them all on their heads and headed to her room. Her eyes were heavy and she felt like she could collapse on the stairs and fall asleep right there and then.
Chapter 5
Ashley's feet pounded against the pavement.
Her lungs felt stretched to their maximum capacity with each breath and her heart thudded a steady, rhythmic beat. Ashley ran alongside the quiet street parallel to the river. It was set to be another warm day and she wanted to get some exercise before it was too hot to do anything. The sun was out and an assembly of cicadas somewhere amongst the trees started their monotonous chorus.
It felt good to get moving again.
She was beginning to feel back to her normal self again after getting a good night’s sleep. Steven had always been more disciplined than her when it came to exercise—' healthy body, healthy mind' , he had always said.
Ashley stopped as she reached the bridge on Pleasant Valley Road, and leaned forward, resting her hands on her thighs to catch her breath. She rose and gazed out over the river as she took a deep drink of her water. It was a pretty spot, with a few tourists having an early picnic on the bank below and a few kayaks out on the river.
She still had over five miles to go to make it back to her mom's house, but that was OK. Running helped clear her mind. Whenever she felt weighed down it was relieving to get some time alone to think things through clearly, like the current situation with Steven. She couldn't put her finger on whatever it was that was holding her back from making the decision to move in with him. Was it that big of a deal? What's the worst that could possibly happen? If it didn't work out , she could always find another place . T here were always rooms advertised that were available for rent.
When Ashley got back to the house, her mom and Martin were out. There was another note on the countertop.
Ashley,
Don't forget the dress fitting appointment with Gina this morning. I'll meet you there.
Mom xx
She had just enough time to shower and change before heading off. Her mom had left her car for Ashley and had gone with Martin.
Gina’s store hadn't changed. At all. Ashley walked in to see Jane and Gina leaning over the counter peering into a notebook and nodding their heads. Upon noticing Ashley they closed the book and came over to greet her.
Gina was in her late fifties with short dark hair and a serious, thoughtful expression. She always wore a pair of glasses attached to a thin metal chain that hung behind her neck and dressed eclectically with bold tones, fancy scarves, and caked-on makeup. She could only imagine what these ladies had created for her to wear to the wedding. At least there wouldn't be anyone there she wanted to impress.
“Ashley, welcome home!” Gina beamed, holding out her arms to hug her. “Oh, you are a tiny little thing aren't you. Let’s get you measured up for this dress, shall we?”
Gina took the measuring tape that she had slung over her shoulder and began wrapping it around Ashley’s waist.
“Am I allowed to see this dress yet?” Ashley asked. “No way. You won't be seeing it until Saturday,” Gina said, shaking her head.
Jane watched silently, smiling mysteriously.
“Can you tell me the color? Or the style?”
“Nope and nope,” Jane said.
Ashley rolled her eyes playfully at her mother shaking her head. “You know, I could have had my measurements taken in Brooklyn. There is a great little dressmaking shop just down the road from where I work,” Ashley said.
“No, no, no!” Gina gasped, as though Ashley had sworn. “I've had someone do that before and their measurements were all out. I spent hours trying to fix everything up. Your mother and grandmother have gone to a lot of trouble with this dress, and there's no way I'd want to risk ruining it with the wrong measurements.”
After a few more measurements she was all done.
Gina said goodbye, pushed her glasses further up her nose and
Chapter 5
Ashley's feet pounded against the pavement.
Her lungs felt stretched to their maximum capacity with each breath and her heart thudded a steady, rhythmic beat. Ashley ran alongside the quiet street parallel to the river. It was set to be another warm day and she wanted to get some exercise before it was too hot to do anything. The sun was out and an assembly of cicadas somewhere amongst the trees started their monotonous chorus.
It felt good to get moving again.
She was beginning to feel back to her normal self again after getting a good night’s sleep. Steven had always been more disciplined than her when it came to exercise—' healthy body, healthy mind' , he had always said.
Ashley stopped as she reached the bridge on Pleasant Valley Road, and leaned forward, resting her hands on her thighs to catch her breath. She rose and gazed out over the river as she took a deep drink of her water. It was a pretty spot, with a few tourists having an early picnic on the bank below and a few kayaks out on the river.
She still had over five miles to go to make it back to her mom's house, but that was OK. Running helped clear her mind. Whenever she felt weighed down it was relieving to get some time alone to think things through clearly, like the current situation with Steven. She couldn't put her finger on whatever it was that was holding her back from making the decision to move in with him. Was it that big of a deal? What's the worst that could possibly happen? If it didn't work out , she could always find another place . T here were always rooms advertised that were available for rent.
When Ashley got back to the house, her mom and Martin were out. There was another note on the countertop.
Ashley,
Don't forget the dress fitting appointment with Gina this morning. I'll meet you there.
Mom xx
She had just enough time to shower and change before heading off. Her mom had left her car for Ashley and had gone with Martin.
Gina’s store hadn't changed. At all. Ashley walked in to see Jane and Gina leaning over the counter peering into a notebook and nodding their heads. Upon noticing Ashley they closed the book and came over to greet her.
Gina was in her late fifties with short dark hair and a serious, thoughtful expression. She always wore a pair of glasses attached to a thin metal chain that hung behind her neck and dressed eclectically with bold tones, fancy scarves, and caked-on makeup. She could only imagine what these ladies had created for her to wear to the wedding. At least there wouldn't be anyone there she wanted to impress.
“Ashley, welcome home!” Gina beamed, holding out her arms to hug her. “Oh, you are a tiny little thing aren't you. Let’s get you measured up for this dress, shall we?”
Gina took the measuring tape that she had slung over her shoulder and began wrapping it around Ashley’s waist.
“Am I allowed to see this dress yet?” Ashley asked. “No way. You won't be seeing it until Saturday,” Gina said, shaking her head.
Jane watched silently, smiling mysteriously.
“Can you tell me the color? Or the style?”
“Nope and nope,” Jane said.
Ashley rolled her eyes playfully at her mother shaking her head. “You know, I could have had my measurements taken in Brooklyn. There is a great little dressmaking shop just down the road from where I work,” Ashley said.
“No, no, no!” Gina gasped, as though Ashley had sworn. “I've had someone do that before and their measurements were all out. I spent hours trying to fix everything up. Your mother and grandmother have gone to a lot of trouble with this dress, and there's no way I'd want to risk ruining it with the wrong measurements.”
After a few more measurements she was all done.
Gina said goodbye, pushed her glasses further up her nose and
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