Wiped Clean

36. Family

Caia had been a mess of emotions all morning. They had been woken even earlier than usual by Skye's 6am phone call, telling them both to get their asses out of bed. She told them they had one hour together before she would arrive and separate them, sending them to different rooms for the rest of the morning while they got ready. But Caia hadn't liked that idea. All she had wanted was to spend the entire day with her bride to be. She didn't want them to be separated.

In the end, Annika had convinced her it was for the best. She wanted it to be a surprise when they both saw each other in their dresses with their finished hair and makeup. Still, Caia made the most of that hour. They showered together before eating breakfast. They had been halfway through eating when Skye burst in, with Emily in tow. Together, they were to assist with hair and makeup to get them both ready by midday.

Caia looked at the time. It was 11am and the nerves had begun to settle in. She wasn't quite sure why she was so nervous. She couldn't wait to marry Annika. But standing up in front of their loved ones and declaring her feelings in front of them, that gave her pause. She had never liked public speaking. What if she said the wrong thing? What if she messed up her vows?

A soft knock on the door broke her from her thoughts as Lori peeked her head through before stepping further into the room. "Oh my goodness, you look beautiful, darling," she said with a wide smile.

"Thanks. How is Annika doing?" Caia asked.

"She's doing well." Lori sat beside Caia, her smile fading. "Honey, your mother is downstairs. Would you like for me to send her in?"

"No." Caia picked at the hem of her robe and looked away. She wasn't sure whether to be happy or panicked that her mother had turned up. Surprised, was what she was. But the last thing she needed was her mother's criticism right before she walked down the aisle. "I'll talk to her after the ceremony." She frowned. "Did she ask to see me?"

"Not in so many words. She seemed... uncomfortable."

Caia huffed a bitter laugh. "Yeah, she would be. She's not exactly used to this kind of life." She cleared her mother from her thoughts and turned her attention back to the beautiful woman a few rooms down the hall. "Is Annika really doing okay? Is she nearly ready? Is she nervous?"

Lori smiled. "She's good. And yes, she's almost ready. She's hiding it well, but I can tell she's a little nervous." She winked. "I can always tell."

Such familiarity was so foreign to Caia. She knew that there was no way in hell her mother would know anything like that about her. She had no idea what made her happy, what made her nervous. She had a surface level understanding of her and had never really bothered to try and understand her on a deeper level. Caia vowed to be different with her own children.

"I hope I'm as good a mother to my kids as you are to yours, Lori," Caia said with tears in her eyes.

Lori's brow lifted. "Planning another one already, dear?"

Caia nearly choked on her own saliva before covering it up with a grin. She had come so close to spilling their secret. "We've discussed it."

"Well, you'll get no complaints from me. The more the better." She stood, then wrapped Caia up in a warm embrace, careful not to touch her makeup or hair. "I'm going to head back downstairs and make sure everything is in order. I'll see you soon."

"Thanks, Lori."

Just as Lori walked out the door, Skye returned, with a manic look in her eyes. She had been fluttering between rooms all morning. "You nearly ready to put your dress on?"

Caia couldn't help but grin. "Is Annika in her dress? How does she look?"

Skye smirked. "Put it this way, make sure you concentrate while you're walking."