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Mik, the wedding coordinator, and his team show everyone where they’re going to sit, and then he runs through the ceremony. He’s warm and funny, and I can see everyone gradually relaxing as he makes it clear that everything is going to go smoothly, and they’ll easily deal with any hiccups that happen on the day.
My stomach still flutters though. Why am I so anxious? It’s not like me. I look at Belle and Damon then, though, holding hands in front of the altar, and I realize why I’m feeling like this. Both of them have had huge obstacles to overcome in order to be here today. Damon’s loss in his youth caused him all sorts of problems, and what happened to Belle had a severe impact on her, and, I’m sure, continues to do so.
My baby sister has been through the ringer, and I wasn’t there for her. I don’t think that guilt will ever completely go away, no matter what I do for her from now on. I wish I had a magic wand and could wave it and make everyone’s pain disappear, but I can’t. We’re all stuck with it, and the only thing we can do is work through it as best we can, and move on.
“If we could have the rings now,” Mik says to me.
I stare at him. “Sorry?”
“The rings please, Alex?”
My mouth opens, but no words come out.
“Bro,” Damon says with much amusement, “that was your one job.” A ripple of laughter passes through the crowd.
“I didn’t realize I needed to bring them for the rehearsal,” I say, embarrassed. “I’m so sorry. I was worried about losing them. They’re in the safe in the apartment.”
“It doesn’t matter at all,” Mik says, sliding a hand into his trouser pocket. “I happen to have a couple of spares so we can practice the exchange.” He brings out a small case and hands it to me and carries on.
I look at Belle and mouth, “Sorry!” She laughs and gives a small shake of her head, and her eyes sparkle. I glance at the crowd, not surprised to see most of my friends looking a combination of sorry for me and amused. Lastly, I look at Missie. She winks at me and blows a kiss, which makes me feel a bit better, but I still curse myself under my breath.
After he finishes going through the ceremony, Mik talks about signing the register, then moves everyone outside and explains where the photographs will take place. I’m standing at the edge of the crowd, and Missie threads her way through to stand beside me.
“You okay?” she murmurs, slipping her hand into mine.
I look at where Belle and Damon are standing, also holding hands, and my heart twists. “I’m such an idiot.”
“Alex.”
“The one job I have, and I blew it.”
“Alex.”
I blink and look at Missie.
“It doesn’t matter,” she says. “It’s just a rehearsal. You’ll bring them tomorrow, and that’s the important thing.”
I inhale, then blow it out slowly, but I don’t say anything.
“They know you’re there for them,” she says. “What’s done is done. Leave the past where it is and think about the future.” And she lifts up onto her tiptoes and kisses me.
I sigh, shocked and yet somehow not surprised that she’s able to read me. When she moves back, I look down into her eyes, my heart swelling. Earlier today, she told me she loved me—something I did not expect to hear. I knew she liked me, that she found me desirable. But we’ve not been dating long, and I wasn’t sure she’d be open to declarations of love so soon. I wish I’d broached the topic, but I didn’t want to send her running for the hills.
It doesn’t matter who said it first, though. The important thing is that we both know we’re serious about the other, and that’s opened me up to a world full of sunlight.
“By the way,” she says, her voice teasing, “what’s your middle name? And don’t tell me it’s ‘diplomatic’. I mean your real one.”
My eyes widen. “What?”
“At the trivia evening, Tyson said Gaby runs Hepburn Education, and he also called her ‘Gabrielle Audrey Winters-Palmer.’ I assume your mum was the fan of Audrey Hepburn? Then, when they ran through the vows, Mik called Belle ‘Michelle Marilyn Winters—after Marilyn Monroe, I’m guessing?”
Damn, she’s astute. I nod slowly. “Mum loved the old movie stars.”
“So what’s yours?”
“I’m not telling you.”
She laughs. “It can’t be that bad.”
