More recap time! Sam and Andy's wedding is a little under a year away, Megan and Dov live together (her Mom just died), Gail is six months along and Chris is super excited. Traci and Jerry have just decided that they want to live together, and Dex is going to jail cause he's a creep.
Here, we have our three rookies going dress shopping for the divisions Christmas party and for Andy's wedding. Oh, the things that will ensue. Review, and enjoy!
Girl's Day
"Ding, dong, the witch is dead. Which old witch, the wicked witch!" Traci hummed as she waited for Andy on the front steps of Sam's old place. "Damnit, Leo. Now I'm gonna be singing the songs of Oz all day." She breathed out and her breath quickly crystallized, forming a smoky pattern in front of her. "Come on, Andy." She rubbed her hands together.
After a few more gruelling minutes out in the icy morning, Traci grinned as she saw Sam's truck pulling around the corner.
"Yes!" She jogged down the stairs, smiling and waving to her friend as she parked at the curb.
"Come on, come on!" Andy was laughing from her seat behind the wheel, beckoning Traci to hurry. She threw open the door and jumped into her seat, smiling.
"How are you?" Traci smiled at her positively glowing friend.
"I'm great! And I'll tell you why, after you fill me in on what the hell happened? You should be knocking back shots and beating the hell out of a punching bag, not shopping." Andy raised an eyebrow.
"Yeah well, I've had a little help." She grinned. "So, tell me. What's new?"
"Well," Andy smiled widely, "no big deal, but Sam agreed to a destination wedding." She started out calm but ended up shrieking the good news.
"He did what? That's amazing, Andy! Ah, I'm so excited!" Traci clapped. "Wait, assuming I'm…" She raised an eyebrow.
"Of course you're coming, you're my Maid of Honour!" Andy giggled. "Oh my God, Traci. I can't even, I don't even." Andy shook her head. "I'm getting married!" She turned to Traci and whispered excitedly.
"I know! It's so exciting." Traci laughed. "Okay, we sound like school girls. Time to go shopping!" Andy agreed and threw the truck in gear. "So, I think we should get our party dresses out of the way, then hit up the Bridal Suite uptown. Yeah?" Traci asked her friend, putting up her hair.
"Sounds perfect." Andy nodded, but then she held up one finger and paused. "We should call Gail, shouldn't we? And what about Megan? I know that Gail has zero maternity wear, and let's just face it, Megan is great." She suggested.
"That's actually a really good idea. I'll call." Traci flipped open her phone and dialled Gail.
"Gail, you in for Christmas party slash wedding dress shopping?" She asked the blonde.
"Can we get food?" Was all Gail said in return.
"I don't see why not. We'll be there in," she leaned forward to check the clock. "Fifteen minutes." She snapped her phone shut. "This will be interesting." She laughed, before calling Megan as well.
"Hey, Megan, it's Traci. What are you up to today?" Andy looked on as Traci chatted with the other woman. "Alright, don't worry about it! You are gonna be at the party though, right? Oh, good! We'll see you soon!" Traci hung up.
"What's the word?" Andy asked, stopping at a red light.
"They're at Milagro's in London." Traci smiled. "Apparently, they woke up this morning and Dov felt like road tripping somewhere."
"So they drove two hours to London?" Andy smiled. "That is so sweet. I'm so glad that they're happy together."
"Oh, I know. Crazy, isn't it? How they got into it so fast, but they're taking it so slow, really." Traci smiled. "They're inseperable."
"It's adorable. I've never seen Dov so, devoted." She shrugged.
"I feel like he's my child, bringing home a girl for the first time." Traci sighed.
"You know, that's exactly it. Our little Dov's growing up." The two girls sighed dramatically, before bursting into a fit of giggles. The rest of the ride to Gail's was full of pointless chatter. They really did need this girl's day.
"Oh lord, fatty needs new pants." Gail groaned as she clambered into the passenger seat, next to Traci who was now in the middle.
"Gail, you are huge!" Andy didn't know how else to say it. "Huge, in a good way, I mean. Glowing." She reached over and touched her belly, biting her lip. Gail placed her hand over Andy's and stopped her.
"What's on your mind, buttercup?" She raised an eyebrow. "I haven't seen your trademark lip nibble for weeks now, what's going on?"
"Sam said he wants to have kids." She said meekly, smiling a little.
"He said what?" Traci held up her hand, silencing any other talk.
"Yeah, after Dawn. He said that it doesn't matter when, although the sooner the better, but he wants kids. With me." She blushed. "I haven't told anyone. It feels so weird saying it!"
"What is it with our men and wanting kids?" Gail broke through the sweet mood. "Chris said he would raise our baby himself if I didn't want it, Sam wants kids with you, Jerry's taken Leo under his wing, what is this?" She threw her hands in the air. "I thought it was only women that wanted kids."
"I guess we're just that awesome." Traci sighed. "Darn it, hey?" The three girls laughed.
"So, Eaton Centre, then the Bridal Suite on Steeles?" Andy asked, her eyes not leaving the road.
"Sounds good, yep." Gail nodded at Traci's approval.
About a half hour had passed by the time they'd reached Eaton Centre after a stop at McDonald's. Gail smiled sheepishly when she suggested the restaurant but hey, she was very pregnant.
"Banana Republic?" Andy asked as they pulled into the parking lot.
"First, first we have to go to that Guess by Marciano place. I was talking to this woman that came into the station a while ago when I was on desk, and it was all she could talk about. We should at least check it out." Gail added, opening the passenger door.
"Sure, sure." They concurred.
Purely by order of occurrence, they happened upon Gail's store first. They hadn't been browsing the racks for more than ten minutes when Gail appeared next to her two friends with wide, questioning eyes.
"Gail, what? Did your water break?" Andy spun on her heels to face her friend, drawing the attention of bystanders.
"No, no!" Gail laughed. "Nothing like that." She waved away worried eyes. "It's just, I'm like nearly six months along. What do pregnant ladies wear to parties?" She raised her eyebrows, before a look of panic settled over her. "Oh my God, I look like a hippo. Dresses don't look good on hippos."
"Gail! Relax, relax." Traci jumped to her side. "Have you met us? We'll find you something."
"I have an idea." Andy said from the other side of the rack. "Let's do one of those eighties montages."
"Dude, yes!" Traci smiled. "We won't really have music… but we can make this work." Andy joined Traci in front of Gail and narrowed her eyes.
"I think we can go anywhere with the colour. Knee length or longer, sweetheart or deep V-neck." She looked to Traci. "Yeah?"
"Sounds good." She nodded at her, before turning and taking off in different directions.
"Wait, wait!" Gail called out, but saw no results as her two friends zipped around the store at seemingly impossible speeds, scanning racks and pulling everything from neutral sheaths to vibrant gowns. She stood helplessly, a goofy smile on her face as no more than three minutes later the two girls reappeared in front of her, looking a little dishevelled but quite pleased.
"Try this one first!" Traci shrieked.
"Okay, hold on. We need to do some preliminary investigating here." Gail said dramatically. She lifted up a short blue and purple dress in Andy's hand. "No. Too short. Anything shorter than knee length is out the window. And into a paper shredder. Short things are a no no for preggos." Andy burst out laughing.
"Yes ma'am. So, none of these either?" She held up a few more admittedly beautiful but short dresses.
"Woman! It is winter! I'd freeze in that, little Abby would have a conniption." Gail laughed, before her eyes settled on a long, one shouldered maxi dress in Traci's arms. "Oh my lord, what is that?"
"Do you hate it?" Traci asked with mock concern.
"It's only the most beautiful dress that I've ever seen?" She shrieked in disbelief. "Give me." She took the hanger. "Must try on." And with that, she hurried off to the dressing room.
Unbeknownst to Andy and Traci, a pregnant woman trying on clothes often took a lot longer than someone that wasn't with child. After ten minutes in the chairs meant for patient husbands, they were starting to get antsy.
"Gail, come on." Traci groaned. She was rewarded by the changing room door finally swinging open revealing a teary eyed Gail in the stunning red dress. "What's wrong, lady?" Traci got up and stood next to her, looking at her through the mirror.
"I know that I'm pregnant, but holy shit I am so pregnant." She laughed, sniffing and patting her eyes dry.
"You look amazing in that, Gail!" Andy chirped from her other side.
"I'm gonna be a Mom?" She questioned herself, not looking for an answer in fact but an answer regarding her readiness. "Whoa. But this is a cute dress, isn't it?" Her hormones checked back in place.
Andy and Traci exchanged bewildered looks but in the end, let the subject float away.
"I love it. Honestly, it looks amazing. I love how the strap falls into like, a ribbon here." Andy played with the red material.
"I think this is it." Gail nodded, satisfied.
"I think you're right." Traci smiled. "To the cash register!"
Finding dresses for the other two girls only took a few minutes, much to their relief. All Andy could think about was her wedding dress, and all Gail could think about was food.
Andy, with a short, structured blue dress with pleating and a defined waist, and Traci, with a grey and silver racer back dress with embellishments around the neckline; they were all feeling good about the impending Christmas party.
"Okay." Andy began once they were all back in the truck. "Are you guys still okay with going to the bridal salon?" She gave her best puppy dog face.
"Of course, lady. Drive!" Gail smiled, rubbing her stomach. "You make it hard for me to find cute clothes." She whispered to her baby.
Traci just laughed as she fiddled with the radio, trying to find a suitable song.
"I still can't believe I'm getting married." Andy shook her head.
"Nervous?" Traci asked, her eyes not leaving the buttons she was pressing.
"In shock." Andy laughed.
"Why?" Gail asked, relaxing into her seat.
"I don't know." She shook her head. "I've always been the girl that your parents would warn you about. I made so many bad choices, I didn't know how to have a proper relationship with anyone, not even my family."
"Honey, people change. I don't see that in you at all." Traci sat up and looked at her.
"Do you ever get the feeling that you're throwing yourself into something head first, without weighing consequences or possibilities?" Her words hung in the air.
"Are you getting cold feet?" Traci asked with wide eyes.
"No! No, it's not that. It's just," she sighed, "everyone has left me. Either in mind or in body, I lose everyone. Do you know how many marriages end in divorce? Almost all of them. I don't think that I could have everything, lose it all and then recover." Andy refused to look at her friends.
"Listen to me; we are on the way to buy your wedding dress. If you're having second thoughts, we need to turn around and go talk to Sam." Gail was not about to let her friend walk out on the best thing that could've happened to her.
Silence.
"Andy, you know what you said earlier? About throwing yourself into something, not knowing what's going to happen, that stuff?" Traci put her hand on Andy's forearm, prompting a curt nod as she sniffed back tears.
"You dove into this with Sam because you trusted that no matter what happens, no matter the consequences, he would be there with you and you would be happy. You can't let possibilities get in the way of your happiness, especially when that man loves you so much." She said quietly. "You are happy with him. And he is not going to leave you. You aren't fourteen anymore, Andy. You're a grown woman who's found something worth holding onto. You threw yourself into this because you love him. Love will keep you and your marriage, and your life together."
"I do trust him." She nodded. "And I love him more than anything in the world a million times over." She turned to them with another problem in her head. "What if he stops loving me?"
"None of this!" Traci pointed her finger at Andy.
"That will never happen. He told Chris that he loved you. Chris! He hates Chris!" Gail added. "Don't be scared of this, Andy. There's nothing to be afraid of." Her voice softened. "There was never any question about whether you two loved each other, especially not about whether he loved you."
Andy nodded, and that's when Traci caught on.
"Okay, hold up. What's really wrong?" She raised an eyebrow. Andy looked at her with wide eyes, cursing her failed attempt at acting. Something was definitely bothering her, but it never had anything to do with marrying Sam. She pulled over, before crumpling against the steering wheel.
"I love him so much it hurts me, and I'm so scared that I'm going to disappoint him." She cried.
"What? What? Why would you disappoint him?" Traci wrapped her arms around Andy.
"He wants to have kids so badly, and I love him so much, I want to make him happy. But I'm scared that I won't be a good Mom." She rested her forehead against the steering wheel, still sobbing. "What if I'm just like my Mom? What if I don't love them? What if I can't take care of them?"
"Andrea! Stop that!" Gail took off her seatbelt and scooted a little closer. "Look, fatty can't get in on this group hug, so you need to listen to me." Andy looked up. "Your mother loved you more than anything in the world. She didn't want to leave, but she had to. Trust me, I know."
"And you will have no trouble taking care of them, Andy. You are one of the most maternal people I know already, just look at us. All of us. We come to you when we need help, because we know that you'll take care of us. If you treat your kids half as good as you treat Dov, they would be spoiled." Traci confirmed what Gail was saying.
"Look, Andy. If you can't trust yourself, trust us. Trust the guys, and Sam, and Frank and Jerry. We all know what you're capable of, and what you deserve. You deserve, and you would have no problem taking care of a healthy, happy family with the man that you love." The blonde woman touched Andy's knee, her voice delicate and her words heavy with truth.
"It's just scary, giving yourself to someone like this and telling them that you'll be enough, telling yourself that you'll be enough; when you really have no idea." She sighed, placing her hand on Gail's.
"It's not supposed to be easy. You think it was easy for me, moving in with Jerry? We confirmed with Leo this morning, and I'm terrified. But the fact is, I love my little boy and I love that man, and I know that I'll be happy there. The same applies to you and Sam. I bet he's freaking out right now, about everything." Traci cooed.
"After Sarah died, he asked me 'what happened, Andy?' And I said 'we lost'. We were lying on his bed and going over what happened, and I was crying so hard and so was he. He just looked down at me and said 'although I'd take it all back in a second, I'm glad that I lost with you'." She wiped her eyes. "I think that was when I realized I wanted to marry him. Because I feel the same way. We could be living on the streets, with no money, no friends, no family, no nothing. I realized that as long as I have him, it'll be okay. Losing with him is better than winning without him." She smiled through the fresh tear tracks on her cheeks.
"Turn the truck back on, girl." Traci smiled at her friend. "You kids are gonna be fine."
By the way, the dresses I described are inspired by some that I worked with a few months back. I'm not sure if links work on here, but I'll give it a shot.
Traci's dress: www[dot]mexx[dot]ca/women/dresses/shes_got_the_look_11/
Andy's dress: armaniexchange[dot]com/product/womens/dresses%7Cskirts/pleated+cross+front+dress[DOT]do?asc=&sortby=&size=&imageName=2203.11045.5608.510
Gail's Dress: guessbymarciano[dot]guess[dot]ca/Catalog/View/Apparel/Dresses/Maxi/Evanna%20Dress/P04K2300000
That is gonna be one hell of a Christmas party!