“I think we can find something more perfect.” That was my attempt to soften the blow. We didn’t need rhinestones or sequin distractions on our dresses. We needed a good fabric, a pretty color, a nice design, and then we needed to fade into the background. Megan was the focus of the wedding, after all. “Do you have any catalogues we could look at?” I asked the saleswoman. She huffed a little at my request but promptly walked away saying she’d bring us some magazines. “Kalli, please take that dress off,” I laughed.
Megan sat down in the chair next to me and exhaled loudly. “It shouldn’t be this difficult.” She sounded defeated and we’d only just started.
“Megs, everything will be just fine. We’ll look through the catalogues and get some ideas. Do you think you want Kalli and me to wear the same dress or different ones?”
“I don’t care. I just want them the same color. You guys can pick different ones. I want everything to look cohesive.”
I placed a hand on her shoulder and squeezed gently. “Everything is going to turn out fine. We’ve got plenty of time.” She turned and smiled at me.
“Thanks, Fella.” Just then, the saleswoman brought us some catalogues and we spent a few minutes flipping through them. Kalli seemed to gravitate towards the dresses that were corseted and fitted through the torso and I hoped for something a little looser, an empire waist perhaps.
The saleswoman brought us some dresses similar to what we were drawn to. I slipped on a strapless, empire waist gown that flowed down around my ankles. The fabric was light and airy. I loved it. I walked out of the dressing room and waited for Megan’s scrutiny.
“Ella, it’s a pretty dress, but it doesn’t do anything for your figure. You look like a fancy peasant.”
“Ok, well, first, that’s an oxymoron. Second, I don’t need anything done for my figure so I’m not worried about that.”
“It’s true, Megan. Ella is already married to the most handsome man we’ve ever met. She’s officially the Matron of Honor. She’s not looking for any single men to hook up with at your wedding.”
“Patrick is the most handsome man I’ve ever seen,” Megan stated, confident in her fiancé’s good looks. “But come on, Ella. You don’t want to wear a loose fitting drape to my wedding, do you?”
I sighed loudly and decided that it was impossible to keep our situation a secret any longer. “Listen, Megs. The truth is, I’m going to need to order a dress like this in case my body is different in four months.” I tried to imply meaning without blatantly stating that Porter and I were trying to have a baby. Kalli’s head poked out around from the doorway of her dressing room, eyes wide, mouth open into a big “O.” Megan was looking at me like I’d asked her a calculous question.
“Shut. Up.” Kalli whisper-yelled.
“Shhh! It’s not really a secret but we haven’t told anyone yet. I don’t want to jinx it. Let’s just order me a frumpy dress and be done with it.”
“Are you already . . .” Kalli’s eyebrows rose up and she eyed my midsection.
“No, I’m not pregnant yet, but we’re trying.”
“What?!” Megan yelled, finally catching on. “You’re having a baby?”
“We’re trying to have a baby. Nothing is growing yet,” I said as I waved a hand around in front of my belly.
“So you’re saying you didn’t have a shotgun elopement because you’re pregnant?” Megan said, shooting me an expectant glare.
“No, we did not elope because I was pregnant. I am not pregnant. Like I said, we’re trying. We’ve been trying.”
“I’m sure you have,” Kalli said with a snicker as she went back into her dressing room. I grinned too, realizing that once you announced that you were trying to have a baby, everyone automatically knew you’re having a lot of sex. I blushed and turned away from my sister.
“In light of recent information, I approve of the baggy peasant dress. Just make sure you put a baby in your belly to make it worth it.”
“I’ll, uh, do my best.”
Kalli and I successfully picked out dresses in a very pretty, soft lilac color. Kalli’s dress would be sure to snag her any single guy at the wedding if she wanted one. Neither of us, though, would hold a candle to my sister. I couldn’t wait to see Patrick’s face as she walked down the aisle.
It was seven o’clock before we were done and after I said goodbye to Kalli and Megan, I sat in my car and called Porter.
“Hey, Babe,” he said as he answered.
“Hey, yourself. I’m done dress shopping. Just calling to see what you’re up to.”
“I’m sitting here at the restaurant with my mom, just chatting.”
“Oh, great. How is she?”
“She’s good. She misses you. Speaking of which, I am going to have to come back to Lincoln City tomorrow to work on some issues happening at the job site here, so I was wondering if you wanted to drive out for the night. I can come back to Salem, no problem, but I thought a night at the beach house could be good, too.”
My heart fluttered at the thought of the beach house. Porter’s house. The house where we fell in love.
“I don’t mind driving out. It’s only seven. I can be there by nine.”
“Perfect,” he said softly, as if he were imagining us at the beach house just like I was.