“And coffee!” she reminded me as she marched into the shower.
I picked up the phone receiver, pressed the number for room service, and waited until someone picked up.
“How may I help you, Mrs. Cavanaugh?” the person asked on the other end.
I stumbled momentarily, having never been called by my soon-to-be surname. The room had been booked under Jude, so I guessed it was just naturally assumed I was the Mrs. to the Mr.
Mrs. Jude Cavanaugh.
It was surreal and surprising.
It was completely amazing.
I quickly came back to reality and placed our breakfast order. I asked for enough food to serve an army—or at least the entire floor. I felt a little guilty for waking everyone up so early, and I wanted to make it up to them. So, after hearing the total bill that would have once made me faint, I thanked the man and hung up.
“We should have food in about thirty minutes,” I said, turning to sit on the bed opposite from my mom.
She looked at me with soulful eyes, tears leaking out of the corners.
“You’re getting married today,” she gushed. “I never thought I’d see the day.”
“You’re crying on me already?” I said, springing from the edge to cross the wide gap separating us.
I sat down beside her, and she gathered me in her arms. It didn’t seem to matter how old I’d gotten. Nothing beat the feel of my mother’s embrace.
“All those years we spent in the hospital—when I sat beside your bed and watched you recover from one surgery after another with nothing but the same bleak future for you to look forward to—I hoped and prayed that a day like this would come. No one in this world deserves happiness more than you, my angel. No one.”
Wetness trickled down my cheeks as her words seeped into my heart, etching themselves into my very soul.
“I love you, Mom.”
“Oh, baby, I love you, too—so very much.”
“Did you know that many brides find it difficult to eat on their wedding day?” Grace asked from across the room as she pushed a black olive around on her plate. Her hair was up in large barrel curlers, and she sat cross-legged on the freshly made bed.
I smirked, trying to remain perfectly still, as the gorgeous brunette behind me continued to tug and pull at my long mane, promising to turn it into bridal perfection.
“Well, that’s just plain ridiculous,” I replied, carefully bringing a slivered strawberry up to my mouth from the plate sitting on my lap.
Grace laughed, setting her plate down beside her. We’d basically done nothing but eat and lounge around the hotel room for hours. When she’d said we had nothing to do, she’d meant it. There was absolutely no reason any of us had had to wake up at the crack of dawn this morning. The wedding ceremony wasn’t being held until six in the evening, which meant that today was going to drag on endlessly.
And it certainly was already.
My eyes darted over to the alarm clock, and once again, I sighed.
“Sweetheart, just relax. The day will be nothing but a memory before you know it. Try to enjoy every second,” my mom reminded me.
I smiled and let my shoulders relax. “I’m trying. I just can’t wait to see him standing at the end of that aisle.”
A knock sounded at the door, interrupting our conversation, and Grace suddenly jumped up to answer it.
“Password.” She giggled.
“It’s me,” a male voice said from the other side.
“I don’t know any me. You need to be more specific!” she joked.
“Grace, I’ll tell everyone I see tonight the real name that appears on your birth certificate. Don’t make me do it!” Brian’s voice came through loud and clear.
“You wouldn’t!” she squeaked.
“Oh, I would, babe.”
“That’s just evil!”
“Your name isn’t Grace?” I asked, suddenly intrigued.
“Yes, it is! Well, it’s my middle name. Never mind!” she scoffed, opening the door to let her sneaky husband in. “You have my son. You should have just said that from the beginning,” she cooed, holding open her arms to take a babbling Zander.
“And miss all that? Never.” He grinned. His hand snaked around her waist, gripping the fuzzy fabric of her robe, and he placed a tender kiss on her cheek.
Zander watched the exchange between his parents with interest as his tiny fingers pressed against their faces.
“So, what brings you here, handsome?” she asked, stepping away to sit down on the nearest bed with her new adorable little bundle.
“I was charged with a task, and I’ve come to deliver it.”
I looked at him and shook my head. “Oh, no. Please tell me he didn’t.”
“I don’t know what the question is, so I can’t answer that.”
“Did he get me something?”
Brian’s wide grin was answer enough.
“He’s incredible.” I sighed.
“Did you really expect anything less from Jude?” my mother asked.