Everything Changes

At the end, we were all needing a rest. Klaus was working full time again and doing Yoga. When Abby saw him for the first time in his lycra Yoga pants, she nearly died laughing. He just waved her away.

Dad was back fishing, and Mum had returned to her old job, although now she spent more time planning our wedding.

Mum was so jealous when Claudia took us to the bridal salon to choose dresses. Claudia did ease the pain by filming it using Messenger so Mum could be right there with us.'

Abby turned into a bloody diva as she tried on dress after dress. "Remember, we are going to be standing on rocks in a cave. A bloody bridal train isn't going to work."

She blew me a raspberry. "We can carry the dresses in. We won't fucking be wearing them."

"Girls, please, keep it seemly. We are in a shop."

My temper, which I'm usually able to contain, emerged after the fifth shop. Abby was on her third dress by the time I lost it. I shook my head in utter frustration. "Sorry, I can't do this I'll do my own shopping, you get whatever you want."

I was out the door before either of them could catch me. Claudia had been wonderful, and offered to pay for the gowns. At first I got caught up in Abby's excitement, but after a thousand dresses, my enthusiasm was gone. I got a bus up to K road and started wandering around some shops, just for fun. A big posh fancy wedding had never been a dream of mine. I would've been happy in something simple. As I wandered through the stores, my phone kept going off. It wasn't just Abby, it was Claudia, my mum, but there were also calls from the record company, venue owners, promoters. I decided I wasn't in the mood and turned it off.

I walked into one shop, and it smacked me in the face. There were a couple of racks of knock downs. When I looked through them, I found the perfect dress. I really liked it.

It was quite tight, like figure hugging, low cut at the back, the vee going almost to the crack of my bum. The bodice was also quite low, with thin lace straps. Definitely no bra with this one.

The creamy rich satin felt wonderful. The lace decorating the bodice looked divine. As I did a little twirl in front of the full length mirror, I got my second shock. Even my G string showed, it would be a commando raid.

That thought made me giggle. The price tag of two hundred and seventy dollars sealed the deal.

The slit up the side was high enough to show a little thigh, which looked sexy. That had the added bonus of making it easier to walk over rocks and uneven ground. The only thing I didn't like was it was too long. The hem pooled on the ground. The rest of the dress hung beautifully.

Being in a bit of a grump. I haggled, offering two fifty and the lady accepted. Being timid, haggling wasn't something I usually did. As she packaged it, I felt bad. I turned away, unable to hold her gaze. There in full view on the shoe rack was a pair of creamy gold sneakers. The heel was boosted and would keep the dress hem of the ground, and would be hidden under the dress.

To appease my guilt, I brought them as well. My day was done. I found a Thai restaurant and had a bite to eat. At least my temper had softened and I felt like I could turn my phone back on. I called the record label, and a couple of venue owners. Three new gigs.

When I got home, there was nobody around so I had a chance to sit in the kitchen at the table, to do some work on my Uni assignment.

Abby and Claudia walked in a little later. Claudia immediately rushed over for a hug, but Abby gave me a wide berth, dropping her arm full of boxes on the kitchen table beside my laptop.

"Where the fuck did you go?" Abby snarled contemptuously.

"Shopping, just like you."

"Why didn't you answer your bloody phone? All we wanted was to know you were okay, and an opinion on a dress."

Slipping out of Claudia's arms, which were tightening as I twisted. I said indignantly, "I watched you for three bloody hours trying on dress after dress. I ran out of patience. I thought the very first one you tried was perfect."

Claudia, who had slipped her hand into mine added, "Yes, I liked that one as well."

Abby scrunched up her face in a petulant scowl. "I just wanted the right one. I wanted to look perfect for you."

"Abby, whatever you wore was going to be perfect. I don't care about the dress. All I care about is you. I'd be happy in something of the ten dollar rack at Woolies."

Her scowl softened, and little tears formed. Claudia squeezed my hand encouragingly, so I carried on. "Abby, you are the most beautiful creature in the whole universe. You don't need a three thousand dollar dress. You don't need make up, you're stunningly gorgeous wearing what you are now."

She started sobbing and slipped into my arms. "I'm sorry, Tui. When I was little, I dreamed about getting married. I used to play for hours with my Barbie dolls, all the while imagining that day. As I god older and figured shit out, I forgot, but with all the planning and the talking about it. All those memories just rushed back. You're so naturally spunkalicious, I wanted to try and at least match you."

I kissed her ardently, our mouths colliding in a fiery melting moment of desire.

Claudia waited until we were apart before she said. "Do you want to see what we brought?"

I couldn't hide my delighted giggle. "Yes, please."

Abby got super excited and yelled, "You stay right there. I'll be back in a minute."

She grabbed all the bags and rushed into our room, slamming the door behind her. Claudia rolled her eyes back, sighing. "I'm sorry about today. I have never seen her like that before. You must be starving, let me get you something to eat."

I was actually full, but knew better than say no to her. As she made us a nice salad with hot chicken and cashews, she said, "You should call Erin. She has been frantic trying to check that you're all right."

That was a long call. Mum was worried, and when she's like that there's no shutting her up. Claudia saw my discomfort and grabbed the phone as she plonked the plate of food down in front of me. "Erin, Abby is putting on her dress. She will be out in a minute. We will video call you when she's out."

I giggled softly, my mouthful of lettuce. "Thanks for that."

"Liebchen, she was just worried. Us mothers get like that. We're allowed, it's our privilege."

"Yeah, I know. I'll apologise later."

The salad, as expected, was delicious, thankfully, because it took ages before Abby walked out.

"Oh my god," I gasped. She truly looked like a runway model. The dress, a bright white sumptuous gown, fitted like a glove on her upper torso, with off the shoulder sleeves that finished just above her bicep. The bodice was low, dropping well into her cleavage. The torso was in a vee, and fitted tight down to the waist. The skirt flared out in a wide flowing line that flowed as she did a little twirl.

The material looked like satin or taffeta, but was fixed with sequins to accent her shape.

The flare started on the sweep of her bum, which showed prominently. The back was tied like a corset, with a cute bow at the base.

As she twirled and the dress rode up, I could see the silver stilettos. That made me laugh. She hated high heels. She was wearing them just so she could be taller than me.

Her make up was flawless. It wasn't something that either of us wore a lot. Yeah, on stage definitely. Lately, that had driven us to play with make up. We both loved the femme style.

No wonder she had taken so long. Her hair was beautifully tied back in a tight bun; it really showed off her neck.

"Wow, I can't believe it. You look amazing. It looks like it was custom made for you."

Claudia stood off to the side, her phone held up as she video called Mum. They chatted as Abby strutted around like a model.

"Do you like it?" she asked.

I nodded my approval. "It's fabulous, absolutely perfect."

We finished her little show with a kiss. Mum blew us both a kiss before signing off with an "I love you."

"Now all we have to do is find something for you." Claudia stated firmly.

"I already have mine." I confessed.

"What? Why didn't you say something?" Abby snorted, clearly irritated. "We were going to do it together."

"I found mine while I walked around enjoying my sulk."

"Are you going to show us?" Claudia asked quickly before Abby said something else.

"Yeah, if you want to see it."

They both yelled yes at the same time. "I'll call Erin back." Claudia added.

It didn't take me as long. The dress fitted so easily, and the shoes were super comfy. I tied my hair back using a gold scrunchy I brought at the two dollar shop waiting for the bus. A little lippy, some eye shadow, and I walked out into the kitchen."

I heard Mum screaming frantically even from where I was standing. "Erin's happy," Claudia stated. "My god, Tui. You look spectacular."

Abby was in tears as she watched me saunter in and do a twirl. "Fuck, girl..." She sighed. "You look incredible." She came to stand beside me, and slipped into my arms. "They even look good together," she gasped, astonished.

"How much was it?" Claudia asked. "I did say I'd pay for it, Tui. That was very naughty."

"Forget it, I stumbled on a sale, got it dirt cheap."

Claudia was a little peeved. "Tui, you helped us so much while we couldn't work. You brought our daughter home. Please, I want to pay for the dress."

"Fine, it was two-fifty."

"No..." Claudia gasped, her hand covering her mouth in shock. She ran her hands over the dress, inspected all the seams, the stitching, the lace and embroidery work.

"There is no way you purchased that dress for two hundred dollars."

There was no way she would believe me until I showed her the docket. "Oh my god, you clever girl. What's the other item on here?"

I lifted my dress to show off my sexy sneakers.

"Oh fuck... Sneakers! You've got to be kidding." Abby laughed snidely.

"Hey, remember where we're getting married. The rocks will be wet and slippery, the ground will be uneven. I'm gonna be the one laughing my arse off as you waddle around in your high heels. You'll be mucky if you don't break your neck."

"Abby," Claudia said firmly. "Nobody will be able to see the shoes. Think about it, we couldn't. It makes perfect sense. We should have been as clever."

Sucking in a long slow gulp of air, Abby sighed. "Yeah, you're right, Mama." She turned and gave me a hug. "I'm sorry, I went a bit crazy today."

"A bit.... Jeez, girl. You were like a diva on smack."

"At least I didn't run away like a little girl having a hissy fit."

"If you had to deal with you, it might have been you having the hissy."

"Girls, please. Do not fight. It turned out a successful day. You both found wonderful gowns."

Neither of us were happy, but we didn't want to upset Claudia. She had been through a lot today.

It was later, while we were in bed, that I got the biggest shock. We hadn't made love, we were just snuggled up. Out of nowhere, Abbey whispered, "I invited Lilly."

Surprised, I squeaked sardonically, "Really, what did she say?"

"She was a bit shocked, but she was at the gig at the Powerstation, so she already knew we were engaged. She just wasn't expecting an invitation."

"I bet she wasn't," I replied with a giggle.

"How would you feel about her being a bridesmaid?"

"Did she ask, or are you just trying to piss me off?"

"Actually, after what you said the other day about everything that's happened brought us to this point, she really played a part in it, didn't she?"

"Yeah, I guess that's true, but I wanted Casey, Maeve and Brenda to be bridesmaids."

"They still can be. Even if Lilly accepted, that would make four."

"I suppose. Are you inviting Joe?"

She looked almost guilty as she peeked at me from the corner of her eye. "I was going to. She's pretty bitter and she's been really busy sine we left. She's actually making money. Seems it's easier to get a job as a violinist if you're not looking for a spot for a cellist, as well."

A very pregnant pause was broken when she asked, "Are you going to ask Charlotte?"

"Pretty difficult, really. She won't answer any messages or texts. She's ghosted me."

I suppose it was a bit naughty of me, but as I was going through the band's Facebook page, answering questions and replying to fans, I decided to check up on Charlotte's page.

I choked on my coffee as I scrolled through her page. There must have been twenty or thirty from Dad, who was pressurising her to come to the wedding.

I knew they were close, but this was a shock. They had remained friends even after our break up. It was mostly funny stuff, a few jokes, but interspersed there were the messages asking her to come to the wedding.

Charlotte said repeatedly that she didn't think I would want her there. I mean yeah, it'd be awkward, but I still had feelings for her. I still wanted to be mates. I hated that she wouldn't talk to me.

Taking the initiative, I sent her a message inviting, no, pleading with her to come to the wedding. I mentioned she could stay with Mum and Dad to keep costs down. I even offered to pay for her air fare.

"You did what?" Abby spluttered. "Why the fuck would you do that?"

"Because she doesn't have a lot of money, and I would love her to be there."

"Fuck, girl, you know how to make shit complicated."

"Yeah, but that's why you love me."

I was at Uni, trying to capture a new song I had been working on when my phone buzzed. "Hey, this is Tui. How can I help?"

A short but dark pause enveloped me. "Hello..." I repeated.

"Tui, It's Charlotte."

"Hey, Charlotte. God I'm glad you called. I've missed you."

"Yeah girl. I missed ya, as well."

"This bloody wedding. Do ya want me there or not?"

"Of course I do. We're best mates. It didn't work out between us, but I still love you."

"Love me, that's rich."

"Charlotte, I meant love as in me best mate. I love you like a sister. We had so much fun together. Every time I think of you, it brings a smile to my face."

"Can I bring a date?"

Now that I wasn't expecting. "Yeah, course you can."

"All right then. I'll be there. I might take up your offer of a bed at ya parents' place."

"Sweet, Dad'll be happy to meet you in person You guys seem pretty close."

"We're mates. He's lovely old geezer, your Dad."

"Yeah, he's choice."

As she was about to hang up I blurted out. "Would you like to be a bridesmaid?"

"Fuck me gently. What's Abby gonna say about that?"

"I already told her, and she was pretty happy. We would both like for you to come."

I met Abby in the quadrant for lunch. "Guess what, babe?"

"Oh oh, this sounds bad. I've seen that look before."

With a teasing giggle, I said, "We now have five bridesmaids."

"Who's the fifth?"

"Charlotte."

"Well fuck me dead. It's gonna be crazy, because there will actually be six..."

The moment she said it I knew... "Joe?"

She nodded. "Yep."

"How did that conversation go?"

"Difficult, awkward, full of long wordless pauses. In the end, we had a good cry, she told me she still loves me, but wants what's best. It was hard, because throughout it all, I still have feelings for her. It wasn't a quick fling; we did give it a go."

We snuggled closer, cuddling tightly, our noses rubbing, our eyes through the darkness connecting.

Claudia organised for the girls in the band to come around and meet the dressmaker for measurements. Joe and Charlotte had to do it via video conference.

Mum and Claudia spent an eternity working on matching colours and styles for the bridesmaids' frocks. Abby and I had to get involved; we wanted timeless simplicity. No ruffles, no pleats and definitely no bustles. We wanted a simple design, and because we couldn't settle on a single colour, mine wore fuchsia, and Abby's wore a powder blue ensemble.

Life couldn't have been fuller. Uni was going well, although it was pretty full on. We were on our last business management assignments and had only one month to complete before the end of the semester. Our new gigs were excellent. We weren't playing small dives, we were playing actual venues. We had an awesome one at the Vector Arena. That one went off like crazy, huge crowd, amazing light show.

We got a great gig for the student union for the end of the year. Because it was the lead up to Christmas, there were lots of smaller pub gigs, Christmas parties and work functions. Not something I saw as our scene, but they paid well and allowed up to get into some faces we wouldn't usually be seen by.

One of the really cool things to happen was my reawakening my friendship with Charlotte. We talked almost every day, and the conversations were full of laughter, funny quips and she had millions of anecdotes from all the bands she was managing. Oh, and she had a new girlfriend. When she told me she was a Newcastle supporter, I nearly choked I laughed that hard.

"Jesus, girl, you must have a bent for enjoying torture."

"Fuck you, at least she gives back and doesn't just lay there, like some I could mention."

"Cheeky bitch, you're the fucking pillow princess."

Klaus and Claudia were flat out with the restaurant. This was their busiest time of year. To lighten the load, Abby and I went in to help as often as we could.

As a Christmas present, we decided to play for them. Abby overheard them organising a staff Christmas party. They wanted live music, but didn't know how to ask. They had pretty much decided to just get a DJ.

Abby, being the devious bitch she was, got hold of the DJ and cancelled him. On the night of the staff Christmas party, the restaurant was closed to the public. The guest list was only for workers and associated associates, like accountants, suppliers and people like helpful courier drivers.

I got a huge surprise when Mum and Dad turned up. Abby and I were at the restaurant helping prepare the food, set tables, setting up the decorations, and the huge bloody Christmas tree, which was packed tightly underneath with Christmas presents for all the workers.

I was up a ladder stringing tinsel and flashing lights when I heard Dad's booming voice. "Bloody hell, Lassie. Where the hell were ya? We had to get a bloody taxi. Cost us a bomb."

I nearly fell seeing them walk in. He rushed to grab me and the ladder. There were tears in my eyes as he lifted me down. Mum soon joined, after placing her arm full of gifts under the tree. My eyes were misty and wet when Abby joined us, and Dad welcomed her into the hug. "Hello daughter."

He got abig kiss from Abby for that one.

Even Mum was warm in her greeting. She had accepted Abby as ours. When Klaus and Claudia joined, it was like a huge circle of love.

Just before the guests arrived, the guys from the band arrived and started streaming in with instruments, lights and PA.

"What's going on?" Klaus called out loudly.

His piercing eyes glared directly at Abby, who simply said, "Blame Tui. It was her idea."

He looked at me and I shook my head, my finger pointed precisely at Abby.

"Vader, we were disappointed that you organised a bloody DJ and didn't even ask us."

"But he will be here any minute, Liebchen."

"No he won't, we cancelled him."

Claudia had joined the argument as well by that stage. "Abby, we wanted you to be able to relax and enjoy the party. We didn't expect you to be up there playing all night."

"Mama, we love playing, and this will be our gift to you and Papa."

The party was huge, and we incorporated a lot of the songs Abby and I used to busk. They were pretty simple, and the band picked them up quickly.

Colleen, one of the waitresses, was a keen photographer and took thousands of shots of the full dance floor, always including the band. She took one that remained one of my favourites, which had Mum and me sharing a microphone as we sang some of her old favourite country songs, which we rocked up a little. There were others with the whole family on stage singing with us. Dad had always had a good voice; he actually fancied himself as a singer.