Chapter 5 - THE DRESS FITTING
Thursday afternoon arrived with a biting snowstorm that swept across Ohio. The wind roared through the streets of Columbus, but the atmosphere inside Madame Celeste's Bridal & Formal Boutique was suffocatingly warm.
The boutique was elegant—mirrored walls, velvet couches, and racks of crystal-beaded gowns. Aunt Diane and Ella were already there when Mom and I walked in.
Aunt Diane wore a sharp cream-colored trench coat, her hair styled in a tight bun. Ella sat on the velvet couch, looking smaller than ever inside an oversized designer sweater. When our eyes met, Ella’s gaze flicked away in guilt and fear.
"Rachel! Audrey!" Aunt Diane greeted us with a polished, fake smile. "We were just looking at Ella’s custom gown. It came in from New York this morning. It fits her like a glove—size double-zero."
My mother forced a smile, though I could see the stiffness in her jaw. The photos I had shown her the night before had clearly shaken her, but her pride wouldn't let her back down in front of her sister.
"That's wonderful, Diane," Mom said tight-lipped. "Audrey’s dress is ready too. Audrey, go to fitting room three."
The seamstress, an elderly woman named Mrs. Gable, brought out my dress. It was an emerald-green silk satin dress—the one I had fallen in love with two months ago. It had a classic A-line cut, simple and elegant.
I stepped into the dressing room and put it on. When I pulled the side zipper up, it caught right around my ribcage.
I took a deep breath, squeezed my lungs, and managed to zip it to the top. But it was tight. Extremely tight. I could barely expand my chest to breathe comfortably.
I stepped out onto the raised fitting platform in front of the wall of mirrors.
Aunt Diane immediately raised an eyebrow. "Oh my... Rachel, did you buy the right size? Look at the pull lines around the waist."
Mom’s face flushed instantly. She stepped forward, grabbing the fabric at my hip. "Mrs. Gable, can't you alter this? Can't you let it out?"
Mrs. Gable examined the seam. "There’s only half an inch of seam allowance here, Mrs. Collins. If I let it out, it will only give her a tiny bit of room. The dress was bought for a smaller frame."
"She hasn't gained that much weight!" Mom snapped, her voice rising in the quiet boutique. "Audrey, stop slouching! Stand up straight!"
"I am standing straight, Mom!" I said, my voice tight from the constriction of the dress and the overwhelming humiliation.
"Look at Ella!" Diane chimed in, taking a sip of sparkling water. "Ella’s dress didn't need a single alteration. Discipline really shows, doesn't it?"
That was the breaking point.
Ella, who had been sitting quietly on the velvet sofa, suddenly clutched her stomach. Her breath came in short, ragged gasps.
"Mom..." Ella whimpered, her face turning gray.
"Ella, stand up straight, what are you doing?" Diane scolded. "Don't ruin your posture."
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"I... I can't..." Ella gasped.
Before anyone could move, Ella’s eyes rolled into the back of her head, and she collapsed off the sofa, crashing onto the hardwood floor of the boutique.
