Maybe she was dreaming. It seemed the only logical
explanation for this crazy-ass Twilight Zone she'd landed
in. One where she was trying on wedding dresses and
constantly talking about her love of stuffed animals while
everybody acted as though it was a perfectly normal thing to do.
"Now, I always say that a bride knows the dress is βthe one'
in much the same way they knew their fiancΓ©e was βthe one.'"
Annalisa ran her hand over a small rack of gowns, pushing
the hangers to one side as if looking for something. Each
hanger made a slight sound as it was pushed aside.
Clink, clink, clink. "You'll get a flutter in your
tummy. A special tingly feeling that tells you something
special is about to happen."
Ugh, one ticket to vom town please. Pass me a bucket.
This whole frou-frou thing was so
not Sophia's jam.
She's always envisaged a simple wedding dayβclose friends
and family, only. A simple dress, maybe in white. Maybe in
something softer like cream or eggshell. Perhaps even a pale
gold. Certainly no ball gowns and diamantes and tulle. She
could see herself skipping a veil altogether, holding a
handful of flowers picked from someone's garden. Maybe she'd
even stick one behind her ear.
But thisβ¦
Oh. Dear. Lord.
"Why don't we start with this one?" Annalisa beamed as she
held up what looked to be a wedding gown that has consumed
several smaller wedding gowns like some kind of grotesque
satin and sequin-encrusted monster. "What do you think?"
It looked exactly like the kind of thing "Fake Sophia" would
enjoy.
"It's veryβ¦artistic." Her voice almost gave out on the last
word.
"Let's get you into it. There's no way to know how it's
going to look until we put it on you." Annalisa motioned for
her assistant to come over and help Sophia into the dress.
She stripped down and climbed into the dress. It took the
other two women to lift it up and get it over the shoulders,
that's how much beading there was. A giant silk and organza
flower sat on one shoulder and another rested on her
opposite hip. The enormous skirt was poufy and made of so
many layers that Sophia had no idea how she wouldn't melt in
such a dress. Not to mention the fact that it was so tight
she could barely breathe. As the assistant did the buttons
up at her back, Sophia wanted to cry.
This wasn't a wedding dress, it was a torture device!
"How do you feel?" Annalisa beamed. "We chose this one for
you to try on because Dion told us how you seem to love lots
of details in your outfits."
Translation: you dress like a freak.
"It's a designer piece." She rolled off the name of the
designer, though Sophia didn't recognize it. Why would she?
Until two weeks ago she had no idea she was supposed to be
getting married. "Let's put on the matching headpiece too,
so we can get the full effect."
The assistant produced a large flower, that they clipped to
the side of her head. It was so hideous, she was almost
rendered speechless. "I don't even know what to say."
"It's definitely a statement piece."
Sophia was aware of that, but she was sure the statement it
made to her wasn't quite what Annalisa or the designer intended.
"And don't worry," Annalisa continued. "If you don't
completely love this one, I have fifteen more dresses picked
out."
Fifteen. More. Dresses.
Kill me now.
If she was forced to try on everyone one, then it might
simply be easier to let herself be eaten by the tulle
monster. She could go peacefully into the night, surrounded
by white satin and billowing fabrics. It would be dramatic
sure, but she could pretend she was in an 80's power ballad
film clip. Maybe David Bowie would be waiting for her at the
pearly gates of heaven.
"Ready to show your man?" Annalisa clapped her hands
together. "This is always my favorite bit."
It was official. Sophia was going to die of mortification in
the ugliest wedding dress in history. For some reason, the
thought of Dion seeing her like this made her feel so much
worse than all the outrageous outfits she'd picked for
herself. At least those ones had come under her control. But
the thought of having to go out in public looking like thisβ¦
Tears pricked the backs of her eyes. "I don't have words."
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