Rachel met up with Valerie after dress shopping, needing a coffee and something sweet to forget about the long day she had. Dress shopping was definitely not fun, not to mention the awkward interaction with Ethan’s mother. She wouldn’t be surprised if Caroline turned out to be a creation from evil scientists. The woman barely smiled, let alone talk with any emotion in her voice. That woman might as well be a robot.
“You look how I feel right now.” Valerie pushed the untouched coffee cup toward her, “Have your coffee, maybe you’ll feel better.”
Rachel slumped back in her chair and stabbed her blueberry cheesecake, taking a huge bite of it which made her sister look at her with amused eyes. Valerie thankfully didn’t burst out in laughter. That would only have intensified the dreadful feeling which built up in her stomach the entire time she tried on wedding dresses.
“A small wedding actually sounds appealing to me right now.” She confessed to her sister.
Valerie only made it legal by signing the piece of paper with a lawyer present and their witnesses. It wasn’t a big deal, her sister didn’t wear the dress most girls dreamt of wearing someday nor did she have a big party to celebrate the fact that she got married. Valerie never got the chance to celebrate her marriage because the jealous Tiffany tried to brutally murder her. That thought made her feel guilty for behaving like a child. She straightened up in her chair and smiled at the patient Valerie.
“I shouldn’t let it get to me.” She continued, “It’s just a dress.” Saying those words out loud made her feel better already, “I’ll also apologize to Caroline for being so moody after the fitting.”
“Handling it like a real adult, I couldn’t be more proud.” Valerie’s gaze softened, “I do know how important this is to you. You always wanted a big wedding, wearing a big, poofy dress and have a big wedding cake which will go to waste because it’s way too much cake.”
Valerie was too good of a person, making her laugh even though weddings and parties were a sensitive topic to her. Though if she was really honest with herself she knew Valerie was more than okay with it now. It was those around her who still wasn’t over the fact that Valerie could have died on her wedding day.
Valerie placed her cup down, picked up her fork and scooped up a piece of cheesecake from her plate. Rachel didn’t scold her sister for it even though she told Valerie when they placed an order that the cheesecake was pretty amazing at the place they were having coffee at. Her sister brushed it off then, surely the woman was regretting not ordering her own slice of cheesecake now.
“The apartment feels so empty without Ava there. I guess we got used to having her around.”
“We live only fifteen minutes away, you’re welcome to come over whenever you feel like it.” Rachel reminded her, “We wouldn’t mind and I’m sure Ava would love to spend time with Gabriel. Ethan hates to admit it, but Ava is quite fond of her uncle Gabriel.”
“I’m guessing Ethan is glad that Gabriel isn’t around right now.”
Rachel wanted to flat out tell her sister that it wasn’t true, but then she’d be lying. Though they missed spending time with Gabriel and Valerie, Ethan was happy he could bond a little with his daughter without other people distracting them. He needed that to feel connected to his little girl. Ava adored him though, she could tell her little girl’s eyes lit up whenever she saw her daddy’s face. Ethan just didn’t see it because he was too focused on winning Ava over.
“You can’t even deny that.” Valerie let out a soft laugh, “I suppose that’s Ethan though. He is charming most of the time but when it comes to the people close to him he can’t share them with anyone else.”
That was true as well, Rachel realized Ethan behaved like that when it came to Gabriel. He hated Ryan simply because Ryan Parker got along well with his best friend. Now that Ava was around and showed Gabriel she adored him Ethan got jealous and felt like keeping the little girl away from the guy he couldn’t share with Ryan Parker. In so many ways Ethan Hunter was a man to be respected, a man who intimidated others yet his inability to share reminded her so much of a little kid who wanted to keep their toys all to themselves. She couldn’t decide if she thought it was cute or not.
“Did you two discuss your future yet?” Rachel asked, noticing how her sister uncomfortably shifted in her chair, “Still undecided about that?”
Valerie shook her head, “Not at all, we’re actually going to start trying-”
“That’s great news!” Rachel reached across the table and held her sister’s hand in hers, “I’m actually really excited about this which is kind of creepy.”
Valerie gave her a pat on the hand, “I know you mean well, so it’s okay.” Valerie pulled away from her and finished her coffee, “Don’t tell Ethan yet. We’re keeping it to ourselves for now.”
“You’re only sharing once you’re sure?” Rachel smiled warmly at her sister, “That’s totally fine, no need to sound so embarrassed by it.”
They chatted about all the funny things Ava did, totally into their conversation they didn’t notice the woman who had been staring at them. When Rachel leaned back in her chair, ready to get up and pay for their drinks and sweets she noticed the woman. It was hard to miss the woman considering she looked like she came straight from a red carpet event. Feeling, strangely enough, guilty as hell Rachel kept her gaze lowered while shrugging on her jacket and reaching for her bag. Her sister noticed her weird behavior and glanced around the room. Valerie then the hint as well.
“Just ignore her.” Her sister whispered to her, “I’ll pay.”
Rachel didn’t even bother to put up a fight because she was relieved she didn’t have to head to the counter and stand awkwardly close to the woman who was supposed to marry Ethan. Instead, she walked out and waited outside for her sister. Unfortunately, Lucille didn’t let her get off the hook that easily. The woman followed her outside, her intense smelling perfume surrounding them as the woman took her in from head to toe. She could tell she disappointed Lucille somehow. She could only guess that Lucille had pictured a different kind of woman marrying Ethan.
“So.” Lucille’s voice was surprisingly soft, “You’re marrying Ethan.”
There was no reason to lie about it, it would only make her look pathetic. Rachel squared her shoulders and faced the woman who was supposed to wear the white dress and cut a big wedding cake together with Ethan Hunter.
“I am.”
“Ethan is a good guy.” Lucille told her, “Take good care of him.” A smile spread across the woman’s face, something she didn’t expect to happen when facing the woman Ethan cut out of his life to be a family with her, “I wish you guys all the best.” Lucille then gestured to the driver who awaited her by a fancy car and left her side without so much of a word.
Rachel could only watch the woman disappear from her sight, confused a hell what just happened between them. It could be because Tiffany had been dangerously obsessed with both Ethan and Gabriel that she expected something far worse to happen. Lucille handled the situation so maturely all Rachel could do was stare.
“I guess that worked out great.” Valerie appeared beside her, “The car is here. Let’s go home.”
Rachel was grateful her sister pushed her forward because she would have been staring into space. Meeting Lucille had been like a wake-up call. Not to mention Valerie being so positive about the wedding. Rachel then decided it was okay to trust a little more in people. Not everyone was out to get her. Reminding herself of that life would surely become a little easier for her.
***
“I should apologize to your mom.” Rachel was seated on the edge of their bed, moisturizing her legs while Ethan was leaning against the headboard behind her, working on his laptop, “I wasn’t that nice to her afterward.”
Ethan didn’t pay her much attention as he monotonously answered her, “What are you talking about? I received a text from her saying she enjoyed her time with you.”
Rachel glanced over her shoulder, “Seriously? I felt like things weren’t going great between us.”
Ethan looked up from his screen, “Yeah, well, my parents aren’t good at expressing how they feel. She might not have looked like it, but she enjoyed your day together.”
Rachel closed the cap to her rose scented body lotion and got to her feet. She figured Ethan was working on something time-sensitive because most of the time he would have put his laptop aside seeing her half naked like that. Smiling she walked into their walk-in closet and grabbed her pair of pale pink comfy PJs, putting that on so she could curl up in bed all warm and comfy.
“By the way, I met Lucille.” She told Ethan as she crawled into bed, “She was lovely.”
Something in Ethan’s expression changed. She couldn’t put her finger on it though. It could be because it looked like he was having fun, but at the same time biting on a slice of lemon.
“Really?
“Yeah, she told me to take care of you because you’re a good guy.” She rolled to her side and met her fiancé’s gaze, “Which is true. You are a good guy, Ethan Hunter.”
“You should remind yourself that both Gabriel and Valerie were not a fan of her.”
Rachel frowned, “Why didn’t they like her?”
She lost Ethan’s attention, he focused back on his work, muttering to her whenever she asked him a question. She didn’t even get angry with him, because work was work. She rather liked him being so serious about his work.
“Let’s just go with that.”
“With what?” She asked him.
“Lucille being lovely.” He told her, “Let’s go with that.”
She didn’t question him about Lucille, she didn’t have it in her to discuss things which should stay in their past. Today proved to be rather tiring, she didn’t realize it until her head hit the pillow. She could barely keep her eyes open.
“Ava was such a good girl today.” Ethan told her, she listened to his voice as he went on and on about how much he enjoyed his time with their little girl who was sleeping peacefully in her nursery, “I don’t mind having another one.”
She barely processed what he was saying since her brain was more or less turned off for the day. She just mumbled her agreement and drifted off to sleep. Last thing she did hear was Ethan’s laugh and his firm words.
“No taking it back, Rache.”