The first two thrift stores are a flop. Meg doesn't even let Victoria look around. She takes a few looks through the front shelves, then takes her by the arm and leads her right back out.

 

It's the third thrift store that does it. There are rows and rows of dresses hanging on the back wall, hangers with sundresses and formal gowns a like hanging off of it. Meg points at them and says, “There we go, honey. This is the place. You go look through those dresses and see what you want to wear to your wedding.”

 

Victoria gives a giddy laugh. “I've never picked out my own clothes before!”

 

“Really?”

 

“Heavens, no! Mother had someone do that for us. I wasn't allowed to make that many choices at all, really.”

 

“Well, you had to have thought about it. What sort of dress do you see yourself wearing?”

 

Victoria laughs. “I had dreams. I had drawings.”

 

Meg leads the young former princess over to the wall of dresses. She looks intrigued, even as she starts rooting through the dresses. “Drawings?”

 

“I like to design clothing,” admits Victoria. “It's not something I've ever really had a chance to do before. That's just not how this sort of thing is done. It's just…princesses don't get to make decisions about their own lives, and we don't get to make choices about things like this.”

 

“But you've dreamt?”

 

“I always dream.”

 

Meg pulls a flowing white and silver dress off the rack. It's a swoop neck, with flowing sleeves. “Something like this?”

 

Victoria shakes her head. “It sounds silly, but I want to get married in anything but a white dress. That's what my mother got married in, and I don't want this wedding to be anything like that.”

 

“That doesn't sound silly,” says Meg. “I can promise you, this won't be anything like their wedding, Tori. Is that…can I call you Tori?”

 

“I'd like it if you would,” answers Victoria with a smile of her own. She pulls a pale green dress off the rack. It's cut longer in the back than it is up at the front. There's lace hooked to the bodice of it but not the skirt. “What do you think about this?”

 

“I like that color,” says Meg. “But maybe lose the lace. Hey, I've got an idea.”

 

“Yeah?”

 

“What about getting hitched at my bar?”

 

Victoria pauses in her search for a wedding dress. “What? Can people…can you do that?”

 

“In these days, yeah. You can get married anywhere,” says Meg, “as long as you hire a justice of the peace to come put on the ceremony. And those guys are a dime a dozen right now. You can take courses for it online, so basically anyone could marry you.”

 

Victoria stares at Meg, star-struck. “But you would seriously let us get married at your bar?”

 

“Not let you,” says Meg with a blazing grin of her own, “I'd be honored. I've known Matt since we were just kids. It would be awesome to have you guys get hitched at my place. Keeps me involved in his life, you know?”

 

Victoria doesn't know but she's quick to agree all the same. For the next three hours, the girls continue to prattle on about everything and nothing, talking and laughing as they search for dresses. Victoria has never had so many choices before in her life, and she's never had to try on and put back so much clothing. The baby bump makes things a touch more difficult. Only certain cut dresses will work, and only certain colors don't turn her into a glorified hippo.

 

Meg keeps telling her the price doesn't matter much, but Victoria can’t help but be mindful of the cost. In the end, between the dress, shoes, makeup, jewelry, perfume, and the nail polish, they only spend around forty dollars.

 

Victoria is so astonished by the low cost of such a beautiful outfit! She's never worn anything but name brand clothing before, never had anything on her skin that wasn't made just for her.

 

And this, this will be the most beautiful thing that she's ever worn.

 

When they finally step out of the thrift store, Victoria turns and takes Meg by the hand. As serious as she can be, Victoria asks, “Can I give you a hug?”

 

Meg smiles at her. “Honey, I would be offended if you didn't. Trust me when I say that you never have to ask about giving me a hug. I'm a touchy kind of girl and am always up for a bit of affection on the side.”

 

Victoria isn't quite sure what that means. All the same, she shoves her bundle of upcycled bags onto one arm and wraps up the bartender in a tight embrace. “Thank you,” mutters Victoria. “Thank you for everything.”

 

# # #

 

Meg insists on taking the purchased items back to her house. She gives Victoria a kiss on either side of the cheek and leaves the young princess to walk up the moth-filled stairwell on her own. The air is thick, wet, and cold, even though the heat can be heard humming in the main lobby.

 

It's almost the end of winter. They plan is for them to be married in the spring. Even thinking about it makes Victoria feel giddy! She's never been so excited over anything before!

 

She knocks on the door. From inside, Matt shouts, “Let yourself in! I left the door unlocked for you, sweet cheeks, until we can get you an actual key.”

 

Victoria lets herself in. The television is playing some action movie she's never heard of. Matt is puttering around in the kitchen. It looks like he's trying to clean up the place. “I'm going to get a key?”

 

“Of course you're going to get a key.”

 

“What are you over there doing?”

 

“Trying to pick up so we don't have to eat out every day.”

 

Victoria smiles. “You know how to cook?”

 

“I know how to throw a box mix on the stove,” says Matt cheerfully. “Did you have fun on your girls’ day?”

 

“I did,” says Victoria. “I really, really did.”