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5/22/15
"OKAY, RIGHT THIS way ladies!" Helen chirps.
My mother, Bailey, and I are back at the bridal store I Do. But this time we are here for Bailey to pick her dress. Bailey's been in a panic all day about having to pick her dress. She says she narrowed it down at the beginning of the summer before we all came down, but she just can't choose between the three left.
I've never understood woman and their need to have the "perfect dress" on their wedding day. It's a dress we wear for one day, and yet we are supposed to spend thousands on the stupid garment. Ugh, and all the crying that's involved with finding "the one" I hate it. How can a dress make a woman cry? Call me a cynic, but I find everything about weddings annoying and trivial. I used to be one of those girls who planned her wedding to the last little element, but that all changed years ago.
Helen walks us towards a large couch, and leads Bailey into the dressing room that sits in front of us. Before Helen pulls the curtain closed, Bailey shouts, "Now I want you all to be honest okay? I want Cale to cry the moment he sees me." She smiles at her words.
"Romantic," I rumble with a sigh. Helen pulls the curtain closed and the sounds of zippers and rustling fabric is all that is left to hear.
"Are you okay Gray?" My mother's voice questions to my left.
I turn to face her. "Why would you ask that?"
She purses her lips and shrugs. "I don't know, you've been a little weird the last couple days."
I nod in agreement, because I have been weird the last few days. Chase and I have texted a few times. I've barely talked to Kylie besides a little today. And Hayley has been too busy to talk for the last week. I feel alone and I hate it. Bailey only comes over sometimes, and if she does it's with Cale. So I can't even have one on one time with my sister. My parents have immersed themselves into the wedding planning, and I've never felt so left out.
I'm leaving Cale in the past, but that doesn't mean I want to help my sister plan her wedding to a man I once loved. To a man who crushed me beyond repair.
I chew on my lip. "I just don't want Bai to make a mistake with all of this," I say. And it's the truth. I don't want her to rush into something that can end badly. Cale hurt me in a way that I would never wish on anyone else, especially my sister.
"It is fast Gray, but she seems so in love," my mother smiles. "I've never seen her so happy, and Cale the way he looks at her—"
I cut her off, "Like she's the first shooting star he's ever seen." The words leave my mouth before I can stop them. I blush as I say those words. It's been years since I've muttered them.
My mother makes a face at my words, but nods slowly in agreement. "Yeah, he looks at her just like that," she mumbles suddenly deep in thought.
We sit in silence for a few minutes before the curtain finally slides open to reveal Bailey. All I can see is sparkle, sparkle, and more sparkle. She shuffles out of the room, resembling a waddling duck. Helen helps her onto the small round platform so she can face herself in the large three-way mirror.
