Emily moved through the library, shutting it down for the evening, all the while keeping one eye on the young girl sat at the lone computer terminal, occasionally scrawling something down in a nearby notebook with a pen she kept hooked behind her ear.
She was the only other person in the library – had been for the last two hours. That was the thing about being the proprietor of a small town library: it was lonely work. Emily appreciated the companionship of having someone else in the building; even if they never spoke to each other, she didn't feel quite so alone.
Besides, she genuinely liked the young woman who'd come clanking into town on her broken-down motorbike a few days ago. There was something about her that made Emily feel a strange sense of fondness in her chest, like she wanted to wrap her in an embrace and never let her go... (That feeling had been surfacing a lot lately and it was unsettling in a way, after what seemed a lifetime of familiarity and sameness.)
"Nervous?" Emily asked as she reshelved books behind the girl. From the corner of her eye, she watched the girl scrolling past page after page of wedding dresses that probably cost a small fortune.
"Hmm?" Clara asked, glancing over her shoulder at Emily. She raised a brow as if unsure what she'd meant by that.
"About getting married," Emily clarified with a nod towards the computer screen. She hadn't meant to spy on her...but the main library computer automatically kept track of the websites someone visited and some kind of inexplicable maternal instinct had kicked in when she'd seen the girl's browsing history.
Clara's cheeks pinked and she ducked her head away from Emily's gaze like a scolded child, unsure why she felt a strange need to have the woman approve of her choices when she hadn't cared if anyone approved of her in literal years.
Immediately, she began apologizing, feeling like she'd seen something she shouldn't have, "Sorry – I didn't mean to invade your privacy."
"No, it's okay," Clara insisted, even if her voice was small and unsure. "I just... I don't have anyone to talk about these things with. Maybe it would be nice to have the wisdom of someone who's been there before."
Emily tried not to visibly wince, not wanting to let on that her marriage wasn't exactly something she wanted to model her life decisions after... (That wasn't to say it had all been unhappy, but the one time he'd put his hands on her had been one time too many.)
Apparently not having noticed the woman's sudden reticence, Clara continued, "I haven't told anyone that Henry and I are getting married, so I guess it feels a little lonely, you know? It's just...not what I pictured for my wedding day."
Emily nodded, understanding all too well. Her wedding day had been less than magical – certainly not the kind of wedding she'd dreamed about as a little girl.
Clara must have mistaken her expression for something else, because she quickly rushed to supply, "Well, it's not all bad – I have Henry and that's really all that matters. Even if I get nothing else I dreamed about when I was a kid, I'll still have the husband I dreamed of."
Emily smiled at the softness in the girl's eyes, that hope for the future that she wasn't sure she'd ever had... "If you wanted..." she started, stumbled over her words, "I mean, if it's not too weird, I could help you out a little? I don't want to horn in on your business, but..."
"That would actually be really great," Clara said, stopping her rambling. "Henry's busy working on his novel, so I've been trying to find some way to surprise him a little."
Emily guided Clara through the house to the spare bedroom that she'd once thought would make a perfect nursery, but had instead become a storage room. She didn't say that, though. Afterall, she'd only just met the girl.
From under the daybed that had spent the last several years collecting dust, Emily pulled a massive box, it too covered in a fine layer of dust. She could feel Clara's curious eyes on her as she lifted the lid off the box, shifted aside the layer of tissue paper, before pulling out the contents.
"Is that...?" Clara asked, breathless.
"My wedding dress," Emily supplied for her. It was a beautiful slip of ivory satin, the bodice overlaid with delicate lace that extended down into three-quarter sleeves, adorned with pearl buttons down the spine.
"Oh, Emily," Clara whispered, "It's gorgeous! I... I can't accept this – it's too much."
"Please," Emily insisted. "It's not like I've got any use for it." Her gaze got far away and she breathed, "Maybe it will bring you better luck than it did me..."
Unsure if she'd been intended to hear that or not, Clara chose not to comment on it, instead asking, "Why? Why are you helping me? I'm a complete stranger and you're letting me borrow your wedding dress – one I could never afford in a million years, by the way. Don't you have a daughter who'd want it?"
"I, umm, I don't...have kids," Emily said softly, sadly. But she didn't comment further. "Besides, you don't feel like a stranger," she added. "You feel like...family."
Clara's cheeks pinked and she let her gaze drift away as a shy smile crossed her lips. It had been a long time since she'd felt anything like family...
She was shaken from her introspection by gentle hands settling something in her hair. Her eyes lifted to Emily's as she placed the veil below the bun she'd pinned her hair into that morning.
As the gauzy lace fluttered down about her shoulders, Emily stepped back to get the full effect, a tender smile blossoming on her lips. After several long moments, she uttered one word – the word choked like it had gotten stuck in her chest, trapped by a lump of emotions neither was sure could be named.
"Beautiful."