Dovetail

by Karen McQuestion

About the joints that hold it together.” She set Daisy down and ran her fingers over the corner of the chest. She looked up at Pearl. “They’re called dovetail joints. Dovetail. Doesn’t that sound beautiful?” “I guess.” Their father said, “The sides of the hope chest are connected using dovetail joints. The edges are cut in a pattern, so one side slides into the other. Wide tails and narrow pins are what they’re called. It works almost like this.” He clasped his hands together, fingers interwoven. “Once the two pieces are glued together, the place where they’re joined is stronger than the wood itself. Your mother always thought it was perfect for a hope chest, because when a couple is married, they are stronger together than they were when separate.” As so often happened when he mentioned their mother, emotion overcame him. “It’s very difficult to break the connected pieces once they’re locked in place. A dovetail joint can stand the test of time.”

“In the first letter, he talks about being able to write of matters of the heart and says . . .” Her gaze dropped back down to the page, and she began to read. “‘I do not know how best to say how important you have become to me. Seeing your beautiful face each day has become my greatest pleasure. Hearing you sing is all the music I will ever need. Your laughter is tonic for my soul. You have a keen intelligence, and I enjoy hearing your opinions after reading the newspaper. I just read what I wrote above, and it all sounds insufficient. None of it quite conveys the sentiment of my heart. I think what I mean to say is that I think I am growing in love with you a little more each day.’”