Chapter 2 - The Woman Who Chose to Be Her Mother
Lillian didn't tell Naomi to calm down.
She pulled out a chair, sat beside her, and waited until the girl's breathing slowed.
Then she carefully removed the remaining pins, placing them one by one into a small ceramic bowl.
Naomi watched her hands.
"Aunt Lillian, can they fix it?"
"I don't know yet."
"Please don't lie to make me feel better."
Lillian looked at her niece.
"I won't."
That answer hurt, but Naomi was grateful for it.
The cut was small, located along the inner lining near the waist. Someone had also loosened several original stitches. Whether the damage could be repaired without changing the dress permanently would require a specialist.
Naomi touched the lace at the edge of one sleeve.
"I remember when she showed it to me."
Lillian's expression softened.
"You were little."
"Five."
Naomi looked down at the dress.
"I thought she was a princess."
The memory returned with startling clarity.
Evelyn had been standing in a sunlit bedroom, wearing the gown for a final fitting. Her hair was pinned up, and she wore no jewelry except a simple pair of earrings.
Naomi had stood in the doorway holding a stuffed rabbit.
When Evelyn noticed her, she knelt carefully so the skirt spread around them.
"Do I look all right?" Evelyn asked.
Naomi nodded.
"Are you going to be my mommy now?"
Evelyn didn't laugh.
She took Naomi's small hands.
"I'd like to be, if you'll let me."
Naomi had thrown herself into her arms.
There had been no grand speech.
No promise that everything would always be easy.
Only a woman in a wedding dress, choosing a little girl who wasn't biologically hers.
From that day forward, Evelyn had been Mom.
At the wedding reception, Naomi danced on Evelyn's shoes until the guests began leaving.
For years afterward, Evelyn would sometimes tell her that the best part of her wedding wasn't marrying David.
It was becoming a family of three.
Lillian listened without interrupting.
Then she said, "Your mother knew you might want that dress someday."
Naomi lifted her head.
"What?"
"When you were older, she wanted you to decide what to do with it."
Naomi had known the dress was being saved for her, but hearing Evelyn's intention spoken aloud felt different.
"Did Dad know?"
Lillian hesitated.
"Yes."
After Evelyn died, David had helped pack away her belongings. He and Lillian had placed the dress in a preservation box, with Naomi standing nearby.
David himself had written the label.
NAOMI — KEEP.
Naomi remembered the black marker.
She remembered her father pressing the label onto the box.
And she remembered believing that, whatever changed in their lives, some things would remain safe.
Her phone buzzed against the table.
Dad.
She let it ring.
A message followed.
"Where are you? Vanessa is very upset. Please bring the dress home so we can discuss this."
Naomi stared at the screen.
Not Are you okay?
Not I'm sorry.
Bring the dress home.
Lillian read the message after Naomi turned the phone toward her.
"You can stay here tonight," she said.
"He's going to be mad."
"He can be mad at me."
Naomi gave a small, exhausted laugh.
Outside, the evening darkened.
She remembered how the house had changed after Vanessa moved into David's life.
At first, Vanessa had been pleasant. She brought groceries, helped with errands, and asked Naomi about school.
But after she and David became engaged, the changes grew harder to ignore.
Evelyn's photographs disappeared from the living room.
Her favorite chair was given away.
When Naomi mentioned something her mother used to do, Vanessa often responded by changing the subject.
Once, during dinner, Naomi had said Evelyn always played music while cooking.
Vanessa smiled tightly.
"Well, people have different ways of doing things. This is our home now."
David hadn't noticed Naomi stop eating.
Or perhaps he had noticed and decided silence was easier.
Now Naomi wondered how many things she had surrendered simply because she didn't want to make her father uncomfortable.
Her phone rang again.
This time she answered.
"Dad."
"Naomi, you need to come home."
"I'm at Aunt Lillian's."
David sounded relieved.
"All right. Then bring the dress tomorrow."
"No."
Silence.
"Naomi—"
"Do you remember the label you put on its box?"
David didn't answer.
"The one that said my name?"
A faint sound came from his end of the call.
Vanessa's voice.
"Tell her it was never hers to begin with."
Naomi closed her eyes.
May you like
"Dad," she said quietly, "what happened to that label?"
The silence that followed was answer enough.
