by Brittle, D M
“I was taking a nap,” I replied unconvincingly. “It’s going to be a long day and with strangers around the house, you know, I didn’t want someone to just walk on into my bedroom while I was sleeping, so I locked the door.” I folded my arms defensively across my chest, hating that I was lying to my own mum.
“I see,” mum replied as she began plumping the pillows and tidying the bed sheets.
“Was there something that you wanted me for Mum?” Mums eyes lifted to mine as she smiled lovingly at me.
“The hairdresser is here darling, she is in the kitchen now, she has done both Casey and Jemma’s hair and is now doing Jasmine’s, they all look fantastic,” she said. “So you’re next, she will be finished in about five minutes.”
“Okay, I’ll be down in a moment.” I smiled back.
“Good girl,” she nodded firmly before walking past me and heading back to the door. Just as she was about to step out of the room she turned back to face me, “Oh, just one more thing darling.”
“Yes Mum?”
“No, not you dear,” mum shook her head as she tried to mask her smile.
“Blake, darling?” Mum called out. After a couple of seconds the bathroom door opened slowly and Blake appeared fully dressed.
“Diana, hi.” He smiled.
Mum nodded as she tried desperately to hide her smile, “As I thought, you two really can’t stay away from each other for just one day can you?” She said in disbelief.
“He was just……” I stumbled as I tried to find an appropriate excuse.
“Yeah I just needed to …”
“I know what you were doing here dear,” Mum said playfully. “But this is your home not mine, you don’t need to make excuses to me. In saying that, it would have been nice for you to stick to tradition just this once.” She smiled as she looked down at her watch, “but time really is ticking dear, you need your hair done and you, Blake, you need to get back to Tim’s house, they all think that you have gone missing. Of course, we all knew exactly where you were, especially because your car is parked right outside the front door.” Mum winked at us both before leaving the room and closing the door behind her. Blake and I both exhaled the breath that we had been holding as we laughed hard at the fact that we had been busted in our own house on our wedding day by my mother. Blake wrapped his hands around my waist and pulled me to him as we both tried to stem our laughter.
“Well, I know my mother almost catching us in the summer was like a bucket of cold water, but that was colder than the ice bucket challenge wasn’t it?” Blake continued to laugh as I buried my face in his chest with embarrassment.
“Thank god for the lock,” I replied before our laughter stemmed slowly.
“So,” Blake said as he placed his fingers under my chin and lifted my gaze to him.
“So,” I smiled back.
“I’ll see you at six.” Blake placed his lips to the tip of my nose.
“It’s a date,” I replied.
“The best date that we have ever had,” Blake said as he swept my hair away from my eyes. “Don’t be late.”
“Never.” Blake placed a lingering kiss to my lips before leaving the room, I watched as he jogged down the stairs and opened the front door before waving towards the kitchen where all of the ladies began whistling and cheering at him. One thing was for sure, my butterflies had now well and truly vanished and my nerves had now been replaced with pure excitement at becoming Blake’s wife.
*~*~*
It was hard to believe that it was my wedding that was just an hour away, the house was complete chaos and the only person who was sitting still was me.
Both of our mothers were running around as if the world was about to end while Casey was busy tweaking her hair in frustration because one piece just ‘wouldn’t sit right’. Jemma was on the phone to Tim’s parents every two minutes checking that baby Elianna was okay without her and Jasmine was re-dressing Fraser for at least the tenth time in the past hour. He had invented his own little game which he seemed to be enjoying immensely as he would continue to remove his tie, and then his waistcoat, and then his tie again once Jasmine had struggled to get it back on and looking perfect. I just sat and took in everything that was going on around me and everything that I was lucky enough to have been blessed with.
A sudden calmness surrounded us as piece by piece, the jigsaw slowly fitted together and everyone seemed to relax in unison. The fingers on the kitchen clock ticked loudly with each stroke as my time as Josephine Summers was coming to an end.
“Time to get you into that dress lady, your uncle will be here soon and we don’t want to give him a scare now do we?” Casey stood to the side of me along with Jasmine and Jemma; each of them was smiling down at me as though the craziness that I had just witnessed from all of them was all just a figment of my imagination.
“Okay, let’s do this,” I replied excitedly as I hopped off the stool and followed my bridesmaids upstairs.
Casey seemed more relaxed today than I had seen her since she arrived here on Christmas Eve; she had confided in me on Christmas Day that she and Alex had started married life on quite a rocky road after they had both decided that they wanted to start a family straight away. Casey had confessed to me that because I fell pregnant so quickly with Blake that she had been naïve enough to believe that the same would happen to her; but after not falling pregnant in the first three months Casey had taken this to mean that something must be wrong with either her or Alex which had caused an obvious strain.
I still ensured however, that amongst the madness of the wedding planning, I checked in with Casey every day at some point, as did Blake with Alex, just to make sure that they were both doing okay.
Both Blake and I had spent the past week trying to fix them both; just as they had with us on numerous occasions.
*~*~*
As I stood and looked at the reflection that was staring back at me, I found it hard to believe that the person in the mirror was me. Being pregnant with twins had given me a real glow, my skin was flawless and my eyes seemed to twinkle even brighter, I wasn’t one hundred percent sure however, if it was the pregnancy that was doing it or how happy I was right now in this exact moment. I didn’t wear much make up usually so for today I had decided to keep it simple, although I wanted to look the best that I ever had, I also didn’t want to look like any other person than the one whom Blake had fallen in love with.
Being winter, the dressmaker had decided I should go for a vintage 1930’s style ivory empire line gown; the dress clung just right to my bump and then flowed freely to the floor. With a high front neckline and long sleeves in dainty sheer lace, the dress was classy and elegant; the dressmaker had worked a hell of a lot of magic to get the dress to such a high standard with such limited time available. My hair had been styled into a low side bun, complimented with a red rose, which in turn matched the bridesmaids’ dresses perfectly. Because my bouquet was made up of just red roses, the bridesmaid dresses were red and completely straight, also with long sleeves but made from perfect soft chiffon. The bridesmaid’s bouquets would mirror mine but instead of red roses, theirs would be cream. I had to compliment both of our mothers for a job very well done on all accounts of this wedding; I may have wanted simple but everything that they had planned alongside us had been complete perfection.
Casey, Jasmine and Jemma were all staring at my reflection alongside me with happy smiles and tears that we were all trying to sniff back.
“You look amazing.” Casey spoke first, breaking the silence.
“I actually do don’t I?” I replied with a smile quietly as I struggled to move my eyes away from the mirror.
“You look perfect,” Jasmine sniffed.
“Beautiful.” Jemma added.
Casey put her arm around my shoulder as our eyes met in the mirror, “I love you Mary Poppins.” We all laughed through the happy tears that were now falling freely from our eyes.
“Can we come in ladies?” Julia knocked at
the bedroom door before opening it slowly; both my mum and Julia gasped with surprise as I turned to face them.
“Will I do?” I asked as I gave them a slow twirl.
“You will more than do my darling, I am so happy that you are going to be my daughter in law, we couldn’t have wished for a more precious girl than you.” Julia headed over and placed a kiss to the side of my hair, “don’t want to spoil that beautiful face of yours with lipstick now do we?” As her eyes glazed over she stepped back just as mum approached.
“Ladies, let’s give Jo and her mother a few moments alone shall we?” Julia nodded to the doorway as my bridesmaids followed her out of the room and down the stairs.
Mum took the few steps towards me and took both of my hands in hers; she continued to look down at our hands as she tried desperately to hold back her emotion. “There would be no other man alive today that would be any prouder than your dad Josephine. What you were twelve months ago and what you have grown into now, I just …” Mum finally looked up to me and smiled as her eyes filled with unshed tears. Unable to finish, she nodded as she struggled to control her emotion.
“I know Mum,” I gave her a reassuring smile as I squeezed her hands gently. “I wish he were here too; today, tomorrow, when the babies are born. I wish more than anything that he could share all of those things with me, with us.” As my lip shook, the tears fought so hard to spill over but I tried desperately to remain strong. “We can’t see him Mum, but he is here I know he is. From the minute that he left us, he only left us in person. I know that he is stood next to us right now; he is probably saying; ‘pull yourselves together you silly fools, this is a happy day not a bloomin’ funeral, dear oh deary me.’ I mimicked my dad’s deep voice knowing that those words would be exactly what he would be saying to us now despite the fact that he too would have tears in his eyes. Mum laughed but her tears began to fall. “Every bit of good that has happened to me since he died, he was there Mum. He gave me my job, he gave me my confidence back, he gave us this house… and most importantly, he gave me Blake.” I shook my head in disbelief, “I know that it probably sounds crazy, but I know that it’s true, he has guided every single step that I have taken, right up until today.” I looked above me as though my dad was there and he was listening to me, “Thank you Daddy.” I then looked to mum, “And thank you too, for being the best Mum and best friend that I could have ever wished for.”
I reached up and wiped the tears from mum’s cheek while still trying to hold mine back, “Now now, we don’t want to spoil the makeup do we?” We both laughed as Uncle Anthony knocked the door before stepping inside.
“Wow Jo, you look amazing,” Uncle Anthony exhaled a deep breath as he looked to mum and then back to me. “Why are you two crying? Isn’t this supposed to be a happy day?”
Mum shook her head as she laughed once more. “Right, I take it that the cars are here?” She asked as she quickly re-entered her business wedding planner mode. Uncle Anthony told her that the cars were ready and waiting and we should get going as soon as possible as snow was yet again falling and we couldn’t afford to get stuck.
“Shall we?” Uncle Anthony held out his arm for me which I took happily, he then led me out of the room and down the stairs to where everyone stood gathered at the front door waiting for me.
“Oh my God,” I gasped as I reached them all.
“What is it? Is it the babies?” Mum asked in a panic as everyone began to surround me.
“No,” I smiled as I began taking a few deep cleansing breaths. “I have just realized that I am getting married, now!” Everyone relaxed and sighed with relief before laughing with me.
“Yes dear, you are,” mum smiled. “Now let’s not keep that boy of yours waiting a second longer than we need to shall we?”
Blake
She was late. It was more than ten minutes after six and Jo wasn’t standing where she should have been. I had so many scenarios running through my mind that I couldn’t focus on there being just one problem. My mother, Diana, Fraser and Jasmine had arrived almost half an hour ago, they had travelled together in one car and had left the house while Jo, Anthony, Casey and Jemma were all climbing into car number two.
Diana was constantly leaning forward and giving my shoulder a reassuring squeeze before whispering to me that she would be here; I would then hear her turn to my mother and say; ‘They really should have been here by now, what could be the hold up?.’ In the space of five minutes, I had told myself that she had changed her mind or gone into a very early labor and needed me to be with her.
The other possibility was that they had all been involved in a car crash; each of those scenarios left me feeling physically ill and I was about ten seconds away from running out of the church and finding her myself. I had got Alex standing at the church doors looking for them whilst trying to call everyone possible to see where she was. Of course, the one day that you needed to contact someone via cell phone was always going to be the day that no one would have their phone switched on because of the wedding. I heard the church door slam shut and turned to see Alex walking with meaning towards me, his expression was un-readable.
“Where is she?” I asked as I stood to greet him.
“Dude,” Alex sighed before placing his hand to my shoulder.
“What is it?”
“She changed her mind Blake, she’s not coming.”
“What?” I asked loudly causing everyone in the church to turn and look at me. Alex was amused by himself as he laughed and slapped me on the cheek before walking past me taking his place beside the altar. “She’s right outside dude; the car broke down on the way here.” Alex continued to laugh at himself as I struggled to breathe at the thought of Jo changing her mind. “Your face,” he laughed.
“That was not funny,” I cursed. “If we weren’t in the Lord’s house right now I would kick your ass all the way back to New York.”
“You got to admit dude, it was kind of funny,” He laughed. “I should have taken a snapshot because your face was priceless.”
“It was not funny or priceless, you tripping over and breaking your neck on the way back to me? Now that would have been funny,” I replied sarcastically just as my eyes focused on the vicar who had stepped to the front of the altar.
“The rings,” I said quickly, “do you have the rings?” Alex stopped laughing suddenly and began searching his pockets frantically.
“Please Alex, please tell me you have the rings,” I said through gritted teeth.
Alex laughed once more as he held the rings up in front of me, “too easy dude, you are just too damn easy.”
I breathed a sigh of relief yet again, “karma is a bitch you know. I look forward to introducing you to it sometime soon.” I narrowed my eyes at Alex quickly just as the song that had become mine and Jo’s signature tune began to echo around the church. Ellie Goulding’s ‘How Long Will I Love You’ had been playing the night that Jo and I finally became an item and also the night that I proposed to her, having Jo walking down the aisle to what had become our song seemed very fitting.
*~*~*
I felt a cold breeze blow in as the doors to the church opened prompting me to turn and look; Jasmine and Fraser were the first to enter as slowly they made their way towards me. Fraser was as cute as ever as he asked Jasmine over and over again why everyone was smiling at him; Jasmine being the experienced mom that she is, just told him over and over again to simply smile back and keep quiet.
Casey and Jemma were next to enter the church, I heard Alex sigh happily as they approached whilst Casey mouthed the words ‘I love you so much,’ to him. My eyes were then drawn back to the church doors where the most beautiful sight that I have ever seen stood smiling happily at me as she clung to Anthony’s arm as if he was her lifeline. Her nerves were evident; I had seen it enough times over recent months to know that she was happy but still held on to a tiny bit of fear. Through her dress I could see our baby bump which made me realize that even though our son an
d daughter weren’t here in person; they were still here, to celebrate their mommy and daddy becoming husband and wife. Anthony whispered something closely into Jo’s ear; she nodded quickly before they started to make their descent down what seemed like a mile long walk towards me. Jo’s eyes stayed focused on me the whole time until my wife to be was stood next to me. She passed her bouquet to Jemma before turning her full attention to me.
“I’m sorry I’m late,” she whispered.
“I’m sorry that the car broke down,” I replied.
“We were overdue a bit of drama, don’t you think?” She smiled happily at me.
“You look so beautiful, I can’t even tell you how much I love you right now,” I whispered back, choking back my emotion. “When we walk out of here, you are going to be my wife, I love you,” I whispered.
“I love you too, husband to be.”
The music stopped and the guests took their seats just as Jo and I turned to face the vicar. I felt Jo’s hand wrap around mine as she gave me a gentle squeeze. I turned to look at her; she was smiling happily, as the vicar began our service.
“In the presence of God, and before this congregation, Blake and Josephine have given their consent and made their marriage vows to each other. They have declared their marriage by the joining of hands and by the giving and receiving of rings. I therefore proclaim that they are husband and wife. Those whom God has joined together let no one put asunder.”
The congregation roared and cheered as finally we were announced to them as husband and wife. I took the opportunity to kiss my wife for the first time, placing my lips firmly against hers and showing her through that kiss alone just how much this meant to me. We were married; finally, we were Mr. and Mrs. Mackenzie. It was what I had longed for since the first night that I joked to Jo about marrying her -right now if I thought she would say yes-, and now, on New Year’s Eve, we had done it.
