I lost my mom four years ago.
It was the kind of loss that cracked something inside me, a grief so deep that it didn’t fade. Instead, it just settled into my bones.
We were incredibly close… and before she passed, she made me promise her one thing.
“I want you to wear my dress on your wedding day, Chloe,” she had said, her voice weak but full of love. “Whether it’s for the ceremony or the reception… Just promise me, baby. It will be like having me there with you.”
I promised. And that dress had been hanging safely in my closet ever since, waiting for the right moment.
And then came Madison.
Madison, my brother Jake’s fiancée, had been in our lives for just over a year now. She was… difficult, to say the least. If I’m being completely honest, Madison was the kind of person who spoke in demands and dramatic sighs rather than requests and smiles. She believed generosity was an obligation, not a gift.
But Jake was happy, so I swallowed my opinions and played the role of the supportive sister.
Which is exactly why, three months before their wedding, I invited them both to a cozy coffee shop.
I should have known Madison would find a way to ruin it.
We had just settled into our seats and placed our orders when I took out an envelope and slid it across the table.
Jake reached for it first, but before he could open it, Madison snatched it out of his hands.
She peeked inside, her manicured nails tapping the table as she pulled out the check.
Ten thousand dollars.
It wasn’t a mistake. I wanted to spoil my brother and help where I could. Maybe even rebuild the closeness we once had.
“I know weddings can be expensive,” I said, smiling. “I want you two to have a beautiful day, and I hope this helps make it perfect.”
“Wow! Chloe! This is… incredible. Thank you, Sis,” Jake said, his eyes wide with gratitude.
Madison barely looked impressed. She set the check down like it was something expected, flipped her hair over her shoulder, and sighed.
“Well, I guess that’s a good start,” she said breezily. “It’ll help, but we still have so many expenses. Our day is going to be the most beautiful wedding anyone has ever seen.”
A good start? Seriously?
Before I could respond, she leaned in, her tone shifting into something far too casual.
“Actually,” she continued. “Jake and I talked about something important. And we’ve decided that I’ll be wearing your mom’s wedding dress for the ceremony. And something much fancier for the photoshoot and reception. I’ll send you an address for delivery. I need it to go to my dressmaker for alterations.”
I felt the words like a sharp slap across my face.
We’ve decided? Jake?!
“Excuse me?” I said, forcing the words out.
Madison rolled her eyes like I was being dramatic.
“Oh, come on, Chloe. It’s just sitting in your closet, collecting dust. And you don’t even know if you’ll ever need it. Don’t fight us; this is just as important to Jake as it is to me.”
I froze.
Jake had told her about the dress. About my mom’s final wish. And then… they had decided to make it about them.
Madison saw it as something to be taken. By her. A woman who had never even met my mother.
“Madison, my mom wanted me to wear that dress. It was her last wish. Our entire family was there when she said it. I’m not going to fight you because this isn’t up for discussion.”
Madison scoffed.
The waitress arrived with our coffee orders.
“I’ll be right back with the slices of cake,” she said, beaming.
“Chloe,” Madison said slowly, as though she was speaking to a child. “Your mom’s not here anymore, is she?”
I saw red. I wanted to throw the scalding coffee at her. I wanted to overturn my chair. I wanted to scream.
“Here you go!” the waitress said, placing our plates of cake on the table. “Enjoy! And Chloe, compliments from the chef.”
I forced a smile at her.
“Come on, no need for a tantrum, Chloe,” Madison said, stirring sugar into her coffee.
Jake shifted uncomfortably, staring at his coffee like he wished it would swallow him whole. But he said nothing.
Absolutely nothing. Where was his backbone?
I clenched my jaw, reminding myself to breathe.
And then, before I could say another word, a familiar voice interrupted.
“Excuse me, can I steal you for a second, love?”
I turned to see Mark, the coffee shop manager.
And my boyfriend.
Mark and I had been together for two years. Jake had met him once, but judging from the look on his face, he probably didn’t remember.
“Sure,” I said, grateful for the save.
Mark took my hand and led me just far enough away that Jake and Madison couldn’t hear.
“I heard everything, Chloe. And I can’t just stand back anymore.”
“Mark? What are you talking about? That dress is my mother’s!”
“Baby, breathe,” he said. “Give me a second.”
He disappeared into the kitchen. A moment later, he returned, holding a bouquet of roses.
“I was saving this for dinner tonight, but now seems like just as good a time,” he said, smiling.
And then, right there in the middle of the coffee shop, he got down on one knee with a velvet box in his hand.
“Mark!” I gasped.
“I should have done this a long time ago. I love you, and I want to spend my life with you. Marry me, Chloe.”
Silence fell over the coffee shop. And then applause erupted from the staff and other customers.
My heart slammed against my ribs.
The dress? The money? Madison’s entitlement?
None of it mattered anymore.
“Yes,” I whispered. “A thousand times yes, Mark.”
Mark slipped the ring onto my finger. The entire coffee shop cheered. Even Jake.
Madison, on the other hand? Her face twisted in pure rage.
“Are you freaking serious?!” she shrieked. “You’re stealing my wedding?! What the hell, Chloe? You brat!”
Jake groaned, rubbing his face. “Madison, let it go. It’s her life.”
Madison grabbed her purse and stormed out. Jake sat there, looking at me, then at the check, then back at me.
“Look, I’m happy for you, Chloe,” he said, looking down at his coffee. “But… I think I need to rethink some things.”
And with that, he left too.
That night, I sat in my bedroom, tracing my fingers over my mother’s wedding dress. Safe. Untouched.
A soft knock at my door made me look up.
Jake stepped inside, holding a plate.
“I, uh… brought ginger cake. Mom’s favorite.”
We sat together in silence, sharing cake, just like we did when we were kids.
And maybe, just maybe, this was the beginning of something new.
