Lola had never been in a limousine before. For a moment, she picturedWill’s reaction. He totally loved cars, and he would have loved to be travelling with Rex and Beau in a car that had been s-t-r-e-t-c-h-e-d like this.
The boys had got ready at Uncle Phil’s house, so that Rex wouldn’t see Lola’s mum in her wedding gown. Apparently that was bad luck. But Lola knew in her heart that nothing could go wrong today!
The driver wore a suit with gold buttons and a cap with gold trim. When he opened the door for them, Lola couldn’t help giggling.
She slid onto one of the bench seats. Tess got in next to her, and her mum and Aunty Kay sat facing them. It felt more like a fancy room on wheels than a car.
‘Are you ready, Helen?’ Aunty Kay asked as the driver pulled away from the curb.
Lola noticed her mum gulp. She smoothed down her blue dress. She looked out the window and then back at Kay.
‘I’m a bit nervous,’ she admitted. ‘You know, having to say wedding vows in front of everyone.’
‘I know what a vow is,’ Tess said knowingly. ‘A vow is like a promise.’
Lola crossed her legs. She put her bouquet on the seat between her and Tess. Tess crossed her legs. Then she put her bouquet right on top of Lola’s.
‘I think there will be a hundred people watching us when we get out of this car, or perhaps even fifty,’ Tess added happily.
Lola glanced at her mum. She tried to think of something to say to help her feel less nervous. But suddenly the limousine pulled to a halt.
‘Ladies. We have arrived,’ the driver said, tipping his cap.
It was perfect weather for a wedding in the park. The sun was shining but it wasn’t too hot.
The wedding guests stood, all dressed up, in two groups with an aisle down the middle. At the end of the aisle, a white gazebo just like the one in The Sound of Music was decorated with flowers and bows.
Standing in the gazebo were Rex, Will and Beau. They turned and watched as the girls came down the path.
Lola thought it was funny to see Will standing so still. Normally he was jumping around and fidgeting. But now he looked very serious.
Lola and Tess walked slowly down the aisle, smiling and waving at people as they went past. Lola’s mum walked behind them, holding her giant bouquet.
Lola had thought walking down the aisle might be a bit scary. But she knew heaps of the people there. She grinned as Uncle Phil blew her a kiss with both hands, and then did a funny bow. Her grandma smiled and Abbey waved to her. And she could feel everyone’s happiness. It wasn’t scary at all. It was fun!
When they got to the gazebo, Lola stood between her mum and Tess. Lola’s mum and Rex held hands.
‘Ladies and gentlemen,’ said the wedding celebrant who stood in front of them on a little platform. ‘We are gathered here today to celebrate the union of Rex and Helen.’
Lola glanced around. The guests were standing all around the gazebo now, in a semi-circle. Lola twirled her bouquet until it was time for Rex to say his vows.
‘I promise,’ he began. Lola noticed that Rex had to clear his throat and start again.
‘I promise to love and honour the beautiful Helen. I promise to respect her.’ He looked at Lola before he continued. ‘And to care for the lovely daughter I’ve always wanted …’
Lola felt her cheeks redden, but it was a nice kind of embarrassment.
‘Hey, what about me?’ Will interrupted from next to Rex.
The guests all laughed. Rex smiled. ‘And you too, if you behave,’ he added.
It took a while for the laughter to die down. Lola smiled but she couldn’t quite relax. Part of her was worried for her mum. Lola hoped that she had been able to think up some wedding vows of her own.
Lola gulped as her beautiful mum opened her mouth and closed it again. Then Rex cupped his hands around her mum’s, and this seemed to help.
‘I promise to love and honour Rex,’ Lola’s mum said slowly and clearly. The guests were completely silent. ‘I promise to cherish our beautiful family.
‘And I promise that each of you will be right with me, always, even when we’re not together.’ Lola’s mum looked across at Will. Then at Rex. Then her eyes landed on Lola and stayed there.
Lola pushed her lips together so she wouldn’t cry. She knew what her mum was going to say next.
‘Because you all live right here,’ Helen said, clutching the bouquet against her chest, ‘in my heart.’
Lola sat at the kids’ table at the wedding reception. Her feet bumped against her empty rose-petal basket. It had been fun throwing the petals over her mum and Rex. She and Tess had giggled all the way through the photo session too. When the photographer had told them to say ‘cheese’, Lola knew that was supposed to help them smile. But they hadn’t needed any help at all. Lola’s face ached from all the smiles. Real smiles.
‘Hey Lola, let’s go and get thirds,’ Tess said, popping the last piece of wedding cake on her plate into her mouth.
Lola groaned and shook her head. ‘I think I’m full, Tess,’ she said.
‘But you can never be full of chocolate cake with pink icing!’ Tess protested. ‘All right then, let’s just get more punch,’ she added, giving Lola a little punch on the arm.
Lola smiled and followed Tess to the drinks’ table. She looked around the reception centre. Some of the guests had swapped tables to chat with other friends. Others stood around, clinking glasses, chatting and laughing.
Lola looked at the band, which was warming up on the stage at the front of the room. Then she used the ladle to serve herself and Tess glasses of punch.
As the girls walked back to their table, the band started playing.
Lola watched as Rex took her mum’s hand and they walked to the dance floor.
Lola knew that the dance they were doing was called a ‘waltz’. She loved the way her mum’s dress swished around as she moved. She loved the way Rex held her around the waist and dipped her down. She watched as he lifted her mum back to standing position.
Soon, heaps of the guests had joined them. Lola giggled as she spotted Will twirling on the dance floor with Aunty Kay and raising his eyebrows again.
‘Lola?’ Tess said, tugging at her arm. ‘Lola?’
Lola looked back at Tess. Tess had a worried expression as she pushed her chair back from the table and glanced down at her feet.
‘I’m sorry about the shoes,’ she said. ‘I’m sorry I made you get the same ones as me. I know you really wanted the other ones. I hope you like them, just a little bit?’
Lola gave Tess a special smile. She put her feet next to Tess’s in a line. ‘I love the shoes, Tess,’ she said. ‘And I reckon they’re dancing shoes! Should we try them?’
Lola loved how Tess’s face lit up. Her grin ran from ear to ear.
As they walked towards the dance floor, Tess grabbed Lola’s hand. She pulled Lola down towards her so she could whisper in her ear.‘You are the bestest cousin in the whole, entire universe,’ she said to Lola. ‘You’re a legend.’
Lola squeezed Tess’s hand. She thought about how Will had taught her the soccer trick, and then told her she was a legend. Maybe Will found her annoying sometimes. But then again, maybe that was all part of being family.
As she pulled Tess onto the dance floor, Lola leant down and whispered in her ear. ‘You’re the bestest too, Tess,’ she said. ‘You are a legend.’
Lola blinked sleepily and looked up at her bedside table. Her rose-petal basket was no longer empty – it was now full of tiny chocolates that she and Tess had collected from all the tables after they’d exhausted themselves dancing.
At the end of the wedding she had fallen asleep on two chairs pushed together. Tess and Will and Beau had done the same on some chairs opposite.
Lola had woken up when Rex carried her to the car, but she’d pretended she was still asleep.
Later that night, Lola woke up for a moment and was glad to hear Tess’s breathing on the trundle be
d next to her.
Lola knew she would be in her mum’s heart while her mum was in Hawaii. She hoped her mum and Rex would have the best time ever.
Because Lola knew she was going to have a great time, right here, at home. Even if she did miss her mum and Rex, it was pretty amazing that she had Will and Beau and Aunty Kay, and even Tess, to look after her.
And they were family too.
Brilliant Besties
published in 2013 by
Hardie Grant Egmont
Ground Floor, Building 1, 658 Church Street
Richmond, Victoria 3121, Australia
www.hardiegrantegmont.com.au
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A CiP record for this title is available from the National Library of Australia
eISBN 9781743581346
Sleepover Text copyright © 2005 Rowan McAuley
Birthday Girl Text copyright © 2006 Meredith Badger
Secret’s Out Text copyright © 2008 Chrissie Perry
Music Mad Text copyright © 2007 Rowan McAuley
Flower Girl Text copyright © 2008 Chrissie Perry
Illustration and design copyright © 2013 Hardie Grant Egmont
Illustration by Aki Fukuoka
Design by Michelle Mackintosh
Text design and typesetting by Ektavo
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