by Lucy Clark
And with that, he picked up Katie bear and held her out to Molly. She smiled and stroked the bear’s fur, then the old satin ribbon and it was then…she saw a diamond ring tied to the ribbon.
‘What the—’ She looked from the ring to Fletcher and back again, her fingers gently touching the most perfect ring she’d ever seen.
‘We never really got you an engagement ring all those years ago. It’s another thing I want to rectify.’
‘How—’
‘I’m a magician, remember.’ He winked at her as he carefully undid the knot of ribbon around the ring. He reached for her left hand and as he slid the ring into place, the magnificent piece of jewellery fitting her finger perfectly, he kissed her and whispered, ‘Molly Wilton, will you marry me…again?’
‘Yes.’ It didn’t matter that, legally, they were already married. What mattered was the connecting of their hearts, their minds and their souls.
‘I love you,’ he whispered against her lips.
‘I love you, too,’ she returned, kissing him again and again. As she sighed with utter contentment she eased back to look at him. ‘How did you get the ring onto the ribbon without me seeing?’
Fletcher tapped the side of his nose twice. ‘A magician never reveals his secrets.’
‘Is that so?’
‘Uh-huh.’
‘I’ll get you to talk.’
‘Not going to happen.’
‘Yes, it will, because I have a few tricks of my own up my sleeve.’
‘Oh, yeah?’ He was clearly intrigued. ‘What’s that?’
Molly eased herself from his lap, then held out her hand to him. ‘Why don’t you come into the bedroom, my wonderful husband, and I’ll show you?’
‘You think you can get me to reveal my secrets?’ He linked his fingers with hers and stood up.
‘I do.’
‘Then let’s get started. I have a feeling your methods might be quite…exhilarating.’
Molly’s answer was to laugh, a laugh that resounded through the walls, filling the area around them with pure happiness.
EPILOGUE
ONE WEEK AFTER Molly’s final exams, she and Fletcher headed to Newcastle to celebrate with the family. No sooner had they pulled into the driveway than Stacey and Cora came running down the side path of the house, eager to see her.
‘I’ll grab the bags and go find the blokes,’ Fletcher remarked, giving her a quick kiss before Molly was whisked into a firm embrace by her oldest sister.
‘I’m so proud of you,’ Stacey said. ‘Mr Molly Wilton.’
Cora laughed at Stacey’s comment. ‘That’s right. I’d forgotten that when you become a surgeon, you become a “Mr”.’
‘I think I might stick with doctor, if you don’t mind.’ Molly hugged both her sisters close, the three of them taking a moment to just relax and silently celebrate their accomplishments together.
‘Dad and Tish would have been so proud of you,’ Stacey said after a moment.
‘They would have been proud of all of us. Jasmine, George and Lydia included,’ Molly stated.
‘I’m sure they’re looking down on us,’ Cora added as Jasmine came running in their direction, her arms open wide.
‘My turn for a sisterly hug.’ She laughed and the three older siblings enfolded her into their hug.
‘I love my family,’ Molly murmured and her sisters agreed.
‘What’s going on here?’ They all looked over their shoulder to see Lydia standing there glaring at them with her hands on her hips. ‘Are you having a sister hug…without me?’
‘Get over here.’ Jasmine beckoned and Lydia didn’t need to be told twice, bouncing towards them with her boundless energy, reminding Molly of one of the rabbits.
‘Typical.’ It was George, coming around the corner to find his five sisters all in some sort of weird hug-huddle. ‘You girls. You always do this hugging thing. Well, I’m gonna get my own boy-hugging-huddle happening.’ He turned and walked off down the side path towards the back yard.
‘A boy-hugging-huddle? This I’ve got to see,’ Stacey said and the sisters all followed their only brother towards the back garden, Molly bringing up the rear. She half expected to find George demanding the men all stand around and hug but, instead, she saw the back yard, perfectly decorated with fairy lights and white triangle-shaped bunting strung from the trees. There were even a few balloons filled with helium and tethered to lower branches.
‘What’s all this?’ Molly asked, looking around because everyone else there—including Fletcher—seemed to know exactly what was going on.
‘It’s your wedding day!’ It was Ty who shouted the answer, jumping up and down with excitement and clapping his hands.
Cora laughed at her son. ‘Otherwise known as your renewal-of-vows day…or night, given that the sun is starting to set.’
‘What? But I’ve got nothing to wear.’
‘Oh, yes, you do.’ Jasmine tugged at her hand. ‘Come inside, sis. Everything’s taken care of.’
‘But…’ Molly glanced at Fletcher over her shoulder, half expecting some sort of support, but all she received was a kiss, blown to her. ‘When did you plan all this?’
‘It was Fletcher’s idea.’ Stacey led Molly down the hallway towards the bedroom. ‘He wanted to wait until you’d finished all your exams but didn’t want to stress you with having to plan any of it. So as you weren’t available—’
‘He turned to those who know you better than you know yourself.’
‘Us!’ Lydia provided Molly with the answer to the rhetorical question as they entered the bedroom. ‘Look. We all helped pick the dress, even George.’
‘He was so funny, Molly. Incredibly particular and thoughtful.’ Cora spoke softly near Molly’s ear.
‘Well…I don’t know what to say. I’m speechless.’ She looked at her sisters, one by one, her heart swelling with love. ‘Thank you. All of you.’
‘You’re more than welcome, but let’s get you changed.’
‘Wait a moment. What about Fletcher? What’s he going to wear?’
‘He’s getting changed, too. Come on or we’ll run out of time.’ Stacey was in organisational mode and there was no arguing with her when she was like this. And before Molly knew what was really going on, she was dressed in the most lovely cream-coloured raw satin dress, which came to just above her ankles. A pair of flat shoes matched the dress and Cora quickly put Molly’s unruly curls into an easy up-do, securing it with a blue clip. Lydia handed Molly one of Letisha’s old necklaces.
‘This can be your something old and something borrowed,’ Lydia stated as Stacey fixed the necklace into place. ‘And the blue clip is your something blue and the dress is your something new. I made sure it was all organised.’
‘Thank you, Lyds.’ Molly hugged her sister close. ‘All of you. Thank you.’
‘You were so busy with exams,’ Cora whispered near Molly’s ear, ‘that you probably didn’t even guess.’
‘I was wondering how you’d all managed to keep it a secret, especially you and Stace, but instead of trying to figure it all out, I’m going to just enjoy it.’
‘As you’re supposed to.’ Cora pulled Molly to her feet and gave her a quick perusal. ‘Perfect.’
‘I’ll go see how the boys are getting on,’ Stacey remarked.
Soon, Molly was walking down the makeshift aisle, with George on her arm, ‘giving her away’, and heading towards Fletcher, who stood near the flowers Pierce had planted, smiling at her as though she were the most incredible, wonderful and perfect person in the world. Oh, how she loved him…with all her heart.
As they were already married, they didn’t need a minister to officiate the ceremony and so, when they stood there, hand in hand, facing each other, their extended family around them, Molly and Fletcher declared their love for each other, promising to be there for each other—no matter what.
Afterwards, they celebrated in style, the fairy lights twinkling in the garden.
‘Happy?’ Fletcher asked as he handed her a glass of wine.
‘More than I can ever remember being before.’ She kissed her husband. ‘I meant what I said in my vows.’
‘I should hope so,’ he joked.
‘I do love you, more than words can express.’
‘And I love you even more than that.’ He nodded and hugged her close, the two of them in one corner of the garden as everyone else danced on the patio. ‘This time we’ve got it. We’re both ready. We’re both in the same place.’
‘I love that you tied the engagement ring to Katie’s bear.’
‘It was only right she be a part of our continued unity.’
‘She is a part of us. For ever.’ Molly looked up at the twinkling lights in the cloudless sky. Then she angled her head to one side, looking more intently at the stars.
‘What are you looking at?’ Fletcher asked her.
‘Katie’s star.’
‘What?’
‘I had a star named after her. Katie Wilton-Thompson. Just…over…there.’ She pointed in the direction and Fletcher kissed the side of her neck, his arms still securely around her.
‘What a lovely reminder of our beautiful girl. Her spirit, flying free amongst the stars, shining bright. For ever.’
‘Just like us.’ Molly put her drink down, then turned in his arms. ‘The two of us, together. For ever.’
Then she kissed the man she’d married so long ago, unable to believe how their topsy-turvy journey had brought them to this very point in time.
‘Hey, you two!’ Cora called. ‘Stop cuddling and come and join in. This is your party.’
‘Huh. What do you know?’ Fletcher remarked as he kissed Molly once more. ‘I finally got to cuddle you in the back yard.’
Molly laughed. ‘Fletch. Promise you’ll always make me laugh.’
‘I promise, my love.’
And so they rejoined the party, dancing and laughing and having the most wonderful time, ending with Molly leading them all in a big conga line around the garden and through the house.
She fell onto the sofa, Cora and Stacey beside her.
‘Thank you,’ she said to them both. ‘For everything.’
‘That’s what family’s for,’ they said in unison and the three of them laughed, all so very happy with the way their lives had turned out.
*
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ISBN-13: 9781460383384
Still Married to Her Ex!
Copyright © 2015 by Lucy Clark
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This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events or locales is entirely coincidental. This edition published by arrangement with Harlequin Books S.A.
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