Page 1 of Love Takes Home

Chapter 1

Virginia “Ginny” Mills

“You look beautiful,” Momtells me, kissing my cheek. Looking around the room at my friends, she adds, “You all look beautiful.”

She’s smiling, but it’s the saddest smile I’ve ever seen. The tears are right there. Like one more breath and they’ll fall.

“Thanks, Mom.” I return her sad smile with one of my own.

There’s a knock at the dressing room door and my dad quietly asks through the wood, “Is everyone decent?”

A chorus of ‘yes’ rings out from all of us as he opens the door and steps inside. He looks dashing in his charcoal gray suit and tie. His eyes also have a sadness in them I haven’t seen since I told him about the weekend Trish and I came back from visiting Davis.

“I guess that’s our cue,” Trish says from a chair in the corner. “Someone’s going to have to help me up or we’ll have to do this thing here.”

This thing.Not ceremony. Not wedding.Thing.

“I got you,” Elle volunteers.

I watch as the two women get Trish out of the chair until she’s standing with her belly on full display in her deep blue gown.

“If your water breaks today, we’re all in trouble,” I tell her.

“You’re the one who scheduled this thing for today,” she sasses back. “Besides, I still have another week to go. But if you want, I can try to get things moving sooner.”

“Trish,” I call her name, both of us trying to hide our smiles. “You can’t fuck my brother in the clergy closet.”

That finally gets the room laughing, my parents rolling their eyes at our antics.

“Killjoy.” She pouts. “How about the bathroom?”

“No,” I mouth, shaking my head.

“Come on, ladies,” my mom says, breaking up the little bit of happiness that’s seeped into the day. “It’s time to get ready, and I think Dad here wants to say a few words to his baby girl.”

She gives me another kiss on the cheek, squeezing me tight in a hug that only a mom can give. Something I’ll never be able to do for another human, reinforcing why we’re here today.

“I’ll see you out there,” I reply, returning her squeeze.

I swear I hear her say, “I hope not.”

Trish is next. My first friend. My sister from another mister. And now my sister-in-law. We’ve come full circle and are now legally family, but we never needed that to know we were sisters.

“If this is what you want, I’m happy for you. Just know we’re here for you. For anything,” she whispers in my ear, pulling me into her version of a hug. Her protruding belly gets in the way of everything these days, but my little niece or nephew needs the room, and the room they shall get. And I will be the coolest, most favorite aunt who ever aunt-ed.

“Love you. Thank you.” I return her hug, trying not to cry.

Lottie is up next. “You are stunning.” She smiles. “Only you could look like a centerfold wet dream in that gown.”

“Bitch,” I laugh, pulling her into a hug.

“I second what I know Trish just told you. If you’re happy, we’re happy for you. And if you can’t get ahold of them, you call us.”

“Thanks. Love you,” I tell her.

She moves to the door with Trish and Mom, and Elle takes her turn faking niceties.

“There’s still time.” She pointedly looks at me. “There’s still time all the way up until you officially sign the thing.”

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