Chapter Twenty-eight
“Now that dress is definitely the one,” Eleanor said as Lorain came out of the bridal shop dressing room.
“You don’t think it’s too much, do you?” Lorain asked her mother with a worried expression on her face. She then turned and looked at the Cinderella-like gown in the mirror. There were pearls, rhinestones, layers of sheer netting, and a detachable train that was to die for. “I mean, I don’t want it to be about the dress, the reception, or the cake, for that matter. I just want it to be all about Nicholas and me committing ourselves to each other for the rest of our lives.”
“I get all that, but baby, you still want to look beautiful walking down the aisle. You don’t want that man thinking he’s marrying a ragamuffin do you? You coming down the aisle in some dress you could have easily worn to a cocktail party? I said it when I saw it hanging up, and now I’m saying it as I watch my baby girl wearing it,” Eleanor pointed adamantly. “That right there is the one.”
“You really think so?” Lorain turned her back to the mirror, and then looked over her shoulder.
“I know so,” Eleanor confirmed. “Like I said, you don’t want that man seeing you walking down the aisle looking like some ragamuffin.”
“Ma, had you seen the way I acted last week at that restaurant, ragamuffin would be a come up.”
Eleanor chuckled just imagining Lorain acting out at the Olive Garden. “So you really showed out that bad, huh?” Eleanor asked.
Regretfully, Lorain nodded. “And then some.”
“Well, it worked. You got your man back, and my grandbabies right here are about to officially have a daddy.” Eleanor bent over and pinched each of her granddaughters’ cheeks. The twins sat in their double stroller admiring the fashion show Lorain was putting on.
“Yes, indeed.” Lorain admired her little girls. “Mommy got us a man!”
“And me a son-in-law,” Eleanor’s voice cracked. “I’m so happy for you, Lorain.”
“Ma, don’t start up in here. I’ve only been officially engaged for a week. Save it for the actual wedding.”
“Oh, allow a mother her emotions, would ya?” Eleanor sniffed and wiped her eyes. “Anyway, what date are you two talking about?”
“We were thinking next spring,” Lorain answered.
“Oh my. That only gives us less than nine months. See, that’s exactly why you should have said yes when the man asked you to marry him the first time. We’d already have the wedding out of the way by now.”
“It’s better late than never, Ma. And at least I finally did wake up.”
“Yeah, I suppose.” Eleanor thought for a minute. “Have you told Unique about it yet?”
“No. I would have if I could have.” Lorain’s entire demeanor went frumpy as she headed back to the dressing room to remove the gown.
“Don’t you dare. Girl, you better get your behind back here and tell me why you just went from a rose to a wilted carnation.”
“I didn’t want to tell you, but Unique was in solitary confinement for the last week. She wasn’t allowed any visitors.”
“What?” Eleanor stood to her feet. “Oh, dear Lord. Solitary confinement? You mean, the hole?”
Lorain nodded.
“Oh, Jesus!” Eleanor was in complete drama mode. “My grandbaby done shanked somebody, and they done put her in the hole with water and bread to eat and one square of toilet paper to wipe her behind with.”
“Mama, if you don’t stop it this minute,” Lorain said in embarrassment, rushing over to Eleanor to calm her down.
“Is everything okay?” the clerk who’d been assisting Lorain earlier walked over and asked.
“Yes, everything is fine.” Lorain stood in an attempt to distract the woman’s attention from her mother. “And I’m definitely going to take this dress.”
“Oh, okay, wonderful.” It had worked, as the clerk’s concerned expression turned into an all-out grin when dollar signs flashed in her eyes at just the thought of the commission that would be involved.
“But is it okay if I just put the money down and we do the fitting and all that stuff another day?” Lorain asked.
“Oh, sure. By all means. Just meet me over at the counter to get all your paperwork started.” The clerk rushed off, forgetting all about the poor, old, elderly woman clutching her chest.
“My grandbaby,” Eleanor whined.
“Mother, I promise you if you don’t stop, you are going to get to see firsthand how I acted up in the Olive Garden,” Lorain warned. “It’s not like that. Unique didn’t shank anybody.” Next Lorain mumbled under her breath, “Not yet anyway.”
“What do you mean?”
“They found some kind of blade, knife, or something in her cell. That’s all. She didn’t cut anybody with it.” Once again, Lorain spoke under her breath. “They confiscated it before she could do all that.”
“Mary, Mother of God,” Eleanor said.
“But she’s out now, so you can cut all that out. She got out yesterday. I haven’t made it up there yet to see her though.”
All of a sudden Eleanor got serious with attitude. “She’s out? Well, why the heck didn’t you just say that in the first place?”
“Look, let me go get out of this dress and we’ll talk about it over something to eat.”
“Oooh yeah, child, because my sugar acting up. I need to eat.”
Lorain sucked her teeth. “Ma, you have never had issues with your sugar a day in your life.”
“Girl, I know, but you know that’s the excuse some of us black folks use in order to eat every three to four hours like we a newborn baby or something.”
Lorain burst out laughing. “Eleanor, you are too much,” Lorain said to her mother before opening the dressing room door, preparing to go inside.
“Lorain,” Eleanor called out, stopping Lorain in her tracks to turn around to face her. “You are too much too ... more than enough. I couldn’t have asked for a more perfect daughter.”
“Oh, Mommy,” Lorain replied, getting emotional. She hadn’t called her mother Mommy since she was a little girl. She wondered if the only time she’d ever hear it herself was once the twins were able to say it.