Takes You

by Nicola C. Priest

  “I promise, Cal.”

  Chapter 48

  Crissie

  Christmas Day 2017

  It’s been one hell of a long day.

  We went to Cal’s family for Christmas dinner, and then on to my mum’s for tea. It’s still only eight p.m. but I’m ready to collapse and sleep for the rest of the year. When you add to that my painkillers have started wearing off so I’m in a load of pain with my back, and I’m pretty much ready to be put down.

  Cal is in the bathroom running me a hot bath, and while it sounds heavenly, all I want to do is sleep. Stripping out of my clothes, I grab one of Cal’s old t-shirts and slip it on, pulling it down over my ever-growing baby bump.

  I’m almost twenty-eight weeks now and everything is going well, with the baby anyway. With my cancer, not so much. The doctor says I’m showing more and more signs that my cancer is metastasising, at least I think that’s the word he used. I’m get tired really easily, the pain in my back is getting worse, and despite eating like a horse, I’m actually losing weight.

  Cal and I are both on the same page now. We had a bit of a blip last month when Cal was actually considering terminating the pregnancy, but once we sat down and talked about how he felt and everything we’ve been through, we agreed to continue with the pregnancy. We spoke with the doctor the next day, and my C-section is booked in for the nineteenth of February.

  Even though we are being as positive as we can, we’re not stupid. We know there’s a chance something could go wrong, which is why we’ve brought the wedding forward. Now, instead of getting married in June, we’re getting married on the seventeenth of February, two days before our daughter will be brought into this world.

  We’ve been very lucky in that Nunsmere Hall have been brilliant and were willing to transfer everything to the new weekend in February, which happened to be the only weekend they had available. For once, fate was on our side. We’re relying on word of mouth to let all the guests know the change of date, and I’ve contacted the boutique who are holding my dress to explain the change of date, and the change in my figure.

  After a round of congratulations from the consultant and her staff, they assured me there would be time for me to come in and choose another dress, and as no alterations had been made to my original choice, they could just put any money I’d already paid towards the new dress. To say I was happy about that would be an understatement.

  I’ve an appointment there once the holidays are over to get everything sorted, and they assured me I could take my time and find the perfect dress to show off both me and my bump, which, due to my weight loss, already looks like I’m full term.

  “All ready, Cris. You need any help climbing in?” Cal comes out of the bathroom, drying his hands on a towel. When he sees me already in bed, the covers pulled up to my hips, resting just under my bump, he smiles. “I take it the bath is surplus to requirements?”

  “Sorry, Cal, I’m just so tired.”

  “Don’t worry, baby, there’s no need to apologise. I’ll go drain the bath and then I’ll join you. We can watch a movie, if you like?”

  “That would be nice.”

  He smiles at me again and heads back into the bathroom. I hear the gurgle of the water as he pulls the plug and the water starts to drain away. I slide down further into bed and pull the covers up over my belly just as Cal comes back into the bedroom.

  I see he’s discarded his shirt and jeans and is just wearing his boxers as he crosses the room towards our bed. As soon as our eyes connect, I feel the shift in the air. The charge of electricity that our union creates is present and accounted for, if only we could act upon it.

  As my pregnancy is classed as high risk, the doctor has advised against intercourse, which we understand fully. Doesn’t mean we have to like it though. I’m still wildly attracted to Cal—that hasn’t changed in our eleven years together—and it kills me that I can’t show him how much I want him in all the ways we excel at.

  I’m lucky Cal feels the same way about me, and we are able to show our love and affection in other ways. We know so many couples who clearly love one another, but have difficulty showing it. We’ve never had that problem, and it’s one of the things I’ve always been grateful for.

  When he climbs into bed, he automatically reaches for me and I slide over, snuggling into him as much as my bump will allow. As usual, Cal rests his hand on my bump and strokes it gently, lulling me off to sleep.

  “No movie, Cal. Let’s just lie here like this. I like just lying here with you.”

  “Whatever you want, Cris.” He continues to stroke my belly, and I feel him place a soft kiss to my hair, something he has taken to doing every night before we drift off to sleep. Tonight is no exception, and before I know it, I’m fast asleep, wrapped in Cal’s arms.

  “Crissie! It’s so good to see you again. You look radiant. Pregnancy suits you.”

  “Thank you, Wendy. I can’t tell you how grateful I am for what you’re doing for me.”

  “No need to thank me, sweetie. When you explained your situation, I was more than happy to help. It’s my shop after all, so I can do pretty much what I like.”

  I laugh at Wendy as she links her arm with mine and leads me towards the back of the store. I don’t fail to notice when one of her assistants flips the sign on the door to say closed and puts the latch across. Is she really shutting the shop just for me?

  “Now, I took the liberty of pulling out a number of dresses I think will compliment your features, your requirements, and your bump. There are a number of different styles and cuts, but I think a dress that’s an empire line will be best for you, and, I was thinking, maybe a Grecian style dress.” She stops when she catches me staring, and smiles. “Oh, listen to me. It’s your dress, honey. We’ll go with whatever you want.”

  “No, it’s okay. I was actually thinking about a Grecian style but didn’t know where to start.”

  “Well, I think I have the perfect dress. It’s got wide straps and built in support for your chest, so you don’t need to wear a bra. The material is ruched across the bust with a pearl and diamante band underneath. The dress then falls away to the floor with a small train on the back.”

  “It sounds gorgeous,” I say with a smile.

  It really does, and if the dress looks anything like what Wendy has just described, I have a feeling I may have found my dress.

  When she goes and pulls it from the rail and brings it over to me, I run my fingers across the material, feeling the fabric is soft and silky and absolutely beautiful. I feel the tears already welling in my eyes and quickly banish them, at least until I actually have the dress on.

  “No tears yet, Crissie. Let’s go through and I can help you into the dress. It’s just a step in and zip up the back, so it’s not a lace up which will be easier on the bump as there’s no additional pressure.”

  I nod and follow her through, and I’m in the dress less than five minutes later. She was right. The dress shows off my slightly fuller figure and gives me a cleavage I didn’t know I had. The soft material floats around my legs and cascades down and over my baby bump. The pearls and diamantes glisten in the light, and the wide straps give me the support I need.

  It’s beautiful, and I feel beautiful in it.

  Now the tears begin to slide down my cheeks, and I feel Wendy come up behind me as her hands go to my shoulders.

  “You are a beautiful bride, Crissie. Your man is going to fall in love with you all over again when he sees you in this dress, and I’m not just saying that because I want a sale.”

  I laugh at Wendy’s words and swipe at my eyes with the back of my hand.

  “Now, you hadn’t decided on a headdress, had you?” When I shake my head, she continues. “Well, I’ve checked the price on this dress and it’s actually less than your original one, so we do have some money left over if you want to take a look at what we have here?”

  “Could we?” I exclaim. I hadn’t thought about accessories when I left the h
ouse this morning, so I have no idea what I’m looking for. Do I want something floral? A tiara maybe?

  “Of course we can. I’ll ask Sophie if she can go and get a selection ready while you change out of the dress. Can I assume this is the one you want?”

  I shoot her a look that says, ‘what do you think?’ before smiling. Wendy leaves me to change when I reach around to lower the zip on the back of the dress. After, I’ve hung it up on the rail, I dress in my own clothes and pick up my bag from the stool it’s been resting on. Turning, I look at the dress and reach out, running my fingers through the soft fabric.

  It’s the complete opposite to my original dress, but I love it just as much as I did the other one. The diamantes on the band that sits under my bust are sparkling in the lights, and I feel my eyes well up again as I picture Cal’s face when he sees me in it for the first time.

  Taking a deep breath, I pull myself back to the present as I walk out of the dressing room. Sophie comes in and smiles at me before collecting the dress and putting it in a protective bag. She drapes it over her arm and follows me out into the main area, where I see she has placed about a dozen headdresses on a long table.

  I walk over and take in what she has laid out for me to look at. There’re all sorts of designs for me to choose from, but one in particular catches my eye. It’s a silver tiara that has an intricate leaf pattern interspersed with tiny pearls and crystals. The design is similar to the band on my dress, and I’m drawn to it right away.

  Reaching out, I pick it up and hold it out in front of me. I’d never thought about a tiara before, not wanting something too flashy, but this one is pretty and delicate, but not too ostentatious.

  It’s perfect.

  “Here, let me fix it in for you.” Wendy takes the tiara from my hands and stands in front of me. She positions the tiara either side of my head and slides it on, making sure it’s level before stepping back and leading me over to a mirror. When I see myself, a fresh batch of tears pool in my eyes and I swipe at them before they have the chance to fall.

  “You’re going to look like a princess on your big day, Crissie.”

  I nod at her remark, mainly because that’s all I can do. I’m pretty sure if I try and speak, the words will come out a garbled mess. The lump in my throat is pretty much restricting any vocal ability I have right now.

  Our wedding is going to be everything we want it to be.

  Even though doctors perform C-Sections every day, there’s always a chance something could go wrong, and that’s with a healthy woman. With my current condition, the risks are higher, and we’re not naïve enough to believe everything running smoothly is a guarantee. In fact, with our luck over recent years, I’d say it’s more likely something will go wrong.

  As I consider the possibility of everything not going to plan, a fresh batch of tears fills my eyes. It’s happening more and more often recently, probably due to pregnancy hormones, but I know these tears are for a different reason. The thought of leaving Cal all alone hurts me more than anything else ever could.

  Shaking myself out of my thoughts, I remove the tiara and pass it to Wendy. Smiling at her, I pick up my bag. “Thanks for everything, Wendy. I’ll come in and collect the dress and tiara the weekend before the wedding. Is that okay?”

  “That’s fine, Crissie. I hope everything goes okay between now and the wedding. You deserve a break, sweetie, after everything you’ve been through.” The way she is smiling at me, and her words, make me want to cry yet again, so I do the only thing I can think of; I take a step closer to Wendy and pull her into a hug. She pauses only a moment before hugging me back, and I release her after a few moments.

  I smile at her again, seeing tears in her eyes, too, as I hurry out of the store. I have one more stop to make before I head home. Cal’s parents are coming round for dinner tonight, and I intend to relax a little before they get there. It doesn’t take much to tire me out recently, which is another side affect of the cancer.

  Cal is cooking, so all I have to do it sit there and make conversation with his mum and dad. That’s something that shouldn’t be an issue, considering how well we get on with each other.

  Checking the road is clear, I cross when there is a gap in the traffic and head towards my destination. I shouldn’t be any longer than half an hour, and then I can head back home, run a bath, and have a nice long soak before Cal’s parents come around.

  I almost groan at the thought of the bath, pulling myself together when I arrive at my destination. I push through the large glass double doors and head over to the counter, asking to see an account manager. When one comes over, a smile on his face as he greets me and introduces himself, I tell him what I want, and he confirms he is only too happy to oblige.

  Chapter 49

  Crissie

  1st February 2018

  In less than three weeks time, I’m going to be married, and two days after that, I’ll be a mum. Now isn’t that a scary thought.

  As I dry myself after one of the longest baths I’ve had in a long time, my thoughts drift to how much our lives are going to change over the next couple of weeks. I’ll be Mrs Crissie Roberts, and something tells me it’s going to take a while for me to get used to that.

  For all intents and purposes, we’ve been married for a long time. We just haven’t had the paperwork to show for it. After twelve years together, we’re as good as married anyway. The ceremony we’ll have will just formalise it.

  When I’m dry, I walk over to the wardrobe and open the doors, seeing Cal’s wedding suit hanging on the rail, covered in the protective bag. I can’t wait to see him wearing it as he waits for me at the end of the aisle. He’s going to look so handsome, even more so than usual.

  Tearing my mind up from the gutter, I pull out my black, jersey maxi dress. I hang it over the door before grabbing my favourite black bra and knickers set from the chest of drawers. Once I’ve put them on, the dress goes on next and I look at my reflection.

  I know Cal loves this dress. It was my first item of maternity wear I bought and has seen me through every stage of the pregnancy. We’re having our final date night tonight before we get married, and it was the first thing that came to mind when deciding what to wear.

  We only planned to go out tonight this morning. It’s hard for us to plan anything in advance, as we never know how I’m going to feel. The last few days I’ve hardly moved from my bed. I’ve been so tired. When I’ve not been tired, I’ve been in pain. Luckily, the painkillers my oncologist prescribed have worked for the most part, but sometimes all they do is dull the pain rather than take it away completely.

  The pain is something I’ve learned to live with over the last couple of months. However, the fatigue is something I can’t get used to. I’m used to being so active, both around the house and when I’m out with friends. Now, all I want to do is lie down and sleep. I know it’s a side effect, but it still pisses me of that I can’t do everything I want to do.

  I pull my hair up into a ponytail, apply a little mascara and lip gloss, and then I’m ready to go. Cal is waiting for me in the living room, and I know he’s wearing my favourite black jeans and white button-down shirt. I smile as I remember watching him as he’d dressed, the muscles of his arms and legs bunching and relaxing as he’d moved.

  I might not be able to make love to him, but that doesn’t stop my body reacting in all the ways it should; in all the ways it always has whenever Cal is around. He never fails to elicit a reaction from me. Even with just a smile, the butterflies kick up a storm in my belly.

  There are days when I look like death warmed over, lounging around in bed with my pyjamas on, hair scraped back in a messy bun, face free of makeup, but he still tells me I look beautiful to him, no matter what I’m wearing. Every time he says something like that, I fall in love with him all over again.

  I slip my feet into my ballet flats, which are the only type of shoe I can wear right now and not be in a whole load of pain. When I’ve secured my bag on my sho
ulder, I walk into the living room, seeing Cal on his phone. His free hand is on his hip and his back is to me. I can’t see his face, but I can tell from the tension in his shoulders that the call is not a welcome one.

  “What the fuck do you mean a technicality! He pled guilty! No, I don’t give a damn what you have to do, you fix this, and you fix it before that motherfucker gets out. That bastard raped my sister and assaulted my fiancé. You’d better sort this out and fast. Do you hear me?” Cal ends the call and tosses his phone onto the sofa. Both hands are on his hips now, and I can tell by the way his shoulders are lifting and lowering that he is breathing hard.

  “Cal? What’s going on?”

  He turns when he hears me, his expression instantly softening when he sees me. I know I only heard the end of a conversation, but I can guess what the call was about. I thought this part of my life was over with. It’s been four years since my attacker was sent to prison for his assault on me and on Cal’s sister three years before that. As I heard Cal say, he pled guilty, so what’s going on?

  “Cris, I didn’t realise you were there. How much of that did you hear?”

  “Enough to figure out that the guy who assaulted me is getting out. What’s happened?”

  Cal walks over and takes my hand, leading me over to the sofa as we both sit down. “He isn’t getting out as such, not yet anyway. He has a new legal team who are claiming the verdict was unreasonable given the evidence provided, which they say in no way proves he assaulted you.” He squeezes my hand as he continues. “He is saying that everything that went on in the bathroom was consensual; that you followed him in there and came on to him. When his friend came in to see what was keeping him, you got scared, ran, and accused him of the assault to try and cover your own back.”