Dear Guest 3- I hope I haven't missed you yet, writing this in a day later!

I'm glad you enjoy Tristan, I am a firm believer that he's a good guy, but just not the guy for Rilla. He's 21 and just not getting everything she is asking of him right now. Hope you had a fabulous week as well!

November 2020

I hear my phone ringing and groan as I feel Tristan's lips on parts of my body that would only lead to other places in a matter of moments.

"Ignore it," he mumbled against the skin of my stomach.

"You know I can't," I tell him

"Yes, you can," he repeats himself, dangerously close as he laps his tongue over the curve of my hip.

"It might be about Owen," I tell him reaching for it just to look at the caller. It's not it's Olivia so I just toss it aside. "See was that so hard to tolerate?"

"One day I will make it impossibly to even think about answering a phone in moments like this," Tristan informs me.

"Oh really, then please do your best," I tease him, contorting my leg so I could poke him with my foot, egging him on to get back to business.

"What do I get if I win?" Tristan grins, grabbing my leg, and testing out my flexibility.

"Hmm, I'll have to think." I tease him as I squeal when he kisses the inside of my thigh.

"Well, I definitely don't want you thinking right now," his voice is low with lust and I lose myself in the sensations.

"You screened my call!" Olivia shouts in my ear when I finally call her back a while later, still only in my bra and panties as laid in Tristan's bed. With a candlelit beside the bed table to mask the scent of what we had just done.

"I'm sorry I was busy," I tell her rolling my eyes and looking over at Tristan who was now at his computer.

"Yeah with your legs up in the air most likely. I've been trumped by sex," Olivia says loudly through the line. "You make me feel so loved."

"Oh stop, I'm sorry I'm not going to answer my phone in the middle of getting busy like you," I refute her sarcasm, mostly because one time she did. "Be happy I'm calling you back at all right now."

"You remember to go pee afterwards didn't you, you remembered protection?" Olivia asks.

"Seriously Liv, the last thing I need is another spawn that rules my life. Do I need to remind you of October of 2018?" I tell her. I don't look at Tristan when I can feel his gaze. Of course, he asks about Owen from time to time, but it's nothing we talk about like my friend does. "Now what did you call me for?"

"I was just bored and wanted to chat," Olivia says simply, "and so far you have made it highly enjoyable."

"I am hanging up then, and I will call you when I get home," I tell her.

"What happened in October of 2018?" Tristan asks curiously when I do finally hang up the phone.

"Just walked her through her pregnancy scare," I say simply getting up from his bed finally, collecting the rest of my clothing from his floor. "What?" I look up at him when he didn't answer.

"Just trying to picture you dealing with that sort of thing," Tristan admits. "You never speak about it? At least with me anyway, it's like you locked away that part of your life."

"Well, I peed on a stick and it had two lines, I threw up, I cried and hid it for almost four weeks?" I say simply shrugging. "It was one awkward thanksgiving that year that was for sure when it all came out. Plus I don't talk about it on purpose but it wasn't an easy time it was messy and confusing. I was in over my head, no one knew about Ken and I was scared out of my mind about what would happen?"

"But you joke about it with your friends," Tristan says bitterly.

"It comes up with Olivia because she was there holding my hand and not treating me like a social pariah. Despite being the new girl who could have been with the popular crowds," I snap at him. "Seriously it's really not all that you make it out to be, and I really don't want to get into this like this, not right before my brother's rehearsal dinner.

"Right," He says under his breath. "With Dahlia," he adds on bitterly.

"Please don't be like that," I say moving around to look up at him.

"I'm sorry, I know it was the plan since the beginning," Tristian says sighing.

"You are still invited to the after-party. You get the fun part of the wedding, the dancing and drinking it's an open bar after all." I tell him trying to compromise with him. "You get to skip all the boring stuff.

"While you hang out with friends and him."

"I'm not even at the same table and he's bringing Victoria?" I say growling. "You have nothing to be jealous over."

"Nothing to be jealous over? You see him more some weeks than you see me, I've seen the way he looks at you." Tristan points out.

"That isn't even true and we are friends nothing more. He's devoted to Victoria as he should be, but at the end of the day, we're raising a fucking child together Tristan. We made promises to give her the best damn life we could given everything. If that means spending time as a family every other week and making sure that her life feels stable then so be it. So get the fuck over yourself, I spend every moment I can with you. But I'm sorry if I work two jobs, go to school and have to be a mother, I warned it would be like this." I grab my bag.

"Where are you going?"

"Where the fuck do you think? I have to go be mommy," I tell him walking out of his room. His roommates awkwardly pretend to not hear of our fight.

I take a few deep breaths before I reach Ken's who had Owen for the night last night and I get to the car. I already know that he had to go in a few minutes early and the Victoria had Owen and was waiting for me."Sorry about this, Ken didn't know what else to do?" She apologized slightly flushed.

"It's fine Victoria, I trust her with you, if Ken trusts you with you," I tell her. The reality is things could be much different, and I didn't want to be a difficulty. I push my hair out of my face, forcing myself to smile a bit more. "My mood is not about you, just other things in life I promise."

Victoria nods her head. "I do want to apologize though, about the other week with the snacks. I picked up the snacks and then packed Ken the bag. I didn't even double-check and I feel awful about it. I know he said it was his fault at the moment but really it was mean and I feel awful that I made her sick."

"Vicky it's fine, she's okay." I object. "Seriously my father who is a bloody doctor do the same thing. He'll come home with something and just give it to her not thinking until she's either eaten half or all of it. It happens and there isn't much I can do about it. If I sounded angry that night, I didn't mean it. I just wanted to know what set her off so it can be disposed of, or kept away from her. I admit I can be a bit psychotic about it because I'm usually the one cleaning her up and sleeping with a toddler afterwards to comfort her. But accidents happen and I just have to accept this which is probably the hardest thing for me. I'm sure Ken has explained it to you, she won't go into anaphylactic shock or anything, just potentially projectile vomit on you, or have diarrhea. Soy intolerant is nothing more than being lactose intolerant, it's just easy to avoid it all so we don't have to worry about her being sick when I have school or we all have work?"

"Mommy?" Owen tugs on my long sweater. I scoop her up into my arms and she cuddles into my shoulder.

"Say thank you and goodbye," I whisper to her.

"Tank you watching, bye-bye," she says to Victoria.

"Are you coming to the wedding?" I ask last second and she shakes her head.

"I am working so he's bringing Xavier," she explains. "Tell your brother congratulations though."

"I will, thank you again for waiting with her. I hope she wasn't too much trouble this morning."

"I only got here after breakfast, so it was nothing." Victoria waves off my concern.

"You seem tense?" Mom asks as I have hap hazardously tossed down my school bag and let go of Owen's hand once the back door is closed.

"Probably because I am," I say through my teeth, as grab a mug and pour myself some coffee... "I'm just frustrated, I fight with Tristan over the stupidest sh—-stuff," I say correcting myself last minute as I look over at Owen who was already digging through her bag to show us what she coloured.

"Do you want to talk about it?" Mom asks carefully and I sigh. "Owen dear, why don't you go show Pawpaw what you coloured first? He should be in the living room?"

"Okies!" She says happily and grabs her papers and takes off running and I sigh and lean on the counter.

"We were having a good moment, then Olivia called me. He got annoyed that I checked who was calling, because I mean what if It was you, Joy about Owen, or Ken about Owen? Like seriously? I have responsibilities. Afterwards, when I call Olivia back I made a joke about October of 2018 since he was checking his emails or game or something. Which led him to ask about what it was like to find out I was pregnant and I sort of gave him the short version and why I don't talk about that time much. Except with Olivia, because she was there every day beside me." I say sighing.

"Which is fair enough, Olivia knew you during that time when he didn't," Mom agrees.

"I just sorta then snapped and told him I didn't want to get into a fight right before Jem's wedding. He's still annoyed that he's not invited as my date, and that Dahlia is, even if he is still invited to the afterparty after Owen goes upstairs for the night. He just got all defensive and went off about Ken and me spending time together with Owen, that I see Ken more than him. I spend every damn moment I can with him and sometimes it's like it's never enough. I told him to get the fuck over himself and when he asked where I was going and that had to go be a mommy now."

"Well, that's a doozy," Mom says sighing. "Look I know you have your rules set in place and you don't want Owen to meet anyone until it's extremely serious. Which is fine, but maybe you have to create a bit of wiggle room? Let him know and see that you aren't trying to hide Owen from him or keep him out? I mean why can't he come over for dinner one night on the pretence of some school project maybe? As a friend, and he can meet Owen in that capacity but also see you in that way? You are a mother and he has to see that, right now he barely knows what that looks like. He just knows childless time you, but one day Owen will be around all the time and that will change the dynamic of things for you." Mom tries to help me. "Of course talk to Ken about it first, I know the both of you like to be on the same page with sort of thing. As for your friendship with Ken, that is something he may always feel insecure about and that is his problem to overcome."

I sigh and look at mom. "I'll bring it up to him I guess, I just don't want her to get attached?"

"I know but you'll never intentionally hurt her and sometimes you have to take chances." Mom reminds me.

The next morning was a flurry of emotion and rushing out to the hotel in the early morning.

"You look beautiful Faith," I hear Rosemary Meredith say to her daughter. "I can't believe the day has finally arrived."

"Well, someone had to finish medical school and rotation, and if it wasn't now I doubt this dress would fit in a week." Faith jokes but smooths out her gown over her bump. "How are the little girls?" Faith calls out to Una and me who were keeping them occupied with toys.

"They are just fine," I call back. "Isn't that right?" I ask Owen and Joy's little girl Delilah who was a year younger with her curly strawberry blonde hair and bright green eyes.

I look to Una who is wearing the same jewel-tone purple velvet dress that I was wearing, that all the bridesmaids were wearing. Long with fluttering sleeves and a modest neckline that dipped low enough for a hint of cleavage, but nothing that would hinder dancing or accidents later.

Me, Una, DI and Nan, two other women who were friends of Faiths. While the little girls had matching purple sashes for their little white dresses. Joy was also with us, but she wasn't in the bridal party much to her relief. She was just there observing and relaxing with the women in the family.

The dresses were long with fluttering sleeves and a modest neckline that dipped low enough for a hint of cleavage, but nothing that would hinder dancing or accidents later.

Una and I tackle the little girls to get them dressed and ready for the procession. Whoever thought two toddlers as flower girls was a good idea was crazy.

"Mommy potty," Owen says as I adjust her tights and I look over at Una who stifles a laugh.

"Come on then," I say shaking my head. The whole wedding was in a hotel, away from the cold November weather. Apparently, they wanted to get married on the day they first met, being soppy romantics that they were, and the coming baby made it all the more perfect for them.

I make my way down the hall to the room we had for the night. It was quieter and less busy, I take off her dress and pull down her tights for her and direct her to the toilet.

I look in the mirror surveying the hair and make that girl Faith hired did for me. It was quite lovely, even if she didn't quite know what to do with my naturally curly hair. But it was up, out of my face minus a few whisps that framed my face. The rust was pinned back loosely in a messy style bun with some baby's breath flowers tucked into one side of it.

I suck in my stomach, Still feeling bloated from my period that came yesterday. I flush the toilet for Owen and we wash our hands together and she pulls up her tights by herself. I tell her not to touch her dress as she leaves the bathroom. I look back in the mirror before digging through my toiletry bag and find my bottle of menstruation relief and knockback two pills. At the very least they will get rid of the bloating?

I managed to put the dress back on Owen once more as there was a knock on my door.

"Ready to go?" I hear Una at my door.

"Just about," I say loudly through the door. I grab my clutch and I shove some tampons in it for later.

"Come on Owen," I hold out my hand to her. "Time to go walk down an aisle as we practiced.

The wedding goes off almost perfectly, the little girls go off script and I end up holding Owen for most of the ceremony and Delilah ends up crying for Joy. I spot Dahlia in the crowd of people, dressed in a light lavender and silver dress with long sleeves and hemline. She even had a complimentary silver hijab. Her make-up was spot on as usual with her dark-rimmed eyes.

Watching Faith and Jem, after what feels like almost a decade finally get married was something wonderful. Jem was in his black suit and ivory vest that matched the colour of Faith's dress, while the groomsman was wearing black with a matching purple vest.

Walter was the best man of course, and the most awkward part of the day was Jerry being a groomsman. Though both Jem and Faith asked Nan about it, and she waved it off it was all in the past. She was happy with Chris, who was her own plus one, and as long as she didn't have to walk down the aisle with him. Of course, Shirley was also a groomsman being a brother and Carl was Faith's brother. Then there were two of Jem's high school friends who he kept in touch with along with two close friends of Faith's who were in the wedding party as well.

The vows, the signatures on the marriage certificate, the first kiss as man and wife. Even I found myself tearing up for my older brother. Owen patted my face with the tissue someone had given her for me.

We slight make-up touch-ups, and we end up in the atrium of the hotel, taking the photos for their wedding album. Getting the ones with the little girls first off who were already cranky and ready for dinner and a nap.

We leave Delilah was the girl who would watch the children later tonight for her nap, while I go and hunt for something for Owen to eat before dinner was actually served later tonight.

It felt like ages when the Cocktail ended and Jem and Faith came back from their solo photos around the hotel. Making rounds to their guests until it was time for dinner, and I was already nursing a glass of strawberry wine.

"Thank you all for coming, before we have dinner, I wish to lead a moment of silence for those who could not be with us," Jem says solemnly from his place at the head table before sitting down. He was quiet for a short pause.

"Aunt Marilla up until her last day with us had she'd been joking about how much time Faith and I had been together and that she couldn't wait for this day. Aunt Marilla was crisp on the outside, but anyone who knew her knew she was a softy for any gathering that brought together family. I know we even questioned keeping this date. In the end, as we are here we decided to go forth with the blessing she had given us. Which essentially was 'if you don't marry that woman James Matthew and make an honest woman out of her soon or I will drag you to the courthouse myself!' The reality is Faith is making an honest man out of me finally'" Jem chuckles and we all see Faith roll her eyes and everyone laughs.

"Jokes aside, let's raise one more glass to Marilla Roberta Cuthbert."

Everyone raises a class, even Owen who barely comprehends what death is at this point. She's asked a few times to see Aunt Marilla, forgetting that she is no longer on earth with us.

I pick up my dinner, which was just some salad and chicken. Faith had told them that I wouldn't eat the pasta it seems. It wasn't bad but being at the head table made me feel like I was being watched more than usual which made me, even more, self-conscious than I usually was. Though I also had Owen who had her own plate of chicken and vegetables and a small bowl of macaroni and cheese which had been the first thing she ate to keep me distracted. She was covered in a large white cloth to protect her dress from any spills.

"Mommy eats," Owen tells me authoritatively as she takes a bite of her own chicken.

I take a bit of my own salad to satisfy her. The waistband of my pantyhose kept digging into my waist. Why did they have to be so uncomfortable?

I get her to sit still long enough to make it through the speeches before I lead her over to the dessert table to pick out some treats for herself and me.

"Don't let her get chocolate on her dress," I tell Ken who saw us browsing apparently and picked her up to dip a strawberry in chocolate.

I load up my own plate with fruit and a few marshmallows. I can see Ken smiling at me and I add a few more for good measure.

"Don't make yourself sick again." He teases me.

"I won't," I give him an amused look. "I would have to eat a lot more than five marshmallows to get sick."

"Fair enough," Ken says without much of a pause. "Are you done?" He directs to Owen whose plate is full of fruit and chocolate.

"Yes, Daddy," She says and he lowers her gently to the floor.

"You look wonderful as well today," Ken says out of nowhere.

"Thank you, you suit up rather nicely as well," I respond slightly off guard.

I pull Dahlia out on the dance floor with Owen as soon as the first dance is completed.

"So how was your first Christian wedding?" I ask her as we dance holding Owen's hand as she wiggles around us.

"It is definitely different from Persian weddings," Dahlia says thinking about what to say about it. "It is lovely, though I do miss being able to take off my hijab and let loose with all the women as Persian weddings men and women are often in different rooms, or the room is partitioned off to separate men and women." She explains as she scopes up Owen and spins on her heels.

I smile as my daughter laughs and wiggles out of her grasp.

"So that is Ken?" Dahlia asks as Owen Runs off to her father who picks her up for their own dance

"That is Ken," I nod my head.

"He's better looking in person," Dahlia grins at me and I swat at her shaking my head.

"I'm with Tristan."

"Who while has more muscle than Ken, is much more a babyface," Dahlia concludes. "And sometimes just a baby about things?"

"He twenty-one, and he mighty mature about many things. Including the fact that I am a teenage mother." I remind Dahlia who raises an eyebrow at my statement. Dahlia won't dance with another man except for her boyfriend, so I ask her to slow dance with me so she doesn't miss out.

I look around the room as the music changes to a slower song, Dad who had been making the rounds with all of his daughters finds me as I was taking a break and getting a drink.

"Did anyone tell you to look beautiful today?" Dad asks, probably the first time since photos earlier that we had a chance to say two words to each other.

"A few people yes, but it is nice to hear it from you as well," I tell him as he leads me around on the dance floor. "Where did you learn how to dance?"

"Your mom and I used to take ballroom dance classes when you were young kids were young, actually you may have not even been born yet?" Dad admits. "I'm a little rusty but it was something of a compromise for us. A way to spend time with each other without distraction."

"You mean after mom almost left you?" I ask him honestly.

"I didn't know you knew about that?" Dad frowns.

"Well, the others know, so it makes sense I would know?" I tell him. "I mean you worked it out, make no sense for it to be some terrible secret?" I remind him.

"True," Dad nods his head. "But yes ballroom dance was something we did to try to make sure we had time for each other as adults and husband and wife. Not just parents, we had to learn and concentrate on just ourselves, and it left little for us actually talk about our kids. We had to relearn about each other essentially."

"So I was an accident?" I ask cheekily as we move to the music

"We didn't think your mother could have another after Shirley, so we like to think of you as a surprise blessing," Dad responds just as cheekily and I roll my eyes.

"Which is the exact thing I say about Owen occasionally isn't it?" I remind him and he smiles as he goes to spin me and when I come back, my hand grasping his shoulder I continue, "And she was a complete and utter accident."

"She made you reevaluate your life though and change for the better, I think that counts towards the blessing aspect," Dad points out.

"Now I just have to figure out life after graduation," I say sighing.

"You are welcome to stay as long as you need to," Dad reminds me.

"I know, but at some point, I have to stand on my own two feet," I remind him quietly. "Not just for her, but for myself too, I have to learn. I have to be able to be an adult. I have learned how to pay rent on time and juggle work and school runs."

"I know, but you also don't have to rush away either, you can always do a year or two at university and get your bachelors in journalism if you wanted to?"

"Clark my teacher tells me the same thing," I admit to him. "I have to figure out something, talk with Ken about jobs and opportunities, his own career he has going on."

"I'm sure it will all work out," Dad reminds me. "You are both doing extremely well, you have both managed to come out of this with good heads on your shoulders. When is Tristan supposed to show up?"

"Soon I think? It's almost bedtime? I might take mom's advice and invite him over for dinner one night." I tell him before clarifying, "with Owen being around."

"I heard about it, I think it's a decent idea to start with," Dad agrees.

He doesn't come, even well after the little girls were taken away for bedtime. I spend an hour watching the doors and the room.

I make the rounds on the dance floor with my brothers all stepping up for a dance, including Chris and Rye and as the night goes on and the wine and drinks flow it gets more and more silly.

Walter and Di always had a good routine or danced hilariously to music. They move the music in ways I could never manage. Where I have my technical training and easy fooling grace, they have the ability to pull off more of a hip-hop style of dance.

"Can I have a dance?" Ken asks and I look around before nodding my head. "You keep watching the door?"

"Am I?" I play dumb. I am not getting to my dating woes with him.

"That's what it looks like?" Ken says simply, leading me as we dance.

"Since when do you know how to dance?" I ask to change the subject

"I've always known, mom liked to dance at weddings and taught me," he explains to me simply. We dance in silence for a minute or longer.

"I think I'm going to invite Tristan over for dinner with Owen around. Just as a friend from school, just to be able to test the waters with her and him?" I tell Ken.

"Makes sense," Ken says simply. "Whatever you got to do Rilla, it's your life and relationship."

I smile at him briefly before I watch the doors again not focusing on Ken at all until the song ends. We break apart and I head out to find a washroom. I was passing the lobby when I see Tristan sitting on one of the chairs dressed up in his suit.

"What are you doing out here?" I ask him confused.

"I don't know even know what I'm doing here," he says which makes me take a step back as he stands up. "I have to get out of here."

"Wait!" I call out to him.

"I just can't do this right now," Tristan shakes his head and leaves me standing in the lobby with the front desk person trying to pretend that she wasn't watching us.

I stand there for a few minutes in disbelief.

"Everything all right?" Dad says coming out from somewhere. Maybe paying someone?

"Yeah," I say shaking my head. "I thought I saw someone I knew but it wasn't them." I lie to him.

Dad wraps his arm around me and leads me back into the party and I grab a drink from the bar to give myself else to think about. I didn't care if I would have a headache in the morning, weddings were meant for hangovers were they not?

If anyone wishes to leave a comment, remember they are greatly cherished.

Tina.