I watched from a chair on the side of the room, sitting in my slip, as Meredith pulled on her dress and spun around for Izzie to zip. "Gorgeous," I commented absently as she did a twirl in front of me.
"Addison, I'm sorry I look like such a cow," Izzie said, struggling into her own dress. "I mean, they practically had to order an extra roll of fabric just for my dress, I think."
I walked up behind her and helped to ease the zipper up her back. "Izzie, it's fine," I assured her. "You look beautiful."
"I bet you can't wait 'till you're this big," Izzie said.
"I have some time yet," I quipped. "Maybe I'll be one of the littler ones."
"You wish," she joked back, one hand on her lower back. Meredith and I both reached out to lower her into a nearby chair.
"You ready to do your makeup?" Meredith asked, pulling out an entire pallet. "I brought supplies. Figured we don't really get to wear it much at work, so we might as well make the most of it."
I smiled, grabbing my fluffy white bathrobe off the back of the chair and pulling it on over my slip. "Just promise me one thing."
"Yeah?" she asked, dragging over a side table to place her makeup supplies on.
"If anything crazy happens, I don't want to know."
"Clarify crazy," Izzie laughed.
"Crazy…like…the
photographer forgetting his flash. Because I've heard of the
photographer forgetting his flash. And if he does, I…"
"Don't
want to know," Izzie finished.
"Exactly," I confirmed.
"Got it," Meredith nodded, pulling out a brush and selecting some foundation. "It's sort of like surgery," she mused, referring to the makeup. "So precise."
"We don't get to pretty often," I added. "This is a change, actually wearing a lot of makeup."
"Well, you wear it sometimes," Izzie pointed out. "Mer and I don't."
"But I know how to do it," Meredith insisted. "I promise."
"If I look like a neon pony, I'm going to strangle…"
There was a gentle tap at the door, and Derek stepped into the room with his hands over his eyes. "Male doctor entering female doctor dressing room."
"It's okay, Derek," Meredith laughed. "We're all dressed."
"The groom sends his love," Derek said, coming all the way into the room and letting his hands fall to his sides.
"Am I allowed to know that?" I asked. "Doesn't that jinx things?"
"Keep still," Meredith griped, smacking me lightly on the shoulder. "Some of us are working."
"That's a first," Derek replied, raising an eyebrow. "And you just aren't allowed to see him," he added to me. "The rest of can see him whenever we like."
"Thanks, Derek, for the insight."
"Any time." He got down on the ground in front of me, squatting so that he was right at my eye level. "Listen, Addie…"
"What?" I asked.
"I just wanted
to…Good luck. With all of this. The baby, Alex, all of it. You
deserve this."
My eyes filled with tears, some of which leaked
over and trailed onto my cheeks. I was rewarded with another whack
from Meredith, who then reached out and hit Derek as well. "Stop
making her cry, I'm trying to finish this up!"
Raising his hands in surrender, he stood up and backed away towards the door. "Okay, truce."
"Thank you, Derek," I whispered, wiping another tear out of the corner of my eye.
"I meant every word," he answered, slipping out the door. "See you…in there."
Meredith spun the chair around so that I could look at myself in the mirror. I nodded admirably. "Nicely done." I turned towards Izzie. "What do you think, Iz?"
"It's good," she said quietly. "But I can't wait to see it with the veil, once we get your hair all situated."
I stood up and unzipped the bag that held my dress as Meredith asked, "Iz, are you okay?"
"I'm fine. Just tired."
"You sure?"
"I'm sure," she laughed. "Geese, Meredith."
Meredith helped me pull the dress out of the bag, laying it carefully across the chair back as I took my robe off. "Hold your arms up over your head," she instructed, and I did as I was told.
She opened the folds of the dress and lowered it over my head. It settled perfectly around my middle, and crease of fabric falling exactly where it was supposed to. As I stared at my reflection in the mirror, Meredith ducked behind me to spread out my train.
"It's beautiful," I whispered. "Is it me?"
"It's you," she answered. "It's completely…perfect."
Cristina stuck her head into the room. "Are you guys just about ready?" she asked.
"Just about," Meredith answered, settling the veil on my head. "Doesn't she look gorgeous?"
I blushed as fiercely as my hair when Cristina answered, "Completely."
Meredith and Cristina both offered Izzie a hand and helped her up out of the chair. "Thanks guys," she said, leaning back against the wall as she adjusted to being on her feet.
"All right?" Meredith asked, looking at me.
"I'm good," I answered.
Cristina held the door open for as we got ready to go out in the hall.
"Hey, Addie?" Izzie whispered.
"Yeah?"
"I know you didn't want to know about anything…crazy…but…"
I took one look at her face and found my eyes trailing down to the puddle of water at her feet.
"My water just broke."
