by Marie Kelly
A small ripple of laughter ran through the group
“But they found each other and on this their second wedding anniversary, I would like to wish them all the happiness in the world”
His glass raised as the others also had lifted theirs “To Alexos and Grace”, the two leaning in to kiss each other, their smiles so bright.
Grace had given a content sigh, so happy with the way life had turned out over the past couple of years.
She and Alexos had been married less than a week after she had returned from Libya, Alexos flying Conner over to be with Daryle as he had persuaded the two to attend. Even his father had made the journey to the island, accompanying her mother, the two developing a great friendship. Not romantic, it had been one that had seen both flourish, Nikoli making great leaps and bounds with his health as her mother had refused to allow him to sit back and let life go past him. She had insisted that being the only person she knew that he had to show her around.
Her mother had also gone back to university when it transpired that her dream before marrying had been to become a teacher, excelling in the course and soon finding herself working with children with special needs, loving the work and being loved in return.
As he had promised, Alexos had supported her career, although Grace had taken another job working for the Greek government in an advisory role with regard to the marine life of the area. She had loved the job, both because it gave her the opportunity to be with her family, while at the same time giving her the ability to carry out research abroad. When this would happen Alexos would try and organise for he and Dimitri to visit her regularly, the two of them making the arrangement work well for them.
Their wedding day had been one of the most wonderful of her life, heralding a happiness that had filled their world, the couple marrying on the beach with the monk seals in the background as ever-present reminders of what had brought them back together. Still so slender, her dress had been simple, the simplicity itself adding to how beautiful she had looked, with her hair falling around her, flowers entwined within it.
Sitting listening to Daryle, she had felt the smile rise to her lips remembering as she had joined Alexos at the waterside to become his wife, he wearing a black suit, the wonderful smile on his face as he had leant in against her and chuckled “What no seaweed?” Grace grinning as she had allowed him to see the small piece of seaweed peeking out of the spray of flowers she had held. His bright eyes had laughed at her as his mouth had whispered so lovingly “I love you”. Grace happy as she had smiled adoringly back at the man she now knew she had always loved.
