Chapter 1
LIZZIE
‘Nanny looks like a princess,’ Grace exclaims in awe, her blue eyes wide, her hands clasped together as she stares at my mum.
My five-year-old daughter is right. Mum looks beautiful, radiant and so happy.
I just hope that she’s marrying her prince. It’s all happened so fast. Too fast, a little voice whispers in my head.
It’s a warm May day, perfect weather for a wedding.
Mum’s dress is silver lace, knee-length, and it has a matching sheer silver voile coat, which she pairs with strappy grey kitten-heeled sandals – it’s exquisite.
She’s wearing contacts today instead of her usual rimless glasses, and her white-blonde chin-length bob frames her face.
Her simple bouquet of long-stemmed white roses wrapped in a sky-blue ribbon is stunning.
Standing beside her, George, my new stepfather, looks dapper in a light grey suit, pale blue tie and gleaming black shoes.
The sun pours in through the top window, glinting on his glasses and forming a halo of light above his bald head.
He and Mum turn to gaze at each other with shining eyes, their beaming smiles letting us all know how happy they are, and my doubts float away like leaves on the breeze. Mum wants this. She deserves it.
‘They look good together, don’t they?’ Nick, my husband, whispers, placing his arm on mine.
‘Yes, they do.’ I can hear the quiver in my voice, and Nick’s hand slides down my arm to my hand, squeezing it comfortably.
He knows how difficult the past few months have been and how much it means to me to see my mum happy again.
I don’t know what I’d do without Nick, he’s been a tower of strength.
I never thought that Mum would marry again. Dad died nine years ago, and Mum has never shown any interest in dating. Then Nick spotted the Agatha Christie Facebook group – Mum is a huge fan of Agatha Christie and has a whole shelf of her books – and encouraged her to join.
It was good to see her have an interest, and she really enjoyed chatting to her online friends.
But then she started mentioning George a lot, and their online chats became video calls and then meeting up.
I was a bit worried about how quickly Mum’s friendship with George developed into a romance, a few weeks after they first started talking.
She said they’d gelled straight away, and she seemed so happy, but I still had my reservations.
When I met George I was relieved to discover that he seemed a genuinely nice guy.
He was so different to Dad though. Dad was tall and big built with a mop of ginger hair that I’d inherited, and beard.
He was a workaholic, but when he was home he was funny and loving, a presence that filled the room.
George is smaller, slimmer, quietly spoken. He was a rock of support after Mum had the mini stroke. It had been such a worrying time for us all. George proposed as soon as Mum was better, saying it had made him realise how much he loved her, and he moved into Mum’s house to look after her.
And now here they are, getting married, just six months after that first meeting. They were lucky to get a Saturday, as there was a cancellation and they seized it.
Kenny and Sheila, George’s son and sister, walk into the Register Office and wave to us.
Kenny is tall like George, with sandy hair, but Sheila is tiny, with a mass of silver curls and pencilled arched eyebrows that make her look permanently surprised.
We’ve met them both a couple of times at Mum’s.
We haven’t met George’s daughter Alison yet because she lives in Spain, although she’s video-called George and Mum a few times and Mum seems quite taken with her.
It will be strange to have a whole new family, a stepsister and stepbrother.
A step aunt too. I’m an only child of only children and always longed for a brother and sister, or an extended family.
I’m hoping we will all get on, that Isaac and Grace will have the big loving family I longed for.
It has only ever been me, Mum and Dad, so watching George now, putting his arm around my mum and smiling into her eyes, brings a lump to my throat.
I miss my dad so much, but Mum deserves this new chance of happiness.
‘Uncle Kenny and Daddy and Isaac are twins,’ Grace observes, pointing to them one by one. Nick and Kenny are wearing the same silver-grey suit with a sky-blue waistcoat like George, as is our seven-year-old son Isaac.
‘That’s because it’s a wedding, silly,’ Isaac retorts.
‘I’m not silly!’ Grace stamps her feet. ‘Mummy and Auntie Sheila and Nanny aren’t twins.’
She’s right, Sheila is wearing a smart navy suit with a white blouse and a navy hat, whereas I’m wearing a sky-blue dress, and matching fascinator. We’re all wearing ivory rose buttonholes like the men though.
Kenny overhears and walks over. ‘Very observant, young lady.’ He holds out his hand for a high five and first Grace then Isaac high five him. Kenny and Sheila are friendly and Kenny is great with the kids. They all seem a very close family.
I wonder what Alison will be like. Mum said that she messaged George this morning to say her flight had been delayed, and she has just messaged again to say she’s on her way in a taxi.
‘I hope Alison hurries up, the kids are getting restless.’ I retie the sky-blue sash around Grace’s ivory calf-length dress and straighten the blue bow in her dark curly hair – just like Nick’s.
‘I guess she can’t help her flight being late, but I don’t think the registrar will wait much longer.
’ Nick leans forward and straightens Isaac’s bow tie.
Isaac has my ginger hair and green eyes.
The colouring looks good on him whereas I hated it when I was a kid and dyed it black as soon as I could.
He has my high cheekbones too, and always looks serious, whereas Grace has blue eyes and a sweetheart-shaped face and when she smiles it lights up her whole face, just like her dad – and grandad, I remember sadly. I still miss Dad terribly.
‘I can’t believe we’re all here to see my mum get married,’ I tell Nick. ‘It’s been such a whirlwind romance.’
‘I know, but it’s good to see your mum happy again, isn’t it?’ He looks so handsome, the sky-blue suit brings out the deep blue of his eyes and his dark, curly hair is swept up into a quiff. ‘You look gorgeous,’ he whispers.
‘You don’t look so bad yourself,’ I say, smiling at him.
He’s right, it is good to see Mum happy, and in love again.
I was still living at home when Dad died and me and Mum were both really devasted, our world shattered into tiny Dad-less pieces, so we clung to each other for support.
Then Nick came along and picked us both up.
He’s been beside us ever since, taking care of us, helping us whenever he can.
He’s our rock. I hope that Mum has found her rock in George, too.
The registrar looks anxiously at her watch. ‘I’m afraid that I can’t wait much longer, I’ve another service soon.’
George glances at the door. ‘My daughter should be here any minute.’
Isaac fidgets. ‘I’m hungry,’ he complains.
The door opens and a tall, slim woman with short blonde hair and dangling gold earrings bursts in. She is wearing a striking red trouser suit, black stilettos and a black fascinator. ‘Sorry I’m late, everyone. The traffic was awful.’
Both Mum’s and George’s faces crease into big smiles as the woman – obviously Alison – waves and slides into the seat next to Sheila and Kenny, her red trouser suit like a beacon amongst the sea of blue and silver-grey. She clearly wasn’t told the colour scheme.
The ceremony begins and we all watch in silence as Mum and George say their vows and rings are exchanged. It’s such a poignant moment tinged with sadness because it means my dad has finally been replaced, but I know he would have wanted Mum to be happy.
I hope she’s always as happy as this moment, that George looks after her. They are gazing at each other so adoringly, and we all clap as they kiss. Isaac and Grace clap the loudest and keep on clapping when everyone has finished. They both adore George. And their nanny, of course.
‘Now we have a granddad,’ Grace says to Isaac, and my heart lifts for them. Grace and Isaac longed for a granddad, but Nick’s dad died when he was young, and mine before our children were born.
Nick squeezes my hand and smiles down at me, he knows how emotional this is for me. I smile back to reassure him that I’m all right then glance over at Alison and Kenny to give them a friendly smile too. After all, we’re all family now.
Kenny catches my eye and winks, but Alison is chatting to Sheila. I’ll talk to them at the reception.
We all crowd around Mum and George, wanting to congratulate them. Alison hugs her dad then hugs Mum too.
‘Welcome to the family, Mum,’ she says.
Mum! I gasp aloud and my jaw slackens. Did she actually call my mum ‘Mum’? Wow! She barely knows her. That’s far too familiar.
Alison turns to me, and I wonder if she heard my gasp of surprise. I quickly compose myself.
‘Hello, Alison, delighted to meet you.’
My breath catches in my throat as her eyes hold mine, a small smile curving her red painted lips. My heart pounds and a wave of dizziness sweeps over me as a memory comes pounding back.
It can’t be her. It can’t.