Family First | *Rewrites in Progress*

Dresses Are Essential

Anastasia's POV

Everyone had started to arrive at our house due to the Mafia ball being hosted in two days. Albert and Aurora were due to land tomorrow, and Quinn reassured us that she already had a dress, leaving Carlotta, Gabriella, Evelyn, Hazel, Astrid, Ramona, Aunt Jean, my mother and I to find our perfect dresses.

Because my mother was the Donna, it was custom for her to wear red due to it being the colour of our mafia. The rest of us were free to pick any colour, and the boys had made it clear we could spend as much as we wanted to. So, in two cars, surrounded by undercover members of the Cuore Rosso, the nine of us drove off to the mall, our credit card just aching to be used.

Our first stop was a children's shop for Astrid, and because not everyone needed to be there, only my mother, Carlotta, and I were with her to find one. She was bounding in excitement as we entered the shop, and almost immediately her mind was made up on the dress behind the counter.

It was red, with laced sleeves that went down to the elbows, and the skirt puffed out in a tutu form just above the knee. It was both modest, yet sweet and regal for our newest family member.

We all awed as the lady behind the counter removed it off of it's hook. "That's the dress," Astrid whispered. Her eyes lit up as the lady handed her the dress, and my mother stood outside the dressing room as Astrid tried the dress on.

"You okay, sweetheart?" she called out, her card ready to buy it. Instead of responding, the door to the dressing room opened, and out stepped a whole new version of Astrid. Her face was beaming as she twirled for us, and Carlotta quickly pinned up her hair, showing a young, regal looking girl. 

"All it needs is a tiara, and I have the perfect one for you," I said, thinking back to the tiara I wore at my first ball when I was 5. Carlotta praised Astrid and her look, before quickly giving her a hug as my mother paid for the dress.

One down, eight to bloody go.

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Shopping with eight ladies was a challenge.

Ramona was convinced she looked fat due to giving birth only two months ago, and every time she tried on a dress she would break down and say no. In the end my mother and Jean had to pull her aside and tell her she looked fine, that her body had gone through an experience like no other and that her life had changed for the better.

Carlotta was stuck between two gowns, and even though we had all agreed not to show the boys until the ball, we had taken her phone six times due to her calling Grayson. Evelyn was not any better, so in the end, my mother stuck out her purse and everyone dropped their phones in, excluding Astrid who was happily eating ice cream on one of the plush couches. 

I had decided to choose mine last, giving me a while to decide on what I wanted. I didn't want a puffy ballgown like Astrid or Hazel, and I didn't want a slit dress like Ramona and Carlotta.