Page 19 of California Waves

Betsy put down the muffin she hadn’t even taken a bite of and said, “Why don’t you take a look at it, Tessa? Absolutely no obligation, of course, but it would be an alternative to thrifting. You’d be wearing a dress that’s been worn before, which suits your ethics, and if anyone asks, you can tell the truth—that it was my wedding dress, and it has sentimental value to the family. That gives it a whole different kind of cachet. At least, I think so.”

Tessa nodded, looking both scared and excited.

Betsy excused herself to fetch the gown, and Mila took the opportunity to say in a low voice, “If you don’t like it, use the word butter in a sentence, and I’ll say I don’t like it on you.” Tessa would struggle to turn down Betsy’s offer even if the dress looked terrible on her.

“Oh, good idea,” Erin agreed. “One mention of butter, and I’ll back Mila up. You don’t have to wear it if you don’t love it.”

The three of them fell quiet then and tucked into breakfast. It was pretty obvious each of them was waiting to see what Tessa would think of the dress. And if she liked it, would it fit?

A few minutes later, Betsy returned with the dress bag that Mila remembered always seeing in the back of her closet. Before Betsy even unzipped it, she said to Tessa, “No pressure. I mean it. If you don’t like it, that’s fine. It’s just one option, okay?”

Tessa nodded and gazed, almost transfixed, as Betsy unzipped the bag. Mila got up and pulled the bag away so that her mom could reveal the dress in all its glory. It really was a beautiful gown, simple and elegant. Betsy had been smart enough to stay away from the huge shoulder pads and flounces of the eighties and had chosen something that was timeless. The dress was ivory silk with tiny silk-covered buttons down the back, a drop waist, and a fairly full skirt.

As she looked at it, Tessa’s eyes filled with tears. “It’s so beautiful, Betsy. Exactly what I would have chosen. I can’t believe it.”

Betsy looked almost as pleased as Tessa, and even Mila felt a catch of emotion in the back of her throat.

“It looks to be exactly your size,” Erin said in a half whisper, almost in awe of how perfect the dress might look.

“Go into the bedroom and try it on,” Betsy encouraged her.

Tessa rose and almost reverently took the dress on its padded hanger and made her way upstairs to Betsy and Howie’s bedroom.

While she was gone, Erin said, “She really loved it. I just hope it does actually fit.”

Mila, always focused on the practical, said, “If it doesn’t, we’ll have it altered. No problem.” She turned to her mom. “Offering your dress was a stroke of genius. It could solve everybody’s problem. Archer won’t be humiliated by somebody online claiming that his bride is wearing her castoff dress, and Tessa still gets to wear a gown that has had a previous life. But the beauty of it is she knows who wore it and how happy you are with Dad. That dress must have some really good mojo.”

Glowing, Betsy nodded. “I like to think so.”

When Tessa descended the stairs and walked into the room, the three women gasped in unison. The dress was The One. No two ways about it. Tessa looked beautiful in it, and she was so thrilled. There was a pink tinge to her cheeks, and her eyes shone. By some lucky chance, she’d worn low-heeled cream pumps with her jeans, and while they didn’t exactly match the dress, they showed that even the length was perfect.

Tessa twirled slowly in a circle, then looked around at the three women. “What do you think?” she asked in a timid but hopeful tone. She lifted up her hair. “I couldn’t get all the buttons done up myself, but I’m sure it fits.”

Erin leaped up from the table and stood behind Tessa to help.

The word butter did not come up.

Somehow, they all knew Betsy had to be the first one to speak, and after a second, she finally did, in a voice full of emotion. “It looks completely different on you than it did on me. And I think you look beautiful.”

Now that she’d weighed in, both Erin and Mila spoke at the same time.

“It’s gorgeous,” Erin said.

“It’s absolutely you,” Mila agreed. She felt truly happy for Tessa and for Archer—and also for her mom, who was so happy to see her dress being worn again by someone she loved.

The three of them went with Tessa to Betsy’s bedroom, where there was a big full-length mirror. While Tessa turned this way and that, they all agreed that the dress needed no alterations. She could have pinned a veil on her head, shown up at church, and been married that very day.

As Tessa turned in front of the mirror, she said, “It’s the most beautiful thing I’ve ever worn. I wish my mother were here to see it.” As she teared up, they all shared a group hug.

Mila breathed in the familiar scent of her mom’s perfume, and Erin’s apple blossom shampoo. As she pulled away, Mila looked again at the dress, and then, with a small gasp, she noticed what looked like a water stain on the hem. With some trepidation, she pointed it out, and Betsy looked horrified.

Her mom knelt and inspected the stain more closely and then looked up at Tessa. “I’m so sorry. I should have stored it better.”

Tessa followed their gazes, looking a little upset herself. “I really want to wear your dress. I can’t even imagine myself wearing anything else now. How bad is the stain? Can’t we get it out somehow? I’m sure if we looked on the internet, there must be lots of tips and hints.”

Mila couldn’t think of anything worse than trying a bunch of homemade remedies. She said, “I’ll take it to my dry cleaner. They’re really good. If anyone can lift that stain, they can.”

Tessa argued that she should do it, but Mila immediately reminded her that she was keeping the wedding a secret until they announced the big, fancy shindig in Scotland. The last thing they needed was for her to get busted taking a wedding dress to a dry cleaner.

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