Eventually, I was ushered off to the changing room.
I slipped out of the dress and into my regular clothes, my regular life. It was nice to be back in normal clothes, but a part of me was still thrumming with excitement. That dress was mine, and I was going to marry the man of my dreams while wearing it.
I couldn’t stop smiling.
I pulled my hair back with a band and exhaled slowly. Like it or not, tonight had changed something in me. Changed something between me and my sisters too.
It had made, for a moment, my wedding seem like a real thing. A wonderful thing, yes, but also a solid, unstoppable change barreling my way.
My life, my relationships with those I loved would shift in small ways. New ways. It would never be the same. The weight of that, the importance of it, had taken root somewhere deep inside me.
It was new, thinking of myself as a married woman, but I was beginning to think I was going to like it.
When I finally stepped out to join them, they were finishing off glasses of water. Hera who had drunk one glass of wine and tea the rest of the evening, was ready to drive everyone home.
“I’ll make those adjustments,” Cheryl said. “Ryder can pick it up by the end of the week.”
“Or I could,” I said. “I could pick it up.”
“Sure,” she agreed like I was a child who promised to put their shoes away and never did. “I’ll send him a message and let him know when it’s ready.”
“And me. I’d like you to send me a message too.”
“Oh,” she said, hearing me that time. “You really want to pick it up? Ryder told me not to worry you, that he was handling the details.”
“Well, it’s my dress. He has enough on his hands. I can pick it up. At the end of the week.” I pulled out my phone and made myself a note to check in if I hadn’t heard from her.
“Good,” she said. “I was afraid he might want to take a peek, and you know the groom seeing the dress before the wedding is bad luck.”
I had a feeling we were going to need all the luck we could get.
“Do you need a ride home?” she asked.
“I got her.” Frigg wandered over to us. “I had half a glass of wine and water after that. Let me drive you home, Chief.”
“I only had one glass of wine too,” I said.
“I know.” She didn’t add anything to that, but her gaze was warm and steady and seemed to see into the deeper parts of me, the shaken parts that hadn’t quite settled into place yet.
“This is supposed to be a celebration,” Cheryl said. “Let her drive you home, so you can just sit back and relax. I know trying on three dresses must have exhausted you.”
That? Sarcasm. Which was exactly what I expected out of her.
“It did. I can’t believe I only had to try on three to find the one I didn’t hate.”
“Never doubt my ability to know what will look amazing on you,andwhat you will hate the least.”
“Love,” I said. “I love it.”
She blinked and took a moment to study my face. “Well, good,” she finally said with a soft smile. “Love is what it’s all about.”
“Thank you for doing this.” I gestured to take in the whole of the shop. “I really appreciate it.”
She waved me off and started gathering up glasses and buckets of ice. “My pleasure. I relish the challenge of trying to talk you into things that look fabulous on you.
“Go home, relax, think about the dress…or don’t think about it. You’ll be the star of the day, I promise.”
“That reminds me,” I said, as I started to the door. “Patrick Baum is in town to socially influence Ordinary. He’s some kind of online star…”
