Chapter Twenty-Eight

Indya

We just got back to the apartment, with our bags of beautiful things from Dress Me Up. Haven was thrilled to see Maggie again and was surprised she made a custom gown for her to wear to the gala.

Maggie dressed not only me but Amara, Lyra, Emerson, Asia, and Samantha for the gala. We are all excited for the gala, and ready to get pampered. Samantha arranged for hair and makeup to meet us at a hotel near the Art Museum, so we didn't look frumpy when arriving. Samantha's words, not mine.

Atlas drives us to Portland, the guys are all getting ready there as well, just in a different room. We told them we would meet them in the ballroom, because since the theme is fairytale, we want to make a grand entrance, like the queens, and princesses, we are. He frowned a bit, not wanting to be separated for the entire day, but he will get over it. I know it will be worth the look on his face when he sees Haven and I in our gowns.

"You better arrive on time, Indya. I will take you over my knee if you are even a minute late. The season was too long and I didn't get to spend nearly enough time in you as I wanted," he says, almost whiney. I just laugh, then realize what he said.

"Don't you mean with me and not in me?" I continue laughing as we are about to go to our separate rooms to get ready.

"That too. I love you, Indya. With everything in me, everything that I am. I belong to you." Atlas says against my neck as he hugs me, then kisses me before turning away.

"Atlas!" I yell for him, and he jerks around, startled. "I love you."

He smiles and turns and continues his journey to the room two doors

down from the one all the women are in.

I open the door, and the room is a mess, all you can smell is different scents of perfume, hair spray, and nail polish. This does not look like the posh room we walked into not even an hour ago.

There are people who must be the makeup artist, hair stylist, and manicurist, flying all over the room in between shouts of where is this and who has that and who is working on this person. It is chaos, pure chaos. I look to my left, where the sitting area is and see Haven in a huge white fluffy robe, and pink slippers with baseballs on the top, sitting on the couch playing on her tablet.

As I head over to her, I see she is talking to someone. I sit beside her, and she looks at me. I can see who it is from where I am sitting, but I still ask her, who are you talking to?

Uncle Silas and Zan. They are fighting over who my date is and who I am dancing with first. She signs back, covering her mouth with her little hand, giggling. She is having so much fun, and is growing so fast.

I can't believe she will be five tomorrow, going to kindergarten in the fall. I didn't realize when you are whole, life goes by faster than ever.

I smile at her, and let her continue to chat with the guys, heading over to where all the other women stand.

"So where do we start?" I ask Samantha, it is her dog and pony show.

"We each have three people with us, hair, face, nails. This way, we are all ready closer to the same time, rather than attempting to be late because someone is still getting their hair or face done. So, I figured, divide and conquer. Before we find our trio, each area has a basket of goodies with your names on it, courtesy of the hotel. Your trio should already be there and ready to go. Indya, I have Haven between you and Amara so if translating needs done, one of you will be able to be Haven's ears and mouth. Also, I told Haven's trio you will let them know what you want done with her hair, face, and nail-wise. Now, let's get our beauty on ladies and show everyone what real queens, and princess, looks like." Samantha claps her hands and we all scatter.

I let Haven know it is time to get ready and she says her goodbyes and pulls up Tangled to watch while she is getting pampered. She is loving every minute of this, she said she feels like one of the grownups because we are all doing and wearing the same thing while we get glammed. I just laugh at her, pointing her in the direction of her chair.

"So, what are we thinking with everything for Princess Haven, here, mom?" the hairstylist asks, as the makeup artist and nail tech listen intently.

"Well, I am going to make it easy for all of you. You have all seen her entire ensemble, correct?" I ask and they all nod, verifying they have seen everything she is putting on her little body. "Well, you have free reign on what you want to do, she loves princesses and baseball, so I am sure whatever you come up with will be beautiful. The only request I have is, not heavy on the makeup, she is four. I would like her to still look four for one more day," I laugh. They all nod and get to work.

I tell my trio the exact same as I told Haven's. All of them have seen all our gowns and accessories for the evening, so they have a lot of ideas. I get up into the chair, the stylist has to pump to its full height due to my size, but he never complains.

Three and a half hours later, we are all ready to head to the gala.

Samantha is wearing a dusty blue A-line boat-neck lace dress, stopping just below her knee, she has paired it with a nude peep toe heel. Her hair is in an elaborate updo, just like all the rest of the girls.

Everyone looks stunning, from their updos to their heels, absolutely breathtaking, each one of them.

"Are you ladies ready?" Samantha asks, everyone agrees, and Haven is bouncing on her toes, excited to see the guys and dance her night away.

We all got in position, we decided to make our entrance like real queens, and princesses, by walking down the split staircase. The staircase banister is adorned with greenery, floral arrangements and fairy lights. Someone has laid a red carpet down each set of stairs giving the effect of a real-life fairy tale.

The girls start walking down one by one, Haven and I are going last, just to mess with Atlas a bit. As we wait, I see him standing at the end of the staircase. Watching. Waiting. He looks so handsome in his Tom Ford Herringbone suit. His shirt beneath is lavender in color, which doesn't surprise me that he ended up matching me and neither of us knew what the other was wearing. He looks like a real-life prince.

I tap Haven on the shoulder so she can take a peek. She sees Silas in his navy Gucci suit and Zanger is his Versace Barocco Jacquard blazer, then her eyes land on Atlas, and she turns to me to sign, They all look like princes, mama. Just like in Maggie's story, the princes have found us, after we saved ourselves. Do we get happily ever after now, mama?

Sometimes she acts so much wiser than her years. I tell her I agree they all look like princes. Then I tell her, We are living our happily ever after, right now, princess. I straighten her crown, taking a hold of her hand so we can make our way to our ever after.