Rachel walked out of the dressing room and slowly twirled, the off-white fabric slowly following her movements.
“I don't know,” she said when she stopped. “It doesn’t really make me feel something.”
“If you don't know, then move along.” I smiled and shooed her back into the dressing room.
I waited a few minutes while she tried on several more. She shouted no a few times and then opened the door. She came out in a silver dress with pink flowers along the bottom and several going up the side and connecting at the bodice. The flowers encrusted the heart-shaped neckline. When she turned, there was a pink bow tumbling down the back. While it wasn't my style, it was exactly what I would have picked out for Rachel. When my eyes traveled back up the dress to hers, I saw the tears as they dripped down her face.
“It's perfect.” She smiled and wiped at her face.
“Do you like this one?” The lady that had been helping her asked.
“This is it!” Rachel stated. The lady turned around and hit a bell, and cheers broke out across the small shop.
Once we had grabbed a bite to eat, we went to the cake shop to taste several flavors of wedding cake.
I didn't much care for the red velvet. Why would you want that as a wedding cake? I always thought wedding cake was white, but I was educated about it today. I chuckled to myself as the plates were set in front of us.
“What?” Rachel looked at me as she stabbed a piece of white cake with her fork. I watched her face as she rolled the cake around in her mouth. I took a bit of mine and decided it was going to be my favorite no matter how it tasted.
“That's really good.” Rachel smiled over at me.
“It's my favorite.”
“It's the only one you’ve tasted.”
“And?” I smiled. We moved along to several other flavor
s, and even after we tasted all the cakes, the white cake was my real favorite.
“I like the white cake best.” I pointed at it. Then swiped my fork through the icing again.
“I really like the marble cake, but I think I agree that the boring old white cake is the best one.” She took the last bite from my plate, and I groaned. “I hate that you’re always right.” She pointed out then laughed when I grinned. She stood and said to the lady behind the counter.
“We will see you next week. Please look over our online catalog and also send whatever pictures you find, and we will see what we can come up with for your special day.” As she was talking, I pulled my phone from my pocket and looked down hoping for a message from Luke. Still nothing. I looked at the time, knowing my flight would be leaving that evening. I was kind of hating that I had to leave.
“I am so thankful you’re here to help me get all this done. I’d been dreading it. I just always thought you’d be here,” Rachel said, threading her arm through mine as we walked.
“Well, I am here. And once I’m done with this grant and start working for Granddad full time, I’ll be able to come out more often.”
“I’d be okay with that,” she nudged me.
“The dress is amazing, you know,” I told her, trying to focus on something positive instead of the fact we were heading back to get my things and go to the airport.
“Yeah. It kind of is. And to think, I had to try on all those mediocre dresses until I found the one that made me feel something,” she bumped my shoulder with hers. “Ya know?”
I knew what she was saying, and it had nothing to do with her dress.
***
Nine hours later, I was walking to my truck and climbing in. It was raining like it did nearly every day in late spring. I drove to the office just to check on everything before I headed back home. I wanted to see Luke. No... I needed to see Luke.
“Hey, Emmy. We weren't expecting you until Monday.” Samantha said when she saw me.
“I was just coming by to make sure everything was in order since I was gone for a few days.”
“You are already so much like your grandfather.” She smiled and handed me the mail that had been sitting on her desk in a basket. I walked down the hall and into the office. There were folders strewn across the desk I had claimed as mine, and I just stood there looking at them.
“Chris was in here this morning looking for something,” John said from behind me. “Welcome back, by the way,” he laughed.