Chapter 32
Chapter Thirty-Two
Amber
I pull into the bridal shop parking lot, glancing over at Bree, who’s reclining in the passenger seat with her eyes closed. Her face looks paler than usual, and I know she’s exhausted. With the wedding just weeks away, I’ve seen her nerves turn from excitement to stress to sheer exhaustion. She hasn’t been feeling well, but I keep telling her we’re close now. Just a little longer, and everything will be exactly how she dreamed it would be.
“Hey,” I say softly, nudging her shoulder. “We’re here. Ready for the final fitting?”
She opens her eyes and gives me a tired but genuine smile. “Ready as I’ll ever be,” she replies, taking a deep breath and stepping out of the car.
Inside, the bridal shop is quiet and serene, a stark contrast to the frantic energy surrounding wedding prep lately. Bree’s dress is waiting on a mannequin by the dressing area, looking ethereal in the light. I can see the sparkle in her eyes as she takes it in, and for a moment, her worries seem to melt away.
The seamstress, Claire, meets us with a bright smile. “Bree, Amber, good to see you both! I’ve made a few final tweaks to the hemline and bodice. Bree, why don’t we have you try it on?”
Bree glances at me, and I nod encouragingly. “I’ll be right here,” I say, giving her a thumbs-up.
While Bree is in the fitting room, I head over to where my bridesmaid dress is hanging. It’s a beautiful shade of sage green, just as Bree had wanted, and I run my fingers over the soft fabric, feeling a surge of excitement for her. I know she’s been dreaming of this day for as long as I can remember. Just a little longer, and all her plans will come together.
Moments later, Bree emerges from the fitting room in her wedding dress, and she looks breathtaking. My heart is so happy for her. She steps onto the platform, facing the mirror, and I see the flicker of pure joy in her eyes. “What do you think?” she asks, looking over at me.
I grin. “You look like a dream. Charlie’s going to lose his mind when he sees you.”
She laughs softly, but then, as she glances back in the mirror, her expression shifts. The joy dims, and she bites her lip, fidgeting with the lace on the sleeve.
“What’s wrong?” I ask, moving closer.
She sighs, wrapping her arms around herself. “I don’t know if I should be doing this,” she says quietly, her voice barely above a whisper.
My heart sinks, and I reach out, putting a hand on her shoulder. “Bree, it’s just nerves. Every bride feels this way at some point.”
She takes a deep breath, nodding slowly. But then she turns to me, her eyes shining with something more than just nerves. “Amber, there’s something I haven’t told anyone yet. I don’t even know if now’s the right time, but… I’m pregnant.”
For a moment, the world seems to stand still, and I just stare at her. “You’re pregnant?” I whisper, a slow smile spreading across my face. “Oh my gosh, Bree, that’s amazing!”
She looks down, worry creasing her brow. “It is. I mean, it’s wonderful, and Charlie’s going to be so happy, but… it’s just a lot. Between planning the wedding, feeling sick every day, and trying to keep this under wraps… it’s been exhausting. And like…I didn’t want to be pregnant on my wedding day. It feels like I’m not going to be able to enjoy it all if I’m feeling like this.”
I pull her into a hug, holding her tightly. “You’re doing an incredible job. And you’re not alone in this. You have me, you have Charlie—whatever you need, we’re here for you. You haven’t told Charlie yet?”
She sighs, leaning her head against my shoulder. “No. We didn’t even talk about whether or not we wanted kids. It was like something off in the distance, you know?”
We stay like that for a moment, just holding each other, and I feel a warmth spreading through me, this unbreakable bond we’ve shared for years. She’s always been there for me, and now it’s my turn to be here for her.
“I get it. I don’t think you should keep it from him. Now that I know I can help more. He’ll do the same. He loves you, Bree Bree. What’s holding you back?”
“It’s not him, he’s amazing. It’s…it’s me. I just…remember Kayla Terriet?”
“From high school? Yeah, why?”
“Well, she was engaged to a guy and got pregnant before their wedding day. When she told him, he left her at the altar because he never wanted to be a father. What if…?”
“Okay, that’s a bit extreme. Charlie isn’t like that, and you know it. Look how great he is with his nephews and my nieces. He’s always been the guy playing catch or whatever with the kids.”
“It’s different when they’re your own.”
“Maybe so, but…okay, maybe tonight when you get home, just ask him if he’s ever thought about having kids and what he thinks about your future with children.”
“And what if he says that he doesn’t want kids.”
“Then you tell him that he doesn’t have a choice right now and that he should have been more careful if that’s the case,” I snap as I put a hand on my hip. “Listen, I know that it’s super scary, especially right before your wedding and in the early stages of your pregnancy, but…if he reacts the way that Kayla’s fiancé did, then this baby just did you a favor because that’s not the man you want to spend the rest of your life with, okay?”
She lets out a low groan and nods slowly.
“I hear the words coming out of your mouth. I even agree and understand them, but…this is so hard.”
“I know. I can tell you all of these things because it’s the rational and logical thing to do, but…I don’t know what I would do either. I do think that I know Charlie well enough to know that you’re panicking for no reason. I think he’s going to be thrilled.”
“I mean…”
I blow out a breath as I look back at my bestie. “Today is the final fitting for your wedding dress. It’s supposed to be a big deal, a lot of fun and laughter, and instead, we’re over here panicking about what-ifs. Let’s stop.”
I grab her phone and call Charlie and then hand the phone right back to her.
Okay, so maybe that’s a dick move, but I can’t handle seeing her like this. I’m confident that Charlie will be thrilled about this, and if not…at least she learned before taking her wedding dress home.
Her eyes are wide and full of panic, but she takes the phone, cursing me under her breath.
“Hey babe,” she says softly into the phone.
I walk away and move throughout the store to try to give her some privacy. There’s an entire section of lingerie—for the wedding night, I assume. And I go to look through it all, imagining myself wearing it for Derek.
Ten minutes later, Bree comes back over with a giant smile plastered on her face.
“He wants to have kids and hoped we can start immediately.”
“Did you tell him you already did?”
“No.” She giggles. “I didn’t want to do that over the phone. When we leave here, will you help me find something to gift him so I can tell him our news?”
“Absolutely. Have you gotten an ultrasound yet?”
“Yes. Then I think there’s a baby boutique down a ways. Maybe we can get a frame for it and get something else, like a onesie or something.”
“Oh, I like that.” She grins.
“Oh wait, you know what? I think a nearby clinic does ultrasounds. I remember Sofia getting a stuffed animal made with the heartbeat inside it.”
“That’s perfect. I’m so glad I told you, Amber, and I can share this moment with you.”
“Me too,” I say as I lean in and give her a giant hug.
“I may have called off the entire wedding over this.”
“Even if I was still in Connecticut, I wouldn’t have let that happen,” I tease.
She goes back into the dressing room to change out of her dress, and I google the details of the imaging place. Luckily, they take walk-ins, and it’s only a few miles away. It’s not long before we’re loading into her car and steering toward it.
“Okay, enough about me. What about you?” she asks, her tone lighter but her eyes still serious. “How are things with you and Derek?”
I laugh, feeling my cheeks heat. “I… I think I’m falling for him, Bree.”
She grins, looking delighted. “Well, it’s about time! He’s crazy about you. Anyone with eyes can see that.”
I nod, smiling, but then my face falls. “The night of the dance, I overheard Nora and some other women talking. Nora said that Sharon wanted to sell the place. I haven’t told him, and I don’t know how to tell him. I don’t want to break his heart, but he deserves to know.”
Her eyes widen, and she squeezes my hand. “Amber, you can’t keep that from him. I know it’s hard, but he’d want you to be honest.”
I nod, taking a deep breath. “I know. I’ll tell him, somehow. I just… I don’t want to lose him. Shit, it’s the same thing I just told you but in a different context.”
“Why are you so scared to tell him? Derek seems like a pretty rational guy.”
“I…I think it’s just leftover stuff from Tommy, you know? If I told him anything he didn’t want to hear, he would verbally attack me or give me the silent treatment. He gaslit me so much about things. I was so clueless then. I guess I’m scared of it happening again.”
“First of all, you’re not even the same woman you were when he did all of those things to you. You know? Give yourself props, Amber. If he had reached out to you today and pulled some of the stuff he did in the beginning, you would have shut him down immediately.”
“You’re right. I guess it’s just so hard to see that.”
“You’re preaching to the choir, girl,” she says with a giggle. “I get that you have reservations and that you’re worried about losing him, but you won’t. He needs to know what you heard.”
“I know…I just, I’m so scared of losing him.”
She nods. “You won’t lose him. Not if he loves you, too.”
I know she’s right, and I know those are the exact words that just came out of my mouth, but it’s so much scarier now that it’s about me and not her.