How To Save A Life:
Step one, find a beautiful girl in need. Help her realize she doesn't need you there, not as much as she wants you there.
Step Two, never leave her side. Make sure you talk her through everything and never let her shut you out...
"You look beautiful" Farrah says as I look at yet another wedding dress. It was my fifth one in this store alone, and that was my third store of the day. Anthony and I was doing our wedding like this so it's stress free, but I was certainly feeling the pressure.
"You said that about every dress I tried on" I tease and she laughs.
"It's not my fault you look good in everything" she defends.
"I don't" I argue.
"And she's humble too" Jess adds on and I roll my eyes.
"I'm going to go change back into my clothes" I announce turning around.
"So is that a no on the dress" Farrah asks.
"This is probably my least favorite" I admit.
"Okay then, no ruffles" she mumbles as I disappear into the back.
I get changed and hang that dress with the other ones I no longer wanted. I go back out and find Jess still sitting in a chair. I sit next to her and rest my head on her shoulder. She pats my head and I let out a long sigh.
The season was almost over and I still had yet to find a dress. The Cubs clinched a playoff spot forever ago and just clinched the central division. The next closest team was twelve games behind them and it was smooth sailing from here until the post season. Well smooth sailing for them.
"Are you tired" Jess asks.
"I'm hungry" I whine.
"You're always hungry" Farrah shuns.
"You're not wrong" I laugh.
"Let's check out one more place then get you some food in your belly" Jess says patting my stomach.
"Another store" I pout.
"Yeah another store. But it's the last one today" she assures me.
"Anthony said this wasn't supposed to be this painful" I whine.
"Anthony's not here to save your ass this time" Jess reminds me. "And I can assure you he's not having any more fun listening to Kris explain the difference between having bow ties and regular ties and why it has to match the bridesmaids dresses we got. Lord knows I would love to have forgotten that conversation" she grumbles and I laugh.
We get up and go to one last store. Everyone separates and find dresses we like for me to try on. I gaze around until Farrah comes up behind me.
"How do you feel about a two piece wedding dress" she asks.
"That's a thing" I question.
"It is. And I know it's not something you would do but like you said, this isn't a normal wedding. Maybe you'll like it" she shrugs.
"I can try" I say taking it from her hands.
Jess hands me a few more and I pick a few too before getting pushed into a changing room. Dress after dress I try on, and they're all really cute but none of them felt right, looked quite right.
I felt pretty defeated before getting to the last dress, the one Farrah picked out but I'm still not so sure about. I mean it makes sense to have a two piece dress on a beach, not sure where else it would be worn. But I was never the one to show off that much skin.
I pull it on and look in the mirror and stop messing around with the dress. I look at myself and couldn't help but smile. The dress was actually beautiful. Nothing like I thought it would look like on me.
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It elegant yet modern. Something I can wear on the beach but it still look like a wedding dress. I think I am in love with it.
"Clara! Is everything okay in there" Farrah yells out.
"Yeah! I'm coming" I assure her. I pick up the dress and join her and Jess in the fitting room we were given.
As soon as I walk out there it falls silent. I turn around so I could look at the dress again because I loved it so much.
"Holy crap Clara" Jess whispers. "That dress is incredible."
"I know" I agree. "I can't believe I'm here" I insist.
"What do you mean" she wonders.
"So far this year I had a kid, got engaged, planned a wedding, and I'm going to watch my fiancé play in the playoffs. I mean just last year I got hit outside the head with a brick then shot in the chest. And now I'm standing in the middle of this dress shop in a wedding dress I never thought I would love as much as I do. My fiancé is out with our daughter trying to find a tux he can wear on the beach to marry me.
That's literally insane" I whisper.
"It is. But life works in mysterious ways. And you might not notice when it does. Sometimes all it takes is a moment like this for things to come full circle. For it all to fall into a perspective that you can finally see that everything you've been through. Every long night and early morning, every scar and broken bone, it wasn't for nothing. It's so you can stand here and look at yourself in the mirror and smile because you are so beautiful. And not just in this wedding dress but every other second too. But now you feel like you found something that is going to make a very special moment in your life even more special.
That is... if you want this dress" Farrah explains.
"Oh I'm getting the dress" I assure her.
"Good. Because you look absolutely stunning. Anthony isn't going to know what to say" Jess insists.
"Great. Finally found a way to keep him quiet" I tease.
I get the dress and Farrah promises to keep it safe. I don't trust it in the house with Anthony and Jon would never let him see it. So she took it home until we fly out to whatever beach is available in early November. We wanted to get it in before the holiday came around but we were also planning on them playing baseball until late October.
After getting a dress the girls take me out to eat as promised. They tease Anthony a little with sneak peaks of the dress but it doesn't give too much away. The last thing we would expect to see me in is a two piece wedding dress which makes it that much better of a find.
So to celebrate the great find I eat two hamburgers because I can just burn it off later. I didn't eat a lot of crap when I was pregnant so now I'm more than making up for it.
After a good lunch I go home because I missed my baby. I figured Anthony would be me home and I find him on the couch watching tv with Daisy chilling on his chest. I walk over and give them both a kiss on the head.
"Did you find a dress" Anthony questions and I smile.
"I know Farrah and Jess texted you" I tell him.
"You're not going to tell me either are you" he asks and I laugh.
"I gotta keep it interesting" I defend.
"You're always interesting" he claims and I smile.
