Marriage of Unconvenience

“I want mine too,” I said, being impulsive. “We’ll take both of them.” Cara made a high-pitched squeal and threw her arms around my neck.

“Thank you for doing this with me, Lo. I knew it was going to be great.” I tucked myself around her and held her.

“Thank you for making me try something on,” I said. Her hair smelled like sunlight and limes.

“I can’t wait to be married,” she said, and I knew how she felt.

Maeve ended up coming to check on us again and getting totally excited asking all about our wedding details. I stuttered, but Cara covered for me and said that we were just going to the courthouse and having a party after with my parents. Maeve seemed to understand and didn’t ask any other prying questions. Cara’s dress needed a few alterations, so we were going to have to leave it there and come back in a few days, and the cost for both dresses made me want to cry, but I pulled out my credit card. None of this was going to matter soon. Money was going to be something I didn’t have to worry about. I was so looking forward to that. I couldn’t wait to spend that brain space on something else. Maybe I could take up a new hobby?

Cara and I left the shop with my outfit in a garment bag draped over my arm.

“Holy shit, Care. We just bought wedding dresses.” I stared at her and she started laughing.

“I know. I can’t believe it. This is really happening. We’re getting married.” The rings escalated things and now the dresses had made things even more intense. How was I going to deal when we went to get our marriage licenses? I was probably going to cry. My period was coming up, so that made sense.

“We’re getting married,” I said, and the more I said it, the better I felt about it. I got even more giddy than ever when I looked at my ring and then looked at her.

I threw my arms around her, which was hard with the bulky garment bag. She laughed and hugged me back, but didn’t let go right away. She held me, and wasn’t letting go.

“Are you okay?” I asked, trying to pull back so I could see her face.

“Yeah,” she said, slowly pulling back. There was a wrinkle of confusion on her forehead.

“What is it?” She smoothed everything behind a smile and shook her head, but I knew her better. She was hiding something.

“Nothing. Just excited and worried about my dress being right.” The alterations were minor; making the straps just a little shorter and taking two inches off the hem of the dress.

“It’s going to be perfect. And if it’s not, I’ll be pissed and start some shit on your behalf.” She laughed a little, but it was brief and then something crossed her face again, like the sun sliding behind a group of clouds. Something was up with her, and I needed to know what it was.

A FEW DAYS LATER, WE went back for the dress. Cara tried it on and I nearly fell over again at how gorgeous she was in it. On the hanger, it was a beautiful dress, but when she was wearing it, that dress went to another stratosphere. She made it perfect.

“Everything good?” Maeve was the one fitting it this time. “I like to make sure our alterations department is doing a good job. Plus, I know how to sew and can fix little things on the fly. But this all looks good.” Cara turned back and forth and scrutinized every seam until she nodded.

“It’ll work,” she said, and skipped back to the dressing room to take it off and Maeve followed her to help. I sat on one of the couches and realized the girl at the next mirror was the same one we’d seen with the giant entourage that had dumped on every dress she liked. I couldn’t remember exactly what dress she had been in love with, but another consultant was helping her and there was no one on the couch. She’d come alone. I thought about going over and saying something, but that would probably be creepy, so I just averted my eyes so it didn’t look like I was staring.

Cara came out with her voluminous garment bag and Maeve shook our hands one last time and said to send her pictures when we were ready.

“We should celebrate,” Cara said as we left the shop. There was no way we were getting this thing on and off public transportation, so we were waiting for a car.