AUTHOR'S NOTE: I had just realized how close we are to the date this story takes place, so I am imaginging Todayland to be improving, but still having its modern look.
DISCLAIMER: I do not own anything related to "Meet the Robinsons."
STORY #3: The Dress Shop
STORIES OF REFERENCE: None
NARRATOR: Tallulah
SEPTEMBER 22, 2022 – TODAYLAND, NORTH MONTANA, USA
I woke up this morning with a smile on my face. I looked outside to see it was a sunny day, and it was the perfect day for me to wear my roller skates. I got out of bed and took a look in my closet… only to find five dresses. Each dress represented a city that I had toured and that had made a big impact on my college education: New York City, Chicago, Los Angeles, Denver, and Albuquerque.
"I need to shop for more dresses," I said out loud as I put on my Chicago-styled dress. "Or I could make my own."
After I brushed my long red hair and put on my Chicago-styled headband, I put on my skates and skated out of my room and to the travel tube, which took me to the dining room.
"Good morning, Tallulah!" Aunt Lucille greeted me with a big smile on her face.
"Morning, Aunt Lucille," I replied, taking a seat at my spot.
I sat and waited until the whole family arrived in the dining room. By the time breakfast was served, the only people that were missing were Franny and Cornelius.
"Franny's always here for breakfast," my cousin-in-law Art said with worry in his voice.
"This isn't like her," Aunt Billie said, also worried. "I should go see what's wrong with her."
"Don't worry about it," Uncle Bud assured her. "Cornelius is with her. She's not alone. And besides, knowing Franny, she'll be fine. She's probably just running late."
"I'm sorry, everyone!" Franny said as she walked in with Cornelius behind her.
"Franny, are you alright?" I asked her. "You look green."
"It's probably a stomach bug," Franny answered. "I'll be fine."
"Now that everyone is here, breakfast is served!" Carl announced, and his mini Carls emerged from his torso and served us pancakes with a side of eggs.
"What is that awful smell?" Franny asked as her food got served.
"It's eggs," Aunt Lucille answered with a weird expression.
"Franny, are you sure you're alright?" Gaston asked. "This isn't like you to be sick."
"Gaston, I'm fine. The smell just threw me off. Let's eat, please."
Everyone felt uneasy as we all ate. We were all concerned about Franny, who told us she wasn't sick, but she had the look. We all acted serious and kept asking her if she was okay before we went our separate ways.
I didn't have a job since I moved to Todayland a month ago. My mother had recently died of breast cancer and my dad could no longer afford the mortgage payments on our house, so Uncle Bud and Aunt Lucille offered for us to live with them with no charge. Dad was very happy he did not have to make a payment, and we did not hesitate to move to Todayland from New York City.
Dad was still mourning for Mom, but Laszlo and I had healed with grace. Uncle Bud, Aunt Lucille, and Cornelius had all encouraged us to do what we loved to do, and Laszlo picked up on that very quickly. Laszlo was an artist, and he had brought all of his paint stuff with him from New York. Laszlo had sold his paintings to a museum in the district we lived in so that everyone could appreciate his art. He had graduated with a bachelor's in art.
I had also recently graduated, but I got my bachelor's degree in both business administration and art. I was a gifted seamstress and had made my own dresses. But I wasn't sure how to start a business. In New York, while I studied the 1920s in depth, I had worked in a shop and was paid for all alternations that were requested by everyone who needed them done for special occasions. Now that I had moved to Todayland in the aftermath of Mom's death, I was not sure how to spend my time.
I skated back to my room and took out my sewing machine. I picked out some fabric that I had taken with me from New York, and I started sewing some dresses for me to wear. I ended up making three dresses that day.
The next day, I decided to wear the pink and orange dress I made. But I didn't go the dining room right away. Instead, I skated to Cornelius and Franny's room. I knocked on the door, hoping that someone would be in there. The door opened to reveal Cornelius.
"Hey, Tallulah, can it wait for a few minutes?" Cornelius asked as I heard someone puking in the background.
"Is Franny okay?" I asked.
"She says she is, but I'm not convinced. I'm going to take her to a doctor later today."
"Oh. Well, I hope she'll be okay."
I turned away and sadly skated over to the travel tube to head to the dining room.
"Tallulah, are you okay?" Aunt Billie asked me as I took a seat.
"I was hoping to talk to Cornelius about something, but he's busy."
"You can talk to me, honey."
I smiled at that.
"Can we talk somewhere private?"
"Of course, we can."
Aunt Billie took my hand, and we walked out of the dining room. We walked over to the doors leading to the garage and took a seat on the couches next to the train tracks.
"What's on your mind, Tallulah?" Aunt Billie asked with a kind smile on her face.
"Well, Laszlo has something to do, like sell his paintings. I've spent the past month exploring the house, but now I have nothing to do. I spent all day yesterday making three dresses for myself to wear instead of wearing the same five dresses that I brought with me from New York."
"Did you make that dress?" Aunt Billie asked, and I stood up, twirling in a circle to show off the pink-and-orange dynamics. "You have a gift!"
"Before we moved here, I did alterations and earned money doing that. I was going to ask Cornelius if there was any work that I can do."
"I have a better idea. Why don't you be your own boss?"
"Aunt Billie—"
"Come on, Tallulah! You have a degree in business administration, which means you can own a business. Why not do what you love to do and get paid for it?"
"That sounds stressful—"
"We can help you!" Aunt Billie said with a big smile on her face. "At least we can help you get started. I'm sure Cornelius would be on board with it. But he has this thing with Franny right now. I'll help you look for a place to start your business! There's gotta be some empty buildings in the downtown area."
"Didn't you say you wanted to start building a train?" I asked.
"Tallulah, other people's needs are more important than mine," Aunt Billie answered with a smile. "I can work on my train any time. What you need is more serious than that. We can go right now if you like."
"We need to eat first."
"Oh, that's right. Well, then we'll go after we eat."
Aunt Billie drove me in her baby blue car into the city, which still looked modern with its skyscrapers. Cousin Cornelius was still working on inventing the flying car, so we had to stick to the ground for now. But we were so excited for when the flying car would be operational.
We kept our eyes open for an empty building in the downtown district of the city. We drove around so many blocks that we felt like giving up. Suddenly I found a white building that caught my eyes.
"Aunt Billie, stop the car!"
Aunt Billie parked the car in front of the building, and we walked up to the building, which had a "For Sale" sign taped to the window.
"I wonder if there's a way to get in," Aunt Billie said out loud. "Is there a phone number listed on there?"
"It looks abandoned," I replied, looking as best as I can through the windows, but I only saw two white curtains. "Can we call Cornelius?"
"I don't see why not. I'm sure some time has passed and Franny's probably at her job at Todayland Elementary School."
Aunt Billie took out her phone and dialed Cornelius's phone.
"Hey, Cornelius, it's Aunt Billie. I'm downtown with Tallulah and we've come across an abandoned building that's for sale. There's no number listed. Is there anyway you can help us out? No, we're not trespassing. That's why we're calling you. Call the bank? Alright, thank you."
"Is he coming?" I asked with hope in my brown eyes.
"No, he says we have to call the bank and tell them you're interested in buying the building."
"Wait, what?! I don't have the money!"
"On the contrary, yes, you do. Tallulah, you're with us now. And with Cornelius's inventions helping the world, his inventions are selling very quickly."
"Which means, he's rolling in dough," I replied, realizing what Aunt Billie was saying.
"Knowing Cornelius and his parents, they would do anything to help us. Otherwise, they wouldn't have offered the house for us to live in. I'm sure they will help you own this building."
I watched as Aunt Billie made the call to the bank, and then we sat down on the step.
"So, what are you envisioning in this dress shop of yours?" Aunt Billie asked.
"I've never really thought much about it," I explained, and then all of a sudden, ideas started to form in my head. "But I can imagine the cash register and counter right next to the door with some dresses in display in these windows. I would have dresses all over the shop, and there would be a special section for wedding dresses. Then, if someone was getting married, I would have a room in the back just for the bride and groom to try on their gowns. And I would store their dresses and gowns in that room so that no one can see them."
"With what you made for yourself, I wouldn't be surprised if your shop turned out to be a big hit," Aunt Billie replied just as another car pulled up and a man in a fancy suit got out of the car.
"Hello! Which one of you is Tallulah Robinson?"
"That would be me," I answered with a smile.
"How much would you be willing to pay to buy this building?" the man asked.
"It all depends on how it looks inside. I want to run a dress shop."
"Well, normally we wouldn't do this, but the truth is, we need a dress shop in Todayland. Walmart and Target just don't cut it."
I watched as the banker unlocked the door, and I walked into the building, which was very spacious and empty.
"Look at this, Aunt Billie!" I exclaimed, running into the building and then walking around cautiously.
The more I looked around, the more my vision of my dress shop came alive. It looked like it may have been a shoe store in the past, and I was in awe.
"Is there another room in this building?" I asked the banker.
"Follow me."
I followed the banker past another door into another spacious room.
"This building used to be a dance studio and ballroom," the banker told us. Oops.
"That would explain why the building looks so spacious," Aunt Billie said in awe.
"So why did it close?" I asked.
"The owners couldn't afford the mortgage anymore," the banker explained. "So we had to foreclose it, which was a shame. I had a daughter who had attended dance classes here, and the studio and ballroom closed just after she started high school."
"You didn't fight to save it?" Aunt Billie asked with surprise.
"As a banker, I am discouraged to do so."
"It may not become the dance studio and ballroom it once was," I spoke up. "But I am determined to beautify this building into the best dress shop anyone in Todayland has ever seen. I'll buy the building. How much do you want for it?"
"One hundred thousand dollars."
"Are you serious?" I asked with shock, and I felt pale. "I can't pay that much!"
"Tallulah, we'll do this together," Aunt Billie told me. "If everyone in the family can chip in what they have, we'll be able to buy this building for you."
"Aunt Billie, you don't need—"
"We're the Robinsons. We don't ever give up on each other." Aunt Billie paused, glancing at the banker. "But there's a catch. Bring the price down to seventy-five thousand dollars, and we'll pay you tomorrow."
"Are you both related to Cornelius Robinson?" the banker asked.
"I'm his aunt," Aunt Billie answered.
"And I'm his cousin," I chimed in.
"Seventy thousand dollars, then," the banker said. "It may not look like much has changed, but Cornelius has made the world greener the past decade. We owe him."
"We'll figure this out," Aunt Billie replied. "Thank you for your time."
Aunt Billie and I explained our situation to the family at dinner, and as she said, they were more than happy to help out, especially Cornelius. So, the next morning, Aunt Billie and I made our way to the bank, and we gave the banker the check that contained almost all of the money he requested.
"You guys really did it," the banker said with a smile on his face.
"My brother also offered to sell you some of his paintings for the shop to cover the rest of the payment," I told him. "I hope that's okay."
"We are in need of some fresh paintings," the banker replied. "It's a deal. Stay right there, young lady, I'll be right back."
"Another one of your creations?" Aunt Billie asked, looking at my blue and purple dress that I made two days before.
"Yes, and I made three more yesterday."
"I wouldn't mind if you made me a dress. I'll be your first customer."
"Really?" I asked in awe, and then I pondered in thought. "Well, I am going to need someone to help me come up with a method as to how to get a woman's measurements. Maybe you can be my guinea pig."
"I'd love to be your guinea pig," Aunt Billie replied, and we gave each other a hug before the banker came back with the key.
"The building is yours, Miss Robinson," the banker told me with a smile.
"Thank you so much!" I told him, and then I turned to my aunt. "And thank you for helping me make this possible."
"Thank me later. Let's get to that shop!"
We both giddied as we ran back to her car, and we drove to the building. I took down the 'For Sale' sign, unlocked the door, and walked right in.
"I can't believe this is really mine," I said in awe.
I saw two brooms in the corner, and Aunt Billie and I started sweeping the whole store. We both coughed this whole time.
"I hope we don't get sick from this," Aunt Billie said while coughing. "This whole place is a mess!"
"Speaking of which, I wonder how Franny's doing?"
"Cornelius took Franny to the doctor yesterday, and he says she's fine."
"Aunt Billie, Franny does not look fine."
"I wonder if…"
"If what?" I asked with a puzzled expression.
"If Franny is pregnant."
"If she was pregnant, wouldn't she have known about it?"
"That is true. We'll just have to ask her about it later. But right now, let's finish cleaning this up."
"Aunt Billie, it's going to take more than two brooms to clean the store. We need a mop, a duster, all of that."
"No, we need Carl. Carl can do all of that!"
"Well, alright, we'll enlist Carl's help," I replied. "But we need more than Carl to help us out."
Aunt Billie and I returned to the building the next day, but this time, Carl, Uncle Joe, Laszlo, and Dad were helping us out. Uncle Joe and Carl took care of the mopping, Laszlo handled the dusting while using a ladder, and Aunt Billie and I continued to sweep out the back room.
The fifth day that I stepped foot in the building, Art, Gaston, and Carl helped Aunt Billie and me. They had built the counter that would hold the cash register and all the dresses and items the customers would need, as well as some other things. They also helped set up the racks all over the store. Carl also finished mopping the back room that day.
On the sixth day, I brought my sewing machine with me to put in the back room where I would be doing all of my sewing, and I also inserted a bell with Carl's help. I had also went to Walmart and shopped for fabric that would help me get started on my dresses. I also shopped online for fabric that I would use to make wedding dresses. I was not planning on opening my shop for another month to give me time to make enough dresses to sell.
The next day, I sat in the back, sewing a dress when I heard the bell. I put on a confused look, set the fabric down, and walked toward the front door.
"I'm sorry, but I'm not open yet," I told the would-be customer, but I stopped when I found Franny walking on. "Oh! Hi Franny!"
"Hey, Tallulah. This place is really shaping up!"
"Thanks! All I'm doing right now is sewing so that I'll have enough to open the store. Would you like to see the back?"
"Please!"
I led Franny to the back room, where I was sewing.
"So I have a space to sew, and then this is where I'll be having the brides and grooms try on their gowns. What do you think?"
"I love it! But it needs a little touch."
"What do you mean?" I asked.
"This is your shop, Tallulah," Franny explained. "Right now, this looks like anyone owns it. You should add your own style to it."
"Can you help me out with that? If anyone has good fashion sense asides from me, it's you."
"Aww, thank you! Of course, I'll help you! I can stop by after school tomorrow."
I walked Franny back to the front, but she stopped and turned toward me.
"There was a reason I stepped in here."
"You mean you didn't stop by to just look around?" I asked.
"Well, yes. Everyone was talking about it and I had to see for myself. But yes, I came for a reason." Franny paused, bringing her voice down to a whisper. "No one knows except for Cornelius."
"Franny, what's this about?" I asked in a whisper.
"Cornelius and I just found out we're going to have a baby," Franny whispered excitedly.
I screamed excitedly, and then Franny joined in, and we hugged each other tightly.
"This is huge!" I exclaimed happily.
"Yes, and I'm going to need huge dresses," Franny replied with a laugh. "That was why I stopped in."
"Well, I'm not open yet, and based on your figure, your baby bump shouldn't be showing for a while."
I pondered, trying to come up with a solution.
"Then again, you're so small. Your baby bump might show up sooner because of that. I can start making you dresses, but you wouldn't be able to pay for them until the day of the grand opening."
"Oh, that's fine," Franny answered with a smile. "When will you be open?"
"October 28, eight A.M."
"I should be showing a little bit by then. That will be fine. The dresses I have will have to do for now. I'm so excited for you, Tallulah!"
"So am I, but mostly for you! You're going to be a mother! And you're going to be a darn good one!"
"I'm glad you think so," Franny replied. "I'm nervous about it. But don't tell anyone about the baby until Cornelius and I are ready."
"I've got your back," I replied with a wink.
Franny stopped by the next day with wallpaper that was absolutely perfect for my shop. We spent the entire hour taping skyscraper-themed wallpaper to the walls in the backroom as well as any wall that was left in the front room of the store.
"You know what we need in here?" Franny asked. "Carpet."
"Franny, what if people spill their drinks on the carpet?" I asked. "Sometimes, the drinks are hard to get off the floor."
"I suppose you have a point. It is your store, and if this is a way to keep it clean, then I won't judge you for it."
Franny also stopped by with Aunt Billie to help me hang up all of the dresses that I had made, and there were a whole bunch of dresses I had made with various necklines and dress styles. I even had some wedding dresses and groomsmen suits made. While they helped me hang up all of the dresses, I had started making maternity dresses for Franny and set them aside in the back room so I knew not to display them.
A month had passed, and I had enough money and enough dresses to open the shop. Cornelius and I held a grand opening ceremony, and I saw a lot of women attending the ceremony.
"I want to thank all of you for coming out to support my cousin in opening her new dress shop," Cornelius announced in a microphone. "She has done a marvelous job in making this a reality, and we are excited to add this business to our community. Tallulah, would you like to say a few words?"
"Thank you so much for coming here today," I told everyone in the microphone. "I especially want to thank my Aunt Billie and my cousin Franny for helping me get the shop ready for you. They encouraged me to follow my dreams, and here I am. I have a whole bunch of dresses for you to try, ranging from casual dresses to wedding dresses. I even have suits for the men who are getting married to the love of their lives. I am also opening to do alterations if you need them done."
"And now, The Dream Boutique is open for business!" Cornelius announced.
I cut the red ribbon with the big scissors and a big smile on my face, and I moved out of the way so that everyone could go inside the store and explore. I turned to walk inside, but I was stopped when I felt a hand tug me back.
"Congratulations, Tallulah," Aunt Billie said, standing next to Franny, and I gave both ladies a hug.
"This wouldn't have been possible without you," I replied. "Thank you so much."
I let go, and I took a good look at Franny.
"Franny, you're showing!"
"Yes, I'm starting to show," Franny replied, rubbing her small baby bump. "Do you have some dresses ready for me?"
"Follow me!"
I led Franny to the back of the store and handed her a blue dress.
"This dress is a loose-fitting dress in case you don't want to show everyone your bump yet," I explained to her, and then I handed her a red dress. "If you can't contain your excitement about telling everyone about the baby, then wear this dress. It's not tight, but it will frame your bump perfectly."
"Tallulah, please tell me you made more than two dresses," Franny said with a raised eyebrow.
"Of course, I have!"
I handed her five more dresses in various colors.
"Now that's more like it," Franny said with a smile. "Do you mind if I pay for these and then try one of them on?"
"Go for it," I answered happily. "Follow me to the counter."
Franny and I had to push our way to the front before I rang her up for the dresses.
"Because it's opening day and you're family, it's only sixty dollars for all seven dresses," I told her with a smile.
"You have a sale going on?" Franny asked.
"Twenty-five percent off on all purchases, and an extra five dollars off for family."
"So about ten dollars per dress? Not bad."
"Oh, it depends on the dress," I explained. "The wedding dresses are obviously the most expensive."
"Thank you, Tallulah."
"Thank you, Franny."
I watched Franny head to the back of the store to change into one of the dresses as I helped another lady out. I asked all of my customers if they were finding everything okay and if they needed help. It was a very successful opening day, and I just knew my business was going to flourish.