How Dark the Night by William C. Hammond

match yours for him. What mother would stand in the way of such happiness and security for her daughter?”
    â€œSo, you think Father will acquiesce as well?” Diana asked eagerly.
    â€œYes, but not right away, all else being equal. He’ll want to ask you and Peter to wait awhile. He’ll say you’re too young to get married.”
    â€œFor heaven’s sake, Mother, I’m eighteen . . . almost.”
    Katherine laughed softly. “No matter what your age, your father would still think you too young. You will always be his little girl, even after you have your own little girls. He’s perfectly aware of your feelings for Peter. And I assure you he holds Peter in as high regard as I do. But he’ll want to defer the inevitable for as long as possible because he doesn’t want you ever to leave us, even though he knows you must.”
    Diana nodded ruefully. “I had feared as much.”
    â€œNow, now, not to worry,” her mother soothed. “You just heard me say, ‘all else being equal.’ But all else is not equal. You and I are allies in this matter, and we have two secret weapons in our arsenal that cannot fail to persuade him.”
    â€œWe do?”
    â€œYes, we do. The first weapon,” she announced, “is me.”
    Diana gave her mother a quizzical look. “You? I’m afraid I don’t understand.”
    â€œIt’s quite simple, really. Ever since I met your father I have been, by his own admission, both his greatest source of strength and his greatest weakness. If there is something I truly want, he loves me too much, and respects my judgment too much, to say no to me. Of course, to ensure that I don’t ever overplay my hand, I never ask for anything that is unreasonable. Being entirely committed to your happiness, I am now prepared to draw this weapon on your behalf.” She did not add that given the uncertainty of her medical condition, the last thing Richard would ever deny her was the joy and satisfaction of seeing her only daughter properly wed.
    â€œThank you, Mother,” Diana said sincerely. “I would expect nothing less of you, but still, it makes me happy to know. What is the other weapon?”
    â€œThe other weapon is your father’s past. When he and I met, he was about the same age as Peter was when you two met. And when we were married, he was about Peter’s age, and I yours. So it would be rather hypocritical of him to claim that you and Peter are too young to get married when he and I were not. And I daresay that regardless of our ages when we wed, our marriage has turned out rather well.”
    â€œOh, it has, Mother,” Diana readily agreed. “Everyone says so. And Peter recognizes it as well. He speaks of you and Father with the highest affection and praise. Last evening, when he asked for my hand, he said that your marriage is one that he and I should try to replicate throughout our life together. I obviously agree with him.”
    â€œThat was kind of Peter, but as you two will discover for yourselves, no marriage is perfect. All have their ups and downs. But here’s what I want you never to forget: through all the years I have been with your father, there has not been a single moment—not one—when I questioned why I married him. Nor was there a single moment—not one single moment—when I wished I hadn’t. If you can say the same thing at my age, then you will have had a successful and loving marriage. I hope you will be able to say the same thing to your own children, as I pray Will and Jamie can to theirs someday.” Katherine paused, stabbed by the realization that she might not live long enough to see her grandchildren. She fought back a surge of regret. “So,” she said with forced gaiety, “have you and Peter settled on a date for the ceremony?”
    â€œNot the actual date,” Diana said, the flower of her joy returning to full