Page 23 of A Childhood Crush

“Oh, yes,” the woman replied. “We’ve got you set up back here.”

The saleswoman showed us to the section for bridesmaid dresses. There was a small sitting area and a little platform in front of a semicircle of mirrors. The racks were filled with beautiful gowns in every color and style imaginable. It was overwhelming, to say the least. I didn’t know where to look.

“We’ve got the dresses you requested right here,” the woman said.

I was relieved I didn’t have to go through the long, tedious process of sorting through all the dresses. She left us alone to ponder them.

“What do you think?” I asked Caroline. “This is your wedding.”

“I would never pick your dress.” She laughed. “We all know what that’s like. I want you to be comfortable in whatever you choose.”

“I have a dark navy dress,” Lena said. “It’s one-shouldered.”

“What do you have?” I asked Julia.

“Mine is royal blue, sleeveless,” she replied.

“What about this one?” Caroline held up a dress.

After trying on a few dresses, I was getting frustrated and worried I wouldn’t find the one I wanted. I decided to just go with what Caroline wanted.

“What do you think?” I asked Caroline.

She wrinkled her nose. “You don’t like it.”

“No, no,” I said. “It’s pretty.”

“Nope.” Lena shook her head. “It’s not making you smile.”

“Guys, I’m okay with whatever.” I shrugged.

“No way,” Caroline said. “I think with your slender build, you would look great in something flowy.”

“And you’re so young and pretty” Julia added. “You could be a little fairy.”

I laughed at the thought. “I don’t know about that.”

“I’ll be right back,” Caroline said. “I saw one out there.”

She came back a moment later holding up a dress that I was immediately in love with. “Oh,” I gasped. “It’s so pretty!”

“There it is!” Julia clapped. “I think we have a winner!”

“Go!” Lena said. “I can’t wait to see it. This has to be it.”

I loved that they were excited. I was actually pretty excited. As I slipped into the dress, I was surprised by how comfortable it felt. The fabric was soft and flowed easily, and the color was a pale shade of blue that complemented my skin tone. It was comfortable and elegant at the same time. As I stood in front of the mirror, I couldn’t help but smile. It was perfect.

But as I stood there, I still felt unsure. Did the dress really flatter my figure? Was the color appropriate, considering the other two were wearing darker blue? I twirled around, examining every angle, and tried to imagine how I would look standing next to the bride. The dress was really pretty, and I did feel very whimsical in the gown.

“How’s it going?” Caroline called out.

Before I let them see how much I liked the gown, I stole a peek at the price tag. To my relief, it was actually very affordable. That sold it for me. Now, it was up to Caroline and the other ladies. I stepped out of the fitting room to show them.

They didn’t say anything. I was immediately self-conscious and ready to strip it off.

“That is perfect,” Caroline breathed. “Gorgeous.”

I laughed. “Are you sure it’s going to match?”

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