The wedding dress hung on a padded hanger in the small boutique's private fitting room, ivory silk catching the afternoon light streaming through the tall windows, and Ivy stood staring at it for a long moment before finally working up the courage to try it on.
"You've been staring at that dress for five minutes," Diane said gently, settling into the plush chair positioned for exactly this kind of moment. "Go on, put it on. I've been waiting months to see you in it properly."
Ivy laughed, nerves and excitement tangling together in her chest as she disappeared behind the curtain, the seamstress helping her carefully into the delicate fabric, adjusting seams and fastening tiny buttons along the back with practiced efficiency.
When she finally stepped out, her mother's sharp intake of brea
