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At some point during the process, Maya entered the room. Jenna started to greet her sister-in-law but subsided when Carly barked at her to hold still. She rolled her eyes at Maya, who sank, grinning, onto the side of the bed.
“Where’s your daughter, Maya?” Gram asked.
“My parents have her for the day.”
Jenna listened to the conversation flowing around her so she wouldn’t stress about what Carly was doing to her face.
She worried that her teasing would actually be true and she wouldn’t look like herself.
“Ta-da!” Carly dropped the mascara wand onto the tray on the desk. “You look gorgeous, Jen!”
She wanted to make a face but didn’t dare after Carly had spent so much time on her make-up.
Carly clapped her hands twice. “Time to get Cinderella into her dress.”
Jenna held her breath as Carly and Maya helped her step into the gown. She stood still while Maya fastened the tiny pearl buttons up the back.
“Done.” Maya stepped back.
Careful not to step on her train, Jenna rotated until she faced her grandmother.
Gram’s hand flew to her chest. “Oh my. She’s the very image of her mother, Amanda.”
Slowly, half terrified of what she’d see, Jenna stood and stepped in front of the large standing mirror next to her closet. She stared open-mouthed at her reflection for a full minute. She looked like a princess in the simple white wedding dress. More importantly, just like her grandmother said, she bore an uncanny resemblance to her mother on her wedding day.
“You look lovely, Jenna.” Gram dabbed at her eyes with a tissue. Jenna swooped her arms around the woman’s fragile shoulders and embraced her.
"No crying,” Carly commanded. “There isn’t time to fix your make-up if you mess it up.”
Laughing, Jenna released her grandmother.
Jenna smoothed a hand over the satin fabric. She had taken Gram with her when it was time to go shopping for the dress. They tried on gown after gown. None of them seemed to be what she was looking for. They were all too ornate or too low in the back or in the front. The sleeves were too tight. The bustle was too big. There always seemed to be an issue. After a day of shopping at multiple stores, they returned to Gram’s home.
“Maybe we’ll find something tomorrow,” Jenna had stated, trying to sound upbeat about it.
She’d taken an entire week off to come and go shopping with her grandmother. It wasn’t like they were out of time.
Gram had pursed her lips. “Wait here, dear.”
She disappeared for a few minutes and returned carrying a very large box. “After your parents died, I had to go through their things. I found this in the attic. It was your mother’s wedding gown. I could not bring myself to discard it.”
Jenna had opened the box and drawn out a simple white satin gown with a square neckline, a full skirt and long sleeves that tapered to a point over the back of her hands. It looked like it was actually her size. With her grandmother’s help, she had slipped the dress on.
Both of their fingers shook as Gram buttoned up the tiny buttons in the back.
When Jenna faced her grandmother, Gram had gasped. “Go look in the mirror.”
Jenna had swished to the mirror and peered at her reflection. She swallowed. This was her dress. It fit her like it was made for her.
Gram left the room again and returned with a picture. She brought it to Jenna. “This is my favorite image of your parents at their wedding.”
Jenna shook her head. She’d always noticed the resemblance, but now it was almost as if she and Amanda had been twins.
That was three months ago.
Jenna stood wearing that dress while Maya pinned the delicate veil onto the top of her curls. The veil flowed down her back, blending seamlessly with the gown. She wore her grandmother’s pearl necklace and the sapphire and diamond earrings Dad had given Mom as an anniversary gift. She remembered Mom’s surprise when she’d opened the box. In a very short time, Brody would slip her birth mother’s wedding ring on her finger to wear with her engagement ring.
“It’s time to go.” Gram bussed her cheek and the women descended the stairs. “Zane is waiting at the church for us.”
