that is.
He makes a face, sticking his tongue out at me as he adjusts my dress at the back.
“Well, I haven’t forgotten what they did, how they treated you. How they treated us,” he says with conviction, making me wince as he pulls something too tight.
“Alright Wes, easy on the ropes back there, I can’t breathe,” I gasp.
“Sorry honey,” he murmurs. “Are these strings getting shorter, or am I just imagining things?” he murmurs to himself.
“What are you doing back here anyway? You’re not supposed to see the bride before the wedding, it’s bad luck,” I remind him. Changing the subject as I try to suck some more of my belly in.
“Like the same not seeing the bride before the wedding bad luck I made you scream out about three times last night?” he asks, letting one of his hands slip and somehow grab hold of my chest.
I could slap it away, but I love Wes’s touch. I crave it.
Wedding day or not, he can touch me anywhere, anytime.
This is the last day I’ll probably even fit in this dress anyway, I had it re-sized and altered so many times now, there won’t be anything left of it to let out if we don’t get married today.
He’s so sweet, about everything.
I can eat what I want, and when I forget he makes me eat. I can sleep in late and he does all the chores, won’t even let me lift a finger.
And he keeps telling me not to be silly when I want to complain about gaining a few pounds.
A few pounds? More than just a few.
It’s weird though, it’s like he wants me to be bigger, and it excites him. That much is obvious.
“More of you to love, baby girl,” he groans whenever he grabs hold of me, exploring his favorite parts, the ones that always make me squeal and squirm too.
“They’re almost ready” someone chimes in, the wedding planner who pokes his head around the door, wagging his finger at me and looking at his timepiece.
“If I’m paying for the damned wedding, I’ll do what I like. Including groping my bride to be right before we tie the knot,” Wes says to himself, straightening his bow tie and locking the door after he closes it in the guy’s face.
“Be out in a minute,” I blush, and nudge him, motioning to get him out there.
“Go wait for your bride, handsome,” I tell him, my voice breaking with emotion as I pick up the bridal bouquet.
“Honey, what is it?” he asks, figuring it’s more than just last minute nerves.
God knows my stomach’s been doing the butterfly express all morning. But there’s something else, he can tell.
“Katelyn, what’s wrong?” he asks, my nerves turning to icy panic for a moment when I see his face. Those eyes.
“I was gonna tell you later… tonight…” I whisper, crying real tears now, my eyes blurring red.
“Oh sweetie, what is it?” Wes begs, pleading with me to tell him what the matter is.
I take his hand and press it to my belly.
“That first night,” I tell him. “That first, wonderful night you made me yours…”
His eyes light up with recognition, and I’m sure we both feel a little kick down there.
“I’m gonna be a daddy and a husband?” he asks, finally speechless for the first time since I’ve known him.
Me, I just wanna cry I’m so happy. I was going to tell him, god I’ve been trying to tell him for weeks but it was just never the right moment.
“Are you mad at me?” I ask, worried I’ll spoil the wedding.
“People ready now,” the wedding planner’s voice chimes in again from behind the door. The doorknob rattling as he tries to get in.
“Not now,” Wes growls before he smiles at me, getting down on his knees and pressing his face to my belly, listening and feeling the life inside me we’ve made together.
“What D’you mean not now?” the voice hisses, knocking on the door with a nervous tap.
The soft sound of the organ starts, my wedding march.
“Oh baby, we’re gonna have a baby,” Wes says, almost unable to control himself, he’s even shaking.
“If we don’t get out there, we’ll both be single parents,” I remind him, knowing how much all of this means to Wes, and to me.
“Plus, I’m about to pop out of this dress,” I realize too.
“Oh, you won’t be wearing it too much longer,” he promises me, hurrying to get on his feet as I brush him off and he kisses me