Perseverance

Chapter Thirty One ~ May

There's nothing quite like the feel of fresh air on your face while the sun beams down, warming every inch of your skin. I close my eyes briefly, inhaling the crisp morning day before opening them once more and heading towards the hospital.

The blue dress that Ellis bought me is fluttering in the breeze, fitting my form perfectly. Could it be that he peeked inside my other clothes to see what size I am? I don't understand how someone could get it so perfectly right so quickly.

My phone suddenly buzzes, a low sound emitting from my purse before I dig it out, thankful I finally changed it last night after Sav and I woke up to my mother ringing at half past three in the morning from London. Apparently she forgot about time zones.

"Hello?" I answer the phone with a cheery voice.

"Becky!" Alice exclaims and I smile at her voice.

"Alice. I hope you're doing okay... what with... Brett... in the hospital," I reply.

"Thank you for asking," she says. "I went to visit him yesterday and he convinced me to still go to the party last night."

"The party was last night?" I repeat, my eyes nearly falling out of my head.

"Yeah." She giggles. "Don't sound so nervous."

"Did the dress stay together? It didn't fall apart?"

"Becky Gordon!" she exclaims. "Have some faith in yourself. It was gorgeous. I felt like the belle of the ball!"

"Wasn't it someone else's birthday?" I smirk.

"Yes. But she stole my Barbie when I was five, stole my boyfriend two years ago, and also bought the same dress as me at our Christmas party after seeing me in the dress shop. She'll live."

I grin. "I'm glad I could help."

"There was... some press there. They took some photos."

I stop dead in the middle of the street. "They did what?" I practically squeal.

"I gave them your name," she sings. "You're going places, Bec!"

"Alice, I can't thank you enough," I babble quickly, grinning from ear to ear.

"I also gave your phone number to a few of my friends. They want your help for the next big thing. Hope that's okay?"

"Okay?" I scoff, absolutely speechless. "I... uh... oh... I... No problem."

She laughs. "I'm glad! I'll talk to you later."

"Sure," I reply, pulling the phone away from my ear when the line goes dead. I stare down at it, utterly frozen in time as I try to process what Alice just said and how to cope with it. Is she serious? She, and all of her friends, loved the dress! It was photographed, too. Who knows where my name is going to end up.

I couldn't have asked for a better outcome; I never saw this coming in a million years. A girl can dream, but for those to actually manifest into something realistic is fucking insane. Becky Gordon, designer.

This may actually work. I could potentially create a career out of this.

Grinning, I shove my phone away and continue down the street, now more enthusiastic than ever, a slight skip to my step. Thankfully, we're in the city, and as such, no-one pays attention to my bubbly little mood as I skip up to the hospital, sliding in through the revolving doors and heading straight for the elevator.

Stepping inside, I move to the back, softly humming to myself before a guy steps in beside me. Immediately shutting up, I lean back against the wall as he looks down at the clipboard in his hands, the white coat a clear giveaway that he's a doctor. Standing tall, he towers over me, the bulky figure not giving me much of a hint as to what's underneath.