Cornelia motioned me toward a private dressing space screened off with heavy, draped curtains. My palms were clammy as I stepped inside, running my hands over the smooth, silky fabric. For a moment a lump formed on my throat; it was a feeling I’d become familiar with since I was a little girl. This was supposed to be something I’d do with Mum. Picking the dress. Seeing her face light up when I walked out in it for the first time.
The ache sat heavy for a moment, until I thought of Tyler and the way he’d arranged this whole day so I wouldn’t miss out. Moments like these were always strange. I didn’t really know mymum long enough before she passed, and sometimes I couldn’t tell if I missed her, or the idea of her, the version of a mother I’d built in my head over the years.
Cornelia lifted the first gown from its hanger and floated it toward me, the silk catching the light like liquid cream. Suddenly, it all felt too real. My palms prickled as I smoothed them down the front of the dress, trying to steady my breath.
It was ivory satin with a sweetheart neckline. No fuss, no frills. Exactly the kind of thing I’d always pictured myself wearing to walk down the aisle. Cornelia guided me into it, fastening the endless line of tiny buttons with gloved precision. My pulse quickened. My God. Iactuallylooked like a bride.
When the curtain swept back and I stepped into the lounge, Kate squealed so loudly her champagne nearly sloshed over the rim of the glass. Gwen gave a low whistle.
I climbed onto the pedestal, catching sight of myself in the mirror. My chest rose and fell too fast. The gown was perfect on paper. All clean lines and elegant fabric, everything I thought I wanted. But as I stood there, staring at my reflection, something didn’t settle. I looked the part,yes, but I didn’t feel it.
“It’s beautiful,” I said, my voice unconvincing. “But… I thought I’d feel morewowin it.”
Gwen tipped her head. “Not going to lie, you look stunning. But if that’s your reaction, it’s not the one.”
“Yeah,” I sighed and scrunched my nose, studying myself for a few more seconds. “Don’t think it is.”
“That’s no problem,” Cornelia said smoothly. “Your instinct is important. Let’s try something completely different.”
She guided me back behind the curtain and helped me peel off the satin sheath before presenting the next contender. A towering satin ballgown with a pearl-studded bodice, strapless and heavy enough to crush me under its own weight.
When I stepped out, Kate’s eyes widened. “Oh, it’s very…romantic,” she offered weakly.
Gwen didn’t bother to hide her smirk. One look in the mirror and I lost it, bursting into laughter.
“Jesus, you look like you could fit the entire wedding cake under there…and Tyler,” Gwen declared with a raised eyebrow.
That set all three of us off, laughter filling the plush little boutique. Even Cornelia’s mouth twitched. “Well, I think we can rule that one out.”
Still laughing, I wiped my eyes. Cornelia tilted her head, a secretive glimmer in her gaze.
“Are you ready for my secret weapon?” she asked.
I froze. “Go on.”
She swept back the curtain and revealed it. For a second, I almost laughed again. It lookedtooperfect, like something out of a glossy magazine, the kind of gown women pinned to mood boards but never actually wore. But as I stared, the room grew quiet. There was something about the way the fabric caught the light, the shape of the neckline, the slit at the side, the drama and simplicity all at once. My pulse began to race.
And when I stepped into it, I felt the silk slide over my hips, the corset hugging me in all the right places and a tingle rose through my fingers to my cheeks.
I walked out, smoothing the fabric nervously, and the room went dead silent.
Kate’s hand flew to her mouth, tears forming instantly. Gwen, always the one with a quick quip, just blinked, completely lost for words.
Cornelia sang triumphantly. “There it is.”
I turned toward the mirror, and for the first time that afternoon, I didn’t feel like I was trying on someone else’s fantasy. This was me. Elegant lines, just enough skin. Feminine without being fragile. The off-shoulder sleeves framed meperfectly, the slit made me feel like I could walk into a room and own it.
And all I could think was: Tyler’s going to lose his fucking mind.
My throat closed, eyes blurring as I stared at my reflection. “Oh my God…”
Kate was already sobbing into a tissue. Gwen finally rasped, “Yeah. That’s it. That’s your dress.”
Cornelia nodded. “We always know when it’s the one. It’s the silence that gives it away.”
I must have stood there for twenty minutes while Cornelia fussed adding veils, taking them away, tweaking the neckline while I just stared, unable to move.
“I should probably take it off,” I sighed eventually.
