must hungry.” He said, gesturing to the dining room.
Angie looked up at her son and then moved to the door. “Yes very well.’’
Dinner went by slowly as Angie continued to grill Sally with questions; such as what flowers were to be used as centerpieces and what fashion of dress would she wear.
“How many bridesmaids do you have, dear?’’
Sally’s heart sunk as she felt her face turn red. “I-”
“We feel its not necessary to have bridesmaids or groomsmen, mother. Personal choices, really.’’ Jack said. Sally felt his leg press against hers under the table and relaxed a bit.
“Well then if that’s what you want.’’ Angie said.
There was a beat of silence.
“You plan to have grandchildren, I take it?”
The room froze as saliva accumulated in Sally’s mouth and her joints froze.
This was something she had been fearing…..Something that she had been expecting, had been waiting for……
“Mother we haven’t talked about it yet. But it is a possibility.” Jack said, when Sally didn’t answer. He looked at her from the corner of his eye, worried; her skin was pale and he saw her shaking slightly. Touching her hand underneath the table, he saw her jump inwardly.
She felt his warm fingers wrap around her ice cold ones and stared down at their folded hands and said nothing more.
The rest of the evening passed with clipped conversation and subliminal messages of dry rudeness. They parted at eight (Angie was staying at a hotel two blocks away) and as soon as the door closed Jack fell into the armchair by the window.
“I’m sorry.’’ Jack said, rubbing his eyes. “I’m sorry that she’s like that.’’
Sally sat down on the couch, facing him, eyes never leaving him. “She’s your mother-”
“That leaves her no right! All those clipped remarks-and the nerve to say them to my own fiancé!” He shook his head.
They sat there in silence for a few moments before he looked at her, a slow smile spreading on his face.
“Hey.” She looked at him, he smiled wider. “But the look on her face when she saw you made it worth it.’’
“What do you mean?”
“Oh my love.’’ He stood, pulling her from the couch and into his arms. “She believes every woman is a harlot-or a gold digger. But when she saw you I think she was trying to deny to herself that I have a golden trophy.” he leaned in, kissing her cheek.
Hopelessness built up inside her; she had to tell him….She had to tell him before he expected it of her later…
But oh…She didn’t want to tear him down; it’d be like stomping down on his very heart….
Sally found him in his study the next afternoon, putting away some books. Standing in the doorway, she watched him for a moment, taking in his image. Taking a deep breath she tapped twice on the doorframe.
He turned and smiled down at her. “Hey.”
Oh God….Oh God I can’t….I can’t….
Sally looked up at him steadily. “I need to tell you something. It’s important.’’
He turned fully to her and placed his hands on his hips, waiting.
“I uhm….I forgot to tell you something about when I was with Jonah-”
“Sally you don’t have to-”
“I can’t have kids.’’
The air vanished from the room as he looked down at her, unsure of what to say as the shock flooded his body. His arms fell limp to his sides as he found himself, for the first time, speechless.
Seconds passed and she turned and walked out of the room, stepping up the stairs and taking the small luggage bag from under the bed and beginning to put stuff in it. She heard him step in after her; heard him stand in the door way.
“What’re you doing?”
She didn’t stop. Didn’t answer.
“Sally-Stop this-” He grabbed her arm, pulling her around. She saw the hurt, the sadness in his eyes and looked away.
“What can I give you if I can’t even give you that?” her voice came out softy. "What bride cannot promise a child-?"
“Sally, what’re you-”
“He ruined me!” She cried. “He ruined everything about me and left me dead inside!” she yanked her hands from him and pushed him; her own shame and humiliation leaking out in all directions. “Everything I had he took away from me!” she looked down at her hands, the small scars that dotted her palms now painfully clear. “I wish I was whole for you Jack. I wish that he never even touched me-I wish i had never even
met anyone before you-”
“Stop it-” he said, his voice breaking.
She clasped her hands over her eyes and cried, her sobs coming in anguished whales. “I wish I whole for you.’’ she cried between sobs.
Jack shook his head, taking her in his arms and holding her tighter than he ever had. He felt her guilt pulsating through her, her whole body shaking from it. Everything that happened she blamed herself for it…..His heart broke as she bled out in his arms, her emotions her blood source.
“Do you think this is enough to make me hate you?” he said, when she had quieted down a little. He cupped her face and tipped it back, brushing the tears from her cheek. “Beloved…Our love is so much stronger than anything we could imagine. I want to marry you, I want to be with you forever, my love, because I'm so crazy about you and everything that you come with-your flaws included. Why can’t you understand that?”
“You’ve given me so much.’’ She whispered, her voice raspy, eyes shining with new tears. “You’ve pulled me from hell and the only thing I’ve ever been able to give to you is gone. What am I to give you now?’’
Jack smiled softly, tears shining in his eyes. “Your love? You're happiness?’’ he whispered, kissing her. "You're smiling face to wake up to every morning?"
Sally shrugged wiping the tears from her eyes. "What if that's not not enough?"
"Then I'll make it work for the both of us,
Tirza.''
