If It Gave Us Time

Watching Isla scatter kisses over Maddie’s face, Gerard couldn’t stop the smile which bubbled up onto his features, still, despite the months that had passed since the little girl had arrived, in awe of how much he liked seeing the two of them together. It had been a while, after Isla’s birthday, a few weeks had passed, and with their wedding day edging closer and closer, Isla had an appointment at a local bridal boutique, something he knew that she was looking forwards to, even if she did keep trying to play it off as though it wasn’t a big deal. He knew that their wedding plans coming together meant more to her than she let on.

She was always doing it, despite his insistence that he wanted to make as much of a fuss as she did, he knew that Isla kept dampening her own excitement, but he had opted against commenting. The little giddy smiles she let light up her face whenever she read an email from Meghan or whenever her mother or Luna made suggestions were enough for him to know that her excitement matched his.

Shaking his head, he watched Isla and Maddie for a few more seconds before he cleared his throat, tapping his watch as Isla lifted her head to look up at him. “You can’t be late to your own dress fitting” he quipped impishly.

Isla shook her head, her face flushing a soft shade of pink. “I was just saying goodbye to our daughter” she noted.

“You’re going to be gone for a couple of hours” Gerard replied “And it’s going to give me and Sprout some papa-daughter time, so get out of here” he added, his voice warm and playful.

Isla rolled her eyes, but couldn’t stifle her smile, stepping towards where the defender stood in the bedroom doorway. “What’ve the two of you got planned?” she asked.

“I was thinking a nice walk around the park she loves” Gerard quipped “But I’ll make sure that we’re back here in time for her nap. I know how much you hate me deviating from her routine” he added, his voice caught between soft and playful.

“You keep her up” Isla noted “And you’re not the one who has to deal with her when she’s grumpy and overtired” she added.

“I’m the fun parent” Gerard teased.

“You’re something” Isla replied playfully.

Gerard just flashed her a boyish smile, causing Isla to giggle softly before she felt her phone vibrate in her pocket. Shaking her head, she slipped the phone out of its place and scanned the screen before she typed a quick reply, stuffing it back into her pocket. “My mother is outside” she mused “And we both know how she will be if I keep her waiting. I’ll see you later?” she asked.

Gerard’s lips quirked upwards in amusement, briefly contemplating making a joke, before he nodded. “We’ll be here when you get home” he mused “Now, get out of here. You’ve got to make sure that that dress is perfect” he insisted warmly.

Isla held his stare, briefly contemplating making a joke herself, before she pushed herself up onto her toes, sneaking a couple of quick kisses before she ducked past him, her footsteps quickly retreating down the stairs. Gerard held himself in the bedroom doorway, listening to her footsteps before the thump of the front door closing reached his ears, causing him to smile to himself, mentally marking off another little milestone on the road to their wedding day.

~#~
“Isla?”

Isla, who’d been staring at her reflection in the full length mirror ahead of herself, visibly startled at the sound of her mother’s voice before she turned around, glancing at the closed changing room door which stood behind her. She should have been expecting it, with her having left her bridal party in the foyer of the boutique almost fifteen minutes previous, she knew that she shouldn’t have been surprised that someone had come looking for her, but still the knocking had caught her off guard. For a moment, when she had been staring at her reflection in the mirror, she had forgotten that there were people waiting for her.

“Baby, are you OK?” Eva pressed.

Isla hesitated for a split second before she carefully slid the lock of the door open, tugging the door back ever so slightly.

Eva watched the door open before she lifted her hand, covering her mouth.

Isla felt warmth creep up her neck and cheeks as she carefully stepped out of the changing room, her fingers gingerly smoothing out the soft material of the dress she wore. “It’s still a little loose around my chest” she mumbled “And I think I want to ask for a bit of length to be taken out of the train. We both know that I am not exactly light on my feet, so if they put too much in my way, I will probably trip up the aisle. That’s not exactly something I want to happen” she babbled, trying to fill the silence.

Eva just gaped at her.

Isla shook her head. “You never stop talking, mama” she breathed, her voice caught between anxious and playful “So this is either a good thing, or I look entirely horrible. Which is it?” she pressed.

Eva blinked, alerting Isla to the tears which had misted her eyes, before she shook her head, letting out a slightly shaky laugh. “I just can’t believe you’re wearing that” she breathed.

Isla’s forehead furrowed, but she didn’t say anything, encouraging her mother to keep talking.

“I knew you’d find someone eventually” Eva fussed “I mean, you’re amazing, baby, it was only a matter of time before someone...before Gerard realized it. I just...god, baby, you look so gorgeous” she stumbled out,

Isla tried, but failed, to keep her face from lighting up, something which made Eva shake her head, gently brushing Isla’s blonde hair away from her glasses-less face. “You’re not wearing your glasses up the aisle?” she asked.

Isla shrugged. “Lenses” she replied “I’m almost certain to cry and that tends to make my glasses messy. That won’t look great in the pictures” she added, subconsciously touching the bridge of her nose in the spot where her glasses usually rested.

Eva cupped her daughter’s face. “You’re going to look perfect” she noted “Red eyes, messy glasses, no one will care” she added.

“You’ve seen my soon-to-be husband, no?” Isla breathed out with a weak laugh “I just...I want to look like I fit next to him” she added.

“You do fit next to him” Eva insisted.

“Mama...”

“You’re beautiful” Eva insisted “And Gerard...he’s been in awe of you forever. Your wedding day will be no exception. Don’t make yourself uncomfortable, Isla. We both know how much you hate contact lenses, so if you want to wear your glasses, do it. Gerard’s going to melt regardless” she insisted firmly before she tugged on her daughter’s hand, mumbling something about showing off her dress to the rest of the bridal party.

Eva had no doubts, whatever Isla showed up looking like on her wedding day, her mother was sure that Gerard, who’d been smitten by her since they were teenagers, would been bowled over, and she wanted Isla to be sure of it too. Their wedding day wasn’t about making herself uncomfortable to make pretty pictures, it was about her and Gerard taking the next step in their relationship, a step that, to Eva at least, had been inevitable since the defender had reappeared in her daughter’s life.