My eyes fluttered open to the sight of my fiancee, my Christopher Doll. He seemed younger in his sleep, not the surrogate father of two seven year olds, but the seventeen year old he was. His face was calm and he seemed miles away from our predicament.

"Momma, you awake?" Cory called up the stairs making Chris stir.

"We'll be right down darlings," I called back. "Get dressed please."

"Yes Momma."

I turned to Chris to see him staring at me, eternal love and devotion in his eyes.

"Morning my love." His voice is ragged and rough from sleep.

"Morning."

He kissed me softly and cupped my neck. Before it could build up in passion I pulled away with one word, "Grandmother."

He nodded and we got up to dress.

After our meager breakfast of gritty oatmeal we decided to get ready for our wedding. Chris took Cory into the bathroom so they could bathe and dress in their best clothes.

"Carrie come with Momma I have something to show you."

I led her to the attic and to a trunk I had found. Inside was an old wedding gown embroidered with flowers and covered in pearls.

"Want to help me alter it?"

She nodded.

After an hour of work the dress seemed to hug what curves I had. I found a matching veil at the bottom of the trunk and now we were making flowers for a bouquet

"Cathy you can have the bathroom now. I put one of Carrie's dresses in there for you."

I subconsciously tugged at my short hair wishing Grandmother never forced Chris to cut the tar out. Now not only was it short but rough and brittle.

"You look pretty Momma."

Looking at myself in the white satin with a clean face I actually felt pretty for the first time since we got trapped in the attic.

The look on Chris's face was worth all the work. He gazed at me as if he could do so forever.

I'm pretty sure I was matching his look as I took him in. He was wearing his blue button down and black pants, but his smile was the brightest thing in the room, outshining even the pearls on my dress..

We both breathed heavily with nerves, there was no going back after this. We would never be just siblings again, before starting our vows.

"I, Christopher Dollanganger Jr., take thee, Catherine Leigh Dollanganger as my lawfully wedded wife..."

"I, Catherine Leigh Dollanganger, take thee, Christopher Dollanganger Jr as my lawfully wedded husband..."

"For richer or poorer,"

"In sickness and in health,"

"To love and to honor,"

"To hold and to keep,"

"From each sun to each moon "

"From tomorrow to tomorrow,"

"From now to forever,"

"Til death do us part."

He carefully slid the ring onto my finger. "With this ring I thee wed."

I copied his motion. "With this ring I thee wed."

The kiss that followed was the sweetest we had ever shared, and would be the first of many to come."