ONE DAY AGO
On Friday afternoon, before their mother got home from work, their cousin Stephanie showed up after school with two bulging garment bags, a small suitcase and a telltale glint of conspiracy in her eyes. She was clearly excited to be part of this unfolding plot. In short order, the boys found themselves ushered upstairs to Caitlin’s bedroom to make preparations. At Caitlin’s insistence, they wore only gym shorts and tee shirts for their “fitting session” as she had called it.
“Natalie came through again!” Stephanie exclaimed. “She and her sister Carla wore these for Easter when they were about your age… or perhaps a BIT younger,” she added somewhat teasingly. She gushed, “they are just so cute and oh so frilly!”
Jack leaned forward, nerves prickling down his arms. “How frilly are we talking?” he asked, his voice tentative. In his mind, images of all the Christmas ruffles from a few months ago flashed like warning signs, and his stomach jumped a little.
Stephanie grinned. “Very frilly, my darling cousin,” she replied cheerfully, “Easter frilly.” She delivered the last part with a bit of an amused snort. Undeterred, she happily continued, “when I told Natalie last week what we were planning, she was thrilled to help again. And trust me, she did not hold back.”
“Last week?” Justin asked suspiciously, “we didn’t even agree to this until a couple days ago!”
Jack added with an accusing tone to Caitlin, “wait a second… how long have you been planning this?”
Caitlin replied innocently, “I have no idea what you are talking about, little brother.” She continued, “but a deal is a deal, my dear.” Quickly changing the subject as Stephanie unzipped the first garment gag, she added gaily, “Oh, these are perfect!”
Jack and Justin stared as the dresses were revealed. They exchanged nervous glances as Stephanie and Caitlin set out the dresses and accessories on the bed. Even though they knew more or less what had been coming, they were still somewhat dismayed at how ultra-girly and juvenile these outfits seemed. It all felt uncomfortably familiar to them now, as they were increasingly reminded of their experience at the Christmas Tea.
Justin shot his brother a nervous look as if to say, “here we go again…” Jack sort of half rolled his eyes in response. Like many twins, wordless communication was second nature between them.
The air buzzed with anticipation, and the girls’ excitement was a bit contagious.
“Time to try on your darling dresses, little brothers,” Caitlin announced with a barely concealed chuckle, “I can see how excited you are, so let’s get you into them!” Her voice had a teasing lilt that made the task feel both fateful and somewhat daring.
“Didn’t Natalie have anything… um… less fancy to choose from?” Justin asked hesitantly, shifting his weight from foot to foot. It seemed that his sister and cousin had gone out of their way to find the prissiest, fussiest outfits imaginable!
“Yeah,” Jack added flatly, “these are really… something else.”
“Oh, come on, boys!” Caitlin chided, “what’s the use of being ‘daughters for the day’ if you don’t go all out and really embrace it?” She challenged them, “besides, you don’t want to come off as boring, do you?”
After another moment, she continued more thoughtfully, almost wistfully, “Honestly, you two are growing up so fast these days, we need to make the most of it while we can!” With a touch of loving nostalgia, she joked gently, “who knows, next year you might think you're too ‘cool’ or too ‘grown up’ for this kind of fun.” There was genuine affection in her voice and eyes now.
This unexpected detour in the conversation softened the twins’ demeanor considerably. Reflexively, they smiled lovingly back at their big sister, reminded once again of her uncanny ability to persuade them into almost anything. This, after all, was the root of her superpower.
After a silent moment, Caitlin regained her playful energy. She shook her head and giggled softly, “OK, let’s start with the petticoats!”
Caitlin and Stephanie sprang into action. The girls quickly fluffed open two impossibly full white tulle petticoats, holding them out for the boys to step into. Then, they helped guide them up around the boys’ slender waists. The frothy layers of the tulle tickled their thighs incessantly as the girls tugged and smoothed them into place. The oddly pleasant sensations made Jack and Justin squirm with a mix of discomfort and reluctant delight.
The dresses were next. “Arms up!” Caitlin directed. A little more flustered now, the twins obeyed, letting the girls slide the darling dresses over their heads. Cool fabric whispered down their skin, followed by the gentle scratch of lace and frills on their arms.
In no time, Jack and Justin found themselves buttoned snugly into their precious Easter frocks to check the fit. Caitlin and Stephanie then meticulously adjusted the dresses over their tulle petticoats. With the buoyant petticoats underneath, their dresses bounced and swished with even the tiniest movements.
“These are even fancier than the ones we had at Christmas,” Jack observed softly. Justin just nodded back at his brother with a subdued look. The unfamiliar rustling and prissiness of their delightfully frilly petticoats and dresses were already having an effect.
Once Stephanie and Caitlin were assured that both boys’ dresses fit, the girls stepped back to appreciate their handiwork. Stephanie declared with a broad, satisfied grin. “Just adorable! They look like they were made for you.”
Without missing a beat, Caitlin added, “Best to try the shoes too. The feet on these two are growing like weeds, so we definitely need to make sure the shoes fit.”
With a mutual sigh, Jack and Justin slipped on the darling shoes Stephanie produced for them. Somewhat chagrined, they realized they were exactly the right size for their adolescent feet.
Stephanie chuckled, “Guess those crazy growth spurts haven’t kicked in QUITE yet!” She laughed at her own joke as the boys blushed. Any talk of body changes was SO embarrassing for them these days!
Next, Caitlin said with a mischievous grin, “we still have a few more minutes before Mom gets home, so let’s see if you two remember how to curtsy... I’ve been dying to see this anyway!” She continued teasingly, “And don’t try and pretend you forgot already. You were practically pros at Christmas from what I saw!”
Jack and Justin grimaced in unison and their faces reddened, but they gamely gathered up their petticoats and skirts to give it a go.
Their first few attempts were awkward, but the girls’ laughter made them more determined. After a few more tries, they started remembering the drill. Their curtsies got smoother and more polished with each go.
“There it is!” Stephanie giggled approvingly, “now you’re looking positively precious.”
Despite themselves, Jack and Justin broke out in sheepish grins.
Caitlin nodded, circling the boys and fluffing their skirts here and there a few final times. “I wish we had time to get you fully dressed today, but Mom will be home any minute,” she observed with a tinge of disappointment. She continued in her no-nonsense, big sister voice, “but tomorrow morning, be ready for action when Mom leaves for her walk. That means hair washed, teeth brushed and ready to get gorgeous!” She warned them, “once Mom walks out of the house, we’ll be on the clock, so it will all come fast and furious!”
Jack glanced over at Justin, a nervous smile tugging at his lips. “I can’t believe we’re actually doing this… again,” he almost whispered.
Justin sighed, tugging tentatively at his skirt, “I know. Christmas was a hoot, but this is going to be something else again.”
With a slight spark of amusement in his voice, Jack asked, “remind me again how we got here?”
Justin shrugged, cheeks still pink. “I guess we just can’t say no to a challenge!”
“Or to her,” Jack added, jabbing his thumb in Caitlin’s direction.
Caitlin giggled guiltily but lovingly, and the two boys exchanged a knowing glance of resignation. Their earlier bravado faded into bemused acceptance as they stood in their frilly Easter dresses.
They felt equal parts nervousness and excitement as reality set in. Although this was only a dry run for tomorrow, they already felt each girlish detail and elaborate frill settling over them like a weight. In their minds, it was clearly too late to turn back now.
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Topic: The Mother-Daughter Easter Brunch (Read 862 times)
