Chapter 2

A week later,

Mr Wood, "Dress up and come downstairs."

"Why should I?" Emily inquired her father.

"Don't start it again with me." Mr Wood warned, voice sharp enough to silence the entire house, "Now get dressed and be downstairs in five minutes."

The sound of footsteps faded down the hallway. As her father left to go join her mother.

Emily finally picked herself up from her bed and dragged herself over to the dresser in front of her. She looked at her reflection in the mirror that hung above her vanity. She wore a pair of jeans and a turtleneck sweater. Her curly hair was still wet from her bath earlier that evening. Her skin had a bit of an unusual glow to it from the light shining in through her window; but she didn't seem bothered by it much. She reached for her brush and started brushing her dark curls back into some semblance of order, which she'd managed to do before getting ready.

Emily felt tired all of a sudden, as if her body and mind were slowly giving out on her, leaving her exhausted and confused. There was something wrong, there just seemed to be so much going on and she couldn't make it stop. But she couldn't let it consume her too much like this; she needed to be able to function, for her mother's sake, or even better, for Father's. She finished combing her hair and put the brush back where it belonged next to her vanity and made her way downstairs.

When Emily arrived downstairs, the rest of her family already seemed ready and waiting for her. Mr and Mrs Wood were sitting side by side in the living room; they appeared deep in conversation with each other. Their voices drifted upwards slightly as Emily approached, but stopped abruptly when they heard her step enter their presence. They turned around to face their daughter.

Mr Wood stood up from the couch and said, "Let's go." His tone wasn't exactly warm, but it certainly wasn't cold either.

Emily nodded and stepped back towards the front door. Mr Wood opened it for her, and she stepped outside onto the porch. He locked the door behind her as he led her to the car, and slid inside. The moment they closed the doors and buckled themselves in, she began to feel anxious and uneasy. She could see her father studying her face out of the corner of his eye, but she wouldn't have cared less about him.

"Where are we going?" Emily asked.

Mr Wood glanced at her briefly, then focused his gaze on the road ahead of them.

"To shop for wedding outfits." Mrs Wood told her.

Emily didn't say anything else after that. Her eyes wandered out the window, trying to catch sight of any signs to help her figure out the situation, but there was nothing. The roads were empty and empty streets passed beneath them.

Soon they pulled into a parking lot, and her father parked the car. Mrs Wood got out first and waited for her husband and daughter to get out. Emily hesitated before opening the passenger door herself. It wasn't until her hand touched the handle, though, that she decided to get out as well. She followed her mother and father into the store.

Emily stood next to her parents as they entered one store after another, passing by endless racks full of dresses and suits. After they'd gone to a few more stores, she realised this would be hopeless for now, and decided to ask her mother what they planned to do now. Emily looked at her expectantly.

"We'll need a few hours to look around, and then we can decide what to do next." Mrs Wood replied.

"Am i really going to get married, mom?"

"I'll check out the gift store for the return gift ceremony." Mr Wood said to Mrs Wood ignoring Emily's question and left them to look for the gifts by himself.

Mrs Wood and Emily continued walking through the mall, stopping occasionally to look at different displays.

"Mom," Emily tried once more, "please listen to me..."

"Your father wanted us to take you shopping, and that's what we're going to do right now." Her Mother said sternly.

Emily knew she wasn't going to win this argument, so she kept quiet until they finally found a place that sold jewellery.

After Mr Wood returned, Mr and Mrs Wood went off to look at rings while Emily was lost in her thoughts, but eventually came across a pair of earrings that caught her eye. They looked like small silver stars dangling from thin gold chains. They were simple and elegant, perfectly fitting Emily's style. She walked over to look closer. A saleswoman stopped her right before she got anywhere near the jewellery display, however, and asked, "May I help you find something, miss? Perhaps jewellery or accessories?"

"No, thank you." Emily smiled at her before continuing on her way.

After searching for a little longer, the couple met back up with their daughter just outside a boutique.

"Have you picked out the bridal gown for you?" Mrs Wood asked Emily as she set the bags she held on the ground. When Emily shook her head as a 'no' she continued, "Make sure it fits you well. I don't want it to be too big or too small."

Emily nodded, looking through the rack of dresses that filled the centre of the large room.

An hour later, after trying on many bridal gowns, Mr Wood walked in the store and asked, "Why is it taking so long?"

Mrs Wood answered him, "She doesn't like anything. what do you want me to do?"

"Why are you asking her to choose? We know she's not going to pick up any dresses in this store. Just pick something and bill it."

While Mr Wood was talking, suddenly the groom appeared and asked Mr Wood, "Have you picked up the bridal gown for my bride?"

Mr Wood replies, "It's almost over, Sir."

The groom walked over to Emily and asked the worker who was standing beside her, "This outfit looks lame on her. Try something in purple."

Emily was taken behind the fitting room and got changed into a purple shade bridal gown and walked out of the trial room.

The worker lady said, "Sir, this is a strapless sheer lace and tulle ball gown bridal gown. This comes with extra length and sleeves as customisation options."

"Bill it." and he walked to Mr Wood and talked with him.

When Emily stepped back into the fitting room to remove it, she looked herself in the mirror wearing a beautiful bridal gown. The worker lady said, "You look beautiful in it."

Emily nodded and undressed to dress casually, Emily walked out and saw her father and mother talking with each other. There was no trace of the groom.

Mrs Wood, "Now, let's go and choose the cake for the wedding."

The entire day was spent on choosing things for the wedding like tasting cake, picking return gifts and so on.