Chapter 4

MarleyPOV

"What do you think about tulle?"

"Are you going to do pure white, off white or ivory?"

"Ball gown, princess, mermaid, or flowing?"

"Are you going to do a sweetheart neckline?"

"Are you against lace?"

Why did I want to go dress shopping with so many people again? I can't even think straight right now. Everyone keeps asking me questions I didn't even think about when I got married the first time. It's insane.

"If it's not a lot of it, it's okay. Ivory, it's not my first wedding, plus I'm not Virgin Marley any longer. No ball gowns… I want to be able to dance and hold my kids. I think sweetheart is pretty but I don't want to show too much. I think lace would be perfect." I say in one long breath, hoping I answered all the questions. "This is a special chance for me. I want something special for it. Not something I would never wear in a million years."

"Well then, let's get shopping!" says the consultant before walking to a rack of dresses. She looks for a bit before pulling off three or four dresses that have lace and sweetheart necklines. The sweetheart neck line of one continues into a crew neck using a piece of sheer fabric, another remained a sweetheart but had a bejeweled bodice the third and fourth were almost the same only one had beading and the other had a ribbon on the waistline.

"Marley, sweetheart, you look beautiful…" Emma tells me as I walk out in the first dress. She's right, it is pretty… but it's not it.

"Go change. Now." Kitty tells me, being blunt.

"Why?" I ask her confused. I thought she'd like this dress… she did pick it out.

"It's not the dress… I can see it in your face. Now, go." I turn around and walk back into the dressing room. This time as she helps me change, the consultant whose name I found out was Donna; asks me questions about Ryder.

"We met in high school, when we were sophomores and had a little fling when we were the leads in the musical but I still kind of liked this other guy so it just didn't work out that year. Soon it did and we dated all of junior and the beginning of senior year before we broke up." I tell her.

"How did you two cross paths again?"

"He came back into town and we just hit it off again… long story short I guess. " I explain as she fluffs the dress one last time and helps me off the step stool. When we walk back in, Carrie is gushing about a ball gown that she says is perfect.

"You must try this one on! It's gorgeous!" She tells me, handing the dress to Donna, who shakes her head. I go and put the dress on, and almost gag.

"I hate ball gowns… so much. They make me feel ridiculous." I mumble to myself as Donna ties the corset strings.

"They make everyone except people like your future mother in law feel ridiculous." She says laughing as we walk out.

"Marley, it's so amazing… Ry's gonna love it. I know it." Carrie tells me, a giant grin on her face.

"I mean- it's pretty, I guess… I don't know though…" I say, hesitantly. "It's just not me…"

"It looks so beautiful though… and Ryder always told me he liked the ball gown silhouettes." Carrie continued pushing the idea of the dress.

"I just- I need a few minutes." I say, on the brink of tears… I need Ryder. I need to talk to him about this and I need to do it now.

"Come on- sweetheart, let's get you out of this dress."

"Mini, do you want to come with mommy?" I ask Rachel who until now was sitting on Emma's lap. She nods and jumps up, grabbing my hand tightly.

"Momma, is everything okay?" Rachel asks me as Donna unties me from the dress.

"I'm going to call RyRy baby… do you wanna talk to him?"

"YES!" I pull my phone out of my purse and dial Ryder's number. It rings two and a half times before he picks up.

"Hey baby… what's going on? You're supposed to be having a girls' day not calling me."

"I just- do you like ball gowns?"

"Marls-"

"What about tulle? Or lace?"

"Marley…"

"Do want it to be long?"

"Marley. Stop." Ryder says strongly. I stop talking and hold my breath. "Mar- Stars… take a deep breath." I do as he says. "Is my mom being crazy?"

"No- I mean… sort of- but… I just don't even know what I want."

"Get what makes you feel beautiful… what you love and feel comfortable in."

"What about you-"

"Don't worry about me, baby. I just want you to feel beautiful." He tells me softly.

"Are you sure?"

"Yes… now go. I love you."

"I love you too… so much." I tell him before hanging up. As I do I realize Rachel has gone missing. "Mini? Where did you go?" I call out as I lean outside of the dressing room.

"MOMMY! YOU HAVE TO TRY THIS ONE ON! IT'S SOOOOO PRETTY! I BET YOU WOULD LOOK LIKE A PRINCESS!" Rachel yells as she clutches to a mannequin that wears a tea length ivory dress. She's right, it is gorgeous. The v- neck line is covered in beading and it's all the dress needs.

"Rachie… it's so pretty… do you really like it?" I ask her kneeling down to be at her height.

"Yes, momma… I love love love it!" She screeches again. I nod at Donna, who smiles and pulls one of the dresses off the rack before leading me back to the dressing room.

"You said your color scheme is purple, right?"

"Yes." She nods and hands me a pair of heels. The deep purple color of them is beautiful. I slip them on and gasp at the reflection in the mirror.

"You look awesome." Donna tells me as she continues to tighten the corset back. Everyone is silent as when I walk into the room.

"MOMMY! YOU LOOK SOOOOOO PRETTY!" Rachel yells from her seat on Santana's lap.

"She's right Rosie, you look dressed to kill." Santana tells me, putting her hands on Rachel's legs to calm her.

"I haven't heard that knick name since high school…" I say laughing.

"You look gorgeous Marley…" Tina says through tears.

"My girl looks smoking in that dress!" Unique yells, snapping her fingers.

"So Marley, what do you think?" Rachel (Berry- Hudson) asks quietly.

"I really, really like it. It's so beautiful…I actually feel like a bride…"

"I still think you should get a ball gown." Carrie says from her seat. She has a frown on her face and is looking me over with a disapproving look.

"I just don't think that it is practical… It's a wedding by a lake, plus I have to keep an eye on the kids." I tell her, trying to remain calm, Ryder's voice in my head.

"This is ridiculous! It is a wedding for god's sakes! Not a barbeque! It should be in a church.. not outside. You should be wearing a gown! Not this thing!"

"Carrie… I'm sorry that you feel the need to attack me. I am sorry if I did something to offend you and make you feel like that is necessary. But this dress makes me feel good about myself. Which is something that doesn't happen to me very often. I love this dress and I am going to wear it on my wedding day." I tell her before turning on my heels (literally) and walking back to the dressing room.

"Mar- Stars, hey… what happened today? My mom just left me this extremely long voicemail about how she feels like everyone turned on her… I figure that she's over reacting though." Ryder tells me when he gets home that night.

"Ummmm… I may or may not have found the perfect dress-" I begin.

"THAT I PICKED OUT!" Rachel yells from the couch. Ryder laughed and shook his head.

"Yes you did. But ANYWAY, your mother was trying to push a ball gown, which don't get me wrong, was gorgeous. It just wasn't me… I couldn't see myself wearing it. And I most definitely could not see myself marrying you in it." I tell Ryder. He smiles. "Ryder… when I put the dress I got on… I felt amazing… I felt bridal… I felt- I could see myself walking down the aisle towards you. I felt- I felt beautiful, Ry." I tell him, tears in my eyes- seriously? Why am I so emotional?

"I'm so happy for you baby… I just wish my mom was more supportive of everything."

"It's okay… if she doesn't want to support us, its fine. She's still your mom though…"

"That is why she should be supporting me and my choices!" Ryder tells me, his voice rising slightly. This is the third time in the last week and a half that we've had this argument.

"Ry, I don't want to have this conversation any-" I start, trying to head off the argument.

"Marley! We have to have this conversation! My mom can't keep getting in the way of our relationship!" I hadn't been mad before… but now I was. I didn't think that she was getting in the way… I just thought she was being irritating.

"Ryder! Are you being serious?! The only reason she's gotten in the way is because you can't just grow a pair and tell her to mind her own business!" Holy crap… did I just say that? I can't believe I just said that…

"Is that really what you think?"

"No- I just… I just think she thinks she can jump in where she's not welcome because- because you haven't told her she can't…" I say trying to remain quiet and soft.

"I have told her, Marley… a thousand and one times I've told her that she can't over step her boundaries… obviously, she won't listen." Ryder said, running his hand up and down his forearm eight times, before rubbing the back of his neck and running his hands through his hair out of frustration.

"Ryder?" I ask softly. He doesn't look at me. "I think it's time to call your dad…"

The dress Marley got is the first one on my tumblr...

And the shoes are the ones in this link... media/catalog/product/cache/1/image/9df78eab33525d08d6e5fb8d27136e95/h/e/heels-solid-color-nubuck-pump-heels-005057_