Page 36 of Connie
He’s been on edge with me ever since he found out about Bob. He’s so worried that history is going to repeat itself and something is going to go wrong. He has dragged me to the doctors and the maternity ward way too many times to count over the past few months. I’m pretty sure our midwife is sick to death of us already and can’t wait for me to give birth.
I can’t say he’s totally overdramatic though because his concern a couple of weeks ago was warranted. I wasn’t feeling right, I was queasy and I was getting some pain. I tried to hide it from him thinking it was just pregnancy aches and I’d probably done too much helping around the house when he wasn’t watching me. But a trip to the maternity ward later and it turned out I was showing signs of premature labour. I was kept in overnight for monitoring but let home the next day under strict instructions to take it very easy for the next few weeks.
So now Fin is even more on edge that he was before. He’s fussing around me constantly, making sure I’m okay, getting me anything I may want or need. I love him dearly and I know he’s trying to make life better for me but he is doing my fucking head in! I know I’ve got to take it easy but I’m not the invalid he makes me out to be. This baby cannot come soon enough.
I have been looking forward to this day with the girls for weeks now, just for some peace. I feel awful saying it, but I think some time with the boys will do him some good as well. I just hope me manages to switch off and enjoy himself. I’ll be well looked after, plus I’ll be with both mine and Emma’s mum who have plenty of experience in this department, especially Emma’s mum after having two sets of twins.
I have a little catnap in the car to get some energy for the day and we are soon meeting my mum, Lilly, Molly, Abbi and Susan in the hotel foyer to check in.
Lilly and I head to the room we’re sharing to get ready to head down to the spa for the day.
“How are you doing?”
“I’m good, fed up of being treated like glass, but good. He’s so worried something’s going to happen so I can’t be mad. Saying that though it’s getting harder and harder not to snap at him, it’s not his fault though. I hope he knows that when I’m being a bitch.”
“I’m sure he does. I’m sure he’d let you get away with pretty much anything at the moment as you’re carrying his baby.”
“True. Enough about me, any improvement on you’re love life?” I ask trying to dig for information.
Lilly may look very much like Hannah from the photos I’ve seen but I see a lot of similarities in her personality to Emma. Lilly is pretty hard to read, just like Emma was when I first met her. What am I saying, Emma was hard to read until the truth came out about her twin. Now she’s not hiding anything, the dark clouds have lifted from her eyes and she is really open, well a million times better than she was anyway.
Lilly gives things away though unlike Emma, she might not know she does but I’ve picked up on little bits. She’s told me that she recently broke up with a relatively long-term boyfriend but every time she says his name she totally closes down. I haven’t figured out why but I can only presume it wasn’t a good ending to their relationship. I can only hope she is trying to cover up a broken heart but I have this nagging feeling it’s something worse than that.
I’m pulled from my thoughts when she responds. “No, nothing. Wish I could say the same for Taylor though. I feel like I should have a revolving door installed in our flat at the moment. As soon as one leaves another enters. It’s like a never ending train of hot men and women!”
“Women? I thought he was gay,” I say thinking about Lilly’s very camp best friend and flat mate.
“Yeah he is, doesn’t stop him playing though. He’s not fussy as long as he can shove his dick somewhere I don’t think!” Lilly shouts through from the bathroom where she is now getting changed.
“Lovely!” I say with a laugh. I love Taylor, he’s great. He is just the type of gay best friend every girl needs.
“Urgh, are you being serious?” I complain when Lilly reappears from the bathroom in a glamorous navy blue swimming costume. Lilly is tall, slim and downright gorgeous. She makes me feel like a whale. I take a second to look down at myself. Okay so yeah I’m wearing a bikini but my protruding belly makes it look anything but sexy!
“Shut up, Connie. You look amazing, you have the most perfect bump and you’re glowing.”
I make a non-committal kind of noise in response and run my eyes over her again. Will I ever be skinny again?
Our spa day was amazing and left us all relaxed and ready for the celebrations that lay ahead of us. Both my mum and Susan were like little Duracell bunnies with the excitement of their babies getting married. I couldn’t believe my eyes when they both started pulling penisParaphernaliaout of a carrier bag. Emma had made it quite clear that she wanted a sophisticated and classy day but they both well untruly ruined that. Emma looked mortified, it was really quite funny.
I thought I was going to feel left out with not being able to be going in the Jacuzzi and sauna with the others but everyone made sure not to leave me alone to get bored. Especially Lilly, I was so grateful for her, she spent nearly all day with me and didn’t mind missing out a little. I couldn’t help but feel like she was trying to keep her distance from the others, she just fobbed me off when I mentioned it though saying she was looking after me. I wasn’t convinced.
Standing along side Lilly, Molly and Abbi in our matching emerald gowns we wait in the living room of the bridal suite ready for our bride to appear. Thankfully Emma chose something that would look good on all of us and fit an ever growing Bob in. That being said though I do feel like a heffalump. They all look elegant and ladylike with the soft fabric flowing from the empire line down to their feet and little fluffy shrugs covering their shoulders. I feel anything but bloody elegant and ladylike!
When Emma does appear I’m instantly crying. She looks amazing. The dress is out of this world. When she came out of the dressing room in it a couple of months ago it was instantly obvious that it was the one. It’s cream and the top half is pleated satin with a low v, that Ruben will love, then it has a full tulle skirt. Emma didn’t want to try it on because of the size of the skirt, she wanted something really simple and small. She lost her argument though because we could all see just from the hanger how good it would look.
“Connie, don’t,” she warns, “you’ll make me start.”
“Sorry,” I sniffle.
As we walk down towards the cars that are waiting to take us to the church for the ceremony I can’t help but think that I’ve never been this happy. I’m about to watch my brother and my best friend tie the knot.
I’ve never been one to dream about my perfect wedding and what my dress will be like, I’ve always just thought that it’ll probably happen one day and I’ll worry about it at the time. But as we head toward the church I feel the wedding bug start to take over me as I imagine it being Fin waiting for me at the other end of this journey.
I sob the whole way down the isle and through the entire ceremony. So much so that I watched it all as a blur through my tears. The ceremony was gorgeous and the look on both Emma and Ruben’s faces as they said their vows were like nothing I’ve ever seen before. If anyone needs any evidence that happy ever afters exist then surely they are living, walking proof that they do.
I glance over to my man who is stood by Ruben’s side in his navy tails and my stomach twists. I didn’t think I would but I’ve missed him so much the last two days. I desperately want to be wrapped in his arms and as much as I don’t want to wish the rest of the ceremony away I need it too badly.
I begin to sob even harder when the vicar announces that they are husband and wife and that Ruben can kiss his bride and before I know what’s happening I feel him behind me.
