ARR 1988 - Flipbook - Page 153
bright blue.
"Nicole?" Craig, her stepfather, was looking at her now. She could
smell his after shave. Funny, how she'd never really noticed colognes and
aftershaves before, except for the few boyfriends she'd had over the yearss
Now she could smell everybody's individual scents, even if they were just
casual acquaintances.
"We'll go tomorrow," Craig was saying. "When I talked to him today,
he said there11 be a chance you11 be able to see ... "
"Tomorrow?" Nicole finshed hopefully. Too good to be true!
"I hate to be negative," Craig continued, "but it's a pretty slim chance,
I think. I mean, I hope to God you11 be able to cry your eyes out at the
wedding, but... "
Nicole barely heard him. Damn it! Why hadn't she considered the
possibility that she wouldn't be able to see the wedding?
"It's in four days," she replied. "Maybe that11 be enough time."
"Let's hope so, Nicole. I paid a fortune for this wedding; you'd better
be able to see it."
Nicole laughed. In many ways, Craig and she were closer than she was.
with her mother. One plus was Craig's thirty-six years; her mother, Denise
Chambers, had been only fifteen when Nicole was born, and seventeen when
she had Joey.
Silence filled the car the next day as Joey, Craig, Denise and Nicole
drove home from Dr. Pierce's office. Craig was the first to speak.
"Nicole, I'm sorry," he murmured. "I didn't mean to get your hopes up
like that."
"It's okay," replied Nicole, touching her new bandage, which seemed
tighter than her other one. "There's always tomorrow. It's only Monday."
"But you haven't even seen the rehearsal," said Nicole's mother
quietly.
"It's only Monday," Nicole repeated.
"Good. I'm pretty sure you11 be able to see by then," Craig said, but he
waited too long to say it.
Tuesday brought no change in Nicole's condition, and by Wednesday
even Marilyn was discouraged. "Face it," Nicole apologized to her sister-inlaw-to-be. "This is going to be the most beautiful wedding I never saw."
"It won't be as beautiful if you can't see it," Marilyn moaned. Nicole
could hear the well-meaning helplessness in her voice, but she knew Marilyn
could worry about it only up to a point; she was caught up in the rapture of
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