Page 20 of His Curvy Obsession

Today isn’t about me or my opinions. It’s about Alyssa and her special day. And I’ll be damned if I’m going to open my mouth and say something to dampen her excitement. I’m not that kind of sister. She and I are a united front, a team. I’d do anything for her.

Including lie.

“I love the ruffles,” I say, patting the mass of gauzy fabric bunched at the neckline. “They’re really…”

I drift off, glancing at the other bridesmaids for help.

“Whimsical!” Peyton, a bridesmaid says brightly, her smile looking pained.

“Very whimsical,” I agree.

Alyssa turns away from us and turns, looking at herself from all angles in the three paneled full length mirror.

“Do you think he’ll like it?” She asks for the tenth time.

“Girl, when he sees you in that dress walking down the aisle towards him, he’s going to be drooling,” another bridesmaid pipes up. “Be careful. He might rip it right off of you, right there in front of the minister and everything!”

We laugh.

“Well you know he wants kids right away,” Peyton says to us with a wink. “What do you think? Should we take bets on whether they’ll have a honeymoon baby?”

Alyssa glances at me quickly. I’m not laughing along with the others, but I’ve got the best smile I can muster on my face, disguising the familiar pang of sadness that always hits me when other women talk about having babies.

They talk about it as though it’s easy. As though getting pregnant is as simple as snapping their fingers. It’s such a contrast to my own outlook. And the fact that I’m not able to indulge in the champagne in the bridal suite with the others another unwelcome reminder.

Imagine. A honeymoon baby. Getting married and getting pregnant right away, just like that, basically by accident. I could only dream. With my body, the only way to get pregnant is on purpose. Probably after spending a lot of money, and a lot of time in doctor’s offices.

“Oh, stop,” Alyssa says seriously, waving her hand at the other women. “I don’t want to talk about babies today. Seriously guys. Guys,enough.”

The laughing stops abruptly.

“Sorry, Lyss,” Peyton says with a bewildered look on her face. “I was just kidding around.”

“I know,” Alyssa says, glancing at me. “It’s just I’m so stressed out today…I’ve spent months planning this day. I don’t have it in me to think about anything else, especially babies.”

“Totally understand. No more talk of babies,” Peyton says quickly. “Right, Rebecca?”

“Right,” I say, my mouth dry. I stand up, smoothing the front of my watermelon pink dress. “Excuse me…I think I left something in my car.”

“Don’t let the dress -”

“Don’t let the dress drag on the ground,” I complete my sister’s sentence for her with a nod. “I won’t. Don’t worry.”

She turns back to the mirror, picking an imaginary piece of lint from the front of her dress.

I exit the bridal suite, walking through the narrow back hallway of the church until I get to the side exit. The setting sun’s beams hit my face. I take a gulp of fresh air and brush the hair away from my face.

This day is about Alyssa. The last thing anyone needs is a Maid of Honor distracting everyone with her own personal emotional crisis.

“Hey.”

I look up to see Eric. He looks incredible in a sharp black suit. His curly hair is tamed away from his face, making his hazel eyes stand out more than usual, and he’s holding a single red rose.

“Hey,” I reply weakly. “You showed up.”

“You weren’t expecting me to?”

I shrug.

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