August 7, 2012

Dylan shuffled behind his mother in the resale shop, fighting the desire to pout. "Why did I have to come with you?"

"Because I need your help looking for the last couple of things for the wedding. Do you want to see what vases they have for the flower arrangements on the tables or do you want to go look at wedding cake toppers? Whichever you don't want, I'll take."

Dylan almost laughed. "Wedding cake toppers?"

His preoccupied mother took that to be his answer and pointed out the direction in which he should go.

"Can I look at the video games when I'm done with your cake stuff?" Dylan asked hopefully.

"Fine." Victoria gave him five dollars for a game, ten for the toppers, and sent him on his way.

On his way to the cake toppers, he stopped for some reason when a blood-red shawl on a manikin caught his eye. He thought of the explanation that Jade had given him as to why Amanda wouldn't wear a proper wedding dress, and an idea struck him. He checked the price tag on the shawl.

$4.85

Dylan looked down at Lincoln's face glaring up at him from his hand. He sighed, sliding the shawl off of the manikin, folding it, and carrying it with him.

It was worth a try.

August 8, 2012

"I still don't understand why you wanted to come with me so bad." Victoria said, parking in David and Amanda's driveway.

"I have something that I want to talk to Amanda about." Dylan answered vaguely climbing out of the car and slinging his backpack – which contained the shawl – over his shoulder before jogging up to the door.

"Hi, Dylan." Jade greeted him when he came into the kitchen with his mom on his heels.

Jade and Kayla were busy working on the wedding cake.

"Hi." He returned, looking around. "Is Amanda here?"

"She's doing something in her bedroom, I think." Kayla answered.

Dylan nodded and headed down the hallway. The bedroom door was cracked open, and he saw Amanda wearing the dress that Jade and Kayla had bought for her, twisting this way and that in front of the mirror, and nibbling thoughtfully on her lip.

Dylan knocked on the door and Amanda gasped.

He stuck his head in. "Hey, sis."

Amanda glanced self-consciously down at the dress she was wearing. "Hey, kid."

"Jade was right." Dylan gestured hesitantly towards the dress that she obviously hadn't meant for anyone to see her wearing. "You look pretty. David is right to want to see you in it."

Amanda shook her head. "Thanks, but the answer is 'no', Dylan."

"I know you think that, and Jade told me why. But I think that you're wrong."

Amanda's gaze snapped to meet his, warning him to step carefully.

"No, listen. You know the Scripture verse that goes something like 'old things are passed away, all things become new'?"

"Yeah."

"Do you believe that?"

"Yeah, of course."

"Well, then… weren't the sins washed away when you were saved?"

She stiffened, understanding where he was going. "Yeah. But I'm not just going to pretend that it didn't happen."

"Okay. I'm not asking you to. Since you're hung up on the symbolism of that dress, would you consider the symbolism of something else?"

"Like what?"

Dylan sat his backpack on the floor, taking out the shawl and placing it across Amanda's shoulders before motioning for her to look at the full effect in the mirror.

"Covered by the blood." Dylan replied. "Because of His blood – the shawl – our sins are wiped away and the slate is clean now. Like the dress – white."

"And pure." Amanda whispered, catching his eye in the mirror. She nodded. "Thanks, Dylan. I… I think that this'll work."

"You're welcome. I'm glad I could help."

"What's going on in here?" Victoria asked, peeking in.

"Nothing." Dylan replied quickly.

"Uh-huh." Victoria looked curiously between Dylan and Amanda before she caught sight of Amanda's dress. She came into the room completely, eyes widening. "Oh… Amanda, is this what you're wearing tomorrow?"

Amanda smoothed the dress out, answering, "Yeah. But, hey, nobody tells David; I want it to be a surprise for him."

Victoria nodded. "Hey, Dylan, are you ready to go? Kayla approved the two toppers you picked out."

Dylan nodded. "Just one more minute. Please?"

"Alright, I'll be out in the car."

Dylan nodded and Victoria disappeared.

He turned back to Amanda. "One more thing." He plunged his arm into his backpack again, showing her what else he had bought. "I gave Mom the bride and groom, but she doesn't know that I bought these too."

Amanda grinned, taking the two cake toppers in his hands and looking at them. A little girl dressed in pink and a baby swaddled in a yellow blanket.

"I know that you and David haven't told anyone but your parents yet, but I had to get them for you."

"That's fine, perfect, actually. We were planning on telling everyone tomorrow, and this will be a really fun way of doing it. You, sir, are magnificent."

Dylan flushed. "Thanks."

"Should we try and sneak them past Kayla tomorrow?"

Dylan grinned wickedly. "Leave the sneakiness to me, sister dear. I'll take care of everything."

Amanda laughed at the look in his eye, handing the cake toppers back to him. "I'm sure you will. But I don't want to know how, do I?"

"Probably not." Dylan put the toppers back in his backpack, slinging it over his shoulder in preparation to leave. "I'll see you tomorrow at the wedding."

"Alright; see you later."

"And, hey, if anyone asks, the shawl and kid toppers came from my mother."

Amanda grinned to herself as Dylan closed the bedroom door behind himself, whispering, "Of course they did."

Please review! Really, I mean that; I need the pick-me-up. I lost an entire story that I was going to post:(

Thanks so much! Sorry that this chapter is on the shorter side. Next chapter is the last one!:)