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So she checked her water trough, and then walked around the herd, looking at the babies. She didn’t have her dogs with her. When they saw cows, they wanted to work. Even Chewy, who was her best trained canine, would be trembling with excitement at the idea of getting to do her job.
It amazed Ellen sometimes how much the dogs just loved doing what they were bred to do.
Regardless, she stopped by Daisy, and had stood scratching her for a while. Wondering what the men were talking about.
She knew that her uncle loved Travis, and she didn’t think that he would have any problem at all giving Travis permission. Her uncle could be a little bit unique, and she could see him giving Travis parameters, like he had to wait for a year, or some such other nonsense.
Ellen hoped not. She wanted to get married right away. She’d been waiting forever, and she didn’t want to keep waiting. She wanted to get that part of her life started.
She knew all the wisdom, that she should enjoy her independence while she had it and all that, but she felt like that was the world’s wisdom. She didn’t see that anywhere in the Bible. Other than Paul saying that he could serve God better if a man didn’t have a wife and kids.
Actually, she felt like the world’s wisdom went against what the Bible said. Because a person wasn’t supposed to enjoy their independence. They were supposed to find a mate and raise children in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. A woman was supposed to keep her house. It didn’t say anything about fulfilling herself, or having independence, or enjoying time before she was tied down. None of those things were biblical.
Maybe the reason people struggled in marriage was because they were taught to indulge themselves, rather than being brought up to serve others, with a focus on learning to make a godly home and raise children that loved the Lord.
Ellen laughed at herself a bit. She might be singing a different tune ten years from now, although the Bible wouldn’t be. It would still be saying the exact same thing. But she did know that a person had a tendency to think they knew a lot until they actually got into whatever it was they thought they knew a lot about, and then they realized they didn’t know quite as much as what they thought they did.
“You look pretty good for a ten-year-old,” she said to Daisy, scratching down her backbone.
She didn’t want to think about how time slipped by, and eventually it would be time for Daisy to move on. That was part of farming, but it wasn’t a part that Ellen relished. It would be nice to have Travis beside her when those hard decisions had to be made. She’d have someone to hold her hand and dry her tears.
Of course, men weren’t exactly known for their compassion. Maybe Travis wouldn’t want to put his arm around her and comfort her.
She tried to think about that, whether he would be that kind of husband or not.
Did it matter?
She hadn’t figured that out, when she looked up to see him walking across the field, a big smile on his face.
She didn’t have to ask whether or not Tadgh said yes. Of course, she hadn’t been worried about that at all.
She left Daisy, and started walking toward him, her steps much faster than usual.
By the time they met, they were both walking as fast as they could, and maybe she even took a few running steps as he lifted her up in his arms, and swung her around.
She laughed, holding on to him, as the world spun crazily around her.
He kissed her before he even set her down, and she was fine with that. She didn’t need to talk about it at all. He pulled away, before allowing her to slide down so her feet were on the ground, but he kept her pressed close to him.
“I guess you can tell he said yes.”
“I was getting that impression,” she said, a little breathless, still holding on to him to help keep her balance.
“I didn’t realize he liked me that much.”
“You don’t give yourself nearly enough credit,” she said, and while she was smiling, she meant it. He still thought of himself as the boy with the mother who was addicted to drugs, who would leave her children at home by themselves while she went and slept with a man for money in order to buy her next fix.
She didn’t know whether Travis would ever come out from under that cloud, but she had to admit she loved that he stayed humble. That he didn’t think of himself as some big shot, even though he had gone away and become successful.
“Well, credit or no, I have his blessing to ask you to marry me.”
“What are you waiting for?” she asked, only partially teasing. Part of her was afraid that the other shoe was going to drop and she was going to find out that they had to wait five years or something.
“I want to do it right. I don’t even have a ring yet. I mean, I thought about getting one, but I wasn’t sure whether I should take you with me, so we could pick it out together, or if I should get one on my own. I... You don’t wear a whole lot of jewelry and I don’t have any idea of what you like.”
“Something small and unpretentious.” That was easy. She didn’t wear a lot of jewelry, because she wasn’t a bling bling kind of person.
“See? I would’ve wanted to get you the biggest rock I could find, so the whole world knows that you’re mine.”
