Page 99 of Moving to Love
“How typical of you to look at the silver lining. It’s one of the many things I love about you.”
Joci smiled.
“Get some sleep, baby. Tomorrow, everyone is coming over to plan a wedding. You won’t be doing anything but answering questions. You’re going to marry me in three and a half weeks. I won’t postpone it, not for anything. I don’t even want to wait that long.”
She drifted off to sleep, thanking God for giving her Jeremiah, the boys, and this little baby she was carrying. They had had a little scare, but it turned out to be just cramps. Dr. Wan talked them through it and said it was probably from all the trauma. Joci was to try and relax and keep tabs on herself. If the cramps started again, she was to call Dr. Wan.
Chapter 42
Joci sat on a chair in front of a tall mirror, watching Sandi put the finishing touches on her makeup. A few more strokes of a brush, and Sandi stepped back and looked at Joci.
“You look so beautiful. You always do, but today, you look even more beautiful. Being pregnant agrees with you,” Sandi said.
Joci grinned. “Well, it does now that I’m not puking every day. Gawd, I hate that.”
Jackie chuckled from behind her. “You were a puker with Gunnar, too; do you remember? I woke up every morning to you throwing up in the bathroom. At the time, I thought I would never get pregnant if I had to throw up every day. But less than a year later, I was puking in the bathroom, too.”
They laughed at the memory. Emily and Erin walked into the room smiling.
“Glad everyone is so cheerful,” Emily said, her cheeks pink with excitement.
“We were just reminiscing about how much we both threw up while we were pregnant. I’m glad Joci is going through it this time and not me.” Jackie winked at Joci.
Emily looked at Joci and smiled warmly. “How are you feeling, sweetheart?”
“I feel great. I haven’t thrown up in three days. It must be over, finally.”
“You look beautiful. Jeremiah won’t be able to take his eyes off you.” Erin smiled.
Just then, Angie and Staci walked into the room. Staci whistled. “You look beautiful, Joci. Hubba-hubba.”
Joci laughed. “Thank you. I guess it’s time to wrestle me into this dress.”
Jackie walked over to the closet where Joci’s wedding dress hung. She pulled the gorgeous ivory dress off its hanger and cradled it in her arms as she carried it to Joci.
Joci’s hard cast had been removed. She had to wear a soft cast for another few weeks, but today, she didn’t have it on. She had discussed it with her doctor and Jeremiah, but Joci could be stubborn when she really wanted something too. And today, she didn’t want any reminder of her accident or the person behind it.
The skin on her arm and shoulder looked nasty from being in a cast, but she had been exfoliating and moisturizing over the past few days to make it look better. She was going to start physical therapy in a week. Right now, she couldn’t lift her arm very high. There were scars where the doctors had inserted the screws, but she had been told that the scars would gradually fade away.
Jackie held Joci’s dress open as Sandi helped her out of her robe. She stepped into her wedding dress. Her baby bump was beginning to show, but it was almost unnoticeable. She was ten weeks pregnant now.
Emily, her future mother-in-law, held out her hand to support Joci. She smiled and grasped the older woman’s hand, mostly so Emily would feel like she was helping. The main thing Joci learned over her rehabilitation was that everyone wanted to feel like they were helping in some way, no matter how small. Joci had to learn to let them so they would feel better. She had been so used to doing everything on her own; she didn’t realize how helpless the people who loved her felt.
Sandi, Staci, and Erin zipped her up and started arranging the train. Sandi placed the beautiful, wide ivory band with Swarovski crystals displayed in a floral pattern on Joci’s head.
Her dress was simply stunning. It was a soft organza mermaid gown with hand-sewn Swarovski crystal and diamante beading encrusted on the neckline and dropped waist. The full skirt had dramatic layers of organza that flowed full to the floor. Joci had asked the seamstress to alter the dress to add sleeves to cover her scars and bruises. They were light and lacey, and even though you could see through them, the lace and beading camouflaged her scars. The add-on sleeves matched perfectly, and it would have been impossible to tell the dress hadn’t initially been designed that way.
The back of the gown was open with lace trim trailing to a V that stopped at her waist. A deep gray satin sash went around her waist and tied in a perfect bow in the back, and trailed to the bottom of the dress. There was an intricate lace detail at the bottom of the dress, highlighted by the gray sash.
It was stunning. And Joci felt fabulous in it. She turned to look at the other women in the room. They were quiet for a few beats.
Emily sobbed and raised her hand to her mouth. Tears formed in her eyes. “You look so beautiful, Joci. That dress is perfect, just perfect.”
Joci smiled at her. “Thank you. It feels perfect.”
Everyone else burst into excited compliments. Then there was a knock on the door, and Molly Bates, the photographer, walked into the room.
“Hi, can I come in and take pictures?”
