Page 36 of To Love or to Lose
It has been a long morning of makeup, curling each other’s hair, and putting dresses on.
Chrissi and my mom are both here. They’ve been running around all day, picking up corsages and boutonnieres from the flower shop, going to the store to get jewelry for Eloise since she never did it herself, and helping us with anything else we’ve needed.
This is the most I’ve seen of my mom in months.
I zip Winnie’s dress, which is dark blue and made of silk that falls to the floor. It fits not only her body, but her personality perfectly.
My mom’s smiling from ear to ear as she pulls my dress out of the bag it has been hanging in.
This is my first time seeing it, and it’s exactly what I wanted.
The top is a beautiful corset, which matches the skirt made entirely of black, glittery tulle. The straps match the skirt and have bows on either shoulder.
“Mom, it’s gorgeous!” I say as I grab the hanger from her. “This is exactly what I wanted.”
“Try it on!” Winnie gleams.
I smile brightly as I walk toward Winnie’s ensuite bathroom.
Once I put the dress on, and my mom zips it up, I look into the mirror and I’ve never felt happier.
“This is so beautiful.” My voice rasps as my hands run down the tulle skirt. I turn around to look at my mom, who has tears in her eyes. “Thank you.”
“You look perfect, Genny.” She’s smiling, wiping under her eyes with a handkerchief.
“Woah.” Eloise and Winnie say when I open the door, making me laugh.
Eloise is in her dress too, tight fitting and sparkling sage green. It contrasts beautifully with her strawberry blond hair.
There is a moment between the three of us I can feel deep in my bones, where the connection between us is palpable. In all three of us, I see our moms.
Thankfully, before anyone gets too sappy, Chrissi yells for us from downstairs. “Girls, we need to go, now!”
Just like any other time that we’ve walked into Logan’s house, the boys are nowhere to be found. The place is decorated to the nines, per the occasion.
“Oh, look at you three!” Wren smiles brightly as she pulls each of us in for a hug. “You are going to have so much fun.” At this moment, despite my original hesitation, I believe her.
“I’m guessing the boys are upstairs?” Winnie asks.
“Yes, but they should be ready.”
“Logan!” Eloise shouts up the stairs. “Get down here!”
We walk into the kitchen to wait for them. Chrissi and my mom are setting out the flowers and pins that we will have no idea how to attach to the boys’ suit jackets. Luke’s mom, Nessa, is setting out snacks and drinks along the island countertop while Wren is in the foyer, probably fixing the boys’ hair and making sure they all have their ties on properly.
“You would think after over a decade of prep school, you would know how to tie a damn tie,” Wren grumbles, and I know she’s talking to Logan.
Winnie’s rocking back and forth on her heels, no doubt nervous.
I want to say something like, “He already loves you” to make her feel better, but I think it would only make her more apprehensive. The truth always does.“You’re fine,” I say instead, resting a hand on her shoulder to steady her.
“This has to be a dream.” Winnie’s head swings around at the sound of Logan’s voice.
There he is, standing in the kitchen's entryway, wearing a navy-blue suit with a white button up underneath and brown dress shoes. He’s looking at Winnie as if she’s the most ethereal figment of his imagination.
His blue tie is misaligned, but it doesn’t matter because Winnie takes it off when she nears him anyway. She knows how much he hates them.
I’m so entranced by how unknowingly obsessed with her he is that I don’t even notice when my date walks in the room.
