Chapter 20

Telling their families about the engagement was easy. After celebrating Friday evening, night and Saturday morning. They made a quick trip to Queens. Gave Hilda and Bobby a heads up to come in as well. They made sure that everyone is going to be there. And they were, even before Betty and Daniel. And everyone knew exactly what was going on. Hilda throws her arms around her sister the second she stepped into the living room. Not giving them even an opportunity to announce it.

'Ay, Mami, finally. We've been waiting for so long. We thought for sure you would make wedding plans by now. Show me that ring. It must be astonishing', Hilda gushes, and then grabs Betty's hand looks at the ring. Blowing out a breath she fans herself for a second. 'Aaaaaah, I can't believe it. My little sister is getting married', she calls out. Jumping up and down.

'Betty's wearing ivory', Justin comments in his sassy fashionable attitude from his spot next to his aunt. He's examining the ring in excruciating detail. 'You did good, UD'

Letting go of her hand he engulfs his aunt in a big hug. Before turning around to Daniel. 'Come on UD, you get one hug'

They stay in Queens for a little while. Keep talking about the wedding, if they already made plans. As if they could've made any plans. They were too busy spending their time celebrating. The only thing they know for sure is, that they don't want to wait long. They explained, that to her family. Didn't say anything about the pregnancy. Because of Hilda's miscarriage Betty knows how fragile this can be. Though Dr. Lester said that she has nothing to worry about. She is healthy and strong. Her body is in a better condition then before the accident. And if the whole medicine she took didn't mess with this pregnancy, then he is positive that this is safe. But still. They decided to tell Claire and Ignacio. Let them know why they want to get married so fast. They will need all the help they can get. Especially Claire's. When Bobby, Hilda and Justin decided to go back into town, they knew it was time to spill the beans. Ignacio showed the three to the door, said goodbye one final time, before coming back into the living room. Sitting down across Betty and Daniel, he just looks at them. Sees how wrapped around each other they are. The loving smiles on their faces. The little exciting glint in their eyes. The way Daniels hand lays protectively on her stomach. He knows.

'So, how far along are you?', he says soft, smile wistful and eyes wet.

'8 weeks', Betty sighs, can't hold back the flood of tears. The hormones are already messing with her.

'Oh, mija, this is wonderful. You're happy aren't you?', Ignacio came over. Engulfs her in a huge hug. Cups her face in his hands looks at her. Really looks at her. Sees the joy behind her eyes.

'Deliriously', Betty whispers. Clutches her father to her. 'I just wish she would be here, you know?'

'I wish she could be here as well. I know, my Rosa would love to be here right now. To see our little girl like this. So happy. She wouldn't have missed this. For nothing in the world. Always kept telling me, that our Betty is so bright. She will find an extraordinary fella. I can still hear her, talking to me in her thick mexican accent. Always said: 'Ignacio, he's going to be kind and loving. And knowing our Betty, he's going to be smart as hell.' Always kept joking about how he will look. She kept sniggering 'He's probably going to be to handsome for his own good'. She would've loved you both so much. She would've been so proud', Ignacio looks up to Daniel. Pointedly. 'I know I am'

Making their way over to Claire, they made a quick stop to get Betty an ice cream. Being so emotional wears her out. And sugar is just the thing to refill her batteries. She's sure. And having her favourite sundae with caramel syrup and sprinkles is definitely helping. She was bouncing up and down the seat in no time. Making Daniel chuckle all the way over to the Meade Mansion.

'Betty, Daniel, I wasn't expecting you? Did I miss something? Please don't tell me I already start to forget things. I don't feel that old', says a delightfully surprised Claire while hugging them both and leading them down the hall into the living room.

'No, don't worry, this is a spontaneous visit. Although when you're busy...', Daniel explains.

'Don't be ridiculous. You're always welcome and I'm never too busy to spent time with you', and just like that they sit down and see a very expectant Claire. The little mischievous smile tells them that she is expecting this visit for a little while now. 'Come on, we all know what this is about. I can see the ring on her finger. I want you to say it though'

'Yeah, we're engaged', Daniel chuckles. Betty's still slurping on the last remainders of her sundae. Brilliant smile never wavering.

'Finally, thank goodness. I was wondering what took you so long', Claire hugs them both.

'We too', Betty says mindlessly. Since last week, when she made that first pregnancy test - and the second, because you can never be too sure, right? - she keeps referring to herself as 'we' whenever Daniel asks her something. It's adorable and he loves it. But he knew that it could get them into trouble when she accidentally does that in public. Especially now, when their not telling anyone.

'Huh? What was that?', and his mother is very insightful and receptive when it comes to things like that. She just notices. And telling her that Betty just mispronounced the word 'me' will not work.

'Ooops, now I know what you mean, when you said it's going to get us into trouble. Good thing we wanted to tell her anyway, right?', she's in such a silly mood. That playful smile too cute.

'Yeah, that's exactly what I meant', he said, slinging his arm around her waist and places his hand on the side of her stomach, kissing her temple.

'Wait, are you saying that...', Claire takes them in, how gloriously happy they look. How adoringly Betty smiles up at her son, the melted sundae in her hand completely forgotten. 'You're pregnant?'

Their smiles absolutely brilliant. Nearly bursting off their faces so huge. They nod looking at each other.

'Oh', she looks lovingly at Betty, opens up her arms again. And the little ray of sunshine stumbles into them. 'Betty, this is wonderful'

'I know, that's why we want to get married before he or she..'

'He', Daniel quips in from behind them. Makes Betty turn around to stick her tongue out to him and scrunch up her nose.

'...pops out of me or is even showing. Which will leave us with about 8 to 9 weeks to plan this. We have twelve weeks, tops. I already talked to Christina. She said she's able work her magic. Said she's going to make me look like a blushing bride. I told her that no one will believe that I'm a virgin. And that that is not the vision we're after. That we just don't want anyone to expect that there is anything going on under the skirt. But she said she knows what she's doing. Has already a vision and can even work with a slight bump. The rest is up to us'

'Wow, you really are the most resourceful woman I've ever met. Since when do you know that you're pregnant? That you had so much time to plan that already? How long are you engaged?'

'Don't worry, we're not keeping you out of the blue. He just asked me yesterday. But the pregnancy, well, we know for a week. And on Tuesday Dr. Lester confirmed it, I talked to Christina this morning. Thought she should have all the time she can get'

'Well, what do you need of me? I can be all future mother-in-law and mother-of-the-groom. Tell me what you need and I'll make sure you have it', Betty's mischievous smile speaks for itself.

'And that's why we went to my family first. I love them, really. But I need an ally when we want to make this work in no time. I know that with our combined forces, my resourcefulness and your Name attached to this, this will be a piece of cake', Betty rants happy, nearly bouncing on her seat, next to Claire.

'Do you thought about anything else then the dress?'

'We will let the word out tomorrow to Byron and Richard. That way it's going to be on TMZ and The New York Times on Monday. So we don't have to worry about announcing it to anyone else then our families. We know we can't plan the ceremony as small as we would like it. With me and MODE being attached to it. We will send the invitations out within the next week. When they have time great, when they don't, well thats great either', Daniel explains.

'You have it all figured out. But where do you want to hold the ceremony. With your families, friends and businesses partners that sadly have to be involved. You are right, Daniel. This is not going to be a small ceremony. Everybody will want to sneak a peek on the new Meade-family member. And especially on how she's going to look. This will be the wedding of the year. You have to keep that in mind', Claire says carefully. She doesn't want to crush their happiness. But someone needs to remind them of their public status.

'And that's where you come in', Daniel smiles brightly.

'Huh? But...', Claire starts to say, but was rudely interrupted by her son.

'What do you say? Could you think about adding amazing wedding planner to your Name? For maybe 8 to 10 weeks?', they smile at her. So goddamn happy. So how could she say 'No' to them? Oh, who is she kidding, she would do anything for her children. And she is considering Betty her daughter for nearly two years now. It's time they make it official.

'I will do this for you, BUT...', she holds up her hands and signals for them to listen to her carefully before celebrating just yet. '...I'm not going to do it all on my own. I want your consent to everything I'm planning. And I want to know your vision. I'm not going to do this blind. Do you understand me?'

'Yes, definitely. That's what we were hoping for. We really don't care when and where or how. We just want to get married', Betty gushes with a loving look in Daniel's direction.

'That sounds very romantic', Claire smiles, 'and desperate. That's exactly what we don't want, right? If you don't want anyone to know that you two already have a baby on the way, we need to make this as well-planned and thought through as possible'

'I know, that's why I thought it would be perfect to have you on my team', Betty sighs. A few tears well up. She loves this woman so much. Like a second mom. She is so glad that she's going to be there. When the tears slip past her eyes she's brushing them away as fast as possible.

'Oh, the hormones. I remember them so well. And I don't miss them'

'Yes and No. I'm just really glad to have you in my corner', Betty says, a watery smile on her face.

'I'm really glad as well', Claire sighs and folds her into a warm hug. How much she loves this enthusiastic Latina.

The wedding planning is going amazingly smooth. Claire has everything under control. She is the absolut master at planning this kind of event. Any event, really. She has the right connections, knows the most important people to get this show on the road within only ten weeks. Which gives them even time to sneak in a quick honeymoon, before Christmas is just around the corner.

She found the wedding venue on the same day they told her about their engagement. Claire thought of it the second they told her about their plans. It would be perfect for a winter wedding. It's the most beautiful Park Château she was invited to once. It was a boring Gala event, the property though was absolutely stunning. It was elegant in its simplicity. A perfect fit. And after she showed Betty the pictures it was a no-brainer. Her whole face lit up like a Christmas tree. So she made sure to book them in for the 11th of December. They now had a wedding date to work with. The guest list was scribbled down by Wednesday and within two days Betty had the invitations designed, printed and shipped out.

Daniel talked to Vincent Bianchi, a fitting choice for a wedding photographer. He thought though anyway. There must be a funny story attached to it, Claire is sure. She should ask him about it one day. Otherwise she doesn't think that he would've agreed on the spot.

'Betty? My moms here. Come in, she's upstairs', Daniel hugs his mom and kisses her on the cheek, leading her into the kitchen.

'Hey, thank you so much for coming by', Betty bounces down the stairs and Claire could see her green-ish face despite the perfectly applied make-up.

'Morning sickness?', Claire cups Bettys cheek, examines her carefully. She looks pale. And definitely lost a little bit of weight.

'More like morning, midday and evening sickness', Betty sighs. 'It's a shame I don't work at MODE anymore. Some of the people were so dense there. They would've never guessed that I'm pregnant. They would think that I decided to loose the much needed weight. I would finally fit in. My new colleagues on the other hand didn't even have to ask. Diana came to me yesterday and gave me some of her crackers. Said she lived of those when she was pregnant with her daughter', she looks so defeated. It's hard to hide it when she's so burdened by this. She has to run to the toilet at least four to five times when she's at work. It's messy. She was contemplating asking Mr. Kellner if she could have a second basket that she could hide under her desk.

'How much weight did you loose, already? It's showing. Maybe you should ask Dr. Lester. I know that there should be at least one or two things he can do for you', it's love that speaks through that scolding tone, Betty's sure.

'You sound just like Daniel. Maybe you two should found a club. But yeah, if it's going to be like this next week, I'm going to make an appointment. The puking I'm pretty much accustomed to by now, but the constant queasiness is the worst', she grabs her teacup. The only thing she could keep down these days. Eating is difficult. She could have the most intense craving. The second it's in front of her, she can run to the toilet. She doesn't even need to taste it. The view and smell of it, most of the time already enough to make a run for the toilet.

'Don't worry, mom. If she doesn't, I'm gonna tie her up and drag her there myself', Daniel ensures his mother after he sees her worried look.

'Do that. She's so stubborn'

'Ay, I told you that I prefer the adjective determined', Betty calls out, and plops down on one chair. 'But yeah, with the morning sickness, I felt more comfortable staying home. I didn't want to puke all over your marble tiles'

'Don't worry, Betty. I like a short trip. And throw up all over my tiles. I couldn't care less. But you wanted to talk about the decorations with me, right?', Claire sits down next to her. Gets out a few sheet of papers and a pen. It's a habit they all have. Working in publishing will do that to you. Betty throws a tentative look over her shoulder.

'I get it. I'm out. But call when you need something', Daniel places a quick kiss on the top of Betty's head and is gone.

'What is going on?', Claire is confused. This is their wedding. Why does he have to leave. Granted Daniel doesn't understand a thing about décor, but he could be at least be involved in the planing.

'Wait a second, he's really sneaky. Like you. I have to make sure he's really out of earshot', Betty whispers, and after a little while they hear the soft thud of a closing door.

'So, can you...', Betty lays her index finger over her lips, gives Claire a sign to be quite a little while longer. And there it is, a faint squeak.

'In the bedroom, buster', Betty calls out, snickering at the situation.

'I hate these old floorboards', he chuckles. And when they hear another door being closed, Betty finally gets up and over to Daniel's office desk.

'I learned a long time ago that the best way to hide something from Daniel is, to put it directly under his nose. He would've never thought of looking in the depth of his own drawers', she comes over with a small pile of photos.

'What exactly are you hiding from him', Claire is amused by it all.

'Call it the 'theme' for our wedding. You said we should have this as well-planned through as possible. So this is what I thought of. I'm in love with the ring he picked for me. It's classic in it's form. But I've never seen a diamond in that colour before. Makes it unique', Betty slips the ring from her finger, admires it for a few seconds, before laying it in the middle of the table, facing Claire. 'I talked to Christina again. Emailed her a picture of my ring. Asked her if she could somehow design my dress after it. Told her my vision for our wedding. And within this week she send me two very detailed sketches of my dress', Betty carefully picks up the two top photos and turns them around. Lays them down in front of Claire. Right under her ring. 'What do you think?'

Claire is speechless. It's the most beautiful dress she's ever seen. And it's absolutely perfect. Christina McKinney is a true artist. She has to give her that.

The dress is a classic a-frame cut with see-through sleeves. Perfect for an indoors winter wedding. The front neckline is a risqué v-shape, that cuts a little deeper. Probably to an inch under the breastbone. Which will leave only a little bit to the imagination. And Betty, being blessed by Mother Nature, without a doubt can pull it off. And it will definitely deflect from any kind of small baby bump. The back is going to be a single layer of tule, with a long row of classic buttons, that run down the whole length of the dress. The whole dress will be made out of the softest peach-coloured tule. Just like the Center Stone of Betty's engagement ring. The delicate cream-coloured flower applications are all over the bust, back and slowly fade out over the skirt. The subtle cream, peach and rosé coloured pearls are perfectly placed. It's as elegant as it's going to be playful, as innocent as it is sexy. It's so classic in it's form and materials, but so unique with it's colour. And it's going to be as tasteful and beautiful as it can be. And all in all it's very Betty.

'This is the most stunning wedding dress I've ever seen. You will be an absolute vision, dear', Claire softly cups Bettys cheek.

'Thank you. I love it so much. Christina really outdone herself with this creation', Betty gushes herself. Gets another photo and lays it next to the sketches of her dress. 'Christina will design Daniels tie and handkerchief after my dress. That way we can match. My first thought was to match the decor to my ring. But after I saw with what Christina came up, I thought about building them around the dress', and with that Betty spreads out the rest of the photos. Places them around the ring, framing in the design sketches. Shows Claire her vision. And it's a wonderful idea. They would be the focus of the evening but in a weird way also blend in.

'Wonderful, I can see it in front of my inner eye. It will be so beautiful. And now I get why you didn't want him here. Can I take those pictures with me, Betty? For reference? I swear, your wedding dress will be first seen when you walk down the isle', Claire makes a scouts honour.

'I doubt that you were ever a scout, but yes, that's why I have those. I wanted them for you. That way you can easier understand what I had in mind', Betty chuckles. While Claire puts the photos away Betty walks over to the corridor. 'Daniel'

'Huh?', he's in a nanosecond at the door.

'You can come back down', Betty chuckles.

'Yes, this book was getting so boring', he bounces down the stairs and looks around the doorframe into the dining area. 'Oh man, you've already put everything away?'

'Of course, otherwise you would still be upstairs, reading your boring book. What was it, by the way?', Betty asks sipping on her tea.

'It's kind of mean, you know? Isn't this our wedding? I have nothing to say'

'It's better this way, dear. And believe me when I tell you this. You will love it. It's well-thought through, has an incredible vision and most importantly suits the both of you perfectly', Claire claps her son on the shoulder. Tries to soften the blow.

'And before you can even think about going on a search party for those pictures. Your mom has them', Betty's still sipping her tea in the kitchen, a little dangerous glint in her eyes. 'Now, tell me, what was the boring book you were reading'

'Oh, just one of your favourites', he has her full attention now, but the mischievous lopsided grin doesn't sit well with Claire. He's up to something. 'Pride and prejudice'

And in a matter of seconds the paper towel role is flying across the room, and Daniel manages to duck behind the kitchen island before it can hit him square in the face. His hysterical laugh ringing through the room.