Devoted to You

Chapter Two

The Dress^^

☾ Chapter Two ☽

Another three dark, gloomy days passed that consisted of Amber lying around her house, attempting to finish the book that she was given. She had only had a few chapters left and she would be completely finished.

Her mother, Sally, gently knocked on her door and walked in, her calm demeanor instantly engulfing the room. Her hair was pulled up into a sophisticated bun and she wore a simple black dress that hugged her curvaceous body, something that Amber had not inherited to her disappointment. She was much more thin and straight-looking, similar to her father. Sally was not dressed in her usual attire since today was the day of Amber's birthday ball.

"Hello, dear." Sally says, smiling at her daughter. She took in her daughter's appearance and inwardly sighed. An old blanket was draped over her shoulders, her book resting in her hands as she had been intensely reading before her mother had walked in. Her hair tumbled down her back in dark waves, not bothered by a brush. She wore a purple knitted sweater along with a pair of black leggings and knitted slippers.

"Hi." She said, looking back up from her book, closing it slowly and laying it to the side. She had been dreading this day for nearly three days. She inwardly groaned when she saw what her mother was carrying in her hand.

"I brought your dress up for you to try on. I tried to make it perfect for you, dear. I just hope you like it." She says, holding the dress as if she was hugging it.

Amber stands and walks over to her mother. She smiles at her. "Of course I'll like it." Amber says, kissing her mother's cheek and then taking the dress from her.

"Oh, you must try it on! Your father and I would love to see it on you." She says, her sweet voice almost humming the words. Her hands clasped together as her eyes widened hopefully.

I nod. "Okay, give me a moment."

Sally jumps in excitement. "Okay! Your father and I will be downstairs in the living room." She says, exiting her room and calling out to Jack to inform him that Amber was going to show them their dress.

Sally walked into her and Jack's bedroom to find him sitting on the bed, staring down at a photo of Amber when she was nearly five years old. Hearing him sniffle, she was instantly by his side. Nothing in life, other than Amber, had meant more to Sally than her husband.

"What is wrong, my love?" She asks, wrapping her arm around him and looking at the photo in his hands.

Jack sighs, trying to hold back the sobs that threatened to release. "I just can't believe how much our little girl has grown up."

Sally smiles. "I know. But she is a beautiful young lady now. She is sixteen today, in fact. We must celebrate her today." Sally then leans her head down and kisses Jack's boney cheek.

"Of course, Sal. I love our daughter very much so. I just can't help but to miss the little girl she used to be." He says, sitting the photo back down on their nightstand where it had previously sat.

"I know, Jack. I miss her being little as well. But we can not dwell on what we miss from the past and instead look forward to what we have now and what is to come." Sally whispers before rubbing his upper arm in a comforting manner.

Jack only nods his head, his shoulders slumped.

"She is trying on the dress I made for her." Sally says excitedly, coming around to face Jack. She grabs his cold hands and pulls him up from his sitting position.  "We must meet her in the living room, my love. She is going to show us."

Sally and Jack walk down to the living room, hand in hand. Meanwhile, Amber finishes zipping her dress in the back, somewhat struggling to zip it completely to the top. She then faces herself in the mirror that sat quietly in the corner of her room.