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Wonderland Extravaganza). Maggie cleared her throat; with any
luck, the feeling would dissipate as soon as they left, and Mag-
gie wouldn’t be ill at all.
Strangely, no one else in Amanda’s bridal party seemed
perturbed by the stuffy air, least of all Amanda, who had just
emerged from the dressing room in one of the “appropriately
modest” dresses that the shop had readily available.
“Well, what does everyone think of this one?” Amanda was
beaming as she stepped up onto the pedestal in front of the mir-
ror, and one of the reflected Maggie’s staring out from behind the
clean, smooth glass of the multitude of mirrors was obscured by
a curtain of ivory taffeta.
There were murmurs of approval from the cluster of brides-
maids, but Maggie noticed the way Amanda’s eyes had locked
onto her own as soon as she had asked for an opinion, and a
small prick of tender pride gave genuine life to her smile.
“I love it, Amanda. It’s perfect. Absolutely perfect.”
More murmurs of assent, and a request from the mother
of the bride to add the veil. As the consultant bustled off to get
one, Maggie watched Amanda in the mirror. Amanda looked as
though she couldn’t believe that it was her reflection gazing lov-
ingly back at her, and, the moment of tenderness extinguished,
Maggie fought back a sudden pang of bitterness as Amanda
turned slowly, admiring all angles of the gown. Just once,
couldn’t it be Maggie in front of the mirror in a beautiful dress?
A chorus of squeals erupted from the onlookers as the con-
sultant drifted in with a long, elegant, lace-trimmed veil. As it
passed by Maggie, the end came loose from the consultant’s grip
and, as though caught in a gust of wind, it twisted upward and
pressed itself against Maggie’s face.
It was trying to smother her. Maggie flailed, trying to dis-
lodge the thing from her mouth and nose, but it stayed pressed to
her face as if by an unseen hand. She struggled, trying to get free,
trying to catch her breath, but then she could no longer breathe

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