The Seventh Time I Stopped Waiting Chapter 01

The Seventh Time I Stopped Waiting Chapter 01

Briarvale Village had an old law. Before marriage, a woman was allowed to leave the mountains only seven times.

If no man took her away by the seventh trip, her name would be entered into the village register. She would have to marry within Briarvale. From then on, she would belong to the mountains for the rest of her life.

So I borrowed rouge from Granny seven times and put on my finest dress.

Waiting for the man who promised to take me out of the mountains and marry me.

But every single time I made the long trek into town, he was nowhere to be found.

Back at the settlement, Elder Moss puffed on his corncob pipe. “That makes seven times you’ve gone down the mountain for a marriage license.”

“Your director boy ran off to the next hollow again to film that girl with the pretty smile.”

“Yuna, after all this, what are you still waiting for?”

I fumbled for the phone he had given me and dialed his number.

It rang three times before he explained.

“Ada was helping us gather local history when her leg got caught in an animal trap!”

“You know how it is around here. If a woman is crippled, she becomes a burden. No one in the hollow will marry her.”

“If I don’t help her, her life is ruined. I promise, this is the last time. Once Ada’s leg is treated, I’ll come marry you.”

In the four years since he came to Blue Ridge Hollow, I’d crossed these mountains seven times for him.

But something always seemed to happen to that girl, and I was always the one left behind.

I stared at the dead screen and quietly wiped away my tears.

There wouldn’t be a last time.

In three days, I was getting married.

…

“What’s so bad about Blue Ridge Hollow anyway? Even if you want out, you shouldn’t pin your hopes on a guy like that.”

Thick smoke from his corncob pipe made him cough repeatedly.

“He runs around with that camera all day, filming one girl after another in every hollow. If he was worth a damn, would he have let you make that trek to town seven times for nothing?”

The smoke stung my nose.

Four years. His lens had covered every corner of Briarvale. He’d filmed every girl in the settlement.

Everyone except me.

I fought back the tears welling up in my eyes and nodded my head. “I’m done waiting, Elder. I’ll marry in three days.”

On my journey back to the settlement, I came across Jude Wilder carrying Ada home on his back.

He carried her carefully on his back. When he saw me standing at the fork in the path, he frowned, confused.

“Yuna, didn’t I tell you to wait in town? We were supposed to go to the registrar today and have our names entered in the village register.”

“Now that you’ve returned ahead of time, another trip down the mountain will be far too troublesome.”

I glanced down at my feet; the skin on my heels was raw and bleeding from the long mountain trek.

It really wasn’t easy.

I had traveled up and down the mountains seven times for a single promise.

I swallowed the lump forming in my throat. “We agreed today.”

Jude hesitated.

“Didn’t I explain? Ada’s leg got caught in an animal trap. That’s why I missed it.”

I looked up at Ada, clinging to his back.

“There were plenty of other people around. Why did you have to be the one to rush to her side?”

“It’s different. She got hurt helping me with the documentary. I have to take responsibility.”

He was right. It was different.

Whenever she got hurt, the world stopped turning.

But our marriage license? That could be brushed aside without a second thought.

He must have noticed the tears glistening in my eyes, because his tone softened.

“I messed up. I was in a panic and forgot to call you, leaving you to make the trip alone.”

“Wait three more days. The documentary I’m filming with Ada is almost done.”

“When it’s finished, I’ll take you down the mountain and we’ll make it official.”

My fingers tightened, and my nails pressed hard into my palms. “This is the seventh time.”

Jude shifted Ada higher on his back, impatient.

“I know you want to say it’s the law of Briarvale.”

“But I asked Ada. There’s no such law here.”

“Yuna, there is no need to make things up to force my hand. I already said I’d marry you.”

I pressed my thumb into the soft part of my hand. “So because there’s no rule, you can break promises?”

He frowned. “Don’t make me out to be the bad guy.”

“I understand you want me to take you out of the mountains.”

“But now isn’t the time to pick a fight.”

“Pick a fight.”

I repeated the words.

The old law of Briarvale had been abolished years ago.

But for four years, I’d crossed the mountains for him.

Range after range, peak after peak. Seven trips was the limit for a girl here before her wedding.

I looked down at my swollen, bruised legs. “Go. Ada’s leg is more important.”

Jude passed me with Ada on his back. Then he turned back.

“I was rude just now. Don’t be mad.”

“I’m not mad.”

He headed into the settlement. “I know you’re kind. You’ll understand.”

I forced a smile.

I was angry. But I didn’t need to dwell on it anymore. I just didn’t need to be mad anymore.

The old law of Briarvale had been abolished years ago.

Granny always said a woman only gets married once.

You have to smile on your wedding day for it to be truly complete.