21By popular request, here is my take on one of my favorite scenes from To the Altar. I tried hard to do this scene justice, please let me know what you think. Thank you everyone for all of your support!
These amazing characters belong to the wonderfully talented Martha Williamson.
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Chapter 2: The Dress (To the Altar)
"No, no, no, no, no!" Shane made a mad dash out of the DLO, shoes cast aside and determination on her mind. She reached the floor in record time and began frantically searching through the rubble slated for auction. She looked in every crevice, panic filling her heart as her quest kept coming up empty. Just as discouragement began to set in, she spotted the object she desired under a pile of unclaimed items. She felt triumphant as she delicately clutched the box to her as if it were her lifeline.
As she began making her way back to the DLO, she saw Oliver approaching and looking rather lost. She had wanted to escape with her treasure unnoticed, however her heart leapt at the site of him before she realized her secret may be discovered. He reassured her that he had Thursday night covered, however she wasn't sure who he was trying to convince of that. She believed the wedding had him distracted, however he corrected her and described his mood as "contemplative".
Unfortunately for her, he gained a temporary focus and noticed the box that she was grasping. He was confused as to why she was attempting to go against protocol and bypass the auction. He felt the need to remind her that he could not break the rules on her behalf, fearing his integrity could be questioned.
She knew exactly what she needed to do in order to get out of her current predicament. She slowly got on her tippy toes and sensually whispered close to his ear, knowing the smell of her perfume was invading his senses. She could see the blush creep up from his neck to his cheeks as his eyes glazed over, her proximity causing him to silently agree to her request. She smiled sweetly, batting her eyelashes at him in response to her victory. As he walked away to go to his meeting, she wondered what he could be contemplating.
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Shane walked around the DLO and attempted to get some work done, but her eyes were drawn to the tattered box. She knew that Norman and Rita were at the florist and Oliver was in a meeting, so she had some time alone. Maybe she would just take it out and look at it…there was certainly no harm in that. She delicately pulled out the magnificent gown and her eyes filled with tears. It was more beautiful than she remembered and she couldn't help but wonder what she would look like wearing it. No one would ever have to know that she tried it on.
As she began changing into the dress, she could only speculate as to what Oliver would think if he knew what was in the box that she so desperately wanted. Would he panic and think they are moving too fast? Or maybe he would let her down easy and tell her that he never wanted to get married again. She had no idea how he might react, as marriage was a subject in which she had always been afraid to broach with him.
She stood in front of the full length mirror as she tried to finish buttoning the back of the dress, however her shaky hands would not allow it. She finished adjusting the veil and was in absolute awe at how she looked. As a little girl she had always dreamed about being a bride and wearing a gorgeous wedding dress like this one. Her father would meet her at the back of the church and take her arm in his, helping to keep her steady as they began their journey down the aisle. When they reached the end, her husband to be would be waiting for her. He would lift the veil off of her face and gaze into her eyes with pure love and admiration, whispering to her that she was the most beautiful bride he had ever seen. As a child, the man's face was never visible. But now when she thought of that dream, it was Oliver staring back at her and vowing to love her forever.
Shane continued to gaze at her reflection, completely lost in a fantasy that included her and Oliver as the bride and groom and forever in their wake. Her eyes closed in an instant as she felt a surge of electricity ignite her body and she gasped in response. She was taken aback when Oliver appeared behind her and gently shushed her, his fingers nimbly working the buttons on the back of the dress. Between his touch and the way he was looking at her, she was in complete euphoria. Her vocal cords were temporarily paralyzed as she tried to come up with a believable explanation for wearing the wedding dress. He tried to rescue her from embarrassment, offering her the excuse that perhaps she was just "contemplating".
She was unprepared to give into that explanation and stammered to try to come up with various uses for the dress. Did he believe her when she said that she just loved the material? She doubted he bought her story, however she was relieved that he was trying to lighten the mood. He could have run out of the DLO when he'd caught her in the gown, but instead he turned it into an intimate moment for them to share. She raised the veil from her face and spied Oliver in the mirror, her soul aching for him to see this as a sign. He always said that he didn't believe in coincidences, trust the timing. Maybe God intended for him to walk in at that very moment. The look on his face told her that he was intrigued by what he had witnessed as he offered up his own suggestions for the use of the fabric.
She turned to face him, hoping to convince him that she wasn't really expecting to need the bridal gown. Her rationale was interrupted as she brought her arms down and discovered a secret pocket on the side of the dress. To her astonishment, there was a letter safely tucked inside. The moment that Oliver began to read aloud, Shane felt as though she had woken from her dream. Her heart was aching as she prayed that someday she would get her chance to wear her own wedding dress.
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I hope you liked it!