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They both knew the odds of Derek being able to attend her prom and graduation were slim. Prom was definitely out of the question, but they held out hope that his leave would line up with her graduation ceremony.
Regardless, Anne was dragged into prom dress shopping with Robin. Robin swore that this trip could help distract Anne from things, but she wasn’t expecting to see Anne break down in the dressing room while wearing a dark purple prom dress.
“Oh, Anne!” Robin cried, folding her arms around her friend. “I’m so sorry. I wasn’t thinking.”
“I should be dress shopping with Mama,” Anne hiccupped. “I’ll never get to go dress shopping with her ever again.” Fresh tears streamed down her face.
“Come on,” Robin hugged her friend. “Let’s get you out of this dress before you have to buy it. Dark purple is not your color.”
Anne gave a watery laugh as they went in the dressing room to get this dress off of her. “Mary would love this dress.”
“Mary is a twit,” Robin retorted. “She would look like an eggplant in this dress.”
“An eggplant?’
“She has hips,” she answered, unzipping the back of this dress.
“What’s so wrong with this dress after that other purple dress I tried on earlier? You said that one suited me.”
“This one has too much red in the purple. The other was more of a jewel-tone on the bluish side.”
“Okay,” Anne drew out, hoping that Robin assumed that she had understood what her friend had said, even if she didn’t.
“With your pale skin, cool colors compliment you. If you had a slightly more pinkish undertone...” Robin trailed off with her explanation. “You don’t understand what I’m saying, do you?”
“Not at all,” Anne shook her head.
“I thought you, of all people, would.”
“Why is that?” Anne tried to nonchalantly ask as she flipped through a rack of dresses.
“Because you understand warm and cool colors.”
“Not when it comes to fashion.”
“Huh.” Robin thought for a moment before saying, “Well, you’ve got me to help you out.”
“Only for a little while.”
“Won’t Beth help?”
Anne let out a sharp laugh. “Do you really think that Beth would help me pick out clothes when she won’t even help me by picking up her own clothes?” Shaking her head, she added, “Beth is in it for Beth and only Beth. She’s doesn’t care as long as somebody doesn’t look better than her.”
Robin looked at Anne for a moment before adding, “Your hair would look better if it wasn’t always in that ponytail.”
“You aren’t the only person who has said that to me,” Anne smiled softly.
“The infamous Derek?” Robin asked. “I can’t wait to see him. Again.”
“Maybe at graduation,” Anne replied, hanging up the offensive dress on the return racks. “Why did you even let me try this dress on?”
“I didn’t realize you had picked it up,” Robin admitted. “I was looking at my own dresses.” Eying Anne carefully, she pulled her friend over to some darker blue dresses. “Sapphire blue will look amazing with your skin tone, and I think they’ll make your brown eyes pop.”
“I almost have Mama’s eyes,” Anne admitted, beginning to tear up again. “Beth’s are a little darker than mine and Mary’s are gray like Father’s.”
“Well, you definitely lucked out in the genetics department.”
“I’ve love to have Beth’s more manageable hair.”
“No,” Robin shook her head. “I don’t think that her hair would fit your personality.”
“Why does everybody keep saying that?”
“Anne,” her friend laughed. “You are a lot more passionate about things then you let people see. Anybody that has ever talked art with you can see it. You just disappear between your sisters because they are so demanding and you aren’t.”
“You don’t have to sound so...” But Anne didn’t know how to finish that sentence.
“Look,” Robin stated, making Anne look at her. “Someday something is going to happen and you’ll refuse to be silent any longer.” Smiling, she added, “I hope I’m there to see it.”
“I hope you are too,” Anne smiled back, pulling her friend into a hug. “What would I do without you?”
“Send Derek a ton more e-mails and letters then you already do.”
“Probably.”
“Let’s go try on this dress,” Robin instructed as she pulled out a dress that made Anne think of a princess dress but with a less fluffy skirt. “The sweetheart neckline will give you the illusion of a bigger chest and the back is high enough you can pull off a strapless bra.”
Eying the dress carefully, she tilted her head before pulling another dress off the rack. “How about this one? It has a halter style neck and I won’t worry about my bra slipping down while we are dancing.”
Robin examined the dress, muttering out comments as she did so. “Almost a full skirt. Good color.” Instructing Anne to turn the dress around by twilling a finger, she cocked her head to the other side. “The back isn’t too low. Nice shimmer.” Nodding her head, she snagged another dress – this one for herself in soft pink – and guided Anne towards the dressing rooms. “One of these is your dress.”
