Nothing Good Gets Away

Chapter 52

ROWAN BASS

As the sales assistant zips up my dress behind me, I straighten my spine and place my hands on my sternum. The strapless bodice hugs my chest well, but she still goes out of her way to grab two black clothes pins to keep the material flush against me. It's a beautiful gown, more beautiful than I ever could have imagined for myself, but I feel like a little kid playing dress up in my mommy's closet, and less like a soon-to-be bride.

"Well, this one is just stunning, isn't it?" The woman asks, fluffing out the skirt made with over 2,000 hand-crafted floral appliqués.

"It is," I lean over to help poof out the front of the dress, made of ivory chiffon. It's a dress for a princess.

"You think it's the one, maybe?"

As a natural response, I laugh, "I think 'the one' will be whichever one my new mother-in-law decides it is."

She rolls her lips together, nodding through her own laugh when I politely ask her to please not tell Sandra that I said that. It's honestly so nice that she's been so hands-on with the whole process, but this wedding has slowly but surely turned into her own event since planning started over a month ago. I feel like an afterthought, and like my opinions don't matter, yet I haven't put any effort into standing up for myself. It's as if I don't care enough to speak my mind.

"Would you like to show them now?"

"Yeah, I think so," I try to gather the skirt up, but there's so much excess material that the assistant has to help me with two arms full of her own. Even then, it feels like I'm exploding out of the hallway in a ball of satin and chiffon.

Just as I expected, Sandra gasps loudly with her hand slapping over her mouth. I focus more so on my mother's expression, and I know she knows that this dress isn't me. She doesn't have to say anything; I can see it in the way she gives it a quick up-and-down flash and the way her head tilts slightly to the right. If this were the one, she'd smile and nod.

"You look like absolute royalty, Rowan," Sandra gushes and stands with her hand against her heart. "You're so, so, so beautiful."

"Thank you," I force a sympathetic laugh, needlessly messing with the skirt and train again. "It's so pretty, I just wonder if maybe it's a bit too much, or–"

"Absolutely Not," she scoffs and dismisses my thoughts with a flick of her wrist. "You look so stunning, and I like it the most out of all the others. What do you think, Elise?"

"Oh, um," my mother appears to be taken aback by her invitation to offer her opinion. "It's beautiful, of course. What do you think, darling?"

I'm about to tell the truth and say that I'm not sure it feels like me, but that's before I notice the tears in Sandra's hopeful gaze. She has her hands clasped together, and it's such an innocent look she's giving me. It's not like she's trying to manipulate me, she just seems genuinely excited about this one in particular.

"I think it's the one," I raise my shoulders with a subtly unsure smile, earning an oblivious squeal from Sandra as she wraps her arms around me.

"Great, then we'll take it, Amber," she says, to which the sales assistant nods and takes me back to my dressing room to change back into my own clothes.

"Can I ask you how much this one cost?" I wince prematurely.

"This one is $38,500," she confirms, and I have to take in a deep breath to keep from passing out. I can't even reply as I let her unzip me and step out of the voluptuous gown, leaving me in my strapless black bra and matching underwear.