Cool Mom

99: Tess's Wedding

"Thank you, Bunny." I kiss her cheek as I grab my purse and put in my phone, credit card and tissues. With children you can never have enough tissues on hand.

I then help Hazel put on her necklace, the gift from us on her fourth birthday. Finally with one quick selfie to approve of how we look, I take Hazel's hand and walk to the room next door, only to find it empty.

We're halfway down the stairs when I hear Daniel say, "Oh wow!"

I smile as Hazel runs ahead of me and Daniel lifts her into his arms off the last step. "Bunny, you look so beautiful!"

"Thank you, daddy." She smiles at him as he kisses her cheek and sets her down before turning to me.

"What did I do to deserve not one but two stunning girls?" He mulls, wrapping his arm around my waist.

"Well, you did marry me." I say, making us both laugh as Daniel pulls me closer and presses a kiss to my lips.

"The love birds are ready!" I hear dad call out from the stairs and I'm forced to pull away from Daniel.

"I can see that." Mom says from behind him.

"You look beautiful." Mom says, pulling me into a hug.

"Definitely not as pretty as my mother." I smile as mom looks radiant in her subtle grey dress.

"And Hazel!" Mom exclaims pulling Hazel into the hug too.

"So, we were thinking that Daniel, Sebastian and the two of us can head to the church before guests start to arrive and you and Hazel can accompany Tess, in case she needs anything." Dad tells us.

"I'll drive." Daniel offers, picking up Sebastian who waves Hazel and me goodbye. Once they're gone, I turn to Hazel, "Shall we go check on Aunty Tess?"

"Yes!" Hazel eagerly nods.

I find Tess's friends in the ground floor hallway, outside the bedroom where Tess is getting ready. They're all already dressed in their matching pink bride's maid dresses.

"Did she kick you all out?" I ask, making them all laugh.

The maid of honor shakes her head, "She said she needed a minute alone. The stylist just left."

"Tess is ready?" I ask and get nods in reply.

I knock on the door and hear Tess say, "Just a minute."

"It's Emma!" I call out.

There's a moment's silence before she asks me to come in. The bride's maids want pictures with Hazel so I leave her outside with them and open the bedroom door to step inside.

I'm not entirely shocked to find Tess looking frightened.

Without a word I walk over to where she's sitting on the bed and sit down next to her. I wrap an arm around her shoulders and she rests on head on mine. We sit in silence for a few minutes before I pull away my arm to face her.

"Wedding jitters?" And thankfully she nods.

"It's okay, I was nervous too on my wedding day. I'm sure you of all people remember." Tess laughs at the memory of me pacing the length of the hotel suite that I got ready in. "But at the end what got me through was Daniel. It's just the part till the aisle. Once Daniel was holding my hand, it felt as if the whole world had fallen into place."

Tess nods in agreement before asking, "Do I look okay?"

"Okay?!" I exclaim, "Tess, you look like an angel!"

This gets a laugh out of her and she gives me a hug. Then I stand up and hold out a hand to her, "Let's go?"

She nods and I open the bedroom door for her.