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“Okay, let’s get this on!” Heather said as she helped me slide into the form-fitting dress. I turned and looked at myself in the long mirror. Everyone stared, including me.
“You look amazing in that dress. Miles is going to pull it off of you,” Patty said. “Sorry, Aunt Ally.”
My mother laughed and looked at me in the mirror. Our eyes met. “You look stunning, but your father may have a heart attack when he sees you in this dress. And Miles will most certainly be affected.” He wiggled her brows.
“Mom!” I said, feeling my cheeks turn hot.
Glancing back at the dress, I took it all in. The white lace gown had a few accents of beads and pearls on it, but nothing that took away from the gorgeous design. The plunging tank bodice left little to the imagination, to say the least. It was fully lined in a beige mesh that gave it a barely there look. It made the white lace lining pop and showed the incredible detail. The drop scalloped back went all the way to the bottom of my back, exposing my skin and adding that perfect touch of sexy.
My mother touched my arm, causing me to pull my gaze off the dress and face her.
“This is for you. Your something new.” She slipped a silver bracelet onto my arm. It had diamonds circling the band and caught the light in the most beautiful way.
“Mom, this is stunning.”
“It’s from your father and me. I have one more thing. It’s from your sister.”
My chin trembled as she pulled out the diamond and pearl hairpin that had been my sister June’s. “As you walk through the barn, it will catch the light from all the white twinkle lights, and it will be just like she’s with you.”
I fought to hold back my tears. “She is with me. With us.”
My mother nodded.
“They’re both beautiful, and I will treasure them always.”
With a smile, she kissed my cheek. “You look stunning, sweetheart. A vision in white. Miles is going to be knocked right off his feet.”
Pulling in a deep breath, I looked back at my reflection in the mirror. “I can’t wait to see him.”
“His two Marine Corps buddies showed up right on time. They all look so handsome.”
“Handsome? Aunt Ally, they are all drop-dead gorgeous. The moment they walked into the house I heard all the women’s ovaries bursting at once, including mine.”
We all laughed.
Heather walked up to me and smiled, making me get all teary-eyed again.
“You have your something borrowed.” She touched my earrings. Then she looked at the bracelet. “You have your something new.”
I sniffled and fought to keep my emotions in check.
“You need something old, and something blue.”
She held up a blue lace garter belt that was covered in crystals and pearls. I gasped when she held it out for me to see.
“Miles told me he found this in Paris at a store next to the place he bought your engagement ring.”
I was losing the battle of not crying. My eyes went form the garter to Heather. “He bought this for me?”
She nodded, and her own inner battle to keep from crying was evident.
“He’s so damn romantic, and he doesn’t even try! It’s not fair!” Heather said.
We both giggled as Patty and my mother lifted my dress, and Heather slipped the garter on.
“There’s one more thing you need,” Heather said. She held up a small silver coin. “A sixpence in your shoe.” She slipped the sixpence into the small pocket on the garter belt. “For prosperity. That is from me.”
My hand came up to my mouth and a sob slipped free. Heather stood, and we hugged, being ever so careful not to wrinkle either of our dresses. Heather, Patty, and Lana each wore a dress that they had picked out. I didn’t have a color theme, I wanted it to be easy for everyone. They all ended up going with light blue, something they must have decided on together. It matched the beautiful bouquets of flowers that had touches of blues in all of them. Another thing requested by Miles because he remembered blue was my favorite color.
With a shaking breath, I dabbed at the corner of my eyes and said, “I’m so happy, I don’t remember ever being this happy.”
“Just wait until you see Miles,” Lana said.
I faced her. “Is he in his uniform?”
She nodded. “He is.”
Of course, I’d seen Miles in his uniform before, but only in pictures. The few times he’d come home on leave, he, of course, wasn’t in his uniform. At least not the rare times I actually saw him home on leave, that is. I couldn’t wait to see him.
A knock on the bedroom door had my mother walking over to open it. She barely had the door open, but I heard his voice.
