A Walk Down the Aisle

Get The Dress

Later that week, at a bridal shop at the mall...

"Any way that we can have skirt taken in or shorten?" Rhea asked the consultant while Lara was wearing the dress. The skirt nearly caught in the wheels.

"Alternations are going to be limited due to your timeframe." The consultant told them. "We could allow it to be able to be pin up. We did that for a few clients who were in wheelchairs."

"Okay. Lara, how do you feel it this dress?" Rhea asked her.

Lara looked down, touching the soft fabric. "It is pretty, but not for me." She spoke. "I would like to try..."

"Lara, is THAT you?" Her would have been mother-in-law said, walking up into her appointed area. "I heard about the accident. I just did not know that you were unable to walk." Her voice was grating on the ears.

"I am actually going to physical therapy, so I will..."

"And to think you could have just forgive my son for his transgressions. You would have never been in THIS situation." She had a smug look. The nerve of that woman.

Lara saw red. She signaled for her mother to hold the chair. Planting her feet on the floor, Lara lifted herself up. With the consultant's help to get steady, Lara stood unassisted. Her eyes bore into the woman.

"I have gone through the fires of hell and back in the last year. I would do it again to be the person I am now. To be with the person who loves me even after this and so much more. Now, remove yourself from my bridal appointment or be removed." Lara held her head up high.

The woman was flustered. She turned and walked away as the consultant signal for security. After she left the shop, Lara carefully sat back down. She took a moment to gather herself.

"This one is too puffy. There was one in the window, the fitted mermaid in lace. Not white." Lara asked about that dress for Danny told her about it. She recalled what he said that first night when he was walking her to her parents' house.

"That particular one is out of your price range by nearly $2000 dollars." The consultant said calmly.

Lara nodded, understanding. "Okay, that one that you pulled looks similar to..."

"Get the dress." Dale walked up to the couch where his wife and daughter were. "I just watch my little girl stand up after everything she have been through. You get the dress you want."

The next week at Lara's new job...

Lara was at the front desk that was design low to make it more accessible to people in wheelchairs. She was helping checking a new patient in when Diana came up.

"Lara, how is everything going?" She asked happily after the patient was taken care of.

"Wonderful. The staff is happy, and the people was excited for the different types of treatments offered." Lara smiled. The center was not just focusing on healing the body thru therapy, but the whole person. While working with her new employees, she found herself opening up about her experiences since the accident. Everyone there had a story. They were all once on the other side in one form or another.

"I am glad to hear that. This has been a pursue of mine." Diana smiled. She made a face and lifted her pants leg. Her legs stopped at the knee; a tragic accident that nearly cost that the time young track star runner their life. Her new socket for one of her prosthetic legs was bothering her. "People were so ready to help me run again. No one could understand why I was scared to. I needed a place to go and be understood. My track coach was the only one who took the time and found me help. Now, I help others."

"I know I work here, but I have benefited too." Lara smiled.

"That is good. Now, you spoke about your fiancé being one of your main supports. Does he have anyone who he can talk to? Even the support in our lives need help." Diana asked. Lara thought about it. There is Arny, but Danny did tend to keep things close that were truly bothering him.

Two weeks later...

"I will tell you about my session if you give me a hint about your dress." Danny whined as they cuddled on the couch. Lara talked to Danny, and he set up an appointment to see a licensed therapist to talk about things. Today was his third session. Danny seemed to have a weight off his shoulders.

"You will love to see it." Lara teased.

Danny rolled his eyes. "Fair. I kind of opened Pandora's box in a way at the session. Just a lot of thoughts and feelings that I had smashed down. Everything bubbled up. I admit it, I went through a whole box of tissues."

"Can you share any of them with me?" Lara asked.

"Yes, and Matt said it was best if I did." Danny kissed her head. "When the accident happened, I was petrified. When I was driving, I was praying that it was not you. Then, I felt bad because I pray for it to be someone else. I felt like a monster. When you were recovering, all I could think about was that I did this to you. I asked you to dinner and you were hurt coming to me."

"Danny, I agreed to that restaurant because it was my favorite." Lara stroked his cheek.

Danny raised up his hand to stop her from talking. He needed to get the rest off his chest. "I thought about breaking up with you. Before you tried to break up with me. I thought that I could not do it anymore. I felt like you would be better off if I was not around. Maybe, you would get better if I was gone." Danny lowered his head.

"Danny." Lara moved closer. Danny reached out to her. "Nope, let me do this." Lara twisted and crawled up in his lap. Straddling him, she lifted his face. She kissed his forehead and then nose.

"I am and will always be grateful that you came and stay in my life. Since meeting you, I can't see myself being with anyone else. You are the one that I am supposed to be with. I mean, you even risk getting all sneezy when you found me sitting next to those pine trees." She kissed his lips.

"You just did that!" Danny wrapped his arms around her. "Baby, that is great." He stood up, hugging her.

"Okay, now get my legs around your waist." Lara told him. Danny did. "Now, let go."

"You are squeezing me!" Danny was excited to feel her thighs pressing on his sides. "How long can you do that for?"

"Just a few moments. The muscles get tired easily." Lara smiled at her. She was happy about the progress that she was able to make.

"Enough time to carry you into the kitchen for ice cream." Danny announced, smiling all the way.