Page 18 of Vows of Conviction
8
Francesca
“Idon't know why you guys are making such a fuss over me going down for supper.”Giselle waved her hand and coughed as Eve sprayed her hair.“Honestly, what's come over you people today?Everyone's been acting so weird.And—” Giselle swatted her best friend.“You are not putting baby's breath in my hair!”
Eve made an over-exaggerated pouty face.“But then you won't match us.”Eve motioned her hand between us.When Giselle wasn't looking, she gave me a smile and a wink.
“Who cares?You guys look ridiculous with that in your hair.”
Just then, Dani danced into the room.She wore a cute little white dress made of the same material as her mother's.Eve said that Giselle had made them not all that long ago.“Ohh.”Dani stopped mid-pirouette and stared wide-eyed at her mother.“Mommy!You look—” she inhaled loudly, “beautiful!”She ran right up to her mother and gave her a hug.“Daddy wants to know if you're almost ready for the fancy supper?”She let go of Giselle and spun around, her skirt twirling along with her.
“We're almost ready.Mommy just needs to put this in her hair.You want Mommy to match with you, right?”Eve overtly coerced the child.
Of course, it worked like a charm, and Giselle grudgingly was forced to put the baby's breath in her hair.
“I don't know.I'm feeling really tired.Maybe I'll just eat in bed.You guys can bring me a plate up here.”
Luckily for us—Dani had a near-meltdown.She told her mother in no uncertain terms that she was attending the big, fancy supper.Which was actually her mother's impromptu wedding that she knew nothing about.
No one did, besides the four of us—me, Eve, Carlo, and Nick.We didn't even tell the nannies just in case they let something out by accident.I'd bet that they all clued in when we started decorating, though.
“Okay, okay, I'll come to the fancy supper.”Giselle calmed her daughter down.
“Oh.”Eve pointed toward the door.“Uh, I think the food's here.We should get going so it doesn't get cold.”
I agreed and couldn't help but smile.“Good idea.I hate cold food,” I said, even though that wasn't true at all.That was what microwaves were for.But the food had already arrived.The catering crew worked hard to set everything up in the dining room.
“Let's go.We don't want to be late.”I grabbed Dani's hand and walked with her to the open bedroom door.“So, we're going to more than just a fancy supper,” I started explaining quietly to Dani.
She looked at me and asked, “There's no fancy supper?”Her pretty little face nearly crumpled.
“Oh, we're going to a super fancy supper.The fanciest.”That seemed to perk her up.“But it's also something else.You have to promise not to scream or yell when I tell you.Because it's a big, big, big surprise.”
Dani gasped and covered her mouth with her hand.“What is it?”She added her other hand to clamp it down over the first.
I giggled softly and stepped into the bedroom beside us.I picked up the basket of rose petals Eve and I stashed in there.
“Keep your hands over your mouth.Promise?”I held the basket behind my back as Dani bounced up and down—her hands still firmly over her mouth.“Your mommy and daddy are getting married.”
Her eyes went wide, and she—yelled.
“Yahooey!”she screamed with her arms held high above her head.And then she quickly remembered her promise and covered her mouth again.
I heard distinctly male laughter down below in the foyer.
“Sorry, Auntie Frankie.”Her words were muffled by her hands.
I gave her a quick hug and laughed softly.“It's okay, sweetie.You get to be the flower girl again.Isn't that special?Do you remember what you did when your uncle Stefan and I got married?”
She carefully grabbed the basket from me and nodded enthusiastically.“Do I ever,” she breathed out a sincere response.
“Good.”Then I gave her a quick rundown of what she was supposed to do.
“What the—” Giselle's voice interrupted our chat.
I looked up to see Giselle's face—finally—register what was going on.
But even if she didn't understand, Dani helped her out.“Mommy!Guess what?You're getting married!”Dani screamed excitedly as she jumped up and down.A good portion of the rose petals flew out onto the floor.
