39
Ella
October 4th, 2018
“E lla, you look amazing!”
I arch an eyebrow at Nick, a smirk breaking out on my face. “My hair needed another wash. I’ve come from probably one of the worst nights of my life, and I’m feeling like I could puke despite not eating.”
“Yet with all that, you’ve pulled it off. I’m proud to be giving you away to my little brother.”
I tap his arm in jest. “Shut up! Well, I think I’m ready to get married!”
“You’ve both had your interviews, so whenever you’re ready, Miss Webb, we’ll give the registrar the nod,” the woman by the door announces.
“Wait, I have something for you. Well, two things actually,” Nick suddenly states. He rushes over to the table behind the wall.
“These are for you. Matt said you aren’t allowed to walk down the aisle without them.” He hands me a small, hand-tied collection of bluebells and roses. Clearly, he didn’t have enough bluebells, so he bought some white roses and dotted the bluebells in between them. “He told me to tell you that he went to a florist who made the bluebells look more substantial because they looked shit on their own.”
“Thank you! They’re gorgeous.”
“And this is from me.” He hands me a small box. Inside is a small, silver bee brooch. “I know it’s silly and small, and probably tacky. Our grandma gave it to our mum on her wedding day, as her ‘something old’ or whatever it is. I know you only have something blue, and I guess something new is well, my niece or nephew, or your dress. So, I guess here’s your something old—”
“And borrowed! It’s not tacky, Nick. It’s gorgeous. I’d be honoured to wear it, thank you.”
“Oh, good, I thought you’d turn your nose up or something.” He smirks, hooking it into the spot I point out on my dress. It sits proudly by my heart.
“Of course not!” I sniff my tears away. “I wish they could be here. I might not have known them, but from what I know about them, I can guess that wherever they are now, they’d be proud of both of you.”
He takes my free hand and kisses the back of it, smiling at me so wide and so thankful, it takes my breath away.
“I know they would be so damn proud of him. After they died, he gave me so much shit. But when he moved on, he turned into someone they’d be so proud of. I know they would have loved you, Ella. You do him the world of good, even if you did bring a tornado of drama with you. I just wish they could be here for you both. But you have me instead.”
“Well, damn,” I joke. “You’ve made me cry and I haven’t gotten to the aisle yet.” He gives me a quick hug before we give the nod to the woman that I’m finally, finally ready to walk down the aisle.
∞∞∞
“I present Mr and Mrs Davenport!”
The complete euphoria and relief washes through me as if I was being pumped through with morphine. As Matty takes my hand and leads me out of the room as his wife, I feel that relief fall from my eyes like a waterfall.
“You did it, Mrs Davenport.” He tucks a loose strand of hair behind my ear as we pose for photos.
“ We did, husband .”
I pull him toward me and as our lips meet for our second kiss as husband and wife, the inner peace fills my veins.
“Will you two put each other down and pose for some photos!” Nick calls, breaking us apart. I chuckle and shake my head in feigned annoyance as we pose for the photos he wants.
We did it; we won. I married the man I love more than anything. I’m no longer available to marry Dean, I no longer have the contract threatening me, I no longer have to worry about secret relationships or finding a way out because I’ve done it.
I kiss him. “I love you.”
“I love you too.”
∞∞∞
“It’s officially twenty-six hours into married life.” Matt smiles up at me from his phone the next afternoon. The waitress comes along with the bill – we’re in the same restaurant we had our first date in.
She walks off when she pops it on the table, telling us she’ll be back in a few minutes.
“Not that you’ve been counting,” I joke back.
“Why wouldn’t I count it? It’s been the best twenty-six hours of my life so far!”
I feign offence. “But what about the three years before we got married?”
“Well, they were the best too, but the best part of my life is knowing that I don’t have to fight for you anymore because we managed to finally win. And true love prevailed,” he says.
∞∞∞
He parks the car when we reach home. I grab my handbag and get out of the car, wondering if now would be the best time to suggest a honeymoon. Getting away from everything sounds perfect right now. Maybe somewhere far away and remote, like Fiji or those islands, or maybe the Maldives—
“Congratulations Ella! Well played!”
We both turn at the same time as Matt puts the key in the front door to see Dean clapping at the end of the driveway.
“Fuck.”