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Skylar reappeared less than a minute later, and they watched for the next few minutes as Ida put the finishing touches on her fix for the dress.
“Okay, we need our bride,” Ida announced.
The door to the bathroom opened slowly, and Merritt appeared with tears in her eyes.
“Oh, sweetie,” Ida said, “I promise I didn’t ruin your dress. It will fit just right. I guarantee it.”
A slow smile spread across Merritt’s face as she held up the pregnancy test. “It’s positive.”
Adelia and Skylar screeched with excitement and attacked her with hugs and kisses.
“You’re pregnant?” Genevieve asked.
Merritt nodded her head enthusiastically, causing the tears to slide down her cheek.
“That explains the dress,” Ida said with a chuckle.
“Our babies will get to play together,” Genevieve said as her hand fell to her own belly.
Merritt held an arm out for Genevieve to join their group hug, and they all embraced and laughed and cried together. Adelia’s heart overflowed with joy for her friends.
A knock on the door interrupted their celebration.
“Just a minute,” all the girls cried.
“Are you ready?” Merritt’s father’s voice was muffled through the door.
“Just a few more minutes,” Merritt replied.
“It’s almost time,” he said.
“They can’t start without me.”
Adelia and Skylar helped Merritt into her dress, and Ida took a length of ribbon and wove it criss-cross through the loops she’d created and tied her into her wedding dress, tucking the end of the ribbon down into the dress and out of sight. Then Ida helped to put on Merritt’s thin beaded headband veil and smoothed it down to cover the fix.
“There you have it,” Ida said.
Merritt turned to look at the back of her dress in the full-length mirror and tugged her veil out of the way to see. “You did it.” She turned and pulled Ida into a hug. “It’s perfect. Thank you.”
Ida smiled and cupped her cheek. “You’re welcome.” She glanced down at Merritt’s belly. “And congratulations.”
Merritt’s eyes were bright and threatened to unleash more tears. “Thank you.”
Once her makeup was touched up, Ida opened the door and let Merritt’s dad into the room.
Merritt had always said her dad wasn’t one for emotion, but Adelia could see he was fighting back a few tears at the sight of his daughter.
“You take my breath away, Merritt.”
“Thanks, Dad.”
He raised an arm to her. “Are you ready?”
Merritt was practically glowing as she wound her hand through the crook of her dad’s arm. “I am.”
Adelia walked down the stairs behind them, thinking how she would never have this moment. Her dad would never walk her down the aisle. She shook it off, quickly reminding herself of the pain she would avoid by not getting married, and focused on Gus and Merritt’s wedding.
Adelia knew the exact moment when Merritt told Gus about the baby. They stood at the back of the church, having walked down the aisle after their ceremony. Adelia, who was the Maid of Honor, was walking out with Sebastian, the Best Man, and she saw Gus’s mouth fall open just before he swept his wife up in a hug and lifted her off the ground.