‘It’s gorgeous – shall I try it on?’ I hand Sadie my glass and glide into the fitting room, slipping the silky fabric over my head. Moments later, I pull back the curtain and await their reaction. I feel like a princess, and the heaviness on my shoulders since meeting Mags earlier lifts slightly, just for a second. Until Amanda speaks.

‘It’s lovely, Emily, but it just makes you look a bit…’

‘Fat,’ Sadie says bluntly, and I look down at the teeniest, tiniest bulge of my belly. It’s almost that time of the month and I am bloated, despite not eating any lunch earlier.

‘Fat?’

‘Not fat, as such,’ Amanda tries to reassure me, but the damage is done. I can’t wait to get the dress off now.

‘Just a little bit… poochy,’ Sadie says, before turning to the rail beside her and pulling another dress off, one that is decidedly more shapeless than the one I’m wearing. ‘Oh, don’t look like that, Em, girlfriends are supposed to tell you how it is. Try this one on.’

I try on dress after dress, none of them quite right, and eventually we call it a day. Amanda stands talking to Veronica, as Sadie hands me my bag.

‘Are you OK?’ she asks. ‘I’m sorry we couldn’t find you anything today. It’s not just that, though, is it? You seem a bit quiet.’

‘It’s nothing,’ I say, shaking my head, ‘nothing important anyway.’

‘Listen,’ Sadie says, with a glance to where Amanda is air-kissing Veronica, ‘how about you and I go dress shopping next week, just you and me? I know a lovely little place in Chelsea – I know it’s a bit of a trek into London, but it’s pretty exclusive.’

‘Really?’ Something warm glows in my stomach at Sadie’s invitation – finally, I’m starting to feel properly accepted. ‘What about Amanda?’

‘Oh, she’ll be too busy. She’s got her interior design stuff to do. It’ll be fun just us… although we can wait till she’s free, if you’d rather?’

‘No, that’s fine,’ I say quickly. There is so much to do that time will fly before the wedding, and I feel as though I can relax a little if I have my dress.

‘Excellent.’ Sadie smiles, all perfect white teeth on show, and I make a mental note to see about having my own teeth whitened before the wedding. ‘I must dash – I’ll call you.’ She waves to Amanda, leaving me feeling as though maybe I don’t need Mags after all.