Chapter Twenty-Six

Angela Since I’d just lost my job, I had a lot of free time, and because Ben decided to take some time off before the wedding, we spent the time together. He should have been going to classes, but I figured since I was no longer his professor, and I would be too bored by myself, I wouldn’t nag him so much to go back to class.

Two days later, and it was the day of the wedding. It was a small affair, and I’d somehow been roped into being a bridesmaid, even though it was last minute. Ben would be suffering with me, anyway, since he was sent to join Dad’s side.

Both our parents put together didn’t know that many people, and we happened to be among the youngest of the group, so we got stuck together. I was just glad I’d be walking down that aisle with him by my side since I’d imagined I would only have to sit down in the audience and wait for the whole thing to be over.

“Angela, are you done with your makeup yet? Would you like any help?”

Hayley, Ben’s mom, made her way over to me. She looked stunning, dressed in her wedding gown. The skirt had a lot of layers underneath to make it puff up a little, while the top of it fit her slim figure with a halter neck and an open back. As she lifted the skirt so as not to step on it, I could see the delicate silver sandals on her feet. Her hair, the same dark blond as Ben’s, was done up and pushed back and away from her face with combs and pins, with styled ringlets falling down her back. She didn’t have the veil on yet, but her make-up was done.

“You look beautiful, Hayley,” I said honestly.

She should be more than a decade older than I was, but she hardly looked her age.

Hayley smiled and twirled around for me. “It’s pretty, right? I wasn’t sure about it at. First, I didn’t think it would be the right fit, but I chose the perfect store to go shopping. You look beautiful as well, Angela.”

“Thank you.”

As a bridesmaid, I was dressed in an off-white silk dress with short sleeves and a low, V-neck that fell to my feet. I was worried I would trip over the bottom of it.

“Your make-up is very well done, too,” she praised. “Very subtle, but striking.”

I smiled but said nothing. She didn’t have on a lot of make-up, just like me, and it made me think of how we’d both had husbands that treated us in all the wrong ways. Stuart didn’t like heavy make-up on me, but when we had to go out together or invited people over, he still wanted me to look pretty. I didn’t personally like make-up myself, but I’d grown used to it.

Then, I felt my stomach churn out of nowhere. I lifted the hem of the dress and rushed off to the bathroom before I could barf all over Hayley’s pretty wedding dress. I found an empty toilet and crouched in front of it, doing my best not to dirty my outfit. I’d had a crepe and some coffee for breakfast, and it was bitter coming back up my throat.

A few minutes later, with my stomach settled and my mouth clean, I went back to where Hayley was. Everyone else had been sent out of the room, leaving only the two of us, and she watched me with concern.

“I’m so sorry,” I said quickly, moving to the vanity table to re-do my make-up. “It’s nothing, just a small bug. I’m sorry.”

Before I could grab the lipstick, Hayley had grabbed both my hands and tugged me in front of her. She peered up at my face, and I started to feel self-conscious. I folded my lips together and kept my mouth closed, worried that my breath still smelled. I had some mints that I’d bought just for this reason.

Just when I was about to ask her what the problem was, Hayley spoke.

“Angela, are you pregnant?”

My eyes widened, and I felt my cheeks grow warm. I thought of denying it, but my reaction and the look in her eyes told me it would be a wasted effort. She wasn’t so much asking, as confirming. We did spend the whole day together yesterday during the rehearsal, and she must have noticed the signs then.

“I don’t want Ben to know,” I said quickly. “Not just yet.”

Ben had assured me that she knew about us and she was okay with it, or I would have run out of there quickly.

Hayley smiled reassuringly. “Don’t worry, Angela. I don’t plan on telling him, that’s your right. How far along are you?”

“Um, a little over a month, I think,” I said, sheepish. “I only realized it a few days ago myself, so I’m still trying to digest it all. I wanted to wait until after the wedding before I… think of how I’ll tell him.”

She patted the back of my hand and sat me down. She went and picked up her purse, handing me a small packet of mints. I took a couple, murmuring a thank you as I popped them into my mouth and chewed. Then, she picked up the make-up, tilted my face slightly up, and helped me apply it again.

“I’m not going to pry into your business with my son,” she said quietly. “But I can tell you that you don’t have to worry about anything. I know my boy is young, and he doesn’t come off like it, but he’s always been responsible, in his way. And, I’m sure that he’ll be happy once you tell him.”

She did the finishing touch on my lips and put everything away, then turned to me with a gentle smile. She took both my hands in hers again as she tugged me to stand.

“More than that, Ben is going to be happy, because I have never seen my boy happy with anyone. Oh, he always has a crowd around him, and he would laugh and smile around them, but the moment they turn their backs, his expression goes flat. I don’t know if he’s ever had a friend he felt he could be himself around before, and now that he has you, I couldn’t be happier.”

“So, you’re not worried about the age difference?” I asked haltingly.

She laughed. “That would make me a hypocrite, your father is older than me, too, and I’m still marrying him. All I know is that Ben was sad and lonely when you weren’t around, also very anxious. And now, my boy has a smile on his face like I haven’t seen in a long time. That’s something that you brought to him, Angela, and I’m thankful to you for it.”

My eyes stung with tears, and I knew I would ruin the make-up again, but there was a knock on the door, and we were called. They were ready to start, just waiting for the bride.

“Let’s go,” Hayley said. “Our men will be waiting for us.”

She took in a deep breath, then let it out, and her face lit up in a wide smile. She held my hand as we left the room together.