I smile at her. One day, I could be trying on the gown while she and my mom sit side-by-side. I know I’m running ahead of myself, but I’m starting to entertain a future with Cody—this time not only in my fantasies.
Maisie calls over one of the other women who works in the shop and sends her and McKenna into the bridal dressing room. Then she herds the rest of us into the opposing dressing room.
“I’ve hung your dresses on these hooks with your name on the tags so there’s no confusion. Just give me a holler if you need any help. Once you have your first dress on, come on out to the main room so McKenna and Mrs. Lawson can see you. When McKenna’s in the first gown, we’ll call y’all out.”
We scan the dresses hung on hooks on the wall, each of us locating a dress with our name on it. Then it’s a flurry of disrobing and trying on.
Cass is the first one to get her dress on.
“Does this look like the color of cheddar?” she asks, turning to look at her reflection in the mirror. “And, oh my word. Why does my butt look like cottage cheese?”
“It’s not that bad,” I deflect.
“It really is,” Winona says.
Cass shouts, “Next!” and takes the dress off as quickly as she put it on.
I slip my dress over my head. It’s pleated from the neck down. The color is nice, but the way it falls is … interesting. “Why do I look like a curtain?” I say with a laugh.
“That’s not the neck hole,” Cass says, walking over to me in her undergarments to adjust the dress.
“Ahhh. Much better,” I say now that the pleats fall at my waist.
Sydney tries on her dress.
“You look adorable,” I say.
“Zip me up, would you?” she asks.
I tug on the zipper. “Suck in a little.”
She does. I zip her in. Her voice is tighter when she says, “As long as I don’t eat at the wedding, I’ll be golden.”
Emberleigh’s in the corner, her hands overhead, the dress halfway on.
“Someone? Help? I’m stuck!” She wiggles like one of those inflatable tube men outside a used car lot.
Cass is still half naked—bra and underwear. She marches over and gives the dress a solid tug.
It takes three of us, but we get it down.
“Oh my gosh. How am I going to get back out of this?” Emberleigh asks.
Her face is red and splotchy from all the tugging and wriggling.
“You’ll just have to wear it until the wedding,” Cass says, her expression so serious I think she means it. “Then we’ll cut you out.”
“Don’t worry,” Winona assures Emberleigh. “We got you in. We’ll get you out.”
There’s a soft knock at the door just before it swings open.
“Y’all doing okay in here?” Maisie asks.
“We’re great,” Cass says for all of us. She’s the only one not dressed at this point. “Just doing last-minute adjustments.”
Maisie’s brow dips only for a second and then she says, “Okay, then. McKenna’s ready to see the bridesmaids whenever you’re …” Her eyes land on Cass. “... adjusted.”
The door closes and we all burst into laughter.
