I scrunch my nose and purse my lips as I say, “I look like a whale.” Tears prick at my eyes and I know it’s from the hormones but damn it, I really wanted today to be fun.

“You look beautiful,” Elle says from the bench in the gallery of the bridal shop. She’s literally said that for every dress I’ve put on. She’s hormonal too though, so I can’t call her out on it. She rubs her very swollen belly.

“It’s the dress, not you.” Becca stands up, keeping her eyes on the mirror, and starts walking over to me. The dress is a ball gown style, meant to hide my baby bump, but it’s making me look like a balloon and with my face a little swollen from this baby...I’m feeling genuinely awful.

“Okay, first of all, your hair is going to be up, so let’s do that.” She hands me a scrunchie and I take it reluctantly. I’ve learned that Becca knows her shit, so I trust her, but I’m hesitant to believe a scrunchie is supposed to make this better. I fasten a quick ponytail and take a look. I guess my face looks a little less fat, but the dress is still horrible.

As if reading my mind, Becca says, “Okay. Now I think we should emphasize your bump all the way down to your hips.” She tugs the dress from the back of it and grabs a handful of giant ass clips from the ottoman to my right. I’ve needed them for the other dresses too, but not like this. She pulls the fabric tight around my body. I smile as soon as I see the outline of my swollen belly. My baby. My heart fills and I let out a small sigh.

“Better?” Becca asks, and I have to blink a few times to get back into bridal dress shopping. I stare at myself in the mirror and I have to say I’m shocked.

“Say it,” Becca says, with a cocky grin on her face.

“You were right,” I huff, and return to looking in the mirror.

“Ha! Mermaid gown for the win! There are plenty of options.” Elle cracks up and a smile forms on my face. That is, until I hear the woman from around the corner.

“Sir, you really shouldn’t,” I hear a timid voice say as loud as possible while still being polite.

“Shit! It’s Kane.” I hop off the little platform and run to a dressing room as the clips fly off the back of my dress and land on the floor.

“Kane De Rocca! Get your ass out of here!” I yell from the slightly ajar door. “It’s bad luck to see me in my dress!” I sound like a little brat, but I want this to be perfect. I don’t want anything to go wrong. It might be stupid to be superstitious, but I’m doing it all. Something borrowed, blue, old and new. And there’s no way he’s seeing me in my dress.

“So you found one?” I hear him ask in a voice clear enough that it must be coming from only a few feet away.

“Kane, really?” I hear Elle as she waddles on over. A giggle is forced from me when I see her stand in front of the door with her arms crossed.

“You are not seeing her, and that is final.” She even nods her head at the end.

“In her dress,” Kane tacks on. “I won’t see her in her dress, but I have something I need to tell her; it can’t wait.”

My eyes widen and my heart sputters in my chest. I push the door open and ask in a worried voice, “Is everything okay?”

His eyes look down my dress and I can tell he’s having the same reaction I was. Now that the clips are gone, I’m a little...puffy.

“Yeah, baby.” His brow furrows. “Uh. That dress is just beautiful.” He couldn’t sound more unsure if he tried. I give him an asymmetric grin.

“This is only one of them. I’m getting another with more tulle for the reception. I thought I should get that one in pink, too.” He blinks at me a few times and then purses his lips.

“Is my good girl being a little naughty?” he asks in a lowered voice.

“Oh, God. Get a room.” Becca rolls her eyes and plops down on the ottoman while Elle and I just laugh. Kane looks over his shoulder with a wide grin.

“No worries. We’ve got one right here.” He walks forward and I instinctively take a step back as he enters the fitting room with me.

I push my hands on his chest but he moves in enough to shut the door. “Not here.” I am so not fucking him with them in earshot.

He huffs a laugh. “Don’t worry, I’ll take care of that needy pussy of yours when you get home.” He wraps his arms around my waist and pulls me in. The tulle crinkles and my shoulders shake with my laughter.

“Good news?” I ask. My heart swells as he gives me a broad smile and a quick kiss.

“I’m in, baby. We’re gonna stay.”

“In, in?” I ask. I can’t believe it. He wanted this so badly.

“Valetti through and through.” I give him a hug and he picks me up gently, hugging me back. It’s a little awkward with my belly and the dress, but it feels so right. I’m so happy, happier than I’ve ever been. Everything is just perfect.

He sets me down and gives me a sweet, open-mouth kiss that instantly ignites my core. When he pulls back to look at me, he chuckles. “Not here, baby. You’re going to have to be a good girl and wait.”

I feel a violent blush color my cheeks and I stand on my tiptoes to kiss him.

“Yes, Kane.” I say with a smile.