Angela watched the two girls sitting in the living room pouring over bridal magazines. It was bittersweet watching her sister plan a wedding. Had things been different, she would be planning her own wedding. She tried not to think about that. This was Molly's time to shine. She didn't want to take any of the attention off her. Molly's excitement soothed the edges of Angela's frayed nerves, but she still felt the ebbing sadness. It was not necessarily over Darryn anymore. She had discovered that he was not the type of man she wanted to spend the rest of her life with anyway.
"Look at these flowers!" Molly squealed. She held the picture up for Angela to look at. Angela smiled as best as she could.
"I really love the blue mist flowers," Angela commented. "Gives it a nice fall feel."
"That's what I was thinking!" Molly agreed.
"Blue mist flowers are my favorite!" Luna exclaimed. Angela shook her head.
"I need to go into town for a bit," Angela stated.
"Okay," Molly replied absently. She was absorbed in the magazines. Angela was grateful for that, so her sister wouldn't see the pain in her eyes.
XxXx
"I've always thought of you as a son,"
Jake informed Chase. "It's no secret Colleen and I had hoped you would someday marry Maya, but I know how the heart works." Chase had finally broached the subject of his engagement with Jake.
"Thanks," Chase sighed. He was worried about the reaction he would get from the man whom he viewed like a father.
"Jake!" Colleen shouted. She was standing in the doorway to the room they had been talking in. "How dare you say that!"
"Now calm down Colleen," Jake soothed.
"I will not calm down! And you!" Colleen shouted turning her glare toward Chase. "You ungrateful little chit! After all we've done for you! You go off and date some random little hussy. You owe Maya more than that!"
Chase knew that this was the way Colleen would react. He sighed heavily.
"Colleen!" Jake shouted. Both Chase and Colleen turned to Jake. He very rarely raised his voice. "Chase owes Maya nothing! If he doesn't love her he doesn't love her!"
"How can you not be behind your daughter?" Colleen gasped.
"I'm always behind Maya, but Chase is a grown man, capable of making his own decisions. You can't force love," Jake replied. "If you remember my parents wanted me to marry a rich debutante, but I fell in love with you." Colleen's expression calmed a bit.
"Alright," Colleen said begrudgingly. "But don't expect me to come to your wedding."
"I can respect that," Chase replied. He actually preferred that Colleen not come. He didn't want to subject Molly to one of her tirades. Colleen gave him a cool look before leaving the room. Chase turned to Jake. "You don't have to feel obligated to come..."
"I wouldn't miss it for the world," Jake assured. Chase smiled. He had always thought of Jake as a father figure. He was glad that Jake had decided to come.
XxXx
Angela made her way to the general store. She wasn't looking to buy anything in particular, she just wanted to her out of the house for a bit. But she also knew that it would worry Molly if she came home with nothing. The scene in the tailor shop had showed Angela just how much Molly was worried about her. Angela wanted her younger sister to enjoy this time. It was her time to shine and plan the wedding of her dreams.
"Hello," Barbara the owner of the store greeted.
"Good afternoon," Angela replied. She had been in the general store a few times now. Barbara was always friendly if not a bit eccentric. She browsed the store looking for something to buy. She finally settled on a small bag of candy. Knowing Molly's sweet tooth it would help her along in wedding planning.
