Five months pregnant, and my fiancé Jason James had arranged for the whole family to go take our wedding photos together.
I pushed open the door to the dressing room, and there was my cousin Kayla Summers, wearing the million-dollar custom gown I'd ordered half a year in advance.
Kayla lifted the hem of the skirt and gave a sweet little laugh.
"Cousin, I've got a blind date next month. Let me borrow some of your good luck and try being a bride first."
Jason adjusted her veil, all indulgence.
"Kayla's got the figure for this one, it looks great on her. You can just wear the loose secondary gown."
When it was time for the outdoor shots, Jason said Katherine Fox had low blood sugar and asked me to go across the street to buy some trendy specialty cake.
By the time I got back after standing in line for three hours, he'd sent me a voice message.
"Kayla's afraid of the sun, so I took her to the VIP indoor studio. Just come straight over."
Belly and all, I was stopped by the studio manager in the lobby because I didn't have a VIP reservation, left standing there for a full hour.
By the time they finally verified who I was and I made it to the door, I heard my grandmother laughing so hard she could barely stop. "Kayla and Jason really are the perfect couple."
My mother chimed in with praise. "That gown only looks worth it on Kayla."
My little brother curled his lip. "Jason should just marry her instead. My sister with that big belly would look terrible in photos anyway."
I shoved the VIP room door open, and the whole studio went dead silent.
1
Kayla was holding up my gown, striking one pose after another in front of the mirror.
When she saw me come in, a flicker of panic crossed her eyes, and she instinctively shrank back behind Jason.
My mother and grandmother came straight at me, brows knotted.
"What are you doing, bursting in like that? Not a sound out of you."
"Your face looks awful. What if you scared Kayla?"
My mother grabbed my arm.
My grandmother patted the back of Kayla's hand, all tenderness.
"Exactly. Kayla's timid. You're her older cousin, you should know to hold yourself back."
Jason strode over and steadied me by the waist.
He pulled a tissue from his pocket and carefully wiped the thin sweat from my forehead.
"Why are you running around with that big belly? What if you wear yourself out?"
His voice was gentle, the way it always was.
I looked at him and said nothing.
He followed my gaze to the gown on Kayla and lowered his voice to explain.
"Janice Henson, Kayla has a blind date next week, and the guy's a good catch. She wants to borrow this gown to take a few photos for her social media, just to make an impression."
He eased me down onto the sofa.
"You're five months along now. This gown's too heavy, it'll press on your belly and be uncomfortable. I had the manager swap you into a loose secondary gown. It looks just as good."
He knelt on one knee and kneaded my sore, swollen calves with practiced ease.
I turned my head aside and pulled my leg back.
Jason's hand froze in midair.
He let out a soft sigh, a trace of helplessness in his voice.
"Janice, you're about to be a mother. How can you still be this childish? Do you really have to fuss over a dress at a time like this?"
I turned my head and let my eyes settle on the trash can.
Inside sat a cake with a single spoonful scooped out of it.
The one I'd bought carrying my five-month belly, after standing in line for three hours under the blazing sun.
"Why did you throw it out?"
My voice came out a little hoarse.
Jason followed my gaze, then quickly stood and put himself in front of Kayla.
"Kayla said the cake from that shop was too sweet, kind of cloying. Don't be upset. I'll have someone buy you ten of them tomorrow."
Kayla's eyes went red as she tugged at the hem of Jason's shirt.
"Cousin, I'm sorry. It's my fault, I was too spoiled and made you angry. I'll just take it off and give it back to you."
She said she'd take it off, but her hands clamped down on the skirt, not the slightest sign of letting go.
My grandmother immediately pressed her hands down and turned to glare at me.
"Take it off, nothing! Your cousin's temper is bad while she's pregnant. Just ignore her!"
Jason wrapped an arm around my shoulders and gave them a pat.
"Janice, give the elders some face. Stop provoking Kayla. Tomorrow I'll take you for an even pricier indoor shoot. I won't shortchange you or the baby, all right?"
I looked at all of them, and my stomach heaved.
I didn't make a scene. I didn't cry.
I just nodded calmly.
"Fine. No photos. I'm going home first."
With that, I pushed Jason's hand away, turned, and walked out of the studio.
That night, Jason came in carrying a basin of hot water.
He knelt at the side of the bed and carefully set both my feet into the water.
"Is the temperature all right?"
He tilted his head up to look at me, endlessly patient.
He started painting the future of the three of us, saying that once the baby was born, we'd go traveling somewhere, we'd pick a certain preschool.
As if everything that had happened at the studio that day simply didn't exist.
I quietly pulled my foot out of his hands.
Jason went still for a moment, then awkwardly grabbed the towel and dried me off.
"Get to sleep early. Tomorrow I'll go with you to the hospital for the ultrasound."
Late that night, listening to the even breathing of the person beside me,
I took out my phone and canceled all of tomorrow's wedding bookings.
Then I opened the browser and looked up hospital information for a labor-induction procedure.
