Mourning Dove

  Rose took water from the gourd and washed her hands, then washed Herman’s. After she finished, Herman did the same for her. “This washes away our pasts,” Rose said softly. “Today, we begin a new life.”

  Careful not to move the basket, which would bring bad luck, Herman took a pinch of cornmeal from the east side of the basket and fed it to Rose, then Rose did the same for him. Following the customs of The People with meticulous care, they fed each other from the other cardinal points, south, west, and north, then from the center, until the mush had all been eaten.

  Once the basket was empty, the ceremony was complete. They were now man and wife. Since Herman’s mother was no longer alive, Rose chose to give the basket to Ella. “The next wedding is yours,” Rose whispered.

  Ella smiled. Her mother—the perpetual optimist.

  As the feast began, Loretta brought in large platters of food, and everyone ate to bursting. Normally, after the meal, the elders would have given the young couple advice, but because Herman and Rose were the elders, only Lena had anything to say.

  She cleared her throat and the hogan fell silent. “You are both my lifetime friends, so you’ve been listening to my advice for years, whether you’ve taken it or not. All I have to say is that you should continue to respect and love each other.”

  Herman nodded and Rose blinked away tears that had formed in her eyes despite a wide smile.

  Ella looked at her mother and at Herman, glad to see them both looking so happy, then stood up. “May your lives be blessed and companionship and love guide your paths. And may you both walk together in beauty,” Ella said.

  Rose wiped the tears from her face. “The Holy People have blessed us all today.”

  Herman smiled. “Two families have come together. There is beauty all around us.”

  As Loretta began passing out the small bags of food, customary gifts for the guests, Ella walked away from the group, needing a few minutes alone. She’d promised to take Dawn for that long trail ride tomorrow morning, and she was hoping to find a way of getting Dawn home early so they could grab some sleep tonight. She was staring silently at the blanket of stars above her when she heard footsteps. Turning her head, she saw Kevin had come to join her.

  “Our daughter looks beautiful tonight, as does her mother,” he said quietly.

  Ella smiled, recalling similar words from her father so long ago at her own small wedding. “You know, we really do need to share Dawn, Kev. We both add to her life and she needs us to be strong parents—not just two adults she can play against each other to get whatever she wants.”

  “I know, and we’ll work something out, I promise. It’s not a competition—it’s parenthood.”

  As Kevin walked away, Ella remained on the fringe of the gathering, watching the celebration. Marriage affirmed the future—one filled with hope. It was a completion, a bringing together of two sides, male and female, and the restoration of the hozhq—balance and harmony.

  Yet, as it often was, one change would open the way for others and, soon, new possibilities would come her way, too. As the breeze touched Ella’s face, she remembered her mother telling her that Wind whispered secrets. A smile on her lips, Ella stood tall and listened.