“Yes. Of course.” Mom’s wobbly voice reaches my ears, and I hate to hear her this heartbroken.
“Mom, I’m meeting Kristy and Clem tomorrow to go wedding dress shopping. Would you like to join us?”
“I would love to.” She sniffs into the phone.
“Oh, Mom, please don’t cry. I’ll text you the details.”
Zander ends the call.
Our earlier excitement to head inside and christen the bed gets lost in the new information.
I slouch back, resting against Zander and thinking about a wedding in this beautiful garden.
Can that be next Wednesday?
23
ROSE
“How about this one?” Clementine shows me the last of the ten dresses she dragged from the back of her small store.
I bite my lip nervously. “I’m so sorry.” I didn’t know selecting a dress would be such a difficult task. An empty, nervous feeling develops in the pit of my stomach. If I can’t even make up my mind about a dress, how am I going to make all the important decisions in our marriage? Self-doubt rears its ugly head again.
Is this too fast?
“Don’t overthink, Rose,” Mom whispers. “A wedding dress is a decision that every girl struggles with. You’re not alone.”
“There’s nothing to be sorry about.” Clementine perches on her stool. “Tell me if you liked any of the dresses we’ve seen so far. This way, I’ll know where to look.”
“Um, I like this one, especially the lace.”
She smiles—maybe for the first time since I started rejecting her beautiful dresses. “It’s handmade.”
“But the bodice…is too revealing,” I whisper nervously. “I would like something with a full back.” Mom’s grip on my hand tightens.
“Okay.” Clem writes something on her notepad. “What else?”
“I don’t know. These veils are very long.” I pause. “Also, there’s lots of frill.” I grimace as my gaze flicks at all the fabric hanging around the skirt of the gowns.
Clem bursts into laughter. “Ballgown style is so in these days. Believe me, Zander will go crazy.”
Only if I make it to the altar without breaking my neck.
“What about a sheath style?” Mom asks her.
When I look around in confusion, Kristy rushes to show me a picture on her phone. “It has less flare.”
My ears perk up. This style is definitely better for me and my balance.
Clem gnaws at her lips thoughtfully. “Unfortunately, I have nothing in that style. The wedding is next Wednesday, right?”
I nod.
Last night, after Zander and I returned to our new bedroom, we talked. A lot. Finally, we agreed that next Wednesday is definitely a day we don’t want to forget. But I can’t simply swap it with a day I’ve known as my birthday all my life. As meager as they are, that day has some memories, especially this year with Zander.
Clementine’s mumbling pulls me from my thoughts.
“To start something from scratch, hmm… I’ll have to order some new fabric.” She talks to herself, making notes as her eyebrows draw together in worry.