Page 85 of Missing Pieces

“Yes. It’s a black-tie event. You know this. Those little scraps of fabric you call dresses won’t do.” She takes a sip of wine and sighs. “Sweetheart, I don’t need you to look presentable because I am arranging a marriage for you, I just need you to follow the dress code. You’re a beautiful girl, with a beautiful figure, this will be easy.”

I fold my shoulders in defeat because there is no way around this and stammer like a teenager. “Fine.”

“Good. I am glad we agree. Now finish your wine. We need to get going.”

I watch her get up and leave the wine I didn’t touch on the table and follow her out the door.

* * *

“This dress will look lovely on you,” the salesperson says to me as she grabs a gorgeous sapphire lace gown. It’s a mermaid fit, and I know it will show baby Tennessee for sure. But it’s drop dead gorgeous and I hope I can suck it all into a smaller size so no one will notice the bump. I pick out a few other dresses and the saleswoman grabs a few of her own choices and whisks us off to the fitting rooms.

I put on the loose-fitting dress first hoping my mother will approve so I didn’t have to try anything else on that might give away the extra pounds. As I walk out of the dressing room with the pregnancy approved dress my other looks at me with dead eyes. “No. There is no way I am letting my daughter be seen wearing a sparkling garbage bag.”

“I think that’s a little extreme, Mom.” I turn and look in the large mirror. I hate to admit it, but she is right. I do look like I’m wearing a garbage bag. “It is a little big, but maybe if we just sew in the edges along the side a bit, it will be more stylish.”

“It’s not big. It’s just god awful. It’s all wrong for you. And I wouldn’t spend money getting it taken in even if there was time to do it. You would look like an embarrassment to not only yourself but to me and your father.”

I huff and walk back into the fitting room. I don’t really like any of the other dresses besides the blue one, but I am too scared to put it on. There is no way I can get away without trying it on, so I decide to skip the others and just hope for the best.

As I squeeze into the sapphire gown, I almost cry. It fits me like a glove, baby bump and all. The lace overlay over the nude fabric clings to every curve. There are small rhinestones sewn into the bodice that fade out through the skirt. I look like I’m ready to accept an academy award. This is the most perfect dress I have ever tried on and I would be crazy not to get it. But I must face the wrath of my mother and I am not sure I am ready for that.

I walk out of the fitting room, cross my fingers, and hope for the best. The second I walk out of the room I angle my body toward the large mirror so my mother can only see the back. Which might have been a mistake because the back is gorgeous, it’s open all the way to my lower back with a thin strap of rhinestones connecting the halter to the bottom down the middle of my back. I know she will love it. Maybe I shouldn’t have tried it on.

“I think we found the winner. This dress was made for you and I haven’t even seen the front yet,” my mother claps her hands together, a smile growing on her face as I look at her through the mirror.

“I don’t know Mom, you haven’t seen the front yet. You might think there is too much boob.” The top of the bodice splits between my breasts putting them on display.

“A little bit of boob can be tasteful. Now turn around and let me see.”

I sigh. I tried. But I guess I can only hide this for so long. As I turn around my mother’s hands come to her mouth and I glance around to look for the nearest exit.

“Wow. Honey, this is the one. You’ll be turning heads everywhere. I know you aren’t looking for a husband, but this dress might have potential husbands drooling for your attention.” I roll my eyes at her as she continues. “You look absolutely stunning. And you can’t even tell you’re pregnant.”

I nearly fall over. Fortunately, there was a bench near me that I grab ahold of to steady myself. I can’t even find words, I just sit on the bench in silence.

“I don’t know why you tried to keep it a secret from me.”

I look down at my feet as I brush my hair out of my face. “I-I didn’t know how you would react,” I manage to stutter.

My mother gets up from her chair and sits on the bench next to me. “I’m not mad. These things happen.”

The tears start to form in my eyes as my mother grabs my hand. I never told her about the miscarriage or all the issues with pregnancy that Drew had. “How did you know?”

She squeezes my hand and wraps her arm around my shoulder. “I was pregnant once Harper and once you’ve been through it, you notice the signs. Ever since the hospital you’ve been acting different. Not to mention you haven’t had a drink since you got back either. And you had been keeping the vineyards in business with the amount of alcohol you had been drinking. Now suddenly you’re ill and always wear loose-fitting clothes.”

“Then why did you order me a glass of wine at lunch today?”

“It was a test to prove my theory. Now, why didn’t you tell me?”

“I didn’t know Mom. I never had morning sickness. I never felt like something was off in my body. I thought I would have known.” Like I did the first time, but I wasn’t ready to tell her that.

She just nods and squeezes me tighter. “How far along are you?”

“About fourteen weeks,” I sniffle. Fucking hormones.

“Does Easton know?”

I shake my head and let more tears fall. My mother grabs a tissue from her purse and hands it to me. “You need to tell him.”

I nod my head because I know I have to, but it’s too hard at the moment to think about that.

“Well, you look beautiful in this dress. Why don’t you change out if it and we can go home and get ready for tonight? A new year. A new you. And a baby.” She hugs me tightly and I try to find a thread of happiness in me for the year to come.

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