Chapter 23
Chapter Twenty-Three
Catharina
The bells above our heads ring as we step into the boutique, and a moment later Myra steps out from the back of the store, a wide smile plastered on her face.
“Cat. How lovely to see you again.” Her gaze shifts downward, her eyes lighting up like Christmas.
“And this must be your little Lexie I’ve heard so much about.
We’ve been waiting to meet you, little one. ”
Alexis presses closer to my side, and my heart swells at the knowledge she seeks comfort and safety in me. “It’s all right, my love. Myra is Solene’s Mommy. I promise she won’t bite, though she might spank you if you’re naughty in her store.”
Laughing, Myra bends down to hold a hand out to my Little girl. “But you won’t be naughty, will you, Lexie? You’re far too precious for that.”
Tentatively, Alexis reaches for Myra’s hand. “It’s nice to meet you, Miss Myra. I like your dress. You’re very pretty.”
“Oh.” Sighing softly, Myra presses a hand to her heart and looks up at me, a sheen of tears over her eyes. “Cat, she’s perfect. I’m so happy for you.”
As the only two Mommies of Little girls on the island, we’ve bonded over how apart we sometimes feel from the others, and in her eyes I see the same joy I feel every time I look at my sweet babygirl.
“I am a very lucky Mommy indeed.”
“You are. I have a feeling our Little ones will be the best of friends.” A frown tugs at her lips as Myra straightens and looks around.
“Let me just go see what’s taking Solene so long.
She had an idea for a new design a couple weeks ago, and it’s almost impossible to drag her away from the sewing machine when she gets like this. ”
“No worries. We’ll just take a look around the store, see what calls to us.”
“Perfect. I’ll be right back.”
Myra disappears into the back of the store again just as the door opens and Maxwell strides in with a very contrite-looking Victoria cradled in his arms. Out of habit, I move to take her from him, but then I remember Alexis by my side and I keep my hands down as I watch him bounce my sweet little niece in his arms.
“Do you want to help Alexis pick out some new clothes, Victoria?” I offer instead. “This is her first time and there are a lot of options to choose from.”
Victoria instantly brightens, nodding her head vigorously. “Can I show her the princess dresses?”
Solene’s ever-expanding selection of dress-up clothes is Victoria’s favorite part of visiting the shop. “What do you think, little imp?” I ask, looking down at Alexis. “Would you like to be a princess?”
Awe flickers over her face as she bobs her head. “Yes, Mommy!”
“All right. Go with Victoria. Your Uncle Max and I will be in these chairs over here, watching you.”
Maxwell hesitates for just a moment before setting Victoria on the ground and giving her bottom a pat. “Go on, little thief.”
Side by side, we watch as our Little ones hurry off toward the display of princess dresses, each such a close replica of the cartoons I can only imagine the time and effort Solene has put into each one.
Sliding my gaze toward Maxwell, I take in the strain around his mouth and eyes as he watches his babygirl hurry off. “You okay?”
“I’m fine.” But he doesn’t even glance my way. “Other than the ten years she took off my life when she opened that damn door. The car wasn’t even stopped yet, Cat.”
“Perhaps we should have invested in some child safety locks,” I say, not without sympathy. I can only imagine how terrified I would have been under the circumstances.
“I’ve already got Oliver looking into having them installed. The problem is, we’d have to fly someone to the island or ship the cars off individually. Logistically, it’s a bit of a nightmare.”
“And I’m very glad it’s your nightmare.” When he turns his head to glare at me, I can only shrug. “You’re the control freak who insists on personally vetting every single person who steps foot on the island instead of letting the rest of us help.”
“Yes, yes, I’m aware I’m my own worst enemy. But it’s my job to protect our family, and I take my job very seriously.”
“You do, and we all appreciate you for it. If you end—”
“Auntie Cat!” Victoria’s happy squeal interrupts me mid-sentence as she comes rushing over to grab me by the hand and haul me toward the display of princess dresses. “You have to come see!”
“All right, all right.” I can’t help but laugh as I let her drag me along behind her. “I’m coming, I’m coming. What’s all the fuss?”
“Just the most perfectest dress ever.”
As if I haven’t heard that a thousand times over the year that Victoria has lived on the island. She knows I’m a soft touch when it comes to spoiling my nieces, and especially when it comes to buying them pretty clothes.
“There!” Victoria points to a dress with a deep-purple bodice and green skirt. The “bra” of the dress is shaped like seashells, and I instantly recognize it from Millie’s favorite mermaid movie. “Isn’t it perfect for Lexie? She even has the hair for it!”
My babygirl would look absolutely darling in that dress. But one look at Alexis’s face tells me she’s not quite as sold on the idea. “What do you think, little imp? Do you want to be a mermaid?”
“I don’t know.”
“Is there someone else you’d rather be, then?”
A jerk of her shoulders is the only answer I get.
Clearly there’s something going on with my Little one, something she doesn’t want to talk about with an audience, so I give Victoria a reassuring smile and gesture to where Maxwell waits at the front of the store.
“Why don’t you go see if you can talk your Daddy into a new pair of those sparkly shoes you like so much while I talk to Alexis. ”
Her gaze, more worried now than excited, flicks between me and Alexis a few times before she gives a slow nod. “Okay, Auntie Cat.”
With one last concerned look for my babygirl, Victoria hurries off to drag her Daddy over to the display of shoes. Crouching down beside Alexis, I run a comforting hand over her hair. “Talk to Mommy, baby. What’s wrong? Do you not like the mermaid dress?”
“No, I do. I like all of them.” There’s such longing in her voice, my own chest aches with it.
“Well, that’s not a problem. If you like them all, then Mommy will buy them all for you.”
“But you can’t, cuz they’re too small.”
Ah. There we go. “Baby. What did I tell you before we left this morning?”
Another jerk of her shoulder and I have to fight not to sigh. “Anything in this store can be made in whatever size we want. That’s the beauty of having a designer on the island who does nothing but make dresses for our sweet babygirls.”
“I know, it’s just…”
She turns her head, but not before I catch the glimmer of tears in her eyes. Gripping her chin, I gently turn her head back toward me. “Just what, baby? Tell Mommy what’s wrong.”
Bottom lip wobbling, she drags in air through her nose as tears slip down her cheeks. “You wouldn’t understand.”
“What wouldn’t I understand, baby?”
“You wouldn’t understand what it’s like to be different.
” The words seem to rush out of her on a single breath.
“To wish you were like everyone else. You’re so beautiful and perfect and you’ve never walked into a store where everyone looked at you like you were lower than the dirt on the bottom of their shoe because there’s no way any of the clothes in that store would even fit on one leg. ”
My heart cracks clean in two as I pull her into my arms, her shoulders shaking with sobs. “You’re right. I don’t know what it feels like to walk in a store and not be able to wear any of the clothes. But you’re wrong about the rest. I do know what it’s like to feel different and on the outside.”
Pulling away, she wipes at her streaming eyes. “You do?”
“I do, baby.” I should tell her more, but this is neither the time nor the place. Soon, I’ll show her the things I’ve so far only kept for myself, and then maybe she’ll believe me when I tell her I know exactly how it feels to be on the outside looking in.
For now, I smile for her, tucking her hair behind her ears and wiping the tears from her cheeks. “I’m sorry the world made you feel like you were so much less just because you weren’t their version of perfect. But you know what?”
“Wh-what?”
Leaning down, I tap the end of her adorable button nose. “Fuck them.”
A giggle bursts out of my Little one. “You said a naughty word!”
“I did, because those are Mommy words, not Alexis words. And I meant it, too. Fuck anyone who ever made you think less of yourself. Because you’re perfect to me, and that’s all that matters. Understood?”
“Yes, Mommy.”
A commotion from the back of the store pulls Alexis’s attention away from me just as Solene bursts into the main area, her expression nearly feral with excitement. Behind her is Myra, holding a black garment back and wearing a bemused smile as she trails after her Little girl.
“Where’s Lexie?” Head whipping around, Solene searches the store before her gaze lands on my Little girl and she lets out an excited squeal. “Lexie! There you are! I have a special surprise for you!”
“For me?” Alexis asks, her eyes going wide as Solene rushes over to wrap her arms around my babygirl’s neck.
“Yes! Just for you. A one-of-a-kind, Solene exclusive design, made just for you. Show her, Mommy, show her!”
“Is that how you ask Mommy for something, little elf?”
Pink slashes across Solene’s cheeks. “Sorry, Mommy. Will you please show Lexie her dress, please?”
“Good girl.” Apparently appeased by her Little one’s manners, Myra tugs at the zipper of the garment bag, exposing the most stunning creation I’ve ever seen.
The bodice is a shimmering pearl color, and covered with what appears to be hundreds of hand-sewn flowers in every color of the rainbow. The tulle of the skirt matches the flowers, dozens of different iridescent colors flowing together into a magical rainbow I almost can’t believe is real.
“Oh…” Stepping forward, Alexis runs her hand lovingly over the skirt. “Is this really for me?”
“Yes.” Beaming with excitement, Solene bounces on her toes.
“Your Mommy sent me a picture of you when she sent over your measurements and you reminded me of this fairy I saw in a picture book once. I wanted to make something special for you and, well, once the idea got a hold of me it wouldn’t let go. ”
“Solene, it’s… I’ve never seen anything so beautiful in my life. Thank you.”
“Go try it on! I worked all night to get it ready for you!”
Myra frowns. “All night?”
As if just realizing what she’s admitted to, Solene freezes in place. “Umm… maybe not all night…”
“After our guests leave, you’ll be telling me exactly how much time you spent on this dress after you were meant to be in bed, little girl.”
“But Mommy, look how pretty it turned out!”
“It’s beautiful, little elf, but you know the rules.”
Shoulders slumping, Solene sighs. “Yes, Mommy.”
With a shake of her head for her babygirl’s naughtiness, Myra hands the dress off to me. “Dressing room one already has the other dresses you ordered, if you’d like to go try this one on.”
Taking the bag from her, I slip my hand into Alexis’s and guide her to the first dressing room. My Little girl is practically vibrating with excitement as I help her out of her favorite—soon to be second-favorite, if I’m not mistaken—dress and into the new one Solene created for her.
And as soon as I button the back of the dress, I know it was created for my sweet Alexis.
Everything about the dress, from the cut to the colors to the brightness of the flowers seems custom-designed for her.
Not just the size, though there’s no doubt it’s a perfect fit, but the entire thing sets my baby aglow as she spins in place in front of the mirror.
“I look like a fairy princess,” she whispers, her voice filled with awe.
“Yes, you do, baby. We’ll have to visit Little Treasures after this and see if they have a tiara to do this dress justice.”
Spinning around, Alexis throws her arms around me. “Thank you.”
“For what, little one?”
“For being the best Mommy in the whole wide world.”
Closing my eyes against the tears burning in them, I squeeze her tight. “It’s easy when I have the best Little girl in the whole world.”
“Do you really mean that?”
There’s a sense of urgency in her voice that has me pulling back so she can see the truth in my eyes. “I mean every word, baby. You are everything I could possibly have asked for in a Little girl, and I love you so very much.”
For a second, it seems as though she might say something else, but then she just beams that happy smile and nods. “I love you too, Mommy.”
Unease tickles the back of my mind, but I push it aside. No need to ruin a perfectly lovely moment with my own insecurities. “Come on, little one. Let’s go show off that beautiful new dress.”