Chapter 6 Ch. 6 - ALMOST THERE

VALERIE

"Wow, Valerie, this looks nothing like what that lady wants." Christina cried out.

I looked at Christina and chuckled. I don't know what was funny about the fact that I had ruined the dress I had not up to forty hours left to deliver. It was a beautiful dress, but this was the dress I've always wanted, not what Simon's wife would ever want.

"What will I do? It's finished!" I screamed.

Christina thought for a while, and then she had an idea. "We have to improvise, Valerie, or that woman is going to blow your head off."

"Improvise with what? That fabric cost a fortune! I can't afford it."

"Calm down, will you?" She said and went on, "So here is the thing: I've got some cheap fabrics at home, and I've got a few I wanted to use for a client's work; we can use it to complete this dress, and that's all."

"What about your client's work?"

"You will refund me when you get paid, I trust you."

I sighed. God bless Christina. What would I have done without her?

"So, let's get back to work; we still have three hours before Joan begins to find us at work."

Christina and I pieced the fabrics together. She had to go to her place to get the fabrics, and we began work again-cutting, sewing, measuring, and stitching. Daisy woke up at that point, and we slowed down again, but Christina continued.

Soon, the dress finally began to come together, and it was even more beautiful than I had imagined.

"Christina, what do you think?" I asked her, holding up the dress. I would have worn it on a mannequin, but I didn't have one at home. "Should we add more lace or leave it as it is?"

"Okay, in that picture, I saw something like lace around the neckline. Let's add more there to give it a romantic touch; your client seemed like an extravagant one."

I nodded, and we got to work. I was grateful Christina was here. I mean, what would I have done without her? This was torture, and Joan knew it was torture; she just wanted me to fail.

When it was close to 8 AM, the dress began to transform before my eyes. The lace added a touch of romance, like Christina said, and the beds gave it a hint of youthful sophistication. I stepped back to admire our handiwork.

"Heavens, Christina, it's stunning."

Christina breathed heavily as she saw it. "It is beautiful. Good job."

I blushed, feeling happy and relieved. "We make a good team, that's all."

Finally, after hours of hard work, the dress was complete. I held it up, admiring the way the fabric swept the floor and the lace sparkled.

"It's perfect," I whispered, feeling a sense of satisfaction. "Simon's wife is going to love it."

Christina grinned, hugging me tightly. "You did it, Valerie. You created something truly beautiful."

Yes, I created a wedding dress for my ex's wife to be. The irony of that could have made any woman commit suicide, but I was stronger than that.

"Let's send it safely back to work."

***

Christina went back to her place to prepare for work, and I got ready to take Daisy to her daycare. As I helped her into her favourite Barney top, my phone rang. I glanced at the screen, and my heart sank. It was my mother.

I hadn't heard from her since Daisy was born. She and my father didn't send any congratulations, no offers of help, no interest. I had assumed she was sulking, still angry that I had 'ruined my life' by getting pregnant and not knowing who the father was. But now, out of the blue, she was calling me.

I answered the call and took a deep breath, trying to sound all neutral. "Hello?"

"Valerie, it's your mother." Her voice was cute, as always. I don't think she had my number in the first instance; she might have gotten it from my grandma or grandfather.

"How are you?" I asked, as calmly as I could.

"Fine, as you left us, Valerie, we need money. Your father took out a loan, and we can't pay. I hear you're working for a fancy company, so you should be able to help us."

I was dumbfounded. Really? Was money all the reason she called me? Great!

"Mum, I don't have any money to spare. I'm barely scraping by as it is."

There was a pause, and for a moment, I thought she might actually ask how I was doing, how Daisy was. But no, she was far from saying that to me. "You are useless, Valerie, completely useless. I don't know how long I can keep up with you. You've done many abominable acts, yet I forgive you."

Her words stung, but I was used to them. I'd heard them before. "Mum, please-"

But she already hung up.

I stood there, phone still in hand, feeling a familiar ache in my chest. Why did I always hope that things would be different? That she would be different? That she was going to believe that almost fourteen years ago, I didn't kill that woman.

Daisy, sensing my distress, wrapped her arms around my leg. "Mummy sad?"

I forced a smile, hugging her tight. "No, baby. I'm fine."

But I wasn't fine. I was tired of being hurt by my own mother. Tired of being made to feel like I was never good enough, tired of being called a murderer.

I took a deep breath, pushing the pain aside. I had to focus on the present, on Daisy and my work. I couldn't let my mother's toxicity drag me down.

I dropped Daisy at the daycare and made my way to work. Christina was already there; she greeted me like we hadn't spent all night working on a mind-blowing wedding dress.

"Good morning, Valerie. I've got some tea to spill."

Morning, Val! I've got some tea to spill."

I raised an eyebrow, intrigued, as I made my way to my desk. "Do tell, but don't spill it too much on me."

She giggled and leaned in, her voice barely above a whisper. "The bride, Bianca? She's not just any socialite. You know that politician I was talking about yesterday?"

"Yeah, I can't remember his name."

"Kurt Nelson!" She said and went on. "She's his niece."

"Oh wow!" I exclaimed. So, Simon ended up with a woman because of her connection and wealth? Why do good people suffer and the bad people get all the good things? I shook my head, thinking, Simon deserves so much better than a golddigger.

"I see why she's so rude. But, on the bright side, if her uncle likes the dress, you got yourself a gig."

"Yeah, right. Like he would sew a wedding dress for his next bride."

Christina laughed and was about to say something else when Joan burst into the room, her face not inviting as usual.

"I don't pay you guys money to gossip in my company!" She screamed, and Christina apologised before going away.

"Sorry, Miss Brooke."

"Now, you, I hope you're working on Bianca's dress?"

I nodded, smiling. "Yes, it's all set. I'll show you."

"Is it all set?" She asked, incredulous. I led Joan to the dressing room, the dress in a bag I had it with. I got a mannequin and wore the dress on it.

When I finally revealed the dress, Joan gasped, her eyes shining with disbelief. "Oh, I must say... it's looking good."

I scoffed. This dress was breathtaking, and I knew Joan didn't want to fully say it was magnificent and that I was a genius.

"I'm glad you like it." I told her simply.

But then Joan dropped a bombshell. "I will tell Bianca you're done. In the meantime, you need to get ready. The wedding is taking place in Georgia, and Bianca wants you there. If anything goes wrong with the dress, you'll need to fix it on the spot."

"Georgia?" I had never been to a high-society wedding before, and the prospect of seeing my creation on the bride was too enticing to resist.

"Everything will be ready; just get here the day after tomorrow and you're set."

"Okay, Joan. I'll pack my bags," I said, trying to sound calm.

Joan nodded, a sly smile spreading across her face. "Do not disappoint me, Valerie."

Oh yeah, I wouldn't disappoint you, Joan. I hope Georgia brings me more than just being a seamstress.