Dress Disasters and Suit Secrets
996 Words
After surviving the guest list and cake decisions, Ada and Tobi think shopping for outfits will finally be fun.
They couldn't have been more wrong.
Ada had always imagined that choosing her wedding dress would be one of the easiest parts of planning the wedding.
She was wrong.
"This one!"
"No, that one!"
"The lace is prettier."
"I don't like the neckline."
Ada stood on the small platform inside the bridal boutique, turning slowly as two attendants and Dara surrounded her.
She looked at herself in the mirror.
Then at Dara.
"Help."
Dara tried not to laugh.
"I'm trying."
"No, you're enjoying this."
"A little."
The boutique owner clapped her hands excitedly.
"Let's try another one!"
Ada sighed.
"Another?"
"We've only tried five."
Ada looked at Dara in disbelief.
"Five already?"
"You have."
"My feet hurt."
Dara smiled sympathetically.
"I'll buy you ice cream afterwards."
"You promise?"
"I promise."
That was enough to keep Ada going.
Meanwhile...
Across town, Tobi was discovering that shopping for a suit wasn't as simple as putting on a jacket.
Femi folded his arms as Tobi emerged from the fitting room wearing a navy-blue tuxedo.
"Too serious."
The tailor nodded.
"I agree."
Tobi disappeared behind the curtain again.
Five minutes later he returned in a white jacket.
Femi shook his head.
"You look like you're about to host an award show."
Back behind the curtain.
Next came a cream suit.
"No."
A black tuxedo.
"Too ordinary."
Tobi stared at his reflection.
"I officially don't know what I look like anymore."
The tailor laughed.
"That's normal."
Femi grinned.
"It means we're making progress."
"We've been here for almost two hours."
"And?"
"I've tried on six suits."
Femi shrugged.
"You still have legs."
Just then, Tobi's phone buzzed.
Ada ❤️
He answered immediately.
"Please tell me you've found your dress."
Ada let out an exhausted groan.
"Please tell me you've found your suit."
They both fell silent.
Then, at exactly the same time, they said,
"No."
For a moment...
Neither of them spoke.
Then they burst into laughter.
"You know," Ada said between laughs, "I thought this part would be romantic."
"So did I."
"It isn't."
"Not even a little."
She smiled.
"Can we make a deal?"
"I'm listening."
"No matter what everyone else says..."
"...we choose what makes us happy?"
Ada smiled.
"Exactly."
"Deal."
Neither of them knew it yet...
But that simple promise would help them survive every challenge still waiting before their wedding day.
By the time Ada and Dara returned home, the afternoon sun was beginning to set.
Ada kicked off her shoes the moment she stepped into the house.
"I've never been happier to see my feet," she groaned.
Dara laughed.
"I told you not to try on every dress."
"I didn't."
"You tried on enough to open a small section in a bridal shop."
Ada shook her head, laughing.
"I finally found the one."
"And you looked beautiful in it."
Her mother walked out of the living room just as they entered.
"There you are."
"Hi, Mum," Ada said, giving her a quick hug.
"How did it go?"
Ada smiled.
"I found my dress."
"That's wonderful."
Her father looked up from the sofa with a grin.
"Good. That's one thing off the list."
He picked up a letter from the coffee table.
"Oh, before you got back, the church sent this. Both families have already seen it."
Ada looked at him.
"What does it say?"
"They've confirmed your marriage counseling schedule, and both families have agreed on the wedding date."
"So... when is it?"
Her mother smiled.
"Fourteenth of November."
Ada nodded thoughtfully.
"That's nice."
Dara smiled.
"Looks like we have a date."
"We do."
Ada glanced over the letter, then placed it back on the table.
"One more thing checked off."
She smiled to herself.
Now she had a dress.
Now they had a date.
Little by little...
Their wedding was coming together.
That evening, after dinner, Ada stepped onto the balcony with her phone in hand. The cool breeze brushed against her face as she dialed Tobi's number.
He answered before the second ring.
"I was beginning to think you'd forgotten about me."
Ada laughed.
"I've been thinking about you all day."
"Good answer."
"So," Tobi said eagerly, "did you find your dress?"
Ada smiled to herself.
"I did."
"You sound happy."
"I am. It took a while, but when I put it on... I just knew."
Tobi leaned back on his sofa, smiling.
"I wish I could see it."
"Nice try."
"What?"
"You know you're not supposed to see the dress before the wedding."
"I was only asking."
"You were fishing for clues."
He chuckled.
"Maybe."
"You'll have to wait until November."
"I don't know if I'm that patient."
"Well, you don't have a choice."
They both laughed.
"What about you?" Ada asked. "Did you finally choose your suit?"
"I did."
"Oh?"
"And unlike someone I know, I won't tell you what it looks like."
Ada gasped dramatically.
"So we're keeping secrets now?"
"Only the important ones."
"I can't believe this."
"You started it."
She smiled, shaking her head.
"Fine. We'll surprise each other."
"Deal."
A comfortable silence settled between them before Ada remembered something.
"Oh! The letter came then?"
Tobi's voice brightened.
"We got ours this morning too."
"So you know?"
"I do. Marriage counseling starts next week."
"And..." Ada said softly, "...our wedding is officially on the fourteenth of November."
For a moment, neither of them spoke.
It wasn't because there was nothing to say.
It was because hearing the date out loud made everything feel real.
Finally, Tobi broke the silence.
"One hundred and twenty-three days."
Ada laughed.
"You counted already?"
"I started counting the moment Mum read the letter."
She smiled warmly.
"I can't wait."
"Neither can I."
They stayed on the phone a little longer, talking about everything and nothing, both smiling at the thought that with every passing day, they were getting one step closer to forever.
- Writer
