Forever | h.s.

Chapter 29

~Annabel's POV~

"Annabel, what do you think of this one?" My mother asked, walking around me in a circle, as I stood on a platform, with my arms straight out at my sides, like I was trying to keep balance. The tailor was poking and prodding at the dress, trying to get it to fit at the right places.

"Ow," I blurted out, as she pricked me accidentally with a pin. She looked at me with sympathetic eyes.

"Annabel," My mother repeated.

"Um, not my favorite." I answered. The dress was a strapless long dress, with a sweetheart neckline. It was black on the top, and separated by a diamond "belt," just below my bust area. The rest of it was poofy, and a light pink color. It was like a prom dress. It showed a lot of my chest area, due to the low plunge.

"Mm, I suppose you're right." My mother agreed, one of her arms crossed over her chest. Her other elbow rested ontop of her arm, and her fingers touched her lips and jawline. "Alright, let's try on a different one, quickly." She snapped her fingers. I helped the tailor by removing any pins that held the gown in place. We were onto our fourth dress, out of six.

"Mother, why can't we just pick a dress out of my closet? I have plenty, I don't need another."

"Annabel, we get a new dress every year for this ball." She sighed. "Keep going," She told the tailor. This next dress was long again, all the way down to the floor. But instead of poofing out, it was a skinny dress, with blue, silky material. It had only one strap, that was braided with diamonds, that connected to another thick line of diamonds running directly underneath my bust. There was a slit in the dress, running from the very top of my thigh, all the way down, exposing a lot of leg.

"I don't like this one." I commented, as the tailor secured another pin in place.

"Annabel, you can't be so picky all the time." My mother shook her head, and looked me up and down.

"I just don't like it, don't I get a say in what I wear?"

"Of course, next one." She sighed. We moved on to the fifth dress. It was another ball gown style dress, red and long with more silky material, but it wasn't skinny. It was very elegant, and it poofed out the slightest bit. The bust area had overlapping fabric, and had a beautiful diamond accent "securing" it all together. The tailor pinned more places down, as my mother walked in circles around me. "Oh Annabel," She cooed. "You look absolutely beautiful." Her hard look softened, and her eyebrows were raised. There was a glimmer in her eyes.

"Mother, are you crying?" I asked, shocked. My mother wasn't a lady to ever cry. She was strong, and stubborn. Showing emotion meant showing your weak side, in her eyes.

"Oh honey," She dabbed her eyes lightly with a tissue, careful not to smear her make-up. "I remember when you were just a little girl, we never thought you'd make it this far, but look at you now. You were so strong, such a fighter-"

"Okay Mother, please no sob stories." I smiled, trying to lighten the mood.

"Okay, sorry. You look absolutely stunning darling." She nodded. I smiled in thanks, and examined the dress in the mirror in front of me. It was a beautiful dress, and it fit me nicely, with the tailoring of course. I nodded in approval.

"I like it, but let's try on the last one in case." I suggested. My mother nodded in agreement, and clapped her hands, cueing a worker that brought out the last one. It was wrapped in a solid black bag that covered the whole dress, letting none of it be seen. I headed back into the dressing room, along with the tailor that would help me get the dress on. When she removed the dress from the bag, I can already see it was a stunning dress. I slipped it on, and waited until I was secured enough in the dress, before walking out, and back onto the platform. Once again, my mother circled my figure, and I stood still, getting poked and prodded by pins. Once the tailor was done, she stood back, leaving me standing in the center. The dress itself, was a beautiful nudish, peachy color, underneath the bust. It was another skinnier dress, and it flowed nicely down my figure. The bust area and straps were covered in shimmering silver and gold diamonds, accents, and sequins, when it reflected off the light.