The Soul Believes It

by Julie Allan

  An hour later the flowers were finalized. Dot headed off to meet up with Hudson and some friends for an afternoon of boating and Lizzie headed back to the house. Dot had promised to come over Tuesday night to try on Caroline’s dress, and Lizzie called Amy to see if she would come as well. Amy was an expert seamstress, and she would be able to see what work needed to be done to make Dot’s vision come to life.

  Chapter Fourteen

  Dot stood before the floor-length mirror in her childhood bedroom while Lizzie struggled to close the row of silk-covered buttons down her back. It wasn’t too tight, if anything, Dot would need to have it taken in a bit. The buttons were small, slippery and there had to be at least 30 of them.

  “There that’s the last one.” Lizzie stood up and peered over Dot’s shoulder at their reflection in the mirror.

  Lizzie’s breath caught as she took in the vision of Dot in her mother’s wedding dress. “Oh. Dot!” Lizzie let the tears stream down her face as she took in her baby girl.

  The sweetheart neckline with the fitted bodice flattered Dot’s frame. The lace yoke and sleeves added sweetness and modesty. Ladylike, Aunt Dorothy’s voice floated through her. The satin skirt was full, but not poufy. The dress was timeless elegance, and Dot was radiant in it.

  “Isn’t it magnificent!” Dot was mesmerized by her reflection. This was her dress. “I bet Grandma Caroline is smiling up in heaven.”

  Lizzie hugged Dot from behind. “I’m sure she is and Aunt Dorothy as well. I think we need to get it taken in just a tad, anything else you want to fix or change?”

  “Knock, knock.”

  They turned to see Amy standing in the doorway. She walked in and whistled. “Wow, what a fabulous dress!” She hugged both Dot and Lizzie. “I do think it needs to be taken in here and maybe here.” Amy ran her hand over Dot’s hips and shoulders.

  “Dot has a smaller frame than my mother.” Lizzie examined the hem of the skirt. “The length looks perfect to me.”

  Amy nodded. “Dot anything you want to change?”

  Dot examined her reflection. “I don’t think so. I kind of wish there was something here, where the bodice stops and the skirt begins.”

  “Faith had a lovely belt made of crystals. When you go to find your bridesmaid dresses, maybe you should look for a belt, or I can add some applique.” Amy looked carefully at the construction of the gown. She reached into her bag and pulled out her pins. “Let me pin our alterations before you get out of it.”

  Lizzie sat on the bed and watched as Aunt and Niece shared this special moment. Lizzie loved this room. It had been her childhood bedroom before Dot. This room held her emotions and secrets, and she knew it did the same for Dot.

  Amy stepped back and closed her pin box. “There, now we need to make sure we get you out of that slowly and carefully.”

  Lizzie stood for button duty. “Trust me there is nothing fast about this dress.”

  Bennett pulled into the parking lot off Cannon Street, and Lizzie pulled down the sun visor to check her lipstick for the third time.

  “Sweetheart, you look beautiful. Why are you so nervous? We have met Hudson’s parents before.”

  Lizzie turned towards him. “I know, but now we are going to be family, the stakes are higher.”

  Bennett shook his head. “I’m pretty sure the engagement hasn’t transformed us into people they don’t like.”

  They got out of the car and walked the short distance to the restaurant. Dot had made reservations at one of Lizzie and Bennett’s favorite restaurants, The Grocery. Hudson’s parents lived in Pensacola, Florida. Mr. Mills was a retired naval officer, and Pensacola was their last duty station, so they stayed. Most of Hudson’s extended family lived around the Columbia area.

  Dot and Hudson had picked up the Mills at their hotel, and Lizzie saw them walking up the sidewalk ahead of them.

  Lizzie and Bennett caught them at the door, and greetings and hugs were exchanged. Becky and Charlie Mills were the same age as Lizzie and Bennett, and the four had hit it off when they first met last year.

  Becky hugged Lizzie tight, “I am so excited for our children and for us, we couldn’t have asked for better in-laws for Hudson.”

  Lizzie hugged her back. “That is sweet to say! We love Hudson, and we are thrilled y’all will be Dot’s in-laws.”

  The hostess took them to their table. They were seated at a large round table with a high-back curved banquette. Dot and Hudson slid in first, side by side, and then Lizzie and Becky sat on one side, and Bennett and Charlie took the other. After a brief study of the menu and a few recommendations from Bennett, cocktails and a few small plates to share were ordered, then silence fell as dinner selections required concentration.

  The waitress returned with the drinks and shortly after several small plates were placed in the middle of the table. The soft-shell crab was the first to get eaten.

  Bennett raised his glass. “As the father of the bride . . . Boy does that seem funny to say that! As the father of the bride, I would like to propose a toast.”

  Glasses were raised, and all eyes were expectantly on Bennett. He looked at Lizzie and nodded. “Dot is very special, and I admit I always scrutinized any boy she brought home starting in high school. But when she first brought Hudson, I knew right away that I liked him, and he has done nothing but improved upon that opinion as time has gone by. So, welcome to the family Hudson, I know you and Dot will have a lifetime of happiness ahead.”

  Glasses clinked, and a here here was echoed around the table.

  Not to be outdone, Hudson’s father added his own toast. “First, Bennett, let me thank you for the kind words for our son. His mother and I are very proud of him. Living farther away, we have not gotten to know Dot as well as you have Hudson, but from the first time she came to visit our home, we realized what a marvelous girl she was. We could tell she came from a mighty fine family and more importantly we could tell how much she loved our son. So. Raise your glasses to the soon to be Dot Mills; we love you as if you were one of our own.”

  A second round of clinks was offered and the waitress, having cleared the small plates in preparation for the main dishes scurried off to share the special occasion with the chef and owner. Much to the parties delight the chef made a tableside appearance during the first course and offered congratulations to Dot and Hudson. He then offered a complimentary bottle of bubbly for the table, which paired well with the churros with three dipping sauces they had ordered for dessert.

  On the way home in the car, Lizzie relaxed into her seat. Bennett held her hand as he maneuvered them across the Ravenel Bridge.

  “I’d say that went remarkably well. I’m going to take Charlie out on the boat tomorrow.”

  Lizzie squeezed his hand. “It did. I am going to help Becky look at some venues for the rehearsal dinner. It is still so hard to believe. Sometimes It feels like our own wedding was just a few years ago. Here we are planning our child’s wedding.”

  “I know. To me, she is still that clumsy, shy little girl who would run into my arms every night when I got home from work.”

  “At least we can feel confident that she has found a love with Hudson, like ours. It will lift her in the dark times and last a lifetime.”

  Bennett raised Lizzie’s hand to his lips. “Amen.”

  Mid-September and the peak of Hurricane Season was in full swing. There were three named storms in the Atlantic and another one bouncing around the Gulf of Mexico. Bennett was keeping a sharp eye; he had lots of boats to consider and commercial property as well. As the week rolled on it was apparent that within a short window one of the storms was likely to put them in the dreaded cone of uncertainty.

  Preparations began before the official call. Lizzie checked the stock of water and batteries and food. They intended to stay unless it was a category three or higher. Having lived through Hurricane Hugo and many lesser storms since, neither wanted to stay if it was predicted to be category three or higher. The house had weathered many
a storm and was well equipped with storm shutters, and the storm surge had never gotten as high as the porch.

  Bennett went ahead and put their boat in one of his commercial warehouse buildings in North Charleston, and he and his employees began the process of securing the three charter vessels. Once the official watch was issued, they called to reschedule clients. Bennett also worked with Jeremy to secure the active construction sites they had going, and Lizzie, Ben, and Scott assisted Faith in covering The Biscuit Box windows with plywood.

  Dot moved her prized possessions and her wedding items from her apartment on the island to her parent’s house. The island would evacuate, even for a category one they would have to shut down the bridges.

  As soon as Sawyer was released from the Citadel he and a two of his buddies, who were going to stay with them, went door to door in the neighborhood assisting some of the older residents with securing porch furniture and anything else they needed help with.

  It was an anxious time, but Lizzie was just relieved the storm was predicted to come in as a one or possibly a two. She hated evacuating for a storm most of all. This one they would ride out at home. She was so proud of Sawyer and his fellow cadets for all they were doing to help the neighbors.

  Amy and Scott had collected Pat from the retirement home and had taken her to their house. All over town people scurried to gather up water and fill gas tanks. In true Mount Pleasant fashion, lines were long but patient and polite. Strangers were friendly and reached out to help others the way a community should be. It warmed Lizzie’s heart to witness it. The Mount Pleasant of her childhood had changed from a small town to a sprawling suburban area.

  She was glad that when it counted, the heart and soul was still intact in her community. By the time the warning was officially issued most of the prep was done, and all they had to do was hunker down and wait.

  It was hard to believe that a storm was on the way. The sky was a deep piercing blue, and the cotton candy clouds looked artificial. It was if an artist had taken over the sky. The breeze was steady off the water, and the sunlight was blinding. They played with the puppies in the yard, during the storm there would be no getting outside. Bennett and the boys had removed all the outdoor furniture, so they sat on the step. Bennett had taken all the kids cars and put them in the warehouse with the boat. Lizzie’s car was crammed in the garage, and the truck would take its chances in the driveway. The outer bands began with squally quick moving showers broken up with sunshine; the humidity began to rise.

  Lizzie cooked a big pot of chicken bog and made up a salad, trying to use what was in the refrigerator. They could hook the freezer to a generator once the storm was past. They ate watching the news. The first effects would come well after dark.

  Night storms were the scariest. You couldn’t see what was happening, you could only hear. After supper, they walked down to the Pitt Street Bridge where they found many of their neighbors, looking out as the sun sank and an ominous bank of clouds was building. The wind speed had increased, and a few gusts made Lizzie unsteady on her feet. Tucker and Sadie jumped and pulled on their leashes, sensing the incoming storm. When they headed back to the house, the wind at their back pushed them along like pieces in a shuffleboard game. Just as they reached the house a band of showers, heavier than the earlier bands let loose, and they rushed inside.

  Lizzie had the lanterns at the ready, but they expected to keep the electricity for a few more hours. With the continuous news coverage in the background Dot set up the trivial pursuit board to keep them distracted.

  A few hours later, the outer edge hit. The rain battered against the window and the wind howled around the corners of the house. Thunder crashed, and Tucker and Sadie climbed into Lizzie’s lap as best they could. She stroked their heads in reassurance. The storm pushed against the house rattling the storm shutters. The pressure rose, and Lizzie felt drowsy. Her ears clogging as if she was on a plane.

  CRACK, CRASH, a tree somewhere close by fell. The power flickered, and then the house went dark. Dot turned on a lantern and moved to turn on the rest around the room. Tucker whimpered, and Sadie buried her head under the blanket Lizzie had over her legs.

  The roar of the wind was so loud, Lizzie feared it was a tornado about to suck them out. Then suddenly it went quiet. The eye, the calm in the middle of the storm was not just a saying, in a hurricane, it was a deceptive time. Experts warned people to stay put. After the calm of the eye, usually, the worst was yet to come.

  It had taken another hour before the storm began to rage again. Sawyer, his buddies, Dot and Hudson, had all fallen asleep leaving Lizzie and Bennett to keep watch.

  “Do you suppose that was one of our trees?” Lizzie whispered.

  “Bennett stood in front of a window, wishing he could see through the shutters. “I don’t think so, if it was one of ours, I’m pretty sure it would have hit the house.”

  He walked over to sit on the sofa with her, lifting Tucker up and then onto his lap. Tucker wagged his tail and licked at Bennett’s arm.

  He smiled at Lizzie the lantern casting their shadows on the wall behind them. “A few more hours and this will be over.”

  “I sure hope Alhambra Hall is spared, I don’t want to try and find another place for Dot and Hudson’s reception.”

  “Even if it isn’t, we can always use the church hall or even our own backyard.”

  “That would upset Dot.” Lizzie yawned, “I think I need to close my eyes, these storms always make me so sleepy.”

  “I tell you what, I promise if Alhambra is damaged and its repairable damage, I will volunteer the materials and the construction crew to get the job done in time for the wedding, it will be a way we could give back to the community.”

  “My knight, I love you, Bennett Wilson.” Lizzie yawned again.

  “I love you too, Lizzie Wilson. Now give in and close your eyes, I’ll be right here watching over us all.”

  Lizzie woke to light streaming in the living room windows. Bennett and the boys had already begun the process of securing back the hurricane shutters. She heard the steady buzz of chainsaws, the clean-up had begun.

  Dot walked in with a mug of steaming tea. “I was hoping you were up.”

  Lizzie stood and stretched. “I thought the power was out. How did you make tea?”

  “The camp stove. Daddy set it up before he and the boys started working on clearing the street.”

  Lizzie took the mug. “Thank you, sweet girl. Is it bad out there?”

  The big Sycamore next door is down and blocking the road. There are lots of big limbs down.”

  Lizzie walked with Dot to the kitchen and grabbed a granola bar. The two walked out to the back porch and surveyed the back yard. The world had a just scrubbed look, the cloud formations looked foreign, and they raced across a Tar Heel blue sky.

  The yard was littered with branches, mostly small, but a few that would require a chainsaw. From their vantage point, the dock seemed to list to the left. “Does the dock look crooked to you?”

  Dot nodded. “Daddy said it has some damage.”

  Lizzie sighed, “I’m going to throw on some yard work clothes and start clearing this mess. Tucker and Sadie will need a safe place outside.”

  Tucker and Sadie who were lounging at their feet, thumped their tails against the floorboards. “I guess the agree with you, Mama.”

  Dot changed as well and joined Lizzie in the yard clean-up. It took the better part of an hour, but they managed to get all but the larger limbs moved to the growing pile of debris on the front curb.

  Lizzie looked up and saw Bennett and the boys coming down the street, chainsaws at their side. “Here come the chainsaw heroes!”

  Bennett set his chainsaw down on the driveway. “I see my girls have been busy.”

  Lizzie hugged him. “We have, except for the large limbs that need your expertise.”

  Sawyer grinned, “I’m on it.” He and his buddies headed to the backyard.

  Lizzie looked up at
Bennett, “Those boys are enjoying those chainsaws a little too much for my taste.”

  Bennett winked at Hudson and then kissed Lizzie on the top of her head. “Oh, you know . . . Boys and their toys.”

  Lizzie shook her head, “Just make sure all my boys stay in one piece. Have you talked with Scott or Amy yet?”

  “Yes. Scott says they have some roof damage. He and Jeremy got some tarping in place. Otherwise, like us just lots of tree debris.”

  “I see our dock has damage and I think we might have some shingles off on the porch roof.”

  Bennett walked toward the garage. “Yes, I think I’m going to have to rebuild the dock, wish I hadn’t done it last summer.”

  Lizzie’s cell phone rang. “I guess the cell towers survived.” She turned away to answer.

  “Hi, M.A., did y’all weather the storm?”

  “Not as well as I would have liked. I’m at the hospital, Jim fell off the roof when he was trying to get a tarp over some damage.”

  “Oh, no! Is it serious? Would you like me to come?”

  M.A.’s voice trembled. “It’s very serious, I’m not sure Jim is going to recover from this one. I would appreciate the company. I haven’t gotten the courage to call the girls yet.”

  Lizzie bit her lip and willed herself to steady her voice. “I’m on my way.”

  Lizzie explained the situation to Bennett. “I better take you over in the truck, and then, I can take Sawyer to pick up his truck, and we can check on the warehouse.”

  Lizzie headed inside to run a washcloth over her limbs and face and a toothbrush over her teeth. She changed into jeans, a blouse and grabbed a cardigan in case the waiting area was chilly. She threw some bottles of water, a pack of cookies and some granola bars into her bag, along with a book and a few magazines.

  “Dot, will you rustle up some lunch for the boys? Also, maybe you should pull the hamburger meat from the freezer, it will start defrosting soon anyway, we might as well defrost it like we mean it and make hamburgers for dinner on the grill.”