Christine sat down next to Hannah, who was sobbing on the sofa, and took her hand.
‘Do you remember when Dad taught us to sew?’ Christine asked quietly after a while. ‘That summer we sewed those awful matching sundresses?’
Hannah let out a watery laugh. ‘They were so crooked. Dad said they had “character”.’
‘Yes! Well, I learned how to do it right later. Give me the dress.’ Christine squeezed Hannah’s hand. ‘I have an idea. Let me fix everything, okay? Not the wedding part, but… maybe I can salvage something from this mess.’
‘Why would you want to do that?’ Hannah snorted. ‘I thought you hated me.’
‘I never hated you,’ Christine said quietly. “I just… I always felt like I had to prove that I belonged here. After Dad died, I was so afraid of losing my place in this family. But you’re my sister, Hannah. I should have been protecting you all this time, not competing with you.”
That’s when I burst into tears.
Christine spent the next day turning the ruined wedding dress into a stunning cocktail gown. And when the original wedding date rolled around a few days later, instead of a ceremony, we had a small family gathering at the venue.
Some of our relatives had travelled from all over the country, so it was the perfect way to make use of the money that had already been spent. Everyone was happy, including Hannah, who got to catch up with her cousins and tell them how we found out John was a coward.
I was glad that my daughter was able to smile after that, and I knew that it was partly because Christina had been trying to protect her all along. That day, our family changed… for the better.
‘Mum,’ Christine said as we watched Hannah twirl in her new dress, showing it off to her aunts and cousins, ‘will you and Hannah walk me down the aisle when it’s my turn? Both of you? I know it’s not traditional, but…’
‘It would be my honour,’ I said, pulling her close.
‘Me too!’ Hannah chimed in, joining our embrace.
This work is inspired by real events and people, but it has been fictionalised for creative purposes. Names, characters, and details have been changed to protect privacy and enhance the narrative. Any resemblance to real people, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental and not intended by the author.