Disconnected
"So much for you wanting to wait until at least a year. Four months away now." Thea smiled to her little sister, standing in the wedding dress shop with her in the large dressing room area they had hired for the day in hopes she could find her dress.
A few months had gone by and Jude and Sean had settled on their wedding venue and date, which was sooner than they thought but regardless, it didn't matter to them. They were really starting to plan things, hire caterers, design a wedding cake, send out invitations and a ton more. It was all stressful but so exciting. Having something to focus on was really helping Jude, as well as her continuous therapy sessions with Tracy. She hadn't felt this bright in a long time.
"It's so exciting." Jude smiled, "Can you please behave today, though." She said quietly as Thea turned to her, looking through the rack for more dresses to try on that she liked the look of.
"What do you mean?" Thea turned to her.
"I mean, don't be rude to Sean's mom." Jude said.
"I'm not one big nasty walking bitch, Jude." Thea scoffed as Jude looked at her, unconvinced, "But if you ask me, she shouldn't be here." Thea whispered.
"This is what I'm talking about." Jude whispered.
"Well she shouldn't." Thea said, "It should just be us, mom, Kirsty and Cassie."
"It's her son's wedding too." Jude said.
"Then she can go help him find a suit." Thea shrugged.
"Stop it." Jude said, "This is my mother-in-law. And she's a nice lady."
"She's snooty." Thea scoffed.
"No she isn't." Jude shook her head, "It means a lot to Sean that she's here with us, make her feel welcome and make sure mom doesn't start swinging. She behaves as well as you sometimes." She said, looking over at her mother and Gail, Sean's mom, who were sitting on the couch not saying anything to one another awkwardly, "God." Jude rolled her eyes.
"Ladies, would you like a mimosa?" The shop owner walked over with complimentary drinks as Thea looked at them.
"Yes." Jude said immediately, taking the champagne glass from the tray and taking a drink as Thea watched her.
"Easy." Thea laughed, "Could I have one without the champagne?" She asked the owner.
"Of course." The owner smiled, walking off to offer some drinks to AJ and Gail, who still weren't saying anything to each other.
"Can you please go over there and start a conversation." Jude begged, feeling anxious noticing her mother not saying a thing to Gail.
"Why me?" Thea whined.
"Well Cassie isn't even here yet and I'm pretty sure Kirsty is throwing up in the bathroom with a hangover." Jude scoffed.
"Some maid of honour she is." Thea tutted as Jude looked at her pleadingly, "Oh, fine." She shook her head, walking her way over to her mother and Gail, meanwhile Cassie arrived in the shop.
"Hey, I'm here." Cassie announced, running into the shop, lifting a mimosa from the tray at the front desk as she ran her way into the large dressing room area with the couches, "Sorry, I'm late." She apologised to Jude.
"That's ok. I'm glad you're here." Jude smiled.
"I just had to clear some stuff up at the station." Cassie nodded, "But I'm here and I'm ready to help you pick your dress." She smiled, clinking her glass against her sisters.
"I've sent Thea over to make sure mom and Gail don't kill each other with silence." Jude shook her head as Cassie looked over and laughed a little.
"Mom can be such a bitch." Cassie shook her head, "I love it." She said.
"Ok, I think I'm all thrown up." Kirsty announced, coming out from the bathroom, feeling accomplished.
"Ok, well I've picked a few dresses out already. I'm gonna go try them." Jude nodded.
"I'll help you." Kirsty nodded, heading past the curtain with Jude and closing it over to try on some dresses.
Meanwhile AJ was struggling to find conversation with her daughter's future mother-in-law. The woman was pleasant and kind, just very different from her and her family.
"She's so indecisive, we're gonna be here all day." Thea said, trying to create conversation, "My wedding dress was the first one I picked out." She nodded as Gail just smiled politely, not saying anything whilst AJ looked at Thea, as if in physical pain.
"Hey." Cassie walked over to where they were sitting, "Sorry I'm late."
"You're Cassie? The police officer?" Gail asked.
"Yes ma'am." Cassie smiled, "I can't believe it's only four months away now." She shook her head.
"It is going by rather quickly." Gail agreed.
Meanwhile Kirsty opened up the curtain to show Jude in the first dress she'd tried on, "Dress number one." Kirsty announced as Jude walked out, holding the dress up so she didn't trip.
"Oh." AJ placed her hand on her chest, standing up as she looked at her baby girl in the most beautiful dress, "You look beautiful." She sighed to herself as Jude smiled to her.
"I do like this one." Jude nodded, "I'm not sure about the back, though." She said, turning around to let them see the back of the dress.
"Oh, yeah I don't like the back." Thea said honestly.
"Yeah, that looks like a rack of meat." Cassie agreed as Jude turned to her.
"Thanks, Cass." Jude scoffed.
"No… well, you know what I mean." Cassie said.
"Well I'm no use in this part, I think you look stunning." AJ waved her hand as Jude smiled.
"What do you think, Gail?" Jude asked. She desperately wanted to include her mother-in-law in this. Not to seek approval but just because it felt like the right thing to do.
"Well, it's lovely." Gail nodded as Jude smiled, "But I was thinking maybe something that covered your chest a little better would… be more suitable." She smiled as Jude nodded slowly.
"What?" Thea laughed, "No way, we gotta have some cleavage out." She said.
"Yeah, I vote for tits out." Cassie added as AJ turned to them both with wide, angry eyes whilst Gail looked shocked.
"Noted." Jude nodded to them both angrily as Thea and Cassie smiled innocently, "I'll go… try another one on." She announced, walking back through the curtain, "I'm gonna kill them." She told Kirsty who just chuckled.
Jude tried on many dresses, all which were beautiful but never felt like the perfect one. She was beginning to give up hope until one of the last dresses she tried. As soon as she got it on, it felt perfect. She loved the way it felt on her without even seeing it yet. Something about it just made her feel magical, like a princess.
"Dress number… I've lost count." Kirsty admitted, pulling the curtain back as Jude walked out. It was pretty plain, satin and not too long at the back, but fit her perfectly in all the right places.
"Ok, that is… super pretty." Cassie stood up immediately as Thea looked on with a smile.
"I really like this one." Jude admitted truthfully, "Really like it." She emphasised.
"It's so beautiful." Thea smiled, "You look amazing."
"God damn it, I'm sick of this." AJ sighed, drying more tears with the tissue in her pocket, "It's stunning, Jude." She shook her head in awe as Jude smiled, turning around to let them see the back.
"I really like it." Jude said happily, looking in the mirror, really imagining herself getting married in this one.
"It's very beautiful." Gail added as Jude smiled.
"I think this might be the one." Jude smiled excitedly, brushing her hands down the front of it, "This is it."
"Help!" AJ yelled, banging on the door of the basement closet, desperately trying to open it up, pulling at the handle aggressively, but the door had been locked.
"I'll try break it down." Punk told her as she stepped aside, watching as he began kicking at the door, which to their dismay was a pretty heavy, steel door.
"What about your phone? I don't have mine." She said worriedly.
"I left mine at the table." Punk groaned to himself, "Fuck." He walked away from the door, putting his hands over his face as AJ watched worriedly.
"Phil, what the hell is going on?" AJ shook her head worriedly, "Why are they here and what are they doing?" She asked, feeling extremely disconnected from everything that was going on.
"I don't know, April." Punk said with frustration.
"What about the girls?" AJ asked, in fear of something happening to them.
"They'll… They'll be fine." Punk said, saying anything to keep her calm.
"Help!" AJ yelled loudly, banging at the door, frightened and worried for her children and her family's safety as she and her husband had been pretty much taken out of the picture, "Help!" AJ screamed desperately.
"No one is gonna hear us." Punk told her.
"Well what are we gonna do?" AJ snapped, "What's happening up there?" She cried worriedly as Punk looked over at her, walking over and taking her hands.
"Look at me." He said calmly as she looked at him, "It's gonna be ok." He nodded. He didn't know it would be. He was doubtful. Worried to death himself. Feeling helpless and shut out, but he couldn't watch his wife panic.
The day had been glorious. They got to watch their daughter get married to someone she loved and adored. It was beautiful. AJ had the best time helping her daughter get ready. Punk beamed with pride as he walked her down the aisle. It was beautiful and peaceful, and then… suddenly it wasn't. And that dreaded cloud they knew all too well came looming over them.
"You don't know that." AJ cried, "Why are they here, Phil? We-We shouldn't have come down here." AJ shook her head stressfully, "Why would they lock us in here? I mean… obviously they're up to something and the girls are up there and I-"
"Just take a deep breath." Punk pleaded with her as she placed her hands in her hair, "We'll get out of here." He assured her, "I don't know why they're here or… or what they want." He gulped, "But just… keep your cool, I'll get us out." He promised her as she looked at him and nodded slowly, "Help me find something to break the door down with."
