Maximilian moved quietly through the kitchen, finishing the last touches of dinner while Catherine's voice floated in from the other room, bright, animated, completely consumed in her conversation.
"You will make me four dresses, Sophia. I'll buy the other ones, reluctantly, from other designers," Catherine declared.
"Four?" Sophia sounded stunned. "Well… welcome dinner, ceremony, reception, after-party… Do you want a separate one for the first dance?"
"I need five dresses from you, then," Catherine corrected immediately, not missing a beat. "For the first dance, I need a proper waltz ballgown. For the ceremony, a Victorian-style lace dress. And for the others…" she paused dramatically, "you go hard, Mom."
Sophia exhaled audibly. "I've never made a wedding dress before. Shouldn't you try other designers first?"
Catherine's response came so fast it almost overlapped. "You've been dressing me since I was born. You can design my wedding dress."
