When Candy returns to the Happy Clinic, Aaron's mother is there as well with Aaron.
"Candy!" says Mrs. Haley who is happy to see her. "You’re back. I’ve been waiting for you."
Candy smiles. "Sorry Mrs. Haley. “So nice to see you. I wasn't expecting you."
"Guess what?" Mrs. Haley says, her voice excited. "I finished making your wedding gown! It is ready fora fitting and I want you to come to my shop and try it on. Can you come now? I cannot wait to see you in it."
Wedding gown!
Candy feels as if her heart is freezing still.
"Mother! You cannot wait to see her in it?" Aaron says, raising an eyebrow. "I cannot wait to see her in it."
"Well too bad for you, you'll just have to wait,” Mrs. Haley rebuffs. “Looks to me that it's getting late anyway. I don't think any more patients will be coming today, and if they do, I'm sure Aaron will handle it. Candy, I insist that you come along. Come, come." Mrs. Haley takes Candy's hand and leads her out of the door. Candy turns and looks back at Aaron. He smiles at her, shrugs and throws his hands in the air and makes a helpless face.
Mrs. Haley takes Candy into her coach for their short ride to town to Mrs. Haley's tailor shop for ladies' dresses. On their way, Mrs. Haley excitedly talks about the wedding plans – the cake, the flowers, the food. A cloud of guilt falls on her. It is so heavy. She feels that she cannot move.
They reach the tailor shop. Inside, Cecilia is putting some fabric materials away, and Candy is surprised to find Annie there.
“Annie!” Candy exclaims.
“Mrs. Haley invited me,” Annie smiles at Candy. Candy is glad that Annie has come, for she does not want to be alone with only Mrs. Haley and Cecilia at the moment. “I wouldn’t want to miss this!”
“Cecilia,” Mrs. Haley hustles her daughter, “bring out Candy’s gown. Let’s see her try it on.”
“Sure mother,” Cecelia replies. No one detects the tightness in her voice. She goes into the room behind the shop front and brings out the dress.
“Go on, Candy, try it on!” says Mrs. Haley.
Candy takes the dress from Cecilia and goes into the dressing room. She is amazed by it. The dress is beautiful. It is the new flapper style that is all the rage among young women everywhere. Herself never worn a dress like this before. The dress is sleeveless, with lace sewn across the neckline. The front of the dress is shorter than the back, with beautiful embroidered hemline. The softness of the fabric is astounding.
She changes into the gown and goes back to the storefront. Mrs. Haley sees Candy in her dress and cannot contain her excitement. “Oh Candy!” she exclaims.
Candy returns a smile.
“Candy! You look gorgeous!” even Annie exclaims. Her eyes become teary.
“Cecilia, what do you think?” asks Mrs. Haley.
Candy turns to Cecilia. Cecilia looks directly into Candy’s eyes, like she was challenging her to
something. She has never seen Cecilia look at her this way before.
“Let’s put on the headpiece,” Cecilia says and does not answer her mother.
“Yes! Yes!” Mrs. Haley says. She takes out a lace headband that has a flower patterned lace ornament on the side, above which feathers sprout up playfully, and below which dangles strings of beautiful beads and rhinestone ornaments, some in shape of small stars. Mrs. Haley ties the headband around Candy’s head. Two long satin ribbons flow softly from the knot of the headband onto her left shoulder.
YOU ARE READING
The One I Love Belongs to Somebody Else
RomanceA Sequel to the Candy Candy Final Story
