PART TWO
"No, parking would be at the end of the street…friend of the groom or bride? Right this way….right, left, right….Look at how cute Sissy looks…isn- --Sissy! Sissy! Those flowers aren't cheap! You just keep marching on! …Oh my god! It's the apocalypse! Run, hide everyone! The day of reckoning has fallen upon us! We're all doomed to—"
The door to her bedroom opened as Jenna Hofiat, svelte as ever, leaned against Cassidy's door post. At 6'1, Jenna was a long-legged blonde who was stuck in her pre-teen days. The true Hofiat daughter had fawn-like beauty: fragile blond hair, ivory skin, and Viking blue eyes with brows thin and naturally arched. A complete contrast to Cassidy's gypsy-like comeliness, she still loved and felt protective of the growing girl. When her parents had adopted Cassidy, Jenna had been only fourteen, four years older than Cass. But now, Jenna was taking a large step and feared she was getting cold feet. And not about her marriage.
"Don't pull a 'Grosse Point Blank' with me, Cats," Jenna smiled nervously.
"Are you referring to me making smart ass comments in front of my dresser mirror while I fix the ribbon in my hair?" Cass asked in mock stupefaction.
Jenna smiled weakly. She shoved the young girl's hand away and helped tie the ribbon.
"Guests should be here by now."
"They'll come." Cass looked herself up and down. She had chosen to wear a deep red cocktail dress for that night's rehearsal. The red ribbon had been Jenna's fiance's idea; Andrew, unlike some, had always wanted a little sister.
"There." Jenna let her hands down and rubbed them against the sides of her own forest green cocktail dress.
"So glad you didn't choose seafoam." Cassidy grinned but stopped as she saw Jenna's look. "..Jen? What is it?"
Jenna turned around and sat on Cass's bed.
"You'd even look beautiful in seafoam, Cats."
"Jen, what is it?" Cassidy walked to her side and bent down. Jenna put her hand on Cassidy's cheek.
"It's just…some things don't always appear as the seem to…"
There was a lull. The sound of a doorbell broke the silence.
"You should go get that..," whispered Jenna.
Cassidy got to her feet, almost in a trance. She nodded and left, leaving Jenna Hofiat to contemplate her thoughts.
The backyard had been set up for the rehearsal, as the Hofiats decided a nice warm evening wedding would be traditional at best. Few guests came for the rehearsal, as also seemed to be tradition, Mr. Hofiat cracked to his wife. Cassidy helped manage the door and usher the people to their seats. She though she'd get sick of the phrase "Bride or groom?"
Peering out the backyard door, she heard the sound of the doorbell. Several times. Flicking her hair, she ran to the door. I'm coming you impatient bugger, she frowned and opened the door.
Benjamin Harris turned a deep shade of crimson.
"So you heard?"
"I think China heard."
"Sorry." Ben grinned and took a step inside as she opened the door further. "I thought it was broken."
"I'm sure…Bride or groom?" Cass began a fast pace to the backyard gazebo with Ben following her.
"Groom. Friend of Andrew's. Wow, pretty striking." He nodded to himself as he looked around. Crystal lights were hung from the wooden fence and a tent was in the process of being set up. There was a pond behind the gazebo that had been encircled with frills and lace. Several aisles of chairs were emptied.
"Ah, at least one of his friend's will be supporting him at this." Cassidy motioned to seat at the end of the second aisle.
"Yeah, I was tempted to bring my 'Honk if you like Andrew' sign but decided against it." He took a seat and nodded, more humilated by Cassidy's stare. He eased up as soon as she giggled.
"Slow reaction?"
"No, just slow first impression." She waved and walked off.
"No, parking would be at the end of the street…friend of the groom or bride? Right this way….right, left, right….Look at how cute Sissy looks…isn- --Sissy! Sissy! Those flowers aren't cheap! You just keep marching on! …Oh my god! It's the apocalypse! Run, hide everyone! The day of reckoning has fallen upon us! We're all doomed to—"
The door to her bedroom opened as Jenna Hofiat, svelte as ever, leaned against Cassidy's door post. At 6'1, Jenna was a long-legged blonde who was stuck in her pre-teen days. The true Hofiat daughter had fawn-like beauty: fragile blond hair, ivory skin, and Viking blue eyes with brows thin and naturally arched. A complete contrast to Cassidy's gypsy-like comeliness, she still loved and felt protective of the growing girl. When her parents had adopted Cassidy, Jenna had been only fourteen, four years older than Cass. But now, Jenna was taking a large step and feared she was getting cold feet. And not about her marriage.
"Don't pull a 'Grosse Point Blank' with me, Cats," Jenna smiled nervously.
"Are you referring to me making smart ass comments in front of my dresser mirror while I fix the ribbon in my hair?" Cass asked in mock stupefaction.
Jenna smiled weakly. She shoved the young girl's hand away and helped tie the ribbon.
"Guests should be here by now."
"They'll come." Cass looked herself up and down. She had chosen to wear a deep red cocktail dress for that night's rehearsal. The red ribbon had been Jenna's fiance's idea; Andrew, unlike some, had always wanted a little sister.
"There." Jenna let her hands down and rubbed them against the sides of her own forest green cocktail dress.
"So glad you didn't choose seafoam." Cassidy grinned but stopped as she saw Jenna's look. "..Jen? What is it?"
Jenna turned around and sat on Cass's bed.
"You'd even look beautiful in seafoam, Cats."
"Jen, what is it?" Cassidy walked to her side and bent down. Jenna put her hand on Cassidy's cheek.
"It's just…some things don't always appear as the seem to…"
There was a lull. The sound of a doorbell broke the silence.
"You should go get that..," whispered Jenna.
Cassidy got to her feet, almost in a trance. She nodded and left, leaving Jenna Hofiat to contemplate her thoughts.
The backyard had been set up for the rehearsal, as the Hofiats decided a nice warm evening wedding would be traditional at best. Few guests came for the rehearsal, as also seemed to be tradition, Mr. Hofiat cracked to his wife. Cassidy helped manage the door and usher the people to their seats. She though she'd get sick of the phrase "Bride or groom?"
Peering out the backyard door, she heard the sound of the doorbell. Several times. Flicking her hair, she ran to the door. I'm coming you impatient bugger, she frowned and opened the door.
Benjamin Harris turned a deep shade of crimson.
"So you heard?"
"I think China heard."
"Sorry." Ben grinned and took a step inside as she opened the door further. "I thought it was broken."
"I'm sure…Bride or groom?" Cass began a fast pace to the backyard gazebo with Ben following her.
"Groom. Friend of Andrew's. Wow, pretty striking." He nodded to himself as he looked around. Crystal lights were hung from the wooden fence and a tent was in the process of being set up. There was a pond behind the gazebo that had been encircled with frills and lace. Several aisles of chairs were emptied.
"Ah, at least one of his friend's will be supporting him at this." Cassidy motioned to seat at the end of the second aisle.
"Yeah, I was tempted to bring my 'Honk if you like Andrew' sign but decided against it." He took a seat and nodded, more humilated by Cassidy's stare. He eased up as soon as she giggled.
"Slow reaction?"
"No, just slow first impression." She waved and walked off.