Callie POV
Saturday – 5 days to graduation
Right now I was doing, what everyone else said was - last minute shopping. Only five days were left till my graduation, but I still don't have a dress or shoes to wear.
It's not like I haven't looked at all. I did some research in the internet. I tried to find the dress type that I would like to get. There is a certain thing you need to remember, when searching for something on the internet - most likely you will be sidetracked. That happened in most of the cases, when I was looking at dresses on-line. One day I ended up looking at article how to train your dog to sniff up narcotics, like they teach the police dogs. The other day, I ended up scrolling through Tumblr for 4 hours. Sidetracking is something that happens to me every time I'm on the internet. Before exams, I was trying to look up a tutorial on how to do a certain type of math exercise, but I ended up watching videos of how to make a bridge out of macaroni. Because, that's important too. Right?
But, the time has finally come. I can't back out of dress shopping now. This is it. I need to find a dress. We have been in this mall for some 3 hours now. And yes, I was exhausted and getting slightly annoyed by everyone. But I still haven't found the dress yet. Until I do, I won't be allowed to go home.
"This dress is so you!" Mariana said the moment I stepped out of the dressing room. My boobs were all cramped up in the dress. I actually felt like I couldn't breathe. And the color was pretty horrible as well – pink. I don't even know why I was trying this dress on.
My mom on the other hand screwed up her face as she looked to Mariana "I'm sorry, are we seeing the same dress?"
"Look how good it fits her around the butt!" Mariana took two steps closer to me and ran her hands over my backside
"Her boobs are too big for this dress! It's like her boobs have not been invited!" Mom points to my breasts "And it actually looks like Callie can't breath!" I nodded my head man furiously at moms last sentence
"I didn't say it fit her!" Mariana argues back adding a little attitude and eye roll, much to moms horror "But the dress type is totally her!"
"Can someone unzip me please?" I turn around and point to my back. Mom, who was still bickering with Mariana around the dress type, reached and unzipped me. When the dress was open, I finally took in a deep breath, allowing my chest to expand and fill with much needed air.
"What about this one?" Linda came in the dressing hall, with another dress. It was a dark purple lace dress, knee length. The dress had a little shoulder, making it more sophisticated. It looked simple, but at the same time elegant as well.
"Oooh, I like that one!" Mom said the moment she laid her eyes on the dress
"I saw it and instantly tough, it would be right for Callie!" Linda said as she handed me the dress. I take the dress, get in the dressing room and pull the curtain close.
Just when I had gotten out of the previous one, mom stepped in. She took the previous dress from my hands and put it back on the hangar.
"It is a nice dress, but your boobs are too big for this one. Did you like it?"
"I liked the type. But it had to be one size bigger around the chest area. Also, I didn't really like the color. Too pink for my liking. But the dress type itself, I think was nice," I replied as I zipped open the dress that Linda brought me
"How does it look?" Mariana pulled open the curtain and peaked her head in. I was standing with the dress in my hands, wearing only my underwear. Good thing I listened to mom and put on my best and newest underwear.
"I haven't gotten it on yet!" I said glancing to Mariana, when Mariana stepped fully in the dressing room
"Well, hurry on then," she ushered me, earning a look from mom as well, not just from me. This must be like the 15th dress I have to put on. I was starting to get a little bit tiered of all the on and offs.
"Is it on?" the curtain was pulled open on the other side and now Linda peaked in as well
Mariana looked to Linda on the other side "Your granddaughter is really slow, Mrs. Baker!"
"I already told you sweetheart, you can call me Linda. No need for the formality!" grandma smiled back as she took a step in the dressing room as well. It was now super crowded in here. I barley had room to move.
"Mom can you-" I gave mom one look, she understood me. Mom hanged the previous dress up. She turned to Mariana first.
"Out!"
"But I-" Mariana tried to argue back, but mom didn't listen. She gently put her palm over her face and pushed Mariana out of the dressing room.
"So not fair!" Mariana pouted, when mom pulled the curtain close in front of Mariana's face
"You too mom! Out! Give us some room!" Mom told her mom
"I am the grandmother! I am allowed to see how my granddaughter looks in a dress!" Linda put up some resistance as well
"The dress is not on yet! Shoo! You will see it, when it's on!"
"Okay, okay..." Linda stepped out and pulled the curtain close after her "Little grumpy, don't you think?" I hear Linda ask Mariana
"After about 2 hours of shopping, she always get easily irritable and grumpy. Callie also starts using sarcasm as lot. Shopping with Callie is real hard and it can get real frustrating,"
"I can hear you, Mariana!" I call from the dressing room, when I had gotten the dress on. Mom was now zipping it up.
"Oh!" Mom gasped. Two heads instantly peaked in. Looking to the mirror in the dressing room, I saw how mom was looking at me with tears in her eyes.
"Mom are you crying?"
"You look so beautiful," Mom wiped the tears away before they could fall down her cheeks. Linda placed her hand on moms shoulder and squeezed it.
"Wow...you look drop dead gorgeous!" Mariana said with a huge smile on her lips, her eyes were glowing
"This is the one, angel!" Linda agreed, nodding back. They were all still looking at me, taking in the appearance, the dress.
I look down to the dress myself, then do few spins to see how it feels, how It looks on me. I felt beautiful in this dress and it fit me perfectly – bottom, waistline, boobs, shoulders.
"How do you like it yourself?" Mom asks as when I do another spin
"I love this dress," I said with a huge glee on my face, when I turned to all of them "How much is this?" I ask when I try to reach the tag that was attached to it
"410!" Linda said making my mouth drop open. It was too much!
"Don't worry, angel. This is your dress, I don't care how much it costs! If your mom won't pay for it, I will!" Linda reassured me, but I still felt like if I buy this dress, I will overpay. It didn't seem right to buy a dress for so much, only to wear it few times.
"Oh, your mom is definitely buying this. There is no chance we are not getting this dress, Callie!" Mom added with certainty, when she saw how I was questioning it
"I can pitch in as well!" Mariana added
"Don't be silly, Mari!" Mom patted Mariana's shoulder "I would not allow you to! You need to save your money for your own dress next year!"
"Are you sure we can afford this mom?" I questioned, when I took another look down to the dress that I was still wearing it
"You like the dress? Do you feel comfortable in it?"
"Yes and yes!" I said quietly "But actually, I don't like it - I love it!"
"Then it's settled Callie! We are getting the dress"! Mom placed her hand on my side of the neck and pulled me gently closer to her, so she can place a kiss on my forehead.
Hallelujah! The dress was found! I can finally go home!
"Now, about the shoes!" Mariana spoke up
Stef POV
"Can you believe he will graduate in few days?" Lena asked wrapping her arm around my elbow as we walked down the street heading to the jewelry store, where we wanted to buy a good, classical watch for Brandon for his graduation.
"It's amazing how fast 18 years ran by. Sometimes it still seems like I was holding him in my hands yesterday, humming him to sleep," I said going back to the time in my mind
"I wish I could have been there when he was a baby. I wish I had been there from the start," Lena said getting a little bit too sentimental
"You wouldn't have missed much – pooping, burping, crying...he peed on me on multiple occasions!" Lena pinched my upper arm
I laughed back "Wha-at! It's true! Ask Mike. Brandon peed on him as well!"
"We were having such a nice conversation, why did you have to ruin it and start talking about poop and peeing on people!" Lena said in a slightly whiny tone
"You knew how I was before you married me! You had more than 10 year test run," I grin and her, before I slowly lean towards her for an apology kiss
"You are such a goof!" Lena said before giving in a kissing me "I love you!"
"Love you too!" I said it right back
"So, what is our budget-" I ask Lena, but stop in mid sentence, when we see a very familiar looking dog tied up to a lamp post by the jewelry store.
"Duke?" Lena says walking up to the dog "What are you doing here, buddy?" Duke just wiggled his tail and barked out
"Uh...Lena!" I said tapping on her shoulder, so she would stand up "I think that's Cooper and Harold!" I nodded inside the jewelry store
"What are they...doing here?" Lena asked out loud, before we both walked in the store. We didn't announce yourself, we remained quiet. Cooper and Harold were both standing by the glass case, looking over something. The cashier was standing on the other side, watching how the two men looked over the items.
"I think this is it!" Cooper said glancing to Harold, who stood next to him. He sounded convinced and sure of his choice.
"She will love it. It's made for her. Simple, yet elegant," Harold replied as she placed his hand on Cooper's shoulder. The cashier stood at the other side, waiting till Cooper tells the last word.
"I'm going to take this!" Cooper said and extended the ring back to the cashier
"Excellent choice!" the cashier smiled back as she took the ring back "Which box would you like?"
"I liked the red one," Cooper pointed to the one that was put out. With my mouth open, I look to Lena. The surprise was evident in her features as well.
"Can I ask, when are you panning to propose?" the cashier asked as she started to put the ring in the box
"In a week or so. After her daughters graduation!" Cooper replied sounding real excited
"No freaking way!" I blur out giving away our presence here. Cooper and Harold both turned around to look at us, surprised to see us there.
"Stef...Lena!" Cooper was clearly taken off guards. He didn't know what to do with his hands, one moment he rubbed his nose, then scratched the back of his neck, pressed them to his hips "What—what are you..." he cleared his throat "What are you doing here?"
"Ah, it's lovely to see you again, ladies!" Harold smiled at us
"You are going to propose?" Lena asked clapping her hands together, there was a huge glee on her face "Oh, this is so, so amazing!" Lena even did a little jump from the excitement
"I..uh.." Cooper ran his hand over his mouth
"They clearly saw the ring, Cooper!" Harold said to him as he patted him on his shoulder "No need to hide it!"
Cooper glanced to his soon to be father-in-law "That's the plan," he admitted it after a slight hesitation "Yeah, I'm...I'm planning to..." a smile started to slowly appear on his face "Amy doesn't know that I'm planing to...so can you like," he pointed his finger between us "keep this between us? I want it to be a surprise! I still need to talk to Callie!"
"Of course!" I said without missing a beat "This is...great. Truly great! I am so happy for you two!" I couldn't keep the smile off my face
"Oh, there is going to be a wedding!" Lena said happily "Please make a spring wedding!"
"I haven't proposed yet," Cooper said dialing back the excitement a bit
"We all know she is going to say – yes!" I quickly interject "You don't have anything to be worried about, Cooper!"
"Amy loves you!" Lena added with certainty "Have you not seen the way she looks at you?" A genuine smile grew on Coopers face
"That's 2050 in total," The cashier told Cooper. Cooper turned around to settle the deal.
"If my daughter asks, we were at the park," Harold winks at us, we both nod back instantly "So, what are you two doing here?"
Lena and I share a quick look before I reply "We wanted to buy a gift for Brandon...for graduation!"
"We thought about getting him a classic watch," Lena added "Something that can always be with him,"
"Oh, that's a nice gift. A watch tell you a lot about a person. Especially a man. I never leave a house with this one around my wrist!" Harold said pulling up his shirt sleeve a little revealing a silver watch "Amy got this watch for me for my 50th birthday! There hasn't been a day, when I don't wear it!"
Cooper walks up, holding the small, red box in his hand. The excitement is visible in his eyes. I can see that he can't wait to open that little box and say that famous phrase, those 4 little words.
"You have a watch, Cooper?" Lena asks him curiously
"Yeah," Cooper says pulling his sweater sleeve up, revealing watch with black leather strap
"Those iPhone are nice and all, but if a guy needs to pull out his phone every time he needs to tell time..." Harold didn't finish his thought with words, he simply shrugged his shoulders a little
"Any advice?" I look between the two men in front of us
"Go with Swiss!" Cooper advised. Harold nodded his head agreeing with what his soon to be son-in-law said.
"I think we need to go ladies, Duke is getting a little bit impatient. And we need to get back home, before the girls return home from their shopping trip!" Harold said to us. We said goodbye to one another.
When they were gone, Lena and I both turn to the cashier
"Swiss watch for a graduate?" She asked smiling at us
"Yes, please!" Lena and I both reply at the same time, after sharing a little look