Chapter 24
CHAPTER 24
“ Y ou look terrified!” Warren said to Nick as they both sipped a whisky in a quiet corner of a swanky riverside bar, a short walk from the registry office.
“I am,” Nick said as he gazed into his glass. “It’s not every day you get married.”
“But you’ve been together for fifteen years.”
Nick turned to look at him and laughed. “I’m not nervous about being married, it’s what I’ve gotta go through to get there.” He adjusted his tie and pulled a face as if it was strangling him.
“Here, let me do it,” Warren said as he adjusted it for him. “You’re going to have a great day. Relax. You’ll enjoy it.”
Nick picked up his glass and took a gulp of the amber liquid. “I’m glad you agreed to be the best man. I feel better with you here.”
“And I’m happy, that out of your family and friends, you chose me.”
“You’re my closest family. You’re my son, even if you don’t call me Dad!”
Warren smiled at him. The care shown to him by Nick and Jane had always surprised him. What on earth had possessed them to adopt him, when he was in such a sorry state? They knew everything about him and they still wanted him in their family. Even if the adoption was unofficial, it had always baffled him. He didn’t comment on the ‘Dad’ tag. To him, the terms Mum and Dad had always had negative connotations. A mum that never loved him and an anonymous dad. One thing he was sure about, he’d been someone’s mistake.
“Hey, why so glum, son?” Nick said.
“I wasn’t glum, just thoughtful.” He ran a hand over his dense cropped hair.
“I recognise the look. You always look like that when you think of the past.” He slapped him on the back. “You’re a good man who’s worked against the odds. I’m proud of you.” Tears sprung into Nick’s eyes.
“Hey, Nick. Don’t start crying on me. I need you grinning when we go over there.”
Nick shook himself out. “How long have I got?”
“You’re not being executed, you’re getting married. Now come on, drink up and we’ll get some fresh air.”
They left the bar and crossed the river using a metal winding footbridge.
Warren handed Nick a mint. “This is for the you may now kiss the bride part . Jane hates whisky. ”
“Do they really say that about kissing the bride?”
“I don’t know. I’ve never been to a wedding.”
“Haven’t you?” Nick asked.
They reached the park and walked through. Many people were gathered on the grass, sitting on blankets, some eating picnics, others drinking.
“The only wedding I was invited to, I missed as it was my graduation day.”
“I guess there aren’t a lot of weddings in my family and of course Jane’s are abroad. You know she’s after us going over to Dominica.”
“I can’t go anywhere until my field is established.” Now the other side of the park, Warren stopped as they waited for a break in traffic so they could cross the road.
“Her sisters are going to be on at you about Dominica all afternoon and night.”
“They mentioned it last night in the café.” Warren looked at his phone once they’d crossed the street. “Oh, it’s time.”
Nick’s eyes shot open. “Already?”
Warren put his arm around him. “I’ll look after you!”
Nick kissed Jane to rapturous applause. He faced the congregation and held her hand.
“Meet my wife everyone!”
The family cheered and Warren grinned so hard his cheeks hurt.
Outside, they took photos on the steps and then made their way to The Grand Hotel. They were in a moderate-sized event room with a bar attached. Warren sat with Nick and Jane on the top table and rehearsed his speech in his head as the guests found their tables. Luckily, he was speaking before they ate the meal. He wanted to get it out of the way so he could relax, as now it was his turn to look nervous.
Jane squeezed his hand as he stood up.
He tapped his glass. “Ladies and gentlemen, if I could have your attention for a few moments.”
The room quickly fell silent apart from a baby crying at one of the tables.
“I’d like to share a few words about two very special people – Nick and Jane. When I first met them at the café, little did I know that meeting them would change my life forever. The concept of parents was something that carried a lot of pain and confusion for me.” He took a deep breath as he heard a few whispers around the room. “But from the moment I walked in, there was a warmth and kindness in their eyes that I hadn’t experienced before. The same warmth that you all witnessed when they looked at each other as they exchanged their vows.”
Jane beamed at him and nodded with encouragement.
“Nick and Jane gave me a place to call home. They offered me not just a roof over my head, but something far more special – a sense of belonging. They taught me what it means to be part of a family.” He gestured out to the audience. “And so have all of you.”
There was a round of applause.
“I haven’t got a list of funny things that happened because when I sat down to write this speech, all I could remember were the good times.” He turned to the man he considered to be his father. “Nick, you’ve always been there with a listening ear. Your patience and understanding have guided me through some of the toughest times. Jane, you’ve always had sound advice, definitely the sensible one in our family home of three. You’ve both been my cheerleaders even when I was far from a champion.”
“You make us so proud, son,” Nick said as he put his arm around Jane who pulled a tissue from her silver bag.
“Together, you’ve shown me that family isn’t just about blood – it’s about the connections we create. You’ve not only changed my life but have also shown me that it’s never too late to find a family.” He coughed, feeling emotion brewing inside, and was surprised by this feeling which appeared to be filling him. He decided to skip the next few lines. He picked up his glass, not wanting to embarrass himself before he reached the last line, which was the most important one. Not the original line on the paper before him. The new one he’d added as he watched them wed. “And now, in front of our wider family, I’d like to say something I’ve been wanting to say for a long time. Let’s raise our glasses and toast the bride and groom. Here’s to a lifetime of happiness, for a married couple that I’m proud to call Mum and Dad .”
Jane stood up and hugged him before he could drink any of his champagne.
“Really?” she whispered. “You’ll call me Mum?”
“Yes, Mum,” he whispered back as he held her while everyone cheered loudly.
“It went well, eh?” Darius said to Warren later after the meal as they stood at the bar drinking lager.
Jane’s cousin came over. “Warren, will you dance with me?”
“In a while, sure,” he said with a smile.
“You’re popular,” Darius said. “That’s the third girl I’ve witnessed flirting with you.”
“Yeah.” He took a sip of his drink.
“Are you not interested in finding someone?”
“Truth is, I’m massively bowled over by someone in Eversley. I can’t get her out of my mind.”
“I sense from your tone that this isn’t a straight forward thing?”
“It’s not a thing at all as she’s pregnant and until very recently she was also engaged.”
“Surely you’re not going there? It sounds messy.”
“I wasn’t, but it seems like it’s really over with the ex. She’s the sort of woman that if I had her and lost her, it would crush me.”
Darius’s jaw dropped. “Man, you’ve got it bad!”
He sipped his pint. “She’s all I think about. And on top of that, I’m not even sure she’d let me in.”
“Why not?”
“Age difference, she’s nearly a decade older.”
“Are you sure you like her and you’re not going after what seems like the impossible? Hiding from real commitment by chasing an unlikely relationship?”
He looked Darius in the eye. “I’m sure.” He took a deep breath. “When I met her it was as if something was unlocked, not fully, but I felt something…new. Hey, I know this sounds pathetic, but I felt a lightness and since then, it’s always there and I’m feeling other things, as if this new feeling is creeping into the rest of my life. Like today.”
“Wow. You’re in love.”
Warren paused for a moment. The word love was one which did not pass his lips. The last person he had said he loved had let him down. And romantic love? He wasn’t sure what that was. “I only said I like her.” He decided to backtrack.
“Hang on, this isn’t the woman with the wedding dress shop?”
He nodded.
“Ah, yeah, Jane told me about her. I guess in that case, you need to go for it.”
Warren stood for a moment contemplating whether he had really fallen in love. He certainly felt something he’d never experienced before. It was as if in that moment, a door was opened. He smiled to himself.
Before he could consider it further, Jane rushed over and grabbed his hand. “Come on. Dance!”
Warren heard Darius laugh as Jane dragged him onto the dance floor.