A Lowcountry Bride by Preslaysa Williams

A few days later, Maya stood back and admired the gown she had tweaked for Heather’s wedding. The dress was close to complete, and Maya could tell she had outdone herself. Maya couldn’t wait for Heather to arrive at the bridal boutique today and try it on. Hopefully, she’d love it just as much as Maya did.

Maya had been nervous at first because she couldn’t envision Heather’s gown. Then Maya read about how Heather’s great-grandmother loved the color purple because it reminded her of her own mother, her mother who was Black, but no one knew at the time. After gathering that bit of information, Heather’s dress became clear. Maya then quickly picked out a gown from her inventory. The gown was made of handwoven Filipino silk in the suksuk design. It was a weaving technique that originated in the Philippines centuries ago, a dying craft today, but Maya’s mother had taught her the process. She also showed Maya where to order the silk and get it shipped to the States.

Maya had sketched out tweaks to this existing gown before they left her thoughts. The fabric would be ruched from top to bottom and extend into a flowing train. Maya would add some cowrie shells to the shoulder straps. Heather had given her the shells, which had belonged to her great-grandmother. The shells signified prosperity and wealth, which every new couple could use in their life.

Well . . . not every new couple. Heather already had financial wealth since she was the governor’s daughter, but there was another kind of affluence that Heather didn’t fully have—the wealth of knowing her full family tree.Would Heather’s Black family members want to even be connected to Heather’s family, given their riddled history? Who knew?

The train of the gown would be embroidered in flowers colored with purple, Heather’s great-grandmother’s favorite color. For the flowers, Maya would use piña thread and jusi fabric, as the Filipino bordadoras did.

Maya’s body had tingled as she sketched the design tweaks. That’s when she knew it was a winner.

Maya never got tingly feelings when she worked for Laura. That could be another sign that her creativity wasn’t being put to good use there, but she didn’t want to consider the implications of all that right now.

The door to the boutique opened. Maya shot up from her stool, expecting to greet Heather. After fixing her curly hair, Maya squinted and her heart skipped. Derek entered the boutique and looked as handsome as ever. This time she didn’t push away the thought of his attractiveness. She let it roll around inside of her, causing her to smile.

“I thought you were taking off from work this week. What brings you here?” She leaned against the doorjamb, arms folded across her chest, trying to appear casual.

“I want to talk,” Derek said. His expression was focused.

A rush of heat danced down her neck. He sounded serious and not in a good way. After two deep conversations with her father, she’d hoped that she hadn’t made the wrong decision, the decision to let herself feel her feelings toward Derek. “Sure.” She stepped aside and motioned to Heather’s dress. “Heather is supposed to arrive today for her dress fitting. Any minute now, actually.”

His gaze flickered. “Okay, no problem. We can talk when she’s finished with her fitting.” Derek glanced at the gown. “That’s stunning, Maya.”

His compliment refreshed places in her soul she didn’t know existed. “Thank you.”

More customers trickled into the shop. “Can I help you?” Maya asked.

“No,” the ebony-skinned woman said. “We’re just look—whoa, that dress is amazing.” She pointed to Maya’s design.

Maya smiled. Folks were taking to her work. “Thank you. This dress is for a client, but I have others like it.” She pointed to the dress rack with her most recent gowns.

Seconds later, Heather finally arrived, and Maya got her set up in the dressing room. Derek sat at the front counter, apparently waiting for Maya to get some downtime. What did he want to discuss that was so urgent?

Maya pushed the question out of her brain. No need to worry over that. Heather was here and Maya needed to make sure Heather was good.

Heather stepped out of the dressing room wearing the gown, and Maya’s eyes widened. “Oh my goodness, you look amazing.”

Heather smiled. “All because of you. This is gorgeous, and I can’t wait to wear it in four and a half weeks.”

The other customers circled around Heather, their eyes filled with admiration over the dress. “Looks even better when it’s worn,” one customer said. “Such a unique style.”

Maya was smiling so much her cheeks hurt, and then she made eye contact with Derek. He winked at Maya, and her body warmed.

“You know, people were asking us where we’re registered for gifts,” Heather said. “I told them to just make donations to New Life Church’s Black History Society. Preserving my great-grandmother’s history is more important to me.” She twirled in front of the full-length mirror and the gown made soft swishing sounds.

“I love that idea, Heather. I hope you raise plenty of money.”

“Me too. I want to direct some of the funds to the Black history museum too. I heard people want to close it down.”

It was satisfying to see Heather connecting to all of her roots, and Maya had played a small part in that. Perhaps Cat Clyne would be interested in featuring the church’s fund-raising efforts. It could increase donations to the Black History Society and the museum. Maya made a mental note to mention it to Cat.

“I better get going. I have a big day ahead of me. Have to go to the baker and the florist.” Heather opened the door to the dressing room and stepped inside. “The bridesmaids will be here in a few hours to try on their dresses.”

“Sounds good. When you’re finished getting dressed, you can hang the gown on the rack behind the register. I’ll put it up safely.”

After Heather left, Maya scanned the dressing room area for any signs of disarray. Other customers had left some dresses scattered on the settee. A shawl hung on the back of a chair. A flush of heat came over her. This place looks so messy. “So much upkeep around here. So much mess.” She quickly picked up both items.

“What mess?” Derek asked, heading her way.

“Never mind.” She neatly hung the dresses and folded the shawl into a perfect triangle. A stray spool of fabric ribbon was strewn across the carpeted floor too. She picked it up and shoved it in a drawer. Derek’s presence made her feel super self-conscious about everything.

“You’ve been pretty busy making gowns,” Derek said. “All of your help with the boutique has been paying off too. I sold out of some of the other dresses and had to place a new order for inventory.”

“Not only did you catch up on the mortgage, you’re heading into the black. That’s great.”

“You’re great,” Derek said.

That uncomfortable feeling came over Maya again. She headed to the front register and Derek followed. Saturday’s business mail lay jumbled on the counter, so she performed another search-and-attack mission.

“Did you receive an invitation to Heather’s wedding?” Derek asked.

“I did. Did you?”

“Yes,” he said. “I’m really proud of all you’ve done here.”

Another flush of heat. “I worked long hours on Heather’s dress. Hence the poor store upkeep today.” She gestured to the sales floor.

He regarded the space. “Looks decent to me.”

The customers left the store, and it was now empty. She shifted her weight from one foot to the other. They stared at each other for an eternity. Say something, Maya. “Are you thirsty? I restocked the break room fridge with some sweet tea I brewed and brought to the shop with me.”

“Sure.” That cute dimple reappeared on his chin as he pulled off his jacket and folded it over his arm.

Maya and Derek headed to the rear of the store. She sensed his presence inches behind her, and her skin tingled. Derek had a way about him that made Maya feel all types of things. Inhale. Exhale. Inhale. Exhale.

When they passed by the accessories table, Derek stopped. “Is that another gown of yours?”

Maya nodded.

“Very stunning.”

She couldn’t help but smile. That didn’t stop her from worrying about his reasons for coming to the store today, however.

They entered the break room and Maya grabbed two glasses from the cupboard and filled them with iced tea. She handed him a glass and sat at the white-tiled table.

Derek followed, pulling out a chair. “How’s your dad?”

If Derek had something serious to say, he was stalling. Derek could’ve just said his piece straightaway. “Doing great. He and Ginger are getting closer and closer. They’re out getting brunch today.” She pulled a paper napkin from its holder. Worry settled in. “What did you want to discuss?”

Derek’s line of sight traveled from his glass to her. All her intentions to focus on the store and the final details of Heather’s dress disappeared with Derek standing before her.

After a pause, he drummed his fingers on the table. “I spent some time thinking about everything. When I returned home from our date at the garden . . .”

Maya braced herself. “Yeah?”

Sighing, he tugged on his ear and rested his elbows on the table.

Her stomach flipped, and she bit her bottom lip. What was he going to say?

“I want to go on a second date. Perhaps a third and a fourth. I really like you, Maya. I’d like to see where you and I can land.”

Relief washed over her, and Maya stopped biting her lip. “You do?”

“Definitely. Most assuredly yes.”

His words carved an open space in her soul, dissolving her fears into a sea of forgetfulness. Then doubt arose again just as swiftly. “I’m returning home in a little over a month. Is this even feasible?”

“It can be.” Derek nodded a yes. “It definitely can be. I’ve thought about that part too. I was thinking that I could close the shop one weekend a month and fly up to see you. Jamila would come along too.”

“Really?”

“Jamila has had a huge change of heart toward you. She’d love to visit the Big Apple, if you’d like to see her too.”

“I’d love to see Jamila. It’s just . . .”

“Just what?”

“So much stuff can happen, especially with the distance between us,” Maya said. “You know that my sickle cell will require a lot, and so I won’t be able to be the happy hostess all the time. Especially when I get my transfusions.”

“I fully understand. I’m willing to help you with whatever you need. I also want us to build on the other night. That’s important to me. Is it important to you?”

Was it important to her? Her attention would be divided if she returned home and pursued a long-distance relationship with Derek. She needed as much time as possible to focus on her work too. Would Derek understand that?

He didn’t seem like the controlling type. After spending so much time with Derek, she saw that clearly now. She could sacrifice a working weekend for him and Jamila. “Yes, it’s important to me too.”

“That makes me happy, Maya. You know, I’ve been going back to New Life regularly again.”

“You have?”

“I talked to my pastor about you and the whole long-distance-relationship thing.”

Talked to the pastor? Hoo boy. That sounded serious. She twisted her mouth. “We’re just dating, right?”

“Oh yeah. Oh yeah. I wasn’t talking to the pastor in that way.”

“That way” meaning in a marriage way. Maya didn’t say anything.

“I was just telling him that I was thinking of dating someone again, and he encouraged me to keep moving forward with it. To not be afraid of new beginnings.”

Pops mentioned new beginnings too. She could try starting anew. Maya could move on from the ugliness of the past and learn to be in a relationship again. “New beginnings, huh?”

“Yes. Instead of looking at the end of something. I can look on with hope at the unknown. At least that’s how he phrased it. I liked that perspective.”

Maya nodded. “I like it too.”

The quiet hum of the air conditioner in the background rocked its steady beat. Maya then sat closer to him, so close she could see the subtle rise and fall of his chest. He wrapped his arm around her, and they fell into a comfortable silence. Was this what it felt like to be content? Must be. She relished the feeling.

“I wanted to give you some time to finish up your projects with Heather and Jamila,” Derek said. “So I figure that our next date can be Heather’s wedding in a few weeks. What do you think?”

Another wave of contentment washed over her. “That sounds perfect.”

The day of the big wedding for Heather Gates. Sunlight warmed Maya’s back as she and Derek arrived fifteen minutes early at the governor’s mansion in Columbia, South Carolina. They drove to the wedding together since it was almost a two-hour drive from Charleston.

As soon as they arrived at the beautiful property with its expansive lawn and willow trees, nervousness overcame Maya. This wedding would make or break her design efforts. If Maya’s style wasn’t well received, she might as well call it quits. She fidgeted with her clutch and bit on her lower lip.

“Enjoy yourself,” Derek said. “This is a day for you to relax.”

“I can’t,” she said.

“You can try.”

Maya would have to remind herself to relax over and over again. Although she was a guest here at the wedding, there was more to being a guest than met the eye. Heather was wearing her dress, and almost every person in South Carolina’s “high society” would see it. Not only that, Cat Clyne was covering the wedding, or, more specifically, the wedding dress.

“Come on,” Derek said. “Let’s get to the ceremony before we’re late.”

Maya and Derek walked up the wide steps leading to the foyer of the mansion, and he gently grasped her hand. She let herself be held by him, and a warmth settled over her. Being next to him was divine.

“You still look nervous,” Derek said, glancing at her as they headed toward the mansion’s entrance.

“I am nervous. Everyone is going to see that dress today, and I don’t know how to feel about that. What if folks hate it? What if Cat hates it?” Maya groaned. “Then my career will be over.”

“You’re worrying too much. That dress is gorgeous, just like its maker. Remember that Heather’s opinion is the most important. And she loves it.” He smiled and gently tilted her chin. Their eyes met, and he kissed her on the lips.

The tension in her shoulders relaxed and faded away. Maya returned his kiss, gentle yet strong and assured. Then she stepped away. “We should get inside the mansion. I don’t know about PDA in such a fancy place.”

He laughed. “If you say so.”

They stepped inside, and the place was filled with guests. Faces of politicians and folks whom she’d seen on the news or heard mentioned in conversation among the people of Charleston. Even some media folks from the local news were present, ready to cover the wedding. That nervousness returned. All these important people here meant a bigger opportunity for failure. If they didn’t like her dress, then talk of it would ripple over into every corner of South Carolina and beyond.

Why’d she think making this dress for a high-profile person like Heather was a good idea? Why? Why? Why?

Someone tapped her on the shoulder.

“Hey, Maya.”

Cat. Maya’s heartbeat skipped, and she turned. Cat looked über-fashionable in her designer navy wrap dress with a band of gold along each side. She wore her trademark red streak in her dark bob.

“Cat!” Maya said. “So great to see you here.”

“I love this mansion. Nice digs.”

Cat looked around with a scrutinizing eye, and Maya’s heart rate ramped slightly. She hated feeling on edge.

“Have you seen the bride yet?” Cat asked.

That meant Have you seen the bride in her dress? “No, I haven’t.”

Cat took out her tablet from her small messenger bag, ready to write up her preliminary assessment of the place. That could be good or bad.

Oh Lord. Maya’s mind ran through all the decisions she’d made about the dress, and with that came all her second-guesses and doubts. Did she do the right thing by incorporating the cowrie shells as part of the shoulder straps? Would Cat think this dress was too colorful with the purple embroidery on the bodice? Should she have made the embroidery a part of the waistband instead? Would it look too in-your-face?

There she went, doubting herself again. I made my choices, and I’ll stand by them, no matter the result.

Just because she stood by her decisions didn’t mean Cat would like them. Cat’s incisive fashion reviews had trashed many a fashion designer’s career before. If Maya got a bad review, then that would be it. She could forget about trying to make a name for herself before dying. Laura would probably fire her too.

Think positive. Think positive.Maya took her seat next to Derek, and he held her hand again. She relaxed into the gesture.

“I saw you talking to Cat just now. You looked worried,” he said.

“I am.” She exhaled.

Before he could say anything else, the violinist played a solo, and the crowd hushed to a quiet.

Maya glanced behind her and smiled as the wedding party made their slow processional. The bridesmaids wore A-line dresses in the same shade of purple as was accented on Heather’s gown. With each person who arrived, Maya grew more and more nervous. This was it. Everyone in this room would see Heather’s dress soon. Maya resisted the urge to squeeze her eyes shut.

What would her mother think if she saw Maya now?

Her mother would probably be proud of Maya’s design style. She had remembered and incorporated almost everything that her mother had taught her. Mom would probably be giving her the side-eye too, wondering what she was doing on a date with a man in South Carolina when her calling was in New York City.

Or was it Maya’s calling? Laura detested Maya’s design style. Sheesh. This was complicated.

Yet Maya’s mother would definitely push Maya back to the city. Her mother would definitely tell Maya that Laura Whitcomb was top-of-the-line, and that after Maya worked her way up the career ladder, she’d be free to be more creative with her design aesthetic.

In a way, Mama was right, but even the thought of sacrificing her creativity until she was promoted saddened her. Revising those designs for Laura’s tastes nearly sent Maya into a low-grade depression. If it wasn’t for Heather’s dress project, Maya probably would’ve ended up really bummed out. Despite that, it was better to wait until she was promoted and then take baby steps of going out on her own.

The bridal party finished walking down the aisle, and then the flower girl followed. The cue notes began, and all the guests rose.

A chill prickled across her forearms. Oh my goodness. Maya could see only the top of Heather’s veil, not the rest of her.

Then a collective gasp came over the room, along with the quick clicking of cameras and videos from the guests and media alike.

Many of the guests near her were beaming.

“Heather looks so beautiful.”

“She is divine in that dress.”

“Oh yes. The gown is definitely something different. I love it.”

A thrill went through Maya. Heather walked down the aisle and passed Maya, and even she had to give herself a moment to take it all in. The dress was gorgeous.

Derek whispered, “See? I told you they would love it.”

He definitely had said that. Maya nodded and then quickly scanned the room for Cat but couldn’t find her. What did she think of the dress?

Heather stood next to her groom, and the ceremony began. A whole mix of emotions overwhelmed Maya. All at once, she felt both happy and worried.

Maya had agreed to a long-distance relationship with Derek, but what if it was too much for Derek? What if she wouldn’t be able to balance life and this new relationship? She sighed, and the bride and groom exchanged vows.

“I do,” Heather said, gazing up at her groom with eyes filled with love.

Heather was a lucky woman—lucky to have found her heritage and her past, lucky to have been able to join them together with this momentous day. Lucky to have found someone to love.

A heaviness came over Maya once again as the groom said, “I do.” Derek nestled close to her and wrapped his arm around her. A half-smile formed on her lips. No need to think about the what-ifs rolling around in her mind. Today, she’d focus on being a guest, and she’d focus on that dress.

“I now pronounce you husband and wife,” the pastor said. “You may kiss the bride.”

They kissed. Everyone clapped and cheered. People stood and smartphones appeared all over the place.

“It was a beautiful ceremony now, wasn’t it?” Derek leaned over and asked her.

“Yes, it was gorgeous.”

The newly wedded couple made their slow processional down the aisle. When Heather passed Maya, she whispered, “Thank you,” and winked.

Maya nodded and mouthed the words, You’re welcome. She was so grateful to have made her day special, but now Maya had to face Cat.

The guests slowly filed out of the mansion, and so did Maya and Derek. When they stepped outside, the noise of the photographers and guests filled her ears.

“Maya!”

Cat’s voice made her feel nervous. Maya turned and greeted her.

“Darling! Dah-ling!” Cat said, her voice high-pitched and chipper. “That dress is uh-mazing.”

A feeling of glee quickly overtook Maya. “You liked it?”

“Did I like it? Lady, I loved it! I loved it so much. It didn’t seem as overdone as the other dresses I saw. It was just the right mix of fresh and timeless. The purple accents were gorgeous.”

Joy filled her. Maya cheesed so hard her cheeks hurt.

“I took some photos of the dress, but I hope to snap more and ask Heather some questions for my write-up, but first, I wanted to ask you a few questions for the blog post.”

The blog post. The one that would be shared with thousands of people. She had to make an excellent impression. “All right. What do you want to know?”

“A lot of the dress was inspired by Heather’s recent discovery of her ancestry. I think that’s such an interesting story. It makes you think about how we’re all connected to one another. Don’t you agree?”

Maya glanced over at Derek, who was amid the crowd of people and basking in the joy of the wedding. He winked.

Her heart warmed. Connected. She and Derek were connected too. “We’re all more connected than we think. That’s so incredibly true. Did you know that Heather is taking donations to New Life Church’s Black History Society and the Black history museum? It’s a way to preserve her great-grandmother’s story.”

“That’s so intriguing. I’ll have to look into those organizations for this piece.”

“You definitely should,” Maya said.

Cat scribbled down some notes on her tablet. “I noticed that beyond the elements of Heather’s predecessors that you weaved into the gown, like the purple embroidery, which was her great-grandmother’s favorite color, and the West African cowrie shells, there were also some other elements in there that were so incredibly unique. I hadn’t seen them before. Like the handwoven silk fabric and the different style of stitching. Can you tell the readers about that?”

Maya smiled again. Those were the same types of patterns that her mother had taught her all those years ago. Maya shared the story of how she apprenticed under her mom before she worked for Laura Whitcomb.

“Interesting.” Cat pursed her lips. “In all of the designs that you shared with me, I’ve never seen that type of style in Laura’s line. Has Laura seen your work before?”

Maya took a breath. “Yes, she has most definitely seen them . . .” She quieted, unsure if she should say anything more.

“Will we get to see your designs in Laura Whitcomb’s line next season?” Cat asked.

I don’t know. Will pigs fly?

This. Was. Hard. No way was Maya going to tell Cat about the behind-the-scenes back and forth that Maya had with Laura over the design vision for her work. If Maya did, then she’d look like she was bad-mouthing Laura and could possibly lose her job.

Maya remembered her mother’s admonition—make it to the big time first, and then get creative.

An inner tug-of-war formed inside Maya. If she said nothing about the back and forth with Laura, if she made it appear as if everything were peaches and roses with Laura, then she’d look like a huge pushover, possibly like one of Laura’s robots who didn’t have any spine of her own. Maya would also be tying herself even closer to Laura, strapping herself into Laura’s well-styled straitjacket.

Yet Maya did have her own design sense, and she definitely had her own sense of individuality, but Laura wasn’t having it. Remaining silent would essentially tie Maya down. By not saying anything, Maya would symbolically cede her creative autonomy to Laura.

If Maya told Cat the truth, then this article could turn into another one of Cat’s gossip columns, not a column that would showcase her work. A gossipy article on this event would definitely get Maya fired.

In the end, Maya would have to be silent. It was the only way to hold on to her dream of being head designer. “Laura has seen these styles and the stitching patterns that I created, but . . .”

But she hates them.

But she doesn’t think they’ll succeed.

But she’s made a biting assessment of my work that has caused me to descend into doubt time and time again.

“But what?” Cat asked, her voice questioning.

“But she didn’t think this would fit the brand. Of course, as a pioneer in the bridal industry, it’s Laura’s classic styles that make her stand head and shoulders above the rest.”

There, she said it.

She ceded.

A slow, painful rip formed at the tip of her heart. Maya had chosen Laura over herself.

The rip deepened and brought with it waves of silent pain.

Maya had compromised herself.