It wasn't long after her declaration that we arrived at the storefront of the shop we were heading to. It was a subtle part of our small downtown area that seemed as charming as all small towns tend to be with a strong feeling of home and the scent of the surrounding nature of Maine. As we proceeded into the building we quickly were welcomed by the head seamstress of the building.
"Hexi, so glad you didn't try to avoid this fitting. Your mother and another Madam are already in the waiting area waiting for you and your friend. Mrs. Hart called ahead to inform us of the addition to your party." She spoke as her ice blue eyes surveyed the pair of us. She had always had a pinched face that gave hints of her sternness.
She had not become the head seamstress because the others liked her, but rather because they feared her. She was both direct and passionate in her work as well as its quality, and the shop was better for it. It was likewise because of this very same woman that all our household clothing came from here rather than big box brands. Every single piece of our family and staff's clothing was a custom creation tailored to the person who would wear it. It was little wonder that the shop was the fastest growing store in town. Though many of the other country club elite still preferred their name brands that showed their status, though that normally marked one as an outsider or a nuevo riche in this town.
"Greetings, Mrs. Reidman. As I am certain my mother has already apprised you, this is my friend Alexis Renne Dupont. She and her family are newly settled in our lovely small town. I hope that you and your shop prove yourselves worthy of the praise my family has given in regards to your abilities. Alexis has some ideas on our fashion, I am sure you will be more than willing to lend an ear to her on that." I spoke formally to her, as I had learned over the years that she responded best to it as well as directness. She and I were not on great terms as she complained about my disdain for events that required a gown and thus made it my mission to dodge them until I was more or less dragged in by my mother.
"Good to hear, we shall endeavor to do our best. Please follow me to the back where your mothers are waiting." The smile on her face as she spoke was a mixture of stress and joy as she led the way.
The room that we were led to was a wide space that was reserved for their customers of importance. On the sofa sat my mother and a pair of women I didn't know, but one bore a striking resemblance to Alexis. There was no doubt in my mind that she was her mother which likely meant that the caramel skinned woman next to her was her wife.
"Hexi, dear, these are my friends Aimée and Daya. They just moved to town a bit ago. I cannot tell you how overjoyed I was when I found out that you and their daughter had finally met and were coming here together." My mother spoke with a genuine voice that surprised me.
Since when did mother have friends? She had never mentioned them before, granted I should not have been surprised. Mother tended to be secretive in nature, and my sister and I found out early it was simply wiser to not ask questions as mother had no intention of answering them.
The two women smiled up at me as Alexis went to settle herself next to them on the sofa. If Alexis was lovely, her mother was simply beautiful, as was her wife. To be rather frank, if I had to imagine my mother having friends, they would look something like this.
Aimée was a classical beauty that could easily be found in many portraits throughout time in Europe. Her face was oval in shape with flawless alabaster skin that paired perfectly with her almond shaped eyes in the hue of a gray-blue. Her ringletted strawberry blond hair framed her face as if it was framing in a picture of old world beauty standards.
While Aimée was a picture of classical european beauty, her wife was a different sort of beauty. Daya's light brown skin tone gave her warm features a strong sense of home that was hard to match. With high cheekbones, deep pools of chocolate for eyes and a smile that was as bright as the soon, I could understand why she was so easily beloved by Alexis. Just meeting her felt like having a warm hug against one's mind. Though, in those deep almond eyes there was a fierceness carefully hidden for times of need.
"We finally get to meet the famous Helixii. Your mother has told us a great deal about you, and your sister." Daya spoke to me. Her voice very well matched her appearance, warm with a soft hint of spice.
"Yes, finally here I see. I hope Alexis hasn't talked your ear off dear. She is so excited to be making friends finally. I admit that if you two had not met naturally, we would have had to arrange a play date to get you two settled. It is not good for girls your ages to have no one to spend time with near their own age and social class." The soft Parisian accent of Aimée was rather clear as she spoke. Her voice held the tried and true tone of a woman who got everything she wanted at exactly the time she wanted it. She was both elegant and demanding in her nature while it was clear her wife was a giver. A balanced pair.
"Come now, have a seat and a cup of tea darling." my mother gestured to a seat nearby as well as the delicate tea set sitting on the coffee table before us.
"Alright." I spoke, taking to the direction. "Well, Alexis has volunteered to do the choosing on my behalf for this party. She seems to have a better eye for fashion than I ever could and I am woman enough to admit that." I managed to smile a bit before taking to my tea.
Like that the preparations for my day of hell were complete without my need to look through booklets of dresses that were barely different from the last. I wish I had the foresight to have thought better of leaving those four alone to dress me for my big day. But, there is no cure for regrets.