Chapter Twenty-Five
She held her breath for a moment. Meredith, Callie, and Izzie were sprawled on the couch, relieved to be out of their hideous dresses. They were talking about something, or at least Meredith and Callie were. The Face of Evil and her mother were still perusing the racks, probably trying to find something even uglier than the last monstrosity.
She saw Meredith inhale before saying, " Cristina, wow…"
"Damn, Yang. You clean up." Callie nodded in approval.
Her mother's face was blank, while the Face of Evil pursed her lips. "It's rather simple, isn't it?"
"It's us the justice of the peace and a few witnesses Mrs. Burke. I don't need or want fancy."
"We'll see. I still think you try on a few more dresses before you settle on…on [Ithat[/I." She pointed at it as if Cristina had dressed herself in stolen organs.
"I like this dress. I'm getting this dress." Meredith, Callie, and Izzie sat back as if they were an audience to a fight.
"You may like it, Cristina, but what about Preston? You need to think about him as well. Perhaps we should call him." Her voice was sickly sweet, an irritating façade.
"Isn't that bad juju?" Callie asked. The Face of Evil stayed silent.
"It's fine. I don't believe in superstitions." She looked the Face of Evil in the eye. "This wedding is happening." What was happening today were details.
"No, Preston is at work." She was backtracking. "He must be saving someone's life right now. It would be wrong to interrupt him." Cristina nodded, uncaring.
If she could beat a smarmy ex who knew far too much about the person she used to be, then she could certainly fight her future mother-in-law.
She pulled a random dress from the rack. It almost made Cristina laugh. With puffy sleeves and a ball gown skirt, the dress resembled what a southern belle would wear if she were on crack. Plus it could probably fit her, Meredith, and Callie with room to spare. The Face of Evil was cracking.
"Try this on. It will look beautiful." She almost sounded earnest.
" Jane that will never fit Cristina." Her mother seemed horrified.
"We can alter it."
"I believe that would be unnecessary."
Jane's eyebrow rose. So that was where Burke got it from. Well, that ruined it for Cristina. "Oh?" Trouble in the maternal alliance of evil?
"This dress is adequate even if it is rather plain." Her mother said it with a matter-of-fact tone. It was the tone she had used when something was not meant to be disputed.
"Adequate? But Helen I thought we would be of the same opinion on such an important matter—"
"I agree with you that it is very simple." She paused, now looking at Cristina. " Cristina will wear this dress… because my daughter looks beautiful."