Like a whirlwind of a winter blast

 "It's going to be a very small affair, you know," Carmen kept telling Sammie, who was helping get her wedding dress ready. It was simply white. Nothing fancy. 

"I don't even know why I'm here, it looks fine," Sammie told her.

"It's just, I wanted you to be in my wedding," Carmen said, wishing there was more time. She felt rushed.

"Tristan is rushing you two," Sammie informed her as she put her needle and thread away. Yes, the dress was a bit tight on Carmen, but it would be fine. She could breathe. "Look, what matters is that the two of you want to get married before the year is over, and you've got a house."

"I know, it's overwhelming. I feel like Justin is mad at me," Carmen finally admitted.

"Really?" Sammie looked at her, stunned. "This is supposed to be a happy time, you know. If you have doubts-"

"No. No, we're doing it. We are." Carmen told her it would get better. "He's just as overwhelmed as I am, you know."

"OK." Sammie nodded. "I hope you're right. I want you to be happy."

"I am. I love him." Carmen sounded certain.

"Good. Do you tell each other that?"

"Well, you and Gabe don't do that, do you?" Carmen snapped in a tizzy.

"We don't have to." Sammie chuckled.

"Well...we don't either."

"But you should," Sammie told her. They said it now after having the baby. "Sure, it was a struggle for him at first, because he never grew up that way. I didn't either. But now, we want our baby to hear those words coming from us."

Carmen nodded. She said she was certain she'd said it to him. She thought he'd said it too. 

"Well, don't think about it, do it."

"OK," Carmen said. "I will."