Chapter 50: Promises of a Better Future

One year later

Gwen had been a walking bomb lately as she organized everything for the wedding. Even though Finn had put every type of professional needed at her disposal, Gwen wanted to be present for every single decision.
Ever since she said yes to his proposal when they were spending a weekend getaway in Hawaii, Gwen decided that she wouldn’t be just the CEO’s wife. She wanted to keep control over things, continue to work and make her own choices.
She knew what that position would bring to her life, but she was finally ready to accept it. She had proven herself enough, so whatever the media had to say about her, she was ready to take it.
But for her surprise, when people discovered about their engagement, Gwen received a lot of gifts, got a lot of offers from companies for modeling, and even discovered a whole fanbase that rooted for her and Finn.
Cody became the happiest kid in the world when he heard that his mom and dad were going to get married soon. Gwen could never have asked for so much happiness and she had been living on cloud nine.
The only thing that worried her sometimes, and she tried very hard to not let it get into her skin, was that she hadn’t heard from Vivienne or Marcy again. It was true that Finn told her not to worry about any of that, but she simply couldn’t help it.
Maybe she was just so used to being alert, that she couldn’t let go of that habit. And when Marcy left Finn’s apartment that day, Gwen couldn’t believe she would let things be. She would never accept defeat. It didn’t match her style or personality.
Trying not to give it too much thought, Gwen walked around the house they were now living in - a bigger one and with much more space for Cody to play -, talking on the phone and finishing up the last details for the ceremony.
Her last appointment for that day was to try on her dress for the last time. She was mesmerized by the dress that she had chosen. Stephanie said she looked like a true princess on it.
By the time the doorbell rang, Gwen rushed to the door to welcome the designer. She was actually wearing a fashion brand exclusive design after debating for a long time which offer she would accept.
“Where’s my beautiful bride?” the designer asked as he stepped into the mansion.
Gwen smiled, still shy from all the attention she was getting lately, and they walked towards her closet so she could try it one more time.
But as soon as she undressed herself and put on that stunning silk and lace white wedding dress, embroidered with tiny pearls, something weird happened. The designer was taking longer than necessary to close the zipper behind her back.
A thought crossed her mind instantly, but she didn’t want to think that was a possibility. She had a lot to worry about, and that was not something she wanted to focus on at that moment.
But when the designer looked at her from across the mirror, she knew her intuition was right. She had been feeling bloated lately, but she simply figured it could be just her eating too much out of stress.
“It can’t be…” she murmured.
“Well, honey, I know the dress didn’t shrink itself,” the designer joked with an exciting smile on his face. It didn’t even bother him the fact that he would probably have to work the entire night on the dress to make it fit for the next day.
“Oh, my God! What am I going to do now?” Gwen freaked out, collapsing on the couch with the dress still unzipped.
“Come on, woman. Pull yourself together. What is there to be concerned about? You’re going to be the wife of a billionaire, and you already have a kid, so I’m sure you know everything about being a mother, right?”
Gwen blinked at him, trying to make sense of his words.
“Yes, but even so… I had plans for my career,” she said, but going in another direction of her worries, something inside of her started to burn. It was happiness. Pure and simple happiness.
Having another kid with Finn was a blessing, and they wanted that more than anything. Finn told her a million times that he wanted to have a big family, and she could also barely wait.
She wanted to give him the opportunity of seeing his own child grow, and she also wanted to have the chance to raise another kid by his side. So many plans, but fate worked in its own terms.
“I can’t believe I’m having another baby,” she whispered, a huge smile appearing on her face.
“That's the spirit, girl!” The designer gave her a high five and helped her take off the dress. “I'm going to make the adjustments and I'll be knocking on your door first thing tomorrow morning, alright?”
Gwen nodded and followed him to the door, taking a deep breath when he finally left her alone. She had to tell Finn about that as soon as he arrived. She wouldn’t be able to go through a whole ceremony and a party without him knowing the recent news.
She took a shower and waited for Finn on their bed, paralyzed as the thoughts inside her mind consumed her more than she expected. She knew Finn would be delighted, but she also thought she would have a bit more time to prepare herself.
But she couldn’t complain. She was having the life she always wanted. She was marrying the man she loved, she had an amazing and smart son, her career was actually going really well, and now there was another human being inside of her, another fruit of their love.
“Baby, I’m home.” She heard Finn’s voice coming down the stairs and her heart started to race. “Is everything okay?” he asked as he walked into the bedroom, frowning as he saw Gwen seated on the bed with an anxious look on her face.
She couldn’t stop biting her nails, and she had to slap her own hand so she wouldn't have the ugliest nails on her wedding day.
“I… I have something to tell you,” she stated, as Finn sat by her side and grabbed her hand.
“Sure. What is it? You’re not bailing on me, are you? Because I’m warning you, I’ll be marrying you tomorrow, no matter what happens.”
Gwen laughed, relieved that he made sure to emphasize every time how much he wanted to have her as his wife.
“Of course not. I’ll be walking down that aisle tomorrow for sure. I’ll just bring someone else with me.”
Finn narrowed his eyes, trying to understand what she could possibly mean with that.
“What?” he asked, still staring at her.
“I just found out this afternoon that my dress doesn’t fit me anymore. And I’m pretty sure you know what that means, right?”
Finn’s eyes widened in shock, going from her face to her belly as he put the pieces together.
“You're kidding, right?” His voice cracked with excitement.
Gwen shook her head in denial, and the next thing she felt was Finn lifting her up and spinning her around the room.
“I can’t believe you’re pregnant, baby! That’s the best gift you could ever give me,” he said, hugging her tight and placing kisses all over her cheeks. “I love you.”
He cupped her face in his hands and kissed her lips gently.
“I love you too,” she replied, feeling the butterflies in her stomach do a crazy dance, filling her heart with even more joy.