"You've been helping these girls with their own wedding gowns for years! When will you ever be trying on your own?" Erin's mother shouts from across the bridal shop. Girls of all shapes and sizes turn to see the commotion. An older woman in her fort...
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"The heart is not forever broken" - unknown
"Erin, it's been a week. Why are you still acting so weird?" Clara's voice rang through the breakroom at work. I was staring off in the distance not too focused on anything really. I hadn't been focused on anything all week. Not since my talk with Carter. He said he would be around, he had promised that he would be. I hadn't seen him since he left. He lied.
"What?" I pretended like I hadn't heard what she asked, but she was right. It had been a week. I needed to snap out of this funk. Andrew had been fairly busy the last week, calling me a few times throughout the day to see how I was doing. We had gone fishing one night. That's all I've done all week. Clara wasn't wrong. I was acting extremely weird.
"Erin, Carter hasn't left yet. Why are you still so hurt by this?" I wasn't sure what to tell her. Was I supposed to tell her because I was so in love with him that I couldn't be with him? Was I supposed to tell her that I actually was in such pain because he was still here? Maybe I was supposed to tell her that I never wanted him to leave and I was terrified of the idea of him going anywhere without me? Maybe I just didn't want him to abandon me again like he had right after high school.
"I'm fine, really. Sorry, what were we talking about?" I needed to change the conversation. I knew we hadn't been talking about anything but I needed to come up with something quickly. "What do you think about the new Pnina Tornai dresses for this year?" I wanted to mentally high five myself for thinking up such a wonderful question. Clara loved Pnina.
"I'm glad you finally asked! Have you seen her newest creations they are to die for." Clara began dreaming about the wedding dresses that I hoped she would one day be able to wear.
"Do you know when we should be getting our first sample pieces?" I questioned. I needed to focus on the business and really start putting my attention into the business and into Andrew. Especially if we are going to make this relationship work. I wasn't going to forget about Clara or my mother of course. They were too important to my life. I just needed to lay low for a little bit. The last two months had been hectic with emotions. I needed just some peace.
"Well, she is pretty exclusive with this new launch but we are one of her biggest sellers. So I would hope that we are one of the first companies to get it. Clara had always admired Pnina for her unique designs. I strived to be like her with my very own designs but my life was meant to be more of a businesswoman.
"My mother always said they were the dresses that she hated doing alterations on the most." I chuckled slightly. It was real enough to throw Clara off the trail, but it was hollow inside.
"Why is that?" Clara whispered looking through the bridal magazine she had in front of her.
"Because the way Pnina designs them, it's hard to alter the dress without changing the structure of some of the unique ones." I had helped my mother with a few of these alterations and she wasn't wrong. They were some of the hardest ones to alter.
