WINGLESS AND BEAUTIFUL: Episode 1 to 10 - Page 10 of 10

? Wingless And Beautiful

?EPISODE 10

Back then, I thought it was so not-my-style. When I tried
it on, it ended below my knees, it looked a little big for me
and the V-neck was unflattering to my small chest.

But since it was a wrap-around, all my mother needed to do was
choke me around the waist so the dress would look like it
fitted me. Viola! She found an excuse to buy it.

“What would I use it for? It’s too big for me!”
“Someday, we might go out on a casual night. Or…
maybe when you’re allowed to date. By then it would fit you
perfectly.”

Now, as I caressed the matte silk material of the dress, I
remembered my mother like she was just beside me…
begging me to try on the dress because it was the first time
she could afford to buy me something with a designer tag
on it.

After purchasing the dress, there wasn’t a chance to
wear it. And we all know everything went downhill from
there.

Now, I realized… if I didn’t hate her for pulling the
trigger on herself, I would remember how much I loved her,and how much she loved me… and how hard she tried to
stay strong over the years, because she didn’t want me to
feel the pain she was going through.

I realized that one day… she just snapped. She protected me one last time, and then she just gave up. After all… it could be tiring to be so strong all the time.

I sighed sadly at the memories of my mother. Then I took off my clothes and slipped on the dress that she once thought of seeing me wear.

I wrapped the self-belt securely into a knot on my left side. I stared at myself in the mirror and even I almost did not recognize the girl in front of me.

“Wow,” Meredith said as she peeked in to my room.
“Alice…” She stared at me for a moment. “It’s too bad your
date couldn’t see you in that dress.”

I smiled at her ruefully. I feel bad too. I must admit I did look good.

Mom was right when she first insisted to buy it
for me. But now, looking at myself in the mirror, I realized that there were two people I wish could have seen me wearing this. My mom and Hunter. Too bad, they both…
won’t.

The next day, I was ready ten minutes before seven. I
wore the blue dress along with Meredith’s high-heeled glass
sandals. My hair was curled and clipped on one side and
cascaded freely on a side-swept style on the other side
where my scars were, hiding them from view.

“You look gorgeous.” Meredith smiled at me when she
finished doing my makeup. I looked like… not me and yet
still me at the same time.
The doorbell rang by seven in the evening and I
nervously opened the door. A man wearing a tux stood on
our doorstep.
“Miss Harley?” he asked.
I nodded.

“I’m here to pick you up.”
Meredith came up behind me and asked, “Where are
you taking her?”

“I’m from The Riviera. Mr. Vaughn has made dinner
arrangements and asked us to pick up Miss Harley.” He
handed Meredith his card. “You can verify that from the
hotel itself.”

Meredith looked at the card and took her cellphone to
call the number. “You can never be too sure nowadays. I
hope you don’t mind.”
“Of course. Please call to verify.”

After speaking to the hotel’s concierge and confirming
the man’s identity, Meredith turned to me. “Call me if you
need anything. I’ll pick you up.”

“Madam, Mr. Vaughn had also arranged for her to be
taken home safely,” the man informed her.

I leaned forward and kissed Meredith’s cheek. “See you
later, Mer.”

A few minutes later, I was in The Riviera Hotel. As I
walked towards the rooftop garden, I was mesmerized by
the view. Light posts surrounded the well-lit garden, the pool was illuminated by the lights under the water, and a table was set for two on the side where a violinist stood beside it, playing a classical tune.

I saw Hunter standing on the side, waiting for me. I
walked towards him. He was dressed in a pair of black
pants, blue-collared shirt and a black jacket.

The minute he
heard me approaching, he took a deep breath and then his
lips curved into a crooked smile, indicating that he sensed my presence.

“Hello, beautiful,” he greeted.
“Hello yourself,” I said.
He raised his arm and I took it. We walked slowly
towards the table. I was guiding him, but it didn’t look like I needed to. No doubt he spent some time memorizing the
steps before I arrived.

I was struggling to walk on the soft grass in Meredith’s
sandals.

I was still not used to wearing heels. Just before we reached my seat, I lost my balance and tripped. Well, almost because the minute I lost my footing, Hunter was there to
wrap his arms around my waist, catching me and then
keeping me steady.

“Okay, we make a dangerous pair. I’m blind and you’re
clumsy.” He chuckled.
“I’m sorry,” I said, giggling. “I’m wearing Meredith’s
heels. I’m not used to it.”
He smiled. “And you wore a dress.”

“Yes. Blue. Like you asked.”
“I would give everything to see how you look tonight.”
There was a trace of regret in his voice.

“I look okay. Just imagine me in heels, wrap-around blue
dress, with my scars hidden behind my hair.”

He fell silent for a moment, as if he was really imagining
how I looked like and then he said, “You look enchanting.”
“Thank you.”

He pulled a chair out for me. Then he traced the back of
his palm on the side of the table until he reached his seat.

We had dinner under the stars with a romantic tune
playing around us. We talked about ourselves… our past
lives. Talking to Hunter about my history felt effortless. I
didn’t try to keep anything from him because I felt that no
matter what I said, he wouldn’t judge me or force me to be
okay. He was just there to listen.

It was easy to admit to myself how torn and broken I
was. Because I know… that he was too. But no matter how
horrible my scars were… it was nothing compared to what
Hunter must have felt right then. He not only lost his mom.
He also lost the most important thing he needed to survive,
get up and fight back… he lost the ability to see.
After dinner, he stood up from the table and held his
hand out to me.

“May I have this dance, Mademoiselle?” he asked.
I smiled. As I took his hand and he took me in his arms, I
couldn’t help wishing that Hunter could see how perfect the moment was, and how wonderful he made everything for me.

I rested my head on the curve of his shoulder. Another
first for me. This was my first dance.

“How’s your date so far, Miss Harley?”
I smiled lazily. “Perfect,” I whispered. “You made
everything perfect, Hunter Vaughn.”
“What time is it?” he asked.
I looked at my wristwatch. “Ten.”

He gently pulled away from me. “I think we should sit.”
I took his hand and guided him towards our table, but he
pulled me back.
“There,” he said referring to the bench a few meters
away from our table.

“Okay.” I took his arm and guided him towards the
bench. He felt for the back of the chair and sat down. He
reached for my hand and pulled me to sit beside him, then
he wound an arm around my shoulder, making me rest my
head against him.
He rubbed his fingers against my bare shoulder. “You’re
a little cold.”
“I’m okay,”

He pulled away from me and took off his jacket. He
handed it to me. “Here. Wear this.”

After draping his jacket over my shoulders, Hunter
pulled me to him again.
“Can you tell me what you see?” he asked.

I fought the urge to cry. He deserved to see this garden.
He deserved to witness this moment.

I described the garden to him in detail, using the right
adjectives to make the picture in his head as vivid as
possible.
“Can you look up, Allison?” he asked.
I did as he asked and saw the breathtaking view of the
sky.

“There’s a crescent moon surrounded by millions of
stars twinkling above us and…” I stopped short, when I saw
a string of light flash across the sky. It disappeared in a few seconds, but I knew I didn’t imagine it. I was about to say something, when another flash came across… followed by
another.

“Make a wish, Allison,” Hunter said. That told me that he
already knew what I was seeing.
Tears filled my eyes. It was another first for me. It was
my first time to witness a meteor shower.
“How did you know?” I whispered.

“I listened to the news last night,” he replied. “And I
realized how to make our second date more spectacular
than the first one.”

Another shooting star passed by. I closed my eyes and
made a wish from my heart.
I wish… that Hunter would be able to see again.

I knew that right at that moment, there was nothing I
wanted more. I wanted him to see, not for me… not even to
see me.

I wanted him to see because he deserved to see
the beautiful swans in our garden. He deserved to look up
the sky and watch meteor showers again.

The peak of the shower came soon and I watched star
after star shoot across the sky.

“It’s beautiful,” I whispered to Hunter. “Thank you so
much for this.”

He smiled at me and then he slowly leaned his face
towards mine. I leaned forward and met him halfway.