AllFreeNovel
Share Us
I patted the empty couch arm next to me, beckoning him to sit. “You can stay if you want. Do you have any votes?”
Luca’s cheeks flushed. “Not really. Everyone’s going to look beautiful regardless.”
“Are you and Sidney hanging out today?”
“That’s the plan since he’s not allowed at dress shopping. We’ll be leaving to play golf with Dad after you ladies are all finished here.”
He got on his knees next to the coffee table and distributed the cups after filling them with the contents of the teapots, carefully arranging a container of cream and a sugar bowl, laying tidy spoons next to each cup.
“I’ll get out of your hair.”
He retreated, but not in a way that read like he was trying to get away from us. I hadn’t spent a lot of time with the youngest Marino, but he was a sweetheart through and through—respectful and helpful to a fault.
Once we had finished everything Luca brought us and narrowed down a short list of dress options, we climbed into two of the cars and made our way over to the shop.
Giddiness bubbled in my chest from the moment we walked through the door. They passed us champagne and got us all arranged in our own area. The attendants brought me a pile of gowns—satin, chiffon, taffeta, and lace nearly drowning me in the dressing room.
I tried them on one after the other, the attendant adjusting them with clips so that they fit perfectly. My friends and family oohed and aahed appropriately. Each of the gowns were beautiful in their own ways, but I knew we hadn’t hit that magic point with any of them.
It was hard for me to pick when I had no idea if I was a ballgown girly or a mermaid-style girly or something I didn’t even know about. I’d never tried on wedding dresses before, but luckily the staff were patient, and asked me a few guiding questions to figure out what to try next.
“I have a few that I think would look really nice.” One attendant disappeared into the mountains of tulle and returned with two options. The first was just as lovely as all the others, but the second…
I started crying on my way up to the dais, Mom bursting into tears, the rest of the bridal falling silent with a sweeping hush. Shimmering satin made my skin glow, the halter neck and flared bottom giving all the luxury of old Hollywood. The attendant hastily pinned up my hair and added a sparkly hair comb that had the rest of the bridal party with their hands over their mouths, eyes misty.
“I love it.” My voice cracked and I started laugh-crying as I spun in place, my fingers running over the smooth fabric.
“You look so beautiful, baby.” Mom was up out of her seat, holding my cheeks in her hands.
“Damn, girl,” Luna said with a laugh. “Nobody’s gonna be able to take their eyes off you at that wedding.”
I spun to see myself in the mirrors, imagining all the little details that would bring the whole look to absolute perfection on the actual day. Hair up to show off the neckline, earrings, but no necklace, maybe a sparkly brooch where the neckline plunged. I traced my fingertips over the tiny bit of ruching where the brooch could go. I would definitely need red nails to match the pop of my engagement ring against the white.
“Okay, well, I’m definitely going to get this. Veil or no?”
“I think a half veil would be pretty,” said Nicky.
“I think so too,” Meg added. “Try on whatever length you want, but I feel like the full-length veil might take away from some of the grandeur of the dress.”
“What about one of those cute little lace doodads they use in England?” Luna gestured at her head, wiggling her fingers.
“A fascinator?” Mom asked.
“Yeah, one of those.”
I tried on all three, and ended up with a fourth option that was similar to the fascinator in that it was a clear net with pearls, but a similar length to the half veil so it looked like they were floating around me like tiny stars.
“You look so beautiful, Allie,” Mama Marino told me, wiping a tear off her cheek. “You’re the first bride in the family and I’m so excited for your wedding.”
After a few more tears and smiles, the attendant took everything I had selected and set it aside so we could start on everyone else. The girls were way too cute, striking poses when they all emerged together in each of the options. Luca was right that they all looked beautiful in everything, but I was wiggling with excitement when they all emerged wearing the dress I had thought of from the start for them. Each of them were gowned in red, with a tea-length bell skirts, sweetheart necklines, and a delicate brocade pattern that wove over the fabric.
“Yes! Absolutely yes. You all look like princesses.” Thank goodness the dress shop had a plethora of shades of red and that there was one that actually looked good with all of their skin tones and hair. “Now it’s time for the mamas!”
The girls and I settled in with fresh glasses of champagne and sipped away until the moms found an adorable set of inverse gowns. They were black and a red similar to the bridesmaids’ but a few more shades subdued, one having a black top and red bottom, and the other with a red top and black bottom.
My cheeks hurt from smiling and I was lightheaded both from the champagne and the laughter through the day. I felt the same at our engagement party a month later, and the wedding planning when we all tucked together to work on details, and the bridal party the month after that.
The time between the engagement and our wedding disappeared in a blink. Almost a year went by in a blur of friends, family, and more blissful nights with my mate than I could count. My apartment lease had finished and I’d moved permanently into Sidney’s place.
