The Unexpected Has Arrived! (Unexpected, #2)

Chapter 09

CHAPTER 9

I was beyond surprised at how well everything had turned out. Our routine went back to what it had been and Tahlia was happier than ever. With the weeks to our wedding ticking by, we were finalising the final arrangements. This meant that I had to do some bridesmaid shopping with Sam and my sisters. Courtney was the maid of honour, and her dress had already been chosen.

Sam was being brave enough to let me drive her car, and I was finding it a little difficult to get used to.

"Wow, watch your speed Nas. The limit's one hundred kilometres, not one hundred miles!"

"Crap!" I exclaimed, relaxing my foot on the accelerator slightly.

Sam snorted, "You're so funny, Nas."

"You think that was funny?! I could have killed us!" I yelled back.

"Its okay, Nas; I trust you," she answered.

"That makes one of us," I muttered, too low for her to hear.

* * *

I rang the doorbell to my previous home that I hadn't been to for over three years. I heard fumbling and suddenly, the white door was pulled back to reveal my three sister, ready to go.

"Nasettia!" they all exclaimed in unison.

"Hey, guys. Ready to shop?" I smiled.

"Sure are," Indie spoke for the three of them.

"Well then, get your fat arses moving!" I joked.

Nettie pulled a shocked face, but giggled it off.

As I began the short drive into Melbourne, the girls were psyching themselves up.

"I can't believe you're getting married!" Indie screeched.

"Indie, watch the volume," I called, coming to a stop at a set of traffic lights.

"Sorry, Nassy. But, I'm just so excited for you! And you're just so young!" she continued, a touch more quiet.

"Yes, well let's not touch on the subject on age, Indie. How old are you? Fourteen, and already you've had six boyfriends?" I glared at her through the rear view mirror.

"Oh shut up Nasettia! At least I know not to go around fucking the first guy who talks to me!" she retorted, covering her mouth instantly.

"How dare you speak to me like that Indilyn?!" Mother instincts were kicking in. "You have no right speak to anyone that way! It's all in the past, and at least I'm trying my hardest to make my mistakes better. That's more than I can say for you! And don't you dare use such repulsive language ever again!"

Sam sat in the passenger seat, supporting my argument whilst Ellie and Nettie sat in the back seat, too scared to say a word.

"You're not my mother, Nasettia!" Indie continued.

"I know that. But I am a mother and I know that if your niece ever spoke that way, she'd never see daylight again." Of course I wouldn't ever go to such drastic circumstances, but I would always use it as a threat to Tahlia as she got older.

"Whatever," Indie muttered, crossing her arms.

Maybe this trip wasn't going to be as enjoyable as I'd first thought...

* * *

Nonetheless, we finally made it to one of Melbourne's bridal shops. My sisters had been quiet the whole journey, and no one dared even sneeze. As we entered the shop, I suddenly felt relaxed.

"Right, I want you girls to work as a team to find four identical dresses to wear. I don't care what they look like, just make sure they're a soft pink colour," I announced to Sam and my sisters. Nettie seemed most pleased by this information.

Instantly Ellie, Indie and Nettie were off to various isles, sorting through the racks for the perfect dress. I headed off with Sam and watched as she searched also.

"You know, you have some seriously good mothering techniques," Sam started after a few moments of awkward silence.

"How so?" I asked.

"Well, you have one of the loudest voices I've ever heard. And you know how to get your words out without mumbling them together. I really suck at that."

Before I could reply, my phone began to buzz, and I looked at the caller ID to see it was Taylor calling.

I smiled before moving to a nearby seat to answer the call...

* * *

After a few hours on the phone to Taylor, it looked as though the four girls had finally agreed on a dress style.

"I think they've finally found something," I said to the love of my life on the other end of the phone call. "Hallelujah! It's a miracle!"

Taylor chuckled lightly at my words. "Well, I'd better go and let you deal with whatever it is," he concluded.

"Okay," I reluctantly replied, "I'll see you in a few hours. I love you."

"I love you more," he replied, my heart filling with awe, "I'll see you soon."

With that, I ended the call and proceeded to the girls with four light pink dresses in hand.

They tried on the dresses, and the shop assistant helped them where they needed it. They each looked so precious in the gowns that I hoped they wouldn't out-do me with my wedding dress. I knew they wouldn't though.

We finally made it out the door after I paid a ridiculous amount of money that I was probably never going to see again.

I drove my sisters home, and this time, the car trip was more of an enjoyable one. At Mum's house, I gave a reluctant nod to acknowledge her, and she did the same. She still hated me for some stupid reason, but for another unexplainable reason, she was still coming to the wedding. I couldn't even begin to understand the workings of my mother.

I drove Sam back to my house where she would then drive down to Geelong to her own family. We were along the Midland Highway and almost home when the unthinkable happened.

Sam and I were joking around, having a great time with the radio playing loudly to our favourite band when the road became very slippery with a sudden downpour of heavy rain. I put the wipers on as high as they would, but they were hardly effective at all.

"NAS, LOOK OUT!" Sam screeched.

I looked ahead and saw a large road train headed straight for me. Its horn was the last thing I heard before everything went blank.