Chapter Fifteen

Time Jump – Three Years Later

Clary POV:

Jace and I had been planning our wedding for the past two years and I couldn't wait until the day actually arrived. My parents were actually really into the whole planning process. It definitely brought my mom and me closer. She was actually really happy, and we were getting along really well. The date was set, and we had six more months until the big day and I only had one more detail to get done, my dress. I know I know, I waited so long but I was so wrapped up in school the details of the wedding that the dress just slipped my mind.

Today was the day I had my first dress shopping experience and I was terrified. It didn't help that Izzy, and my mom were so into the latest fashion, so I was probably going to try on a bunch of different styles, but what was also intimidating was that I didn't have a budget for my dress. My parents wanted to buy it for me, so now combine the style with the unlimited budget I was doomed with my mother and Izzy. I checked my phone and realized that I had to meet my mother at her house in 25 minutes so I roll out of bed and hop in the shower. Once I get out I pull on my jeans and a sweater and follow the smell of coffee into the kitchen where I find Jace sitting at the counter reading the paper and drinking a cup of coffee. I smile and walk over and snake my arms around his waist.

"Good morning." He says and turns around to face me.

"Good morning. You're late this morning." I said and he laughs.

"No. I stayed late last night so my boss said I could come in a little later." He rested his hands on my hips. "What's the plan for today?"

"Dress shopping with my mom, Izzy, and Maryse."

"That sounds fun."

"I think it'll be closer to torture than fun." He laughs and than picks me up and sits me on his lap.

"Why is that?"

"Because Izzy is a nightmare when it comes to clothes, and my mother will probably try to strong arm me into getting a dress she loves, and I don't have a budget. I'm hoping Maryse and I are on the same team, so that I'm not completely alone."

"Maryse wants whatever you want. You know that." He says as he kisses my cheek. I check the clock on the stove and groan.

"I better get going. I have to meet my mom at her house. Are you planning on staying late at work tonight?" He shakes his head. "Anything you want for dinner?"

"Whatever you feel like cooking I'm good with." He says as I get off his lap.

"Alright, I'm praying I'm done by at least 3. But with Izzy and my mother who knows how long it could take." I grab my keys and my purse. Jace walks behind me and we stop in front of his car. "I'll see you tonight." I give him a kiss. "I love you."

"I love you too. And remember. This is our wedding. If you find a dress you absolutely love, who cares what anyone else thinks. Get what you feel the most beautiful and the most confident in."

"What did I ever do to deserve you?" I said as I wrapped my arms around his waist.

"I think the better question is what did I ever do to deserve you?" He said and I stood up on my tippy toes and kissed him.

"I think he deserve each other." I said and he nodded. "Alright, I'll see you later. Love you."

"Love you too." He said and we both got in our cars and went on our way.

I got to my moms house and when I walked in I could hear talking coming from the kitchen. When I walked in I saw Izzy and my mom huddled around the kitchen table. I should have known they would have been in contact before dress shopping even started to get their plan of attack ready.

"Are you two ready?" I said and they both jumped. "Sorry, didn't mean to startle you."

"Nonsense Clary, we were just looking over some dresses. But our appointment is in" She looked at her phone. "20 minutes, so we better get going. Izzy is your mom going to meet us there?"

"Yes, she had some things to do before the appointment."

"Excellent. Lets get going!" My mom announced and we piled into her car and were off to the appointment.

When I got there, Izzy and my mom started talking the ear off of the woman who was going to help us for the day. After about 15 minutes of their none stop chatting, I got up and told them that I had to be brought back to the fitting room and they finally shut up and the woman brought me back. When we got into the room I let out a deep breath and took a seat and she followed.

"They are very excited about your big day." She said and I gave her a small smile. "You don't seem so excited though."

"I didn't want a big wedding. But the guest list is almost three hundred people."

"Wow. That's insane."

"Yea. It's taken a while to plan this wedding."

"How long?"

"We got engaged almost four years ago."

"Wow. Can you tell me a little about him?" She said and I think I smiled a little too big because I knew she could see the instant change in my attitude when she brought Jace up.

"We met in high school. We didn't go to the same one, but I always threw an annual back to school party, and him and his siblings always came. After that we would meet up or talk every couple months. He was actually my only real friend." I said and I started playing with my engagement ring. "I haven't always had the best life. For one, my family was always in the spot light because of who my parents are and who my brother is. I wasn't in a good place senior year of high school and I tried to take my own life." I said and she gasped. "Jace came to see me after everything went down and I ended up telling him everything about my past, and he listened, and he never judged me, and he was there so comfort me in my weakest moment. Right before we started at NYU we got together, and we've been together ever since. I couldn't imagine my life without him."

"Wow. That's quite a story. So, I know how your mom and best friend want you to look like on your wedding day, but how would you like to look? Or does your fiancé have a preference?"

"He told me to get whatever dress made me feel the most beautiful and the most confident."

"Good man. So do you have any style you'd like to try on more than another?"

"I've never been a fan of mermaid style dresses, but I'd be willing to try on any other style dress. I don't really know what looks good on me, so I'm pretty open."

"Alright, I'm going to go grab some dresses, and I'll be back." She said and she left the room. I stripped down and got into the robe that they provided and maybe 10 minutes later she was back. "Alright, so I got some ballroom, trumpet, and fit and flare styles. I also got some strapless, cap sleeve, full sleeve, quarter sleeve, and thick and thin strap style dresses. So we have a little bit of everything in here, so lets get started."

She put me in the first dress, and I absolutely hated it. I didn't even want to show it to my family, so I took it off and moved onto the next one. After the first 4 dresses were an absolute no, I put on the fifth one and it was too bad. It was a ball gown that had lace details on the sweetheart neckline. It was pretty, and I decided that it was alright to show my mom, Izzy and Maryse. When I walked out into their view they all gasped. But I don't think it had anything to do with the dress, but the fact that I actually looked like a bride. I got in front of them and exhaled.

"So? How does it look?" I said and I could see everyone thinking.

"It's a pretty dress." My mom said, and I thought I'd just cut her off right there. I knew she was trying to spare my feelings.

"But not the right one for me." I said and everyone let out a breath of relief.

"Yes. I think it's too plain for you." I nod and we make our way back into the room and take it off.

The next three hours are me trying on dresses, and feeling pretty but not beautiful. At one point I got so frustrated I stormed away from my family and went back into the room and sat down in the dress and put my head in my hands. A few moments later there was a knock on the door and a felt a hand rest on my knee and when I looked up Maryse was sitting next to me.

"What's wrong sweetie?" She asked and I sat up.

"I feel like I'll never find a dress. I don't feel beautiful in anything I've put on, and I know my mom and Izzy want me to look a certain way, but I just I don't know what I want."

"Have you talked to Jace about it?"

"He told me to get whatever I felt beautiful and confident in, but I just I don't think that dress exists." I look at her and she smiles.

"You know, I thought the same way when I was looking for my wedding dress. I felt like none of the dresses I tried on were the right one. I kept thinking about Robert's reaction. I was trying to find a dress that he would like, and it totally backfired because I was so busy looking for him that I didn't look for myself."

"What happened?"

"I ended up getting a dress that I liked, and it looked pretty but it wasn't the one for me. And Robert knew that. He could see it on my face."

"What did he say?"

"He told me that it didn't matter how he felt on our wedding day, it mattered how I felt. I deserved to feel like royalty, and like I was the most beautiful person in the room. And I didn't. I felt average. And that's not how someone should feel on their wedding day. I know Izzy can be manipulative when it comes to fashion, and I know your mother wants things done a certain way, but this is your day. This day is joining you and Jace, and I know you want to look good for him, but sweetie, he would think you were the most gorgeous girl in the room if you were wearing a potato sac." I couldn't help but laugh as I brushed some stray tears away. "You can stop for the day, there will always be tomorrow." She said and I starred at the five other dresses that hung on the rack.

"I think I'll try on these last five dresses, and see how I feel after that." I said and she stood up and kissed me on the forehead. She smiled and than exited the room before the woman walked back in.

"Are you okay?"

"Just a little overwhelmed. But I want to try these five last dresses on." I said and she smiled and helped me out of the dress I was in and put me in another. The first three were failures, and I was getting really discouraged until I saw her face light up. "What?"

"I think I just thought of the perfect dress for you. Can you hold on for five minutes?" She said and I nodded and she rushed out the door. Sure enough, five minutes later she rushed back into the room. She had the biggest smile on her face and she made me turn around and get changed. After I was in the dress and zipped up, she let me turn around and I was speechless. She had put me in a ball gown, but it wasn't super poufy. It was silk, with a sweetheart neckline and ruching all across the top. It was a high waist and strapless, and it had pockets! It was absolutely beautiful, and it made me feel like I was worth a million dollars. I turned around and hugged her. I nearly skipped out of the dressing room and out to my family. When I walked out I heard gasps and when I turned around I saw that my mom was crying, Izzy was smiling from ear to ear and Maryse was nodding in approval towards me.

"So, what do you think?" I asked and it took a moment but my mom finally spoke up.

"My baby is getting married!" She yelled and stood up and hugged me. Izzy was next followed by Maryse.

"Alright, lets get you jacked up." The woman said and she put a veil on me and a jeweled waist band to give it a little something extra. When I saw my self in the mirror I started to cry.

"This is actually happening. I'm getting married in six months." I said and everyone pulled me into a group hug. When we broke apart I looked at the woman and smiled. "I think I found my dress." Everyone cheered and I couldn't help but smile and feel so much happiness despite how frustrated I was during this appointment. All of the details were finally complete and now all I had to do was wait for the wedding date to arrive and I couldn't help but smile and look forward to that day and all the joy it would bring.