“Does that mean you stopped ignoring your feelings and finally admitted them?” Cameron sounded gleeful. Her earlier sounds of crying vanished.
“I did.”
She squealed. “I’m so excited. Are you going to propose?”
“I’ve been thinking about it.” More than thinking.
“Stop thinking and do it already. You two are perfect for each other.”
He grinned. “Thanks, Cam.”
He already owned a tux. A quick internet search showed going to the county clerk’s office and signing a license automatically made them married. They didn’t even need an officiant if they didn’t want one. All they really needed was a venue, but surely that wouldn’t be hard to find.
Lord, You are amazing.He couldn’t wait to tell Erykah.
Forty-Three
I stared down the hall, my mind focused on Chris and the would-we or wouldn’t-we dilemma we faced. When I thought of Chris, my thoughts immediately turned toward his goodness, the gentle care he exhibited, and his baby blue eyes—my kryptonite. The man was as good-looking as his personality.Husband-potential jackpot.
“What are you grinning about, Dr. Kennedy?”
I blinked and met Dr. Collier’s gaze. “Um, just thinking.”
“About a guy, right?”
After Dr. Collier had told me she prayed for me, we’d started talking more and more when we met. I wouldn’t go so far as to call her a friend, but she was certainly more than my resident.
My cheeks heated. “Maybe,” I replied hesitantly.
She giggled. “I totally understand. I’ve been dating this guy for a couple of months, and he already has me thinking of weddings and married life.”
“Really?” Didn’t most people think two months was too soon for that?
“Mm-hmm.” She pulled out her cell. “This woman I follow on Insta has an awesome job of modeling weddingdresses. She picks a theme and then gives you tips on how you can recreate something similar or make it your own.”
Dr. Collier scrolled through the woman’s profile, showing all the stunning photos of her in different gowns. “Wow.” What must it be like to make money modeling dresses?
“Yesterday she modeled a dress that her sister wore. This was just one she did for fun, not sponsored or anything. Their mom passed away when they were young, and since their mom didn’t have a traditional wedding, there was no wedding dress to pass on.” Dr. Collier waved a hand. “Anyway, her older sister bought one with the intention of letting the other sisters wear it if they ever married. They plan on passing the dress down to the next bride-to-be in the family.”
My breath caught as I thought of Ellynn’s wedding dress. Piper had shipped it to me, because I’d intended to pass it down to Cheyenne or Ashlynn. But what if I wore it whenever Chris and I chose to marry? I bit my lip as the idea took root.
“The woman said that knowing she had something of her sister’s and would be sharing the heirloom with future generations meant a lot to her.”
I could feel my own tear ducts welling up.
“Don’t cry, Dr. Kennedy!” Dr. Collier sniffed. “I’m sorry. Maybe this was a bad idea to share with you.”
“No.” I shook my head. “Continue.”
“There’s not much else to share. I sobbed like a baby when I read this yesterday. Such a beautiful moment, right?”
I nodded. “A priceless memory.”
“Right? I hadn’t thought of it like that before. Maybe I’ll see if my mom still has hers.”
“I’m sure she does. What mother doesn’t want to pass on a dress to her kids?” At least, keeping a dress seemed like something people my age and older did, but I could be wrong.My mother never had a wedding, but I had no idea if she was even alive to ask had I wanted to go that direction.
Was it bad that the thought didn’t faze me? She had long since been a nonfactor in my life. I just went through living like I didn’t have a mother.
