Remembrance

So wierd it was, this day, a day so very hoped for, longed for, wanted. She was standing next to her father, holding onto his arm. "Are you ready?" he asked. She chuckled, and in her characteristic fashion said, "Well, does it matter? It's a little late to back away NOW." She was, of course, nervous, as all brides tend to be. When she was little, "Princess" was cool, but now? She was wearing the "Princess" garb, and well, it just seemed waaay too formal for marrying him. Which is why she liked him.

And so the music started. And being Catholic, it was a wedding Mass. Sit, kneel (when did that come back?) and stand, not necessarily in that order or number. And at the end of the ceremony, where they turned, arm in arm, to walk back down the aisle as husband and wife, she saw her.

There, at the back of church, was an older but young looking woman, wearing a dazzling blue dress -- electric blue, and at the cuffs of the sleeves and bottom of the dress was blue sequins -- blue shoes that had been dyed to match the dress, and sparkley jewlery. She wore makeup, a polished look that was well done. She had tissues, and kept dabbing her eyes, proud that her little girl was getting married.

The Bride gasped and dragged her new husband down the aisle, wanting to run to her but not wanting to ruin the moment. It seemed like the woman was drifting farther away and the Bride hurried to catch up with her.

When she got to the last pew in the church, the woman had vanished. Unable to control herself, the Bride screamed, "I saw her! She was right here! Mom was right here!" As her chin wavered and her eyes threatened tears, someone said to her, "I know. I saw her too."

An old aunt asked, "You saw Kathie?"

And then I woke up. Dreams are weird.

She was also wearing the blue dress that she liked and looked good in, with the blue shoes. Like she had worn for both my brothers' weddings. It was a very odd dream.