A Little Cinderella Moment

Chapter 64

It's time I step out of this dressing room to see what my friends think, and to do my mom proud and follow her advice, hold my head up high, and smile in that mirror as I will be smiling at her. Taking a calming breath, I grab hold of that curtain and open it, I'm stopped short to only be met with the smiling faces of my friends almost jumping out of my skin.

"Shit guys what are you doing here," I say holding onto my chest, trying to get my breathing back to normal.

"We came to check on you," Jen says with a worry tone in her voice.

"Yeah, we came to see if you were okay as we thought you were taking your time 'cause of your mom's letter, we thought we'd come and give you a little bit of encouragement if it was needed." both of my friends giving me comfort holding onto my hands but Selena does have a point it has took me some time to come out of this dressing room because of my mom's letter and I might have needed the encouragement to come out if I was in there a little longer than I was.

"Oh no guys I'm fine, I may have needed it if I was longer but no, I'm going to take my mom's advice and hold my head up high and see myself in the mirror in this dress but thanks for your support. I love you guys for it." I look down at the dress pulling out the skirt and look at my friends with a convincing smile on my face.

"Right okay you stay here give us three minutes and you can do the grand reveal again for us," Jen says as she grabs Selena's shoulders to turn her around and they shuffle back to the shop floor.

I waited the three minutes my friends gave me, and I walked out of the dressing room. Taking my mom's advice, I walk out with my head held high, as I approach my friends, I see a man standing there with his back towards me. I see Jen say something to the man and he turns around and I am stopped in my tracks when I realize it's my dad.

"Dad! What are you doing here? I thought you were working and couldn't make it."

"I made a phone call, and I told my husband that your father needed to be here for this moment Savannah," Mrs. Lockwood came from behind a counter holding a matching blue and silver mask to go with my dress and she stands next to my dad who is speechless for the first time since probably when mom passed away.

"Wait! Mom this is your handiwork?" Jen questions with a shocking look on her face. Her mom then turns to her daughter with a mischievous look on her face.

"One thing you will learn about your mother Jennifer is never underestimate your mother as I work in mysterious ways, like Selena sweetie check your phone you should have some messages from your mother."

Selena digs into her purse to look for her phone, when she finds it, she lights it up to see several text messages from her mom, her aunt, and her grandma. Jen looks over her shoulder to see how many messages she has from the women in her family.

"I don't understand how does my mom, aunt, and abuela know about my dress?" Selena looks more confused than I have seen her even when we baked in home economics and that's not her best look.

"I secretly took some pictures and a video of you spinning on the platform to your mom Selena so she could experience this moment too as I know she couldn't get away from work to be here, she must have sent it to your aunt, and grandma too as I know how you Latina girls get." Mrs. Lockwood claps her hands once and turns her attention back to me and my still speechless dad. "Now back to you Savannah come and stand up here and see what you think."

Dad holds out his hand for me, I look at the smile on his face and his smile is infectious it makes me smile back at him and place my hand in his as he leads me in front of the mirror, in front of my friends, who I now feel like they are family since the short time we've lived here in California.

Looking into the mirror I am in awe; I have never seen myself look more like my mom than I have ever in my life. I feel my eyes start to well up again so I try and blind my tears away I can't have them ruin this moment especially with Dad watching.

Turing to look at him in the mirror I see his eyes haven't left me. His left hand in his pocket and the right rubbing his jaw and I feel like I'm going to be sick, this look of his always makes me nervous.

"What do you think dad?" I ask him nervously holding my hands in front of me fidgeting my thumbs together.

"It seems like only yesterday I held you in my arms the moment you were born, and now looking at you in this moment seeing the beautiful young lady you are baby girl I am speechless."