Chapter 13
Kate curled her arm through Tessa’s as they reached the heavy glass doors of a boutique called Lumière. They shared a silent, sisterly look of anticipation for whatever was ahead.
Something spectacular, Kate hoped. She also hoped she’d done a good job of keeping up with the chatter in the car on the way to Miramar Beach and not given away her exhaustion or worries.
Eli had said goodbye not long after Jonah left that morning, promising he wouldn’t be gone too long, and giving her a light, but guarded, kiss.
She’d carried that goodbye around all morning, determined to shake off the blues because this afternoon’s errand was too special and too long overdue to let the rest of life invade.
Inside the bridal boutique, crystal chandeliers cast a sparkly glow over displays of lace and beads and sixteen shades of cream satin.
A raised platform stood centered in front of three full-length mirrors, with soft pink sofas for the “audience.” Today, that was Kate and Vivien, who’d come with Tessa for the big—and fast—decision.
Lumière smelled like flowers and expensive perfume, and for a woman who lived in lab coats and Cornell sweatshirts, Kate found it unexpectedly intoxicating.
She’d fallen in love with the dreamy shop when they’d all come for fittings when Tessa coordinated the grand opening for this bridal boutique.
Their fashion show on the beach had been peak Summer House fun this past April, so it made sense that this was where Tessa would find a ready-to-wear wedding dress.
Akari Tanaka glided toward them the moment they walked in, a curtain of straight black hair falling over the shoulders of her pale silk dress, beautiful and elegant.
“Tessa!” Akari embraced her like a true friend, since the two women had maintained contact over the summer. “I’m so glad you’re here for this special day. I have many ideas and options.”
“Dangerous words from a woman whose dresses can hit five figures,” Tessa said, hugging her back.
“But don’t have to,” Akari assured her, drawing back. “Plus, it’s you. I have a trash bag in the back that you could put on and look like a million dollars.”
“We’ll find something in the middle of Marchesa and Hefty, okay?” Tessa said on a laugh. “You remember my sister, Kate, and friend, Vivien?”
“Of course.” Akari extended both hands to take theirs. “My beautiful runway models for the grand opening.”
They laughed. “Nolie stole the show,” Vivien joked.
“That little angel.” Akari pressed a hand to her heart. “I still have the photos on my wall. She danced the entire length of the boardwalk. Prophetic, yes? Since now she’ll be a junior bridesmaid at your wedding.”
“Along with Olive as flower girl,” Tessa added. “Which will either be adorable or a complete disaster.”
“But today is about the bride,” Akari said, practically singing the words as she gestured toward a silver tray with chilled champagne and empty flutes. “And VIP guests. Sip now or look at my collection? You know I have a soft spot for ‘second-chance weddings’ and have quite a selection.”
“It’s actually my first chance,” Tessa joked. “Let’s shop, then drink.”
Akari led them through the lux showroom to a private fitting area in the back, where six dresses hung on a tall rack, ranging from ivory to blush to a pale gold that caught the light.
“No white?” Kate asked, scanning for the classic bridal color.
“Not for me,” Tessa said. “I’m fifty and not wearing white, even if it is my first rodeo. I already told Akari.”
“And you’re recreating our fashion show as the setting?” Akari asked. “Sunset at the beach?”
“Exactly.” Tessa leaned. “And it’s just as much for show as that event was. Dusty and I got married in a civil ceremony a few weeks ago, but these two insist I get my beach wedding.”
Kate shared a look with Vivien, the two of them beaming with the success of this mission.
“Beach ceremony, golden-hour light, and you’re stunning—”Akari held up a hand before Tessa could protest. “I know exactly what you need. But first, let’s play. I’ll dress you. Ladies, go out to the viewing area and pop some bubbly. You’re going to want it.”
Kate and Vivien made their way back to the showroom, cooing over some dresses and the luxury of having the entire boutique to themselves.
Vivien poured and handed Kate a crystal flute, holding her gaze. “You okay, Kate?” she asked.
Kate attempted a smile, hating that she was frequently as transparent as the glass she held. “Oh, yeah. I was awake a lot last night.”
“I heard.”
Kate drew back and eyed her friend.
“I bumped into Eli leaving for Atlanta this morning. He looked about…as sleepless as you do.” Vivien lifted a brow. “I take it from the lack of bounce in your step you weren’t sneaking between bedrooms in the middle of the night.”
Kate snorted. “This is Eli, Vivien. Your brother doesn’t bedroom sneak.”
“Tessa would say that’s a pity,” Vivien joked.
Kate lifted her glass, wanting a change of topic as bad as she wanted the first sip. “This is her day. I don’t want to bring it down one centimeter from bliss and joy.”
“Heard, my friend.” Vivien tapped her glass. “Here’s to our sweet wanderer, finally settling down with a husband and a little one.”
Kate gave a shiver. “Now there are words I never thought I’d hear and couldn’t be happier about.”
“Are you ready?” Akari came around the corner, her eyes bright.
Vivien and Kate put their glasses down and sunk into the velvet settee, giddy with excitement.
Tessa stepped out in a blush pink A-line with cap sleeves and a sweetheart neckline that was objectively gorgeous and made her look like she was attending someone else’s wedding.
“It’s beautiful,” Vivien offered.
Tessa plucked at the satin. “It’s…a little Mother of the Bride and too sweet.”
“Agreed,” Kate said, ready to nix this one instantly. “The problem with your body—”
Vivien choked. “There is no problem with her body.”
“Exactly,” Kate said. “She looks amazing in everything. We must be selective.”
Tessa smiled at both of them. “I love honesty. Thank you. Akari, this is gorgeous, but let’s try again.”
A few minutes later, she came out in a deep cream sheath with a lace overlay that hugged her frame and moved beautifully when she walked. Kate thought she looked incredible, but Tessa wrinkled her nose.
“It borders on beige,” she said.
“Well, you don’t want white,” Kate reminded her.
“But I also don’t want to look like I wore a costume.”
Vivien nodded. “That’s a beautiful dress, but it’s not you, Tess.”
“Agreed.” Tessa stepped off the platform. “I don’t want to look like I’m trying to be twenty-five. I want to look like me, just…the best version.”
Akari disappeared into the back. Kate refilled their champagne and caught Vivien’s eye.
“She’s going to end up in white,” Vivien whispered.
“She’s absolutely going to end up in white.”
“Fifty-year-old brides don’t wear white!” Tessa called from behind the curtain, where Akari was apparently dressing her in option three.
“Says who?” Kate called back.
“Says convention. Says taste. Says the entire bridal industry that markets white to twenty-three-year-olds.”
They just looked at each other, biting back a laugh, while Tessa came out in another lighter cream—too poofy—and a baby pink that had potential but fell back into the Mother of the Bride category.
They practically heard her sigh of resignation from where they sat and gave their glasses a knowing clink.
A minute later, the curtain opened and there she was—a vision in white satin.
The dress was a simple slip silhouette that skimmed Tessa’s frame without clinging, with thin straps and a soft cowl neckline that draped across her collarbone. It fell to the floor in a clean, unbroken line, and the fabric caught the light from the chandeliers and turned it into something liquid.
No lace, no beading, no embellishment. Just Tessa, in white satin, looking like she’d stepped out of a photograph from another era.
“Oh,” Vivien breathed.
Kate put her champagne down. Her sister stood on the platform in front of the three mirrors, looking at herself from every angle with an expression Kate hadn’t seen before, like the slow recognition of a woman finally seeing herself clearly.
“This is brand new,” Akari said softly. “It’s called the Carolyn, inspired by the Bessette-Kennedy gown from the nineties. I’ve been saving it for the right bride.”
Tessa gave a soft hoot. “Perfect, since I was obsessed with him when I was a teenager. But…” She turned to look at them. “I don’t look like a teenager in this.”
“Nope.” Vivien said. “You look like a woman born to wear that gown.”
Kate felt the tears burn and didn’t fight them. Vivien had already grabbed a tissue—strategically placed on the end tables for just this purpose—and dabbed her eyes as she took in the sight.
“Tess,” Kate sighed. “That’s it. That’s the dress.”
Tessa turned back to the mirror. She ran her hands down the satin, smoothing fabric that didn’t need smoothing, and Kate saw the full weight of what was happening land on Tessa’s narrow but oh-so-strong shoulders.
“I need a minute,” Tessa whispered.
“You all need a minute,” Akari said. “Relax. Wear the dress for a bit. Make sure it feels like skin. I’ll get my pins and we can hem and take it in just a scooch under the arms.”
As she left the room, Kate and Vivien stepped onto the platform and flanked their sister, the three of them reflected in the mirrors—Tessa in white satin, Kate in her glasses and messy bangs, Vivien with some streaks in her makeup.
With soft exclamations of “this is the one!” they hugged and kissed and leaned into a moment that was more than thirty years in the making.
“Can I drink champagne in this thing?” Tessa asked.
“Well, if you can’t, it’s the wrong dress,” Vivien told her.
Kate took her hand and led her to the sofa. “Just be carefy, Cinderelly.”
Tessa laughed at the old inside joke from their favorite childhood cartoon, taking the half-full flute Vivien carefully offered.