What Makes You Different Makes You Beautiful (SYTYCW Top 25) (professional edit)

Chapter Eight

About a month and a half had gone by since Rosalind's mother had started chemotherapy. Rosalind had been at mostly every session, as she looked very different now. She was staying at a motel room, telling all her children that she had gone to visit her friend Vienna in Paris. She wasn't sure if anyone bought the cover, but Bianca certainly did. She was guns blazing, in full wedding planning mode. Rosalind had unfortunately offered to step in to be her helper. She tried to remain quiet, as Bianca's catty bridesmaids marvelled over dresses at the bridesmaid boutique that day. She wished she was trying on a dress, but she knew she wasn't part of the bridal party. 

"What are you wearing to the wedding?" Bianca's best friend April asked Rosalind, as she looked over violet-coloured dresses. 

"I think my best friend Tru is going to design me a dress," Rosalind replied weakly, trying not to cry. 

"Yeah right," Bianca laughed good-naturedly, and Rosalind gave her a dirty look. "No offense, but Tru's style is a bit out there, even for my taste. I see you in something more elegant, but sexy. Something Lincoln will go nuts over. A baby-making dress." 

"Funny," Rosalind rolled her eyes, hurt Bianca wasn't being sensitive to the fact she wasn't in the wedding. 

"My maid of honour is going to look hot," Bianca informed the bridesmaids. "Come here, Rosalind. Do you like any of these dresses?" 

"I don't think I'll find my dress here," Rosalind spoke up, walking over to Bianca. 

"You have to," Bianca replied stubbornly. "My wedding is in less than six months, and if I don't order the dresses today, then they won't be in on time." 

"But, I'm not in your wedding," Rosalind announced, and the whole bridal party turned to look at her, shocked. 

"What?" Bianca snapped at her, her face becoming angry. "You are just going to drop out of your own sister's wedding? How can you do this to me?" 

"Mom said I wasn't in your bridal party," Rosalind informed her, becoming frustrated. "She said I was too fat to be in it." 

"Oh, that's just Mom," Bianca rolled her eyes. "You are my maid of honour, Rosalind! Don't you remember when we were little, we promised we would be each other's maid of honour? God, Rosalind, you need to stop listening to Mom and start believing in yourself more!" 

"So, I am your maid of honour?" Rosalind looked at her, her eyes filling with tears. 

"Uh, yeah," Bianca smiled at her. "I'm surprised you even thought you wouldn't be. Come on, Ro, as Lincoln calls you, pick out a hot, sexy dress." 

"Are you sure?" she asked her sister, and Bianca smiled at her.  

"Yes, silly," she responded, and she hugged her. "Rosalind, there is nobody else I would want standing up for me. How about this dress?" She held up a beautiful long dress made of chiffon that had one strap with roses sown all down the shoulder. The colour was a light pink, and Rosalind immediately fell in love with the dress. She heard her cell phone ring and looked down to see Lincoln's number across it. 

"It's Linc," she told Bianca. 

"Tell him to stop by," Bianca suggested. "Maybe Lauren can be the flower girl? I don't have one." 

"Really?" she looked at her sister, and Bianca nodded. "Are you sure that's not rushing things?"  

"Not at all," Bianca smiled. "You and that boy are going to walk down the aisle one day." She disappeared into the dressing room with April, and Rosalind took Lincoln's phone call outside the store.  

"How's dress shopping, baby?" he asked her huskily, as she heard Lauren squealing in the background. She remembered back to the three times she had spent time with Lauren and Landon. Lauren loved her she thought, and hung onto her every word. Landon was more reserved, but the last time she had seen him he had come and sat right beside her, as she read them a book quietly before bed time. Lincoln assured her to just be patient with him.