Where There's Light | ✔

44. Onion Rings

Dress shopping with Mom became a girl's trip with Bee and Rachel. The four of us piled into Rachel's jeep, heading out of Bellcreek and into a part of the city that was a little more high-end.

Mom, who had been excited about this all week, was on edge now. Probably because Dad randomly decided he wanted weekends with Taylor. He initially asked to see us both, but I declined.

It wasn't like he didn't know how to take care of her or that he'd neglect her or do anything to hurt her. I just couldn't shake the possibility that he was parading her around for some client, pretending to be a struggling single father. It was gross.

The thought was put on the back burner as Bee held up flowy fuchsia gown with a beaded bodice to my body. "I think this color would look nice on you."

I examined the dress. It did look nice against my rich brown complexion, but I thought it'd be a better fit for Bee. "I think it'd look better with your eyes."

Bee turned to one of the many full length mirrors throughout the boutique , holding the dress up to herself. "True."

"I think either one of you would be turning heads in that gown," the eager sales woman, a petite lady with a brunette bob and name tag that read Hillary, said. Her smile was so wide and forced she reminded me of a clown. Clearly, she was desperate to make a sale.

"No, thanks," Bee said as she handed the dress back to the woman. "I'm wearing a suit, like Queen Zendaya."

Hillary's face lit up like a firework. "We just had a new shipment of women's suites a few days ago. Let me show you."

As Bee and the sale's woman headed to the other side of the store, I went to find Mom and Rachel in the back having complimentary coffee and cookies.

"You find anything?" Mom asked.

I shook my head. We'd been to three stores already, yet nothing had called out to me. Maybe if I wasn't so distracted texting Nolan the whole time.

Our messaging back and forth slowed down when Nolan told his mom I was shopping for a prom dress and that was why I couldn't come for dinner that night. Now Nolan and her were searching for suits. Every so often I'd get a text from him complaining about being groped by "aggressive" tailors.

"Nope," I said, picking up a cookie from her plate. Then I turned to Rachel to fill her in, "Bee's looking at suits."

Rachel was visibly relieved. "Thank God. She'd been trying to get the suit Brian wore to our wedding altered to fit her," she explained. Then a sad frown appeared on her face. "It's been years, but I just can't let it go."

Mom reached over, taking Rachel's hand and giving it a quick squeeze. Just as she let go, Bee walked over.

She wore a suit in the same color of fuchsia as the dress she looked at earlier. That color really did go well with her green eyes.

She did a couple of poses. "Tell me I don't look good in this, I dare you."

Of course the three of us did the exact opposite. Rachel threw out shoe ideas and Mom suggested she wear her hair up so show off the design on the lapels and Hillary stood there beaming , probably at the thought of her commission.

Bee looked gorgeous, but I couldn't help but wonder how Nolan would look in a suit. Every thought I had lead back to Nolan one way or another. He was taking up a permanent residence in my head. Not that I minded.

As Rachel and Bee went with Hillary to talk about purchasing the suit, Mom and hooked her arm through mine and dragged me down more displays of impeccably dressed mannequins.