After another poofy dress was rejected, and she was on her way back to the dressing room, Maddox said, "At least I don't have to worry about her showing too much skin yet."
"Oh, that time is coming. We've had several older girls in here fighting with their parents over that very thing. We get local high-school girls dressing for homecoming."
"I can't believe I have to do this alone. I always thought Marla would be by my side for this stuff. Even if we weren't together, we'd be co-parents, you know?"
That made me wonder if he'd thought about divorcing Marla. If they weren't in a good relationship. He hadn't mentioned how she died. I assumed it was a sickness and not something like a car accident. No matter what I was thinking, I wouldn't ask him about it. "I can see that."
"I probably sound like a jerk."
No one wanted to go into parenting alone, but that's how it ended up sometimes. I was lucky to have my parents for as long as I did. I couldn't imagine losing them when I was just a kid. Myheart went out to Sofia. She'd lost so much. "You're doing a good job with her, and you don't sound like a jerk. You sound human. We're flawed, and we're all just doing the best we can."
This time, Sofia came out in a red-and-gold dress that was from our holiday princess collection.
I stood and went over to her. "This is so pretty on you."
The red was perfect for her skin tone, and she looked unique, not like all the princesses everyone recognized.
"Do you like it?" Bianca asked her carefully as Maddox moved closer.
Sofia swished the skirt as she twirled. "I love it." Then she came to an abrupt stop facing Maddox, her back to the mirror. "Do you like it, Daddy?"
I expected him to say something likeI like it if you do, but instead, he said, "I love it. You look so grown up."
Sofia beamed.
Bianca clapped her hands together. "We just need shoes and a tiara."
We stepped back so that Bianca could accessorize her dress.
When they agreed on the shoes and tiara, I snapped some pictures for Maddox, who seemed a little overwhelmed by the day.
"Are you ready to get your hair and makeup done?" Bianca asked her, and Sofia nodded. "I'll take her to the salon next door. We'll have her back soon."
Sofia followed her to the dressing room to change out of her dress.
"You have time to grab a coffee, and go home and change. I doubt you'll want to hang out in the salon."
"She seems fine without me."
"She's having the time of her life." Sofia had been all smiles during the dress try-on session. "It's nice to be a princess for a day."
Maddox moved toward the front door. "Where do I pay for everything?"
There was no counter here. Usually Bianca had customers pay on a tablet she carried around.
"This one is on the house."
Maddox gave me a look. "You're running a business. You can't give everyone free stuff."
"But I'm not giving everyone free stuff. Just you."
His brows furrowed.
"Listen, you're doing me a favor. I wanted the fire trucks in our parade, and Frank made that happen. This is my thank-you."
The crease between his eyebrows deepened. "You already donated your ballroom for our party."
"This is my way of thanking you specifically for not continuing to fight me on the parade. I know you didn't want to be involved."
