4 -MY SON, THE BRIDESMAID

like. Unfortunately, Robin had always been somewhat of a delicate boy.

Robin and his sister had both taken after their mother in size and looks. Evelyn was a petite, sandy-haired blonde with bright blue eyes. The twins, both of them, were also petite. Robin and Trish, now at the age of eighteen, stood only 5'6" and weighed under 130 lbs. Robin had the same smooth and basically beardless skin his father had had. His dad had always taken Robin to Nick's barber shop where old Nick used to give him a basic bowl cut. Mother and sister both hated the severe look it gave such a delicate (perhaps even "pretty" young boy.

After his father's death, Robin continued to go to Nick for a few haircuts out of habit. But then one day Robin arrived to find the barber shop closed. The grocery store owner next door informed Robin that Nick had suffered a serious heart attack and had retired for good.

Both Robin's mother and sister took this opportunity to convince the boy to grow his hair out . . . to try a different, maybe even a trendy new look.

Well, it had been several years now and barber's scissors still hadn't touched the boy's hair. His mother would trim the bottom to prevent it from getting really shaggy and spilling over his collar. It was quite long and all one length from the top to bottom which he wore brushed straight back.

Our story picks up at the end of the twins eighteenth summer. Trish, the more studious of the two, had applied and been accepted into a college located several hundred miles away. Evelyn Wilkes had spent some of her insurance money on expanding their rural home with a boutique and large sewing area. Robin hadn't decided what he wanted to do yet, but was looking for an outlet for his creative talents. He had agreed to fill in for his sister as mother's stock room assistant in the dress business. Little did the family realize just then how far "filling in for his sister" would end up going.

TV FICTION CLASSICS -5

Chapter 1 Secrets Exchanged

The first few weeks with Trish away at school were hard on both mother and Robin. They say that siblings have a kind of attachment to each other. This is even more true in twins. Evelyn had been quite close to her daughter. They did so much together; working, playing, designing and creating beautiful fashions. Their mother/daughter chats were always a way of unwinding from daily tensions. Sure, they talked on the phone every week, but it's not quite the same. Already, they were looking forward to the Christmas break, when Trish would be home for a few weeks.

Robin had always been a loner at school. What few friends he had, also left for college in distant places. He had always looked to Trish for his emotional comfort and consequently they were very close. They shared many secrets and trusted each other.

What surprised everyone, was how well Robin worked out as a dress shop assistant or as he preferred, "Stock Boy." He was most eager to learn, and his mother already was letting him do some of the backroom creative work such as fabric buying. Robin was excited about the creative aspect of the job. By the second week, he and his mother were discussing fabrics and even a few design ideas, just as she had with Trish. He had an eye for what looked good.

He hesitated at first when his mother told him to go iron a rush order. "But mother, I don't know how, besides, that's girl's work."

"Ironing is part of the job," Mrs. Wilkes stated, "And so is sewing. If you won't do it, I'll have to hire a girl who will."

Reluctantly, that night after the store closed, Robin endured his mother's teaching him how to iron and sew on buttons.

Every night after work, Mrs. Wilkes taught Robin a little more about sewing and dress design. He made her promise not to tell anyone about him doing girl's work.

One day, while he was fixing a split seam, he suggested re-cutting the dress.

"Gee, Robin... that's a great idea," his mother said. "It would look lovely with that neckline. I never would