Retirement

Hannesville, VA was one of those small towns where everyone knew everything about everyone else. So it came as no surprise to anyone when Jason Sutton asked Courtney Osborne to marry him. What was surprising was that she said yes.

Jason had been chasing Courtney since Jr. High, but she had consistently spurned his advances in favor of sleeping her way through the varsity football team. Six yeas later, the now 20 year old Courtney had nothing to show for her high school career but two sons and a GED. (She had had to drop out of high school halfway through her second pregnancy when the town doctor had put her on bed rest.)

But Jason had never given up, and when Courtney finally relented and agreed to go out with him Jason wasted no time in acquiring his grandmother's engagement ring. There was speculation throughout the town that Courtney had agreed to marry him only because she thought he would be a good provider to her boys. She was right, of course; marrying Jason would ensure that Michael and Alexander would be well taken care of. Jason had a good job as as shift supervisor at the local wafer board plant and would be able to give the boys everything she had never been able to herself. The fact that she did not love Jason, or even particularly care for him at all, was a minor detail in the grand scheme of things in Courtney's mind.

The wedding was planned in a hurry, and there was talk among the older community members that the bride and groom were each afraid that the other would have a change of heart. But the planning went pretty smoothly and the only snag they hit was when Reverend Cole stated that he would refuse to marry them if the bride wore white. "I will not have God's house mocked withing his own house," he had told them, so it was decided that Courtney would wear pink on her wedding day. Pink complimented her features, and Courtney was happy to learn that a pink prom dress cost much less than a white wedding dress.

When the day of their wedding arrived Jason was beside himself with nervousness. So many things that could go wrong went through his mind that he almost talked himself out of going through with the ceremony at all. For her part, Courtney seemed more resigned than nervous. She allowed her mother and sister to fawn over her hair and makeup, but no matter how many times she tried she just could not muster an ounce of excitement that brides were reputed to have on their wedding days. In fact, staring at herself in the mirror Courtney felt like a whore. She was about to marry a man she didn't love just so her children could have a few luxuries. She would have been disappointed in herself, but Courtney had never had high standards for herself, which had always made living up to them easily.

When the time came Courtney left the Bible study room, ready to walk down the aisle. With all eyes in the church on her, Courtney felt odd, like a sideshow freak, or a death row convict approaching the chair. Taking her place beside Jason, Courtney tried to match his smile even though her heart really wasn't in it.

The ceremony was short and two recited their vows to one another with opposite levels of enthusiasm. Jason promised to love, cherish and provide for Courtney and she promised to love, honor and obey Jason. When Reverend Cole pronounced the two man and wife Jason kissed Courtney with all the love any man could have for any woman and for the first time Courtney felt bad about what she was doing to him.

The reception was a light hearted affair in the church's basement, catered by the Valley View First Baptist Church Ladies Axillary. The women had really outdone themselves, providing a potluck buffet of three entrees, seven side dishes, three types of bread and four deserts. Miss Wanda Bellamy's peanut butter cake had been chosen for the cutting ceremony by the bride and groom and was decorated with tiny roses of caramel icing.

Children ran through groups of adults who were busy trying to decide how long the marriage would last. Comments flew regarding Courtney's sordid past, and by the end of the day the general consensus throughout Hanesville was that the couple would be divorced in three years' time.

If she hadn't been looking forward to the wedding, Courtney was outright dreading the honeymoon. Jason had gotten the week off at work and he had rented a cabin in Pigeon Forge for four days. Courtney's mother had agreed to keep Michael and Alexander for them while they were gone so that the newlyweds could enjoy themselves.

When they arrived at the cabin Jason insisted on carrying Courtney over the threshold, which amused her and brought the first genuine smile of the day to her face. Their first night there they ate room service and relaxed in the jacuzzi while sipping red wine. Courtney found herself smiling occasionally as they talked.

When it came time for bed Courtney was surprised to find herself nervous. She had had sex with several men without a second thought, but Jason was different. He honestly cared about her and wanted to make her feel good, which was something no one else had ever thought about. It felt nice and Courtney found herself enjoying sex with Jason. They spent most of that week in bed, venturing out only twice a day to eat in local restaurants. Courtney learned a lot about Jason and about herself and her responses to him. She even started to enjoy herself with him.

On the way home they stopped at five roadside stands for fresh fruits and souvenirs for the boys. They arrived back in Hanesville in time for Sunday dinner, which they ate at Courtney's mother's before collecting the boys and going home. Courtney, Michael, and Alexander had already moved their belongings into Jason's two-story house, which he had inherited from his grandfather, and the boys were excited about having their own rooms.

After tucking her sons in for the night, Courtney made herself a cup of hot chocolate and looked around her new home. "Maybe it'll be good," she thought to herself. After all, Jason was a good man; caring, honest, hard-working, and he loved her and her kids. The least she could do was live up to her vows.

"You coming to bed?" Jason asked her.

Smiling, she replied, "I'll be there in a minute." Then she finished her drink and rinsed her cup in the sink before retiring for the night and to her new life.