03-09-2020, 06:53 PM
(This post was last modified: 03-09-2020, 07:02 PM by Alice Appleton.)
[Content warning: Child marriage]
Alice barely slept at all. She and Anne clung on to each other as tightly as they could, this last night that they were together. Alice could not even remember not having her sister by her side. But tomorrow night, Anne would sleep alone in the bed for the first time in her life, and Alice would be far away from the comforting warmth of her sister and from anything familiar, at the mercy of a man she barely knew.
At last, she dozed off. For a moment, she thought she had woken up, but when she stepped out of bed and opened the door to the other room, father and her brothers were not there. Mother was sitting in a chair by the fire, knitting. She looked up and smiled warmly at her daughter. Alice rushed over, sat down on her knees, and rested her head on her mother’s lap. And mother gently caressed her face and hair with those loving, comforting hands Alice had missed so much. She was at peace, just sitting there, taking in her mother’s care for what seemed to be hours.
But slowly mother’s loving caresses became Anne’s, and Alice opened her eyes and knew that she was no longer a child. There was no way back. But she imagined that that precious part of her, the loving and joyful part, was safe and secure with mother in her dream, where things were good and nobody could touch it. In dreams she would visit it, for her dreams would still be her own. Her dreams would be her living, and her living would be like a dream, and then maybe she would endure.
Indeed, unlike her sister, Alice did not cry when Anne helped her dress and did her hair. Though her sister’s tears were usually enough to bring on her own, Alice sat there calmly. “You’ll be alright, Anne.”
The family arrived at the chapel on foot. Alice wore a simple, lilac dress, which was her best dress. Anne had tied her sister’s hair up in the best up-do she could do, and Tobias had purchased her a veil. Although it was relatively simple, it was still finer than anything she had ever worn or possessed. But as it was, the only thing she liked about it was that it seemed to put distance between her and the world around her.
Rose was already waiting by the chapel, and the minister soon turned up and he let them in. Father had a grim look on his face. Alice knew he didn’t like this, but was doing it for her wellbeing. She knew she was very fortunate.
Alice barely slept at all. She and Anne clung on to each other as tightly as they could, this last night that they were together. Alice could not even remember not having her sister by her side. But tomorrow night, Anne would sleep alone in the bed for the first time in her life, and Alice would be far away from the comforting warmth of her sister and from anything familiar, at the mercy of a man she barely knew.
At last, she dozed off. For a moment, she thought she had woken up, but when she stepped out of bed and opened the door to the other room, father and her brothers were not there. Mother was sitting in a chair by the fire, knitting. She looked up and smiled warmly at her daughter. Alice rushed over, sat down on her knees, and rested her head on her mother’s lap. And mother gently caressed her face and hair with those loving, comforting hands Alice had missed so much. She was at peace, just sitting there, taking in her mother’s care for what seemed to be hours.
But slowly mother’s loving caresses became Anne’s, and Alice opened her eyes and knew that she was no longer a child. There was no way back. But she imagined that that precious part of her, the loving and joyful part, was safe and secure with mother in her dream, where things were good and nobody could touch it. In dreams she would visit it, for her dreams would still be her own. Her dreams would be her living, and her living would be like a dream, and then maybe she would endure.
Indeed, unlike her sister, Alice did not cry when Anne helped her dress and did her hair. Though her sister’s tears were usually enough to bring on her own, Alice sat there calmly. “You’ll be alright, Anne.”
The family arrived at the chapel on foot. Alice wore a simple, lilac dress, which was her best dress. Anne had tied her sister’s hair up in the best up-do she could do, and Tobias had purchased her a veil. Although it was relatively simple, it was still finer than anything she had ever worn or possessed. But as it was, the only thing she liked about it was that it seemed to put distance between her and the world around her.
Rose was already waiting by the chapel, and the minister soon turned up and he let them in. Father had a grim look on his face. Alice knew he didn’t like this, but was doing it for her wellbeing. She knew she was very fortunate.
