D is for Dresses
Anne was just hiding from all of the wedding preparations, curled up in a corner of the library with a history book and a cup of tea. Every time the door opened, she would retreat into the corner, hiding from everyone sent to find her.
She definitely wasn't expecting a little blonde whirlwind of tears to appear in her lap, knocking over the tea and bending the cover of her book. "Grace! What happened?"
Grace sniffled, curling up in Anne's lap. "Mother says that I'm not pretty enough."
Her eyes darkening, Anne wrapped her arms around the little girl. "Of course you are, Gracie. Why's she saying this?"
"Because, we're looking for dresses for the wedding, and she keeps saying that I'm not pretty enough for this or that, or I should do this or that to make me more pretty, and and and...." She burst into even more tears, soaking the shoulder of Anne's tunic.
Sighing, Anne shook her head. Somewhere in her heart, she was certain that what Grace's mom actually said wasn't as bad as what Grace heard, but it still wasn't forgivable to tell one's beautiful seven-year-old that they're not good enough. "I think you're beautiful, Grace. And I love you."
"I wish you could be my mama." She wiped her nose on Anne's sleeve and looked up. "You actually care about me."
A tiny moment went by before Anne grinned. "Well, why can't I be? It'll have to be our secret, but I think we could pull it off."
It only took a even smaller moment before the sunlight went back into Grace's face. "Oh! That would be wonderful, mama Anne!" She hugged the knight even tighter. "And I promise, I'll keep our secret."
"If it comes up, you can tell your Daddy, but..."
Grace cut her off. "He won't care. He doesn't like Mother any better than we do."
"Exactly." Anne picked up the book and eyed the spilled tea before standing. "Come on, Gracie, we need to go find you a dress for my wedding. I'm not getting married without you there."
"Alright, Mama."
She definitely wasn't expecting a little blonde whirlwind of tears to appear in her lap, knocking over the tea and bending the cover of her book. "Grace! What happened?"
Grace sniffled, curling up in Anne's lap. "Mother says that I'm not pretty enough."
Her eyes darkening, Anne wrapped her arms around the little girl. "Of course you are, Gracie. Why's she saying this?"
"Because, we're looking for dresses for the wedding, and she keeps saying that I'm not pretty enough for this or that, or I should do this or that to make me more pretty, and and and...." She burst into even more tears, soaking the shoulder of Anne's tunic.
Sighing, Anne shook her head. Somewhere in her heart, she was certain that what Grace's mom actually said wasn't as bad as what Grace heard, but it still wasn't forgivable to tell one's beautiful seven-year-old that they're not good enough. "I think you're beautiful, Grace. And I love you."
"I wish you could be my mama." She wiped her nose on Anne's sleeve and looked up. "You actually care about me."
A tiny moment went by before Anne grinned. "Well, why can't I be? It'll have to be our secret, but I think we could pull it off."
It only took a even smaller moment before the sunlight went back into Grace's face. "Oh! That would be wonderful, mama Anne!" She hugged the knight even tighter. "And I promise, I'll keep our secret."
"If it comes up, you can tell your Daddy, but..."
Grace cut her off. "He won't care. He doesn't like Mother any better than we do."
"Exactly." Anne picked up the book and eyed the spilled tea before standing. "Come on, Gracie, we need to go find you a dress for my wedding. I'm not getting married without you there."
"Alright, Mama."