Sneak Preview of Mom Seals Her Fate

Melissa and Gabriel's wedding is just around the corner in Mom Seals Her Fate, Book 6 of the Magical Midlife Mom series! The book officially launches on August 14, 2025, but you can read the first chapter right here and see how Melissa's scores her wedding dress:

Chapter 1

“Are you sure the dress shop is out here somewhere?” Regan tilted her head toward the window at such a severe angle that all I could see was her strawberry blond ponytail. Lodgepole pines towered on either side of the black SUV we’d been driving for the last two hours. I couldn’t even imagine our old beloved car Dirt Dash making it up these steep, winding mountain roads.

I took one hand off the wheel to point at the sheet of paper on her lap. “I’m just following the directions Gabriel gave me. You’re the one reading them.”

She settled back into the passenger seat, facing forward. “It’s such a throwback to use a paper map.”

“Would you prefer to rely on spotty cell phone service out here?”

“I’d prefer not to feel like I’m a pirate hunting for buried treasure. Gabriel even marked the place with a red X. Who does that?”

“Someone who works in an office that is always stocked with all colors of functional ballpoint pens.”

Regan rolled her eyes. “Only you would be proud of that.”

“Of course I’m proud. I’m a professional office manager. It’s kinda my whole identity.”

“Not your whole identity.” Regan nudged me with her elbow. “Isn’t that why we’re driving all the way out into the sticks, so you can become Mrs. Gabriel Alston?”

Lucas barked in affirmation. He’d come with us as a wolf, sprawled across the back row without a seat belt.

I gave him a disapproving glance in the rearview mirror. “Who says Gabriel’s not going to become Mr. Melissa Hartley?”

Lucas shrugged. Apparently, he didn’t care either way. How very feminist of him.

Regan glanced at him. “I’m not even sure why we brought you anyway.”

He whined, placing his head underneath his paws.

I gave my daughter a sideways glance. “I thought you liked Lucas.”

“I do, but he doesn’t want to go dress shopping.”

“He’s only here because Gabriel wouldn’t let us go alone.”

Regan sighed. “Yeah, yeah, I know. Better safe than sorry. Etc. Etc.”

“You may find it annoying, but you have to admit, Gabriel’s kept us alive on more than one occasion.”

“Fair point. I suppose I should get used to it since he’s going to be my new stepfather.”

My heart raced thinking about Gabriel. We’d been dating almost two years and never really talked about marriage much. Now that we’d become engaged, we were ready to get it done sooner rather than later. We probably would have tied the knot immediately, but I wanted to wait until after Regan’s high school graduation so we wouldn’t steal her thunder. That also gave us time to plan a small, intimate ceremony near the beach where he’d proposed. We had catering, music, and floral arrangements down pat. We even had our rings.

Now, I just needed a dress.

Even though this was the first time I’d ever gotten married, I couldn’t imagine myself walking down the aisle in a traditional white dress. I’d never been a fan of white dresses anyway. Left to my devices, I would have ordered a cute evening gown online, but Gabriel insisted on pulling out all the stops for his bride.

Which is why Regan, Lucas, and I found ourselves driving through central Oregon’s old-growth forests on a random Saturday morning in May, searching for the address of a very talented seamstress.

Regan fiddled with the radio but gave up after shuffling through static. “Why do I even bother?” she grumbled as she connected her phone to the console. She preceded to pick a bunch of songs about getting married.

I raised an eyebrow as the third song came on. “You’re laying it on too heavy.”

“Who cares, baby?” she sang along with the lyrics. She continued singing the song, coming to the ridiculous line of “looking for something dumb to do,” when she suddenly said, “Turn here.”

“Is that the dumb thing I’m supposed to do?”

She finally stopped singing. “It’ll be a lot dumber if we pass the turn and have to drive five miles before finding a way to flip around.”

“Good point.” I pulled off the rural highway onto an even narrower road with no shoulder. At least it was paved, unlike a lot of the other turnoffs we’d already passed.

I found out why it wasn’t made of dirt as driveways spun off into the trees at random intervals. We couldn’t see much of the houses given the forest cover, but the buildings we could discern were huge. Mansions with three stories, manicured lawns behind thick iron gates, and huge garages that could store up to three RVs.

Regan whistled. “I had no idea they could build a whole upscale subdivision in the middle of the forest.”

“It’s not that different from the villa.”

But then we passed a clearcut field that housed a small private airport. We both gaped at a small, sleek jet taking off.

“You were saying?” Regan asked.

“I stand corrected.”

Regan skimmed over the paper directions. “According to this, the seamstress’s house should be the next turn on the right.”

I looked for a mailbox to mark the entrance like the other houses. That’s why I nearly missed the turnoff, which had no markings, not even a numbered street sign. Regan complained as I skidded to a halt and made the tight turn.

We drove another half mile before passing a seemingly random fence post. Only, it wasn’t random because Regan sucked in a shaky breath.

“Adder stone,” she said.

“Well, we’re definitely in the right place.” We’d been warned there’d be an adder stone protecting the property. Adder stones were often used by the fae to keep unwanted guests out. Most people would be repelled by them in fear. I could ignore them with my void magic, and Regan could power through the fear since she’d inherited a little of it too.

In the back seat, Lucas whined.

“You okay, boy?” I asked him.

“He’ll be fine,” Regan said, sounding only a little strained.

I knew we’d driven past the adder stone’s influence when Regan let out a breath.

“You did good back there,” I said.

“The adder stone caught me off guard at first,” she admitted, “but honestly, I powered through it a lot faster because of my training with Barbara.”

I gave a noncommittal grunt in reply. I wasn’t super happy about Regan training with my holier-than-thou mother Barbara, but Regan seemed happy spending a few hours each weekend honing her magic. I just hoped the Blessed Order wouldn’t end up brainwashing her.

After passing the adder stone, the house came into view. It was a surprisingly modest one-story cottage with a gabled roofline. There was no manicured lawn but a packed garden with half the plants blooming in a rainbow of colors and a lily-padded pond stuck in one corner.

It didn’t really look like a shop, except that the front window curtains had been thrown open, revealing three dress forms wearing gorgeous gowns: a sleeveless pink tulle dress with pastel flowers stitched into the bust, a navy chiffon dress with a V-neck and elongated sleeves like gossamer wings, and a rust-colored dress with stitched autumn leaves down one side that made its long train resemble an opening petunia bud.

“Whoa,” Regan breathed as I parked the car. “Those dresses really are amazing. Maybe this was all worth the drive.

“I tried to tell you. Rhapsody, the famous nymph seamstress, is supposed to be one of the most exclusive dressmakers of the Court.”

Lucas opted to stay in the car, so I parked in the tree shade and rolled down the window before leaving him behind. As Regan and I walked on the cobblestones to the house, the front door swung open, revealing an abnormally thin man. Vines and natural soft brown hair grew out of his scalp, braided into two neat braids that fell past the shoulders of his frilly blouse. A dryad.

He peered down his nose at us. “Melissa Hartley, I presume,” he said, not sounding very happy about it.

“Yes, I’m here to see Rhapsody.”

He sniffed. “Ms. Rhapsody was expecting only one visitor.”

“Well, this is my daughter. We’re picking out a wedding dress and—”

He cut me off with a wave of his hand. “If the appointment is only for one person, then your companion will have to wait outside.”

Regan balked. “Are you serious?”

“Quite serious.”

I tensed, ready to go to bat for my daughter. There was no way we drove all the way out into the sticks just for Regan to sit in the car.

Fortunately, a voice from inside saved me from making a scene. “Clement? Is that our next client?”

The dryad stepped aside to allow a gorgeous woman into view. Her short wavy hair, black with hints of deep blue, flowed down to her shoulders like water. Her flawless skin had no blemishes, quite the feat for someone around my age. She wore a teal silk shirt and white pants, a simple outfit that somehow echoed the elegant dresses in the window. Her bright blue eyes brought the ensemble together, purposefully matched.

Clement sniffed. “Ms. Hartley came with an extra guest.”

I worried that such an elegant woman would be as unfriendly as her staff, but she beamed instead. “Of course she did. She’s picking out a wedding dress and wants a second opinion.”

Clement’s mouth set in a grim line. “She doesn’t need a second opinion. She has you, the world’s finest tailor. This child”—he pointed at Regan as if she were a mouse he’d caught indoors—“can’t hold a candle to your aesthetic expertise.”

Rhapsody laid a manicured hand with sparkling sea-colored nails on his shoulder. “It’s about comfort and family. We should let them both in.”

“Very well.” He gave a haughty snort but stepped aside. “You are honored to be admitted into Ms. Rhapsody’s presence.”

After Rhapsody sent him off for refreshments, she flashed us an apologetic smile. “You have to excuse Clement. Dryads aren’t used to interacting outside of their trusted friends and family.”

“Tell me about it,” Regan muttered. We’d been attacked by dryads in the past.

But I didn’t want to appear rude. “How did you manage to wrangle him as part of your staff?”

“Our mutual love of plants. He and I both share gardening responsibilities.”

“Really?” I couldn’t imagine this posh fae breaking those fingernails in the dirt.

She nodded. “Nymphs and dryads often get along since we both love greenery. In fact, Clement lived in the nearby forest when I had my home built. He was displaced when the airport runway tore down his grove. I was happy to let him restart a grove on my land so he wouldn’t remain homeless.”

I felt a twinge of sadness for the dryad. Despite their sour attitudes, many of them were often bulldozed off their land.

It also gave me new respect for Rhapsody as she led us into an adjacent sitting room. Despite the lavish furnishings—a polished hardwood floor, a variety of matching stools and chairs upholstered in gold-embroidered fabric, and a Japanese-style room divider depicting a blossoming cherry tree—her pleasant personality made me feel I deserved to be there.

Rhapsody asked us to take whichever seats we preferred, so we chose to sit together on the love seat. She remained standing next to a wooden panel wall with live roses climbing over it. Small runes had been etched into the panel, glowing so faintly they were easy to overlook. The runes likely kept the roses alive.

“Thank you for sending photos of yourself beforehand,” Rhapsody said. “It allowed me to create a quick sample dress in anticipation of your visit.”

“Only one?” Regan asked.

“If you don’t like it, I have others available.”

“Is it one of the dresses in the window?” I asked, since they were the only clothes I could see.

“Those are lovely but are more to display my range of designs. I have another dress in mind for you.”

“Sure,” I said, a bit disappointed. I was interested in the navy dress, even if it was a bit dark for my tastes.

Rhapsody clapped her hands, causing the wood panel to slide open and reveal a secret compartment. Underneath the soft recessed lights was the most beautiful gown: an off-the-shoulder sea green number with quarter-length sleeves and a corset bodice flowing into a pooled train. A shimmery silver cape spilled over the sleeves. Silver threads etched the hemline, like stars twinkling awake at dusk.

Regan gasped. “It’s stunning.”

Rhapsody gazed upon her handiwork with skepticism. “I wanted something that would bring out the green in Melissa’s eyes without overdoing it. I’m about 90% there. I should adjust the silver threads at the bottom. And now that I’m studying you in person, I’m not completely happy with the train length.”

“I love it,” I said. “I don’t see a single thing wrong with this dress.” It matched Gabriel’s beach cliffside proposal: all twilight and fervent love.

“Would you like to try it on?” Rhapsody asked.

“Absolutely.”

She motioned for me to go behind the cherry blossom screen while she gathered the dress across her two hands as if presenting a royal scepter to a queen. She even gave a little bow to me as she handed it over.

I expected such a wonderful dress to be uncomfortable to wear. Instead, it slid over my skin like butter, settling over my curves in all the right places. Even the off-the-shoulder sleeves, which I normally didn’t like, seemed to flow off me as Rhapsody zipped up my back. Then, I walked out from behind the screen.

Regan’s expression, hand over her mouth, said it all. “That’s it! That’s the one!”

The wood panel alcove had a mirror. I gave myself the once over. If it weren’t for my messy gray-streaked chestnut hair and minimal makeup, I could almost pass for an ocean goddess emerging from the sea.

“It’s perfect,” I breathed.

Rhapsody was more critical. “It could use some bunching up in a few places. And I definitely should rethink the hemline pattern. Do you mind if I grab some needles and make a few notes?”

“You do whatever you want, but I can’t imagine this dress becoming any better than it is.”

Her eyes crinkled in the corners with her glowing smile. “Thank you for such a wonderful compliment.” She excused herself to get her supplies.

Regan came up behind me and gave my arm a tight squeeze. “I hate to admit it, but the dryad was right. You didn’t need me at all to evaluate this dress.”

I gave her hand a squeeze back. “Nonsense. I’ll always need you, no matter what.”

Then we continued to stare in awe at my unbelievable wedding dress.

To be continued in Mom Seals Her Fate:

Until next time, happy adventuring!

-DM Fike