Page 60 of Power

“If I keep drinking, I’m going to wind up deciding on some atrocity like this!” I protested, but I took the glass anyway, taking a sip of the delicious bubbly.

“Okay, now go and take that monstrosity off and keep going!”

I did as she said, trying to push away the sadness. Thiswas supposed to be a happy occasion, not a depressing trip down memory lane.

I tried on another dress, this one a heavy couture strapless beaded number that had an excessively tight bodice.

“It looks like your boobs are pushed up under your chin!” Laya cried.

I looked in the mirror and couldn’t argue.

“This is excruciating,” I complained, grabbing the nearby flute and downing the rest of the champagne. “I’m never going to find anything.”

“Yes, you will. It just takes time,” Avra said. “You can’t expect to find perfection on your first try.”

Her words made me think of Leon, and I felt a flush of heat rise to my cheeks.

“Oh my God, she’s blushing,” Laya teased, reaching out to pinch my cheek.

I swatted her hand away. “I’m not! I’m just…thinking about how lucky I was that I got to meet my fiancé on the first try.”

“That was luck indeed. But finding the perfect dress? That’s another quest entirely. Now, on to the next one,” Avra stated.

She pushed me playfully, and I retreated again behind the curtain. I shimmied out of the beaded gown and slipped into the next dress, expecting to reject this one too.

But as I caught my reflection in the mirror, an unexpected wave of warmth surged through me, and for once, it wasn’t because of thoughts of Leon.

The gown, crafted from exquisitely delicate silk, fit like a dream, huggingeach of my curves in precisely the right way. The sweetheart neckline offered just a glimpse of cleavage, enough to be alluring without being revealing. The skirt flowed in an elegant A-line, cascading over my thighs in a luxurious drape that swayed with every tiny movement.

I beamed at my reflection, a certainty settling over me that this was the dress. With a grin stretching across my face, I stepped out to show my sisters.

“I think this is?—”

“Fuck yes!” they exclaimed in unison, cutting me off with their excitement.

“—the one?” I finished.

“Spin!” Laya demanded, circling her fingers in the air.

With a joyful flourish, I obliged, twirling around and watching the silk whirl around me as if it had been crafted for me alone.

“Oh, Cali.” Avra’s eyes shimmered with tears of happiness. “You’re going to be the prettiest bride who ever lived!”

“Can we go to lunch now?” Laya asked, a hint of impatience in her voice. “I swear this kid sucks every calorie out of my body!”

“Let me get out of this and talk to the clerk, and we can go,” I reassured her, retreating to the dressing room once more. I lingered in front of the mirror, taking in the sight of myself in the dress.

I was going to be a wife.

Somehow, wearing this dress made it all feel so real, so immediate. Leon’s face flashed in my mind, and I couldn’t help but smile as I finishedgetting ready.

Twenty minutes later, the four of us were tucked away on plush loveseats at our favorite restaurant, the familiar chatter of patrons and the clinking of cutlery surrounding us. We indulged in olives and hummus, my sisters stealing glances at me as I sipped more champagne. I was on cloud nine, and they quickly picked up on the blissful aura that enveloped me.

“I’m assuming the fact that you can’t stop smiling today means that you’re happy with your choice of Leon as your husband?” Avra asked.

“I am,” I admitted. “Although that dress is dreamy, isn’t it?”

“You know, Cali, you can purchase the dress without a wedding being required,” Laya said. “It’s not too late to back out if you’re having second thoughts.”

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