Her smile widens as if recalling the memory. “We were both volunteers at the nature reserve when we were in high school and we’ve been together ever since.”
“That’s lovely.” I take another sip of the prosecco, the bubbles tickling my nose.
“How about you and Alex?”
My mind wanders back to our first encounter, which wasn’t that different to how Finn met Shelly. It must in the genes. “I was protesting in London. A small patch of green space was up for sale with planning permission to build an apartment block. Alex bought the land and gifted it to me in exchange for a date.”
“How romantic.”
“It was. I turned the patch into a small park with some benches with the help of the community. It’s a stone’s throw from my home and the place I always go to think, work, eat lunch.”
Behind the curtain, Shelly says, “It’s too tight. I can’t breathe anymore.”
“I don’t understand. I went to the measurements,” Daphne says.
I look between Celeste and Madison, their brows wrinkled as we silently wait for more of their conversation, but all that I hear is a sob from behind the curtain.
Celeste rises from her seat and pokes her head behind the hanging velvet fabric. “Everything all right?”
“It doesn’t fit, Mom.” Shelly pulls the curtain to the side. The back of her dress gapes open where Celeste places a hand, wrapping her in a hug.
My heart sinks for her. This was meant to be a happy occasion.
Daphne fiddles with the back of the dress. “Don’t worry, Shelly. We can fix this. This is the whole point of having a fitting so we can iron out any problems before the big day.”
Shelly sniffles into her mum’s shoulder. “But we only have a few days. I just wanted to look nice for Finn. He’s spent so much money on this wedding. I wanted to make him proud and look my best, you know. He always sees me in shorts and t-shirts.”
I stand and place my prosecco on the table. “Sweetheart.” I take the few steps towards the cubicle, unable to sit on the sidelines any longer. I pull my daughter-in-law to be into my arms. “Finn is already proud of you. The way he talks about you, he couldn’t be prouder. He wouldn’t care if you turned up on that beach wearing pyjamas as long as he got to call you his wife.”
Madison comes into the cubicle. “She’s right. I’ve seen the way he looks at you. And I’ll tell you a secret that he told me. He’s only spent so much money because he wants to make this wedding the best for you. His request to me was to give you whatever you asked for. He doesn’t care what type of napkins you have or tablecloths. And I don’t think he’s gonna care what you wear, as I don’t think you’ll be wearing it for long.”
My lips lift in the corner. “Not the mental picture I want when I think of my son.”
“Oh sorry, ma’am.”
A small laugh bursts through the tears on Shelly’s face.
Daphne gets her tape measure out, running it around Shelly’s waist. “It says here your waist is several inches bigger than it was six weeks ago.” She opens her notebook, finding Shelly’s details. “I don’t understand. I measured you several times, so I know it’s right.”
Celeste smiles, tucking a blonde curl behind Shelly’s ear. “I’m blaming Phoebe from Just in Queso. Her tacos are just too delicious to resist.”
Shelly’s smile pushes her cheeks up, forcing the swell in her eyes to drip onto her face. “Finn does like a taco.”
I bet he does. The whole world knows how much he likes tacos from the photograph that was published in theLondon Daily. I think “Shell Diving” was the headline.
“Shelly. You don’t think you could be pregnant?” Daphne says.
My heart flutters. Hope swells in my chest like a balloon that I don’t want to burst. I always wanted more kids, but with the menopause, that ship’s sailed. The next best thing would be to have a grandbaby. Even better that I can give them back and just get to be the grandma who spoils them rotten.
Shelly’s teary eyes grow as big as the ocean.
“When was your last period, honey?” Celeste says, her face animated with excitement.
“I don’t know. I’ve had so much going on with the turtles and the wedding, I haven’t kept track.” Her hands rest over the lace on her stomach, a smile stretching across her face. “I have been feeling nauseous, but I thought it was just wedding nerves.”
The balloon in my chest inflates a little more. “Madison, we’re gonna need another glass of prosecco and a nonalcoholic one for Shelly.”
Chapter Four
