Chapter 26: 6 Months and a Wedding Dress

A/N: I'm not sure if they had CPR back then, but please forgive me if it's wrong. It's also a little shorter than the others but don't worry the next one will be longer! Please enjoy anyway! :D

October 1921 New York City

"Does this dress make me look fat?" Elizabeth asked her friends Betsy and Cherlyn as well as her sister Lucille and her mother, Sophia. It was a typical question. Who wants to look fat in a wedding dress? It's a special day and every woman knows that they need to look their best.

The dress was a simple satin with lace around the collar as well as her wrists and didn't have a big trail. The dress was round from her neck to her breasts so she could put on her cross necklace that she got when she was ten from her eldest aunt in Italy who died of cancer. Elizabeth only saw her once a year when she visited, but her aunt adored her in every way possible. That necklace meant a lot.

"No of course not," Cherlyn replied. "Honey, everyone dies for your figure. You're just so small and have some curves!" The ladies in the room giggled at the comment.

Elizabeth stopped twirling and looked at everyone with a distrusting eye. Her eyebrow was raise and looked at her Native American friend. "You aren't lying to me, are you?"

"Have I ever lied to you?" Cherlyn responded

"Yes."

"But with this, no. It's a wedding for God's sake! Why don't you ask Betsy? She's an honest friend too." Cherlyn darted her attention to Betsy.

"Elizabeth, you look great. The dress is beautiful. It practically fits you. It was made for you." Betsy concluded. Lucille nodded in agreement.

"Elizabeth, you look like me in dress," her mother said in her accent as she remembered her wedding dress quickly.

Sophia Quressimo has been supportive through the whole thing, the same with her husband. This spook and yet made Elizabeth more happy. She was happy that there was peace between them and she wasn't going to ruin it. She helped with the flowers and the ceremony which would be in Crabapple Cove. All Sophia did was make sure that their priest would be there. Daniel didn't mind one bit just as long as she was happy.

"Thanks Mom, and everyone. This means a lot. You have no idea. Do you think Danny will like it?"

"Daniel will die for you," Lucille replied. "If only he died for me," she murmured to herself.

"Hey!" Elizabeth exclaimed.

"Just kidding." Lucille said quickly with a smile.

"Put the veil on, Elizabeth," Betsy suggested.

Elizabeth obeyed the command and everyone was in awe. The beautiful bride to be looked at everyone. They had no tears in their eyes but at this moment, they did. Especially Mrs. Quressimo.

"Ok, this is supposed to be a happy day. Besides, it's not until a month from now. Please save your tears for the real thing!" Elizabeth said.

"You just look so beautiful just like a goddess," Betsy chimed in.

"Are you sure?" Elizabeth answered her own question by looking into one of the mirrors and seeing for herself. She was right. Her face was full, and her blue eyes glisten underneath the lace veil. Her figured showed and she looked perfect. Elizabeth smiled at her reflection. All that was missing were a bouquet of flowers in her hand. Other than that, she looked like a perfect bride. She wasn't a goddess, of course but she did look beautiful. She was speechless.

"See?" Betsy said proving her point.

"Oh, cummon, everyone can see that! Elizabeth always been lucky to have those features." Cherlyn pointed out. "Especially in high school."

"'Lizabeth always been beautiful. She always had little boys coming to the door even in grade school! Even that one time where... what was it? Oh, I remember. One boy came and gave you a ride through the city, but he was drunk and tried it with you and the car tipped into the river..."

"That's enough!" Elizabeth ordered. She remembered that. She was only sixteen. The boy was William O'Bryan; an Irish boy who was the same age. He drove to the house to pick her up for the spring dance, but they never made it. He tired to have sex with her in the car but when Elizabeth refused. She tried to get out of the care, but William swerved off the road moments later of her rejection and the next thing each one knew they were in the middle of the river. Ice water filled Elizabeth's lungs quickly and she tried to reach for the surface gasping for air, but William (who was under her) pulled her back down by her ankle. If he couldn't have sex with her than no one can. Eventually William held her down until she passed out. But when he got to the surface, he was surrounded by the police. He admitted a murder once pulled by a policeman, but didn't care. He got arrested. One policeman went down to get her, and they did. Flashing the light upon Elizabeth, they noticed that she was pale and took CPR. After a few tries, she revived coughing up water. They insisted she go to the hospital, but she repeatedly refused and unsteadily walked home in tears. Elizabeth told her mother everything who only cried with her. That was one of the regrets she had coming in the United States of America: death and rejection.

"I think we lost her. Elizabeth?" The three girls said and snapped her fingers in front of her face. Elizabeth was still in train of thought.

"ELIZABETH!!" Her mother called.

"I'm here!" She answered fast. The other women just looked at her

"Good, thought we lost you," Her mother said in the most perfect English.

"Are we getting the dress?" Lucille asked.

Thinking for a moment, Elizabeth replied, "Yes, I believe we are."

--

"The tuxedo looks great, Daniel," Robert complimented.

"Thanks and it seems to fit well. Not tight or snug." Daniel answered inspecting it to make sure that it was good all around.

"You get it?" Robert asked.

"Yeah, why not? That was fast." Daniel realized.

"We men don't take all day with choosing clothes like women. Right now, Elizabeth must be trying on eight different dresses because they all make her look fat. She has to find that 'perfect dress'. Those are women's ways of finding clothes. Trying everything on and then taking it off again and so forth. Not us. We men chose one outfit and stick to it! Right?" He slammed his hand on Daniel's back.

"Right!"

"Great, now let's go and pay." Daniel changed and the two of them went up to the cashier to pay.