THE SHADOWS OF SINNERS → BRUCE WAYNE

03 | finding the one

That's when she found the dress, her hand barely brushing over it as she skimmed through the ones near it. She did a double-take, going back to look at the dress fully when she recognized the way her heart flew out of her chest at the mere sight of it. Pulling it off of the rack, she motioned towards it with excitement pouring out of her every seam. Her mother quickly shooed her off into a dressing room, telling her to try it on. And it was everything she had ever dreamed it would be. Not the dress, it didn't have everything she dreamed a dress would have growing up. But the moment itself was what she had been waiting for. The breath was stolen right from her lungs, and her thoughts all went to how the dress was perfect. Straight from the rack, it fit her without any issues (and it would have been okay if it didn't, Harlow was expecting alterations to have to be done) (now? this dress was the one coming home with her and the lack of a need for alterations was not lost on her). This was it, this was the thing that all little girls dreamed about. Walking out of a dressing room with a bright smile on their face, looking at themselves in a mirror to only find and point out the good things. Not any of the insecurities that might plague them for other things.

Harlow let her hands fall against her sides, fingers bringing the fabric between them to rub together. She had stayed inside the dressing room, giving herself a moment to feel comfortable with just the dress. With the moment, allowing herself to experience alone. But a part of her wished she could turn to her best friend and get his reaction, see if it would be the same as him waiting for her to come down for prom. Watching as some light she had never seen before come into his eyes, he was exactly the person she wanted to surprise with something like this. The person that when she closed her eyes at night she thought about walking down the aisle too. The person who she could imagine the tears as they came to his eyes, Harlow had always imagined them being in a world where he couldn't look at her without his eyes shining. With that telltale love crossing past them, something that everyone around them can see and comment on. That's exactly what she dreamed of at night, what she had been dreaming of for years of her life. Ever since she watched his face light up while they were going to prom their senior year.

Walking out of the dressing room and to the small, secluded area of the store with mirrors to help the family see it better as well as the soon-to-be bride, Harlow couldn't help but smile as the world had never done her wrong. It had, plenty of times, but sometimes when things like this happened, it's almost like it was making up for it. Apologizing for it. Her mother let out a small gasp, Margaret following suit as they both took in the dress. Her mother went to speak quickly, "Tell me this is it, it looks like it's it."

Harlow couldn't help the smile that graced her features at her mother's words, hands going down to rustle the silk fabric with the tool underneath the skirt. Her hips swung slightly with the movement, almost as if she were testing the dress for the dancing she was obviously going to partake in. Looking back up in the mirror, Harlow took a moment to take in the sight. The way that the neckline of the dress plunged down her chest, or the small lace straps that crossed in the back. Or, she contorted her body to look at the back and see the keyhole back style. It was simple, decorated with a few pieces of lace strategically placed, and otherwise just made of the silk fabric that made Harlow feel comfortable. She wasn't sure what she expected it to feel like finding the dress. But it felt good. Relieving. Like a weight had been taken directly off of her shoulders. Because at least she had one part of it done. She had one thing for this makeshift wedding to her childhood best friend her heart desperately craved to be loved by that she wanted. A dress that made her smile float — like a feather, light and airy, as if all of her worries were melted away. Having the dress meant she didn't have to worry as much about some of the smaller things, but she still had that nagging feeling tugging at her heartstrings. Was this really worth it? Putting her all into finding a dress for a marriage that wasn't real? Harlow Finley knew this was it for her, the media would have a hay day if she got divorced. The thought of divorcing Bruce and moving on, at a time when her father wouldn't be there to walk her down the aisle, wasn't something she wanted to do.