If I Should Fall (Editing)

Chapter 20

  Elizabeth once again found herself staring at her reflection. This time she stood on a pedestal in front of a full length wall mirror admiring her wedding gown. She ran her palms down the smooth material covering her flat stomach. She paused with her hands on her abdomen as she stared at her profile in the mirror and imagined what she would look like if she were several months pregnant.

She frowned. For some reason, try as hard as she might, she couldn't picture herself carrying John's child. She sighed not understanding what was wrong with her. Jitters, she thought. It had to be pre-wedding jitters. She was nervous after all. She jumped when the seamstress touched her as she double checked the final measurements for her dress. "I'm sorry." She laughed nervously.

The elderly lady patted her arm gently. "No need to be sorry, my dear. It's perfectly understandable to be a little nervous before the big day."

Elizabeth granted her a polite smile, but wasn't paying attention as she went on about her wedding day to 'her Harold'. Nervous she should feel, but along side that should be something else; she just couldn't put her finger on it. She watched as her sister and mother had a hushed, but animated conversation a few feet away next to the changing room. She studied them in the mirror trying to figure out what they were saying, for some reason she knew whatever it was it pertained to her.

She watched her sisters' lips intently, able to make a few words here and there. Therapist, Charlie, unbalanced. Her brow furrowed even more trying to understand, feelings as if she was on the verge of a breakthrough. Then Alexis noticed her and the two stared at each other through to mirror for a heartbeat before Alexis smiled at her.

"You look beautiful." The other woman approached her. "What is it?"

Elizabeth had been staring at her strangely, feeling like she was teetering on the edge, but the edge of what she didn't know. Her head hurt. She touched her finger tips to her temple. "Nothing ... I'm just worried, that's all. What if something goes wrong?"

"Nothing is going to go wrong. Trust me. Everything has been worked out. Don't worry about anything." Alexis draped her arm across her sisters' shoulder. "You do look beautiful and once you've got your hair and make-up done and accessories on, you'll be stunning."

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"So what are you going to do if she doesn't want to leave?" Tammy asked as she chewed on a piece of beef jerky, leaning against Charlie's kitchen counter.

"I haven't the slightest clue. I refuse to believe that she's with him of her own free will. She still loves me, I can feel it." Charlie pinched the bridge of her nose.

"I believe you and I'm not trying to be a bitch here, but are you prepared for her not walking out the door with you?"

"She will. She has too." Charlie didn't appear too confident and she felt even less so, but she couldn't pass this opportunity up. Tammy's older brother, Tony, was the head security officer for a major security agency. His wasn't the ones hired to secure the Montgomery wedding, but he was able to find out what agency they had hired, and as it happened, his ex-wife's cousin worked for the competition.

Lucinda quickly ushered Charlie through the maze of halls of the large cathedral, avoiding known guard stations as she did. She rolled her eyes as she pressed against a wall and peered around a corner, knowing she was putting her job at risk for her favorite cousin who just couldn't get over her ex-husband. "It's the second door on the left. Remember you have ten minutes from here on out. If they catch you, there's nothing I can do for you. You don't know me." She looked Charlie in the eye.

Charlie nodded as she skirted around her and quickly opened the second door on the left.

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