Until Forever Falls Apart

02 | In Memoriam

The afternoon became a fixation on what to wear tonight. We scoured my walk-in wardrobe, akin to Miley Stewart's in Hannah Montana only with more organisation. There were expensive designer outfits, from Chanel to Dior, in one corner all hung up or on mannequins in fashionable poses. My simpler clothes made up most of the overly large, circular room.

Rena thumbed her way through bland and patterned dresses. She trailed a perfectly manicured finger over every shelf with neatly folded jeans, blouses and shirts. A quick glance at the t-shirts and she walked away towards more appropriate clothing.

I sat in the middle of the room on a patchwork couch, watching her closely like a hawk.

It wasn't often I let her roam free here. Only when the moment called for it.

She hummed. "What about this one?" A hanger hung from her finger. Attached to it, a block black dress with ruffles.

I tilted my head from side to side, lips pursed. "It looks like something I would wear to a funeral, not a memorial dinner," I said thoughtfully. "Remember, this is the Thorntons. You know what they're like."

Rena bowed her head, her gaze distant as she browsed a few more options, pulling them out to the same reception—a decisive 'no'. She held up a beige dress with black ribbons, then a button-down dress made from denim. None of them felt appropriate for the occasion.

After what must have been the hundredth dress she'd picked out, Rena held up a pure white, button-down, silk shirt with a black pinafore dress to go over the top. It seemed perfect somehow. The right amount of elegance, but not so extravagant that it would raise eyebrows.

Her shoulders slumped at seeing my face. "Come on. This must be a good one," she almost begged.

I gave her a weak smile—the most I was able to manage. "I love it," my voice came out deadpan.

"You could sound more enthused," Rena pointed out.

Gliding over to me, she placed the outfit on the back of the couch. After staring at me for a long moment, she sighed and sat beside me.

"We don't have to go, you know," she said gently. "We could go to the pub like we planned. Meet up with Sky. Pretend like it's the old days."

My arms wrapped around my body, keeping me encased from the outside world. "Nope. I've committed now," I decided.

With a sidelong glance, I took in the approved outfit. Something snagged inside me—a long distant memory of when I first bought this dress. It was a couple of years ago. I couldn't remember the specifics. My mind protected me from difficult memories at the best of times. However, I remember buying the dress because Jonathan was there.

Snapping out of my reverie, I stood up and took the dress towards the bedroom to get ready. I wanted to get this over with.

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

The home of Jonathan's parents looked out of place in a village like Amblewood. Compared to the more modest manor homes strewn around the outskirts by the forest, the residence of the Thorntons' was something fitting The Great Gatsby in a booming American economy. It didn't belong in the northern, English countryside.

With a large fountain spraying water onto the marble beyond the dark gates, cars of every size, colour and brand carefully rounded it before spewing out the guests dressed in lavish gowns and tuxes. They put our casual outfits to shame as we treaded the path I'd walked only a couple of times to meet with Jonathan—he spent more time at Eleanor's than he ever cared to admit.