mind long enough to let nature take its course. Maybe. There were a lot of ifs and maybes, but she was trying to think positively.
John joined her again by the pool on Sunday afternoon. Along with his beach towel, he carried a large dress box. Susan greeted him with a smile and some teasing.
"Have you been shopping this morning?"
He grinned, tossed his towel on the deck and laid the box on the end of a lounge chair.
"Nope. This was over at my place. I brought it here to show you."
Interest piqued, she rose from her chair and watched as he cut through the sealing tape with his pocketknife. The box showed signs of age and had apparently been in storage for a long time.
"What is it?"
"Come see," he invited, opening the box and carefully spreading the tissue paper.
She joined him and then gasped with delight as he unveiled a beautifully preserved wedding gown. He lifted it from its bed of tissue and gently shook out the folds.
"Oh, John, it's gorgeous!"
Her hands were damp, so she didn't want to touch the delicate ivory satin, but he held it, turning it so she could see it from every angle. The length was mid-calf with a scalloped hemline. It had elbow length, fitted sleeves and a v-neck trimmed in delicate Victorian lace. The bodice was covered in tiny seed pearls, and she loved it on sight.
"Alma's mother made this gown by hand," he explained, speaking of his deceased wife. "She wore it for our wedding fifty-five years ago. I promised her I'd keep it cleaned and preserved until Luke took a bride. She doted on that boy, you know," he reminisced. “Since the two of you are to be married, I thought I'd see if you'd like to borrow it for the ceremony."
Susan's eyes widened in surprise. She knew John had adored his Alma. Memories of her still seemed to touch him deeply and his offer touched her just as deeply. She hadn't even considered the need for a wedding dress. Her wardrobe was woefully lacking of anything special.
When she didn't say anything for a minute, he continued, "She was a hopeless romantic, and she wouldn't have wanted you to wear it unless you really like it, but I thought I'd make the offer for her."
"It's the most beautiful gown I've ever seen, and I love it," she insisted. "But we're going to have a very small, quiet ceremony."
"You and Luke said it'll be a real marriage, so you might as well have a real wedding. It doesn't have to be big, but it can be special."
Susan was almost too overcome with emotion to speak. She didn't know what Luke would think about her wearing his grandmother's gown, but no woman in her right mind could resist such a temptation.
"It's perfect," she whispered. "I would be more than honored to wear it, if you're absolutely sure you wouldn't mind."
"No, no," he said, clearing his voice and trying not to let emotion get the best of him. "I wouldn't have offered it if I had any objections. I told Rosa I'd be bringin' it. She said she'll make any alterations you need."
"John, you're absolutely sure? I don't want to damage the dress with alterations. What if I stain it or something?"
“It’s not much use if nobody's ever going to wear it again," he added practically as he replaced the dress in the folds of tissue paper and then closed the lid. "It's time I let somebody else worry about preservin' the damn thing."
"Oh, John, thank you!" was all she could manage. She threw her arms around him and hugged him fiercely.
The old man chuckled, put his arms around her and awkwardly patted her back. Susan didn't want to make him feel uncomfortable, so she made a concerted effort to control herself.
"My parents used to tease me about getting married," she said as she eased from his arms. "Daddy used to say he'd supply the stepladder and help me elope, but Mother made all these elaborate plans for a big, formal wedding. She would have loved Alma's gown."
Her voice cracked on the last words, and she knew she needed a little privacy to regain control. "I
John joined her again by the pool on Sunday afternoon. Along with his beach towel, he carried a large dress box. Susan greeted him with a smile and some teasing.
"Have you been shopping this morning?"
He grinned, tossed his towel on the deck and laid the box on the end of a lounge chair.
"Nope. This was over at my place. I brought it here to show you."
Interest piqued, she rose from her chair and watched as he cut through the sealing tape with his pocketknife. The box showed signs of age and had apparently been in storage for a long time.
"What is it?"
"Come see," he invited, opening the box and carefully spreading the tissue paper.
She joined him and then gasped with delight as he unveiled a beautifully preserved wedding gown. He lifted it from its bed of tissue and gently shook out the folds.
"Oh, John, it's gorgeous!"
Her hands were damp, so she didn't want to touch the delicate ivory satin, but he held it, turning it so she could see it from every angle. The length was mid-calf with a scalloped hemline. It had elbow length, fitted sleeves and a v-neck trimmed in delicate Victorian lace. The bodice was covered in tiny seed pearls, and she loved it on sight.
"Alma's mother made this gown by hand," he explained, speaking of his deceased wife. "She wore it for our wedding fifty-five years ago. I promised her I'd keep it cleaned and preserved until Luke took a bride. She doted on that boy, you know," he reminisced. “Since the two of you are to be married, I thought I'd see if you'd like to borrow it for the ceremony."
Susan's eyes widened in surprise. She knew John had adored his Alma. Memories of her still seemed to touch him deeply and his offer touched her just as deeply. She hadn't even considered the need for a wedding dress. Her wardrobe was woefully lacking of anything special.
When she didn't say anything for a minute, he continued, "She was a hopeless romantic, and she wouldn't have wanted you to wear it unless you really like it, but I thought I'd make the offer for her."
"It's the most beautiful gown I've ever seen, and I love it," she insisted. "But we're going to have a very small, quiet ceremony."
"You and Luke said it'll be a real marriage, so you might as well have a real wedding. It doesn't have to be big, but it can be special."
Susan was almost too overcome with emotion to speak. She didn't know what Luke would think about her wearing his grandmother's gown, but no woman in her right mind could resist such a temptation.
"It's perfect," she whispered. "I would be more than honored to wear it, if you're absolutely sure you wouldn't mind."
"No, no," he said, clearing his voice and trying not to let emotion get the best of him. "I wouldn't have offered it if I had any objections. I told Rosa I'd be bringin' it. She said she'll make any alterations you need."
"John, you're absolutely sure? I don't want to damage the dress with alterations. What if I stain it or something?"
“It’s not much use if nobody's ever going to wear it again," he added practically as he replaced the dress in the folds of tissue paper and then closed the lid. "It's time I let somebody else worry about preservin' the damn thing."
"Oh, John, thank you!" was all she could manage. She threw her arms around him and hugged him fiercely.
The old man chuckled, put his arms around her and awkwardly patted her back. Susan didn't want to make him feel uncomfortable, so she made a concerted effort to control herself.
"My parents used to tease me about getting married," she said as she eased from his arms. "Daddy used to say he'd supply the stepladder and help me elope, but Mother made all these elaborate plans for a big, formal wedding. She would have loved Alma's gown."
Her voice cracked on the last words, and she knew she needed a little privacy to regain control. "I
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