Linger

F O R T Y - F I V E

And she was right, this gown was actually complete and the design was breathtaking. The top was embroidered with beautiful crystals, extending all around to the open back. It had long sleeves made of a sheer material, the same royal blue color as the dress with the sparkling crystals adorning the length of the sleeves, creating a delicate floral pattern. The fitted skirt extended elegantly down past the floor, before flaring out in the most perfect way. The gown was absolutely gorgeous. (a/n: see photo above for what the dress actually looks like lol)

"Wow, Jade, I..."

"Yes! It fits and -"

"I-"

"There's several shoes you could choose from that-"

"But-"

"No 'buts', angel. You are wearing this dress. Because one, it is beautiful & it'd be a shame for you not to & two, because I am not digging any deeper through that dreaded pile of gowns." She stated firmly, yet a faint smile etched on her face.

"Yes ma'am." I said smiling with a mock salute toward her.

"Okay," She laughed, waving her hand at me. "I might be kinda in charge of the gowns here, but I'm no army sergeant. No need for that, girl."

"How about fairy godmother?" I grinned at her.

"No!" She scoffed as she took the gown off the hanger. "Do really look that old I already?" She lifted her hands to her flawless face which was perfectly applied with makeup, suddenly feeling self-conscious.

"Never! I meant in the sense that you're always helping me pick out a dress for events & all that." I explained.

"Oh!" She exclaimed. "That's no problem, love! That's my job!" She winked at me as she gave me the gown.

"But you practically came out of nowhere with all these pretty dresses." I lifted the dress in my hand. "It's like having my very own fairy godmother."

"Just don't let Brandon hear you calling me that or else he'd name himself Prince Charming." She rolled her eyes playfully with a giggle.

I laughed. "We'll give that title to little Bennie then." I told her, referring to her son who was taking a nap downstairs. My eyes wandered to the photos of him & his younger sister that lined the blank walls of the small den giving the room a heartwarming feel, despite the stress of searching for the "perfect gown".

Jade turned to me with a smile. "Perfect."

Within the very few hours left, Jade & I managed to get dressed, style our hair, do our makeup & find the perfect pair of shoes to go with our gowns after scavenging through her closet, all before Brandon & Daniel had returned from getting their own suits fitted. I bit my lip at the thought of seeing Daniel dressed in a handsome tux & I could feel my heart race in excitement.

Jade was now in the kitchen, chatting with the babysitter who had arrived to care for her two toddlers during the event, while I sat on the couch in the living room shifting my attention from scrolling aimlessly through my phone to watching the cartoon show that was now playing on the television set, captivating the attention of the two tiny curly-haired blondes sitting on the ground in front of me.

Their adorable giggles filled the room whenever the characters did something extraordinarily amusing, and then they would turn to me as soon as the commercials interrupted their beloved television show. Blue eyes, wide & bright in anticipation as I tried to conjure something quick to entertain the two toddlers, finally settling on the jewelry that adorned my wrists & fingers. Giving them my rings & bracelets with a smile to keep their little hands busy, they returned their attention back to the screen happily as their show returned.