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"Where are you going, honey?" Jill's mother called to her as she ran down the patio steps "I'm just going to Ophelia's house, mum!" She stood at the gate, waiting for her mother to acknowledge her response. "More wedding planning? You two have fun!" Jill smiled at her mother's response before resuming her run to Ophelia's house. The homes in the deserted Strangetown were few and far between, but ever since her aunt Olive died, Ophelia lived in that mausoleum-style house all by herself. Jill imagined it must be lonely, but Ophelia never said she was anything but content living there by herself, just like her reclusive aunt before her. Since Jill's brother, Johnny, and Ophelia became engaged the house became more lively; regular deliveries and guests helping to prepare for the day when 13 Dead End Lane would be inhabited by a second person once again. Jill felt somewhat envious that Ophelia and Johnny were to be married so soon, but when Ophelia asked Jill to be her maid of honour Jill was eager to say yes, the two had become closer over the years, and Ophelia had no family or other close friends to ask.
Jill had a secret, but she was too scared to share it with anyone. All her life she had seen tradition in home life; mothers and fathers and their children in nuclear families. Sure, occasionally there would be divorce or a tragic orphan situation, but there was an overwhelming amount of straight people getting married and having children behind white picket fences. Part of Jill wanted that; to have that normalcy after such a strange upbringing. But she knew that she could never marry a man, never bear his child. She wondered if it would become legal to marry women, or if she would just be content to live with one and treat her like a wife. A different part of her wondered if she'd ever want to get married at all. Jill thought it was that second part of her heart that amped up her crush on Ophelia from a childhood daydream to genuine teen anxiety. Married people are off limits; but Jill knew her feelings for her brother's fiancée just couldn't be turned off. She was happy to help with the wedding, knowing that her contributions were likely the closest she would get to her own wedding for the foreseeable future.
Jill knocked rapidly on the door once she arrived. "I'm coming!" She heard her future sister-in-law call out from behind the closed door. After the heavy lock scraped across the door, it opened to reveal Ophelia smiling endearingly, but wearing only that and a towel. Nothing else. "Come in, Jill. You caught me just as I was about to hop in the shower." Jill blushed as she hurried inside and Ophelia locked the door behind her. "I'll continue showering, feel free to help yourself to snacks or a drink or whatever, I'll meet you in the living room in a bit." Jill nodded, trying to avoid eye contact before she turned and walked down the hall to the bathroom. Jill spun in the opposite direction toward the kitchen, desperate to bury her feelings in cookies and whatever else Ophelia had to binge on.
She sat down on the sofa, placing her goodies on the coffee table. Ophelia had already put her wedding planner and some magazines on the table. She bit into a cookie as she perused one of the magazines. "Sorry about that!" Ophelia rushed into the room and sat down on the sofa next to her, making small talk about Jill's university choices and her home life. Jill could smell the sweet floral perfume Ophelia used as she leaned closer to Jill. The closeness was soon over once Ophelia had grabbed her wedding planner from the table. She opened it to a page and prodded it with her index finger as she spoke, "first thing; did you get the flower arrangement quotes?"
"Yeah, Gil's said they could do the centrepieces for the reception at 150 simoleons each, my bouquet for 100 and your wildflower bouquet would cost 250 simoleons if basic, 350 for platinum." Ophelia nodded as Jill read out the costs she had scrawled onto a piece of paper.
"Did we get a response from FloraGlobe yet?"
"We did, they don't have any wildflowers, but are happy to consult on seasonal bouquets."
"Ok, not FloraGlobe for the bouquet, then." Ophelia was cut off by the door knocking. "I'll go see who it is. Be right back."
Jill once again heard the heavy metal lock scraping to open the door and then indiscernible chatter before the door was shut again and Ophelia came running in. "My wedding dress is here!" She squealed with glee as she proudly held up the hanger with a cover that hid her dress from Jill's view.
"Are you going to try it on?" Jill smiled at Ophelia's excitement. She just nodded and ran out of the room. Jill was happy to wait to see the results, but Ophelia called to her for help. Jill opened the door to the future bride's bedroom and saw her stood there with a dress she couldn't do up; her back fully exposed.
"Could you help zip me up?" Jill wasn't sure how she managed to say anything, but even the mumbled 'sure' she produced was better than nothing. Jill's hand graced Ophelia's back as she carefully zipped up the dress, and she was sure she was going to short circuit. Jill wanted to keep the dress unzipped. she wanted to litter a thousand kisses onto Ophelia's back alone, lost together in the sheets of her bed for a long weekend.
"Thanks!" Ophelia remarked when the dress had been zipped up fully. "What do you think?" Jill sat and smiled once more as Ophelia twirled for her in her dress. She wore a floor-length gown with a plunge neckline and loose sleeves. Jill couldn't help but wonder what it would be like to see her own bride walking down the aisle in a dress as beautiful as that.
"Oh, Ophelia, it's absolutely gorgeous."
"Thank you, it was my mum's wedding dress tailored for me."
"Your mother had good taste." Jill paused, unsure of what to say to Ophelia as she stood there in her dead mother's wedding dress. She stood up and gave Ophelia a hug that likely lingered too long. "I'm sure your parents are proud of you." Jill cringed at her words, not even sure if she believed in an afterlife. Ophelia thought about her deceased parents and their absence from what should be the happiest day of her life for just a moment longer before turning on the radio.
"C'mon, I want to see you dance." Ophelia grabbed Jill's hand and forced her to move. The duo danced to a song with heavy bass, not caring if they looked silly. it was going perfectly, until Jill started to fall over and grabbed Ophelia in an attempt to stop herself from falling. Instead, the pair fell onto Ophelia's old bed. For a few moments Jill could only hear the beating of her heart as she stared up through childlike eyes at Ophelia. She thought she felt her heart stop when Ophelia's lips came crashing down onto hers.
Jill suddenly became very timid. Her wildest fantasies were far more dangerous than a simple kiss on the bed Ophelia slept in as a teenager, and yet she knew this would either be the beginning or the end of her relationship with her brother's fiancée. Ophelia pulled away, her smile quickly faded when she saw how Jill looked so scared. She sat on her bed and pulled the late teenager upright. "Did I go too far?" She asked as Jill silently shook her head, eyes glued to the dark wooden floorboards. "Jill, look at me, please?" She gently tilted Jill's head up with her hand, and immediately saw the tears in her eyes. "Hey, what's wrong?"
"I'm going to uni and you're meant to be marrying Johnny. It's just terrible timing and I feel so stupid because I thought this could work." Jill's voice cracked as she let out a sob. Ophelia gently rubbed Jill's back and held her close to her chest, not caring about the wedding dress. Once the crying had stopped, Ophelia tilted Jill's head back up so their eyes could meet. "Jillian, I would rather spend the next couple months with you and exploring what we are than waiting for anything else. At this moment I'd call it all off for you. Do you understand?" Jill sniffled and nodded appreciatively. Ophelia scooped her up in her arms and they kissed again, more gently this time. "Now, let me take care of you." Ophelia whispered in a sultry tone as she took Jill to her bedroom, confident in the fact that they wouldn’t be disturbed. After all, it takes a lot of time to plan a wedding.