For Love, For Honor - #SYTYCW15 #CarinaPress

Part IX - Chapter 8

"Turn around Julie, let me see the back." Ann held her phone aloft and snapped a picture. Her fingers moved deftly over the screen crafting a text.

"Terri likes it, too. She thinks you look like a fairy princess in the white. Is that the effect you are going for?"

Julie sighed. "No, not really. It's quite lovely, but it does have sort of a Cinderella look to it. All of this tulle would probably travel well, though." She twirled, looking over her shoulder at the three-sided mirror and frowned. "I'm going to try the red one."

Getting in and out of ball gowns was a snap for Julie. She considered herself nearly a professional at it due to her pageant experiences. As she stepped into the silky red dress, a tingle rose up her spine. She moved the zipper up its track slowly, the fit becoming something close to a glove. Delicate gold beadwork and rhinestones shimmered in the dressing room's florescent light. She slipped the single strap of the Grecian-style gown over her shoulder. This was more like it.

Her mother gasped as she stepped onto the rounded podium in the middle of the store.

"Oh Julie..." she snapped a picture. "Turn around. Yes, hold right there."

She stared intently at her reflection. This may be THE dress. The color would compliment Tyler's uniform perfectly. Though conservative in the front, the back was super sexy, plunging past her waistline. The figure hugging skirt flared with pleats just below her bottom to form a train. It was the perfect vehicle for her...assets.

"What does Terri think, Mom?"

Ann gave a loud snort. "I'll just read it to you. For the front picture she said, 'Love the goddess cut and the color. It's very flattering.' Then I sent the photo of the back of the dress. She wrote, 'HOLY CRAP' in all caps. And seven exclamation points." The phone vibrated, demanding her attention. "She says, 'This is the dress.'"

"Now that's the effect I was going for!"

She ran her hand over the Grecian Key design that trimmed the waist and curved down the back. "The crystals and beading feel stable. It's very comfortable to move in. Let's see if I can sit down." She stepped from the podium and placed herself delicately into a wing-backed chair.

"It drapes beautifully, Julie. I think this fabric would stand up to travel. Is there any strain when you sit?"

"Nope. In fact, it's more comfortable than the blue jeans I was wearing when we came in."

Ann's phone jittered again and she smiled. "Terri says it's the kind of dress that commands a man's respect when you face him, then when you turn to leave he'll melt into a puddle of drool. Ha! She cracks me up."

"It's settled then. I have a dress for the Marine Corps Ball." She sighed contentedly. This was more than she could have hoped for. Things were looking up.

On the ride home, Julie gazed out the window at the barren cornfields passing by, chewing her lip until it was nearly raw. So much in her life had changed. Tyler's deployment was a huge dose of reality. For all of them. The fear she felt at the news of the training accident flooded her heart and sent a shiver down her spine. Though Tyler was on his way back to the States, Michael would be off to some forsaken land by the end of the month. Two more Marine units had suffered training accidents since that crash, danger none of them recognized before now. Tyler had come way too close to being one of those statistics. She swiped a hand across her eyes. What if something did happen to Tyler during his training? Or to Michael? This was only the beginning of their contracts. Were all families an emotional basket case by the end of it all? It was obvious to her now that service to our country was so much more than being on the front lines of battle. The bravery and dedication of these men was awe-inspiring. It was almost incomprehensible, the way her brother and Tyler handled the risk of their duties with such stoic and calm demeanors. It was an honor to be loved by them.