“Oh, Lily, what about those extra pounds of yours? Surely that’s a problem?” Dims mum wouldnt let it go.
“Honestly, I dont think I have any extra, and my future husband certainly doesnt mind them. Not everyone has to be a twig or a fairy-tale waif.” Lily smirked as she glanced at Helen and Dims mother. The sheer cheek of it made Helen flush.
“Mum! Did you buy that slimming tea? The chia seeds? And whyd you put so much butter in my porridgethose are extra calories! Dim, you bought bread with yeast again? Thats awful! Three glasses of water in the morning, or the scales wont budgewheres my water?!” Dim had heard these rants all his life.
His mum and older sister were obsessed with their figures. Now, at thirty-eight, his sister had never married, looking more like a bony, hunched nag with hollow, hungry eyes. His mother, meanwhile, resembled a stiff knitting needle.
It drove him mad, so he gravitated towards joyful, full-hearted people with healthy appetites. He always dreamed of a wife who was nothing like his mum or sisterand he found her.
Her name was Lily. Even her name was soft, sweet, like a warm pastry. No, Lily wasnt overweightbut at 58″ and 187 pounds, she was gloriously curvy. Every inch of her radiated health and happiness. High bosom, slender waist, womanly hips, and dimpled cheeks just begging to be pinched. Dim was smitten the moment he saw her.
One evening, he dropped Helen at the bank for an errand. She took a ticket and sat, while he paced the lobby. Thena sound. A silvery laugh, light as a bell, drifting over. Dim found himself grinning before he even saw its owner.
Rounding the corner, he spotted hera teller, chatting with an elderly client. She laughed again, and Dim couldnt look away. Her wavy hair, Cupids bow lips and yes, she had curves, the kind you noticed straight off.
In the car, Helen droned on, but Dims mind stayed back at the bank.
“Dim, are you even listening?” Helen snapped.
“Of course, Helen.” He scrambled to recall her latest complaint.
“So I told him, I dont eat fried meatonly boiled chicken breast!” she whined about her latest failed suitor. Dim nodded sympathetically, clicking his tongue. “What a cad,” he muttered.
The next evening, he raced back to the bank. She was there. Relief. After closing, he grabbed roses from his car and marched over.
“Miss. Fancy a husband? Or a son-in-law for your mum?” he blurted, thrusting the bouquet.
His face mustve been a picture, because she burst out laughingbut took the flowers.
“Oh my theyre gorgeous! The scent!” She buried her face in them, inhaling, while he just stared, enchanted.
From then on, they were inseparable. Sometimes you meet someone and just knowthis is it. No more searching. A month later, he proposed. She said yes.
Now, meeting the parents.
Lilys folks welcomed him with a feast, laughter, and warmth. Her mum, a striking, statuesque woman, kissed both his cheeks, flustering him completely. Her dad clapped him on the back like an old mate and steered him to the kitchen.
“Stay clear of the womentheyll talk your ear off. But dont worry, Natalies gentle as a lamb. Thats why Ive loved her thirty years. And our Lily? Shes a gem. Look after her, son.” Her dads gaze held his, steady.
They ate heartily, told stories, sang along to her dads guitar. Dim felt at home, like hed known them forever.
Three days later, they visited Dims family. Lily bought handcrafted éclairs from a posh bakery. At five, they rang the bell.
Dims mum, Margaret, opened the door. “Oh hello, loves,” she stammered, gaping at Lily.
“Mum, love you too. Can we come in?” Dim nudged her gently inside.
“Of course, of course You must be Lily?” Margaret recovered slightly but still eyed Lily head to toe.
“Pleased to meet you!” Lily beamed, shaking her hand firmly.
Margaret stood frozen, bewildered, as Lily breezed past.
“Dad, Helen, Mumthis is Lily, my fiancée. Weve filed the papers. Lily, meet my sister Helen, my mum Margaret, and dad Nigel.”
Silence. The wedding news had clearly stunned them. Only the clink of cutlery broke the quiet.
“Lily! Delighted to have you!” Nigel saved the moment. “And is that a bottle? Perfect! And treatsfor the ladies, eh?”
“Oh no, we dont eat sweets, especially not at night,” Margaret said, pushing the box away almost disdainfully.
“You dontwe do!” Nigel grinned. “Lets see whats in here. I trust Lilys taste.”
They settled. Chocolate, snacks, and fizz appeared. Glasses clinked. More awkward silence.
“Mum, Ive met Lilys parents. Lovely peopleyoull like them,” Dim offered lamely.
Lily inspected her glass. Helen stared at her. Nigel launched into a joke, easing the tension slightly.
“Lily, darling, you mustnt worryI know a marvellous specialist. Shell help with your issue.” Margaret smiled thinly.
“Issue?” Lily blinked.
“Well, those extra pounds, dear. Surely thats a problem?”
“Not to meor my future husband. Not everyone fancies a stick insect.” Lily shot Helen and Margaret a pointed look. Helen bristled.
“Twenty pounds overweight! Its unhealthy. And when you have children”
“When I do, Ill be even lovelier, with a doting husband and baby. Speaking ofHelen, are you married? A slim woman like you must have a handsome bloke and at least two kids by now?” Lily bit into an éclair, triumphant.
Helen gulped, furious, but Nigel cut in, refilling glasses.
“A toast! To the women of this familydifferent, but dearly loved!”
Later, outside, Dim and Lily exhaled in unisonthen burst out laughing.
“Well, that went interestingly. Never expected my future mother-in-laws first words to be about my weight.”
“Love, youre gorgeous, and you know it. As for Mum and Helen well, you cant pick family.”
The wedding was set for August 25th. At the registry office, then the reception, Lily glowed in her dressflattering every curve. Dim couldnt take his eyes off her. Natalie, her mum, turned heads too, radiant in an elegant gown, a stark contrast to Margarets stiff, shapeless dress. Helen, a carbon copy of her mother, sulked in the corner.
The first dance began. Dim and Lily swayed, lost in each other. Guests watched, enchanted.
“That bride could stand to lose a few. That dress doesnt helpmakes her look enormous,” Margaret muttered.
Too late. The words hung in the air. Natalies eyes flashed.
“Funnymany men prefer real women over skeletons. Your son, for one. And mind your tongue, dear, or youll find out just how nervous this soft woman can get when it comes to her daughter.” Natalie advanced, her ample bosom herding Margaret against the wall.
A standoff. Nigel swooped in.
“Ladies! Getting along splendidly, I see. But I must steal my wifeMargaret, may I?” He whisked Natalie into a waltz.
Music swelled. Laughter returned. And the wedding carried on, joyous as any song.
Heres hoping the couple lives long, loves deep, and thrives.
Thats what matters, isnt it?
