by Terri DuLong
For the girl who had always felt isolated when it came to family, I was beginning to feel that my world was about to expand in a huge and wonderful way.
Chapter 42
At the end of July, Chadwick and I drove to his parents’ home with my mother and daughter. His proposal had been a surprise, but unbeknownst to me I had two more surprises coming before my wedding day.
Ginnie had called my mother to personally invite her, but this was their first time meeting in person. By the time we finished dinner on the patio, I could tell they had hit it off.
Chadwick’s parents seemed to adore Haley and she was having a great time in the pool. I watched as she did laps back and forth and smiled.
“That was a wonderful dinner, Ginnie. Thank you so much,” my mother said.
She was sipping iced tea, and if they thought it odd that she had refused their offer of wine, they never said a word. I was happy to see that my mother had had a good recovery from her car accident. Her arm had healed well and her bruises had disappeared. She looked happy and vibrant again—minus the blue streak in her hair.
“I’m glad you enjoyed it.” Ginnie took a sip of wine. “I thought tomorrow we girls could hit the mall and do a bit of shopping. What do you think, Isabelle?”
“Sure. That would be fun.”
I was probably wrong, but I thought I saw a look exchanged between my mother and Chadwick’s mother.
* * *
The following morning Chadwick and his father headed out for a game of golf at the country club and the four of us left about ten for our shopping.
Haley enjoyed checking out new shops. My mother insisted on buying her some new clothes for the coming school year. Ginnie and I browsed, and when she suggested we stop for lunch I was ready.
It seemed we lingered over lunch longer than necessary, but the conversation flowed and it was fun getting to know Ginnie better.
We arrived back at the house shortly after two. When I walked out to the patio, I suddenly understood the reason for the shopping and the lengthy lunch, because a group of about thirty women yelled, “Surprise!”
I began laughing as my hands flew to my face and I saw the colored balloons floating above the pool, streamers and white wedding bells dangling above the table overflowing with beautifully wrapped packages. I was forty-five years old, this was my second marriage, and I hadn’t given a thought to a bridal shower.
I looked at my mother and Haley. “You knew,” I accused them, and they both laughed and nodded.
“Over here,” Ginnie said, leading me to a black velvet chair with a huge white bow.
“How on earth did you get this all put together?” I asked as I sat down and somebody draped a silver boa around my neck.
A woman about Ginnie’s age began laughing. “With the help of her best friend and a few others. It was a scramble, but we managed.”
I now saw that platters and bowls of food were arranged on a long table. They really had done an admirable job in just four hours.
It was such a fun afternoon, opening gifts, sipping wine, eating and getting to know Chadwick’s aunts, cousins, and women who had married into the family.
After the gifts were opened, I walked over to my mother, who was standing beside Haley.
“I can’t believe you guys knew about this and never said a word.”
Haley laughed. “It was a secret, Mom.”
“Ginnie called me last month and told me what she had planned and wanted to know what I thought. I said it was a wonderful idea.”
“It was,” I said, pulling my mother into an embrace. “It was so much fun but . . . the best part? That you could be here with me to share it.”
“I think I enjoyed it as much as you did. You got some lovely gifts.”
I nodded just as I heard Chadwick say, “Hey, beautiful,” and I turned around to see him walk onto the patio with his father.
I laughed and pointed at him. “You knew too, of course.”
He was grinning as he hugged me and brushed his lips over mine. “Of course I did. I was worried I’d slip and say something, but I was careful.”
“Ginnie wanted to do this for the two of you,” Austin said. “So I’m glad you enjoyed it.”
I took Chadwick’s hand. “Come look at the lovely gifts we got.”
I pointed out southern cookbooks, scented candles, a couple of framed paintings, coffee mugs, and various items that were all practical. Not the usual gifts that got hidden away or never used.
“Your mother said she told everybody that you already had a fully furnished home so to give us things that would be useful.”
“Leave it to my mother,” he said, reaching for a gorgeous blue-and-white cut glass fragrance diffuser. “What’s this?”
“Aromatherapy. That’s from your aunt Ceil. You fill it with this liquid,” I said, holding up a bottle of French lavender. “And the scent fills the air.”
“Hmm,” he said, putting an arm around me and pulling me close. “I know exactly which room that will go in.”
* * *
A month later there seemed to be a breather from wedding plans. Petra was coming to visit for a long weekend. She arrived with Lotte on Thursday afternoon. I had only seen her once since the engagement, so I was looking forward to four days with her.
After she got settled in her room, I opened a bottle of wine and we were relaxing on the patio.
“It’s been quite the whirlwind for you the past couple of months,” she said.
“I know. I can hardly believe the wedding is in four weeks. Oh, did you bring your dress?”
“Yup. It’s in the garment bag. I’ll show it to you later. I think it’s such a great idea that you’re going to wear Emmalyn’s dress.”
I smiled. “It just seems so appropriate. I wore that on my first date with Chadwick and he loved it. I do too.”
“Does he know you’re wearing it?”
I shook my head. “No. I want to surprise him. I asked Mavis Anne if it would be okay and of course she was thrilled. She said Emmalyn would be so happy. It’s very dressy and formal, so it’s perfect.”
That was when I remembered my most recent dream about Emmalyn.
“I had another dream about her the other night,” I said.
I had told Petra about my dreams, but she had never commented very much.
“Oh?”
I nodded. “I never believed in them too much before.”
“But now?”
I let out a sigh. “I don’t know. I’m beginning to think there might be something to them. And I think this one . . . I think it might be the final one I have of Emmalyn. In this one she was out by the pond and when I walked out, she was excited and happy. And she held up an incredibly stunning lace shawl.”
“Did she say anything?” Petra asked.
I nodded. “Yeah. She said, ‘See, the stitches are all together now.’ And that was it. But I also felt so happy in the dream, and when I woke up, the first thought in my head was that Emmalyn’s job was finished. Silly, right?”
Petra shrugged. “Who knows. Didn’t Chloe have dreams about Emmalyn when she lived here too?”
“Yup.”
* * *
We had decided to spend a few hours on the beach the next day. It was hot, humid, and sunny. Petra and I chatted for a while as we lounged in our chairs with feet in the water.
“This is nice,” I heard her say.
“Hmm,” I mumbled drowsily.
“I never go to the beach up my way. I don’t know why that is.”
I must have dozed off because when I woke the tide had gone out and Petra was sitting beside me reading.
I stretched my arms up. “What time is it?”
“Close to five. We’re due at your mom’s for dinner shortly.”
“Yeah, we’d better get going. Haley said she’d meet us there.”
We stayed at my mother’s house till almost seven and headed back to Koi House. Haley was staying the night at my mom’s.
/>
Petra and I had been home about twenty minutes when Chloe called.
“Isabelle, could you do me a favor? I’m here at the yarn shop working late to unpack a lot of deliveries we got today. Any chance you could pop over and help me? It won’t take very long with both of us.”
“Sure,” I said. “I’ll bring Petra and she can help too. We’ll be over in a few minutes.”
I explained the call to Petra. “Yeah, let’s go.”
We walked over, and the moment I opened the door and flipped the light switch, I heard “Surprise!”
I jumped and began laughing. I spied my mother and Haley and shook my head. Gathered around the table were Mavis Anne, Yarrow, Louise, Fay, and Maddie. Chloe came to hug me.
“You honestly didn’t think we’d let you get married without a lingerie shower, did you?”
I groaned and knew this one wasn’t going to be PG-rated like the shower at Chadwick’s house.
And it wasn’t. All of them had given me gorgeous and risqué panties, bras, nighties, and even a garter belt and silk stockings. These were from Mavis Anne. All I could do was shake my head and laugh.
After the gifts were opened, we sat around enjoying cake and beverages: wine for some of us and coffee for others.
“This was so much fun,” I said. “You guys are just the best. Thank you so much.”
“Well, honey, a woman has to have those sexy items to keep the spice in her marriage,” Mavis Anne said. “Although with you and Chadwick, it’ll probably be a long time before you’ll be thinking of diversions.”
I laughed again. Mavis Anne Overby never had been shy.
“A woman has to have those things for the honeymoon,” Maddie said. “Oh, where are you going for your honeymoon?”
“I don’t know. That’s a surprise too. Chadwick said he’ll announce it the night of our wedding reception.”
“Gosh, how will you know what kind of clothes to pack?” Louise asked.
Mavis Anne gave her a jab on the arm. “Oh, Louise, honestly. It’s a honeymoon. How important do you really think clothes are?”
Once again the yarn shop filled with laughter.
“So you’ll be moving out of Koi House, won’t you?” Fay asked.
I nodded. “Yes. Haley and I will be living at Chadwick’s house. I’m glad it’s just up the street, but . . . I feel bad about deserting Koi House and leaving it empty again.”
Mavis Anne waved a hand in the air. “Oh, well, that’s not necessarily true.” I saw the glance she shot in Petra’s direction. “Do you want to tell her?”
“I have another surprise for you. I’ve decided to come down here for an extended stay. So Mavis Anne and I have been talking the past couple of months, and she’s graciously insisted that I stay at Koi House until I decide what I’m doing.”
I jumped up to give her a hug. “You had hinted you might think about moving down here. Oh, Petra, you know I couldn’t be happier. This is wonderful news! When are you coming?”
“Well, I have some loose ends to tie up and I’m hiring somebody to look after my house. So I’m thinking I’ll be down right after Thanksgiving.”
“Three months from now and you’ll be here to celebrate Christmas with us. That’s the best gift I could get.”
“Hey, best friends forever, we always said. And besides, somebody has to keep you straight.”
This brought forth a round of clapping and more laughter in the yarn shop.
Chapter 43
I awoke at Koi House shortly after seven the morning of my wedding. I thought back to the previous September and how my life had been spiraling out of control. Filled with anger, drinking way too much, no direction, and very little self-esteem.
I’d had a lot of help, but I knew it was true that I had been the one to take that first step. By agreeing to relocate to Ormond Beach I had ultimately turned my life around. And when I made the decision to do that, everything else fell into place.
A ten o’clock appointment had been booked at the spa for my mother, Chadwick’s mother, Petra, Haley, and me. This had been Ginnie’s idea, and she insisted on the works. Manicure, pedicure, hair, makeup, and massage. She was staying at a nearby hotel with Austin, as were many of their friends and relatives.
After showering and dressing, I headed downstairs and found Petra and Haley already in the kitchen. Ginger and Lotte were playing tug with a toy. The aroma of coffee filled the air.
“Good morning,” I said, going to fill a mug.
“You must be so excited.” Haley came to give me a hug.
I nodded. “I am. I was thinking back to a year ago and I can’t believe how much my life has changed.”
“All for the good,” Petra said. “You have had an amazing year.”
“Are you nervous?” Haley asked.
“I don’t think so. Should I be?”
She laughed. “No. I just wanted to make sure.”
“The weather looks perfect,” I said, walking to the French doors. “When we planned the ceremony for outside, I was a little worried, but the backup plan was to have it on the sheltered patio.”
“I checked the forecast,” Haley said. “Sunny all day, low eighties by this evening and no chance of rain.”
“Does anybody want breakfast?” I asked.
“No, I don’t. Nana texted me and she’s taking the five of us to lunch after the spa. It’s her treat and she already spoke to Ginnie about it.”
“Oh, that’s nice of her,” I said. “Where are we going?”
Haley smiled. “To LuLu’s, of course.”
* * *
I sat in the spa chair and smiled as the tech worked on my pedicure. Haley had her eyes closed and was listening to music coming through her earbuds. My mother was knitting. Ginnie was reading. I could have been mistaken, but I thought Petra was lightly snoring.
The four most important women in my life and I was thrilled to be sharing my special day with them. I knew that my mother had savored these past few months. Having a meaningful relationship with me meant everything to her—but being able to share in all the special moments leading up to my wedding had filled her heart with joy. And I felt the same way.
By letting go of past hurts, I had been able to open a whole new life for both of us. I came to realize that while it’s never easy letting go of the anger, the only way to move forward is by doing exactly that.
Petra stirred next to me.
“God, was I snoring?” she asked.
“Yes, terribly. They had to turn up the radio speakers to drown you out.”
She gave me a playful jab on the arm.
“Oh, stop.” She let out a yawn and stretched her arms above her. “No matter what’s going on in a woman’s life, a pedicure makes everything better. I’m glad Ginnie came up with this idea.”
“Me too. I think I lucked out in the mother-in-law department.”
“My BFF, you have now lucked out in many areas. I was pretty worried about you for a while, but you found your footing. With Chadwick by your side, even the bad days will be easier to take. Because you’ll be together.”
I smiled. “He is pretty special, isn’t he?”
Petra nodded. “He’s that one special person who crossed your path and is meant to stay forever.”
I knew she was right.
“And so are you,” I said. “I’m so excited that you’ll be moving down here.”
“Well, I didn’t exactly say moving. I’m coming for an undetermined amount of time. I can work from anywhere, so that makes it possible. And . . . well, we’ll see what happens.”
“Any further luck on locating your father?”
She shook her head. “Not yet, but I’ve only started searching. I just have a gut feeling that I’ll locate him. He might not even be in this country and he might not even be alive . . . but somehow I believe I’ll find him.”
I reached for her hand and gave it a squeeze. “And I’ll be right by your side when you do.”
* * *
/> It had been decided that I would get dressed for my wedding at Koi House along with my mother, Petra, and Haley. Clive would be driving us to Chadwick’s home for the ceremony. I had asked David to escort me down to the patio area where Chadwick would be waiting with his best man, Drew.
My mother assisted with slipping Emmalyn’s stunning black dress over my head and zipped the back.
“Oh, Isabelle, you’re beautiful. That dress was made for you.”
I saw the tears in her eyes as I turned toward the mirror and nodded. It looked every bit as gorgeous as it had when I’d worn it on my first date with Chadwick seven months before.
“And the finishing touch,” I said, walking to the vanity and sitting down. I reached for the black headband. “Could you fasten this around my forehead?”
My mother tied the beaded accessory and I was happy that I’d chosen the French twist hairstyle again.
“You’re the most beautiful bride I’ve ever seen,” she said.
I laughed. “And you might be just a little biased. You look pretty gorgeous yourself, mother of the bride.”
And she did. She was wearing an ice blue cocktail dress that fit her perfectly and made her look both classy and stylish.
She reached into the tote bag she’d brought with her and passed me a small package wrapped in silver paper.
“A little something for you.”
I unwrapped it and my breath caught in my throat. A bottle of Chanel No. 5 perfume—Emmalyn’s favorite scent. But my mother could have no way of knowing that.
“That was my favorite perfume in college. I thought a few sprays might be appropriate for you today.”
I pulled her into a tight embrace. “You have no idea,” I said. “And Mom, I want you to know something. Remember you had said that you were an average mother? You weren’t. You were the best. Always. And you still are. I love you.”
“And how I love you.”
Petra walked into the room and stopped short when she saw me.
“Oh, Isabelle. No wonder you loved that dress so much. You look absolutely stunning! What a great choice.”
I smiled. “And my maid of honor is going to have heads turning. I love your dress.”
She had chosen a shimmery, cream-colored dress that fell to her knees in points. Rhinestone spaghetti straps added to the allure, and the finishing touch was her dark hair. With it parted in the middle and pulled away from her face to a knot at the base of her neck, she oozed sex appeal.
