After Ever After

17. Get Low

T: How's it going?

You snorted, quickly snapping a photo of Zara and hitting send. Tom replied in less than 30 seconds with a series of emojis that summed up exactly how Zara felt.

"Poss, can we please put your shoes on?" you asked, shuffling forward with a shoe in hand.

"NO!" she screamed, cheeks bright red as she kicked at you, legs flailing wildly.

Though she be but little, she is fierce...

"Y/N, we need to go!" chided Samantha, her posh London accent excessively grating.

"Yes, thank you for the reminder Sam" you snapped, glaring at her over your shoulder.

When Dot had suggested Zara being the flower girl for her wedding, you had told Dot that as much as you appreciated the thought, you didn't think it was a good idea, citing this exact reason, amongst others. When Dot had insisted, you'd tried to convince her that it would be easier if Zara got ready at home with Tom and met you at the church, but Dot had insisted on Zara being present for photos and getting ready with everyone else. As you predicted, the excitement of the day had proven too much for your plucky eighteen month old and she'd become overwhelmed, reaching a new level in tantrum throwing just in time to leave for the ceremony. You were having a hard time not saying 'I told you so' to Dot as she fussed around the hotel room, panicking about being late.

"Zara, Auntie Dot REALLY wants to get married today, so let's put those shoes on and get out of here!" she cajoled, crouching next to you and reaching for Zara.

This only made Zara scream worse than before, tears and snot running down her face as she pressed herself further into the wall.

"Dorothea!" you snapped, a headache pulsing in your temples. You couldn't remember when you'd ever called Dot by her full name, and certainly never with any seriousness. "Just give me a second, okay?" you mumbled, pushing her away and shooing everyone else who hovered uselessly as they watched Zara's theatrics.

With much effort, thanks to the tight mermaid style gown you wore, you shuffled closer to Zara. Lying on your back, you stared at the ceiling, taking deep breaths, making a soft 'ah' noise on the exhale, hoping that this would work. After a couple of minutes Zara, sniffling and hiccupping, lay next to you, resting her head on your stomach as you continued to breathe deeply. Steadily the sniffling and hiccupping faded until Zara's breathing matched yours, her body relaxing into you as her breathing deepened.

Slowly you sat upright, gently lifting her into your lap and giving her a hug. Her arms wrapped around your neck and you gave her a little squeeze before pulling back a little to look at her. Her bright brown eyes sparkled, her cheeks no longer angry red but rosy pink, though her nose was still running a little.

"Do you want to put your shoes on now? Or when we get to the church?" you asked softly, brushing a loose curl back into place.

"Chuch" she replied, rubbing her eyes tiredly. Poor Nikki was going to have a real time putting her to bed tonight.

"Okay, we'll put them on when we get to the church. Can I wipe your nose?" Zara nodded and you accepted the tissue from Dot's Mum, wiping away the traces of the tantrum. "Alright, ready to go?" you asked, knowing that Dot would be close to having a nervous breakdown. You could feel her anxious energy radiating across the room.

Zara smiled and nodded, jumping off your lap and running past Dot to wait by the front door, babbling incoherently. You exhaled tiredly, clambering to your feet and ignoring the death stares from Samantha and Emily.

"Shall we?" you muttered as you grabbed your backpack, bouquet and Zara's shoes before heading out to the waiting limousine.

**