AllFreeNovel
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It’s not going to fit. Sure, I wear a size sixteen in street clothes, but dress sizes are so different. There’s no way the measurements I sent Liza were this off. This isn’t just a simple mistake.
“These are so gorgeous!” Liza squeals as the other three pour out from behind the curtain and Edie’s face lights up.
Of course, the dresses fit them like a glove. They crowd around Edie and stare at themselves in the mirror as June stands back and coos over the image. I don’t belong in that group. Mom’s words come back to me:You’re going to be photographed, Faye Ellen. And compared to your sister. And all of her bridesmaids. People are going to see you, looking like this… they’re going to talk. I bite down hard on my bottom lip as June sidles next to me.
“Something wrong, sweetheart?”
I press my lips together in a tight smile and swallow hard.
“Go try on the dress, Faye Ellen,” Liza says, her words a little sharper than necessary as she fixes her inky black hair behind her ear in the mirror.
“It’s not the right size,” I say softly to June.
She presses her lips together and understanding flashes in her eyes. I want to hug this woman, and I would if I thought I could do it without crying.
“This is the largest size this dress comes in. I told the girl—”
“Is there a problem?” Edie asks, stepping away from the mirror.
At some point, she’s added a long, delicate veil, and as the girls all stare at me, I feel guilty. No, more than that, I feel ashamed.
“No. There’s no problem,” Liza says.
I know the general rule of thumb is to keep stress from the bride, but I don’t know how to tell her I can’t wear the dress.
“Why don’t you go try it on, and let’s see what we can do,” June says, leading me behind the curtain. “Perhaps I can find some fabric and we can add a panel?”
Fantastic. Just what every girl wants to hear, that she needs an extra back panel to fit into a dress. I let out a shaky breath and undress, feeling every uncomfortable, unflattering part of myself on display as I attempt to squeeze into the dress. I step into it, and it stretches across my hips, and once I get my arms through the sleeves, it’s clear that not even a panel can save this dress. It’s gaping in the back, the armholes are too snug, and even unzipped, the unforgiving lace is tugging at the seams.
“Come on out, dear, we’re all friends here,” June says. “My eyes aren’t what they used to be and I can’t work in that dressing room.”
“It can’t be that bad,” Edie whispers, as if that’s encouraging.
“Yeah, get your sexy ass out here,” Liza says, which seems like an odd thing to say, especially coming from her.
But when the others cheer, I do. I step out and there’s a round of gasps.
“Oh, Faye,” Edie says, and her eyes are round with disappointment.
The other girls look crestfallen for me, but Liza’s mouth curls up at the corner.
“Faye?” My stomach drops as Zeke’s deep voice comes from the entrance.
Nobody moves fast enough and he walks into the room, his boyish blue eyes sweeping the room and landing on me. I cross my arms over my chest and the room is in shock and nobody does anything.
“This is Zeke?” Edie says, her voice light with a false brightness.
He steps closer and I step back.
“Give me a minute?” I mumble.
His eyes are laser focused on mine, and I don’t want to turn around for him to see the gaping back. So instead I walk backward, but my foot catches and I start to fall. My hands fly out to my sides and onto poor, sweet June, who tries to catch me, but she’s old and can’t hold me up and we both go flying down. I hear a crunch and she stays down as I try to help her up. The girls squeal and Zeke and I both help June to sitting. When I look up, the girls are all gone, probably to change so that they can help salvage the situation.
“Are you okay?” I ask June as she sits up, righting the thick glasses on her nose.
“Oh, yes, I’ve taken far nastier spills in my time. Just need a moment, love,” she says.
“Can I help you to the chair?” Zeke asks from behind me.
