Spring

She pushed her hair out of her eyes and stared at herself in the mirror as her mother, aunt and the dressmaker moved around her in a whirlwind of taffeta and chiffon. She shook her head watching as they moved away one by one, only to return with frothy candy colored creations that they held up for her approval. She took them one by one, trying to find one thing that did not make her gag. Hands on hips, she tapped her sneakered toe and popped bubblegum as the women became whirling dervish of color and sound in the small shop. Speaking all at once, all directed at her, but none of them speaking directly to her. She had known when she’d told them that they would erupt into a cyclone of glitter and lip gloss, and she had been correct. By the time they came to her with the cotton candy pink cloud of pink fluff, she’d turned her eyes to her younger sister who smiled with satisfaction. She lifted a brow at the girl as she stood dressed as a pink glittering cupcake, her hands on her hips and smiled. “Stand still Abigail.” Mother chided and she slumped her shoulders in defeat.

“What are you grinning at, Gracie? Next spring, this,” She held out the fluffy tulle skirt of her cupcake dress and smiled at her baby sister, whose face dropped in comical horror. “Is going to be you.”