Family is Forever

Chapter 80-shopping

"What about this?" Ollie asked Zosia and Ali.
"No way." They answered in unison. "It looks like something Freida would wear." Ali laughed "I don't think goth is quite your style hey Natalia." Zosia added.
"This I like though." Ali held up a blue jumper dress. "That's cute" Zosia agreed "and you'll need some jeans too." Ali had put the jumper dress back on the shelf. "What size do you recon?" Ali asked "16?" Ali asked picking it up.
"What?" Zosia said "you'd be a 10 at the largest! More like and 8" Zosia picked up the size 8. "I'll never fit into that!" Ali exclaimed.
"Natalia, do you know what body dysmorphia is?" Ollie asked her. "No, I heard some of the girls talk about it at rosehill i think."
"It's a psychological disorder, basically when someone thinks that the look bad or worse than they actually do. People with eating disorders often think that they are much larger than they are. Maybe you have that."
"Oh," Ali smiled wryly "I though it was one of those English expressions that I don't understand. Maisie is from glassgol? Is that a place in Scotland? She has a hard accent to understand"
"Glasgow" Ollie smiled "yeah even I struggle with those accent sometimes. Why don't you take a size 16 and a size 8 and try them both on and see what happens."
Ali felt like the size 8 would only fit Ela but as she wore it she realised it fitted well, if anything it was a little big. She came out of the changing room to show Zosia and Ollie. "It suits you Natalia." Zosia smiled.
"What's the size?" Ollie asked,
"8, Zosia was right."
They bought the dress and realised it was probably time for afternoon snack so they went to a coffee shop.
"What you fancy Nat?" Ollie asked.
"Ohh hot chocolate and a flapjack please" Ali answered, Ollie was surprised, he would have been happy for her to have just one of those things. Ollie got 3 hot chocolates, a flapjack for Ali, millionaires shortbread for Zosia and a piece of carrot cake for himself.
"Tell me more about body dysmorphia?" Ali asked Ollie so he improvised. "Zosia?" He asked what do you see when you look at Natalia, what does she look like?"
"Well" Zosia replied "I see my cousin, a beautiful 16 year old girl, with lovely light brown hair down to her shoulders, she has pretty almond shaped blue eyes and is probably about 5"3 and slim."
Ali blushed as Zosia described her. "And what do you see when you look in the mirror?" He asked Ali "be truthful"
"I see a girl who is too short and too fat. Her eyes are too small and her nose is too big. Her teeth are yellow and her hair is frizzy."
"We see a slim, intelligent, funny and beautiful young woman, as does everyone else. Except you, your brain, your anorexia is tricking you into seeing something that's not yourself. Because," he looked at Ali "you are an absolutely incredible and beautiful girl."
She blushed again "and it makes me sad that you can't see that." Ollie finished.
"How do I get better?"
"It sounds silly but the more weight you gain, the more recovered you get the better things will be."
"I know I don't hate when I look in he mirror as much as I used to. I used to cry." She said ashamedly. "Everything is better the more recovered I get," she said and took a sip of her hot chocolate "i see that now." She continued Ollie looked at her dubiously "no for real,"she said "it doesn't make it easy though."
"We know that," Zosia said "well we don't, but we are so so proud of you!" Zosia kissed the top of her younger cousins head.
After their hot chocolate they continued shopping and found some lovely clothes for Ali that fitted her. "I should make sure they're a little big in case I gain even more weight. Well when I do." Ali said as she showed Zosia and Ollie some cute jeans she'd seen. When she went to try on a top Zosia looked at Ollie, "this is good right? She's happy to gain more weight?"
"I wouldn't say happy, but she knows she needs to." Ollie replied and kissed her on the cheek.
When they got home Ali looked at Ollie "what's for dinner?" She asked. "I haven't decided. I was maybe thinking of getting some bolognaise out of the freezer. "Can..can I make Platki Ziemniaczane?"
"What are those?" Ollie asked
"The potato cakes that Babcia made when she was here, the ones with onions in."
"I can find a recipe online or text Babcia and see if she will get back to me quickly."
"No." Zosia said it'll be in Babcia's cook book. "The one she wrote for my mother."
Zosia got the book and they all enjoyed making platki and Ollie grilled some chicken breast to go with it. Ali even had seconds!