I swallow. “Never. My mother chose everything.”
Gia’s expression shifts instantly— her back straightening, eyes narrowing with righteous fury. “Are you serious?”
I nod.
She throws her hands up and mutters, “What the hell, that’s—no. No. We’re not doing that.”
Before I can react, she pulls me into a fierce hug, small arms surprisingly strong.
“That’s messed up,” she says into my shoulder. “So fucking messed up. You should’ve been allowed to be… you.” She steps back and squeezes my hands. “But you’ve got me now. And we’re fixing all of it.”
It takes everything in me not to burst into tears. No one has ever said something like that to me. Gia moves fast, grabbing items, pointing out colors, holding pieces up to my face like she’s matching a painting.
She radiates confidence—loud, unapologetic, playful.
“Okay,” she says, picking up a deep green blouse. “This good?”
I hesitate… then nod. “Yes. I like it.”
Gia smiles like I just said something important.
“Perfect. Into the yes pile.”
Then comes a soft sweater. A bright sundress. A darker, sexier top that makes me blush.
“What about this?” she asks each time.
And for once…I get to choose.
“No.”
“Yes.”
“No, too bright.”
“Yes… I think yes.”
“No, the fabric makes me itchy.”
Every time I say no, Gia grins like she’s won a victory.
“THERE she is,” she cheers. “That’s you choosing for you.”
Her enthusiasm is infectious. Her protectiveness surprising. Her belief in me… overwhelming. We enter the third store, and Gia holds up a shirt so hideous it could blind someone on sight. Neon. Sequins. A neckline that looks butchered. It’s awful.
I snort—an undignified, surprised sound—and cover my mouth.
Gia gasps dramatically. “Oh my God—was that a laugh?”
Heat floods my face. “I—yes, I suppose—”
“Oh this is my new favorite day,” she cackles.
While I try on a dress, I hear Gia outside the curtain arguing with a saleswoman who made a passive-aggressive remark about me “being shy.”
“She’s my cousin’s wife,” Gia hisses. “And if you talk down to her again, I’ll—”
The end of the sentence disappears into the sound of hangers rattling, but I swear I hear Nico grunt approvingly.
