Saturday, May 14, 2016

Michael's Run

What makes me feel better?  Buying things.

This is how I found myself in Michael's craft store, on my lunch break the other day, tears streaming hot and relentless down my face, in front of the scrapbook wedding stickers.

Damn it, I want to buy my girl a wedding dress, too!  Not fair!  Not fair!!

Yeah, yeah, yeah, I know I still have Jake, and he may get married someday, assuming he doesn't die, too.  But, it's not the same!  It will never be the same for the following obvious reasons:  he is not a girl, he is not my firstborn, he was not my child while I was still essentially a child myself (which ideal or not creates an undeniable bond), he will not wear a dress, he will not want my help with his hair.

When Cory was little, I always got to tie the sash of her dresses, and make the bow even.  I wanted to tie her sash...or button her buttons...something.

I wanted to fuss over my adult child's hair one last time before a major public event- and let me tell you, I didn't expect that last time to be while she laid in her casket.  Oh, my fricking heart.

I wanted to spin her around a bit and watch her dress flair out, laughing and misty eyed to tell her she was the most beautiful bride I'd ever seen.  I wanted it to hurt to see her looking so grown up.  I wanted my voice to shake as I told her I loved her 100 baker dollars.

People plan weddings and I go pull weeds at her plot.  I will never understand it.

I carried my little sticker wedding gown up to the counter and ponied up two dollars and ninety nine cents, knowing it wasn't exactly her style, but the best from what I had to choose from.  I could feel my heart in my throat and I took it out to my car to moon over in private, angry and heartbroken by turns.

Never did I expect things to turn out this way.  This deafening silence.  This bitter envy.  Nary a skirt twirl in sight.




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