Chapter 73

CHAPTER 73

MARIGOLD

D ress shopping was supposed to be a calm, leisurely event. It was supposed to be glasses of champagne while admiring beautiful dresses. But as I stood in the middle of a boutique that seemed to be the size of a football field, surrounded by dresses that looked more like wedding cakes than garments, I realized nothing about this day would be calm. Or leisurely.

I was about to lose my mind. I was so overwhelmed.

In a good way.

"Marigold, this is the dress. I can feel it!" Kathy's voice rang out from somewhere behind a mountain of silk.

I craned my neck, trying to see her over the avalanche of fabric. Kathy was a force of nature, a whirlwind of energy who could outshop anyone I'd ever met. I wasn't sure I believed Rory when she told me she came into the family when she was hired as Kathy's home health nurse. Kathy acted like a woman half her age. Rory assured me that was all because of Armand. She got a new lease on life and was intent on enjoying every minute she had left on this earth.

Kathy appeared, holding out a dress with more sequins than I thought humanly possible.

"I haven't even tried anything on yet!" I laughed, shaking my head. "You're way ahead of me."

Kathy grinned, her eyes sparkling with mischief. "That's because I know what I'm doing. Trust me, honey, you're in good hands."

Elaine, who had come along for moral support and mocktails, was lounging on one of the plush velvet sofas, her hand resting on the small curve of her belly. "You two are like kids in a candy store," she teased. "Meanwhile, I'm over here just trying to stay upright without knocking over a mannequin."

"You're glowing, Elaine," Rory piped up from her spot by the shoe rack. Rory was rifling through an assortment of lace veils, her expert eyes assessing every detail. "Glowing."

"Yeah, sure," Elaine said, waving her hand. "Glowing from pregnancy nausea. Real cute. No one told me morning sickness came back. I'm in my third trimester. It should be done. I get these cravings and gorge myself and then I end up with heartburn and nausea."

I did feel bad for her, but she was a lucky lady. I knew she wasn't really complaining. She was thrilled to be pregnant.

I'd been nervous about today—about shopping for my wedding dress without my mom by my side. But with this group of women, it felt like I had a whole team rooting for me. And Kathy was like the mother I hadn't realized I needed, stepping in and filling a gap I didn't think anyone could fill.

"Lots of little meals," Kathy advised. "Eat all day, but just little bits."

"I like the sound of that." Elaine laughed.

I needed to find a gown. It was already the middle of April. We were going to be married in three months. There was no more time to waste. Today was the day I found my wedding dress. Period.

"Okay, let's do this," I said.

Kathy practically squealed with excitement. She had been looking for me and I knew she had a whole rack of dresses she wanted me to look at.

"I think this one is just stunning," Kathy said. The first dress she'd picked out was a beautiful A-line number with delicate lace sleeves and a plunging back. It was beautiful, soft, and feminine. I could already imagine the way it would flow down the aisle, the way Zayn's face would light up when he saw me in it.

I slipped into the dressing room, pulling the curtain closed behind me. As I stared at myself in the mirror, wearing the dress Kathy had picked out, I felt a surge of emotion. This was really happening. I was getting married. To Zayn.

"Well?" Kathy called from the other side of the curtain. "Let's see!"

I stepped out, smoothing the skirt nervously. The room fell silent for a moment, and I could see the looks on their faces—Rory, Kathy, Elaine. They all seemed to be holding their breath.

Kathy's eyes lit up. "Oh, honey, that's the one."

I stared at myself in the mirror, turning slightly to see the back. It really was stunning, but I wasn't sure if it was the dress yet. "I don't know," I hedged. "It's beautiful, but…"

Kathy came over, placing a hand on my arm. "Trust me, you'll know when it's right. But I have a good feeling about this one."

Elaine leaned forward, giving me a thumbs-up. "You look amazing. Zayn is going to faint when he sees you in that."

I laughed, feeling a little more relaxed. "Faint, huh?"

"Oh yeah," Rory added, smirking. "And then we'll all have to prop him up at the altar."

The room dissolved into giggles again. This was fun. It was joyful. It was everything I'd hoped for when I imagined wedding dress shopping, even without my mom here.

"I know your mom would be so proud of you," Kathy said. "If she was here, she'd say this is the dress, too."

The words hit me right in the heart, and for a moment, I had to blink back tears. "Thank you, Kathy. That means everything to me."

I loved that I was part of the family. It didn't matter if we'd signed any papers yet or not. Kathy had my back, just like Zayn did. Just like they all did.

"I think I'd like to try on that dress," I said, pointing to a sleek, satin one hanging nearby. I'd been eyeing it ever since we walked in. It had a simple, yet elegant style, with a train trailing behind and intricate little pearls sewn into the fabric around the waist. And it had the rouching I wanted around the belly. I loved the shape of the dress.

"Good choice," Kathy said.

Once again, I stepped into the dressing room. The satin was cool against my skin as I slipped it on and zipped up the side. Checking myself out in the mirror, I couldn't help but gasp. It was stunning on the hanger but on me it looked like it was made just for me.

I knew this was the one.

I stepped out and the girls all started to cry. That confirmed what I already knew in my gut.

"Stop it, you guys," I said, brushing away my own tears. "You're going to make me ruin this dress before I even buy it!"

"Too late for that, we're already buying it," Kathy declared as she wiped a tear from her eyes.

I glanced at myself in the mirror again, the satin material clinging perfectly to my form while still maintaining an elegant and classy silhouette. My heart fluttered in my chest as I thought about how Zayn would react when he saw me walking down the aisle. Would he cry? Would he faint as Rory had joked? All I knew was that I couldn't wait to see his face.

"Okay," I said, fanning my face with my hand.

"I'll get the saleswoman," Rory said. "We'll get you fitted and get a rush on the order."

"And we need to find our accessories," Kathy said.

Kathy looked like she was about to burst. She had her dress picked out and was obviously ready to get the finishing touches.

"Are we sure this wedding's in six months?" Kathy sighed as we paid for our haul. "Because I don't think I can wait that long. I want to be married now."

"I'm with you," I said. "But at least Zayn and I don't have to wait as long—we're tying the knot in less than three months. That's practically around the corner."

Elaine clapped her hands together, a wide grin spreading across her face. "I can't wait! It's going to be so beautiful."

After the shopping marathon, Elaine and I decided to grab drinks at a cute café down the street. I noticed she kept cradling her belly like it was the most precious thing in the world. I supposed that it was. I wondered if it was instinct. When we were walking down the crowded streets, she naturally put her hand on her belly like her hand alone would protect her baby from the entire world.

We ordered mocktails, and when the waiter brought them over, I raised my glass to toast. "To dress shopping, best friends, and impending weddings."

"And impending babies," Elaine added with a wink.

"Cheers," I said, clinking my glass against hers. We both took a sip, and then Elaine narrowed her eyes at me, suspiciously.

"Wait a second," she said slowly, staring at me like she was putting pieces of a puzzle together. "You didn't have to order a mocktail. I'm the pregnant one. You deserve a mimosa at the very least. I remember dress shopping. I wanted to down a bottle of tequila afterward."

I shrugged, trying to keep my expression neutral. "Maybe I just felt like a mocktail."

She froze and slowly put her glass down. "You didn't drink champagne at the dress shop."

"I didn't want to spill anything on the dress."

Elaine gasped, her eyes going wide. "Marigold, no way. Are you…"

I bit my lip, smiling. I had been trying to hold the secret, but I should have known she would be able to tell. "Yep. I'm pregnant."

Elaine's face lit up and she practically jumped out of her chair. She clapped her hands together. "Oh my god! Does Zayn know?"

"Not yet," I admitted, laughing. "I'm going to tell him tonight. I was going to tell him then you, and then my dad. But dammit, you always know."

Elaine covered her mouth, her eyes welling with tears. "I'm so happy for you."

"Thank you."

"You're going to blow Zayn's mind. He's going to be the cutest dad. And you are going to be an amazing mom. Our babies will grow up together!"

"I know." I smiled.

"Did you plan this?"

I laughed. "Not exactly. I'm not all that surprised, but I guess I wasn't really expecting it either."

"Zayn is going to lose his mind when you tell him," she said with a laugh.

"He's been talking about filling all those bedrooms with kids. I'm not sure how serious he was about that, but it's about to get very real."

"I'm so happy for you," she said. "How far are you?"

"Only about four weeks. I'm hoping I will be able to squeeze into my dress before I start showing."

We finished our drinks before we left. I was going to be meeting Zayn for an early dinner in the city before we went home.

I drove my new Mercedes that Zayn insisted on buying me. He claimed it was because it was one of the safest vehicles on the road. I knew it was because my future husband loved spoiling me.

It was difficult at first, but I had come to understand it was his love language. It wasn't him bragging or flaunting his wealth. He just loved to take care of me and make me happy. I swallowed my pride and accepted his gifts for what they were—love.

I met him outside the restaurant and knew there was no way I was going to be able to keep my secret.

"Hey beautiful." He smiled as he kissed me.

"Can we hold off on dinner?" I asked.

"Sure. What's up?"

"Just trust me." I grabbed his hand and pulled him down the street to a baby store that was tucked between a nail salon and a pet shop.

He looked around, clearly confused, but he followed me inside. I wandered over to a display of tiny onesies and picked up the smallest, cutest one I could find. It was yellow with little ducks on it, soft and sweet.

I held it up, showing it to him. Zayn's brow furrowed as he stared at the onesie, then back at me.

"I don't think that will fit me," he said, grinning.

I giggled, feeling my heart race. "It's a good thing you bought us that big house. We're already one guest room down."

He frowned at first and then his eyes widened, the realization dawning on him. "Wait… are you saying…"

I nodded, grinning like an idiot. "We're having a baby."

Before I could say anything else, he swept me up in his arms, kissing me like we were back in Mallorca, like we were the only two people in the world. I laughed against his lips, feeling a warmth spread through me that had nothing to do with the sun setting outside.

"Yellow's good for a nursery, right?" I asked when he finally let me breathe.

"Yellow's perfect," he said, his voice thick with emotion. He kissed me again, his hand resting on my stomach, his touch gentle. "I love you. Both of you."

"I love you too," I whispered, knowing that life couldn't get any better than this.