Before I could say anything, my phone beeped with a message from Alice.
‘I’m sorry, but I don’t agree. I’m choosing this particular dress.
That night at dinner, as James plated salmon for us, I shared my disappointment with him.
‘Alice doesn’t even consider my opinion, and yet I’m paying for the dress!’ I exclaimed.
James tried to mediate; he also texted Mark to make sure he knew how I felt too.
‘I think you should leave the wedding planning to them,’ James said. ‘Give all your attention to yourself and what you’re going to wear.’
But it turned out that Mark was able to persuade Alice to wear the dress I preferred.
I had to admit that it was the less stressful option, and I hadn’t been able to shop around looking for a dress before.
So that’s what I did.
I visited several different boutiques and finally found my perfect dress. It was an emerald green colour that I knew accentuated my eyes.
‘It’s beautiful,’ James said as I tried the dress on him.
I felt different. I no longer felt like the mother of the groom who had been sidelined. On the contrary, I felt beautiful in my own skin, and my self-esteem grew every time I thought of the dress.
When the week of the wedding came, James and I tried to attend as much as possible. We went to every event Mark and Alice were to attend, including the rehearsal dinner where we greeted them and drank champagne to celebrate.
‘All sorted, Mum?’ asked Mark to me. ‘Your dress and everything?’
I smiled at my son. Even though Alice and I were in the centre, he was always checking on me.
‘Of course,’ I said. ‘I’m ready to celebrate you and Alice’s wedding.’
On the morning of the wedding day, I put on my green dress and did my make-up. It was just the way I wanted to look for my son’s wedding – elegant and sophisticated.
When I pulled up to the venue, there was a thick murmur in the air. I ignored them, thinking that everyone was so used to me wearing comfortable clothes that it was something different for them.
I headed straight for the bride’s dressing room, hoping to see Alice and compliment her before she walked down the aisle.
When I opened the door, Alice looked up, her joyful expression replaced by an expression of utter devastation. She looked me over from head to toe, and then burst into tears.
‘Why did you do this to me, Claire?’ – She sobbed, her voice choked with emotion.
Confused, I walked into the room and closed the door.
‘What’s wrong?’ I asked.
‘Your dress!’ – she exclaimed.
‘What about it?’ asked I, questioning everything.
‘It’s my dream wedding dress, only in a different colour,’ she said, almost shouting.
I was stunned.
‘Alice, honestly,’ I said. ‘I didn’t realise – they look so different in colour.’
But Alice wasn’t satisfied with that. She sat on the edge of the sofa, resting her head on her hands.
‘How could you?’ – she exclaimed, raising her head. ‘You have made this day for yourself! Just because we didn’t take any of your suggestions!’
Mark, hearing a commotion from the neighbouring dressing room, ran into the room.
‘Mum, what’s going on in here?’ – He asked me.
He shifted his gaze from Alice to me, looking for an explanation.
Trying to calm him down, I slowly explained everything.
‘I didn’t see the resemblance, Mark,’ I said. ‘I just really liked the dress, and I thought…’
Alice stood up and walked towards Mark.
‘No!’ – she exclaimed. ‘You decided to show me something I could have had, but in green. Isn’t that so?’
‘Mum, please,’ my son said. ‘Let’s just try to get through this day. Please, for me.’
I agreed and walked out of the dressing room. I just wanted to find James and sit in silence until the day was over.
I knew Alice and I were walking a fine line, but I didn’t expect her to yell at me the way she was now.
Naturally, I was upset, but I didn’t want to ruin their day any further.
Now I was thinking that maybe I should have been more open to Alice’s preferences. After all, it was her day, not just mine. The question of whether I was wrong hangs heavy over me.
Yes, in trying to impose my vision, I might have lost sight of what was really important – Alice’s happiness and Mark’s peace on their special day.
Was I wrong to do what I did?
When Evie’s best friend’s wedding is coming up, she wants to be a part of the occasion. But in the run-up to the wedding, rumours begin to circulate about Evie’s husband, James, including the fact that he’s not invited. What secrets lie behind these rumours?
This work is inspired by real events and people, but fictionalised for creative purposes. Names, characters and details have been changed to protect privacy and enhance the narrative. Any resemblance to real people, living or dead, or real events is purely coincidental and is not intended by the author.
The author and publisher make no claim to the accuracy of events or portrayal of characters and are not responsible for any misinterpretation. This story is provided ‘as is’ and any opinions expressed are those of the characters and do not reflect the views of the author or publisher.
