Trembling With the Strings
That's All She Wrote
We pulled into a bridal store about half an hour later. I helped Marty out of the car and picked him up in my arms. Darius grabbed my hand, practically hauling me into the store as if I was moving as fast as a snail.
I scowled at him once we got inside, but then I looked around. I pulled myself away from him, looking around in awe. There had to be thousands of different wedding dresses. Marty squirmed in my arms, so I set him down and let him run around after he promised not to break anything.
“Can I help you?”
I looked up and saw a woman probably in her thirties. She looked nice enough, so I smiled.
“Yes. I need a dress.”
“No, you need to get measurements. I get to pick the dress,” Darius told me, dragging a giggling Marty up to us. Demetrius had found a quarter on the floor, but I didn’t want to break it to him that he probably couldn’t even afford a gumball in this part of town.
“I thought guys didn’t care,” I grumbled to him, picking Demetrius back up and settling him on my hip. He showed me his coin, grinning and giggling. I kissed his forehead.
“Oh, Darius! I remember you from when you were a little boy,” the woman told him with a smile. “Drakken and Anne came here to find Anne’s dress.” She put her hand on his shoulder. “She was an amazing woman.” She paused for a moment. “How are Marcy and Dante doing?”
I glanced over to Darius, but he was riffling through dresses absentmindedly. Come to think of it, I hadn’t seen his mother...
“They’re okay. Dante and Cameron are still together. It’s been three years, but they insist they don’t want to rush things. Marcella is still that innocent little bowl of sunshine. I think my protective brother act has kept the boys away,” he told her with a small laugh.
I thought about Lyndell. Darius didn’t need to know.
“Well isn’t that just too cute. So who is this woman that has captured your heart?”
“Gracie,” he told her, grabbing my hand suddenly. “And the child is her brother, so don’t worry.” She smiled.
“Gracie, honey, how old are you?”
Oh, boy. I glanced up at her. “I’ll be seventeen in seven months.”
“Oh.” Her smile faded and she glanced over to Darius. He told her to mind her own business without even saying a word. “Well, Darius, I have the dress you were asking about. It’s the exact same style, but I can see that we’re going to need to have it tailored. She is certainly shorter than your mother. I’ll go get it—it’s in the back.”
Darius nodded, letting go of me and shoving his hands into his pockets. He took a deep breath and closed his eyes.
“Dray?” I mumbled, reaching into his pocket and taking his hand back into mine. “I don’t understand what’s going on.”
“I didn’t understand it either. Welcome to my life, Grace,” he muttered, opening his eyes and looking at the ceiling.
“What happened to your mother?” I whispered, begging him to look at me. He did, but I couldn’t tell if he looked angry or agonized.
“She’s gone. That’s it, okay?”
I bit my lip. Curiosity killed the cat, but what if the cat was sweet about it? “Darius, baby, I love you.” I kissed him softly, but he just pushed me away.
“Gracie, please. Don’t push me on this.”
I sighed, but I didn’t get the chance to say anymore as the woman came out with the dress. She handed it to Darius and showed me to a small footstool.
She attempted small talk, telling me about how adorable Dray was as a little kid. I smiled and laughed occasionally, but all I could pay attention to was the man sitting in the chair at the entrance, holding Demetrius on his lap.
What had happened to his mother?
I scowled at him once we got inside, but then I looked around. I pulled myself away from him, looking around in awe. There had to be thousands of different wedding dresses. Marty squirmed in my arms, so I set him down and let him run around after he promised not to break anything.
“Can I help you?”
I looked up and saw a woman probably in her thirties. She looked nice enough, so I smiled.
“Yes. I need a dress.”
“No, you need to get measurements. I get to pick the dress,” Darius told me, dragging a giggling Marty up to us. Demetrius had found a quarter on the floor, but I didn’t want to break it to him that he probably couldn’t even afford a gumball in this part of town.
“I thought guys didn’t care,” I grumbled to him, picking Demetrius back up and settling him on my hip. He showed me his coin, grinning and giggling. I kissed his forehead.
“Oh, Darius! I remember you from when you were a little boy,” the woman told him with a smile. “Drakken and Anne came here to find Anne’s dress.” She put her hand on his shoulder. “She was an amazing woman.” She paused for a moment. “How are Marcy and Dante doing?”
I glanced over to Darius, but he was riffling through dresses absentmindedly. Come to think of it, I hadn’t seen his mother...
“They’re okay. Dante and Cameron are still together. It’s been three years, but they insist they don’t want to rush things. Marcella is still that innocent little bowl of sunshine. I think my protective brother act has kept the boys away,” he told her with a small laugh.
I thought about Lyndell. Darius didn’t need to know.
“Well isn’t that just too cute. So who is this woman that has captured your heart?”
“Gracie,” he told her, grabbing my hand suddenly. “And the child is her brother, so don’t worry.” She smiled.
“Gracie, honey, how old are you?”
Oh, boy. I glanced up at her. “I’ll be seventeen in seven months.”
“Oh.” Her smile faded and she glanced over to Darius. He told her to mind her own business without even saying a word. “Well, Darius, I have the dress you were asking about. It’s the exact same style, but I can see that we’re going to need to have it tailored. She is certainly shorter than your mother. I’ll go get it—it’s in the back.”
Darius nodded, letting go of me and shoving his hands into his pockets. He took a deep breath and closed his eyes.
“Dray?” I mumbled, reaching into his pocket and taking his hand back into mine. “I don’t understand what’s going on.”
“I didn’t understand it either. Welcome to my life, Grace,” he muttered, opening his eyes and looking at the ceiling.
“What happened to your mother?” I whispered, begging him to look at me. He did, but I couldn’t tell if he looked angry or agonized.
“She’s gone. That’s it, okay?”
I bit my lip. Curiosity killed the cat, but what if the cat was sweet about it? “Darius, baby, I love you.” I kissed him softly, but he just pushed me away.
“Gracie, please. Don’t push me on this.”
I sighed, but I didn’t get the chance to say anymore as the woman came out with the dress. She handed it to Darius and showed me to a small footstool.
She attempted small talk, telling me about how adorable Dray was as a little kid. I smiled and laughed occasionally, but all I could pay attention to was the man sitting in the chair at the entrance, holding Demetrius on his lap.
What had happened to his mother?