Page 53 (1/1)

A chirping tweet goes off in Paul’s pocket, and he swears while pulling out his phone “This thing has been blowing up today Oh, good, it’s just Donna” As soon as his divorce was finalized, Lia and I set her father up on a date with the finance secretary While it was still too early in his rebound phase for theularly “Donna wrote that Lia has closed herself in the bedroo to coo do so behind me as I exit the room and sprint down the hall for the stairs Any excuse to see Lia is a good one, but if she needs me there isn’t a force that can stop me I take the steps two at a tiainst , the way one nant bride

“What’s wrong?” I ask theh her stage of pregnancy has the edges just barelyover her stoan enancy and sh-tuff Yeah, stuff” Tasha checks her watch and sighs “I need to get dressed, so you go deal with my step-mom” She stands on tiptoe to kiss my cheek “Do notit just right”

“I would never!” I protest

She arches an eyebrow and looks at me, hands on hips “I think there have been exactly three days the two of you haven’t been at each other when you’ve both been ho to the hospital for IV fluids because of dehydration Spare ins walking down the hallway toward her bedrooht!”

Chris is outside with the wedding planner, trying to be useful My son-in-law chose not to be in the wedding despite our invitation, but he is going to be in attendance He feels unco in my home for four months I have been nice to hi irl is married and down the hall I try not to think of what they’re doing… It must be even ether

I offered to pay for a wedding for them or to have them share our day, but they had declined Tasha and Chris wanted a small service at the courthouse followed by a reception at the bowling alley where they’d had their first date Tasha and Lia were barely showing at that point, and now both appear ready to go into labor at any moment

“Paul is downstairs,” I tell Donna “Second door on the left when you go down the stairs behindmy hint, she leaves me to try and help Lia I knock on the door “Honey, it’s me Just me”

I listen as there are several sounds of struggling and frustrated tears Turning the door, it doesn’t open; Lia has locked it “Can I come in, Lia? Please let me in It’s my bedroom, too,” I remind her

A minute passes, and when no footsteps near the door, I decide to takemy baby and about to become my wife, and I may have made sure she knew this is as much her home as mine, but I will not be locked out of my bedroom without reason I reach up to the top of the door fra the door slowly, I peer intohat looks like an inverted cupcake of fluff She doesn’t answer right ahen I ask what’s wrong, continuing to wriggle “I can’t get it up!” she wails at last Lia rolls side to side, pulling on the band of fabric as she tries to get it under her dress “I was stupid and took off the hoop skirt so I could pee, thinking I could get it up again without help”

Lia starts crying, laughing as she does so “Stupid hormones! I’m fine, really Just embarrassed”

I close and relock the door behindmy bride-to-be in et the waistband up in place, then soddess The bodice is snug across her chest, and then it flares out into a bell shape with sht blue panelthe shade of my tux is an accent over her sto in on either side It does not hide the beautiful curve where our baby is growing, but it also doesn’t make it the centerpiece of the look Her dress is exactly what she designed