Together

Chapter 29

"You're absolutely sure you want to spend your day off with a screaming baby?" Connie stood opposite Jacob near the front door as he glanced out to Grace who was shrugging. "A hundred percent, I love you baby but go." Connie smiled as he placed his hands on her forearms before leaning in and kissing her.

Connie responded immediately deepening the kiss much to Jacob's amusement. She felt a pair of hands pulling her backwards out of the door as she laughed. "Hey! Alright, alright..." "Bye Jacob." He smiled watching as Connie's cousin pulled her towards the car. "See you later Hannah."

"Anyone would think it was you guys getting married and not me." "Well it takes time to find the perfect dress... Especially when its you." Hannah rolled her eyes causing Grace to giggle and Connie to glare at them both. "Don't think just because she's here you can get away with murder Grace."

The girls drove towards the outskirts of Holby chatting the entire way. "How long are you staying for Hannah?" She twisted round in the car to face Grace with a smile. "I'm just here for the weekend sweetheart, but I'l be back down when your Mum gets married. Maybe I'll come down a few days before, spend some time with you."

Grace nodded with a smile as Hannah sat back up glancing to Connie. "If you can put up with me for longer than a day." "Sure I'll tolerate it... As long as you don't try and kiss my fiance we shouldn't have an issue-" "You know that was a mistake, I was drunk, he was drunk..."

Connie nodded focusing on the road as she turned the corner. "Wasn't everything..." "Con, you know I'm sorry about that." She waved her hand shaking her head. "Just forget I said anything okay? Let's just get through today... I could really do with getting at least one thing arranged for this wedding."

They were due at the appointment at 11:30 and it was just coming up to 11:15. They got out of the car walking towards the shop entrance before Connie stopped. "You girls head inside, I just need to make a phone call." She pulled out her phone looking down at the number before dialing it.

"Hi, its Connie." She folded an arm across her chest as she looked along the street. "Are you almost here?" Just as she asked she noticed a car parking beside hers. Putting her phone back into her bag she crossed the road waiting for them to get out.

The woman had long dark hair falling in waves down her back. She had darkened skin and looked flawless. Straight away she was drawn to the similarities, it was impossible not to see the resemblance. "Connie!" Her face lit up before she pulled her into a hug. Connie stood laughing a little as she let the other woman stand back up.

"So, how is Jacob taking the wedding being so close?" Connie smiled across at the other woman as they began to wander towards the shop. "Driving me insane, like you have no idea." She smiled resting a hand to Connie's arm. "Oh I bet I do... I know exactly how he can be."

The women wandered inside the shop to find Alicia had now joined Hannah and Grace. Connie stepped up just as Hannah turned to face her. "5 bridesmaids? I thought you only had 4 of us-" "Well you were wrong, this is Brianna, and I'm Connie Beauchamp." The assistant smiled at her before they wandered further inside.

When everyone was inside Brianna stopped Connie. "Are you sure about this?" Looking back to her she could see she seemed unsettled. "Brianna I want you at my wedding and I want you as a bridesmaid." She smiled warmly, the same smile she'd become so accustomed to.

Grace was sitting with Hannah laughing while Alicia sat opposite them. Grace smiled across at Brianna seeming to be thinking about something. "Okay well then, shall we get started?"

Alicia and Hannah were up talking to the assistant and glancing through dresses while Connie hung back. "Sweetheart?" "Yes Mum." Grace moved back towards her as she sat down on the sofa with her. "There's something else I wanted to tell you about Brianna."

Grace looked up at the other women laughing and holding dresses up. "She's your Auntie Grace-" "Really?" Connie nodded with a smile with her hand running through her hair. "Promise me not to say anything, Jacob doesn't know she's here." "He never said he had a sister..."

Connie smiled nodding. "I know baby, it's complicated but I wanted to tell you." Alicia and Hannah were disappearing into changing rooms trying on dresses leaving the other three outside. "Grace have you looked at any of these yet?"

Brianna spun around looking to her niece with a smile. Connie watched as she didn't answer before moving from where she sat and running over to Brianna. Grace threw her arms around her taking her by surprise before Brianna laughed hugging her back.

Connie sat back getting comfortable waiting for the four girls to come back out. "Okay so I'm a fan of this one Con..." Hannah stepped out at the same time as Alicia did looking to each other. They'd stuck with the greeny blue shade that Grace had mentioned when they thought about the wedding months ago.

Their dresses were fitted across the chest with a sweetheart neckline before falling closely to their bodies until hitting the floor. "They're gorgeous Han, let me guess you chose them?" Hannah crossed her arms raising an eyebrow. "Expect anything less?" Connie rolled her eyes before noticing Brianna walking out beside them.

Grace was last to run out twirling around as she came. Connie smiled at her daughter who leant into Brianna's side. All four girls were in the same outfit agreeing that they seemed like the perfect dress. Grace ran over to Connie hugging her as tears spilled down her cheeks. "Why are you crying Mum?" "Seeing you like that, you're so grown up... You're not my baby girl anymore."

Connie placed a hand to Grace's cheek with a smile as she laughed. "You'll always be my Mum though." Brianna watched how the 2 interacted with a smile before they all took the bridesmaids dresses off. "On to the main attraction then, come on... We all want to see you in several dresses before you settle."

Rolling her eyes she stood herself up starting what was bound to be an extremely long process while Grace sat with Brianna non stop chatting. It seemed Grace was more than happy to find out she had an Auntie and had taken a liking to her immediately.