The door swung open and Madelyn beamed at her. The tears were long gone and her makeup replaced. She looked radiant and happy. Just as a bride should. Jace would be happy to know his future bride was no longer upset.
“Thank heaven you're here!” Madelyn exclaimed, reaching out and pulling her into the bridal suite.
Ella nearly didn't recognize the place. A couple hours ago, the place had been spotless. Now, it was coated in tissue paper and wedding accessories. Shoe boxes, scarves, shopping bags, and various other items were strewn everywhere. Sitting calmly in the center of the storm were two young women sipping champagne and chatting in the afternoon sunshine filtering through the window. They smiled politely as Ella nearly tripped over an empty shoe box.
“I need you to put on the dress,” Madelyn said.
Ella stared at her for a moment not really understanding the words that just came out of her mouth. “You need me to do what?”
“I need you to put on the dress,” Madelyn repeated. “Clarissa is too tall and it won't fit Gwen. I need you to put it on so that I can see the full effect. I need to make sure that the veil and the shoes will work, and I can't do it without it on someone. We don't have a mannequin, so I need you.”
“I can get you a mannequin...”
“I want you.” Madelyn said. She shrugged in apology, then said, “I know it's not exactly normal, but... please?”
Ella almost protested. She shouldn't be putting on someone else's wedding dress. But, as she looked at Madelyn, she knew she didn't have much of a choice. This was Madelyn's wedding and she was paying a lot of good money to get whatever she wanted, and right now, she wanted Ella in her wedding dress.
“Of course. Whatever you need,” Ella agreed. What in the world had she gotten herself into?
Madelyn's grin lit up the room and Ella couldn't help but smile in return. The woman's enthusiasm and excitement was contagious and the further Ella walked into the suite, the more genuine the smile became.
The dress hung reverently on the closet door in the bedroom. Late afternoon sunshine poured through the windows, catching the lace and making it the dress shimmer and glow. Ella fingered the lace sleeves, heart in her throat. Her mother's dress had never looked so beautiful. A dress like this was meant to be worn or at least displayed, not tucked away in a hidden, dusty box.
Ella glanced shyly at Madelyn as she carefully took the dress from the hanger and prepared to put it on. She had never worn the dress before, even in play. It had felt too weird, especially when her father was still alive. After his death, she had been far too busy to indulge in playing dress-up.
“If you need any help, just holler,” Madelyn said as she prepared to close the bedroom door. “I'll be right outside to help with the buttons when you're changed.”
Ella nodded, not trusting her voice. The click of the door closing rattled in Ella's ears as she held the beloved dress in her hands. What was she doing?
Earning this wedding, she told herself as she stripped down to her underwear. Do whatever it takes.
She didn't feel comfortable taking off her bra, but it wasn't strapless and would show through the lace sleeves. Instead she just tucked the straps into the cups, deciding that a lumpy boob was less noticeable than a bra strap.
The dress slid over her head with the satin making a soothing, slippery sound. It was cool against her skin, but she still felt hot as she threaded her arms through the lace mesh of the sleeves and adjusted the dress as best as she could. Ella kept her eyes closed as she pulled the skirt straight and prepared to call Madelyn to finish up the back.
“Wow,” Madelyn's voice was low and reverent.
Ella looked up into the huge bathroom mirror to see Madelyn slipping into the room behind her. But it wasn't Madelyn that made her breath catch in her chest and squeeze down hard.
Ella stared at the figure in the mirror as Madelyn came up behind her and began cinching the corset ties on the waist tight and buttoning buttons. The woman staring at Ella in the mirror was her mother. Except for the eyes. The eyes were her father's.
And they were both smiling at her.
“I figured we were about the same size,” Madelyn murmured as she carefully put the buttons through each delicate loop. Her fingers paused at the top button, Madelyn's eyes going to Ella's in the mirror. “Thank you again for this.”
Ella just smiled and nodded, unable to find the words.
“My mother didn't have a dress,” Madelyn remarked, filling the silence with easy conversation. “She and my father eloped to Vegas, otherwise I would have used hers. There's no way I'd use my stepmother's. Either of them.”
Ella turned to see Madelyn smiling at the memory. “I'm sure your mom will like this one.”