As I fingered the beautiful garment, I thought about how lovely I would look wearing it. I had never owned an outfit as special as this. Images of a princess with maids waiting, popped into my head. In the middle of the daydream, I was interrupted when Bradley knocked on my bedroom door.

“May I come in, Christy?”

“Of course, what’s up?”

“I need to ask you a question.”

Bradley entered the room, hesitantly, which was a bit unlike him. He reached out and took my hands in his, holding them while he gazed down into my eyes. I looked up into his face, searching his expressions for clues as to what this might be about.

“Christy.” He paused. “I took the liberty of doing something no one here has ever done. I hope you won’t be angry.”

“What? What’s wrong?”

“Nothing’s wrong. Look. I like you a lot – if you haven’t already figured that out. No one who works and lives here has ever been allowed to socialize with someone else who does. Even though I knew I might lose my position, I approached Mom and told her how I felt about you. I managed to talk her into allowing me to take you out tonight.”

“You did that for me? Wow.”

I was just about speechless. I jumped up, giving Bradley a big hug, holding him closely against me. It felt wonderful. I could feel both his strength and uncertainty as my arms circled closely around his waist.

“So, will you? Will you go out with me tonight?”

His eyes searched mine, hoping to hear the answer he wanted.

“Of course, I’d love to.”

Now I understood that beautiful dress. That was the special occasion! I felt my heart pounding. I was so excited by the idea of going out with Bradley.

Bradley gave me a playful swat on my backside and told me to shower and change. He’d meet me downstairs in the kitchen shortly. My emotions were all mixed up as I hurried to get ready and dress. As I showered, my body prickled with excitement and expectation. I finished, toweled myself dry, and carefully transformed into the graceful woman I wanted him to see. I had never before wanted so badly to impress someone. I had never cared about what others thought. Now I did. I cared more than ever. I ran a brush through my wavy brown hair, adjusted the neckline of the dress and slipped on the matching shoes. Perfect! I felt just like a princess.

Practically running, I sped down the stairs to where Bradley was waiting in the kitchen.

“All set.” I announced as I entered. “Wait just a sec.”

I went over to where Mom was standing and thanked her for allowing us to have a night out and I thanked her for the special clothing.

“You look stunning in that dress, Christy.”

“Thanks,” I replied.

The word practically stuck in my throat. Stunning was not a description people ever used where I was concerned. I smiled, feeling bigger than life, and walked back to Bradley.

He took my arm in his and we left the house. We walked down two blocks and hailed a cab at the corner. Bradley told me he had managed to obtain a couple of tickets to hear the Philharmonic play. We also had enough time to grab some dinner before the concert.

The cab dropped us off in front of the Piazza Venezia where our reservations were already waiting for us. We were seated in the sumptuous dining room near the rear of the restaurant. The waiter came to take our orders and suggested we try the special of the evening, which was eggplant with garlic and penne. We both agreed to try it, figuring it might get us out faster so we would be on time for the concert.

Our platters arrived, steaming and fragrant, the colors of the eggplant slices and the red sauce announcing themselves like a waving flag. The meal was delicious, and I carefully ate to make sure I wouldn’t get any on my new outfit.

After we finished our dinner, we left the restaurant and waited for a cab to take us to the concert hall. A couple in front of us got the first cab that pulled in, so we had to wait for a second one.

I spotted a cab in the distance and was about to move closer to the curb and stick my arm out, when I heard a pop from behind us, followed by a second one. Before I could even turn, two cars screeched away from the curb and sped down the street.

When I turned back to Bradley, he looked at me without speaking. I noticed a sickening red stain spreading across his pants, a little above the knee. The man next to us also noticed, and pulled out his cellphone to call an ambulance just as Bradley slumped to the ground. I knew I had to do something quickly since the red stain was spreading at an alarming rate. I needed something big to use as a bandage, and without hesitation, I reached over and tore off the wide bottom of my new dress. Folding the fabric onto itself, I hastily fashioned a long bandage, carefully draping and tying it around Bradley’s leg. Then I loosened and removed his tie and unbuttoned the top button of his shirt.

“You’re going to be okay,” I reassured him, not even sure of it myself.

Bradley leaned back against me, half conscious and still breathing as we waited for the ambulance to arrive. I sat there, on the ground, holding him, stroking his forehead and telling him to hang in.

Where are they, I thought angrily, my nerves getting the better of me. The bandage appeared to be doing its job and the blood wasn’t seeping through too badly.

Just then the ambulance pulled noisily to the curb and bustling commotion surrounded me. They asked me a few questions and allowed me to ride with them down to the hospital.

At the hospital, they rushed Bradley into the ER where a surgical team was waiting for us. I was asked to sit in the waiting area as they took Bradley in for surgery. Almost two hours later, a doctor came out and spoke with me. He told me that Bradley was going to be okay. He had lost a lot of blood, but it would have been far worse if I hadn’t put that bandage around his leg. He said that was quick thinking, and told me Bradley was lucky to have had me around.

Relieved, I waited until they brought me up to the room they had taken him to from recovery. I sat next to him quietly as he slept off what remained of the anesthesia. Phoning Mom, I told her what happened and she said she would meet me at the hospital.

When Mom arrived, she entered Brad’s room and gave me a hug.

“Are you okay, Christy? That was a very brave thing you did for Brad.”

“I’m all right, just a bit shaken. I’m sorry about the dress.”

It was at that moment I broke into tears. Sobs poured forth from me as I released the built up tension from all that had happened. Mom just held me and stroked my hair, reassuring me that everything would be fine.

And it was. Brad healed quickly since the wound had not been too bad. Mom decided I might make a good nurse and offered to put me through nursing school. Brad wanted to be near where I was, so he and I took an apartment close to the school. And me – I wrote all this down in a journal, figuring it would be a good story to tell.

Brad’s sister, Kate, had been sitting by me in the apartment as I related all that had happened. She reached out and gave me a tender hug. I carefully closed the journal pages. Kate accepted the gift of my book, graciously, the feelings we had just shared cementing our friendship for years to come. Mom would be here soon, and the table was all set for her arrival. The wedding rehearsal was tonight, and nobody would dare be late for it.

I went into the kitchen and brought out the carafe filled with coffee, setting down an extra plate of cookies on the cloth-covered table. The anticipation of the rehearsal was making me a bit nervous, but I felt relieved that all had gone as well as it did. Setting the table made me think back to that first day when I had served dinner at Mom’s place. I don’t know what might have happened to me if Mom hadn’t allowed Brad to bring me home. She trusted in his judgment, and in me. I guess you could say I owe an awful lot to my boyfriend’s Mom.

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