Chapter 95

“Are you ready?”

“Hmmm.” Fran answered when Kim handed her the bouquet of simple red roses.

“Are you sure?” Kim asked softly and smiled when Fran looked at the mirror with a dreamy expression on her face and let her left hand ran over the soft material of her wedding dress.

Fran told her that she was so happy when she found this dress. It was a white strapless ruched A-line gown with a crossover sweetheart bodice. It was simple, but still gave her enough room to hide her still small, but already visible womb.

Kim stepped behind Fran and their eyes met in the mirror. Fran’s eyes teared up when she saw the dark purple bruises in shape of fingers on her best friends upper arm. She knew Kim tried to hide the visible marks of the attack with the light blue maxi dress with short sleeves. There was no side slit, no hint of cleavage and no waistline on this dress.

“Don’t.” Kim whispered and hugged her best friend carefully.

“This is your big day.” Fran nodded and tried to dry her tears without ruining her already applied make up, when she groaned.

“What’s wrong?” Kim asked worried.

“Nothing…just a little queasy.”

“Nausea gravidarum? That’s not typical for this time of the day. You already ate and drank today?” Kim looked at her confused.

“Thanks, doc.” Fran answered dryly. Kim sighed.

“I’m sorry. Do you want something for you nausea gravi …uhm….I mean for your morning sickness?” Kim pulled a small bottle from one of the bags in the room.

“No, you know this stuff doesn’t work for me. Maybe I need to eat something.” Fran said and walked over to the small table to get some food.

A soft knock on the door made them turn around. Slowly Tico and Jason entered the room.

“Are you ready ladies?” The drummer asked. Tico was making sure all of them were on time today as Jon was busy being the best man and David having the privilege to play the wedding march.

“Uhm…I don’t know…are you ready?” Kim looked at Fran questioning.

“I hope.” Fran said and started to pull and tug at her dress. Kim choked her moan and prepared to tell her friend that she looked absolutely stunning in her wedding dress, but Jason was faster.

“Ava is right mom. You look really, really beautiful today.” The boy told his mother.

“Thanks, baby. You really think so.” Fran looked at her son surprised.

“Yeah, like a princess. Richie can be very happy.” He told her with a serious look on his face.

“Awww, baby.” Fran leaned down and kissed his cheek.

“Mooooommmm, please.” He stepped back and looked shortly at Tico before trying to rub the lipstick of his cheek.

Kim and Tico chuckled lightly. Jason already tried the whole day to act like a grown up, because he was giving away his mother today. Being kissed and cuddled by her sure wasn’t on his mind. Fran grinned.

“Ok, let’s do this.” She said and took one last deep breath before leaving the room. When she entered the living room the other women and girls who had been waiting for her stopped dead in their conversations. Joan got up and walked over to her.

“You look wonderful my dear.” She hugged Fran dearly and handed her a small satin covered box.

“Thanks, Joan. What’s that?” she asked surprised.

“That’s my gift for you. Heather wasn’t worse getting it, but you are precious. I want you to have it.” The old woman told her determined and Fran was happy that Ava was already outside with her dad. She would be his best-man next to Jon.

“Maybe you will give it to your daughter one day.”

Fran and the other women looked at her stunned and all moved closer to see what was in that small box. Carefully Fran opened it and they all gasped surprised. Nestling between white satin lay a delicate white gold necklace with a heart shaped sapphire as its pendant, bigger than a quarter coin.

“Joan, that’s…that’s…” Fran stuttered while Joan simply took the necklace and put it around Fran’s neck.

“Adam gave it to me on our wedding day. It’s from his great-grandmother.” She told everyone calmly.

“I can never take this away from you, Joan.” Fran protested, while the others nodded.

“You ain’t taking it away from me, dear. I just gave it to you. As I said, you are precious. You should have it.” They all stared at her in silence until Tico loudly cleared his throat.

“Ok, we really need to get started. Come on, girls. Get your bouquets. Lily, get your flower pedals….here get in one line.” He knew Richie’s mother for a long time. She wouldn’t take the necklace back.

“Uhm…yeah, uhm…Joan, thank you so much.” Fran hugged her soon to be mother-in-law. “I will always hold it with great respect, I promise.”

“I know you will dear. That’s why I gave it to you.”

“Ok? Everybody ready. Joan, will you give me the honor to lead you down the aisle, please?” Tico offered his arm to Richie’s mother.

“Of course, I will. You are one charming guy, you know that, right?” she pointed out when Tico stepped through the open door into the garden with her followed by the older girls and Lily, who was dutiful throwing rose pedals on the floor.

David smiled from his place behind the piano when his youngest daughter walked down the aisle. She was very focused and didn’t look at anybody, but only had the rose pedals on her mind.

Kimberly was the last person to stepped out into the garden before Fran and Jason. She took a deep breath and reminded herself that she was with friends and Jon would wait for her at the end of her way.

Jon smiled at her as soon as she was outside. She was trying so hard to appear as if nothing had happened. She didn’t wanna ruin Fran’s big day. But he could see how tense and stressed she was. When she stopped at her place next to Steph and Gaby and turned to watch Fran’s big entrance, he mouthed, "I love you" and earned a small smile from her.

“Here, she comes.” Rich said a little nervous when David started the wedding march and the small group of guests stood up.

“Oh, wow…” he couldn’t take his eyes of her. She looked stunning. Like a goddess. When she came closer his eyes caught the necklace around her neck. His head snatched to his mother shortly. He’d never thought she would give Fran the necklace. Now he really knew how she felt about his new wife.

“You look amazing.” He whispered in her ear when Jason stopped with her next to him. Fran blushed lightly and didn’t bring out a word.

“They looked so great together.” Steph whispered into Kim’s ear. She nodded smiling.

“Do you think you and dad will get married soon too?” the girl asked seriously interested. Kim’s eyes wided in surprise and she looked at Steph with a deer in the headlights look. Jon frowned irritated.

What was going on between his two girls there?