My One For Half A Million

Auntie

Aunt Fi, somewhere along the way, got it into her head that her daughter was going to be my Maid of Honor.

We had a week and a half to go, and it was starting to get really difficult to deal with them.

"My daughter is your best friend, of COURSE she's your maid of honor"

Your daughter isn't my best friend, she's been bullying me and the rest of our cousins since we were nine, and you let her.

"I was actually going to have Leah be my maid of honor..." I bit my lip. "It's her job, after all."

Aunt Fi scoffed. "Your father's side of the family is no good."

I snorted into the speaker

This did not make her happy.

"Don't make faces at me, Zoe, I'm trying to make sure your wedding photos look good. We need someone pretty like Michelle to balance out with you-"

"Yeah uh-huh okay. I think Xylar is calling me."

"Xylar?"

"...my fiance, auntie."

"Hmph. Well at least you'll have one attractive person in your wedding photos."

She hung up.

I sunk down the wall, the click of the ending call sending a wash of relief over me. Xylar wasn't calling me- he was with his mom at a doctor's appointment.

Reaching to text Leah, the phone rang again. Well, I thought, that didn't last long.

"Hello?"

"How DARE you" Michelle shrieked. I pulled the phone away from my face to save myself a busted eardrum. "Insulting our family TO MY MOTHER'S FACE, and then disinviting us? For shame, Zoe. For shame."

She was silent. I think she was crying.

"Mitchy, no one is uninvited. Of course you're invited to my wedding."

Mostly because I didn't want them to try and take the inheritance, but I didn't add that.

She sniffles. "Really?"

"Really." I sighed, and pinched the bridge of my nose. Was five hundred thousand dollars really worth it?

The sniffing disappeared. She sounded painfully chipper.

"Great! I'll tell mom. See you at Kim's at five!"

"At Kim's at- why?"

"Dress shopping, silly! Mother set up an appointment. She'll be so sad if you don't show up."

"Uh-"

"See you!" She hung up the phone, and I rolled my head back. I had... two hours left to prepare myself for dress shopping.

I sent a text to Leah, my mom's sister arranged a dress shopping trip without my knowledge. Kim's at 5. Please be there. I'm begging.

And one to Xy, remember my lovely aunt Fi? She's taking me dress shopping.

They both, almost simultaneously, sent back a frowning emoji, which made me giggle. Then sigh.

Dress time, I guess.

...

In a shop on the corner of third and fifth Avenue, there is a little shop with a sign out front. That sign says, in big, sparkly cursive, Kim's.

Inside Kim's, dresses are tucked into every granny. Pure white, offwhite, cream, ivory, and a few racks in the back for colorful and black dresses.

There was also, in the middle of the store, beside some dressing rooms, a wooden stage, with many mirrors sitting nearby so you could see yourself from every angle. On this stage, you stood in wedding dress after wedding dress, until finally, you found a dress that fit like a dream. That made you feel, as everyone put it, "like a princess."

I was on this stage. And I'd be okay with walking down the aisle looking like a hag if it meant I got to get off it.

"Too tight, I can see what she had for lunch."

I frowned into the mirror. I'd actually kind of liked this one. But if Aunt Fi disagreed, well...

"But-" the shop owner looked dismayed. Honestly, I thought she was going to strangle aunty. I wouldn't have blamed the shopkeep, and I wouldn't have helped Aunty.

"Ok." I stepped down.

Back in the dressing room, I leaned against the wall. My mom, Leah, and Azalea were here, which I'd hoped would create a nice barrier, but it didn't. Aunt Fi was, if anything, more aggressively hateful.

I steeled my jaw and tried to calm myself as the next dress slipped over my shoulders like water, and the assistant laced, zipped, and buttoned it, fluffing in around my feet.

She nodded, and I stepped back onto that stupid wooden stage.

I think Leah gasped.

My mother had tears in her eyes.

Aunt Fi and Michelle were silent.

Azalea looked up from her phone and nodded approval.

"She's a princess!" Squealed one of Mitchy's kids. And I couldn't help but agree.

I looked, to put it simply, fucking amazing.

The dress wrapped around my torso in petal-like layers that got bigger and bigger as they went down my legs, finally pooling around my feet. Every piece of cloth lay where it should, every thread wrapped my body like a promise, even my hair had decided to behave.

"Holy shit," I said, but nobody scolded me.

Aunt Fi cleared her throat and nodded. "It will do," she said, as if her opinion mattered anymore. I would buy this dress whether or not she agreed. I would buy this dress if it was the only thing I could ever wear again.

I barely even glanced at the tag. Nana will be happy to buy it, even beyond the grave, I figured.

The assistant reached out, questioning, and when I nodded, she placed a veil upon my head.

Aunt Fi clapped. "It covers her face!"

The shopkeep glowered at her, and reached up to push it away. It was perfect.

I bought it all, no questions asked. With ten days left until I married Xylar and got my inheritance, I didn't even think twice.

I hugged Leah and Azalea goodbye and ran back to my house, where I hopped directly into bed, and hugged my fluffiest comforter to my chest and face. I pretended it was Xylar.

Once I finally fell into a happy sleep, I dreamt it was. We were dancing in a beauty and the beast-esque ballroom, him looking dashing in a suit that nicely framed his body, and me in my dress. Oh, what a dress.