You Saw Me

79

With only a week left until our wedding, I went back for the final fitting of my dress. Glenne picked me up and went with me for moral support. I was nervous, unsure if the dress would fit me anymore. The bump wasn't huge, but I did have to wear baggy clothes and hoodies when I went out in public, as the press would be able to spot it a mile away. 

The lady at the bridal dress shop was warm and kind and when I took off my Henry Stiles hoodie, she smiled and wiggled her eyebrows at me. "That little one is in a hurry, huh?" She giggled and led me into the dressing room, so I could try the dress. 

"I'm so nervous", I said to her when she pulled the dress out of the garment bag. "What if it doesn't fit?" My eyes were tearing up, but I tried to pull myself together. If it didn't fit, we'd just have to do fix it somehow.

"It will fit", the lady assured me and smiled kindly at me. She unpacked the dress and hung it in front of me. It was such a beautiful dress, even prettier than I remembered. I reached out and stroked the lace, smiling at the dress. The lady disappeared out of the dressing room and returned with undergarments. "Try these on, let me know when you're ready". 

I changed into a very comfortable pair of panties and a bra that would keep everything in place. I let her know I was ready, and she came in and helped me get into my dress. As the dress glided over my shoulders, I felt the flowiness as it swushed around my legs. She zipped it up effortlessly and smiled at me in the mirror. I was speechless, looking at myself in the mirror, completely in love with the dress. 

"See?" The lady said and dropped her gaze to my belly. The cut of the dress actually covered the bump quite well. I would need to put my hand under my belly for it to be visible. I took a deep breath and smiled at her, my eyes watery. I nodded and thanked her. 

I exited the dressing room and Glenne clapped her hands. "Oh, you look so beautiful, Ellie", she said, holding up her phone. I heard Gayle's voice from the phone: "Elliepea, you're breathtaking. It fits you so well", she sniffled. 

I did a little turn and laughed demonstrating how well it hid the bump. "I don't think anyone will notice until I want them to, do you?" 

They both agreed that it was well hidden under the dress. "But you're really showing now, hon", Gayle said on FaceTime. She was drying her eyes with a tissue. "Sorry, I'm just so happy for you. You've always wanted this and..." she trailed off, sobbing. That made me cry too and then Glenne started as well. The lady from the shop fetched a box of cleenex, and we laughed at ourselves and our emotional blubbery. 

***

I came home to a house that smelled like food. Henry was cooking and he had set a beautiful table with candle light and roses. "What's this?" I said as I came into the kitchen/dining room. Henry looked up from the stove and smiled at me, putting his spatula down to pull me into his arms and kiss me. 

"It's a date, I'm cooking you dinner", he said into my hair, kissing my ear. "It'll be ready in like 10 minutes". He smiled and I went upstairs to change clothes. He often did romantic things like this, but today I felt extra emotional about it after the relief of still being able to fit into my wedding dress. 

I put on a black dress that was normally tight fitting, but now it hugged my bump even more, which made me smile at my reflection in the mirror. I messed my hair up a bit, and put on lipstick. I tiptoed down the stairs at the same time, as he came to call me down for dinner. He stopped in his tracks and looked at me, his cheeky smile growing as he exclaimed "Ooooh mama!" I burst out laughing as he took my hand and twirled me around. He held me at an arm's length and looked me up and down. "We could just skip dinner, and..." He smiled and wiggled his eyebrows. I shook my head at him. 

"Are you kidding me, do you know how hungry I am?" I gestured towards my belly. That made him laugh heartedly as he pulled out my chair for me to sit. 

He had cooked a wonderful meal for us. Henry was a pescatarian, and that suited me fine. I had never been particularly fond of eating meat myself, so I embraced his lifestyle and ate a vegetarian diet. He was a really good cook and often cooked for us, which I greatly appreciated. I had never been particularly interested in being the one in charge of the kitchen, but I had always had to, since Adam worked late, and it was somehow expected of me to have dinner ready for him. How things had changed in my life!

"It's lovely", I said as we were enjoying our meal. Henry smiled at me, happy to receive the complement. 

"Thanks, love", he said. "How was the fitting?" 

"It was perfect", I beamed back at him. "The dress is... well, it's perfect. It covers this little nugget", I stroked my belly. 

His eyes gleamed as he looked at me and my belly. "Are you going to me make cry next week, Ellie?" 

I shrugged, smirking at him. "Maybe?" He laughed and reached for my hand over the table. I put my hand in his, and laced fingers with him. 

"You are going to make me the happiest man in the world, you know?" He looked at me with so much love in his eyes. I smiled at him. "Now get over here and kiss me", he said cheekily.