When Can I Take You

Spark of Hope

Some Time After

"What did you say?"

"Where here?"

"No before that."

"What do you mean before that?"

"When I told you to take my advice to the heart?"

"I didn't say anything, I just nodded and smiled and you fell silent, you stared at me until I told you we're here."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes Jade. Are you alright?" Althea smiled and I couldn't believe it because I really heard her say something, am I imagining things now?

"Yeah I'm good Althea." I said shrugging off what I thought I heard her say.

"Come on let's check on the gowns and then have coffee. You cool with that?"

"Sure no problem." I smiled and Althea immediately slip out of the car and opened my door for me and held my right hand and made sure I don't hit my head on the over head ledge, out of habit.

Althea didn't let go of my hand all the way to the designer's boutique, again out of habit and Althea being naturally touchy to her friends, especially me. So I learned at an early age that these gestures from her are normal, with no taint of malice and I shouldn't assume no matter how misleading they can be. And on her defence Althea never made a mistake of kissing me more than cheeks and forehead, her hugs are tight but still with that gentle pat on my head, like what she always does when she hugs her friends. She's just like that, she's just being herself.

"Althea! Jade! Hi good to see you both again. You know if I don't know you guys I could easily mistaken you for the engaged couple, you really look good together." Tommy said, he's Althea's gay designer friend, who's known for his exceptional wedding gown designs known all through out the industry. His latest celebrity client was the 2015 Ms. Universe who has been married to an american business tycoon.

"Tommy every time you see Jade with me you tell us that."

"And you can't blame me for seeing you two perfectly for each other. Anyways, best friends these are your gowns." Tommy said a matter-of-factly as he led us to the inner part of his boutique.

"Wow Tommy, these are ethereally gorgeous." Althea instantly marvelled seeing the almost identical gowns on the mannequins.

"Thanks Althea, just the way you want them to be." Tommy said with a sigh of relief.

"Isn't it too identical Althea?" I asked and they both look at me at the same time, as if I said the most dreadful comment ever.

"Don't you like it Jade dear?" Tommy said almost sadly and it embarrasses me to make him feel that his work is not good when it fact it is the kind of wedding gown I would surely wear if it was my wedding.

"No of course I like it, I mean I love Tommy, I'm just feeling a little awkward, I'll be standing next to Althea on the altar and I'm wearing a slightly more identical gown with hers than her bride's." I explained.

"I love it too. We're taking it." Althea said with determination, shrugging off my comment.

"Althea - -"

"It's fine Jade, If I couldn't marry you that day I might as well have an identical dress with you just so I could pretend." Althea said, just like the way she did at the car earlier.

"What did you say?" I frowned

"That it's fine? Come on Jade are not paying attention to what I say?"