opportunity |H.S|

• two •

May 25th

Bright lights suddenly invade my eyes, startling me awake as I bring my hand up to shield my vision from the sunlight. In the background I can hear shuffling going on in my room. My alarm hasn't even gone off yet so I know it has to be some time before eight.

Well so much for getting a good night's rest before my big day.

Slowly adjusting to the brightness that has filled my room, I peel my eyes open to see that my mom has pulled open the curtains to my balcony window allowing rays of sunshine to fill the entirety of my bedroom disrupting the peaceful sleep I was in. She's now standing by one of my lounge chairs in the corner of my room where I had laid out my black gown the night prior, instead holding a gown that I've tried on some time ago in her hands and admiring its details.

The dress itself is beautiful, but the opposite of what I had chosen to wear tonight. Instead of a black dress with a flowy layered mesh material, slits in the skirt, and gold detailing all over it, the one in her hand is a champagne color with ivory detailing. Confused as to what she's doing here with that dress, my eyes wander to where my dress is on the arm chair.

Or should I say was.

Immediately I sit up, my eyes scanning around to look for where it could be but having no luck in locating it.

"Oh did I wake you?" Mother speaks up, looking towards me over her shoulder feigning innocence as if she didn't mean to do so, "Well now that you're awake you better get up, we have a lot to do to prepare you for tonight."

"Mother... where's my dress." I ask cautiously.

"Oh honey... you didn't actually think we'd let you wear black to your big debut did you? You are representing our family today, all these men and their families need to see you as wife material. This." She says, focusing her eyes back on the gown in her hands, "This gown is exactly what we need for today, It screams innocence, purity and elegance."

"But you said I could wear the other gown."  I question, still not understanding why she would take this one thing away from me. All I wanted was to have control over one thing. None of this is about me or for me so all I wanted was to feel an ounce of control and wear something I felt confident and more like myself in.

She sighs as if annoyed I'm even questioning this to begin with, "The last thing your father or I needed was to hear you babbling on and on about that silly dress, if I would have said no to begin with that all I would have had to hear. It was easier this way." She says as she walks over to the edge of the bed laying it down gently like it's her prized possession.

"Now go clean yourself up and head down to Esther when you're done, she will be getting you ready for tonight."

"But Moth-"

"Not another word about the dress." She snaps before I could finish, "That is unless you would like to take it up with your father."

Immediately I shut my mouth, I already know how that conversation will end and that is the last thing that I need on a day like today. I sigh, accepting my loss watching as my mother turns on her heels and makes her way towards the door exiting and shutting it on her way out.

I should have expected something like this to happen honestly. It was too easy to get her to agree which that itself should have raised a red flag for me but I let my excitement get the best of me.

I just need to get over it. I'm doing this for my parents. This is all for them.

If I can pull this off, maybe then they will be proud of me.