“Ignore him, he does it for attention,” Heidi told Jeremy and Jeremiah, who were watching him with concerned expressions on their faces.
“I have a sympathetic stomach,” Bond snapped back. “It used to just be puke, but it hits now when he has a blowout. I have no control over what it does anymore.”
“Five minutes,” Mi-mi called, coming into the room, and gasping when she saw my dress. “You look just beautiful. I swear I don’t think I’ve ever seen a bride as stunning as you, and I was one myself.”
“Dear Jesus, girl. You look stunning,” June breathed, coming up behind her mom.
Seeing the tears trailing down Mi-mi’s face almost made me start crying, but I focused on the fact I was getting married today.
Me, married to Carter Lane. Who’d have thought it’d ever happen, especially after he’d seen my hair in all its wildness. To some that might seem fickle, but it really was that bad.
I’d gone with a strapless dress of my own, with no beading, just embroidery on it, that flared out from the waist. My hair was in a classic up-do, my tiara was more of a headband, and I’d decided to forego the veil.
It was my bouquet that turned my look from ‘standard bride’ into something unforgettable. In among the white roses I’d chosen for the day were watermelon Blow Pops. You couldn’t miss them, and if by chance you did, they were in Nemi, Shanti, Heidi, and Jacinda’s bouquets, too.
Wiping her cheeks, Mi-mi took a deep breath. “I don’t need to say it, but welcome to the family, sweet girl.”
Jeremy held his arm out. “Shall we?”
“We shall. We most definitely shall.”
And when the minister asked who was giving the bride away, my brother said, “Our brother and I do.”
I missed Callum. It was a huge day, one that I wanted him there for, but by including him like that, Jeremy brought him into it in his own way. It meant the world to me.
Epilogue 2
Carter
Fourteen months later…
Cravings were the Devil. I’d been woken up at all hours of the night to go and get what Naomi was craving, and I’d never wanted forty weeks to go by more quickly in my life.
Fortunately, six months ago, Jeremy had decided that he was moving closer to Piersville. Jeremiah had moved to Palmerstown around the same time, saying he needed the freedom the different towns would give him, but he also wanted to be close enough to help with Shanti and the baby when it arrived. This was great news because it meant she included them in her food demands, meaning I at least got some sleep until it was my turn again.
Walking blindly around the gas station, I ignored the sympathetic looks from the attendant, who was used to seeing me now and knew why I was out at dumb o’clock in the morning. I was so tired, I didn’t notice the tall figure walking toward me with a gallon of milk, a tub of rum raisin ice cream, and some sour cream until we collided.
“Jeremy?” Was I hallucinating? Did lack of sleep do that to you?
“Carter, what are you doing here?”
“Naomi wanted potato chips, spicy ones, and strawberry yogurt tonight.” Looking at the weird items in his hands, I frowned. “Why are you out?”
“She texted me saying she wanted to make a milkshake. All I need to get now is the olives.”
I gagged, just imagining the mixture. “These cravings are putting me off eating. I’ve lost eight pounds since they started.”
Leaning against the shelf next to us, Jeremy sighed tiredly. “You’re telling me. There are at least twelve things I’m sure I’ll never eat again because of her.”
Just then, both of our phones chimed, just as Jeremiah walked in.
“What are y’all doing here? I told Naomi I’d come and get what she needed.”
After we’d picked everything up, I saved the men a journey and took it all home with me. It’d taken just under an hour, but in that time, she’d fallen back to sleep, cuddling an empty tub of tapioca pudding—a large one.
I was too afraid of waking her up to get into bed like I usually would, so I inched down until I was lying flat out next to her. Every time she woke up, she wanted something different, and I didn’t have the energy to go out again. I didn’t begrudge her the cravings and food, Naomi was carrying my baby for crying out loud. I just needed sleep.
A lot of sleep.
“Daddy,” Shanti whispered down the phone. “Mommy peed on the floor. Remember how I’m not allowed to talk about poop? Well, she said it feels like she needs to do that.”
I blinked as I looked up from the report I was reading, then put my phone on speakerphone so Alex could hear what she was saying. Maybe he’d be able to make sense of it.