Chapter 17
The quest to find the perfect wedding dress became a serious and dedicated mission,
and June booked a private appointment at the most exclusive bridal boutique in the city,
a luxurious salon known for dressing royalty and famous actresses.
Mave felt incredibly nervous as they walked into the pristine,
white-carpeted showroom,
feeling slightly out of place amidst the crystal chandeliers and the racks of delicate,
expensive silk.
She had never dreamed of a grand and elaborate wedding when she was younger,
having been too focused on surviving her grueling shifts at the diner to imagine a fairy-tale ending,
and the sheer extravagance of the boutique was slightly overwhelming.
Mrs. Pruitt had also accompanied them on the shopping trip,
serving as the maternal figure that Mave had tragically lost so many years ago,
and the older woman beamed with immense pride as she took a seat on the velvet sofa.
The boutique consultant brought out a dozen different gowns,
each one more intricate and dazzling than the last,
and Mave dutifully tried them on in the massive,
mirrored fitting room.
There were ballgowns covered in heavy,
sparkling crystals,
and sleek mermaid dresses that restricted her movement,
but none of them felt quite right as she stood on the pedestal.
She felt like she was wearing a costume,
playing the role of a billionaire's wealthy bride,
rather than dressing as the woman who had fought through hell to find her own strength.
June noticed her hesitation immediately,
and she gently dismissed the consultant,
walking over to a quiet rack in the corner of the vast showroom.
She pulled out a dress that was completely different from the others,
a stunningly simple and elegant gown made of heavy,
ivory crepe silk,
with a dramatic,
sweeping train and delicate,
off-the-shoulder sleeves.
There was no lace,
no beading,
and no unnecessary embellishments,
just pure,
flawless architecture that relied entirely on the natural beauty of the woman wearing it.
Mave stepped into the dressing room to try it on,
and the moment the cool silk slid over her skin,
she felt an immediate and undeniable connection to the garment.
She walked out into the main showroom,
stepping onto the pedestal and looking at her reflection in the towering mirrors,
and her breath caught sharply in her throat.
She did not look like a scared waitress,
and she did not look like a fragile,
porcelain doll,
she looked strong,
regal,
and absolutely breathtaking.
June gasped loudly,
her hands flying up to cover her mouth as tears immediately sprang to her eyes,
and she whispered that the dress was absolutely perfect.
Mrs. Pruitt stood up from the velvet sofa,
pulling a lace handkerchief from her purse to dab at her own flowing tears,
and she told Mave that she looked like an absolute vision of pure grace.
Mave looked at the two women who had become her true family,
feeling a wave of profound and overwhelming love washing over her entire soul,
and she knew without a single doubt that this was the dress she would marry Landon in.
She turned back to the mirror,
tracing the elegant neckline of the gown with her fingertips,
and she allowed herself to finally and completely embrace the beautiful future she had earned.
She was going to be a wife,
a partner,
May you like
and a formidable force in the world,
and she was completely ready to walk down the aisle and claim her happy ending.
