Telling Alice {ManxMan} | MPreg

Chapter 01

Chapter One:

Eshe wiggled slightly, causing the fitting room attendant to shift her weight from one foot to another, but Eshe was barely paying attention to her, as his eyes were on the mirror looking at his daughter behind him. She kicked at the fat round cushion she was sitting on next to his only cousin. Lauren, she gave him a small smile as she sat quietly one hand in her lap the other wrapped around the stem of a wine glass, her eyes darting between Eshe and Alice who was impatiently looking anywhere but at him.

His shoulder dropped as he realized just how much Alice didn't want to be there. Alice Lean Akins, his daughter, was more his daughter than any normal man could ever possible understand for lack of better phrasing he was her mother. He wanted her to be happy over anything and she clearly wasn't happy now.

"So this ones a no?" Eshe asked directing the question to his daughter as he turned slowly to face her. Alice didn't look at him, not even slightly, she just crinkled her nose and shook her head, eyes focused intently on the ground. His cousin nudged her gently as she whispered something in Alice's ear only resulting in yet another head shake.

"I think it looks wonderful Eshe." Lauren offered as she looked up at him, her face holding an almost apologetic smile for whatever she must have said to make Alice shake her head the second time. She sighed taking a sip from her wine glass, clinking it several times between her teeth as she bit at the rim of the glass before finally shaking her head and repeating what she had said many times already. "But I think you should really get a dress custom made."

"You're probably right, but I just have no idea what I want." Eshe sighed, then sighed again when he realized just how deep that comment struck. He looked down at his hand and his engagement ring looked back at him. It wasn't as if he hadn't spent hours and hours agonizing over his decision to say yes to Jerome but standing there looking at it he almost could convince himself he hadn't spent enough time thinking on it. Looking at Alice he knew he hadn't spent enough time thinking on it.

He turned back to the mirror again fully observing his six foot frame. The dress suited him fine, save the alterations needed to better fit his taste. The sides needed to be fitted, the tail lengthened, and the sash around the middle he preferred the idea of it being a tad bigger. Mostly it was perfect, it complimented his dark cocoa complexion and made his eyes look like the sandstone color they truly were. His hair was pulled back in an unbrushed ponytail but the cap sleeves of the dress would look perfect with a half up half down style look.

The dress was almost perfect, except it didn't make him happy, he wanted to cry with tears of joy like all the other brides do when they find the dress. He wanted to make loud noises and squeal and be happy but he couldn't not as long as Alice couldn't so he shook his head. Beckoning the attendant to undo any clips that held the dress in place so he could take it off.

"Did you want me to go get another dress ma'am?" The attendant asked quietly as she removed the last clip. Eshe rolled his shoulders, instantly feeling the dress slack where he knew it would have needed to be altered. He waited a moment thinking about everything and nothing til the attendant hummed slightly under her breath causing him to shake his head no, the clock on the wall said it was nearly seven p.m. and he wasn't in the mood to try on anymore dresses and clearly neither was Alice.

"No, I think we're finished for the day." Eshe sighed moving behind the screen removing the dress and re-dressing into the clothes he'd worn into the bridal shop. He paused as he fastened his jeans breathing deeply as he realized he'd have yet another chat with his fiance, Jerome. He breathed out a heavy breath digging his palm into his eyes before calling out to his cousin. "Laurie can you take Alice out to the car I'll be right there."

Eshe pulled on the rest of his clothes taking his time to make sure that Lauren had in fact left with Alice. Emerging from behind the screen he handed the dress to the attendant but he could feel his hands lingering on the dress.

"We can hold it for you if you like." The attendant offered smiling at him as he finally pulled away from the dress. He almost shook his head no but for some reason he nodded instead causing the attendant smile to widen as she left the room. He paused for a moment thinking back to what he'd just done, tapping the toe of his converse styled shoes against the ground, before following the woman out the room.

The car ride back was long and silent nobody seemed to want to speak, Lauren had offered to drive and Eshe had decided to let her after confirming she had only had one glass of wine. A part of him had hoped that Alice would want to talk to him, even if just to complain that she hadn't liked any of the dressed or how boring the bridal shop was but she hadn't said anything. He had even went so far as to attempt to bribe her into conversation by offering they stop to eat out but when he had asked her if she wanted to she simply crinkled her nose and mumbled out something along the lines of 'not hungry' her eyes focused out the window the entire time.

Jerome was waiting for them at the cafe when they arrived, much to Alice's obvious disappointment, he made his way over to them waving to Lauren as she rushed past into the backroom sending him a quick smile. Eshe walked to the counter, nodding as one of the staff members asked quietly if they could leave for the day before he turned to clean down the counter.

"How did it go this time?" Jerome asked as he leaned against the counter next to where Alice stood. Eshe shrugged instantly looking over his shoulder at Alice, his daughter stood there tapping her toe against the counter as she stared downward frowning intensely. Jerome's eyes followed Eshe's gaze instantly nodding that he understood.

"Alice, will you go help Auntie Laurie in the back?" Eshe asked gently to which Alice nodded and quickly made her way to the backroom to find Lauren. Releasing a pent up breath he didn't realize he'd been holding as soon as she disappeared from sight Eshe turned back to face Jerome before he slumped against the counter. Dropping his head into his hands he sighed once more. "Is it just me or is it getting worse? She hates helping out in the backroom."

"Maybe we should talk to her about it, ya know, ask her whats wrong." Eshe looked up at Jerome from his slumped position arching a delicate eyebrow at him before standing to his full height. At six foot even Eshe had to look down at most people including his four foot daughter, and his five foot ten inch cousin but Jerome stood eye level at barely six foot one. Eshe frowned for a minute looking at his fiance whose dark brown eyes seemed to be filled with sincere concern.

"I've tried talking to her, Lauren's talked to her, my mother has talked to her." Eshe grumbled unhappily shaking his head no to Jerome's suggestion. "There's just no way of getting through to her on this Jerome."

"But that's you guys, I could talk to her I can ask her why she doesn't like me." Jerome argued frowning deeply when Eshe shook his head no again. "She doesn't like me Eshe, why won't you let me talk to her about it?"

Eshe rolled his eyes skyward shrugging slightly, he knew why he didn't want Alice and Jerome talking about it. It was because Alice had no filter, she was nine yet she didn't know how to not be totally honest and when Eshe had talked to Alice about Jerome before she'd held nothing back. She told Eshe how much she didn't like him and that she didn't want him around.

Alice would say a lot of mean things about Jerome, from the way he dressed all the way down to how she thought he was clumsy and always messed up her dozens upon dozens of plant projects. Eshe also knew the main reason why Alice didn't want him to get married and it wasn't just about Jerome, it was bigger than that but he just didn't know how to tell him or Alice for that reason.