A Dance of Life

37

"I would never wear that," I scoff at the skimpy neon skirt. "And why would this be in the maternity section?"

He examines it with a cocked head, "I honestly have no clue."

I stretch my arms over my head and groan. "I'm tired now, and my back hurts," I tell him, sitting down next to him. I decide to be brave and lay my head on his shoulder. "Can we go now? I think I have enough stuff for this trip."

"How about one more," he suggests, passing me a red sequin dress from the pile of clothes beside him.

I lift my head reluctantly and eye the dress. "That looks kinda fancy; where would I wear it to?"

"You'd be surprised," he says, raising his shoulder. "Please?"

I let out a long and dramatic sigh before standing and taking it from him. "I think you're enjoying this way too much," I comment, squinting at him.

"Maybe," he smirks, folding his arms across his chest.

I roll my eyes and enter the changing stall. I raise the dress to my eye level and marvel at the design. It's made out of stretchy material but seems to fall like it's chiffon. There's a zip on the back, as well as a three-quarter sleeve that looks to be fitted. I turn away from the mirror and change into the dress. I'm shocked by how free it feels. How did he know the right size?

An eye for detail I guess, my mind retorts with a smirk.

I take a deep breath in expectancy, hoping I look okay. My breath catches in surprise when I turn around. I don't remember the last time I looked this nice. The dress fits my body snuggly, yet not too tightly that all my extra weight is showing.

"Annelise?" Nathan says from directly outside the stall, knocking on the door.

I jump in shock; do I actually want him to see me?

"In a sec," I call, my voice coming out wobbly.

"You good?"

"Peachy!"

I open the door slowly, biting my lip in anticipation of his reaction. His mouth drops open and he blinks a couple of times. I hold my breath, waiting for him to speak.

"Wow, Annelise," he breathes out, scratching his head. "I always knew you were beautiful but this dress... it really drills it in."

My cheeks heat up and I look at my feet, or rather my tummy since the view of my feet are blocked. "I- I don't think I need it, though. Maybe after I give birth I can come back for it, or find something similar," I voice with a shrug.

He furrows his eyebrows in thought for a few seconds but eventually shrugs as well. "Alright, I'll go return these clothes to the racks while you change."

I nod and return to the stall, closing the door quietly. I lean on the door and slide to the floor, trying to wrap my arms around my knees. What's wrong with me? My nose tickles with the threat of tears and I cover my face with my palms. When did I get so insecure?

Not wanting to waste any time dwelling on it, I blink the unwanted tears away and change back into my floral dress.

~~~

The car ride is like the two others before, quiet but not awkward, and I'm staring at the streetlights as we drive away from the mall. My back is screaming for attention and my feet feel like they're swollen, and the combination makes me want to cry.

"Where're we going?" I ask Nathan, noticing that we aren't taking the route to my apartment.

"Somewhere special," he replies, looking over at me. "You can take a nap if you want. I'll wake you up when we get there."