Chapter 15
“I have to head over to Hayden’s room, so I guess I’ll see you on the beach?” I ask, draping my garment bag over my shoulder and propping myself in the doorway of the loo in our suite.
Sloan is wrapped in a fluffy white towel, finishing her makeup at the vanity. Vi’s itinerary says we should arrive at the bride and groom suites by ten a.m. today before the wedding begins at eleven.
This morning has been interesting to say the least. Sloan and I woke at different times, showered at different times, and have been doing an awkward sort of “don’t touch each other” dance all over our suite.
We’re acting like two teenagers who just lost their virginity and don’t know how to behave around each other the morning after.
I’m over it.
“Okay, I’ll see you later then,” Sloan replies as she stares at me in the mirror, her mascara wand frozen in the air.
I move in behind her and drop a kiss on her bare shoulder. “Love you,” I add with a cheeky smile and turn to leave.
She makes a strange noise in her throat and replies, “You’re just going to drop it on me all casual like that, then walk away?”
A broad smile spreads across my face as I turn to see her still watching me in the mirror. “Should I have dropped it another way?”
She swivels in her chair to face me, her tan legs exposed as she replies in a rush, “Well, I mean, if we’re going to just say it any time, I’m wondering what your family will think or how they’ll see this.
Will they think it’s happening too fast because they barely know me?
What if they think I’m a gold digger? And what happens when we get back to Manchester?
I have to figure out what I’m going to do with Sophia and when it’s appropriate for you to officially meet her.
This is a complicated process, Gareth. We should talk about it—”
“Sloan,” I stop her midsentence and her eyes shoot up to me.
“What?”
I hit her with a crooked smile and reply, “I’ll see you at the wedding.”
She puffs a strand of hair out of her eyes and replies, “Okay.”
“I love you,” I add with a smirk.
She bites her lip hesitantly, then adds with a small smile, “I love you, too.”
She turns back toward the mirror and, before I realise what I’m doing, I toss the garment bag on the bed and stride straight for her.
She looks up in surprise as I turn her in her chair and hoist her up onto the vanity.
Her bare legs wrap around my waist for balance as I kiss her and add, “I seriously love you.”
The smile on her face could light up the whole world when she replies, “I seriously love you, too.”
My brows lift. “See? We’re getting better at this already.”
“Gareth, I want you to walk me down the aisle.”
“What?” I exclaim, stepping inside the bridal suite after Vi texted me a 999 urgent message. “Vi, everyone is waiting down at the beach. Where’s Dad?” I ask, looking around the room.
“I sent him down to the beach.” She shrugs with a shy smile.
I exhale heavily and shake my head, taking a minute to look down at the stunning lace wedding dress my sister is wearing. “Vi, you are beautiful.”
“Thank you. Now will you please walk me down the aisle?”
“Vi, no. Dad would be crushed. I just stopped fighting with him. I don’t want to start again.”
“It was his idea.”
“What?” I ask, my eyes wide and jaw dropped.
“He said he would love to walk Rocky down the aisle and it would make him extremely proud to see you walk me down the aisle.”
“Vi, you’re his only daughter.”
“I’m aware.”
“He won’t have another chance at this.”
“I know,” she replies, her eyes firm on mine.
“Gareth, a lot of what you said at dinner the other night is true, and I want you to know we haven’t forgotten any of it.
All of our best childhood memories are because of you.
You’ve always been there for us. You’re the one who started Sunday dinners after all. ”
“What are you talking about?” I scoff as I unbutton the suit jacket that Sloan made me and put my hands in my pockets. This is a conversation we should have had last night, not minutes before Vi is supposed to walk down the aisle.
“Don’t you remember those picnics you made for us every Sunday? We ate them at the park behind our house.”
I shake my head. “Of course I remember, but that wasn’t—”
“Those were Sunday dinners, Gareth,” she interrupts. “You’ve kept our family together all these years, and there is no one else I’d rather have give me away to Hayden.”
Her eyes well with tears as the gravity of what’s about to happen sets in on both of us. I pull her into a tight hug, my lips pressing to her hair as I murmur, “You were a mini mum the second you were born, Vi. Don’t you dare sell yourself short.”
“Fine, we’re both amazing.” She laughs and pulls back, adjusting her long veil that stretches the entire length of her dress. “Now, let’s go get me married before I change my mind and pull a runner.”
I shake my head at her joke. “And what name will you be getting married under today?”
She inhales deeply, a look of peace flitting across her face. “Vilma Harris-Clarke. The one and only.”
I nod and take her arm in mine. “It sounds perfect.”
The ocean air is warm as Vi and I make our way down to the beach where the ceremony is taking place.
In front of a large set of rustic, double doors draped in pink and white flowers, we spot Dad holding Rocky beside Leslie and little Marisa.
They are huddling close to the doors to conceal themselves from everyone else on the other side, waiting for Vi’s big entrance.
Vi is already crying as she approaches, her face lighting up at the sight of our tiny Rock Star in a fluffy pink dress. She pulls her arm out of mine and hands me her pink bouquet to reach out for Rocky, who instantly reaches back.
Vi pulls her into a tight hug, but Rocky’s more interested in marvelling over her mummy’s pretty dress and hair. She tugs on the white veil laying over top of Vi’s long blonde curls. “Mummy pretty,” she says, her eyes full of wonder.
“Adrienne pretty,” Vi croaks, sniffling back her tears. She leans down to two-year-old Marisa who has her chubby arms wrapped around her mummy’s legs. “Marisa pretty, too,” Vi adds with a smile and tugs on one of Marisa’s red curls.
Dad and I make eye contact and exchange a meaningful look of respect. He gives me a silent nod of approval that would have grated on my nerves less than forty-eight hours ago.
Now, it brings me peace.
Dad looks at Vi as she stands up straight and fixes the strap on Rocky’s dress. “Are you ready, Vi, my darling?” he asks, his voice deep and full of emotion.
Vi nods and turns to me. “Completely ready.”
Leslie squats down next to her daughter, fussing over her dress as she says, “Okay, Marisa, you’re first. Do it just like we practiced.” Leslie hands Marisa a tiny basket of pink flower petals.
Dad nods at them and pushes the double doors open to reveal our family all standing in the sand, lining the entire aisle and staring at us with big smiles on their faces.
On the right is Hayden’s brother, Theo, and their parents, Winifred and Richard. On the left are my three brothers, their partners, and Sloan, who’s standing closest to the door and is dressed in a stunning long, black dress. She looks every bit as beautiful as she always does.
At the end of the aisle is a large wooden archway draped in a waterfall of pink flowers. Beneath it is the pastor, Hayden, and his sister, Daphney, who has an acoustic guitar strapped to her chest.
Leslie gives Daphney a nod and she begins playing the Sleeping At Last cover of “500 Miles.” Hayden’s head turns from the ocean, and his eyes instantly land on Vi, who still has Rocky in her arms.
His smile falls.
He doesn’t look happy.
He doesn’t look sad.
He doesn’t look angry.
He’s overcome.
Vi’s shoulders shake with silent sobs as Daphney begins to sing. She squeezes Rocky to her chest and points down the aisle. “Look, Rocky Doll. There’s your daddy.”
“Daddy.” Rocky opens and closes her fingers in a wave, and the look exchanged between their little family seems private and personal, but we’re all here to witness it. To witness their connection. Their love.
Their moment in time.
“Go see your Unky Hayden, Marisa,” Leslie coos quietly and urges her daughter down the aisle.
Everyone’s eyes are diverted to the adorable little redhead in a fluffy pink tutu dress.
Marisa’s eyes are wide and wary on all the people looking down at her, but she smiles a big smile the second she spots Hayden.
Now in a hurry, she tosses her basket of flowers and makes a mad dash down the sandy beach aisle, tripping once and getting a face full of sand.
Several people step out to help her, but Marisa shakes them off, not the least bit bothered as she pauses to spit some sand out of her mouth.
She resumes her toddler run all the way to her uncle who’s squatting down with wide open arms.
Hayden scoops up a giggling Marisa who’s still picking at sand on her tongue, and everyone laughs at the tender connection between Hayden and his niece. He pulls his pocket square out of his suit jacket and dabs at her lips as she croaks out a loud, “Yucky.”
Theo reaches out to take Marisa from Hayden, and Hayden resumes his stoic stance, smiling big and staring back at Vi.
“Ready, Rocky Doll?” Dad asks, holding his arms out to her.
“Papa!” she sings happily and falls out of Vi’s arms and into Dad’s.
Vi wraps her hand around my arm and takes her flowers back. Then, she takes a deep breath, bracing herself to watch her daughter be carried down the aisle.
About midway, Dad stops walking and lowers Rocky until her little bare feet touch the sand.
Her chubby fingers hold onto his hands as he walks her a few steps before pulling one hand away.
We all take a collective breath when Rocky releases his other hand and walks stiltedly by herself for several steps.
Vi sobs beside me as she watches Hayden rush over and crouch down in front of Rocky, holding his hands out wide. Rocky nearly falls but manages to straighten herself and resumes her walk right into an openly crying Hayden’s arms.
“Oh my God,” Vi exclaims, looking at me with red, tear-soaked eyes. “She just walked!”
“Did you know she could do that?”
She shakes her head. “Dad must have been practicing with her!”
“Incredible,” I croak, tearing up myself and finding Sloan’s eyes watching me instead of Rocky. She’s covering her mouth and staring at me with wide, red-rimmed eyes full of so much love, it takes everything I have to not let go of my sister and go to her.
Hayden kisses Rocky, then passes her off into my dad’s arms and swipes at his face to prepare for his bride.
As soon as Daphney starts the chorus, I begin to usher Vi down the aisle to her groom. I look over at her with a wide smile, honoured more than I can explain to be the one giving her away today. We’ve been through so much together. Lots of hard times but far more happy.
This moment—Vi’s moment of achieving her happily ever after—is momentous to all of us. She is our sister—the woman we would all do anything for—and all of her dreams are coming true today. It couldn’t be happening to a better person.
When we reach Hayden, I release Vi’s arm to pull Hayden into a tight hug.
We clap each other on the back, then I look into his eyes and give him a nod of approval.
Hayden has a dark past, but he’s more than proven himself to be good enough for our sister.
It’s a relief because I don’t think I could have given Vi away to anyone else.
Before I walk away, Vi surprises me with a wrenching hug around my neck.
“Thank you, Gareth.”
I half smile down at her. “Thank you, Vi.”
We nod at each other and the pastor begins the ceremony.
I step away and join Sloan in the back. My entire body aches for hers.
My heart, my soul, my hands. Our fingers thread together as we listen to Hayden and Vi recite their vows to each other and make a collective wish as the time hits 11:11 on the nose—a time once only special to Hayden but now equally as special to Vi.
They honour Hayden’s deceased sister, Marisa, and our mum with a single white rose that they release out into the ocean while Daphney plays the Sleeping At Last cover of “As Long as You Love Me.”
By the end of the service, my emotions have been raked over the coals. The overwhelming joy is too much for one person to handle. Vi’s wedding is like a happy ending the entire Harris family has waited long enough for.