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Mom’s eyes fill with more tears, but she nods.
“Come on, Betty. You still have me.”
“Dad! Mom still hasus,” chastises TB.
Dad stands and sits on the other side of Mom, pulling her close. “I know, I know. Wait until you’re a parent. You’ll understand then.”
“Well, that’s only about six months away,” says Ashlea.
We all freeze and look at her.
“What?” I ask.
“No way!” says Shannon.
“Congratulations!” shouts Todd.
Mom stands and rushes toward Ashlea, who has moved so her back is against TB’s front.
“Oh, my!” cries Mom as she tries to hug them. “When are you due?” She lets them go and looks at Dad. “I’m going to be a grandma! We’re going to be grandparents!”
“Wow, you got over feeling redundant pretty quickly,” I tease.
“I’ll say,” agrees TB.
Mom waves a hand at both of us and goes back to hugging Ashlea.
“We wanted to get past the twelve-week date before we told you. I’m due in May.” Ashlea looks at me. “Sorry, Athena, I didn’t mean to steal your thunder for today.”
Standing, I walk toward her, shaking my head. “Oh, honey, a baby is a blessing. I’m so happy for you.”
“We were going to wait until after the wedding to tell everyone. Ashlea didn’t want to ruin your day.”
Shaking my head at them, I say, “It makes my day even more special. I’m going to be an aunt!”
***
Dad was right. The day has flown by. I hadn’t realized how much there was to do, even with my schedule keeping everyone on time. Now, it’s nearly time for me to walk outside and marry my childhood sweetheart.
The ceremony is at Kris’ home. Light pink and white roses adorn the house and gardens. The fragrance in the air is delightful. Of course, Mom and Dad double-checked everything, with Todd following close behind.
I’m in our bedroom with the curtains closed, staring at myself in the full-length mirror. The ivory dress is made of soft flowing satin. It clings to my bosom, has a simple plunging neckline both front and back with a tight-fitting band encircling my waist, and falls seamlessly to the floor.
I’ve never felt so beautiful.
My blonde hair has been curled, so it falls down my back in waves, and the sides have been pinned back and held in place by many small diamante pins. When the light catches them, they sparkle.
“Oh…”
Turning around, my mom is standing in the doorway.
“You look breathtaking,” she gushes, holding a hand to her chest.
“Thanks, Mom.”
She slowly walks toward me, shaking her head, and smiling as she takes in my dress. “You picked the perfect dress for your shape, honey.”
“I couldn’t have done it without you.”
