The next several weeks flew by. Eric was sentenced to ten years in a
minimum security prison. Jerrica continued her therapy session and her
nightmares became fewer and fewer. On a warm Saturday morning she went
dress shopping with Mary while Mark and Rory took care of the baby.
"Rory was so sweet to hang out with Mark today. I felt bad leaving him
alone all day with Kaitlynn."
"Rory wanted to. He likes Mark and the baby." Jerrica said as they entered the first bridal
store. A young woman approached. Her tag said, Sandy.
"Hi, how can I help you today?"
"I'm getting married and need a dress." Jerrica said.
"Well, follow me then." the young woman said. She led them to a rack of
dresses, showing each one to Jerrica who picked two to try on on. The
first had a full skirt with a cathedral length train and tons of lace trim
and beads.
"I think this is too much for a beach wedding."
"But it is beautiful." Mary said. Next she tried a v-neck dress with a
plain, slim skirt and a small train. It was very plain with no lace or
beads.
"This is nice." Jerrica said. She turned around to get a different view
and saw a dress across the room on a mannequin. "I want to try that one."
she said, pointing to the dress.
"Be right back." the young woman said. She retrieved the dress in Jerrica's
size and walked back to the dressing room. Handing it to Jerrica she
helped her out of the dress she was in and into the new one. Stepping out
she heard Mary gasp.
"You look stunning." Mary said.
"This is it." Jerrica said. "I'll take it."
Next, they sat at a café eating lunch and looking at bridal magazines.
"I just can't decide what kind of bridesmaid dresses to pick." Jerrica
fretted.
"I'm sure you'll find the perfect dresses, and if nothing else have Shana
design something."
"You know your right. I'll have to call her this week. I'm just glad the
trial is over and Eric is right where he belongs."
"Me too. I was so sorry about what happened to you. It should have been
one of us."
"No, sweetie, it shouldn't have been any of us."
Weeks passed. While searching downtown, they came across a small shop with the perfect invitations. They had a simple aqua colored background with seashells at the top. They decided to keep the theme light. The reception was going to be held at a nearby tiki bar owned by a friend of Rory's. There would be a DJ and maybe some live music as well. Jerrica was virtually nightmare free. She spent her free time putting her house on the market and packing it up. One weekend she had a yard sale to get rid of some of her belongings. A couple of weeks before the wedding she moved into Rory's house
permanently. He surprised her with a welcome banner and a cake he made
himself. The wedding was getting closer. They talked about last minute
wedding plans and about the honeymoon. They decided they would spend a few days in New York seeing the sights and visiting with Kimber and Bobby.
Suddenly it was the day before the wedding. Kimber and Bobby arrived
first, around ten in the morning. Rory picked them up at the airport and
set them up in one of his guest rooms. Aja, Craig, and Shana arrived
together later in the afternoon. Because of the time change they were all
exhausted and went straight to their hotel to sleep before the rehearsal that
night. Even some of the guests arrived a day early. Since her house had
not been sold yet, Jerrica used it to put up some of her old charges who
had to drive or fly in. Around six o'clock the wedding party and their
significant others gathered at the beach for the rehearsal.
The rehearsal went off without a hitch. Afterward everyone gathered inside
for pizza. They invited the girls staying at Jerrica's house and Rio and
Sarah stopped by on the way to their hotel. They rang the bell and were
greeted by Rory.
"Rio, and you must be Sarah. Welcome. Come in. Everyone will be thrilled
to see you."
"Do we know you?" Rio asked.
"Picture me with longer hair, heavier, more muscles, and without the scar.
Oh, and dressed in tight pants."
"Riot?"
"Well, Rory but yes, it is me. How was your flight?"
"It was very nice. Thank you for having us," Sarah said.
"Please, we're all friends here. Everyone else is in the kitchen. Just be
careful I think one of the bridesmaids spiked the punch," he said.
"We did not." he heard one of them yell.
"Hey everyone," Rio said as he entered the kitchen.
"Rio." everyone cried. Jerrica walked up first and gave him a hug.
"It's been so long. You look good," she said. Turning to the woman beside
him she held out her hand. "You must be Sarah. Thank you for coming. I'm
Jerrica by the way."
"Nice to meet you. I've heard so much about all of you. It's good to
finally see the faces behind the stories, up close I mean."
"Oh, could we tell you stories," Aja said, latching on to the woman's arm
and pulling her away to huddle in a corner with the rest of the women.
"Hey, can we take a walk outside for a minute?" Rio asked.
"Sure, let's go. We'll be right back," Jerrica said, kissing her soon to
be husband on the cheek as they passed. She led Rio outside and they
stood, looking out at the ocean.
"So, you're really getting married huh?" he asked.
"Yeah, about time I guess."
"He's really the one? You've thought this through? I'd hate to think
you're marrying him just out of loneliness or something, you deserve better
than that."
"Thank you for caring but I do love him and he loves me. Yes, I was very
lonely before we found each other but he's just so incredible and he treats
me like I'm the most important thing on earth. I couldn't be happier."
"Good, that's what I wanted to hear," Rio said. He turned and smiled at his friend. Jerrica looked at him and smiled back.
Just then three familiar faces wandered up the stairs.
"Well, well. Look who it is. What, no hello for your old friends?"
Phyllis asked.
"Do I know them?" Rio whispered to Jerrica.
"Let me introduce you," Jerrica said.
minimum security prison. Jerrica continued her therapy session and her
nightmares became fewer and fewer. On a warm Saturday morning she went
dress shopping with Mary while Mark and Rory took care of the baby.
"Rory was so sweet to hang out with Mark today. I felt bad leaving him
alone all day with Kaitlynn."
"Rory wanted to. He likes Mark and the baby." Jerrica said as they entered the first bridal
store. A young woman approached. Her tag said, Sandy.
"Hi, how can I help you today?"
"I'm getting married and need a dress." Jerrica said.
"Well, follow me then." the young woman said. She led them to a rack of
dresses, showing each one to Jerrica who picked two to try on on. The
first had a full skirt with a cathedral length train and tons of lace trim
and beads.
"I think this is too much for a beach wedding."
"But it is beautiful." Mary said. Next she tried a v-neck dress with a
plain, slim skirt and a small train. It was very plain with no lace or
beads.
"This is nice." Jerrica said. She turned around to get a different view
and saw a dress across the room on a mannequin. "I want to try that one."
she said, pointing to the dress.
"Be right back." the young woman said. She retrieved the dress in Jerrica's
size and walked back to the dressing room. Handing it to Jerrica she
helped her out of the dress she was in and into the new one. Stepping out
she heard Mary gasp.
"You look stunning." Mary said.
"This is it." Jerrica said. "I'll take it."
Next, they sat at a café eating lunch and looking at bridal magazines.
"I just can't decide what kind of bridesmaid dresses to pick." Jerrica
fretted.
"I'm sure you'll find the perfect dresses, and if nothing else have Shana
design something."
"You know your right. I'll have to call her this week. I'm just glad the
trial is over and Eric is right where he belongs."
"Me too. I was so sorry about what happened to you. It should have been
one of us."
"No, sweetie, it shouldn't have been any of us."
Weeks passed. While searching downtown, they came across a small shop with the perfect invitations. They had a simple aqua colored background with seashells at the top. They decided to keep the theme light. The reception was going to be held at a nearby tiki bar owned by a friend of Rory's. There would be a DJ and maybe some live music as well. Jerrica was virtually nightmare free. She spent her free time putting her house on the market and packing it up. One weekend she had a yard sale to get rid of some of her belongings. A couple of weeks before the wedding she moved into Rory's house
permanently. He surprised her with a welcome banner and a cake he made
himself. The wedding was getting closer. They talked about last minute
wedding plans and about the honeymoon. They decided they would spend a few days in New York seeing the sights and visiting with Kimber and Bobby.
Suddenly it was the day before the wedding. Kimber and Bobby arrived
first, around ten in the morning. Rory picked them up at the airport and
set them up in one of his guest rooms. Aja, Craig, and Shana arrived
together later in the afternoon. Because of the time change they were all
exhausted and went straight to their hotel to sleep before the rehearsal that
night. Even some of the guests arrived a day early. Since her house had
not been sold yet, Jerrica used it to put up some of her old charges who
had to drive or fly in. Around six o'clock the wedding party and their
significant others gathered at the beach for the rehearsal.
The rehearsal went off without a hitch. Afterward everyone gathered inside
for pizza. They invited the girls staying at Jerrica's house and Rio and
Sarah stopped by on the way to their hotel. They rang the bell and were
greeted by Rory.
"Rio, and you must be Sarah. Welcome. Come in. Everyone will be thrilled
to see you."
"Do we know you?" Rio asked.
"Picture me with longer hair, heavier, more muscles, and without the scar.
Oh, and dressed in tight pants."
"Riot?"
"Well, Rory but yes, it is me. How was your flight?"
"It was very nice. Thank you for having us," Sarah said.
"Please, we're all friends here. Everyone else is in the kitchen. Just be
careful I think one of the bridesmaids spiked the punch," he said.
"We did not." he heard one of them yell.
"Hey everyone," Rio said as he entered the kitchen.
"Rio." everyone cried. Jerrica walked up first and gave him a hug.
"It's been so long. You look good," she said. Turning to the woman beside
him she held out her hand. "You must be Sarah. Thank you for coming. I'm
Jerrica by the way."
"Nice to meet you. I've heard so much about all of you. It's good to
finally see the faces behind the stories, up close I mean."
"Oh, could we tell you stories," Aja said, latching on to the woman's arm
and pulling her away to huddle in a corner with the rest of the women.
"Hey, can we take a walk outside for a minute?" Rio asked.
"Sure, let's go. We'll be right back," Jerrica said, kissing her soon to
be husband on the cheek as they passed. She led Rio outside and they
stood, looking out at the ocean.
"So, you're really getting married huh?" he asked.
"Yeah, about time I guess."
"He's really the one? You've thought this through? I'd hate to think
you're marrying him just out of loneliness or something, you deserve better
than that."
"Thank you for caring but I do love him and he loves me. Yes, I was very
lonely before we found each other but he's just so incredible and he treats
me like I'm the most important thing on earth. I couldn't be happier."
"Good, that's what I wanted to hear," Rio said. He turned and smiled at his friend. Jerrica looked at him and smiled back.
Just then three familiar faces wandered up the stairs.
"Well, well. Look who it is. What, no hello for your old friends?"
Phyllis asked.
"Do I know them?" Rio whispered to Jerrica.
"Let me introduce you," Jerrica said.