Aly watched at Kylie stood in front of the mirror with the seamstress pinning the dress, preparing to alter it for her.
?It looks beautiful on you. Your Father won?t believe that?s his little girl.?
?Well I?m not. I?m twenty-two. You?d think he?d stop getting all teary eyed every time I bring a guy home or I wear a pretty dress.? Kylie laughed softly and then scoffed, shaking her head. The seamstress grumbled as she tried to keep the pins lined up with Kylie moving around.
?You will always be his little girl. Even when you?re married and have kids of your own. Of course he swears you?re never getting married. I suppose he thinks he?s still the only man you?ll ever need. I have a feeling though when he looks at you, he gets all teary eyed for other reasons.?
?Really? ?
?I think he sees your Mother in you. Every time he looks at you he?s reminded of how beautiful and strong she was. You look so much like her. I?ve only seen photographs, but you have her eyes, the shape of them and her smile and her perfect cheekbones. You?re beautiful. Just like your Mom.?
?Excuse me.? Kylie stepped down and away from the seamstress, moving towards Aly with teary eyes. ?You really think he sees my Mom in me? She was so strong, so brave? I miss her so much.? The last words were whispered softly.
?I don?t think that Kylie, I know that. You are just and strong and just as brave. Look at all you?ve accomplished so far in your young life. Your Mom would be so proud.? Aly?s fingers pressed under Kylie?s eyes, wiping away tears. ?And it?s okay to miss her. You Dad does. Every day.?
?Every day? How do you know that??
?Well?? Aly bit her lip, wondering how Kylie would feel about what she was about to be told. ?Your Father and I did a bonding ritual. It?s something my kind can do and because of it, I can read his thoughts, his memories, and communicate with him through a mental bond. I think he forgets some times that I?m in his head. I promise you, he hasn?t forgotten your Mother. He thinks about her everyday. There is a picture in his office and he says hello to her every morning.? The smile grew on her face as she told her soon to be step daughter about that.
?You?re not angry? Doesn?t it bother you that he thinks about her??
?No of course I?m not angry. Kylie, I know that if your Mother was still alive, she and your Father would still be married. They had a beautiful relationship that ended way before it should have. Your Mother didn?t do anything wrong, there is no reason Wolvie should not think of her and continue to love her and the memories of their time together. She was an amazing woman, what was not to love??
Kylie was practically sobbing by this point.
?I?m sorry Aly.?
?For what Honey?? Reaching out, she rubbed Kylie?s arm.
?Because I didn?t want to like you. I was afraid you?d be this horrible step Mother and try to take my Mother?s place. I know that?s not fair, that I judged you before I knew you, but I was scared.?
?It?s okay. I was scared too. Scared of meeting you and Ethan. Afraid that you wouldn?t like me or would think exactly those things, but Kylie, sweetie. No one can ever take Vlex?s place in any of your lives. I would never want to. That is too much to live up to. Your Mother, I mean. She was amazing, it would be impossible for me to ever shadow her brilliance.?
?I just, I didn?t expect you Aly. But I feel a lot better now that we?ve talked. It feels like I closed a chapter in my life and can start a new one. It just? I feel so much better knowing that Dad hasn?t forgotten her and knowing how much you respect her. It means a lot to me.?
? I know what you mean, about closing chapters Kylie. We?re all starting new parts of our lives. I?m going to be a wife and a Mother, well, a step Mother for the first time. It?s nerve wracking and exciting. I know that there will be bumps along the way, but I just want you to know I love you and Ethan already. I couldn?t have asked for two better kids to be brought in to my life. Thank you for agreeing to be my Maid of Honor.? Smoothing a hand through Kylie?s hair, Aly waved her back over to the waiting seamstress.
With a huge smile, Kylie nodded and moved back over to finish having her dress pinned.
?I love the dress. I was worried you were going to pick something that was all bubble gum pink taffeta and had a huge bow on the butt.?
? Well that was my back up plan if our meeting hadn?t went well? nothing crueler than bubble gum pink taffeta and big butt bows.? Laughing, Aly sat back down and watched as Kylie practiced making faces and smiling in the mirror for when it was picture time.
?It looks beautiful on you. Your Father won?t believe that?s his little girl.?
?Well I?m not. I?m twenty-two. You?d think he?d stop getting all teary eyed every time I bring a guy home or I wear a pretty dress.? Kylie laughed softly and then scoffed, shaking her head. The seamstress grumbled as she tried to keep the pins lined up with Kylie moving around.
?You will always be his little girl. Even when you?re married and have kids of your own. Of course he swears you?re never getting married. I suppose he thinks he?s still the only man you?ll ever need. I have a feeling though when he looks at you, he gets all teary eyed for other reasons.?
?Really? ?
?I think he sees your Mother in you. Every time he looks at you he?s reminded of how beautiful and strong she was. You look so much like her. I?ve only seen photographs, but you have her eyes, the shape of them and her smile and her perfect cheekbones. You?re beautiful. Just like your Mom.?
?Excuse me.? Kylie stepped down and away from the seamstress, moving towards Aly with teary eyes. ?You really think he sees my Mom in me? She was so strong, so brave? I miss her so much.? The last words were whispered softly.
?I don?t think that Kylie, I know that. You are just and strong and just as brave. Look at all you?ve accomplished so far in your young life. Your Mom would be so proud.? Aly?s fingers pressed under Kylie?s eyes, wiping away tears. ?And it?s okay to miss her. You Dad does. Every day.?
?Every day? How do you know that??
?Well?? Aly bit her lip, wondering how Kylie would feel about what she was about to be told. ?Your Father and I did a bonding ritual. It?s something my kind can do and because of it, I can read his thoughts, his memories, and communicate with him through a mental bond. I think he forgets some times that I?m in his head. I promise you, he hasn?t forgotten your Mother. He thinks about her everyday. There is a picture in his office and he says hello to her every morning.? The smile grew on her face as she told her soon to be step daughter about that.
?You?re not angry? Doesn?t it bother you that he thinks about her??
?No of course I?m not angry. Kylie, I know that if your Mother was still alive, she and your Father would still be married. They had a beautiful relationship that ended way before it should have. Your Mother didn?t do anything wrong, there is no reason Wolvie should not think of her and continue to love her and the memories of their time together. She was an amazing woman, what was not to love??
Kylie was practically sobbing by this point.
?I?m sorry Aly.?
?For what Honey?? Reaching out, she rubbed Kylie?s arm.
?Because I didn?t want to like you. I was afraid you?d be this horrible step Mother and try to take my Mother?s place. I know that?s not fair, that I judged you before I knew you, but I was scared.?
?It?s okay. I was scared too. Scared of meeting you and Ethan. Afraid that you wouldn?t like me or would think exactly those things, but Kylie, sweetie. No one can ever take Vlex?s place in any of your lives. I would never want to. That is too much to live up to. Your Mother, I mean. She was amazing, it would be impossible for me to ever shadow her brilliance.?
?I just, I didn?t expect you Aly. But I feel a lot better now that we?ve talked. It feels like I closed a chapter in my life and can start a new one. It just? I feel so much better knowing that Dad hasn?t forgotten her and knowing how much you respect her. It means a lot to me.?
? I know what you mean, about closing chapters Kylie. We?re all starting new parts of our lives. I?m going to be a wife and a Mother, well, a step Mother for the first time. It?s nerve wracking and exciting. I know that there will be bumps along the way, but I just want you to know I love you and Ethan already. I couldn?t have asked for two better kids to be brought in to my life. Thank you for agreeing to be my Maid of Honor.? Smoothing a hand through Kylie?s hair, Aly waved her back over to the waiting seamstress.
With a huge smile, Kylie nodded and moved back over to finish having her dress pinned.
?I love the dress. I was worried you were going to pick something that was all bubble gum pink taffeta and had a huge bow on the butt.?
? Well that was my back up plan if our meeting hadn?t went well? nothing crueler than bubble gum pink taffeta and big butt bows.? Laughing, Aly sat back down and watched as Kylie practiced making faces and smiling in the mirror for when it was picture time.