Rosalyn twirled happily in the mirror. Her dress looked perfect. Those months of endless workouts had finally paid off and she looked exactly as she had hoped she would several months ago. Her make-up was as close to flawless as one could get. That hideous birthmark on her temple was concealed quite nicely. Pleased with her appearance she looked in the mirror and gave herself a broad grin.
"I have never seen you look so beautiful." said her mother, Carol. Carol was always there, even when Rosalyn didn't know or care for the company. Her ever present need to nurture her daughter was apparent to many except to Carol, of course.
Rosalyn grinned yet wider and opened her arms eagerly for an embrace. Carol happily obliged and the two women swayed gaily in the mansion bedroom which was now converted into a dressing room for the sake of bridal madness.
"You are going to live a great life with him Rosalyn, better than I ever did with your father." Carol said in a sentimental whisper above her daughters shoulder. Rosalyn never surpassed her mother's height. It made it all the more convenient for Carol to continue her role as protector over Rosalyn, even though her child had long embraced age thirty. Carol felt a dampness on her neck.
"Don't you dare!" She playfully reprimanded, "You'll ruin your make-up."
Still Rosalyn wept and allowed a muffled sigh to escape into the crook of her mothers neck.
"I don't want to do this." Rosalyn admitted. She pulled away from her mother's arms and looked into her mothers eyes; her own filled with desperation. Pleading eyes. Her mother turned away.
"Now don't start this Rosalyn." Carol said evenly, her voice devoid of emotion. She wasn't going to entertain emotions today. She was going to remain factual, logical and upright. "You didn't come this far to turn your back."
Carol began to busy herself with the bouquet. She had twenty minutes before Rosalyn had to walk down that aisle and nothing was going to stop that from happening, not even Rosalyn herself. She fancied the thought of ignoring Rosalyn completely with the hope that she would quit fussing.
"I don't love him Mom." Rosalyn said softly. Tears cascaded gently down her cheeks. She daintily tried to wipe them away, brushing the back her manicured hand toward her temples.
Her mother said nothing. She continued to fiddle with the bouquet that needed no adjustment, ignoring her daughter completely.
Rosalyn walked to her mother, and touched her shoulder. Carol continued on with the bouquet.
Frustrated, Rosalyn forcefully turned her mother to face her and looked her in the eyes.
"I don't love him. Did you hear me?" Her voice trembled. The tears were coming again, like a stream from her eyes.
"You will learn." Her mother said in what seemed like a trained parental tone, or was it placating?
"I don't love him." Rosalyn said again angrily. "I don't want to go through with this." She huffed as she sat on the bed with her arms crossed as if she were a defiant child.
Carol marched toward the bed, clearly peeved by her daughters behavior.
"I am only going to say this one time," she said sternly "you have a kid and you didn't finish school, and you're looks won't last forever. He loves you like the stars love the sky and you are going to walk down that aisle today."
"But I don't-" Rosalyn began.
"You. Will. Learn." Was her mother's steely retort.
Carol, feeling confident in her daughters obedience toward her will quickly returned to prepping Rosalyn and abandoned the bouquet.
"I'm dying inside." Rosalyn whispered more to herself than her mother.
"Then you will die a cared for and loved woman." Carol said flatly. She began to examine her daughters hair and make-up. There wasn't much more time. As she tucked away a tendril of hair and ran another coat of lipstick on her daughters lips, she noticed Rosalyn's eyes were closed tight. It reminded of her when they went to the amusement park and she was afraid to go on the roller coaster.
Carol held her hand, and Rosalyn shut her eyes because she didn't want to see anything. She was so afraid. Poor Rosalyn. Poor silly Rosalyn. If only she knew better. Thank goodness she was still around to guide her. Rosalyn opened her eyes and looked at her mother's face. Her mother, whose presence was always looming over her. Her mother, who loved her almost as much as the stars love the sky. She ran her hands down her dress, smoothing it. She looked at herself once more in the mirror and allowed her mind to wander bit but became startled at the hand that was gently placed on her shoulder.
"No time for daydreaming." Her mother teased with a hidden truth behind it.
"I didn't see you." Rosalyn laughed nervously as she turned toward Carol.
"I'm always here." Carol smiled.
Just then there was a knock. It was time.
"Wait!" Carol called as Rosalyn walked out of the room. "Your birthmark, its showing." She quickly grabbed concealer and dabbed furiously at her daughters temple until the discolored skin blended away. "...don't want anyone seeing that!" She warned playfully.
Rosalyn stood still, an odd smile plastered across her face. She turned and left the room.
Carolyn grabbed her clutch and quickly surveyed the room. Her baby girl was going to finally be with the man of her dreams. She knew she could do it.
"I have never seen you look so beautiful." said her mother, Carol. Carol was always there, even when Rosalyn didn't know or care for the company. Her ever present need to nurture her daughter was apparent to many except to Carol, of course.
Rosalyn grinned yet wider and opened her arms eagerly for an embrace. Carol happily obliged and the two women swayed gaily in the mansion bedroom which was now converted into a dressing room for the sake of bridal madness.
"You are going to live a great life with him Rosalyn, better than I ever did with your father." Carol said in a sentimental whisper above her daughters shoulder. Rosalyn never surpassed her mother's height. It made it all the more convenient for Carol to continue her role as protector over Rosalyn, even though her child had long embraced age thirty. Carol felt a dampness on her neck.
"Don't you dare!" She playfully reprimanded, "You'll ruin your make-up."
Still Rosalyn wept and allowed a muffled sigh to escape into the crook of her mothers neck.
"I don't want to do this." Rosalyn admitted. She pulled away from her mother's arms and looked into her mothers eyes; her own filled with desperation. Pleading eyes. Her mother turned away.
"Now don't start this Rosalyn." Carol said evenly, her voice devoid of emotion. She wasn't going to entertain emotions today. She was going to remain factual, logical and upright. "You didn't come this far to turn your back."
Carol began to busy herself with the bouquet. She had twenty minutes before Rosalyn had to walk down that aisle and nothing was going to stop that from happening, not even Rosalyn herself. She fancied the thought of ignoring Rosalyn completely with the hope that she would quit fussing.
"I don't love him Mom." Rosalyn said softly. Tears cascaded gently down her cheeks. She daintily tried to wipe them away, brushing the back her manicured hand toward her temples.
Her mother said nothing. She continued to fiddle with the bouquet that needed no adjustment, ignoring her daughter completely.
Rosalyn walked to her mother, and touched her shoulder. Carol continued on with the bouquet.
Frustrated, Rosalyn forcefully turned her mother to face her and looked her in the eyes.
"I don't love him. Did you hear me?" Her voice trembled. The tears were coming again, like a stream from her eyes.
"You will learn." Her mother said in what seemed like a trained parental tone, or was it placating?
"I don't love him." Rosalyn said again angrily. "I don't want to go through with this." She huffed as she sat on the bed with her arms crossed as if she were a defiant child.
Carol marched toward the bed, clearly peeved by her daughters behavior.
"I am only going to say this one time," she said sternly "you have a kid and you didn't finish school, and you're looks won't last forever. He loves you like the stars love the sky and you are going to walk down that aisle today."
"But I don't-" Rosalyn began.
"You. Will. Learn." Was her mother's steely retort.
Carol, feeling confident in her daughters obedience toward her will quickly returned to prepping Rosalyn and abandoned the bouquet.
"I'm dying inside." Rosalyn whispered more to herself than her mother.
"Then you will die a cared for and loved woman." Carol said flatly. She began to examine her daughters hair and make-up. There wasn't much more time. As she tucked away a tendril of hair and ran another coat of lipstick on her daughters lips, she noticed Rosalyn's eyes were closed tight. It reminded of her when they went to the amusement park and she was afraid to go on the roller coaster.
Carol held her hand, and Rosalyn shut her eyes because she didn't want to see anything. She was so afraid. Poor Rosalyn. Poor silly Rosalyn. If only she knew better. Thank goodness she was still around to guide her. Rosalyn opened her eyes and looked at her mother's face. Her mother, whose presence was always looming over her. Her mother, who loved her almost as much as the stars love the sky. She ran her hands down her dress, smoothing it. She looked at herself once more in the mirror and allowed her mind to wander bit but became startled at the hand that was gently placed on her shoulder.
"No time for daydreaming." Her mother teased with a hidden truth behind it.
"I didn't see you." Rosalyn laughed nervously as she turned toward Carol.
"I'm always here." Carol smiled.
Just then there was a knock. It was time.
"Wait!" Carol called as Rosalyn walked out of the room. "Your birthmark, its showing." She quickly grabbed concealer and dabbed furiously at her daughters temple until the discolored skin blended away. "...don't want anyone seeing that!" She warned playfully.
Rosalyn stood still, an odd smile plastered across her face. She turned and left the room.
Carolyn grabbed her clutch and quickly surveyed the room. Her baby girl was going to finally be with the man of her dreams. She knew she could do it.
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