ADJUSTING
Chapter Thirteen

A Summer Wedding
June 22, 1913

As night fell, Rose and Lynn settled into Jack’s bedroom. Jack had insisted that Lynn and Rose take the house for the evening. He had said something about Lynn getting familiarized with her new surroundings. Jack and his best friend, Robert, were going to stay at a hotel across town.

The wedding was to take place in the courtyard in the back of Jack’s house. It was going to be so lovely. The arrangements had been rather hectic, but when all was done, it was worth it.

The two girls were having quite the evening so far. They were celebrating Lynn’s last night as a free woman. They both plopped down onto Jack’s bed and stared at the ceiling. Rose reached over and turned on the large table lamp on the nightstand dresser.

"So, Lynn," Rose started. "What do you have planned for tomorrow night?" Rose grinned devilishly. It was so much fun to tease her about unmentionable marital relations.

Lynn turned the brightest shade of red that Rose had ever seen her turn.

"Oh, lighten up, dear. I’m just having a little fun with you. Though, I think Jack could have a little more fun w--"

"Oh, you!" Lynn picked up her pillow and smacked Rose playfully with it.

"Well, the same to you." Rose stuck out her tongue and hit Lynn back with her own pillow. The two of them looked at leach other for a split second before quickly jumping up onto the bed with pillows in hand, and exploding into a fit of giggles. They began to hit each other with their pillows, trying to dodge the other’s attacks.

When finally they were out of energy, let alone breath, they both fell onto their backs and laughed hysterically. Through her giggles, Rose tried to find her voice. "I...I’ve never done that before." She continued to laugh without ceasing.

"Oh, really?" Lynn tried to act surprised. "Well, Mrs. Dawson, what do you have to say about your scandalous behavior?"

"I’ll tell you what I have to say..." Bam! Rose hit Lynn right in the face with her pillow once again. The pillow exploded into a huge white cloud as the feathers slowly fell all over the bedroom.

"Oops," they both said in unison.

Neither one could stop laughing for the next hour.

Next Morning

The cool winds of spring had not yet subsided as June twenty-third approached. It was an unusually cool, early summer day, and for that Lynn was thankful. Both she and Rose were wearing long-sleeved gowns. And though the sleeves were made of lace, it would still be rather uncomfortable to go through the whole day with them if the weather were hot and humid.

"It’s breathtaking," Rose stated as Lynn finished dressing in her gown.

"Oh, but isn’t it?" Lynn was a beautiful, blushing bride indeed. Her long blonde hair was half pulled up into a beautiful diamond-looking hair net. The other half of her hair hung loose at her back.

"Well, how do I look?" Rose stood behind Lynn as she looked into the body-length mirror.

"Simply beautiful. Jack won’t know what hit him." Rose grinned mischievously. Lynn hit her playfully on the arm.

Rose looked around the bedroom. "Oh, my, look what we’ve done." Rose commented on the feathers sprawling out all over the room.

"Well," Lynn replied. "One more surprise that Jack will find when we return." She and Jack were going to spend a week in the hotel before moving into the house together. Jack wanted to give Lynn a big honeymoon, but she declined, saying, "I’d rather just concentrate on you...not on any one place." Giving her a seductive smile, he agreed.

Lynn could hardly believe that today was her wedding day. And what was more, tonight was her wedding night. Sure, Rose had made jokes about it the evening before, but Lynn was quite nervous about it. She figured that Rose had sensed that, and that was why she made those comments.

She sighed and smoothed out her gown. She glanced at Rose through the reflection and realized that she had not yet dressed. "Rosie, where's your dress? We can't have you walking down the aisle like that, now can we?" Rose was still in her nightclothes, though her hair was already pulled back beautifully.

"No." Rose laughed. "I suppose not." She retreated into the walk-in closet to dress in her gown.

*****

"Are you nervous?" asked Rose. They were standing on the patio out of sight. It was just about time for the wedding to begin. Lynn and Rose looked so lovely. Their gowns were the same basic design, and yet they were so different, too.

Lynn smiled sweetly at Rose. "No." Lynn had gone through all the usual pre-wedding nerves in the morning. She was now over them and ready to start the rest of her life...with Jack.

Rose heard the music start, and decided it was time. "Well, I guess this is it, hon."

"I guess so," Lynn said calmly. "I'll see you down the aisle." She smiled broadly and gave Rose a big hug.

Rose picked up her bouquet of light pink roses and made her way towards the aisle. As she was walking, the world around her became distant and blurry. She did not notice all the guests, or even the bridegroom, for that matter. Rose stood in her place and began to think. She thought and thought. But what was she thinking about? Hundreds of thoughts surged through her mind. She didn't know what they were all for. Until an image of John appeared in her mind. John. She remembered the few special times that they shared.

"...in good times and in bad..." Rose was completely unaware of what was going on around her. But those few words bit at her. "In good times and in bad." She had given up. That's what she had done, but what was she to do about it now?

Now, Rose finally realized how desperately she wanted to be with John. But she had already gone and made plans. Hell, she even already had her train ticket. And John probably even hated her by now. With what she had done to him, she wouldn't have been surprised if she never saw him again.

"You may now kiss the bride."

Rose's mind came back to reality. Had she missed the entire ceremony? She looked over to her right, and saw Lynn and Jack share a sweet kiss. The guests began applauding, and Rose, too, smiled and clapped.

It was all Rose could do to stop the tears from falling down her pale cheeks.

*****

The reception was also being held in the large courtyard of Jack's house. The floral arrangements were so lovely, and the five piece orchestra played sweetly in the background.

There were an unusual amount of guests there that afternoon. Rose did not expect that Lynn and Jack invited that many people. And to tell the truth, Rose felt rather uncomfortable being around these people. Though, they were different than the rich snobs that she was used to.

Rose tapped on her champagne glass with a butter knife. "Everyone," Rose spoke. "I'd like to propose a toast." Everyone looked up at Rose. She was smiling, but both Lynn and Molly could see the sadness in her eyes.

Rose spoke with a sweetness in her voice that Lynn had never heard before. "To making it count." Rose looked at Molly, who was holding Hope gently in her arms. She looked her in the eyes, and Molly smiled sadly at her.

Champagne glasses rose and the crowd cheered back. "To making it count."

It was all too familiar to Rose. She cast her eyes towards the sky and whispered once more before taking a sip of her champagne. "To making it count..."

The End.

Stories