it had been Lily’s duty to host. And it had been fun.
Hostess duties had kept her occupied over the afternoon, but now, looking at the mess left behind, Lily couldn’t stop the sadness that crept into her heart. She had never had a shower. Planning to run away had meant that no one was supposed to know. There had been no silly games, no punch, no bows and cards and presents to unwrap. There’d been no bachelor party for Curtis, either. This afternoon Noah had taken Andrew, Dawson and Clay golfing in lieu of a stag party. It was all so very traditional. Predictable.
Thinking about it wore her out, and Lily simply didn’t have the heart or ambition to clean everything up now. She turned her back on the messy kitchen and headed for the stairs. She had to keep her hands busy with something else. The wedding was only days away and she still couldn’t seem to get the waist right on Jen’s dress. She could work on thatinstead, and later, when the echoes of laughter and well-wishing had faded, she’d put her house to rights.
Upstairs, Lily slipped the dress over her hips and reached behind her, pulling up the zipper. She studied the mirror, tugging gently at the strapless bodice. Her figure wasn’t a match to Jen’s, so the fit wasn’t quite right, but she could tell if there were puckers or pulls where there shouldn’t be. The organza overskirt was being particularly fussy to work with and she was struggling with the waistline. She smoothed and tucked with her fingers, frowning in the mirror. It should have been Jen trying it on now, but she and her mother had taken her shower gifts back to her house. Lily frowned, working with the fabric, trying to see where the adjustment should be made. She wanted it perfect for tomorrow when Jen came to do the final fitting.
She sighed, knowing that this wasn’t quite breaking her promise to herself. After all, if she’d had a dressmaker’s dummy, the dress would be on it now instead of her. When she’d vowed she’d never put on a wedding dress again, this wasn’t exactly what she’d had in mind. And she supposed it had been a rash pronouncement, one made in anger and mostly out of hurt and disillusionment.
If she’d really meant it, she would have thrown away the dress. The one that still hung in her closet. The one with the chiffon overskirt that had taken days to get just right…
She stared at the closed closet door for a long moment, then unzipped the zipper of Jen’s gown and hung it on its special hanger. She put it in the closet and her hand rested on a white opaque bag. She’d managed to keep the overskirt flat and flowing just right in the end. If she could only see it on…Once again she wished for the dummy to help solve her problems. Her brow puckered. Did she dare? Even thinking about putting it on felt like tempting fate.
She remembered that day so clearly. The rush for the flight, the excitement of checking into the hotel room and the surreal moment of putting on her wedding gown. The moment of sadness as she missed having someone to help her with her hair, her crystal necklace that she’d made herself. Then the sadness giving way to excitement when Curtis had knocked on the door.
She took the bag out of the closet and laid it gently on the bed, unzipping the zip as if it was Pandora’s box. But nothing emerged from the plastic beyond a wistful sense of nostalgia.
She’d designed the dress herself, going through pages of scrapbook paper until she got it just right, and she’d saved up the money she’d made working weekends for her mom to buy the material. She ran a finger over the fine chiffon, smiling at the memory of paying full price for the fabric so her mom wouldn’t know what she was up to. Stolen moments she’d worked at it, measuring, cutting, stitching, while she and Curtis had been making plans. He’d been stashing away enough money to pay for their trip, ready to go the moment she’d had her birthday and was legal.
Lily bit down
Hostess duties had kept her occupied over the afternoon, but now, looking at the mess left behind, Lily couldn’t stop the sadness that crept into her heart. She had never had a shower. Planning to run away had meant that no one was supposed to know. There had been no silly games, no punch, no bows and cards and presents to unwrap. There’d been no bachelor party for Curtis, either. This afternoon Noah had taken Andrew, Dawson and Clay golfing in lieu of a stag party. It was all so very traditional. Predictable.
Thinking about it wore her out, and Lily simply didn’t have the heart or ambition to clean everything up now. She turned her back on the messy kitchen and headed for the stairs. She had to keep her hands busy with something else. The wedding was only days away and she still couldn’t seem to get the waist right on Jen’s dress. She could work on thatinstead, and later, when the echoes of laughter and well-wishing had faded, she’d put her house to rights.
Upstairs, Lily slipped the dress over her hips and reached behind her, pulling up the zipper. She studied the mirror, tugging gently at the strapless bodice. Her figure wasn’t a match to Jen’s, so the fit wasn’t quite right, but she could tell if there were puckers or pulls where there shouldn’t be. The organza overskirt was being particularly fussy to work with and she was struggling with the waistline. She smoothed and tucked with her fingers, frowning in the mirror. It should have been Jen trying it on now, but she and her mother had taken her shower gifts back to her house. Lily frowned, working with the fabric, trying to see where the adjustment should be made. She wanted it perfect for tomorrow when Jen came to do the final fitting.
She sighed, knowing that this wasn’t quite breaking her promise to herself. After all, if she’d had a dressmaker’s dummy, the dress would be on it now instead of her. When she’d vowed she’d never put on a wedding dress again, this wasn’t exactly what she’d had in mind. And she supposed it had been a rash pronouncement, one made in anger and mostly out of hurt and disillusionment.
If she’d really meant it, she would have thrown away the dress. The one that still hung in her closet. The one with the chiffon overskirt that had taken days to get just right…
She stared at the closed closet door for a long moment, then unzipped the zipper of Jen’s gown and hung it on its special hanger. She put it in the closet and her hand rested on a white opaque bag. She’d managed to keep the overskirt flat and flowing just right in the end. If she could only see it on…Once again she wished for the dummy to help solve her problems. Her brow puckered. Did she dare? Even thinking about putting it on felt like tempting fate.
She remembered that day so clearly. The rush for the flight, the excitement of checking into the hotel room and the surreal moment of putting on her wedding gown. The moment of sadness as she missed having someone to help her with her hair, her crystal necklace that she’d made herself. Then the sadness giving way to excitement when Curtis had knocked on the door.
She took the bag out of the closet and laid it gently on the bed, unzipping the zip as if it was Pandora’s box. But nothing emerged from the plastic beyond a wistful sense of nostalgia.
She’d designed the dress herself, going through pages of scrapbook paper until she got it just right, and she’d saved up the money she’d made working weekends for her mom to buy the material. She ran a finger over the fine chiffon, smiling at the memory of paying full price for the fabric so her mom wouldn’t know what she was up to. Stolen moments she’d worked at it, measuring, cutting, stitching, while she and Curtis had been making plans. He’d been stashing away enough money to pay for their trip, ready to go the moment she’d had her birthday and was legal.
Lily bit down
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