50-SANDY THOMAS ADVERTISING

"Riigghht," Bonnie teased, "you're starting to catch on now aren't you. Are you nervous?"

Julian nodded. The day meant so much...had he thought it all out? Or was he simply entangled by love? Was he giving up a lot? Or nothing?

Finally, the moment had arrived! Heather and Mrs. O'Connor brought the exquisite wedding gown over from the bed. Julian watched with nervous excitement as the two lifted the skirts carefully over his head. Bonnie helped by directing her brother's upthrusted arms into the long sleeves of the dress.

The gown was worked over Julian's head with great caution as not to disturb his braided pillbox hat hairdo. The lavish skirt settled onto the ballooning petticoats as his hands came through the tight cuffs of the Juliet sleeves. Julian felt the significant weight of the clothes he was wearing. No wonder brides would be exhausted by the end of their wedding reception.

His mother began fastening the long row of small, satincovered buttons up his back. Heather smoothed out the long train of his skirt while Bonnie fetched the high-heeled, white satin pumps he was to wear.

"Lift the hem of your skirt Julian so we can slip these on," she said. Her brother complied as he balanced on one foot while his sister slipped the dainty shoe on his right foot. Holding her shoulder for balance Julian stood on his right foot while the other high heeled shoe was slipped on.

Now he felt the tension on his calves and the increased tightness of the pull of his stockings and garters. Julian hoped that he would be able to walked gracefully with all this fabric swishing around him.

Julian's mother pulled out the vanity chair and showed him how to sit down without crumpling his skirts. She would personally complete the finishing touches. There was a tear in June O'Connor's eye as she placed the pearl necklace that she had worn on her wedding day around the neck of her beautiful son.

She tearfully beamed, "I don't know what your father would say, but I think you're a beautiful bride!"

Matching pearl earrings were added to Julian's pierced ears. And then.. .finally. . .she placed the floral wreath style headpiece made of white satin and brocade on her son's head.

MY SON, THE BRIDE 51

It complimented perfectly Julian's hairdo. She slipped several hidden bobby pins in to securely hold the headpiece.

The sheer white veil was lowered over Julian's face. Now Mrs. O'Connor's tears were rolling down her cheeks. It was a very emotional moment for her. The fact that it was her son that was being given away by her as a bride did not seem to confuse her. She had really accepted that her little boy was not her little boy any more but a lovely daughter from now

on.

Heather and Bonnie stood back quietly for a moment not wishing to disturb this tender scene. However, Bonnie, as Maid of Honor had a duty to ensure that the bride made it through the day on schedule.

"Mom, I think we should get ready for the photographer. We have to get on our way in 15 minutes."

"Yes, you're right," Mrs. O'Connor said as she too drifted back to the reality of the day. She tried to remember the last time she saw her SON. . .realizing that that was probably the last occasion.

They went downstairs, with Julian very carefully negotiating the steps in his heels and gown. Heather made sure that he held the long train safely from underfoot. The photographer efficiently staged Julian and his bridal party through some posed shots. Mother and bride, bride and sister, bride by himself, bride and group. Soon he was done and the limo was waiting to whisk them off to the Thompson estate.

Chapter XIX

The gates to the Thompson estate were decorated with white streamers and paper-mache wedding bells. Two young men were kept busy providing valet parking service for those guests that did not arrive in chauffeur driven limos.

In the spirit of the event, the valet parkers wore white, skirt-like linen shorts, knee high white nylons, white lowheeled woman's pumps, full-sleeved white blouses with sailor-suit necklines, and their hair was pulled back into high, bouncy ponytails tied with a white ribbon bows.

They were in fact two of the club's newest members who jumped at the chance to witness such an event. Neither would have believed something like this possible a few months ago. Now they saw it was and their own dream weddings were filling their imaginations.