Marriage Matters

Fifty-seven

June bustled Kristine and Chloe up to a dress shop, saying, “This is the most exciting thing that’s ever happened to me. I get to pick out a wedding dress for the first time in my life and I can’t wait to see what you two choose.”

Kristine swallowed hard. It had taken everything she had to get out of bed that morning, meet Chloe and June for lunch, then traipse over to the fancy wedding boutiques. Given her current state of mind, the last thing she wanted to do was shop for a vow renewal gown. What she really wanted to do was take the time to think about whether or not she should participate in the ceremony at all.

“You’re not picking out a wedding dress for the first time in your life,” Chloe told June. “I’ve seen your wedding pictures. You’re not nude.”

“I wore a hand-me-down,” June said, lifting her chin. Her dark eyes were wistful, and Kristine could imagine her as a young girl, standing on the edge of the life she had ended up living. “It was my sister’s wedding dress. It was beautiful but it had a few holes that we had to patch up and . . . Well, it wasn’t mine.” She gestured at the window of the boutique. “Who would have guessed that, fifty years later, I’d get to pick out something I want?”

Kristine smiled. “Good, Mom. You deserve it.”

“Yes, I do. My dress,” June said, raising her hand to the sky, “will be the most amazing creation anyone has ever seen!” Letting out a battle cry, she rushed up the stairs and into the store, the door clanking shut behind her.

Chloe giggled. “Get ready, Mom. I hope you took the whole day off. This is going to be an extravaganza.”

Nodding, Kristine glanced at her watch. It was eleven, which meant the travel bookstore would be absolutely slammed right now, as it always was during the middle of November.

Shaking her head, Kristine looped an arm around her daughter’s shoulders. Chloe looked especially pretty today. Her long hair was down and she was even wearing mascara.

“I want you to remember,” Kristine told her, “today’s not just about June, it’s about you, too. We’re going to find you the perfect dress and we’ll take as long as we need.”

Chloe gazed at the dress shop. “It’s so strange,” she said, brushing back a strand of hair. “I can’t believe I’m actually getting married. When did this even happen?” There was a tremor in her voice, which surprised Kristine.

“Are you getting nervous?” she asked.

“Not nervous, exactly.” Chloe looked down at her sneakers and kicked at a loose stone on the sidewalk. “Just overwhelmed. Everything’s changing. It’s weird. But it’s good. Just . . . weird.”

“What’s weird, exactly?” Kristine pressed.

“I’m just trying to process some things Ben said to me.” She slid an elastic band off her wrist and pulled her hair into a ponytail. “I didn’t get a chance to tell him about the engagement before Sally did and he was pretty upset.” She hesitated for a moment, as though choosing her words carefully. “He said some really shitty things.”

“Like?”

Chloe shrugged. “Oh, you know. That Geoff only wants to marry me to have someone to take care of his daughter.”

After the engagement photo session at the lake, Kristine had left wondering the same thing. Kevin, of course, had thought she was being ridiculous. “What do you mean? Geoff loves her,” he said, as though personally offended. “He’s lucky to have her.”

“Honey . . .” Kristine put a hand on the sleeve of her daughter’s sweatshirt. The material was soft and well worn. “Do you feel that way? That Geoff only wants you to be his nanny?”

“No, no. Of course not.” She twisted her engagement ring. Blowing air into her cheeks, they puffed out. Releasing a slow breath, she said, “But did Dad tell you? That Geoff’s ex-wife is back in town?”

Kristine was surprised. No, Kevin hadn’t told her. Apparently, he was too busy getting promotions to tell her something that could seriously affect her daughter’s relationship.

“I feel like I have to compete or something,” Chloe said. “She just met with Mary Beth and . . . I don’t know. It’s making things complicated. Geoff says I’m the mother, I’m the priority, but it’s just a little too much drama. It was a lot easier when she was still living out in California.”

Kristine was at a loss for words. “Maybe . . .”

Chloe shook her head. “Please do not say Geoff and I should take more time and think this through. It’s not going to change anything. I’m just going to have to learn to deal with it and move on. Who knows? Geoff married her. She could be a lovely person. Maybe we could even be friends.”

Kristine gave her daughter a look. “Really?”

Chloe laughed, the sun dancing on her face. “No. Doubt it.”

They stood in silence for a minute. “We should go in,” Chloe said. “I’m sure June’s tearing that place up.”

Kristine took in a chilly breath of air. Down the block, she could smell almonds roasting in cinnamon. She wished there was time to just go have coffee with her daughter, alone. Talk about this a little more. “Honey, I . . .”

“Mom.” Chloe shook her head. “It’s fine. Not a big deal.”

Actually, it was a big deal, but if there was something she had learned about Chloe over the years, it was that she only talked when she wanted to. She was a lot like Kevin that way.

Kristine glanced at the display window. “Shopping for a dress can be a little overwhelming.”

Chloe nodded, obviously relieved at the change of subject. “Throw June into the equation and it’s absolute madness.”

“Don’t let her pressure you into something you don’t like, okay?”

Chloe grinned. “Is that what she did with you?”

“Nope.” Kristine picked at a piece of black paint on the metal railing. “I let her plan the reception, choose my invitations and, apparently, my flowers, but I would not budge when it came to my dress.”

The white lace, vintage dress that Kristine had married Kevin in was the most delicate, beautiful thing she’d ever seen. It tied up the back with pale green and pink velvet ribbons and the silk bodice gave her a shape that her body had not seen before or since. The best part about it, though, was the old-fashioned lace, rippling down her body and swirling across her ankles like the froth of the sea.

Kristine had loved that dress. But her mother hated it. June hated the fact that the dress didn’t have a train, a veil or a designer label. She hated that it was made from silk and lace and had ribbons that weren’t white. But most of all, June hated the fact that her daughter insisted on the dress—just like she’d insisted on her groom—regardless of what she thought.

“So, I was thinking . . .” Chloe blushed. “Last night, I was actually thinking it would be awesome to find a way to make your wedding dress fit me.”

Kristine gripped the stair railing, surprised. “Really? You’d want to do that?”

Chloe looked down at her tennis shoes. “I thought it would mean something, you know?”

Kristine put her hand to her heart. She thought back to the moment she stood in front of the mirror for the first time, wearing that dress. The dress, in that moment, symbolized a moment of infinite possibility. In spite of the problems with her and Kevin, passing the dress down to their daughter would be such a special thing.

“I would be honored,” Kristine said. “That would mean so—”

A look of regret crossed Chloe’s face. “Mom.” Her voice was gentle. “I just meant I’d thought about it. It wouldn’t work. We’d have to add on, like, a five-foot extension at the base, since I’m such a beanpole. Matching that lace would be almost impossible. And to bring in the chest and . . .” She shook her head. “There isn’t time to do all that. I just wanted to let you know I’d thought of it.”

“Chloe, we can do it,” Kristine said. Rapidly, she calculated just how far away the wedding was. Could a seamstress make those changes in a few short weeks? Digging in her purse for her cell phone, she said, “Let me just call a tailor and . . .”

“Mom.” Chloe put her hand on hers. “There’s not enough time.”

Kristine was surprised at how disappointed she felt. Shaking her head, she said, “You know, I’m so glad you’re sharing a wedding with your grandmother but—”

“And you.” Chloe nudged her. “A vow renewal still counts.”

Kristine swallowed hard. “It’s just that all of this is going so fast. Are you . . . Are you sure you want to rush into this? You could get married next year. You and Geoff could—”

Chloe sighed. “I thought we just talked about this.”

“Right.” She fidgeted with a button on her coat. “I just—”

“Mom, everything is fine with me and Geoff,” Chloe insisted. “Besides, I don’t need a long engagement. This is perfect for me. I show up and everything’s done. Yes, it might have been nice to wear your dress but . . . Next time, right?”

“Next time?” Kristine was shocked.

Chloe grinned. “You know what I mean.”

June banged on the window. She was holding up two different dresses, one with holes in the bodice and the other lined with sequins and leather.

“We better get in there before she decides on a last-minute theme or something,” Chloe said, rolling her eyes. “I am not getting married dressed like Cleopatra.”

Kristine let out a pent-up breath. Even though she wanted to grab her daughter’s arm and insist that she stop and give this some more thought, she didn’t do it. Kristine didn’t want to be like June, always trying to run everyone else’s life.

Shoving her hands deep into her coat pockets, she followed her daughter into the store, ready to help pick out a wedding dress.

* * *

The bells on the door jingled as they walked into the store.

“Welcome to Garters,” said a young salesgirl. “My name is Ashley.”

Bustling forward, Ashley took both of their coats and whisked them off to a closet. She returned with two small bottles of sparkling water, her long blonde hair swaying with every step. “Congratulations on your engagement,” she said, dutifully admiring both Kristine’s and Chloe’s rings.

“Aren’t they beautiful?” June crooned, sweeping up and hugging them. “The rings and my family!”

Ashley laughed, obviously charmed by June. “Yes, absolutely.”

“Thank you,” Chloe said, looking around the store.

Based on the sparse selection of wedding dresses, it only took a second to classify the store as very expensive. Suddenly, she felt nervous. She’d never been good at picking out clothing and she didn’t have the slightest idea what to look for in a wedding dress. Luckily, June had it under control.

“Come on, come on,” June said, snapping her fingers. “I already have you all set up in a room. I found the perfect dress.”

“I thought you were shopping for you,” Chloe said, nudging her.

June’s dark eyes sparkled. “Oh, we have all afternoon for that.” Gesturing at the dressing rooms, she said, “Go. Get back there!”

The tiny dressing room smelled like roses and was partitioned with pink silk curtains. Sweeping them back, Chloe marveled at the romantic setup. The fitting room was decked out with an antique fainting couch, a small bureau made of mirrored glass and an oddly tasteful fluffy white rug. There were several pairs of designer shoes lined up against the wall, as well as ivory hooks offering up a variety of high-end strapless bras.

“Wow,” Chloe said. “This is nice.” Considering she hadn’t voluntarily set foot in a clothing store in ages, it was fun to walk into one like this. Reaching over to the little candy dish on the mirrored bureau, she unwrapped a chocolate-covered mint.

“Are you ready to see the dress?” the salesgirl asked.

“You only picked one?” Chloe asked her grandmother. Kristine cocked her head, equally surprised.

June smiled. “You’ll see.”

Ashley did in fact return with just one dress. She was flanked by two salesgirls, who threw open the curtain with a loud swish. Ashley hung the single dress on an ivory hook, tossing her long blonde hair. “Here it is.”

“That’s it?” Chloe said, feeling slightly disappointed. Even though she didn’t have a lot of experience shopping at boutiques, she thought it might involve trying on hundreds of options. She’d model and dance around, then eat pizza like they did in Pretty Woman.

“We’ll do several, of course,” Ashley said. “But with your body type, your grandmother thinks this will be the only dress you’ll need.”

Kristine peeked around the corner. “Oh,” she gasped, touching the material. “Yes. I can see this.”

Chloe squinted. How? It was just some white material on a hanger. How on earth could any of them even begin to guess how it would look? Fashion was an art form she just didn’t understand.

Ashley and two assistants stood there, waiting for something. Chloe stared back, completely confused.

“Good heavens, girl,” June finally said. “Take off your clothes!”

Praying that she was wearing a decent underwear set, Chloe slid out of her jeans and sweatshirt. Ashley and her team got to work tugging and yanking to fit her inside the dress. For something that looked soft and flowing, it certainly did have a lot of things inside of it that had to be adjusted.

Kristine and June stood by during the process, talking in low, excited tones. Once the dress was on, Kristine turned to her and gasped.

June clasped her hands in delight. “This is it!” Rushing forward, she circled around Chloe, fluffing and smoothing fabric.

“I hate to say it,” Kristine murmured, “but June might be right. You look amazing.”

“You hate to say that I look amazing?” Chloe teased.

Kristine laughed. “No, I hate to say that June is right.”

“Well, can I see it?” Pointedly, she looked at the blank walls of the dressing room. “I wish there were mirrors in here.” She tried to catch her reflection in the mirrored bureau, but the drawers made it impossible.

Ashley fluffed out the train. “Chloe, we don’t want you to base your selection exclusively on your perception of how you look in the dress, but the reality of how you feel in it. So, before you even take a look at your gorgeous self, how do you feel?”

“Um . . .” She had no idea how to answer that question. “Hot? I mean, there are a lot of us in one little dressing room.”

“Do you feel comfortable?” Kristine asked. “Could you wear this all day and all night?”

Chloe thought for a moment. She felt some sort of a firm bodice around her stomach and bust, but it seemed to be hugging her gently instead of biting into her. The rest of the material was soft and flowing, like spun silk. “Yeah. I mean, it’s really comfortable. To be honest, it feels very expensive.”

“Perfect,” Ashley said, with a flash of her perfect white teeth.

One of her assistants threw open the curtains. Together, they lifted the train off the ground, as Ashley took Chloe’s hand and guided her hand up three pink-carpeted steps. There, Chloe stood in front of a three-way mirror. And stared.

It was a white strapless dress with a fitted silk bodice. The lines of the shape seemed to point upwards, drawing attention to the sharp bones of her shoulders. Scalloped material at the bust gave Chloe a shape for the first time in her life and below that, the material was gathered together in a crisscross that tightened her waist, just below an elegant crystal-encrusted jewel. Where the crisscross pattern ended, the cloud-like skirt began. Sheer white silk seemed to sway with every movement, making her feel as though she were walking inside a cloud.

“Wow,” Chloe breathed. The girl wearing the dress looked just like a girl in a magazine. She reached out and touched the mirror, watching as her finger left a small print. “Is that really me?”

“I think she likes it,” June said, her tone gleeful.

“I love it.” Turning toward her mother, she said, “Mom, what do you think?”

Kristine’s eyes were damp with tears. “When did you become so grown-up?”

“Oh, stop that.” Chloe blushed furiously. She sneaked another peek at herself in the mirror. “I look beautiful.” Her voice was quiet, disbelieving. “I look like a bride.”

June nodded. To Ashley, she murmured, “I think we’ve found the dress.”