Belle Morte Bites (Belle Morte 4.3)

The Perfect Dress: Part Two

I tried on four more dresses, but my spirits slipped a little more each time. Nothing made me feel like I'd found The One, and I was starting to wonder if maybe there was no such thing. Maybe all the people who talked about knowing the exact moment they found the perfect wedding dress were just full of shit.

Then I found it.

Pushed to the back of the last rack, was a vision of creamy ivory, with a flowing skirt embroidered all over with ivory roses, and sheer, long sleeves. Those roses made it slightly more unusual than some of the other dresses I'd tried, but without making it too unusual, and a shiver of excitement rolled over me. I tried to tamp it down, reminding myself that it might not look nice once I tried it on, but the moment I slipped the dress over my head, all those fears vanished.

The dress fit almost perfectly, tucked tight around my waist and cut low in the front, showing off just enough cleavage to be subtly sexy, and those embroidered roses seemed to shimmer when the light touched them. More roses decorated the sleeves, even more beautiful than the lace sleeves of Roux's second choice.

Tears pricked my eyes as I looked in the mirror. The dress was perfect. This was what I could imagine wearing as I walked down the aisle to become Edmond's wife.

I hoped everyone else felt the same.

I pushed back the curtain, stepped out of the changing room, and my mum gasped, her hands flying to her mouth.

"Oh, Renie," she breathed.

Roux's mouth hung open a little, and Isabeau was smiling softly. Jason looked like he was about to cry.

"You look amazing. Seriously. That's way better than the one I chose," he said.

I turned to the mirrors, my skirt rippling around me. Part of me had worried that it would look different out here than it had in the changing rooms, but no. There was something special about this dress.

"I really think this is it," I said.

Mum made a little choking noise.

"Edmond's going to die when he sees you in that," Roux said.

My heart surged, and I looked back at the mirror. Something told me I could visit a hundred shops and try on a thousand dresses, and none of them would feel as right as this one did.

"You have to let me pay for it," Mum said, sniffling.

"I don't even know how much it is," I protested.

"I don't care. You're my daughter and I'm buying your wedding dress."

Helen approached me and examined the dress. "I'd suggest taking it in just a tiny bit here," she said, pinching some of the fabric at my waist.

I nodded. "Does that get done here?"

"Yes. It's only a minor adjustment; it won't take long. When's the wedding?"

"Still a few months away," I said.

She probably wanted an exact date, but she wasn't getting it. Nice as she seemed, I didn't know her, and I couldn't trust that she wouldn't leak the date to the press. If anyone was going to know details about the wedding, it would be because Edmond and I had chosen to share them.

Also, we hadn't actually picked  a date yet.

I went back into the changing room and reluctantly slipped out of the dress, and back into my T-shirt and jeans.

When I re-emerged, Mum was already at the counter, paying for the dress. I still didn't know how much it was.

"Are you going to wear a veil?" Roux asked.