We were now in the seventh store, Havana Banana. Ivy found her gift for Jho'nae already, and now, she was helping me find a dress. I didn't tell her about the date on Saturday, though.

At some point, Forrest had sent me a text, claiming that he was having so much fun sitting in the food court, eating fries. Naturally, I replied with that's great. Keep enjoying yourself.

"How about this one, June?" She held up a red spaghetti-strap dress with a crazy amount of glitter. It was so dazzling, too dazzling.

I shook my head. "No thanks. I'm not into . . . sparkles."

She nodded. "So basically, you want something casual but not too casual. And nothing flashy."

"Yes, please," I replied, my arm getting tired from shifting each of the hanged garments. "Also something that doesn't emphasize my . . . extra weight."

"June, what extra weight are you even talking about?"

I pressed my lips together, thinking she's exactly like her brother. "You know what I mean, Ivy."

"Well," she decided not to push it, "do you have a certain color in mind?"

"No, not really."

Ivy smiled a little. "You should know that I'm now determined to find you the perfect dress. We're not leaving the mall until we find it."

"Your brother would cry," I remarked, wanting to laugh, "but thanks for the help."

"Of course," she murmured, "I'm going to go over there," she pointed to one side of the store, "I think they might have something. Hold on."

I continued searching. I really wanted to blow Forrest away, but I couldn't even recall the last time I impressed myself.

"June!" I heard Ivy squeal and saw her rushing to me, carrying a grey dress. Well, that was fast. "Look at this!" I paused, afraid to get my hopes up. She finally reached me, exclaiming, "Isn't it gorgeous?"

I pushed the dress underneath heavy scrutiny. "It is," I murmured honestly. "It's so pretty."

The shade of a storm cloud, it was an off-shoulder dress with ornate lace. Vintage and tea-length, it was the exact exhibition of elegance. It wasn't too simple and it wasn't too extravagant. It wasn't provocative either yet it was absolutely alluring. My eyes were already in love with it.

"You need to try this on," Ivy urged, excitement in her words, "Come on."

"Wait," I furrowed my brows, "How much is it?" I checked the price tag and wasn't surprised to see $40.

"That's not too much, right?" Ivy asked, concern glowing in her eyes. "Oh, whatever – don't think about it right now. Just try it on first."

I nodded, complying. "All right, I will."

Minutes later, I found myself in the dressing room as Ivy waited outside. I quickly undressed, not paying attention to the mirror. Immediately, a breeze traveled through my bare skin. "All right," I muttered, mentally praying that the dress would fit me well, "please don't look bad on me."

Slipping into it, I struggled with zipping the back but managed to get it up half-way.

"June, how are you doing?" Ivy asked. "Do you need help?"

"Um," I faltered, finally turning to the mirror. "Just . . . just give me a moment."

I stared at my reflection, dumbfounded.

Beautiful. It was beautiful, but not only that – it made me feel beautiful. I'd never worn anything like it before, and I couldn't help but feel wonderstruck. Complimenting my curves, it gripped my torso nicely before cascading over my legs, stopping at my calves. My shoulders and a bit of my chest were exposed along with a good portion of my back.

After a long moment, I opened the door so Ivy could come in. "Oh my gosh," her eyes widened in amazement, "June! It's so . . . perfect. I'm going to cry."

I laughed. "Thank you, but don't cry. And could you please zip up the back?"

She did, and although it was fairly tight, my lungs were still able to function properly. "Do a twirl!" she commanded, and shoving away my reluctance, I followed her request. Wow. I concluded that it would definitely be great for dancing if the occasion ever presented itself. The dress hung off my body effortlessly, mostly because of the tulle layers of the skirt.

"I love it," I admitted, already mentally kissing my forty dollars goodbye. "I think I'm going to get it."

"Oh, I'm so relieved!" Ivy brought a hand to her chest. "I would never forgive you if you left this store without it."

I merely smiled.

***

"Is this real?" Forrest's eyes mockingly widened in astonishment. "You two are actually finished shopping?"

"Oh, well," Ivy pointed a thumb back to the direction of the stores, "we could go back if you want."

Her brother scowled. "No way. I've been in enough pain – thank you very much."

We were reunited in the food court, and I had to agree that it was time to leave. Exhaustion was catching up to me, and I longed for a nap. In the back of my mind, I couldn't believe I just spent so much money on a dress, but I refused to doubt that it was worth it. I just had to get through the week and then Forrest would get to see it himself.

"Well, let's get going then," Ivy said. "Where are mom and dad?"

"They already went home," he replied. "Speaking of that," he turned to me, "do you want to go to our house? Or you and I can go to your place if you want."

"Actually, your place sounds good," I let out a yawn, "I don't feel like going home yet."

"You got it, honey." Forrest casually wrapped an arm around my shoulders, and we started to walk. "Hey, do you want me to carry that for you?" He gestured to the yellow, plastic shopping bag I was holding.

"Oh, uh, no," I quickly said, "I mean . . . I'm fine. It's not that heavy anyway." Please don't ask what I bought. Please don't ask what I –

"So what did you buy?" he asked.

I inwardly cursed. I hoped Ivy would distract him or something, but she was trailing a few feet behind us, concentrated on her phone. Finally, I had no choice but to say, "Well, you'll see on Saturday."

Forrest raised his brows, obviously intrigued. "Oh, nice. Now, I'm even more excited."

My lips stretched into a smile. "So am I."

Minutes later, we made it to his car. Once we were inside, I told them that I was going to take a nap. Before I knew it, I let sleep claim me.