I was so transfixed by the frilly pastel coloured frocks that my mother’s words barely registered. They all look so frilly and prissy that even the girls don’t wear them… not any girls I’ve seen anyway. Mum commented on the colours and said they looked nice. “Some of the darker blue ones look OK I guess.” I said. “All the rest look like they’ve fallen out of a packet of Refreshers or Love Hearts.”
Mum chuckled at my description. “They do a bit don’t they.” she said as she had a closer look at the blue end of the spectrum. She pulled out a few pastel blue frocks and asked my opinion. Too pale and too frilly was my reply. “I could imagine boys wearing one of these.” she said, picking a dark blue frock from the very end of the rail.
“That looks OK.” I said. “It’d be better without that bow.” I added.
“Ooh… I quite like that.” Mum said. “But it could be removed I suppose.” she said as she held it against me. I surprised myself when I didn’t recoil and leap back to distance myself from it. She removed it from my chest and held it aloft. “Shall we?” she asked. I gulped and glanced nervously at the frock. “It could be our little secret.” she added. I gulped and nodded, biting my lip.
Many of the little stalls aren’t manned, so payment is made on the ground floor. I browse the fantasy fiction and RPG stall whilst Mum waits to pay. I curse myself for not shaking my head instead of nodding. It was nothing more than an imaginary toss of the coin. I was on the verge of saying no but… right at the last nanosecond I thought… maybe I wont be asked again, so I nodded. “You were ages.” I said when Mum finally came and met me.
“Sorry… there wasn’t much of a queue but they weren’t exactly serving anyone very quickly.” she said. I glanced nervously at the new bag in her hand. “Shall we go?” she asked. I nodded.
I knew I was being unusually quiet as we strolled past the windows on this busy shopping street. I sensed that my mother was waiting for me to say something, which made me all the more reluctant to break the silence. After a few minutes, Mum said. “I can’t believe we just did that.” I couldn’t either but I still couldn’t think of anything to say. We glanced at each other. “I didn’t come with the intention of buying you a dress today… it just sort of happened.” she said. Our eyes met again, briefly. “You don’t mind do you?”