Chapter 114 Dress Shopping
CAITLYN'S POV
I was standing outside a bridal shop waiting for Sarah to arrive. Tommy's girlfriend. I had never met her before but Tommy said she was great. Said she would help me find the perfect dress. I hoped he was right because I had no idea what I was looking for.
A car pulled up and a woman got out. She was pretty with long dark hair and a bright smile. She walked over to me.
"Caitlyn?" she asked.
"Yes," I said. "You must be Sarah."
"I am," Sarah said. She hugged me. "It is so nice to finally meet you. Tommy talks about you all the time."
"He does?" I asked.
"Yeah," Sarah said. "He is so happy that you and Jason are together. Says you guys are perfect for each other."
"That is sweet," I said. "Thank you for coming with me today. I really appreciate it."
"Are you kidding?" Sarah said. "I love dress shopping. This is going to be so fun. Come on let us go find you the perfect dress."
We walked into the shop and a saleswoman came over immediately. She was older with gray hair and a professional smile.
"Welcome," she said. "Are you here for wedding dresses?"
"Yes," I said. "I am getting married in three weeks and I need to find a dress."
"Three weeks?" the saleswoman said. Her smile faltered a little. "That is very soon. Most of our dresses take at least two months to order."
"Do you have anything in stock?" Sarah asked. "Anything she could take home today?"
"We have a few sample dresses," the saleswoman said. "But they might need alterations. And there is no guarantee we can get them done in three weeks."
"Can we just look?" I asked. "See if there is anything I like?"
"Of course," the saleswoman said. "Follow me."
She led us to a room full of dresses. They were hanging on racks. All different styles and colors and sizes. It was overwhelming.
"What style are you looking for?" the saleswoman asked.
"Simple," I said. "Nothing too elaborate. Nothing with a long train or too many details. Just something clean and elegant."
"And comfortable," Sarah added. "She is six months pregnant so it needs to be comfortable."
"Of course," the saleswoman said. She started pulling dresses off the racks. "Let me show you some options."
She brought out five dresses. The first one was nice but too fancy. Too much lace. Too many layers. It reminded me of my first wedding dress and I did not want that.
"Next," I said.
The second one was better. Simple. A line. But when I tried it on it did not fit right. Did not accommodate my stomach. Made me look bigger than I was.
"Next," I said.
The third one was too plain. The fourth one was too short. I was starting to lose hope. Starting to think I was not going to find anything.
Then the saleswoman brought out the fifth dress and I stopped. It was perfect. Simple but beautiful. A soft ivory color. Long sleeves. A flowing skirt that would hide my stomach without making me look huge. It was exactly what I had been looking for.
"Can I try this one?" I asked.
"Of course," the saleswoman said.
I went into the dressing room and put it on. When I looked in the mirror I almost cried. It was perfect. Absolutely perfect. It fit like it was made for me. Made me look beautiful but not overdone. Made me feel like a bride but also like myself.
I came out and Sarah gasped.
"Oh my god Caitlyn," she said. "That is the one. That is definitely the one."
"You think so?" I asked.
"I know so," Sarah said. "You look beautiful. Jason is going to die when he sees you."
The saleswoman adjusted the dress a little. Pinned a few spots that needed to be taken in.
"This is a sample so we can sell it to you today," she said. "We just need to do some minor alterations. Hem it a little. Take in the waist. Should be ready in a week."
"Perfect," I said. "I will take it."
"Are you sure you do not want to try on any others?" the saleswoman asked. "We have more options."
"I am sure," I said. "This is the one. I do not need to look at anything else."
I changed back into my regular clothes and went to pay. The dress was not cheap but it was not crazy expensive either. Nothing like my first dress which had cost thousands and thousands of dollars. This one was reasonable. Beautiful but reasonable.
Sarah and I left the shop and went to get coffee. Well, I got decaf. She got regular.
"Thank you so much for coming with me," I said. "I do not think I could have done that alone."
"Of course," Sarah said. "I was happy to help. And I am so glad you found the perfect dress. You looked so beautiful in it."
"It was nothing like my first dress," I said. "My first dress was huge and elaborate and expensive. Collin picked it out. I had no say. I hated it."
"This one is different," Sarah said. "This one is yours. You picked it. You loved it. That is what matters."
"You are right," I said. "Everything about this wedding is different. Everything is better."
"Tommy told me a little bit about what you went through," Sarah said. "With your ex-husband. I am so sorry you had to experience that."
"Thank you," I said. "It was really hard. But I am getting better. Therapy is helping. And Jason is helping. I finally feel like I am moving forward."
"Jason is a good guy," Sarah said. "Tommy says he has never seen Jason happier than he is with you. Says you two are meant to be together."
"I think we are," I said. "I have loved him my whole life. I just wish we had not wasted so much time. Wish I had not married Collin. Wish I had just stayed with Jason from the beginning."
"But then you would not have this baby," Sarah said. "And this baby is going to be amazing. Going to have two parents who love each other. They chose each other. That is special."
"You are right," I said. "The baby is worth everything. Worth all the pain. Worth all the waiting."
We talked for another hour. About the wedding. About the baby. About life. Sarah was easy to talk to. Easy to be around. I was glad Tommy had introduced us. Glad I had someone to go dress shopping with. Someone to talk to about all of this.
"Can I ask you something?" Sarah said.
"Sure," I said.
"Are you nervous?" Sarah asked. "About the wedding? About getting married again?"
"A little," I said. "But not in a bad way. I am nervous and excited. Not nervous scared. My first wedding I was terrified. I did not want to marry Collin. Did not want any of it. But I felt like I had no choice."
"And now?" Sarah asked.
"Now I cannot wait," I said. "I cannot wait to marry Jason. To be his wife. To start our life together. There is no fear. Just happiness."
"That is beautiful," Sarah said. "That is how it should be."