Page 41 of Belle Amour

At the Spa, Mirabelle, Francesca, and Eleanor all got the “Perfectly Polished” package. It started with a mineral-rich body polish treatment that included the scrub. This was followed by a Swedish massage with an ultra-hydrating lotion and then a soak in the saltwater soaking tub with prosecco while they prepared her a customized facial. They got to choose their scents and infusions, and Mirabelle went with orange and honey since they were Bastian’s favourites, and she knew they would drive him crazy later.

Thirty minutes after arriving and having her face scanned so they could put together the customized facial, Mirabelle was sighing happily as the spa therapist rubbed her with the exfoliating scrub. She didn’t realize how much she needed the self care break until she got it, but she could feel tension she didn’t know she was holding melting away and she was almost asleep when she was told to flip over so they could do her back.

When her scrub was finished, she was led into a room with curtain dividers separating three massage tables. The massage therapist explained that since they were there together, they set up one of their larger rooms, which they usually used for couples' massages, so they could fit the three beds in there for them. Francesca and Eleanor entered just as she was climbing up onto the table for the massage, both looking as relaxed as Mirabelle felt.

It wasn’t too long after they joined her when Mirabelle could hear Eleanor giggling a little further down, which made her smile. Eleanor was highly ticklish, and every time they had gotten massages together, she would have to go with deep tissue massage so she wouldn’t spend the whole hour giggling. “How are you doing, Eleanor? " she called, grinning as the giggling increased.

“Amazing,” Eleanor called back. “God, I needed this. Mother? Are you okay?”

“This is wonderful.” Francesca, between Maribelle and Eleanor, let out a soft groan as the massage therapist said she found a large knot. “Do you have your dress for the wedding yet, Mirabelle?”

“Yes. It's stunning but still not-the-bride appropriate. Bastian was particular about what I needed.”

“Bastian picked it out?” Eleanor giggled. “I'm so sorry; you’re doing a great job; I'm just very ticklish.”

“No worries.” Mirabelle could hear suppressed laughter in Eleanor's spa therapist's voice and grinned.

“Bast picks out like eighty percent of my clothes. Looking his best means fashion too, and that means me as well. He is completely unapologetic about it.” She explained, wincing and shifting a little as the massage therapist found a knot below her right shoulder blade and worked it out with a small pop.

“Who would have thought?” Francesca sounded delighted. “He is just full of surprises.”

“He told you he knew who you were because of his mom’s fashion magazines.” Mirabelle reminded her. “They were literally the only thing in his house he had to read, and he developed a love of fashion pretty early in life.”

“Ah, yes,” Mirabelle could practically see Francesca nodding as she understood. “And how are you feeling about everything so far?”

“So far, so good, I guess?” Mirabelle said after a moment of thought. “I haven’t had anyone approach me besides Eddie this morning; I’ve just received a few odd looks. BUT, I did have the very petty thought of announcing Bast’s and my engagement at the wedding. Not a loud announcement, but like a quiet conversation with the right person who tells someone else, who tells someone else, and it keeps going until everyone knows. It would be so trashy but so very satisfying.”

Eleanor lost it, bursting into belly laughs. “OH! That would have been amazing!”

“You won't, though, of course.” Francesca sounded both amused and mildly nervous. “I don’t think I can handle any more “drama” as Eleanor calls it.”

“No, I would never. Just an errant intrusive thought.” Mirabelle hastened to assure her, knowing how stressful the lead-up to the wedding had been so far. “Honestly, Bast and I were just going to be our regular charming selves.”

“You might be better off announcing your engagement.” Eleanor snorted, still chuckling.

“Eleanor!” Francesca sounded like she wasn’t sure how to react to anything anymore, and Mirabelle instantly felt bad for adding to it. “What has gotten into you today?”

“Nothing!” Eleanor’s voice was mildly defensive, but she also seemed to realize her mother was at her limit. “I'm just tired of how Casey is behaving like she's entitled to everything because she's having Eddie's baby. Did you and Eddie ever discuss children, Mira?”

“Yeah, he asked if I wanted them. I said no, and he said good.” Mirabelle admitted, wondering where she was going with this as she sat up and pulled on her robe.

“I told you he never wanted children, Mother,” Eleanor said, her voice triumphant. “I think she baby-trapped him.”

“It doesn't matter,” Francesca sighed. “Baby-trapped or not, there is a child on the way.” Eleanor and Francesca came around the curtain, and they headed into the changing room to put on their swimsuits for the saltwater-soaking pool.

“This was very much needed.” Francesca sighed blissfully as she sipped her prosecco. “Just a day out of Ann Arbor. Would I have been happier if we had flown to New York? Yes. But this is nice.”

“I can't imagine the stress you've been under, Francesca.” Mirabelle reached out and squeezed her shoulder sympathetically.

“I wish I could say it's stress.” Francesca shook her head, her eyes sparkling with unshed tears. “It's more of a state of constant disbelief and disappointment. He was going to ask for money for their bachelor and bachelorette parties this morning, and if he had, I think I might have gotten on the next plane home.”

“Yeah, I saw the look.” Mirabelle couldn’t blame her for wanting to go home. She was also in disbelief that she had been with Eddie for five years and had never seen this side of him, and she really didn’t like what she was seeing.

Eleanor sighed, looking remorseful for her earlier attitude. “Look, Mother, I know this is difficult, but it is not new behaviour for Eddie.” Eleanor cuddled up and hugged her. “Let's try to have fun with it because that’s all we can do at this point. So, what do we think we're doing for the bachelorette party?”

“With three pregnant ladies?” Mirabelle raised an eyebrow. “Nothing fun.” She wasn’t actually referring to what she was sure would be a lack of alcohol, but she didn’t believe they would be doing anything she would enjoy. The fact that they needed teams and that she knew Casey was a cheerleader at university made her a little worried about what the plan was. “I’m sure we’ll be able to make whatever it is fun for us.”

“The team thing is what’s throwing me.” Eleanor frowned. “I’m thinking trivia or some kind of improv thing.”

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