"Do you have more concealer?" Cait asked over her shoulder as she peered into the mirror at Keelin's grandmother's house in the hills outside of Grace's Cove. Dark circles ringed her eyes. A fitful night of sleep mixed with excitement for her friend's wedding had left Cait looking haggard. Keelin's head appeared over her shoulder in the mirror and Cait felt her heart clench.

"Oh…oh, you're just stunning," Cait gasped and turned to hug her friend. Keelin's strawberry-blonde hair was twisted back in an intricate half braid and then left to tumble over her shoulders. Her brandy brown eyes were expertly shadowed and a flush of excitement filled her cheeks. Keelin clenched Cait close and, letting down her mental guard, Cait allowed Keelin's happiness to pour through her. When Keelin had first come to Ireland over the summer from Boston, they had initially forged a tentative friendship. After discovering that they were both descendants of the mighty Grace O'Malley and that they both shared special gifts, their friendship had been forever cemented. Though Keelin's gifts ran more along the lines of healing and foreseeing the future, Cait had identified with her feelings of otherworldliness instantly. It wasn't easy to explain to others that she had a little extra something special, Cait thought. In fact, she rarely told anyone about herself.

Feeling a little weepy, Cait stepped back before she got both of them crying. Keelin ran her hand down Cait's arm.

"What's wrong, sweetie? I can feel it," Keelin asked her softly. The room was filled with the bustle of women getting ready and Keelin was trying to be discreet. Cait just shook her head at her.

"Honestly, I don't even know if I could explain if I tried. So, don't worry. For another time. We'll have a pint." Cait smiled at her friend and Keelin nodded.

"Okay, I'm holding you to that. Now, let's get you into makeup and then into your dress."

"Thank God you got someone to do makeup. These bags under my eyes are ridiculous."

"Don't worry, we will have you prettied up in no time, ya old hag." Keelin laughed at her and poked her in the arm. Cait smiled and dutifully went into the bedroom, where the makeup and hair command stations were set up. She raced to the makeup girl and threw her arms around her.

"Save me, oh wise one. Work your magic on me!" Cait demanded dramatically. The makeup girl laughed and shoved her into the seat.

"Oh dear, we do have some work to do. You really need to sleep before events like these," Susan, the owner of the local salon and today's "makeup girl" said as she squinted her eyes at Cait.

"Well, some of us work until the wee hours of the morning, might I remind you?" Cait said huffily. It seemed everyone was in agreement on how crappy she looked. Lovely, Cait mused. Then she reminded herself that today wasn't about her and she let the happiness course through her again. Cait held still as Susan muttered over her face, applying creams and shadows.

"There, you're gorgeous. Now, off to hair," Susan demanded.

"Ha, what are they going to do with this mop of mine?" Cait asked as she switched chairs and one of Susan's girls began to run her hands through Cait's hair. Her curls came to just below her chin and Cait wondered what they could manage to change about it.

"Your hair is lovely. Such a nice deep brown and it holds curls really well," the stylist murmured as she began to run a curling iron through Cait's hair to touch up some of her curls. In a matter of moments, the stylist patted her shoulders.

"All done. It doesn't take much to make you look fantastic," she said as she brushed Cait's shoulders and pulled her to look in the mirror.

"Thanks, ladies, you are good for my ego," Cait laughed at them and then turned to examine herself in the mirror. She let out a small gasp at the changes they had elicited in her appearance. Her hair was arranged in a sexy tousle of curls around her head but the stylist had parted it to the far left so a slice of hair cut across her face and made her look edgy…even sexy, Cait thought. The makeup was subtle yet her eyes seemed huge in her face. The green of her irises seemed to glow against her skin and Cait wasn't sure if it was the touch of color on her cheeks or the whip of cat-eye that the eyeliner gave her but she felt feline, exceptional, and sexy.

Turning, she looked at Susan. "I'll buy all of the products you used on me today."

Susan laughed and nodded. "Just add it to my tab at the pub. I'll come by this week and show you how to do what I did."

Cait nodded and turned back to the mirror. She couldn't stop staring at herself. Making a mental note that it wouldn't hurt for her to put more time and effort into her appearance, Cait moved to where her dress hung, wrapped in plastic. As she struggled with getting the plastic off, Cait reviewed her daily wardrobe. Cait was a jeans-and-a-tank-top type of girl. Her slim build didn't lend itself to sexy dresses. She had long ago accepted that she wouldn't have bombshell curves like Keelin. And she was okay with that—mostly, she thought. Pulling the dress from the hanger, she stepped into the bathroom.

Cait sighed as she pulled the strapless dress past her shoulders and over the soft curve of her hips. At least Keelin had chosen something that would flatter her, was all Cait could think. She'd been surprised at Keelin's restraint with the wedding. The Irish were known to go a little overboard when planning their nuptials. Cait shuddered as she thought about the hundreds of dollars she had spent on hideous dresses and hairpieces. Keelin had opted for simplicity and Cait couldn't love her more for that decision. Straightening, she eased the zipper up her back, though she'd need help with the last few inches. Cait turned towards the mirror and a broad smile broke out on her face.

The lavender dress clung in all the right places and seemed to give her the illusion of curves that Cait was quite certain that she didn't have. A sweetheart neckline accented her strong shoulders and a dip in the waist showcased her flat stomach. Turning, Cait examined the back of the dress and smiled as the expertly tailored dress concealed her one bane of annoyance…a very round bum. Keelin swore she should be proud of it but Cait hated how hard it was to find jeans. With a slim build and small waist, most jeans didn't account for a sizeable bottom. This dress made her look proportionate and lovely. With a final deep breath, she whisked out to the main room to help the bride finish getting ready.