So, sadly no Naveen this chapter, just some girly, girly fun with Tiana, her mom, Charlotte, and Sarita. Enjoy!
Words from New Orleans:
Bra: a term of address for men. It's short for "brother."
Hickey: a knot or bump you get on your head when you bump or injure your head. The hickey you're thinking of is called a "passion mark"
These are not used in this chapter, but I find them amusing.
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"Tia, honey, come out!" Charlotte called through the door of Tiana's bedroom.
"How?" Tiana retorted. "These shoes you lent me are a hazard! I've never worn heels this high!"
"Which is why you need to come out now so you can practice walkin' in them! Plus your Mama is out here waiting to see if she needs to do any more alterations to the dress." Eudora was sitting impatiently at the table with pins, needles, and thread ready to go. Her measuring tape hung around her neck.
Before Tiana could even muster up enough courage to walk outside her room, there was a knock on the front door. Charlotte ran to the window and carefully peeked through the curtain to see who it was, getting ready to shoo Naveen away, but she didn't need to worry.
"Tia!" Charlotte called. "Your mother-in-law-to-be is here!" She opened the door and curtsied. "Your majesty! A pleasure to see you as always! Oh, would you like me to take that for you?" Charlotte began to reach for the large box in the Sarita's hands.
"Oh, there is no need, I have it. It is good to see you again, Eudora," she nodded, placing the box on the table. She sat down next to Eudora and smoothed the skirt of her dress with gloved hands. "Now, when do I get to see my new daughter in her wedding dress?" She didn't need to wait long.
The door to Tiana's room opened and very slowly, Tiana made her way into the kitchen, concentrating on balance and trying not to trip. Her hair was down for once because Charlotte wanted to see which style would look best with the dress. Her curls fell all the way down to her back, some framing her face, and only one sticking out at an odd angle. Tiana turned slowly in a circle for all the women to see.
"Oh, Tia! You just look divine!" Charlotte exclaimed. Tiana blushed, now looking like a proper bride.
"Now tell me again why you have not let Naveen see you with your hair down?" Sarita inquired. "You have beautiful curls, no?"
"I've been tellin' her that for years!" Charlotte exclaimed. "Unfortunately, the wedding and reception will be a little warm so we can't leave it down." She swept Tiana's hair up into an elegant bun, similar to the one she did at the masquerade ball. "There!"
"Does everything fit alright, honey?" Eudora asked.
"It's perfect, Mama," Tiana assured her. She loved the dress. Especially the flower on her shoulder that looked exactly like the one on her first wedding dress: the one she and Charlotte had seen in a shop along with the crown and Naveen's bayou wedding clothes. They got it all for next to nothing. Tiana had already modeled that dress for these women before.
"Almost perfect," Eudora corrected. She took out of her sewing box a wedding veil. "I wore this to my wedding," she explained, tucking the comb into the base of Tiana's bun. "There you go."
She held up a mirror for Tiana to see. It was hard to believe that the young woman staring back at her in the mirror was really her. But it was: this was Tiana, she was getting married…again, but nobody but Naveen, Louis, Mama Odie, JuJu, Charlotte, and all the creatures in the bayou needed to know that.
"You look wonderful," Sarita said. "But something is missing. Do you remember that crown you wore with that ball gown? Well I thought it was a very beautiful crown so I took it out and had someone make something very similar to it." She opened the box. Inside was a crown very similar to her bayou crown. Except this one looked like it was made from actual jewels and metal working instead of looking like it was made from leaves. Tiana gasped at it and very gingerly touched it with one of her white-gloved fingers.
"Put it on!" Charlotte encouraged. Sarita grabbed the crown and stood up. Tiana had to kneel a little since Sarita could not reach the top of Tiana's head when she was in heels. The crown completed the effect. Tiana twirled again and again in front of the full-length mirror in her bedroom for hours, after that, taking in the effect.
"Oh, I can't accept this," Tiana gasped. "It must've cost one pretty penny-"
Sarita raised her hand and Tiana stopped speaking immediately. "If I had the talent at sewing your mother has, I would have made you a wedding dress. But since I do not I am making contributions in other ways. Paying for the restaurant repairs and paying for renovations to the apartment above it is one way, giving you something to wear on your wedding day is another. Besides, you are going to have to get used to it. You are almost a princess now, yes? When you and my son are officially married, you shall have many tiaras and crowns to wear whenever you choose to from our collection."
Charlotte squealed with enthusiasm at the thought of all those crowns. Tiana made a mental note to ask Naveen if it was alright if Charlotte borrowed one every once in a while.
"You're all ready for your wedding, baby cakes," Eudora observed, getting teary-eyed. You have something old," she touched the veil, "something new," she motioned to the dress and the crown, "Charlotte's shoes are something borrowed-"
"And when I was in town today," Charlotte interrupted, digging through her purse. "I found something blue for you, Tia!" She pulled out a powder blue, lacy garter. Tiana hid her face in embarrassment with her hands. The other women laughed but all Tiana could think of is how Naveen would react to the garter. Oh, he was going to enjoy the reception just a little too much.