The Third Night
Valentine day
Katherine returned from her final shopping at 3.pm. She had plenty of time to get ready. She had kept Cassey busy tiding the living room and doing her course work. She made it clear to Cassey, she was to go and have a bath and then stay in her room, until called for.
By 6 o'clock Katherine knocked on Cassey's door. Cassey eagerly opened the door, inpatient for being kept waiting. Katherine handed her a dress and shoe box.
"Come down in 10 minutes." Was all that Katherine said, before disappearing into her own bedroom.
It was within 5 minutes, that Katherine heard Cassey trying to open her locked bedroom door.
"I'm in the kitchen!" Katherine called out, as she heard Cassey slowly walking down the stairs. Katherine felt butterflies in her stomach, no matter how well she had planned; there was no way she could know for what tonight may bring.
But soon, there at the bottom of the stairway, at the end of the corridor leading to the kitchen stood Cassey. She was wearing the Scarlett shoulder less dress, with a dark blue shawl wrapped around her shoulders that Katherine had brought her.
Slowly, she walked towards her spellbound mother. Katherine noticed the ruby stilettos. But it wasn't the clothes or shoes that made Katherine want to burst into tears of joy. But the sheer radiance that Cassey exuded from her own happiness.
Cassey Stood in front of her mother, speechless. For there no words that she could image could convey how she felt, at that moment.
"Come with me." Her mother said and took her by the hand and led her to the dining room door. "When we go in, I only want you to look at me, or you'll spoil the surprise. Ok?" Cassey didn't know what to make of her mother's words, but nodded in agreement, all the same.
Katherine unlocked the dining room door, switched on the light, took Cassey by the hand and slowly walked backwards towards the mirror.
Katherine stopped and moved to beside her daughter. It was only then, that Cassey saw herself properly. She gasped, as she then looked to her mother, in a pale blue silk dress, then back to herself.
"See how beautiful you truly are." Cassey nodded at her mother's reflection. "You've always been this beautiful, but it's only now, that you are releasing the beauty within you." Cassey found her mother's hand and hald on to it tightly. "Cassey, I want this to be a special night, for you. But, I want you to know, this is not for one night. You can feel like this, every day for the rest of your life, if you so choose... Now close your eyes.
Cassey did what was asked of her. At this moment in time, she would have done whatever her mother asked of her.
Cassey strained to hear ever sound. There were faint clinking and other sounds Cassey could not register. The only sound that she recognised was the swishing of that dress that made her mother look like a Goddess, in her eyes.
Cassey could see that the room had become darker, through her eye lids. And there it was again, that swishing sound of her mother's dress, coming closer to her. The sound stopped, as Cassey could feel her mother's breath upon her. And then, that feeling coursing through her body, as her mother's moist lips met hers. Those warm pulsating lips filled Cassey with electricity that charged every nerve and fibre of her body. She was sure she would have swoon, if it wasn't for her mother holding her, with her arms wrapped so tightly around her waist.
Katherine pulled back and looked into Cassey's now opened eyes. "Well, this is supposed to be a night of romance." Katherine said, with a smile of someone sharing a guilty secret.
Quietly Katherine moved out of the away, so Cassey could see the room. Cassey gasped. No longer did it look like a storage room, for all the boxes had gone. And there was the dining table in the centre of the room. No it were the 2 silver candelabrums, lighting the room. Cassey also see the crystal decanters filled and the silver cutlery, place at either end of the table.
Katherine took Cassey by the hand and led her to a chair and held it out for her.
"My lady?" Katherine, pushed in the chair as Cassey sat. She moved to fill 2 sherry glasses from one of the decanters. Handing one to Cassey, she raised the other, in a toast.
"Here's to a night of romance. And may there be many more nights of love and romance, ahead of us." They both drank to Katherine's words.
"Tonight, we shall be having a 4 course meal, followed by a relaxing in evening, which... Well, you'll see. The night shall end, with us curled up, watching some soppy romance." Cassey just smiled in agreement, as her mother disappeared into the kitchen.
Katherine was very pleased with herself. She had created a realistic television page on a slide show. There were a number of programmes and films, which she knew Cassey didn't like. But among them, were 7 dramas from, "Girlfriend films" and "Girlsways." All were about mothers and daughters. The write ups were about the relashionships, but with all the true meaning of the drama removed. All that would then happen, would be for Cassey to choose and Katherine could act all innocent to whatever Cassey's reaction maybe.
But, if Cassey's reaction was favourable, then... Then what? Katherine was still finding it hard to believe and accept what she was doing.
"Whatever it may bring!" Katherine finally thought to herself, as she wheeled in on a trolley, the first course of the night.
They sat in silence, eating the meal, with classical music playing quietly in background. There was no awkwardness in the silence. Only reverences of the moment.
Apart from Katherine disappearing, to the kitchen to collect the next course, they sat eating, only to look up at each other and share a smile.
They drank wine during the meal. But once they had finished, Katherine moved her chair, so that she sat on the corner of the table, so close to Cassey. She poured from the second decanter a glass of port, for them. They raised their glasses and took a sip. After the first sip, Cassey held up her glass, between them. Not knowing what to make of this, Katherine mirrored her daughter's actions. Cassey moved her glass to her mother's lips, as an offering. Once Katherine had moved her glass to her daughter's mouth, they began to drink from one another's glass.
Once finished, Katherine stood up and a slight bow to Cassey, then offered her hand. Cassey accepted and stood to face her mother. Katherine took hold of Cassey's left hand and with her own, placed her own left hand between Cassey's shoulder blades. As she drew her daughter towards her, Katherine led her in a slow dance. It was intoxicating, neither of them knew if it was their heart they could feel racing.
With her head resting against Cassey's, they glided around the room. Breathing down onto her daughters neck and breathing her scent, Katherine thought she would faint from that and from the exhilarating effect the hot breath she felt, on her own neck.
Finally, the music ended and Katherine bowed to her and kissed on her hand. "Wait here, dearest, there's still more to come!" And with that, she left the room, only to reappear carrying two clothes boxes. She handed one to Cassey, who stared at her quizzically.