Choosing Life

Chapter Fifty One

Mal couldn't but smile slightly as she brushed out her hair. While it had only been a month or two since the unscheduled day off with the twins, so much had happened since then that it honestly felt like a lifetime ago.

Ryan and CJ had decided to elope rather than wait after all, something Mal was sure Harry was only okay with because he was part of the wedding party, along with Helena acting as the flower girl. And even then he had complained slightly because of the fact that he'd asked them if they could wait until Uma had given birth, or at least that was what her cousin had told Mal.

Uma had honestly almost whacked Harry with a tidal wave when she heard he'd asked that, and Harry's only saving grace was the fact that he'd been holding their daughter at the time. Still though, he had been treated to a lengthly lecture as to why the only person who could make decisions as to where she went and why was her. And it wasn't because she outranked him or anything but because she was her own person and that she had spent sixteen years of her life having someone else tell her where she could and could not go and she wasn't going to have her husband do the same, thank you!

Those two are in for an interesting time if Helena and the new baby are anything like them, Mal thought with an inward snort. I honestly can't believe they're going in blind with the gender again. I know they have every right to do so but still! It's so aggravating! Though...at least CJ's kid will have a cousin close in age...

Yeah...that had been a shock to learn, that CJ was expecting a child of her own after only being married a couple of months. When Mal had heard the news from Uma, she had finally understood her father's rants about babies having babies. Gods knew how Harriet and Harry felt about it, especially Harriet with how she'd been having issues conceiving a child of her own, but CJ and Ryan were over the moon.

Sighing, Mal shook her head to clear her thoughts before focusing on her makeup. While she wasn't exactly skilled at the art like Evie, Macaria, Emma, or Elle were, Mal knew that there would be a day where her daughter might want to learn to put on makeup. And by the Gods as her witness, she would be a mom her daughter could come to about anything. Be it sporty or girly.

You know, it might be safe to say Mulan is one of my influences for being a mother, other than mom of course, Mal thought as she pressed her lips together; having applied a light purple lipstick. It was almost lavender, that was how light it was. Other people might have balked at the idea of a purple lipstick but Mal was going to a banquet of people who knew the importance of being true to themselves.

Plus, come on! It was purple! If anyone was going to make a fuss about Mal having something purple on her person, then they clearly were living under a rock the whole time Mal had been in Auradon.

Either that or they're Natalie, Mal thought as she put on a pair of dangling earrings to finish her look. Is it wrong to wonder whatever happened to her? We haven't heard much from her...actually we haven't heard anything from her in fact. I know Ben fired her and mom cursed her to never be able to grow a garden but you think we would have heard something...

She shook her head and stood up, walking away from the vanity. She wasn't going to ruin her happiness by thinking about her former tormentor. Besides, it was a good thing they hadn't heard anything from Natalie. Wondering if they would ever hear from Natalie would be like wondering if Maleficent would ever change out of her lizard form. All it would do would make Mal a nervous wreck and that was the last thing she wanted for that night.

"You ready?" Ben asked, gently knocking on the doorframe of their bedroom door.

"Almost, I just want to grab my jacket," Mal said.