Offer To The CEO

Saturday, continued …

On opening her eyes Anna noticed trays with sandwiches and finger style food being brought in and placed on the table. There were two dress racks with garment bags hanging on them, which would be everyone's dresses.

Despite having been married to Hou Yi for months, Anna was starting to feel nervous and turned from the food. Susan, having anticipated Anna's action handed her a plate with a few sandwiches on it and a glass of orange juice with a straw before saying "Eat and Drink, you still have a lot to get through."

On observing the look on Susan's face Anna turned and saw a similar look on Rosemary's face. They both were in nurse mode and she would achieve nothing arguing with them. The last thing that she wanted was food, but Anna realised it would be hours before she could have anything to eat or drink and gave in eating the few things Susan placed on her plate before heading into the bathroom to clean her teeth.

On returning everyone else had finished eating and were getting ready to help her into her wedding dress. Unlike most brides in Australia she avoided white, cream and ivory. None of them or their various shares ever looked good on her, but respecting the traditions of her new home she knew her dress had to be a red.

The Tailors had done a perfect job, locating the right shade of red with golden threats running through it, which shimmered depending on how the light hit it. The dress itself nodded to the Australian dress traditions, with the sleeves starting at the point of her shoulders going down to her wrists and a sweetheart neckline.

The tailor adjusted it to be loosely fitted, given her pregnancy, and from her hips it lightly flared out, due to the cut and draping of the material falling naturally into pleats without being pleated. It was almost floor length, and the embroidery at the bottom several Australian Native flowers and contained her and Hou Yi's names. For Anna, if felt the perfect mix, of cultures in the dress but was exactly what she liked in style.

She remembered Hou Yi's words the day he saw the design, that she would look perfect in the dress. Anna knew that he was only pandering to what she wanted to hear, but she really hoped that he would appreciate what she was wearing.

Once she was in her dress, she carefully sat back down, ready for the veil, another nod to her Australia heritage, this time a family heirloom from her paternal grandmother was attached to her head. Before the hairdresser went to attach the veil, Du AnLing said "Anna, your family explained the Australian traditions for brides, 'something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue'."

"Sweetheart, I know the tailor sewed a small piece of blue material inside your dress, your dress is the something new, and your grandmother's veil is something old. My mother-in-law gave me this to bring in. It is from her jewellery collection, and she figured that it, after I explained with your sister's help the tradition, your something borrowed."

With that, Du AnLing opened a box that had been sitting on the bench and drew out from it a gold tiara with a large red stone in it. "My father-in-law and his parents had this commissioned for their wedding day, as my mother-in-law loved the idea of wearing a veil with a tiara, but rather than having too many diamonds, they limited them within the tiara to keep the focus on the ruby."

She carefully handed the tiara to the hairdresser, with a clear warning to be careful putting this on Anna, and Rosemary came across with the veil, for the hairdresser to finish Anna's hair, and to place the veil and tiara on.

While the hairdresser was finishing her work, everyone changed into their dresses and suits. Just as Anna's hair was finished with the veil and tiara in place, there was a knock on the door. Anna immediately on hearing the voice realized it was one of the bodyguards "First Madam, Second Madam, Young Madam, the cars are ready to take you to the church."

Anna, then realized that it was 12:45pm, and after being helped stand, everyone headed out of the room, and downstairs to the vehicles. When they reached the foyer, the children were all ready to head to the church for the ceremony.

In the absence of her father to go with her, Du AnLing and Hou Jang climbed into the car with Anna, and in the convoy heading to the church, it was the last vehicle to leave, a few minutes after everyone else.