I shower with a light pear scented gel and wrap up in a towel. Next thing I know, Suzanne is styling my hair, while Livie is doing my nails.
Beside me, Britt and Quinn and Debra are giving Charlie the royal treatment—hair, nails, shoe polish—she’s like a little Queen.
As soon as my makeup is finished, I step into my Eddi Saab gown, which is adorned with silk, lace and gold accents. The modern cut is stylish while being romantic, as cascades of fabric and lace drift down my body and fan out around me and across the floor in an elegant train.
“Mommy, we’re twins!” Charlie’s little voice sings delightedly.
“We are twins!” She’s wearing a frilly lace little girl’s gown that poofs out from her waist, which is tied in gold silk, and when she walks she resembles a swinging bell.
“Now seems like a good time to give you this.” Debra comes over.
In her hands rests a small navy blue velvet box.
“What did you do?” I ask. I wasn’t expecting anything. My heart fills with love and gratefulness. Debra is a little shy—the opposite of her husband Cade—but she loves her husband, and her boys, and Quinn and all the kids that come into North House hard. And she’s brought Charlie and I into the family wholeheartedly.
“Just a little something.” She dabs the corner of her eye with the knuckle of her thumb. “Open it.”
I press my lips together and lift the lid. Inside is an exquisite, delicate gold watch piece in locket form that dangles from a chain bracelet.
“Oh my God, Debra, it’s beautiful,” I begin to gush.
“And broken.” She throws me a soft smile. “Well, not really broken, but there’s no battery in it. It’s to remind you to allow time to stand still. And enjoy every moment of this precious life with the people you love.”
Her words echo in my mind, and the tears well up fast and furious.
“Debra, you’re an amazing woman—and I’m so thankful to have you in my life.” I barely manage to sob out the words.
Quinn runs and grabs a damp towel, and Jules holds it to my face—catching the tears as they stream so they don’t spoil my gown.
I try to stop crying—honestly—but a broken watch? Love that is so unconditional and accepting?
“Mommy?” Charlie’s gentle little fingers twine with mine.
I desperately try to pull it together. “I’m okay, sweetheart, really I am.”
“Then why are you crying?”
I shrug. “I’m … I’m happy, baby.”
She gives me a thoroughly puzzled look.
“Here, let’s go see what we see can out the window.” Britt leads her to the other side of the room.
Debra hugs me carefully, trying not to mess me up more than I already am. “Now I have two daughters to love.” She glances back at Quinn. “And a grand baby in the same giftwrap. Thank you for that, Sophie.”
“Yeah, we totally needed some more estrogen around here.” Quinn comes over and takes my hand.
She flips over my wrist as Debra takes the bracelet from the box and fastens it on my wrist.
“Now you have your something new.” She kisses me on the cheek.
Her soft lips are warm and tender like a mom’s, and it doesn’t help me stop crying. “I really, really missed my mom last night. Thank you—both of you,” I say, including Suzanne. “For giving me two.”
“Mommy’s still crying,” I hear Charlie say from over by the window.
Everyone laughs.
“What’s so funny?” she asks Britt, who shrugs her shoulders.
“My turn,” Jules cuts in. “Hike your skirt up, sweetheart, I have the something blue.” She winks and slips a blue lace garter over my foot and ankle and slides it up to my thigh.
“It counts for something borrowed too,” Livie explains. “Both Jules and I wore it for our wedding days. Now it’s a tradition.”
Oh no.
“Why are you crying again?”
“Because we have a sister tradition.”
“Josh is going to think she got hurt.” Suzanne shakes her head, watching me.
“I can’t help it,” I blubber.
“It’s okay.” Livie kneels down and rests her head on my shoulder.
“It’s time for the something old, so I guess that means it’s my turn,” Suzanne says.
I try to laugh at her joke, but I’m not sure I can take much more.
“First I want to tell you how very proud I am of you,” she begins.
Yeah, she’s going to make me cry. In fact, it’s like she’s trying to.
“You, my beautiful new daughter, have overcome obstacles you could have never foreseen in your life. And look at you. You are an amazing mother who would do anything for her little girl, and you’re a beloved fiancée, soon-to-be-wife, to my son. It’s because of your love and your strength that you’ve come this far, and I’m so grateful to the universe for plucking you and Charlie up out of harm’s way and dropping you both into our lives.”
Now she’s crying with me.