What about you? - 15

Chapter 15

By the end of the week Kate was as drained as she normally was. She hadn’t heard from Mason and half of her was disappointed, the other half hadn’t expected him to contact her, after all she’d walked away and given him no encouragement.

His mother was now much better and Clarissa had promised to visit Peter a bit more over the next two weeks. But as she left him Friday evening after a trip to the cinema and an as usual traumatic trip to a fast food joint, she groaned at the fact that as usual she’d agreed to spend Christmas with him and his mother. She had the last five years, but this year was meant to be the time she stood up to them all. But the excitement in his face was something she couldn’t yet resist. Kate decided that prior to Christmas she’d speak to Clarissa and tell her things were going to change. They could then break it to Peter slowly over the holiday.

Saturday morning her phone rang early. She was still in bed, this weekend she was taking Peter out on Sunday, so she was catching up on some much needed zzz’s! Reaching for the phone, sat on the bedside table, she opened one eye to see Tilly’s name on the screen.

                “Hey T!” she mumbled holding the handset to her ear.

                “Did I wake you?”

Kate could hear the panic in her voice and was quick to reassure her, “No, don’t be stupid. I’m just lying like an oaf in bed, making the most of no Playstation or porn on the TV. I swear I’m moving out!”

Tilly’s chuckle was deep and throaty, “I remember it only too well. Have to say I couldn’t like with Mile and Steve again, no matter how much I love them!” They had all shared a flat very amicably through their college days, but the boys, despite having good jobs seemed to have regressed to teenagers over the years. “The main reason I called was, I was meant to be working today, but I got a morning’s grace...three word’s ‘Wedding Dress Shopping’?”

Kate heard the words and leapt out of her bed with a shout. “I’M IN!!!” Was the screech as she headed for the shower. Within the hour, she was dragging herself across Regents Street to her best friend who was dancing equally excitedly on the spot outside the first shop she wanted to try. Despite the fact that they both looked rather casual, underdressed for the higher level wedding boutiques, money was no real object. The groom was footing all the bills that Tilly’s parents weren’t paying and money was no object.

They had a few Pretty Woman moments, snooty sour faces looking down their noses at the two, neither was bothered, snarling at the witches as they left, but in one small shop, a middle aged woman who introduced herself as Patricia was their lifesaver. Disappearing into a rack of white lace and tulle, she emerged with an armful of options.

                “I’m going to show you a range of things I think will suit you, they may not be what you imagine, but if you try them on you can get a feel for shape and texture, and we can go from there.” Her smile was infectious, and the maternal warmth emanating from her instantly relaxed them both.

Both girls beamed at this angel, then Kate slumped onto a sofa next to a tray of canapés and smiled again, “come on then Bridezilla!”

Tilly threw a glove at her in mock disgust, then as she entered a changing cubicle with the first creation, she leaned over her shoulder and whispered to Patricia, “she’s the only bridesmaid, I’m open to suggestion on colour and style! Bright and flamboyant?”

Patricia’s eyes lit up and Kate groaned as she realised she was being dragged into the furore with her.

They tried them all, straight dresses, full dresses, Tilly in white, ivory and even a very pale pink, Kate a rainbow of colours. Patricia laughed as she watched them parade up and down the catwalk within the shop, each time making adjustments to the dresses or advising on the next one.  

As Tilly spun around in a fishtail dress that whilst suiting her was far too ornate for what she had in mind, her stomach rumbled with hunger. Almost lurching as she suddenly realised it was hours since they’d eaten, she turned to Patricia, “I need a food break. I can’t believe it’s almost four. We’ve been here for over four hours!”

Patricia chuckled, “you mean almost five! And if you look to my left,” she pointed to a rack of dozens of dresses, “is the rejection pile. I wish that the ‘possible’ pile was half as big. Now if we sit and discuss things I reckon I could get someone to conjure us up some sandwiches?”

Kate appeared in a strappy scarlet dress that cling to every curve, brushing the floor around her feet, “if we’re going to eat, can we try all the remaining clingy dresses like this before I get an over-eat belly? I’m STARVING!”

Patricia laughed, “I only wish that I had so little of a belly to worry about!”

The afternoon headed into evening, by then Tilly had finally decided on a dress design. There wasn’t much time to get the dress made, but Patricia assured her that it would be done. An ivory floor length gown with an ivory faux fur trimmed hooded cape was THE choice as soon as Patricia paired the two items, it was an almost natural decision to dress Kate in a deep purple dress, same style but simpler, less detailed. As they stood together in the mirror, Tilly with her almost six foot gawky frame, Kate’s shorter slightly stockier build, they put and arm around each other and smiled.

                “We look good gal!” Tilly smiled.

                “That we do...saying that, it was difficult to get any worse than the last bridesmaid dress I wore!”

Collapsing into chuckles at the reminder of the salmon pink gateau she’d worn at her brother’s wedding, they eventually turned to get dressed.

By the time they actually left the shop, after lingerie, shoes, headwear, Patricia knew all their secrets and was on the guest list for the wedding!

                “Dinner, Drinking and then Dancing! That’s what happens next!” Tilly hugged Kate. “My treat to thank you for giving up your only day off to spend with me!”

                “I haven’t laughed so much in I don’t know how long. I love you Tilly Cummings, I hope you know that!”

The two girls hugged, both blinking away the tears they didn’t want to shed, “I love you too. And the wedding...or rather the husband won’t change that, I promise!”

Kate took Tilly’s hand and led her along the road to their favourite restaurant, “it had better not! Now if you don’t mind, I do believe I was promised dinner!”

 After such a great day, a day like they hadn’t had for ages the slump back to reality was hard for Kate. Now that she knew she was ready to change things, she was impatient. In her head she tried to work out how she could step things down without distressing Peter. He was so emotionally volatile, you never knew how he’d react to situations, and it was that unpredictability that meant he was indulged like a spoiled child, and in the same way the more he was given, the more he wanted. Kate had had really high hopes that Brentfort Residential Home would do as they advertised, prepare emotionally or mentally challenged people for independent living, for integration into normal society. But so far in six years of extortionate expenses, Peter had seemed to beat their philosophy into a pulp.

Kate could see that a lot of it was his mother’s reluctance to step back, but she knew she’d humoured him too. She needed to sort this now.

Before heading to see Peter, she called Tilly, knowing she’d probably still be in bed.

                “Kate? You ok?” Tilly’s voice was sleep yet concerned.

Kate smiled to herself, “I’m fine, just wanted to retell you how great a time I had yesterday...and ti say sorry for being such an awful friend recently. We used to always have fun days like that once. Now I’m either too busy or too tired. I regret that.”

Tilly sighed, “it’s because you’re a good person that you’re so tied. And there’s no need to apologise. The crap I’ve dealt you over the wedding...well your shoulders needed to be three times as broad to carry it all! A wedding for God’s sake! We just have to accept that we’re both basket cases and can’t survive without the other!”

                “So you’re not mad with me for being so useless?”

Tilly sighed, “You’ve given up everything to help someone in need. How can I be angry with you? I meant it yesterday! I love you, you’re my best mate. So PLEASE remember that. Whatever happens I’ll be there for you...Oops, Ashton is looking at me rather peculiarly...It’s Kate darling, it’s her I love too!...Sorry Kate. Look I’ll call you later ok?”

Kate grinned, “say sorry to Ashton for waking you so early!”

Tilly giggled then let out a squeal, “I think he’s enjoying being woken up early!”

                “Too much information!” Kate laughed before hanging up.

With a new spring in her step, she headed out into the cold December morning.

There were only two weeks until Christmas, so after a trip to the zoo with Peter, a welcome deviation from their usual three places, she headed to Oxford Street and started to shop. She’d go to her mother’s on Christmas Eve, then leave for the Wightman’s sometime in the evening. It was a two hour drive so she didn’t want to be driving into the early hours, but she did need to appease her mother somewhat. No scratch that, she WANTED to see her mother; she owed her some form of explanation too.

Every night when she lay in bed, the temptation to call Mason was huge, but she knew it wasn’t the right time, not yet. She needed to lead by her actions. Sort out this mess, then rekindle things with her mother, brother, and maybe Mason. Who knew.