Epilogue #2
“But what about the dress!” Isabelle screeched, bringing Rory out of her reverie.
“It will be fine, Isabelle.” Rory's voice was firm and commanding. “If the dress really can’t fit, then she can wear something else.” Just as her mother-in-law was about to say something else, Rory took her hands and looked her in the eye.
“This is all lovely Isabelle, but none of it matters. Gemma, me, and our love for each other. That is all that matters.”
Gemma looked over at her wife, and her heart clenched.
This was her Rory, her wife, and she couldn't wait to spend the rest of their lives together.
She closed her eyes and for a brief few seconds tried to take herself away from the chaos that their wedding was becoming and to the blissful moment on Sunday morning when she and Rory would be on the plane heading off on honeymoon.
Rory still hadn't told her where they were going, but Gemma would bet every penny she had that they would touch down in Austria.
Whilst the thought of her gorgeous, toned wife sunning herself on a beach was tempting, Gemma was looking forward to reacquainting herself with the hotel they had spent so many happy times in as youngsters.
Perhaps they would take their own children there one day?
The thought of being away with Rory for two weeks with no work, no wedding and no family bothering them was bliss, and she kept the dream of that in her mind as she dutifully went through the motions of preparing for the wedding tomorrow.
Eventually, they were free to return to their room to get ready for the family dinner. Exhaustion took over her as she entered their room.
“Do I have time for a nap?” She checked her watch. “We have a couple of hours, I think.” She trudged to the bed and flopped down, kicking her shoes off as she went.
“Are you okay, my love?” Rory was by her side in an instant, holding Gemma's hands in her strong, capable ones.
“Just frazzled.” Gemma replied with a weak smile. She didn't let on that, given half a chance, she would run down to Rory's car and drive far away from all the chaos.
“Do you want a cuddle?” Rory squeezed her hands, and Gemma nodded. Before long, they were stripped to their underwear and tucked under a sheet on the bed. It was too hot to have a duvet, but she wanted to be covered. She snuggled into Rory's strong embrace and sighed.
“I love you.” Rory kissed her head. “You will always be enough for me, you know.”
“Even if we never have kids?” Gemma's voice was small, and she hated the neediness in it. Until Rory, she hadn't been interested in kids at all, but since they had been together, the need to create a family with Rory had grown stronger each day.
“Might mean we installed an en suite bathroom for nothing, but I think it’s worth it.”
Rory kissed Gemma's shoulder, and she shivered with pleasure. She cast her mind back to this morning when they’d had a long shower together.
“No, I am pretty fond of the shower. It’s the only reason I moved in with you.”
They both giggled, and Rory burrowed her face into Gemma's hair.
As predicted, Teagan and Brad had moved in together not long after Rory and Gemma got together.
Gemma could either look for another flat or do the lesbian thing and U-Haul herself into Rory's house.
She had chosen the latter and hadn't regretted a single moment of it.
Falling asleep and waking up with Rory was one of life's simple pleasures.
“I think we should tell the families that we are not trying for kids until I'm a senior partner,” Rory murmured into Gemma's hair. “That should give us five years of peace and quiet to give IVF a proper chance.”
Gemma relaxed into Rory's arms, feeling the pull of sleep tugging her.
“Sounds good.” She paused and rested a hand on Rory's sternum, moving her hand around until she could feel the thumping of her wife's heart.
“I love you, Rory.” Gemma found a patch of soft, warm skin under her lips and kissed it, her lips caressing the body that she had come to know intimately over the past three years, the body Rory had worked for and sculpted.
The body that now reflected who she was on the inside.
Suddenly feeling not as sleepy as before, she cupped one of Rory's breasts and stroked a thumb over the nipple.
Rory moaned, “I thought you were sleepy and needed a nap?”
Gemma grinned and kissed her way to the nipple closest to her lips.
“Suddenly I feel wide awake, and in need of some loving from my wife. Can you arrange that?”
“I might be able to.” The hand that had been cradling her so gently moved upwards to flick the clasp on Gemma's bra.
Gemma yelped in delighted surprise as Rory flipped them over and pressed Gemma to the bed.
With a contented sigh, Gemma realised they were going to be very late for their rehearsal dinner, and she didn't care one bit.
They had started this journey looking for Rory and along the way had found love as well.
The End!