The Homecoming Bride

Chapter Sixteen: Turning Page

CHAPTER SONG: "Turning Page" by Sleeping At Last

Author's Note: The wedding vows and ceremony are not based on any specific religion (Christian, Catholic, etc.), more as a combination of many.

It was finally here... the wedding day. April 7th, 1918.

Emmy sat in the chair in front of the vanity mirror in the powder room of the church, which the parish had generously permitted for her to use as a bridal suite for her, Molly and Charlotte.

"Be honest Emmy... how many hours of sleep did you get last night?" Molly asked in a well-meaning tone as she dabbed at the bags underneath Emmy's eyes with a hint of peach colored concealer while Charlotte helped adjust the bows in Cici's hair. Elle practiced dropping flower petals from her basket.

"Sorry... I must have had some wedding jitters last night, too hyped up to sleep much." Emmy mischievously raised her eyebrows as she met her sister-in-law's eye.

"I really hope that's not a euphemism, dear sister." Molly reprimanded half-jokingly, trying to stifle her giggles.

"Oh, let her alone, Mol. They say Lance Corporals are the most stalwart lovers." Charlotte playfully defended the bride, now fixing the wrinkles out of Elle's Sunday best dress as the child knelt down to pick up the petals she had dropped on the floor.

"Shhh... there's kids in the room. You don't want to scandalize their innocent ears, do you?" Emmy turned to meet Cici's eyes as the older child cuddled against her legs, laying her head in her lap.

"You look so pretty Auntie Emmy! Like a princess." Cici looked up into Emmy's eyes, her tiny fingers playing with the skirt of her dressing robe. "Are you gonna live happy ever after with Uncle Will?"

"We have to finish getting her ready before everyone arrives, darling. Go be with your sister for a moment so Aunt Emmy can dress." Molly bent down to gently pull Cecilia away, pressing a kiss to her forehead. "Mummy will go outside with you in a moment."

Cici nodded obediently at her mother, smiling up at Emmy one more time before going to the other side of the room and taking her own basket of flower petals.

"Come on, girls. Aunt Charlotte will take you to the lavatory to freshen up before the ceremony. Off you pop." Molly looked to Charlotte, who took both girls by the hands and led them out of the room.

The door to the powder room shut, leaving the bride and maid-of-honor alone for a few moments.

Molly had told Emmy about the wedding tradition of gift giving for the bride before a wedding ceremony.

Something old... something new... something borrowed... and something blue.

Since the Schofields didn't have much in the way of valuable material possessions, Molly had to make do with what she possessed in the way of paying tribute to such a custom.

Esther Schofield's engagement ring on Emmy's finger given to her when Will proposed to her was the "something old"...

The "something new" was the golden watch on her wrist gifted by Will that she wore every day even as she was helped into her wedding gown by Molly, who looked on admiringly and proudly as the dress fitted her perfectly as the day they had first bought it.

And for the "something borrowed", was the veil crowned on her head, which Charlotte had kept from her own wedding to Pvt. Edward Seymour, gossamer in lace and embroidered with cherry blossom ivory and pink petals, picked from Catherine Blake's tree orchard, an addition which Emmy and Charlotte had coordinated on together.