Always The Second Choice

2. The Anniversary Mishap

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Even though Nicola possessed the personality of a fig tree, her hair resembled a lion's mane. At least it usually did. Today it was pinned back and littered with pearls. She wore a black dress with red flower patterns and a sweetheart neck and her signature chain around her neck with her engagement ring on it. She wore her wedding band on her finger.

She looked nice. She had the beauty to make up for her lack of personality but not to compete against her sister or mother or Natasha.

"You look like a doll!" Stacia gushed as she kissed both cheeks of her sister.

"I do feel like Chucky." Nicola said wryly. She did not like dressing up.

"Shut up!" Stacia laughed as she linked her arms with her sister's and dragged her towards Malcolm James, her husband.

"Baby!" Malcolm grinned, holding out his arms.

"BIL." Nicola nodded.

Malcolm did not take offense at Nicola's lack of enthusiasm and hugged her tight.

"Where is my nephew?" Nicola asked. Rhys was the only person she really cared about at the moment.

"The invitation strictly said no children allowed." Stacia shrugged.

Nicola rolled her eyes. That sounded like something her mother-in-law Melanie Grant would do.

"And I am pretty sure your one-month-old nephew would not have enjoyed all this grandeur and liquor."

Nicola rolled her eyes again. "Let me go find my husband. I am expected to cling to his arm all evening tonight. Like some bloody koala."

"Koalas suit you. Though you lack the koalification to be one." Malcolm chuckled at his own words while the sisters gave him unimpressed looks.

"That was such a lame attempt that I am not even going to call it a joke." Nicola gave him a wry smile before walking away.

"Baby's mean."

"And you are lame."

It was not that hard to find her six feet two husband but she hesitated for a moment when she saw that Natasha Cunningham already had her arms around his biceps.

Nicola stood there, observing the perfection that the couple was. And she took in the whispers of the same from the surroundings.

"Do you care?" She asked herself.

"Of course not."

"Then take your rightful place."

She sighed and gathered the flowy skirt of her dress in her hands and walked over to the group.

"There she is!" Benjamin, her father-in-law, beamed. "You look like a doll."

She bit down the response she had given her sister.

"I can never go wrong with a dress." Melanie smiled as she kissed the air near her cheeks. "You look so cute, Nicky."

Doll.

Cute.

Pretty.

That's all she would ever be.

Never beautiful. Never gorgeous. Never ever the first choice.

"Thanks." She bit out.

The five of them looked at one another, crickets starting to chirp. The vibrant conversation that the four of them were having had ceased. And Nicola knew that it was because of her arrival.