***
The door quickly swung open, and Lynne's mother stood in the doorway.
She looked as though she'd seen a ghost.
"My Goodness! Lynne!" cried her mother, and she pushed the door open and stepped outside on the step and squeezed Lynne tight in her arms.
Lynne was surprised at the quick burst of affection, but her mother had always been so much more of a hugger than her distant father.
Lynne embraced her mother back.
"Hey Mama," said Lynne bashfully.
"My God, I was so worried about you," said her mother, grabbing Lynne by her chin and looking in her eyes, as though, she wanted to make sure that Lynne wasn't under any physical distress.
"I'm okay mama. I'm fine, I'm right here," said Lynne reassuringly.
"Well I know you are now! But your father and I have been trying to call you nonstop. There was no answer, and you moved away from that apartment, and you didn't even send a word our way!" said her mother snippily.
"Well, I didn't but, that last phone call with dad, let me know he was pretty displeased, and I, to be honest, didn't think he'd care that I moved. Neither of you ever came to visit me once I moved out of your house. I was always planning on giving you all a working cell number where I can be reached," added Lynne.
"I see you brought your gentleman friend with you. So you two are still seeing each other," said her mother, nodding towards Leif.
"Yes Ma'am. We are still seeing each other, and we're very happy together. I'm sure Lynney will tell you more in just a little while," said Leif.
Lynne looked over at Leif, and he wore such a sweet, open smile, in spite of all that occurred that it warmed her heart.
"Well, you know you mentioned your father earlier, and Lynne, I hate to tell you this, but now....now is not really a good time for a visit," said her mother, giving Lynne a firm glance.
It was the glance she gave Lynne when she was young, and a matter was not open for any more discussion.
"Mama, are you about to go somewhere? I mean anytime should be a good time for a visit. I'm your daughter, and last I checked, we hadn't visited in about three months. Aren't you gonna invite us inside? I mean, I don't know about Leif, but I'm thirsty. I could use some water, Lemonade or something if you have it. You always made the best lemonade," said Lynne with a shy smile.
She wore that bright hopefulness. Lynne was a great actress and great at drawing out the warmth in people. She learned that skill to make her parents happy even when uneasiness floated through the household. And later she discovered it made her a magnetic performer, and was a good tool to use on stage. It made the audience love her.
"Oh Lynne. My dear child. Would I love to invite you inside. But your father had bible study with a young man, and he should be coming home any minute now. I wouldn't....wouldn't want to be seen around here if I were you. He's really pushing you to go to confessional Lynne. I mean, I know you love the boy, ad that can be worked out I guess, if he's serious about you, and he's ready to recognize Christ as his savior, but you know you are not right with God right now, and living how he wants you to live. And your father and I...we only want what's best for you-"
"Yeah, and Leif wants what's best for me too. And that's why we came here today, to give you some good news. I mean, I know it doesn't change daddy wanting me to go to confessional. And I'm not going either...because I don't agree with those principles anymore, but I do want you to know that...our relationship, is not what you think," said Lynne grabbing Leif's hand.
As soon as she reached for his hand, her man grabbed her hand and squeezed it lovingly. Feeling his fingers gripping her own gave her strength.
"Lynne, you were always feisty, and hard headed. Your father is not going to be happy to see you, especially because you haven't talked to him, or Pastor Ben. And I've tried to reason with him, and tell him that the way to save you is not being so hard lined, and bull headed, and to take it easy on you, but you know as well as I know the way your father is about this church, and he's going to do what he thinks is the right thing. And our religion is the truth, and what he's telling you to do is right. If you really want to come inside, come on in, but you've been warned. I don't even know if your father will let you stay in this house or not if you don't agree to mend your ways Lynne," said her mother swinging open the door.
"Well, I'm not running from him anymore. It's his house, and if he chooses to put me out, he chooses to put me out, but, not before I give him my news," said Lynne.
Her mother walked into the house, holding the door open for Leif and Lynne. They walked inside.
"You were always a brave girl, in your own way, with your singing, and your performing, and doing silly things with your little girlfriends. But I just think you've got your mind set up on a wrong course, and you're being brave about the wrong thing. Look I was young once, and I know what passion feels like to two young people like you, and sometimes those feelings get confused with love and get you set up on a wrong path that takes a lot of stuff to undo. And sometimes there are such consequences you have to live with for the rest of your life," said her mother.
After she said that statement, she gave Lynne such a weird glance, as though she wanted to look through her.
"Lynne there are consequences for these actions, these mistakes that you make when you are so young, and just full of sexual feelings, but you aren't thinking about the future, and home life, and stability, and what it takes to have a successful family," said her mother.
"Mom, that's just it. Leif and I are very serious, and we know exactly what we are getting into together. I can't believe you haven't noticed this, all this time we've been talking. Or maybe it's that you didn't want to notice," said Lynne, holding up her ring finger and pointing at the ring with her other hand.
"Yeah...we...we were waiting for a good time to tell you Mrs. Miller. It's...it's not only passion there. It's true love. I wanted to make an honest woman out of Lynne. I...I asked her to marry me about two weeks after our last visit. I love your daughter. That love is deep, and it's pure, and I want to give her my last name, and care for her all the ways a husband cares for a wife, not just the physical love. I didn't even...I mean before I met your daughter, I never, ever thought I'd want to marry someone. I thought it was just a piece of paper. But as soon as I meant Lynne, I knew I wanted to be with her forever. Honest. The idea, of being committed to your daughter, and knowing that nothing can tear us apart, that she's legally mine, makes me feel so warm and happy inside, I just can't believe how lucky I am. I'd do anything to make her happy, and I care about how she feels in her heart, and making her smile. And I'd never let anything hurt your precious little girl. She's my precious one now too," said Leif with a smile.
"Baby that's so beautiful. I feel the same way. See Mama, we're not, we're not trying to live like a bunch of hedonistic Satanists. We wanted to do the right thing and get married. Maybe in the beginning the passion was so strong we did some things you don't approve of, but we are going to make things right very soon. We just want to share our love and not hide things. And...and we want to give you this," said Lynne, reaching into Leif's breast pocket for the invitation.
She handed it to her mother.
"Lynne...what...what is this?" asked her mother.
"Open it and see," said Lynne gently.
Her mom's eyes filled with water.
"Lynne why do you have to make it so hard! It's breaking my heart Lynne. You know we can't...your father can't....he can't give his blessing to this marriage. You all aren't committed in the faith...oh Lynne, a mother has such high hopes for her daughter, and she dreams of the day that her daughter gets married, and I want to participate, but not like this...not when it's all wrapped up in sin, and deceit like this...your father will never give it his blessing, and that puts me in a terrible spot," said her mother.
She handed the invitation back to Lynne.
Lynne was crestfallen. Sin and deceit. All those heartfelt words she and Leif had spoken, and that was the message her mother came way with. Her eyes filled up with water.
Leif reached out and hugged Lynne gently.
"You let me know when you've had enough sweetheart. I don't want anyone, and anything to hurt you anymore, I don't like seeing those pretty brown eyes with tears in them, I don't want my sweetheart to cry," he added.
He held her tightly to his body, as though he could shield her from those painful words. But his warm embrace and the sweet smell of his neck as he hugged her chastely gave her strength, and she quickly dried her tears.
"No...no I'm okay," said Lynne and she nuzzled into his neck. She didn't care if her mother saw that Leif fortified her emotionally.
She needed to know it. It was clear demonstration of their love in action.
"We were not trying to wrap things up in sin and deceit. Maybe I should have introduced him to you all sooner. But I thought for once, maybe you'd be happy and proud even though I did some things that you don't agree with, that I was becoming an honest woman and getting married, not just living in sin with Leif forever. And I didn't have to coax and cajole Leif for this ring. He wanted to do it...so I think you all were wrong about him, and daddy at least, owes him an apology. He wasn't using me, at all," said Lynne softly.
"Oh young lady, if you think that, if you think that you've made it through the hard part because he asks you to marry him, and that's all it takes for him to prove his love isn't only sexual in nature, then the two of you have got another thing coming. Your father just pulled up, so if you feel brave enough, woman enough to ask that he apologize to your young man, you'll be able to tell him in a few minutes. But if I were you, I'd keep that notion to myself. And there's still time for you to go home and spare yourself embarrassment" said her mother.
"I'm not going anywhere. Daddy needs to know that we are getting married, and I'm not going to any confessional, or repenting either, I'm not sorry for falling in love with Leif, and not sorry for leaving behind a church that has rules where families can't speak to sinners," said Lynne firmly.
Her father pulled up into the space.
He opened the door quickly, and did a double take when he saw the three of them sitting at the kitchen table.
He glanced back and forth, back and forth between Lynne, Leif, and her mother.
Lynne broke the silence.
