Page 10 of Dress Rescue

I pat his back. Thinking back to the first few months when me and Ellis start dating.

It was a big shock to Tammy, and she didn’t exactly take it very well. But it didn’t take long for me to wear her down. Once she saw how much me and her father love each other, she kind of just accepted me. Since then, we’ve formed an unlikely friendship. I get a warm fuzzy feeling in my stomach whenever she rings me up to ask for advice. I’m like the cool aunt.

“Finally!” I say, a little cluster of servers walking towards us carrying plates. “The food’s here.”

Ellis perks up a bit once he starts eating. He always does. There’s nothing like a big juicy burger to forget your daughter is probably sleeping with a total idiot.

I scoff down my food in almost record-breaking time. Then start helping myself to the fries on my children’s plates.

They slap my hands away and moan to their dad. But I just tell them I’m pregnant and that I made them and that if they’re not going to share their fries with me I might just have to write a letter to Father Christmas and tell him what naughty children they’ve been.

Ellis shakes his head. Sometimes my pregnant parenting skills are not exactly textbook. But that doesn’t mean I don’t love them. They’re the best thing that’s ever happened to me. Them, and Ellis. It’s just, when I’m pregnant and I’m hungry, I sometimes forget that.

“Anybody want some ice cream?” Ellis asks, sitting back in his chair.

I give him a confused look. Like he’s just asked me if I’m going to grow wings and fly home tonight.

“Sorry, were you thinking that we weren’t going to sit here and eat ice cream after our meal?” I say.

I know he wants to get away from Tammy and her boyfriend as fast as possible, but I’ll be damned if he’s going to put his petty pet peeves between me and a big, cold bowl of the good stuff.

“Please,” he mouths. “I’ll make it worth your while.”

I roll my eyes. “More than a bowl of ice cream?”

He puts his mouth against my ear and whispers, “I’ll do that thing you like.”

“The thing with your tongue?” I ask. “And the backs of your knuckles?”

He nods his head.

“Okay, kids.” I stand up from the table, nearly knocking over my chair. “Dinner times over. Put on your jackets. Go to the restroom if you need it. We’ll be out in the car and leaving in ten minutes whether you’re with us or not.”

Ellis shakes the new boyfriend’s hand. “It was nice meeting you.”

He hugs his daughter and kisses her on the cheek. “Thanks for the meal, dad,” she says. “You sure you’ve got to be going so soon.”

“It’s my fault,” I say. “You know how it is. Pregnant. I need to lie down or something. Headache. Swollen feet. A back that feels like a whole pack of beavers are gnawing away at it. Piles hanging down to my knees.”

“Gross,” Tammy says. “TMI!”

“The wonder of childbirth,” I say, leaning in. “You should see the stretch marks on my hips. I tell ya, if you want to totally ruin your figure for the rest of your life, have children.”

I leave her nodding her head. Vaguely happy knowing that for at least the next couple of days she’ll probably use protection with her bonehead boyfriend.

Ellis pays the bill and gets all the children ready. He half carries them out of the restaurant. All three of them jabbering at the same time. Wanting to play video games when they get back. Watch a movie. Go into the metaverse.

On the way home, I put my hand on his leg and rest my head against his shoulder.

It’s been eight years, but sometimes it feels like we only met yesterday. I can still remember what it felt like to close my eyes and feel his lips press against my mouth for the first time.

We ended up getting the dress for Tammy. She went to the prom. Had a terrible time. Her date got drunk and made an ass out of himself and puked all over her.

We didn’t tell her about Ellis’s accident until a couple of years later. By that time, she didn’t care. She found it cute that her dad would go to so much trouble to make her happy, though. And I have to agree.

That’s just the kind of man he is. He’ll go to the end of the earth to provide for his family. His heart’s almost as big as his biceps. And every night I fall asleep feeling like the luckiest woman in all the world. Knowing he’s mine.