Chapter 12
“But then one day a few summers ago, I got a message from my mother, saying my brother wasn’t feeling well, and could I cover for him at that morning’s investiture? My plans that day had been to have a morning to myself. Relax over a coffee. Perhaps catch Alison Hammond cackling on This Morning.”
That got a raucous laugh. She had Tanya to thank for that killer line.
“However, I’m very dutiful. Hence, I covered for my brother. Receiving her MBE that morning was one Ashleigh Woods.” She smiled down at her wife, as someone in the crowd wolf whistled.
Victoria let the laughter die down before she raised the microphone to her lips again, and turned to her brother. “I don’t say this very often, but thank you, Michael, for being hungover that morning.”
The whole room hollered their approval.
She took another deep breath. “I also have to say a heartfelt thank you to my parents, for letting me marry the love of my life. It wasn’t as straightforward as they’d hoped, but their love and support has paved the way to change society.
I’ll be eternally grateful.” She raised her glass of champagne.
“Could I ask you to stand, and raise your glass in a toast to my parents. I don’t say it enough, but I love you both. ”
The whole reception stood, and for once in her life, the Queen looked dumbstruck.
Victoria let the guests sit again before she spoke again.
“Finally, there are three more thank yous to dish out. First, to my grandmother, for her constant meddling, which meant this wedding took place.”
Victoria grinned at her gran.
The older woman gave her a cheeky wink, as Ash raised her glass in Gran’s direction. Victoria loved how well they got on.
“Second, to Astrid and Sofia for encouraging me to go for it. Astrid especially can be very persuasive when she wants to be. I think she’d call it Swedish charm.” Victoria raised a glass to her maid of honour, who blew her a kiss in return.
“And last, but by no means least, thank you to my wife. Who I think we can all agree looks absolutely ravishing today.”
The cheer that got nearly blew the roof off.
Beside her, Ash smiled broadly, her emerald eyes sparkling, her ivory three-piece suit sitting perfectly on her athlete’s body.
“I have to say also, that sounds absolutely unreal coming out of my mouth.” Victoria shook her head. She had a wife. “Wild, even.”
And it did. She never thought she’d say that sentence in her lifetime, and she’d honestly never felt so free. She glanced down. “Do you like me calling you that?”
Ash shot her a blissed-up grin. “Ravishing, or your wife? For the record, I love both.”
“That’s good,” Victoria continued, with the poise of a top standup.
“Because you said I do, and there’s no going back.
” She grinned. “But seriously, thank you, Ash.” A swell of emotion rose hot and fast in her chest, and she paused, breathing through it, willing her voice to hold.
She gripped the microphone hard, then scoured her memory for what to say next.
“First, for not running screaming when I told you I liked you. What I bring to the table is too much for a lot of people, but it never was for you. You showed me the value of living your life unapologetically, that the only way to reach your true potential was to be authentic. We took the leap together, and I’m so glad we did. ”
Someone whooped, and someone else clapped, but Victoria waved her hands. “No clapping yet. Let me get to the end, please.”
The room stilled, waiting.
“Ash is England captain, and a great footballer, but she’s so much more than that. She’s my rock, my person, a woman I feel so lucky to have met.”
Victoria turned to Ash, and wasn’t surprised to see her wife’s eyes were glassy. That Ash wore her emotions on her sleeve thrilled Victoria. It wasn’t what she’d grown up with. It was definitely a cycle she wanted to break when they had children.
“Thank you for marrying me, and by association marrying into this family.” Victoria shook her head, in awe of her wife. She was giving up everything for her. Victoria would never forget that. “In footballing parlance, you’re definitely back of the net. My ultimate goal. My forever match.”
She raised her glass, looking at Ash. Gorgeous, vulnerable, beautiful Ash. “To my wife, the love of my life.”
The whole room chorused, “To Ash!”
Then Michael stood up, then her mother, and her father, and broke into applause. Soon, the whole room was standing, and Victoria didn’t know what to say. Because maybe there was nothing to say.
Instead of saying, she decided to do. She pulled Ash to her feet, wiped a tear from her cheek, and kissed her lips. Glitter flowed through her.
In every dream Victoria had ever had, she never, ever, thought her life could be this incredible.