Bless Me for the Holidays (BONUS EPILOGUE)

"Oh, this is so exciting!" Tonya gushed, her hands folded like a prayer in front of her face. "I can't tell you how excited I am!"

"I just feel fat," I said with a frown, staring down at myself.

"Rhonda McComb, you shut your mouth. You are not fat. You are beautifully pregnant."

"Hmm..." This was not a great idea, I thought to myself, eyeing the white dress that looked more like a gigantic sheet over my belly than a wedding gown. I tried to turn around to peer at myself in the mirror, but Tonya stopped me.

"Stop looking. It's not ready yet. We need to put this belt on here..." She put the red sash around my waist and fastened it at the small of my back. "And just give these a little fluff..." she fussed with the ruffles that rested on my shoulders. "Then let's fix this..." she used a finger to adjust my hair, then carefully put the white veil on the crown of my head.

Glancing over her shoulder at little Angie, who was standing dutifully quiet amidst all the fuss, she asked, "Sweet Pea, can you hand me that?" The little girl grinned, grabbed the bouquet of flowers, and handed them to her stepmom. "Okay, hold them just so," she told me, putting them into my hands and bringing them up toward my chest.

I rested them on my extended stomach and waited for her to give a nod of approval.

"Okay, now you can look,"

I turned around and my breath caught. She was right. This did look better.

This did look like I really was a bride. A very, very pregnant bride, but still a bride.

"You're amazing, Tonya," I grinned from one side of my mouth.

"And you are gorgeous," she told me.

I didn't know about that but decided to accept the compliment without objection. Angie was studying me in the reflection, her head tipped to the side and a very pensive expression on her face.

"Do you think I look okay?" I asked her.

She inhaled a long, deep breath and let it out with a whoosh. "Yeah, but when's the baby gonna be here?"

Tonya and I both threw our heads back and laughed as I touched her cheek affectionately. "Soon, sweetie, soon."

If anyone had said that at thirty-nine years old, I would be getting married in a church to a pastor and expecting to deliver a baby within the next few weeks, I would have called them a liar. That was not my life; that would never be my life, except now it was. Hayes had proposed on New Year's Day over ham, cabbage, and black-eyed peas–a wonderfully delicious meal he, his mother, and I had prepared together. Joanie seemed to have found a new lease on life. She was exhibiting more strength and endurance and seemed to be on the road to recovery. Hayes had told me that the doctors did not believe they could completely cure her cancer, but they hoped she would have many years to come.

I remembered what she had told me only a few months ago: that God would give her as much time as she needs. I hoped the big guy knew how much I needed my soon-to-be mother-in-law and would see fit to give her all of that time and more.

"Are you ready?" Tonya asked.

I glanced at myself one more time, my lips tugging up into a grin. "I'm ready."

And within just a few moments, there I was, standing at the open doors to the sanctuary of the church as the wedding march began to play. I took a tentative step to begin making my way down the aisle.

I was surprised when I realized how many people were there. For a girl whose parents had thrown her away, I had found many blessings in life: a good man to call mine, with a baby on the way soon. Yes, these were blessings. These were the kind of blessings I hadn't ever thought that I deserved, and yet, somehow, someway, God had found favor in me.

He had blessed me for the holidays by letting me spend them with Hayes and Joanie, and now he was blessing me for the rest of my life by giving me the loving husband and family that I never thought I deserved.

I looked in his eyes and saw so many emotions. I struggled to decipher them all. Wonder, pride, anticipation, excitement, and joy. So much joy.

I knew that emotion was certainly buried in my eyes too.

"You look beautiful," he mouthed to me with a grin as we clasped hands and waited for the preacher to begin the ceremony.

And within what seemed like the blink of an eye, I heard the words: "I now pronounce you man and wife. Ladies and gentlemen, may I present Mr. and Mrs. Hayes Biggs."

We both turned to the full congregation with excitement, and then Hayes leaned in and gave me a big kiss.

My breath caught in the back of my throat. It was a tender kiss, but a kiss full of promise. We rushed down the aisle, or as much of a rush as I could manage with all of that baby weight out front. As soon as we were outside, friends and family began tossing birdseed as we headed for our car. Just as I was about to get inside, I paused with a gasp and stood up straight with wide eyes.

"What's wrong?" Hayes asked.

I clutched my stomach and looked up at my new husband. "Houston, we have a problem."

He tipped his head to the side and narrowed his eyes, then gasped, "The baby?"

There was a great big whoosh, and I looked down in embarrassment. "I think my water just broke."

Joanie clapped her hands. "A wedding and a birthing! Let's get this girl to the hospital!"

***