CROXXED

Deny Thy Mother † 2

“I don’t care who his connections are! He’s not getting on my runway!” My mother stabs her cellphone off and stands from placing the last dress on the mannequin. 

  "So, which one?" She breaths, observing her work. 

  A row of three dresses stand before the back drop of my bay window.

  "Valentina," I answer, distracted for a second by my friend and my mom's assistant, Sharay, at my feet checking my henna.

  Valentina is a sleeveless mandarin collar little red dress with a petticoat puffed bottom made of red lace and a red sheer back with red satin buttons.

  Emmeline, next to it, inspired by the sheer maxi dress in a vintage style hits the floor in champagne sheer. Off white and light blue floral embroidery detail falls from the lace collar around the neck over the edge of the short sweetheart dress underneath, enclosed with three light blue pearl buttons at the back of the neck. Up the bottom, the same vine detail travels up the sheer.

  Lenore, after it, its namesake coming from the gothic Edgar Allan Poe character it was named after in emerald green lace channels old Hollywood Grace Kelly in long lace sleeves with modern day Charlize Theron with a trumpet bottom skirts the floor in timeless fashion.

  "I pulled Emmeline out for you," my mother says, the order I wear it in her tone.

  "Why give me the option if you wanted me to wear this one?" I ask. I never understood my mother's logic.

  "It will give Garrett the idea of what will be," she says, dipping back to look at me with a sly smile on her face, completely ignoring my question.

  "What will be?"Sharay butts in, looking over her shoulder and giving my mom an incredulous look. 

  My mom waves a hand at her and turns back to our dresses. Sharay looks at me with an 'Are you kidding?' face and goes back to checking the henna on my hands and wrist. I look back at my mother. We did design Emmeline after vintage wedding dresses after all.

  "I don't think it's appropriate for me to wear it. I'll go with Valentine. I designed my whole costume around it already," I explain, respectfully. 

  If I had my wish, the only person I want to be wearing a wedding dress for is Caleb. He's the only one that deserves it in my case. His words from my dream last night pop in my head. "I love you."  If only he were real. 

  My mother turns to me with slitted eyes further embedding the image of a snake in my head, with her make-up contoured cheekbones, close cut pixie hairstyle, and manipulative tongue. She's such a beautiful woman, but I can't understand what may have happened in her life to make her turn out like this. 

  With a curt roll of her neck, she says, "Well, at least try it on for me. Humor me."

  Her request rubs me the wrong way and before I can stop myself, I say, "I don't think trying on a wedding dress is a laughing matter. It should be a special event of tears and happiness."

  Taken aback at my rejection to wear the dress and bold rebuke, my mother snaps, "I don't care! Do what you want!" throwing her hands in the air and storms out of my room, slamming the door behind her.

  Sharay turns to me with surprised eyes.

  "Whoa. That's the angriest I've ever seen her."

  I just raise two unsurprised eyebrows in response.

  "Alright," Sharay says, standing up, "you can go wash off the henna now. After you put your dress on tonight we'll add the glitter." I nod and stand.