"What about this one?" Elizabeth pulled a gold-tinged, vintage inspired dress. The empire waist would de-emphasize the baby, which Robin wanted. It was a beautiful dress, but Elizabeth was doubtful it would be the one.
Robin screwed up her face. "Did I fall asleep and wake up in the 1980's?"
"Back on the rack it goes." Elizabeth laughed.
"I don't mean to be so picky," Robin apologized, "I just don't want to be seen from space."
"Hey it's your wedding. I think this is the one time in a woman's life she is allowed to be picky."
"Thank you for coming out here with me today. If I had to look at one more china pattern, my eyes would have crossed permanently." Robin heaved a sigh.
"Like I would be anywhere else today? And can I just say that I have never understood the whole point of a china pattern? Do you ever really plan on using them?"
"I didn't." At her own response, Robin felt tears fill her eyes.
"Oh honey." Elizabeth moved to hug Robin. "The first rule of wedding planning is you don't think about previous mistakes."
"I know. Until now, I had pretty much blocked it out, but now...To be back in a store picking out a dress. It's all too familiar."
"Except this time it's going to work. And you have a way better groom. Not to mention a more fabulous maid of honor. So I think our motto should be more fabulous than fabulous."
"Well I've made the necessary edits to make it a success, yourself included." Robin smiled and took a deep breath. "Okay, we're not leaving this place until we find me a dress."
"That's right and if it takes all day? Oh well the boys will just have to fend for themselves." Elizabeth smiled back. "So first detail first, has the date been finalized?"
"Hold on. I've got it written down." Robin walked over to the mirror where she had left her purse and pulled out her "nuptials" notebook as Lucas had nicknamed it. "August 3rd. That puts me six weeks from my due date. I don't know what I'd do if I went into labor while walking down the aisle."
"The horror. Such a soap opera cliché." Elizabeth shuddered. "But still it should be warm enough that, if we find a fabulous strapless dress, you'll be perfect."
"Strapless? With these?" She pointed to her chest.
"Well it would stay up."
"What if we went just a little strap?"
"Whatever you want babe. Whatever you want."
They cut the area in half, flipping through dresses. Some customers thought it appropriate to mention her giant belly to her. As if she didn't notice. One unfortunate four foot nothing man made the mistake of trying to touch her stomach. Elizabeth might have heard him yelp; that may have been why she came running. She found Robin hiding under a rack of dresses.
"Robin? You ok?"
"Yeah." Robin nodded. "I just don't want to be touched. It's hot and I don't need strangers trying to touch me."
"Understood. The next one who tries better be altering your dress to perfection or they will incur the scissor kick of death." Elizabeth reached out her hand to help Robin up. "I think you might need to try stuff on."
"Agreed. It's all very pretty, but we'll never know how wide is wide until we determine a size."
As they made their way towards the dressing rooms in the back of the store, Elizabeth chewed her bottom lip. It would officially make her the world's worst maid of honor to ask this. She shouldn't do it. She should just call Luke and Laura and be done with it. Beg Robin's forgiveness and swear to be back in time for the wedding. No, she shouldn't ask a favor this big, this soon before the wedding. "So August 3rd? It's going to be here before you know it." She stated gamely, trying to keep her tone light.
"Yeah. Sometimes I think it's too soon, but other times I wish it was already over with so we could be done with the planning." Robin took some of the dresses from Elizabeth's pile and walked behind the curtain to try them on.
"But we've gotten a pretty big chunk of it done don't you think?" Elizabeth called out behind the curtain.
"I guess so. The flowers are yellow roses. Patrick's contribution. The menu is set. The location is set. If I can just get this dress—oops."
"Oops?"
"Nothing, nothing. We may just have to buy this dress and use it for some other purpose when I'm skinny again."
"Got it." Elizabeth nodded, forgetting Robin couldn't see her. "So if I had to leave town for a little bit, you wouldn't absolutely hate me and demote me to guestbook attendant or something?"
"What? What did you say? Where is my head supposed to go in this thing? Help! I've been swallowed by ruffles."
"Do you need assistance?"
"No. No, I got it. It almost swallowed me up. I'm on to the last one. If it doesn't fit, I might cry."
"Think positive. It will fit and it will be the one." Elizabeth offered helpfully. "And what I said before is if I left town for a few days, a week tops, you wouldn't totally hate me would you?"
"Why would I hate you? And where are you going?"
"Hate me for abandoning you in your time of need. And it's not one hundred percent decided yet, but right now we're leaning Disney World."
Robin was quiet for a minute. "It's not my time of need. You and Bobbie have helped me finish all the planning. There's just the fun of getting to the church on time left to do. And you guys deserve a vacation. If the wedding weren't so soon, I'd demand an extended one." She laughed.
"It's not exactly a true vacation."
"What does that mean?"
Elizabeth chewed on her bottom lip and let out a sigh. If she couldn't tell Robin, who could she tell? "It means it's about convincing Cameron that Tony and Lisa lied to him a lot. They apparently told him I only liked him because of Lucky and we loved the twins more than him."
"WHAT?" Robin yanked back the curtain, her mouth agape as she stared at her friend. "Those...those...there aren't words. There truly aren't."
"Right. So I kinda though if we took just Cameron somewhere, just the three of us, it might go a long way in proving that wrong."
"That's a good idea." Robin agreed. "Wait? Three?"
"As much as I hate the idea of leaving the twins behind, it might not help convince Cameron that we love him just as much as them, if we are constantly taking care of them."
"Well, yeah, but who...where?" She cleared her throat. "Who's keeping them while you're gone?"
"I haven't asked anyone yet. But I'll probably just ask Luke and Laura. I don't want to bother anyone."
"Bother? Elizabeth you just went through a custody trial and you're worried about being a bother to the people who love you? That's silly."
"Says the person who asked if I was busy at least twenty times before we came to this store." Elizabeth teased right back.
"I'm just planning a wedding. It'll be here and then be gone. What you and Lucky are trying to do for Cameron is wonderful."
"I hope so. If planning a wedding is so easy, then if I asked you and Patrick to watch the twins, you would say?"
"Watch them?" Robin echoed, her eyes widening.
"See, I knew it was a bad idea. I'll just ask Laura. Forget I said anything." Elizabeth waved her hands in dismissal.
"No. Now just wait a minute." Robin insisted, the little wheels turning inside her head. "Do you have dates and times yet?"
"It's before the wedding. There is no way we are missing that. Like the last full week before the wedding."
"But you'll be back for the wedding?"
"Of course. I have duties to fulfill."
"We'd love to watch the twins."
"Really? It wouldn't be too much with last-minute details and all?"
"I have Bobbie and Dillon for that."
"Then it's a deal. If you are sure. And if Patrick doesn't want to, I'll call Laura no problem. Hell it might even be fun to get Georgie and Steven to do it."
"I'll tell Patrick that if he has any objections." Robin giggled.
"Now there's a foolproof plan." Elizabeth laughed. "Now get out here and show me this dress."
Robin stepped out, the curtain no longer keeping her hidden, and lifted her arms so Elizabeth could really look at the dress. Its straps were thin and braided giving it an almost Roman look and a silver ribbon made up the bust. A similar strappy braid was stitched just above her ribs and the pearl-white skirt bloomed out without bringing notice to her growing figure. "What do you think?"
Elizabeth smiled and moved toward Robin, grabbing her friend's hands in hers. "This is it."
*****
He watched her cross the parking lot, stumbling all the way, but he suspected it wasn't due to her being under the influence of anything. It might have had something to do with the time of day, very early morning, the sunlight just now starting to peak out through the clouds. Evan took a sip of his coffee and winced at its chill. He had had only one chance to get this particular treat and it had been hours ago. Other than that, he hadn't let her out of sight.
What a night it had been! She hadn't slept so he hadn't slept. His nerves were shot; his eyes were blurry. He was groggy and grouchy and figured now was as good as ever to approach her if he wanted to get a word in. He was amazed she could get up the double flight of stairs, but she was very stubborn after all. He couldn't put anything past her. She stepped into the apartment and he slipped out of his car. He jogged the last few feet and climbed the stairs. A door swung open almost before he reached the top.
A woman with stark-white hair looked out at him and he smiled for her. She didn't smile back. She slammed the door shut after several seconds of staring at him suspiciously. He glanced down at his suit and took note of how shabby it was. He had even managed to get a coffee stain on his only remaining white shirt and his pants needed to be ironed badly. He could only guess at the state of his hair. She had good reason to not trust him right away. He wished every woman in town would be so wary; maybe then he would stop finding them shoved in garbage cans.
Ellie Ramsey had lived in this apartment since the day her grandchildren decided she was too much trouble to take care of and they were too cheap to stick her in a home. She made her own living and spent the majority of it on the Home Shopping Network. She spent almost every hour at home so she never missed anything. Though Miss Spencer was not what she would call a girl she respected, one had to earn that, she still worried for her safety. No one ever came to visit her. They must have grown tired of finding the apartment vacant. She was out partying almost every night. Ellie was almost certain the young woman didn't go to school and that made her incredibly sad. A woman shouldn't squander away education when women in general had worked so hard to make sure each and every one of them had the right to.
Ellie didn't like the idea of men stalking women; it bothered her immensely, not the following but the intent. She never trusted their intentions. The man she had just seen was at least twice the size of little Miss Spencer and, despite her sharp tongue, she would be no match for such a man. Dialing her number, she was thankful that her grandson-in-law, the only one who paid any attention to her, worked at the PCPD because she was able to get a hold of each and every one of her neighbor's numbers without too much trouble. She had never phoned the girl before and hoped she wouldn't have to again. Her disposition was poor to say the least. "Hello? Miss Spencer? I'm sorry to bother you..."
"Who is this?" Lulu rubbed her eyes in exhaustion and fought back a yawn.
"Ellie Ramsey. I'm your downstairs neighbor."
Vaguely Lulu could remember an older woman who always seemed to be watching everyone's coming and goings. In some way, she had always reminded Lulu of her Aunt Ruby. "Right. Right. Sorry."
"I wouldn't normally disturb you, but there was a strange man watching you from his car. He waited for you to go inside and then followed you up. Use the peephole and, if he's standing there, I'll call the police straight away."
Lulu made her way cautiously toward her door and glanced through the tiny window. Although the vision was blurry, she recognized the brown hair and the telltale slouch. She bit back a groan. "No need Ms. Ramsey. He is the police."
Swinging open the door, she tossed her phone on the ground and glared at him. "Do you get some sort of sick thrill out of following women around town? Is that the only way you can get a date or something?"
"Don't start with me. Don't you even start." Evan warned, pushing himself into the apartment.
"Don't start with you? You're the one following me! And I don't recall inviting you in!" Lulu protested.
"So call a cop." Evan called from the kitchen.
Lulu let out a growl of frustration when she saw him go about a routine of making coffee as if this was normal. "I thought I was clear. I don't need you hanging around."
"Relax. I just need a good cup of coffee."
"There's a coffee shop around the corner. Go there."
"You know the rule: You go, I go. You're here, so I'm here." Evan pressed the ON switch and went about straightening the kitchen. "This is a mess. How do you cook in here?"
"Who says I cook?"
"Oh, I didn't mean to offend your sensitive ego." He opened and closed a few cabinets until he located two frying pans. "Here when you moved in I assume?"
She watched him skeptically as he made himself at home in her small kitchen. He was annoying. He was a sleaze who she still couldn't remember everything about since their one night together. He was arrogant. And he needed to get the hell out of her life like yesterday. "You can take them with you as you leave."
"That's very nice of you, nicer than I'd expect, but I'm not leaving yet. Are you hungry?"
"No." She hadn't felt the need to eat in days actually, but no point in telling him that. He'd just take it the wrong way.
"Well I'm starving." He stuck his head inside her refrigerator and sniffed. "This is way past expired." He watched hope spring into her bleary eyes and said, "Not to worry. I brought my own." He returned to the small bag he had snuck in and left by the door a few minutes ago.
"Of course you did." Lulu threw her hands up and made her way back to the couch. Throwing herself down onto it, she crossed her arms over her stomach. "Are you planning on moving in or do I get a say in anything that goes on in my life anymore?"
"Do you want me to leave?"
"Yes."
"That's the funny thing about life: you don't always get what you want. Anyway, you'll be begging me to stay once you try these eggs." He promised smugly.
"I doubt I'll ever beg you to do anything but leave." Lulu yawned.
"Well you don't really know me, do you?"
"About as well as you know me." She pointed out, fighting to keep her eyes open.
"Maybe I can do something to change that." Evan proposed, scooping the scrambled eggs onto a plate and carrying it into the living room. At first he thought maybe she was ignoring him, but then he saw that her head was bent forward. He started to panic, almost dropped the plate, sure she was having some awful reaction to whatever she had taken, and he closed the space between them. He left the plate on the coffee table and reached for her face, holding it with both hands, and felt the air rush back into his lungs ever so gently. She was asleep. Her breathing was deep and slow as if she hadn't just been carrying on a conversation with him.
"Well, Sleepyhead, you're going to regret not trying these eggs, but I'll make more when you wake up." Evan scooped her into his arms and carried her to her room, forcing himself not to notice a single detail of it. He wasn't in here because it was where she wanted him to be. Dragging the covers back, he slid her beneath them and plopped a pillow under her head.
Carefully, he nudged her bangs off her pretty face and bit the inside of his jaw. "I regret how it happened, but not that it did." He whispered to her, and then returned to the living room, cleared the plate, and went to the kitchen to clean up the mess he had made. It's not like she's going anywhere, he reminded himself as he made his way to the door and walked out quietly.
Previews:
"That's a yacht."
"You know me. Never do anything small."