by V. Vaughn
My jaw drops as I search for the right words to reply, but Rosemary doesn't give me the chance.
"Carol," she says, "let's go. I could really use that drink." She grabs Carol’s arm and turns on her heel to walk toward the door.
Carol glances over her shoulder at me with a sympathetic look, and I mouth, "Thanks," before they walk out the door. After they're gone, I grab a bag of chips and head toward the deck.
When I step outside, Alex lifts his head up. "Babe, come see."
I offer him my patient smile. "See what?"
"Babies. The clouds look like babies. We're going to have a lot of them. Right?"
I walk over and hand the snack to Byron before I lower myself to sit on the deck near Alex. A man who would never drug someone to have fun. A man whose mother wouldn't, either. I lie down next to him, and he wraps his arm around my shoulders. I cuddle into him to look up at the sky, too, and know that soon I'll have the kind of family I deserve.
Eleven
Werewolf metabolism is fast, so the speed the edible took to hit Alex, Byron, and Dean reflected the amount of time needed for it to be out of their systems. After every salty snack in the kitchen was consumed and we had a long, meandering conversation about the meaning of life, the guys came down from their high. Carol managed to keep Rosemary away until the coast was clear and I had calmed down.
Instead of yelling at my mother, I decided making her see she was wrong was a lost cause and didn't speak about what happened. Soon I'll be a werewolf and live in a big happy pack with members who respect each other, and that made it easy to let the edible incident go. My new approach is working better.
I smile when I hear my mother singing an eighties song in the kitchen. For the past few days, Rosemary has been helping more around the house and doing little things for me as if she's trying to make amends. Her behavior makes me wish I'd figured out yelling doesn't work when I lived with her.
"One salted-caramel latte," says Rosemary as she sets it down on the kitchen table for me. "I got the recipe from Pinterest, and it's not half bad."
I sip on the sweet coffee. "It is good. Thanks."
Her chair creaks as she sits across from me. "Thank you for inviting me to the bridal shop today. I can't wait to see Juliet again and meet Chelsea and Alisha. I've heard so much about them."
"You'll like them," I say. "And they're looking forward to meeting you too." Especially since they've heard a few crazy stories about her.
"Tell me about the dresses you've got to choose from."
A wave of sadness washes over me as I think about how the plan had always been for my mother to make my dress for me. Exactly the way I wanted it. But it's too late for that now, and the truth is our relationship is rocky enough. It might not survive a project like a custom dress, anyway. I say, "Each one has something different I like. There's one that has the top the way I want, but it's too full around the hips and legs."
"That's hard to pull off when you're on the short side."
"I know." I chuckle. "Another one is the opposite. And one more has the beading I love. I guess there's really no such thing as the perfect dress."
"Perhaps fresh eyes will help. Do you want to go early and take another look through the warehouse?"
I shrug. "I suppose we could. At least you'll be able to tell what can be altered to flatter me."
My mother gives me a big smile. "Get yourself ready, baby girl. I'll drive."
There is something wonderful about a ride in a convertible on a summer day with classic rock tunes blaring. My mother and I sing to every song on her playlist, and I'm in a fantastic mood when we get to Diana's Bridal Shop.
When we step inside, Diana greets us with a smile.
"Diana," I say. "I hope you don't mind, but I brought my mother, Rosemary, and we'd like to get into the warehouse so she can look through the dresses."
"Of course. I was just about to make some phone calls, so I'll leave you to it. Right this way."
She leads us through the back doors, and Rosemary stops when we enter.
"Oh." Her eyes are big as she looks around the space. "It's like a room full of dreams."
"It is, isn't it?" says Diana. "For me, it's like having the best dress-up closet ever. I love helping brides pick out a gown for their special day." Her footsteps thud on the concrete as she walks over to the first rack on the right. "This is where dresses Jayden's size are, and it goes all the way down to the other end. Whatever you find, pull out for me, and I'll gather them up for Jayden to try on."
Rosemary rubs her hands together. "Such fun. Jayden, come with me." She breezes quickly through the first few dresses and then pulls one out and crinkles her face at it. "Who would ever wear this?" she asks in a whisper. "It's like my grandmother's hope chest spilled over it."
I chuckle because the dress is hideous, and I recall a few others that made me shake my head too. I move ahead of her with the sole purpose of finding another horrible gown. I lift up a glaring white one. "Hello? The disco called. They want their strobe light back."
Rosemary laughs as she continues to flip through dresses. "Look at this!" She holds up one that is sheer almost everywhere. "Cher? Is that you?"
I let out a snort of laughter and then pull out one with layers of ruffles and a collar tied together with a blue ribbon. "Little Bo Peep?"
My mother starts laughing so hard that it's contagious, and the two of us can barely breathe for a while. When we finally recover, Rosemary says, "This is how to shop for a dress."
"Yeah." I give her a warm smile as I think about how much fun we used to have shopping when I was younger. I do have to admit my mother taught me a lot about fashion, even if our styles are different. And the one thing I’m sure of, because of her, is that I know how to dress for my figure. "I'm glad you're here. Did you find anything that might work?"
"Two so far, but I'm going to keep looking. You should go see if your friends are here yet."
"Sure.” It occurs to me that my mother might be nervous to meet my friends, but I shake off the feeling. I’m being nostalgic and probably seeing what I want to see. “Come on out when you're done."
I make my way back to the dressing room lounge and find Diana putting out the champagne. She says, "I thought since your mom missed the first time, she'd appreciate the whole experience."
I think about how my friends got drunk the last time we were here. "She definitely will. Thanks."
"Hey, hey, hey, bride beautiful," calls out Alisha as she, Chelsea, and Juliet stroll in.
"Aw," says Chelsea. "You broke out the champagne again. I guess we weren't so horrible the last time after all."
Juliet rolls her eyes and looks at Diana. "I promise we won't be the drunk bridesmaids this time."
Diana waves her hand at us in dismissal. "You ladies enjoy it. I'm going to get the rest of the dresses."
"Where's your mom?" asks Chelsea as she picks up a glass.
"Here I am!" Rosemary comes through the doors of the warehouse and toward us with a pile of dresses. "Jayden, honey. I've got a few that I think will work. Where should I put them?"
I point to the dressing room. "In there, please. Then come have some champagne with us."
Chelsea has filled the glasses, and bubbles dance along the sides of it as I take one from her to sip.
She whispers to me, "I heard about the cake-tasting fiasco." She frowns at me. "Everything okay?"
"It's fine. I'm going to think of it as a great story to tell."
"Oh good," says Alisha. "I can't wait to hear it."
"Hear what?" asks my mother as she steps out of the dressing room. She walks over to her bag.
"We were asking about the wedding cake," says Chelsea.
"It's going to be beautiful," says Rosemary as she pulls out a bottle of red wine and begins to open it. "Did Jayden tell you the frosting is buttercream? To-die-for good."
"Yum," says Alisha.
"Rosemary, this is Juliet, Alisha, and Chelsea."
She looks at Chelsea. "I thought I recognized your voice from a few phone calls while you were in college. It's nice to finally meet you girls." She reaches for an empty glass and pours her wine in it.
"Here," Juliet pats a spot on the couch next to her. "Join us, Rosemary." She looks at me and in a teasing tone says, "I came for the fashion show, Jayden."
"Right." I move to go get changed. "I'm on it."
I parade in front of my mother and friends in a total of ten dresses, and each one makes me more depressed. As I stand in front of everyone in the dress my mother asked me to try on again, I say, "I'm being too picky, aren't I? You can say it."
"No," says Chelsea. "This is a big deal, and you need to love your wedding gown."
"Hold on," Rosemary says. She's been very good about not saying much during my fashion show, so I'm willing to listen now. "Just a thought here," she says as she drops to her knees near me. "What if we pulled this in…" She tugs on the fabric around my hips and then more behind my thighs. "And some of this. That would make the bottom be the mermaid skirt you love."
I turn to dissect my body in the mirror and can't get past the way the dress makes me look short and dumpy. "I don't know," I say.
Rosemary stands up and lets go of the skirt. "We can replace these wide lace shoulder straps with something more slimming."
"That could work," says Chelsea. "But wouldn't the one she tried on two dresses ago work better for that?"
Chelsea is the fashionista in the room, and I'm tempted to go with her suggestion. Because now I feel as if I can't make a decision, and it's time to get this done. "I think you're right." The silk of the gown I'm wearing rustles as I lift it up to walk over to my drink and pick it up. "I'm going to go with the dress Chelsea thinks will work and call this over."
"Whoa," says Rosemary as she bumps her leg on the coffee table reaching for her glass, and the ice bucket rattles.
I frown because up until now, she was quite sober. Or so I thought, because she sways a bit as she lifts her drink to her mouth. Suddenly the glass slips in her fingers, and I let out a gasp when the entire contents splash onto me. My jaw drops as I stare down at the red wine soaking the gown I'm wearing.
"Oh my god," says Alisha as she jumps up and grabs the napkin around the ice bucket.
"Oh no," says my mother. "I'm so sorry, Jayden."
My initial surprise makes way to anger. She's sorry? I think I've heard Rosemary say that too many times to count, and my chest tightens as rage bubbles inside of me, threatening to explode. Chelsea calls out to Diana as Juliet and Alisha dab at my dress with a napkin and ice. But I barely notice because I'm trying not to scream.
"Rosemary," I say in a voice so calm it's scary.
"Jayden, honey, it was an accident. I'm sure—"
"Stop. Talking." My chest heaves while I breathe as if fire is about to flare from my nostrils. "You've said enough for one day."
I turn to Diana, who is standing with her hands folded in front of her with a look much like a strict schoolteacher about to punish a student on her face. "Where did the red wine come from? There's a reason we only offer champagne."
"Don't worry," I say. "I don't expect this to be your problem. I believe I just picked my dress."
"Oh." Her expression turns to something more empathetic. "We have a great dry cleaner. I'm sure we can get the stain out and the dress tailored to your liking." As if she's convinced herself, Diana’s mood becomes cheerful. "It will come out beautiful. I'm sure of it."
I'm tempted to tell her to shut up, too, but I'm still sane enough to realize none of this is Diana's fault, so I merely nod at her before I move to the dressing room to get changed.
As I pay for the dress, my friends try to console me, and I do my best to make them think I'm okay. I'm not. I'm hanging on by a thread. When I get in the car with my mother, she tries to make light of the situation. "Baby girl, you always wanted a blush-tinted dress. I bet it could be dyed."
I stare at her in shock for a moment before I explode. "Let's get one thing straight, Rosemary! I am not your baby girl. That ship sailed a long time ago, and it's a shame you weren't along for the ride. I just have to ask, though. Would it have been so hard to be a plain old mother like everyone other woman with children?"
"Jay—"
"No way. You need to listen to me."
I realize I'm almost screaming when I notice a woman walks around the car with a wide berth and pulls her phone out as if she's going to call someone to take the bridezilla away.
I yell to her, "It's okay! I'm not crazy! Really!"
The woman breaks into a jog, and I let out a shaky sigh as tears of frustration come. Once again, I'm letting my mother get to me, and this time it's my own fault. Hot moisture rolls down my cheeks as I take a deep breath and blow it out slowly. I should have known she'd do something to ruin one more thing for me.
"Never mind, Rosemary. What's done is done, and it was an accident. Let's just go home."
"I really am sorry," she says in a quiet voice, and she starts the car.
"I know." Me too. I gaze out the window as my eyes burn. I keep hoping things with my mother can be okay, yet they never are. And I think it's time to stop trying.
Twelve
It's been three days since the red-wine disaster, and my wedding is less than a week away. Sunlight warms my shoulders as I gaze out at the waterfalls visible from our back deck, and I take a sip of my coffee. The morning after I had my meltdown in the parking lot of Diana's Bridal Shop, I went back to get measured and go over changes with the seamstress. She promised me I'd love the results, and I left feeling a little better about the situation. I've resigned myself to the fact my wedding gown is not going to be the dream dress I'd hoped for. What I wanted and what I'm getting for my special day are not the same. But in the end, what matters most is that I'm going to spend the rest of my life with Alex.
The sliding door to the house scrapes open, and I turn to find Rosemary holding her cell phone.
"Oh," she says. "I didn't expect anyone to be out here." She lifts her phone to her ear. "Hold on a minute longer, please."
"Do you need privacy?" I ask.
"If you don't mind?"
"No problem." I walk back into the house and find Alex in the kitchen, pouring himself a cup of coffee. "Top me off?" I ask as I hold out my mug. I glance back at my mother on the deck. "Tell me what's she saying."
"Jayden," Alex chides. "She asked for privacy."
"I know." My brow furrows. "But she's been acting weird for a couple days now, and my gut tells me she's up to no good. I want to know what it is."
"How about you give your mother the benefit of the doubt? She's been trying really hard to make your life easier since she came."
I raise my eyebrows at him. "Are you serious? Did you forget about the way you and your buddies were panting out the windows of the truck like dogs a while back?"
He chuckles. "Don't make fun." He leans in and kisses me. "You're going to want to try it when you become a werewolf."
"Am not." I kiss him back.
Alex puts an arm around my waist to pull me in tighter. "Babe, I can't wait to turn you. You're really going to like it. And don't be too hard on your mom for the pot cake. If we'd been humans, we barely would have felt a thing. Besides…" He lets out a laugh and shakes his head. "We had a good time."
I smile as I step back. "You did." I take a sip of my coffee. "Fine. I can let that go, but I still say she's got something brewing. Do you know I found her going through my clothes the other day?"
Alex shrugs. "Maybe she was looking for something to wear. Isn't that what you girls do?" He lifts his mug to drink.
"She sure looked guilty when I caught her, and then she grabbed the ugliest shirt I own before she scurried away. The joke was on her, though." I grin. "Because then she had to wear it."
I look toward the deck again and watch my mom pace the way she does when she's trying to use charm to get something she wants. "Alex, please. Tell me wha
t she's saying."
His mug clatters in the sink when he sets it down. "Go ask her. I'm off to work."
I sigh and let him kiss me goodbye before he walks away. I squint at my mother and strain my ears to try to hear what she's saying, but it's no use. When I notice she's headed back in, I move to the sink quickly to load the dishwasher and look like I'm doing something. Glancing casually at Rosemary, I ask, "Who was that?"
"Just a friend. Want eggs? I'm starving this morning and have a hankering for avocado toast with eggs over easy." She brushes by me to grab a pan from the cabinet.
Yup. She's definitely up to something, and I'm going to find out what. Pots clash while she searches for the frying pan, and I walk over to the fridge to get the eggs.
"What do you have going on today?" I ask.
"Not much. I'll probably go into town to find a place to get my roots touched up. What about you?" She reaches for the egg carton I'm holding.
"Gloria's Salon is where I go if you want to try them. I'm going run and then work on stamping the cupcake boxes with the cutest little flower stamps I found if you'd like to help."
"I'd love to. So you're doing the cupcakes?"
Wendy refused to deal with my mother after what happened at the tasting, so I told her to make the bakery's carrot cake recipe for the party favors. Mostly because it made that chore simple for me. "Yes. It was a great suggestion."
"Oh good. I'm glad I could help." Toast pops up, and she grabs it. "Is there anything else on your list that I can do?"
I walk over and grab my planner to peruse it. "I think I'm on track, but I'm a little worried about my dress. I haven't heard anything."
"It's almost—I'm sure it's almost done. No news is good news when it comes to a seamstress."
"Yeah." My pen taps on the planner as I bounce it. I'm more worried that I won't like my gown, but there's no need for me to remind my mother why. My book slaps shut when I close it, and I move to grab silverware for our meal while I force myself to find my happy place. As my mother and I walk to the table with breakfast, I say, "This looks amazing. Thanks for making it."