It Doesn't Do Well to Dream

Chapter 21

Peyton normally didn't mind shopping, but shopping for a wedding gown was on another level than regular clothes. Given her mother's attitude at the wedding boutique, one might think it was a matter of life or death.

It was just her, her mother, and the wedding planner at the shop. Peyton didn't exactly have any friends that she knew about, and this wedding was turning into a short notice event with her mother's rush to make sure neither of the happy couple had a chance to change their minds.

Actually, the rush might have been more so Lionel didn't somehow get in the way, which Peyton supposed was not an unfounded fear.

There were several dresses hanging from hooks in the changing room that she still needed to try on. So far she'd at least narrowed it down that she didn't want a ballgown. There was an extra challenge given the period of fashion here was a bit behind what she was used to, but not impossible. She'd just skip over anything with bows.

The shop consultant helped clip her into a more streamlined dress. It sat off the shoulders and cinched in at the waist while the skirt hugged the hips before flaring out slightly at the bottom. A train started at the hips and trailed behind her with delicate bits of embroidery detailing over it.

When she walked out to step in front of the mirrors her mother gasped in delight, she did almost every time, but this time she even held her hands up in front of her mouth as if the emotions were boiling over.

"Oh, Peyton, you look absolutely stunning."

Peyton smiled in acknowledgement and twisted to catch the different angles in the mirror. The dress was one of the more simple designs, in terms of extra detail, but if felt timeless in a way the others didn't. It made her feel more confident. It made her feel like she was actually an heiress.

Her heart fluttered in her chest and butterflies erupted in her stomach. She swallowed thickly and tried to squash the feeling. It was just her mother making a big deal of it that had her emotions heightened. It was just a dress.

The shop consultant must have recognized something on Peyton's face because she smiled and adjusted the train so the detail was better seen in the mirrors.

"It looks magnificent on you," the consultant said. "It may seem simple, but it's a very fashion forward cut, and it brings all the attention to your face."

"I really like it," Peyton said. There was a tad bit too much emotion in her voice and she cleared her throat. "I think it's my favorite."

Katherine made a note on her clipboard and passed a tissue to Merrill who took it and dabbed at her eyes.

"Is this it then?" Merrill asked. "Is this the one you're picking? There are more options, of course, dear, you don't have to-"

"No," Peyton cut in. "I think- I want this one."

The small group gushed about her choice and how fitting it was all while Peyton eyed her own reflection. It was almost strange to see herself look this way. All dolled up in the fanciest gown like how she used to dress up her Barbies in their faux silk outfits to attend a party or a premiere. She'd wait for her best friend to come up with some crazy plotline for their dolls to go through, and follow her lead. Usually in their games the event would turn into a fight for survival as a bad guy showed up and tried to steal Barbie away, or an asteroid threatened to wipe out the guest list. But the dolls were always well dressed for it.

Hopefully her own wedding didn't go in that direction.

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The Woods estate looked rather the same as the last time she'd been there. The familiar antique aesthetic, with its rich woods, warm sconces, and patterned wallpapers, somehow struck a chord of fondness in Peyton even the next day. Perhaps it was her memories of Randall's cooking or the Christmas decorating with Lex.