Chapter 343
Ella's POV
Morning sickness.
It was not a fun thing to deal with and it was hitting me hard. The doctor told me there wasn't much she could do about it, but she suggested I drink a lot of fluids to keep me hydrated. It didn't seem to be helping though. Whenever I smelled something unusual or looked at something gross, I lost the contents of my stomach.
Certain foods didn't sit right in my stomach, and I would vomit them up immediately. I was losing a lot of weight which was worrying Colton greatly and I felt badly about it, but I wasn't sure what else to do.
I wasn't sure how I was going to get through Connie's wedding without getting sick, but today was the day of her wedding and I couldn't allow my morning sickness to ruin her evening. She was so excited about marrying her mate and she was incredibly beautiful in her pure white, strapless wedding gown. Her blonde hair flowed evenly around her shoulders and her bangs were pinned out of her face with a white flower clip.
Her skin was flawless like a porcelain doll, and she had the perfect amount of makeup on her face that brought out her brightest features. Her lips were pink and plump from the gloss and her eyes popped from the mascara and winged eyeliner.
She certainly looked different than the warrior girl I first met when she helped in Colton's shifting and combat class.
She looked like a straight-up princess.
"I can't believe I'm actually getting married," Connie breathed as she stared at herself in the standing mirror in one of the guest bedrooms in Colton's packhouse.
Natalie had gone somewhere to complete the finishing touches on the wedding she had planned, leaving me alone with Connie.
"You look beautiful," I breathed, sitting on the bed behind her.
Since becoming pregnant, I've been tired a lot more, and standing on my feet has become a chore. I wasn't showing yet because I was only a couple weeks pregnant, but I felt like I weighed a thousand pounds, even though I lost a drastic amount of weight from this morning sickness. Body dysmorphia was real.
"What if I don't make a good wife?" She asked, turning around to face me.
I frowned at how worried she genuinely looked.
"As long as you love each other nothing else matters, Connie," I told her, giving her a reassuring smile.
"I love him so much," she breathed. "I just don't want to screw up..."
"You aren't going to be alone, Connie," I told her gently. "You have friends and family all around you that will keep you in line."
She smiled at my words and nodded.
"True; I don't think you guys would let me screw up," she chuckled.
"Neither will Tyler. That man loves you so much and he has since the minute he saw you," I assured her. "You have nothing to worry about."
She seemed to have relaxed at my words and she gave me another faint smile.
Soon, the door was swinging open, and Natalie was standing before us with her lips pressed together in a thin line.
“We are starting soon," she said, staring at Connie with a pointed look. "Are you almost done in here?"
Connie took a deep breath before nodding.
"Yes," she breathed. "I'm ready."
I went downstairs with Connie trailing behind me. Colton was waiting downstairs in the front foyer and his smile grew when he saw me. I was wearing a simple dress that went down to my ankles and sleeves that sat just below my shoulders. I allowed my dark curls freedom to cascade down my shoulders and bounce around my figure as I walked.
"You look beautiful," he breathed as I stepped beside him.
"This isn't about me," I said, still smiling as I glanced over my shoulder at Connie who was standing at the bottom of the stairs.
Natalie handed her a flower bouquet and then said something into the walkie-talkie before turning and walking toward the back doors.
They had set up a flower path that went from the back doors and toward the rose garden where all the chairs and flower arch sat. That's also where Tyler waited with the minister. It was a small wedding because neither Connie nor Tyler had much family.It wasn't a problem though because there were still plenty of people around the calypso pack who were more than willing to attend this wedding. They loved Connie like she was family, and they were eager to watch her tie the knot with her mate.
Diana was also seated toward the front row because she was like a mother figure to Connie and her entire village was also seated. After all, they basically watched Connie grow into the amazing woman that she was.
This entire event was perfect; I just hoped my morning sickness didn't get in the way of this amazing celebration. I would never be able to live it down. Colton stepped around to me when Connie approached. He was going to walk her down the aisle, being one of her closest and oldest friends. Val wasn't too pleased about this decision when it was made. But we also knew that we couldn't stop it from happening. Colton was our mate and we trusted him more than anything. We also trusted that Connie wouldn't do anything that would make her mate upset on their big day.
So, we swallowed our pride and just smiled as Colton took Connie's arm.
"Ready?" He asked her.
She was hesitant for a moment, but then she nodded.
"You need to get to your seat," Natalie hissed, reminding me, once again, that I really did not like her.
I forced a smile and turned to Colton.
"I'll see you out there," I said to him as I turned away and walked toward the back door.
Everybody turned to look at me as I made my way outside, but once they saw that it was only me, they resumed their conversations with one another.
I hurried over to the front row where Diana had a seat saved for me. I sat beside her and she grabbed hold of my hand, squeezing it gently.
"How are you feeling?" She asked, peering at me with worried eyes.
"I'm okay for right now," I told her. "I just hope these flowers don't trigger anything."
I felt a soft hand on my shoulder, making me turn to see Dee sitting behind me.
“I grabbed this for you, just in case,” she said lovingly, handing me a paper bag.
Tears welled in my eyes from the kind gesture. This pregnancy was kicking my butt and the smallest gestures were making me cry.
"Thank you," I whispered, sniffling away the tears.
She chuckled and patted my shoulder again before sitting back in her seat.
Soon, the orchestra that Natalie had hired began to play the music. I watched as Tyler tensed and his face grew pale; he was nervous, and I couldn't blame him.
This was a huge day, and I was
happy that he was finally marrying the woman he was born to love. Connie was nervous about being a good wife, and I knew Tyler was nervous about being a good husband. I just hoped they could
vet
figure out their nerves together and
work to reassure one another.
The doors to the back of the packhorse opened and Colton walked out with Connie looped around his arm. She had a bright and confident smile on her lips that made my heart swell.
More tears formed in my eyes, and I knew the little makeup that I wore was not going to last until the end of the night.
I stood with everyone else as we stared at Connie in absolute awe and adoration.
She walked down the flower-made aisle and her eyes remained on Tyler the entire time. The closer she got; the more relaxed Tyler seemed to get. Once they were at a close
enough distance, Tyler movedet
the spot where he was stationed
and walked to meet them the rest of
the way.
Colton stopped walking as Tyle approached and the two exchanged some words before Colton offered Tyler Connie's arm.
He took it without hesitation, and she practically melted into him.
Colton's eyes found mine and he went to join me in the empty seat beside me. He smiled at his mother who returned the smile and then he smiled at Dee who gave him a wink before he sat down and took my hand in his.
As the minister spoke, I couldn't help but think about my life with Colton. I wanted to marry him so badly. I thought that I wanted to wait until after graduation. I thought I wanted to make something of myself before I settled down and married my mate. But I'm starting to realize that I already have everything that want. I'd already made something for myself and getting married wasn't going to prevent me from advancing in my career.
I
I'm having these pups and they were going to arrive in a few months; I wanted to be married by the time they arrived so that they can be born into a complete family.
The ceremony lasted almost an hour; the vows that Connie and Tyler wrote for one another were very long and extremely emotional. Connie was crying, Tyler was tear-filled, and I was sobbing.
I only got nauseous once, but thankfully I didn't actually throw up. I was able to swallow it down and wait until after the ceremony to run into the bathroom and throw up.
By the time I was done, I was exhausted.
The reception was inside the packhouse ballroom, and everybody was enjoying the incredible food that Dee made. I was pleased that Connie managed to convince Natalie to allow Dee to cook the food.
While everybody enjoyed dancing, I needed to get a little air before I got sick again. I ate a little bit too much food and I feared I was going to lose it
soon.
I stepped onto the back patio and took in the cool night air, allowing it to enter my lungs and soothe away the nausea.
Colton came outside shortly after and wrapped his warm arms around my body.
"Everything okay?" He asked against my ear, burying his face in the nape of my neck.
I smiled into his embrace and relaxed against his broad body.
"I'm better now," I breathed. "It's a beautiful wedding."
"It really is," he said in return.
We were staring off into the horizon where the moon was rising high in the sky. It was huge and gorgeous with a million little stars twinkling around it.
"I love you," Colton said softly as he kissed the top of my ear, making me smile at his affection.
Before I could stop myself, I turned around to face him.
"Then marry me."Content protected by Nôv/el(D)rama.Org.