Cheryl glanced at herself in the mirror for what had to be the fifth time. The celadon green Carmen Marc Valvo gown should have been too garish or too…pastel. But from the moment Cheryl slipped the gown on, she felt transformed. She kept looking at her reflection in the mirror simply because she did not believe that the ethereal woman staring back at her could be real.
"What do you think?" Nicole walked up behind her and captured a tendril of hair that had escaped from the elegant French twist she'd styled Cheryl's hair into. The talented stylist had just come from her mother's room, where she had skillfully shaped Evelyn's hair into a natural style that made her smiling features even more beautiful. "Are you comfortable wearing this gown to the reunion?"
"It's beautiful," Cheryl breathed reverently. "Of course I am going to wear it tonight. It makes me look beautiful."
Nicole lightly hugged her adopted aunt. "It's not the dress, Aunt Cheryl. But I am glad you are okay with it. Listen, Mama is putting the finishing touches on her makeup. In a few minutes she'll be through and the two of you can check each other out." Nicole grabbed her things. "Will you let her know I've gone?"
"You aren't going to stay?"
The young hairdresser bussed Cheryl on the cheek. "This is your night...and Mama's. I hope it turns out to be everything you both imagined."
Cheryl fought back tears at Nicole's kindness. Despite all her doubts and issues with Evelyn, Nicole was truly her mother's daughter, kind, thoughtful and caring. She watched Nicole leave and then turned to admire her reflection in the mirror once more.
"Well, Nic, what do you think?" Evelyn appeared in the doorway in search of her daughter. She stared at her friend in wonder. "Cheryl," she marveled, "you look beautiful!"
"I was going to say the same thing about you," Cheryl insisted. Evelyn's dark blue Elie Saab gown brought out the undertones of color in her dark skin. "Nicole's client has a wonderful sense of style. You look like a queen."
Evelyn gestured for Cheryl to spin around slowly. "And you look like a fairy tale princess. That color is so perfect on you!" She smiled. "We are going to be the best looking women there tonight."
Cheryl felt a momentary twinge. The last thing she wanted was to be the center of attention at the reunion that night. But the beauty of the gown she wore demanded its time in the spotlight. "You'll certainly give Darla Granville Thorp a run for her money. Do you plan on being fashionably late?" They both knew fashionably late was code for making an entrance.
No," Evelyn shook her head. "I was thinking that we might get there a little early. That way we can help with any last minute issues and leave all the dramatics to Darla."
"I like that plan." Cheryl reach for the fur piece that Ivan's father had provided for that night. She draped it about her shoulders and walked past the mirror for a final look. Evelyn was right. They would be among the best-dressed women at the reunion.
In silence they rode to the school auditorium. Each was engrossed in her own thoughts. Cheryl glanced over at Evelyn and wondered if memories of her late husband Leonard pressed on her mind. Evelyn misinterpreted Cheryl's worried glances. "I know that you are getting a little anxious now that the time is almost here. But you'll be fine, Cher. So... Are you ready for a wonderful evening?"
Cheryl was surprised to find that she was. The overwhelming anxiety she'd expected to feel was just a manageable hum in the back of her mind as she followed Evelyn into the auditorium. Of course, she admitted, the situation might feel differently once all the others in the class arrived.
At their entrance, Alderman Cliff Vernon turned away from the animated conversation he was having with school principal Cathy Klein and made his way to just inside the doorway where they stood. "Evelyn, you look beautiful. And you, Miss Gibbs," he bowed gallantly to Cheryl, "look lovely as well." Though he addressed both women, Cheryl fought the impulse to look away from the scene. The male appreciation and desire for Evelyn on Cliff Vernon's face made the moment seem almost intimate.
"You are looking quite handsome yourself, Cliffy." Evelyn gave the entranced Alderman a brief hug. "If you'll excuse us, though, we're going to see if there's anywhere we can lend a hand before things get started."
"I hope you'll save me a dance."
They'd taken a few steps away when the soft drawl of Matt Averill sounded behind them. "Granville Thorp is gonna hate you two." He caught up to Cheryl and Evelyn. "I can't imagine there'll be two more beautiful women than you here tonight. Evelyn," he kissed her briefly on the lips, "you're beautiful...and you know it. And you, Cheryl, all I can say is 'damn'!" Matt kissed her gently on the cheek.
Cheryl laughed at his playful comment. Matt had a sometimes wicked sense of humor. She had learned to appreciate his humor during those times he'd kept her company so that Evelyn could enjoy their outings together. At first Cheryl had wondered about the state of Matt's relationship with Evelyn. He seemed to turn up at most of the places they visited, and he was sure to be on the guest list of any function Evelyn hosted. 'Me and Matt?' Evelyn had been genuinely flabbergasted when Cheryl built up the courage to broach the subject. 'Matt is just a dear friend. Besides, I think he's got his eye on someone else.'
"So, why are you two here so early," Matt asked. There was almost an hour to go before people would begin arriving for the reunion gathering.
Evelyn replied. "We thought we'd see if anyone needed any help before things got started."
"Really?" Matt waved toward the stage where tonight's musical entertainment was nearly through setting up their instruments. "We could use a couple of listeners to give us some feedback during soundcheck."
"You're going to play with the band tonight?" Cheryl asked, a bit surprised. He had been one of the founders of Misspent Youth, a garage band that made the rounds during their high school years. After graduation the other members voted to change the name to Dirty Old Sock. The name change signaled a change in their music as well. Matt had chosen to hang up his acoustic guitar.
"Yeah, I'll be with the band tonight." Matt winked at Cheryl. "Who knows? Maybe I'll dedicate something to you."
Despite her seeming comfort at attending the reunion, Cheryl gasped at the thought of being so publicly singled out that way. "Matt, don't you dare!"
Matt held up a calming hand. "Come on, Cher. I'd never put you on the spot that way. But I am going to dedicate a song to you." He tipped his head solemnly. "You'll know it when you hear it."
End Note:
Cathy Klein - Kathy Bates
Cliff Vernon - Michael Caine
