I got an engagement ring for Christmas. My boyfriend and I had been dating for almost a year and both felt the time was right to join our lives together in holy matrimony.
    
    The month of January was spent planning our perfect Alabama June wedding. My mother, two sisters and I went to Huntsville, the closest town with a selection of bridal shops, to buy the gown that would play the leading role on my special occasion.

    We had a wonderful time just being together and sharing silly jokes, but the day soon turned serious by afternoon: still no sign of the dress of my dreams. Both sisters were ready to give up and try another day in another town, but I coerced them into one more boutique.

    I had a good feeling as we entered the quaint little shop filled with the scent of fresh flowers. The elderly clerk showed us several beautiful gowns in my size and price range, but none were right. As I opened the door to leave, the desperate shop owner announced she had one more dress in the back that was expensive and not even my size, but perhaps I might want to look at it anyway. When she brought it out, I squealed in delight.

    This was it!

    I rushed to the dressing room and slipped it on. Even though it was at least two sizes too large and more costly than I had anticipated, I talked Mom into buying it. The shop was so small it didn''t offer alterations, but my excitement assured me I would be able to get it resized in my hometown.

    Excitement wasn''t enough. On Monday morning, my world crumbled when the local sewing shop informed me the dress simply could not be altered because of numerous hand-sewn pearls and sequins on the bodice. I called the boutique for suggestions but only got their answering machine.

    A friend gave me the number of a lady across town who worked at home doing alterations. I was desperate and willing to try anything, so I decided to give her a call.

    When I arrived at her modest white house on the outskirts of town, she carefully inspected my dress and asked me to try it on. She put a handful of pins into the shoulders and sides of my gown and told me to pick it up in two days. She was the answer to my prayers.

    When the time came to pick it up, however, I grew skeptical. How could I have been so foolish as to just leave a $1,200 wedding dress in the hands of someone I barely knew? What if she made a mess out of it? I had no idea if she could even sew on a button.

    Thank goodness my fears were all for naught. The dress still looked exactly the same, but it now fit as if it had been made especially for me. I thanked the cheerful lady and paid her modest fee.

    One small problem solved just in time for a bigger one to emerge. On Valentine''s Day, my fiance called.

    "Sandy, I''ve come to the decision that I''m not ready to get married," he announced, none too gently. "I want to travel and experience life for a few years before settling down."

    He apologized for the inconvenience of leaving all the wedding cancellations to me and then quickly left town.

    My world turned upside down. I was angry and heartbroken and had no idea how to recover. But days flew into weeks and weeks blended into months. I survived.

    One day in the fall of the same year, while standing in line at the supermarket, I heard someone calling my name. I turned around to see the alterations lady. She politely inquired about my wedding, and was shocked to discover it had been called off, but agreed it was probably for the best.

    I thanked her again for adjusting my wedding gown, and assured her it was safely bagged and awaiting the day I would wear it down the aisle on the arm of my real "Mister Right." With a sparkle in her eye, she began telling me about her single son, Tim. Even though I wasn''t interested in dating again, I let her talk me into meeting him.

    I did have my summer wedding after all, only a year later. And I did get to wear the dress of my dreams - standing beside Tim, the man I have shared the last eighteen years of my life with, whom I would never have met without that special wedding gown.
　　
    圣誕節的時候我戴上了訂婚戒指。我和男友交往已快一年，我們都感到是攜手步入神圣的婚姻殿堂的時候了。

    整個一月份我都忙于計劃我們將于六月份在阿拉巴馬州舉行的美麗婚禮。我和母親，連同兩個姐姐前往最近的城市漢斯維爾的一些新娘服裝店去挑選結婚禮服－這可是婚禮中至關重要的一個環節。

    我們母女四個高高興興，互相開著玩笑。但是等到了下午氣氛就變得嚴肅起來：仍然沒有我夢想中的結婚禮服的絲毫影子。我的兩個姐姐都已經準備就此打道回府，改天再到其它的城鎮去買，但是我迫使她們陪我再多看一家小店。

    當我們進入這家滿是新鮮花香的精致小店時，我有一種很好的預感。上年紀的店員讓我們看了幾件適合我穿的美麗的禮服，價格也都在我的預算之內，但是都不是我想要的。正當我打開店門準備離開之即，孤注一擲的老板娘喊道，在后面庫里還有一件禮服，這件禮服很貴，甚至沒有我穿的號碼，但是也許我還是想看一眼。當她拿出來時，我欣喜的叫出聲來。

    就是這一件了！

    我沖進試衣間把身體滑進去。盡管它至少要大上兩碼，價格也比我預想的要高很多，我仍說服了母親買下了它。這家店很小，連改衣服的服務都不提供，但是在激動之余，我確信能在家鄉把它改好。

    然而盲目的激動是無濟于事的。禮拜一早上，當我們那兒的裁縫店告訴我禮服上手縫的珠子和飾片太多因而沒法改動時我傻眼了。我打電話給那家服裝店尋求建議，聽到的卻只是機器的自動應答。

    一個朋友給我鎮上一個裁縫的電話，這個裁縫在家里做活。在絕望之余，我愿意進行任何嘗試。于是我決定給她打個電話。

    當我趕到她在城鎮郊區的簡陋的白色房子里時，她仔細的察看了我的禮服，并讓我穿上。她用別針將禮服的肩膀處和兩側別上，讓我兩天后來取衣服。她正是我祈禱的福音。

    該去取衣服了，我卻忐忑不安起來。我怎么這么愚蠢，將一件價值1200美元的禮服交到一個一點兒也不了解的人手里？如果她改壞了怎么辦？我甚至不知道她會不會縫扣子。

    謝天謝地，我的擔心都是多余的。禮服仍跟以前一樣，不過現在我穿上正合適，仿佛它是為我度身定造的一樣。我謝過那個高興的女裁縫，并付了錢。

    然而這只是解決了一個小問題，更大的問題在后面。情人節那天，未婚夫打來電話。

    “Sandy，我決定了，我還沒有對婚姻做好準備，”他宣布，語氣一點也不溫柔。“在成家之前，我要到各處走走，享受幾年生活。

    他對把取消婚禮的所有麻煩留給我表示歉意，然后很快離開了這個城鎮。

    我的世界被顛覆了。我憤怒，心碎，不知道如何撐過去。然而隨著日子一天天，一月月流走，我熬過去了。

    這個秋季的一天，在超市排隊結帳的時候，我聽見有人叫我的名字。一扭頭，看到那個女裁縫。她很有禮貌的問起我的婚禮，得知被取消她十分吃驚，但隨后同意未知的也許是最好的。

    我再一次感謝她成功修改了我的結婚禮服，并向她保證，禮服被我安全的放起來了，等待我穿上它挽著我真正的“白馬王子”走上紅地毯的一天。她眼睛里閃過亮光，開始跟我談起她的單身的兒子Tim。盡管我對重新約會沒有興趣，我還是聽任她給我安排跟她兒子的約會。

    我的夏季婚禮最終成為現實，只不過是一年以后。站在Tim身旁，我終于穿上了我夢中的結婚禮服。在隨后的十八年里，我們相親相愛，相濡以沫。如果不是因為這件特殊的禮服，我們永遠不會相遇。