IV

Rory turned to the side, trying to see herself in profile as well as she could. She'd gone for something simple but classic, gathering her hair in a bun at the nape of her neck. She didn't want her hairdo competing with the bride's—plus Lorelei's up-do seemed to have swallowed up most of Rory's bobby pins. Likely there were more floating around in the boxes reflected in Rory's bedroom mirror, but she did NOT have the time to dive back in there.

Her makeup she had applied with a light hand. Warm blush on her cheeks and light gold on her eyelids. Dark brown liner—nothing too dramatic. A complementary tone for her lipstick. She did want to show her eyes off most, and she knew golden shades were the way to do it. She figured it couldn't hurt, since dancing did often require prolonged eye contact. Unless your eyes were closed… and so were your partner's…

Her mind started to drift as she closed her eyes and pictured herself in Jess's arms. Could Jess waltz? She shook her head in amusement. Imagine. She hoped so, for more reasons than just the kick her mother and her would get out of that piece of information. Fingers crossed that good ballroom dancing technique could run in a family.

Rory stepped over to her closet, withdrawing the garment bag she'd left hanging there earlier. She unzipped it all the way this time, then pushed the bag off the hanger, letting it drift to the floor like an oversized leaf.

The dress glowed like a jewel. Maybe it would be her new lucky dress. She unbuttoned her blouse—too many times before had she made the mistake of doing her hair then having to yank a shirt off over her head—and tossed it onto her bed. She unknotted the drawstring on her sweats and kicked them off, leaving them in a pile on the floor. Ok, dress time.

Luckily, this dress didn't require too much wriggling around or sucking in of breath and stomach to get into. It came in naturally at her waist, then fell loosely to a few inches above her knees. The bodice fit closely, coming to a sweetheart neckline with delicate off the shoulder straps. Sleeves? Strappy sleeves? Those loose drapey arm bits à la Belle's yellow ball gown. Basically, it looked great without trying too hard, though Rory did try too hard to overanalyze it. It's fine. Mom picked it. You know it looks great, you're just freaking out. Focus. Get upstairs and help mom.

She took a deep breath, collecting herself, then retrieved her heels and purse, dropping them outside the foyer on her way to the stairs. She raced up to her mom's bedroom to find Lorelei sitting on her bed in her underwear, a powdered donut halfway to her mouth. "Oh, hi hun!" The donut reached its target.

Rory looked over at Emily, sitting in a chair, but her grandmother just shrugged. "She told me it was either the donut or a taco and if I had seen salsa hovering over her today of all days…" She pursed her lips then relaxed. "At least the sugar falling off that thing is white."

Lorelei propelled herself up off her bed, clapping her hands together in her eagerness. A cloud of icing sugar puffed up. "Ah, maybe I'll just go wash my hands."

"Good idea," Emily deadpanned.

The front door banged shut. "I HAVE THE BOUQUETS! DON'T START WITHOUT ME!"

Rory ran to the banister. "We're up here, Sookie! Don't worry, she hasn't put the dress on yet."

"Ok, great! Thanks, hun." Rory grabbed Sookie by the hand once she had awkwardly shed her coat and dragged her up the stairs.

Lorelei was back in her bedroom, watching Emily unzip a much larger garment bag than Rory's. White material spilled out of the opening. Sookie bent to lift the bottom of the dress out of the bag while Emily removed the bag from the hanger at the top. Rory started going to town with the camera.

"Rory, make sure you're not getting your mother in the shot. She's in her underwear!"

"Rory, make sure you ARE totally getting your mother in the shot! She's still young and hot!" This from Lorelei herself. Rory laughed and made sure to get some of each type of shot.

Quickly, the ladies had the gown pooled on the floor for Lorelei to step into. She did so, balancing her hands on Rory's shoulders. Rory met her mother's hands with her own, gripping them to steady herself as much as Lorelei. They guided the gown up to her hips and let Lorelei take it from there. She adjusted the dress's waistline to meet her own then pulled the bodice into position. Sookie, with her careful baker's fingers, laced it up from the back.

It was a combination of 40's glam and loose, romantic ruffles. "I feel like Arwen meets Rosemary Clooney in White Christmas!" Lorelei was beaming. Rory thought she looked stunningly beautiful.

"Yeah, we're just missing the One Ring," Rory grinned back at her, then felt her eyes well up with tears.

"Don't start that! I can't hug you!" Lorelei gestured to her yards of white fabric.

"I'm ok, mom." Rory leaned in and kissed her mother on the cheek. She heard the camera's snap.

"Turn around now, Rory, let's get a nice group shot!"

"She's really going bonkers with this tourist thing," Lorelei whispered to Rory.

"I heard that. Now just a second while I figure out the timer." Emily hastily constructed a tripod from a Kleenex box and the half-full donut carton.

Sookie knelt again to fluff and arrange the bottom of Lorelei's dress. "God, it's magical. You look like the cake of my dreams!"

Lorelei burst out laughing. "Well come on up here, I don't want you looking like you're about to eat my dress in the picture." Sookie rose, straightening the front of her navy dress just as Emily called out "Got it! Ok, 15 seconds, ladies!"

Emily raced over, pulling Lorelei forward, pressing Rory to one side of her, and Sookie to the other.

"Aw, Emily, no way." Sookie smiled at her and gestured to Emily to take the space next to her daughter.

Emily smiled and pulled Sookie in to her other side. She felt Lorelei's fingers reach out for her own. She grasped her daughter's hand tightly and turned to look at the camera. The flash went off.

"That's gonna look great in black and white," Sookie sniffed.

Culture references in this chapter:

The Lord of the Rings series by J.R.R. Tolkien

White Christmas directed by Michael Curtiz