"baby, please don't cry"
Candice "Candy Cane" Marshall hasn't seen or talked to any of her friends in a long time. Dallas and Johnny are gone and she's terrified to face the fact that Steve and Sodapop may have met their fates in Vietnam. But when t...
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Songs to listen to while reading:
Tenerife Sea by Ed Sheeran
Speechless by Dan and Shay
Perfect by Ed Sheeran
September 15, 1977
I can't help but smile at myself in the mirror. I never really thought of myself as ugly or anything, but I also never really cared about my appearance. I always thought girls who wore makeup and dresses were silly until I got older and realized dresses were great lazy outfits.
Except for that day. That day I was in a white dress. It was long and slimming and not poofy like a lot of girls like it; the sleeves were lacy and pretty and stopped right above my elbows. Not my usual style, but I loved it all the same. It was actually Tasha who'd picked it out.
I felt beautiful, almost like a princess.
"Sodapop's gonna bawl when he sees you," Evie giggled as she stood behind me, doing my hair. Cathy had picked out a style in a wedding magazine where the bride had a flower tiara and her hair was braided up around it.
"You're absolutely gorgeous and I'm already bawling," said Claire. "I can't believe you're getting married."
I grinned over at her.
"I never understood why girls were always so giddy on their wedding day. But I get it."
"Oh, man, I was so nervous on my day," Cathy said.
"You never showed it," said Tasha. "I think your mother freaked out more than you did."
Cathy smirked. "My mother freaks out over everything."
There was a knock on the door. "Everyone dressed?"
"Come in, Dar," Tasha called. Darry walked in and he was holding baby Darrell. We'd all gotten into the habit of just calling him Baby, as it was a lot easier to differentiate between Darrells. He seemed to be a lot calmer than he was at Ponyboy's wedding, which I figured he would be. Anything regarding Ponyboy, Darry was pretty apt to freak out.
I was surprised, however, that Darry wasn't looking more nervous than he appeared to be.
"Wow, Candy Cane," he said, a small smile spreading across his stubbly face. "You look absolutely beautiful."
"Thanks, Darry," I replied. Tasha took the baby from Darry and gave him a big smooch on his chubby little cheek.
"Hi, pumpkin. Don't you look handsome! Did Daddy do your hair?"
Darry smiled proudly at his son. There was another knock at the door.
