by K. A. Hobbs
Me: It’s gorgeous. Almost as gorgeous as you, but not quite. These hours had best hurry. I miss you and I want you next to me. I’ve never loved you more than I do today, Mr Lambert. See you soon, I’ll be the one in a dress ;) I love you. X
Daniel: The book? Or the bracelet? Or you? I miss you too, but the wait will be worth it, the next time I see you, you’ll be walking down the aisle to marry me, you’ll be walking back up the aisle my wife. I can wait. I think. I love you more than anything. I need you more than anything. Come to me, I’ll be waiting. I love you. X
“I know what you just did, Katie.” Ginny’s voice makes me laugh.
“It’s a text message, I haven’t seen or spoken to him.” I grin at her.
“Okay. No more. Have something to eat the make up—” her words are cut off when the doorbell goes. She gets up and goes to the door and two minutes later, she comes back with the make-up artist I’ve chosen for today.
“Good morning Bride!” Sophie grins at me, wheeling her case of magic tricks behind her, “How are you feeling?”
“Morning, Sophie,” I smile back, “I’m rested, I’m about to have something to eat, then your magic transformation can begin.”
“You do not need transforming!” she shakes her head and looks at Ginny, “I keep telling her this.”
“Oh, I know. I’ve told her too,” she smiles, “Help yourself to a pastries or three and I’ll make you a coffee, what would you like?”
“Anything with caramel in,” Sophie sighs, “I’m exhausted today,! My babies are teething, sleepless night and grumpy days. Daddy will have his hands full today!” she laughs, taking a seat and helping herself to a pastry. As she bites into it, she groans, “Oh my God! Where did you get these from?”
“Her soon to be husband made them.” Ginny laughs.
“He made them? Like, from scratch?” Sophie eyes me.
“Yes.” I nod rather proud of Daniel.
“I’d marry him for these alone,” she grins, taking another bite, “I think my husband might have something to say about it though.”
“I think he just might, mine would too,” Ginny says starting the coffee machine, “It is tempting though, right?”
We sit and devour the pastries Daniel made and then it’s time to start getting ready. I have my hair done first, the hairdresser turning my waves into a sophisticated loose bun at the back of my head, there are a few loose locks framing my face and my side fringe is sitting perfectly for a change. It’s simple and perfect with a small hairpin made from crystals slipped into place. I watch as Sophie works to transform my face from ordinary to beautiful. I’ve had a trial, I know how good she is, but when she has finished, I’m still as floored as I was the first time. Looking in the mirror, I can’t believe the woman staring back at me is actually me.
With my hair and make up finished, I say goodbye to Sophie and thank her for all her help today. She squeezes me and wishes me the happiest wedding day ever, that I’m going to be the most beautiful Bride and Daniel really is a lucky man to be marrying me. I smile and thank her, it isn’t Daniel who is lucky, it’s me. When Ginny is dressed, looking beautiful in her poppy red dress that skims over her bump and makes her looks absolutely gorgeous she helps me get into my dress and twenty minutes later as I slip my feet into my shoes, I’m ready. I’m ready to get into the car, I’m ready to drive to the venue and I’m so ready to marry Daniel.
I’ve gone for a wedding dress covered in lace. I love lace and the moment I stepped into it in the shop, I knew it was the one. From the front I am mostly covered, but there is a diamond shape cut out of the back leaving my back exposed. Daniel loves my back so he will adore this dress. I’ve bought a new set of the most beautiful cream lace lingerie to wear. My dress doesn’t allow for a bra, so I’ll be slipping into that part later.
“How long?” I ask, impatiently.
“Five minutes, the car will be here in five minutes if they are on time. Will you relax?”
“They will be on time.”
I’m sitting looking out of the window when I see them. Two white horses coming down Ginny’s road and trailing behind them is a carriage. The most beautiful carriage I have ever seen and it looks exactly like Cinderella’s. I turn to Ginny who has a sly smile on her face as she watches me. She knew. I stand, pick up my bouquet of the reddest poppies I’ve ever seen and turn to walk to the front door, so ready to get to Daniel already.
“You must be Katie.” the guy smiles as he steps down from his seat.
“I am.” I smile tearily, wiping under my eyes a little.
“And you had no idea this was happening did you?” he grins.
“No. I certainly did not…The carriage I mean, I knew I was getting married.” I laugh.
“Glad to hear it,” he holds his hand out for me and helps me in. When I’m seated he hands me an envelope, my name written on the front, “This is from the palace.” he winks before helping Ginny in too.
I open the envelope and pull out an invite, this one is different to the ones we sent out to our guests. Where those simply had Cinderella’s castle on with the wording; And they lived happily ever after, this invite has the caste, along with the history of us, like it is part of the very story our wedding is based upon. We begin to move as I read through the wording on the invite, everything was there, how we met, how we healed and grew together, everything. I am suddenly realising that Daniel is full of more surprises than I first thought. His attention to detail, the effort he has put in to today is phenomenal. I hand the invite to Ginny, who slips it safely into the overnight bag I have packed.
The journey to our wedding venue goes quicker than I thought it would. We get looks and waves and hoots from passing cars, I smile the whole way and I’m still beaming when the door of the carriage is opened and I’m helped out once again. The driver tells me, he’ll be waiting around for photos of the happy couple and I head in. I speak to the registrar and tell them, yes, I am ready to marry the love of my life.
I’m standing with Ginny, waiting to get the nod to say I can make my way into the room. It feels like a lifetime of waiting but finally, I get the nod, I step up to the open doors just as the song I’d chosen to walk in to begins. As Ilene Woods begins to sing I can’t help the smile that spreads across my face. Ginny squeezes my hand and we walk in. I meet the smiling faces of our guests and smile back. It doesn’t take long for me to become impatient and desperate to see him and then it happens.
There he is.
Everything slows down, everyone disappears and the only person in the whole room is Daniel. And he is waiting for me. I wait, just a second more before I continue to walk down the aisle towards him. He must hear my heels click on the floor, or maybe he just senses I’m there, because he turns around and spots me, and the look I see in his eyes almost sends me tumbling to the floor. He truly is the most breathtaking man in the whole world. His face breaks into that smile that stops me in my tracks every single time I see it and his eyes sparkle like the ocean on a summers day. One eyebrow shoots up and he mouths three little words to me. Three little words that cause the earth to move beneath my feet.
I love you.
With those three words, any doubts I might have had that I don’t deserve this, don’t deserve him are gone. I feel, with my whole being that he is who I’m supposed to be with. That he is who I’m supposed to spend my life with, and I am certain of one thing. Richard had sent him to me. There is no other way to explain it. Why I was drawn to the hospital? Why I wanted, more than anything in the very depth of my despair, to volunteer there? Why the moment I met Daniel, I began to heal little piece by little piece? He is my angel on earth and Richard is my angel in Heaven.
I wasn’t sure what I had done to deserve them both, two of the best men in the world. I wouldn’t have one without the other and I love them both and in very different ways. I truly believe, everything happens for a reason, and no matter how dark it seems, how awful it feels at the time, there will come a time whe
n the light comes back on and the warmth returns. I am Daniel’s light and he is my warmth.
As I step closer and finally reach my Groom, that feeling of warmth that is forever present when I am near Daniel washes over me along with a feeling of a gentle kiss on my forehead, a gentle kiss of encouragement, of protection. Richard. I come to a standstill next to Daniel and Ginny squeezes my hand. I turn to look at her and she has tears in her eyes. There is no one I want to give me away more than Ginny. She is to all intense and purposes my sister, so much more than a best friend to me. She leans in, brushing away a tear I don’t realise has fallen from my eyes and whispers to me.
“Today is about the two of you, but I feel him here, Katie and he is so happy for you.”
“Thank you.” I whisper back.
“Now turn around and marry the man who worships you more than anyone has ever worshiped anyone in their life.” she grins, before she kisses my cheek and gives Daniel my hand.
“I won’t tell you to look after her, because I know you will,” she tells him smiling, “I trust you with my best friend, Daniel.”
He takes my hand from Ginny and squeezes it before he looks back to me. There are tears in his eyes too. He has never looked so beautiful to me. Dressed in a navy suit and white shirt with a silver tie and waistcoat, he is perfect and in a few minutes, he will be mine.
The ceremony passes by in a bit of a blur until it’s time to say our vows. I take Daniel’s hand in mine and look up into his eyes, vowing to love him fiercely for the rest of my life. Thanking him for bringing me back to life. And promising to always keep the light burning bright for the both of us. When it’s Daniel’s turn, he crouches just a little so his eyes are level with mine, just like he did the first time we met, and so many times since. He promises to treasure every moment we have together. To never take anything for granted and that he will keep me warm on the coldest of days. I break down completely when he reaches into his pocket and along with my wedding band, slips a heart locket around my neck. He leans in and whispers to me;
“Inside are two photos. I don’t need to tell you who they are of. Together we live in your heart, in your very bones. And together we will protect you and love you always.”
When he pulls back and wipes his thumbs under my eyes, I cling to him, unable and unwilling to let him go. The ceremony is concluded with us in a tight embrace. I vaguely remember hearing the words you can now kiss your wife Mr Lambert before I feel Daniel’s lips on mine and everything completely vanishes. We are the only two people in the world. Surrounded by so much light and warmth I feel it in my bones. I know what an angel’s love and touch feels like, because I have two of them. I think I float back down the aisle, to the song Daniel chose. And as the song plays and the lyrics sing out, we walk out into the conservatory which is filled with the most beautiful December sunshine.
* * *
After having photos taken and chatting briefly to our guests, we have something very important to do. Daniel takes my hand and leads me out into the darkening December day. I look back and see everyone is there, waiting to wave us off.
“We’ll be back very soon,” I tell everyone, “We just have to visit a very special person.”
Daniel helps me into the car he has organised and gets in beside me. Everyone waves us off before heading back inside, into the warm for mulled wine and canapés. We drive the short distance to Poppy’s grave, the bouquet we had made for her clutched safely in Daniel’s hand. The car pulls to a stop and we get out, Daniel scooping the train of my dress off the floor and taking the blanket he has brought with us in his arms. We walk along the path until we reach Poppy. He lays the blanket on the ground and kneels down like he has so many times before. I kneel next to him, leaning in to his body heat.
“Pops, today is a big day for me,” he smiles, squeezing my hand, “Today, I married Katie, I got the other half of me I’ve been missing my whole life.” He holds the flowers up, almost like he is showing her. He smiles and turns to look at me before he speaks again.
“Poppy, today I married the love of my life. I wish you were here. Today, you get the mother I know you always wanted. I’m just so sorry it’s too late,” I reach over and wipe away the tear making its way down his cheek, “I’m sorry I couldn’t find her sooner for us both. But she is here now, and I know you love her like I love her. I know, because you sent her to me. You sent her to me.” he whispers.
“I love you both,” I whisper, closing my eyes as I feel a featherlight touch on shoulder, “She is here, can you feel her?”
“I can always feel her,” Daniel whispers, “But you can feel her too?”
“I can feel her too,” I sob, the emotion suddenly overwhelming me, “Poppy? I promise you, I’ll look after your Daddy. I’ll treasure him, I’ll love him so completely forever I promise you.” I tell her.
“Pops, I wish I could see you today.”
“I wish you could too.” I tell him, wrapping my arms around his shaking shoulders.
“I love you, Katie,” he tells me, turning to press a soft kiss to my forehead, “I’ll always love you, of that I’m sure. If what the song says, and a dream really is a wish your heart makes, then my wish came true. I dreamed of you. Someone who would make me the man I wanted to be and not the man I had to settle for being when Poppy died. You changed that, you changed me.”
“I love you, so much.” I tell him. He draws in a shuddery breath and rests his forehead to mine.
“I dreamed you. I lost my heartache, now do I get to keep you?”
I lean into him, wrapping my arms around his neck and pulling him impossibly closer, so close I can feel his heart beat against mine, feel his breath on my face.
“Yes,” I smile tearily, “You do get to keep me forever.”
* * *
“Mrs Lambert, are you ready for our first dance?” Daniel whispers to me, his hand snaking around my waist.
“I think I am, yes, Mr Lambert.” I grin.
We take to the floor just as the DJ announces the Bride and Groom have chosen to have two first dances. It is our wedding after all, we can do what we want can’t we? When Daniel asked if we could get married in December, that Christmas had always been so special to Poppy and then when she passed it took all the joy of Christmas away. That when we spent that first Christmas together, the joy came back I didn’t hesitate to say yes. I love Christmas too. Later when Daniel came to me and pulled me into the dining room and pressed play on song that he said, if I had no complaints, would be our first dance, I had smiled and let him twirl me around our lounge and when the song had ended I told him yes. On one condition. that we did in fact have two first dances because I had found a song that I desperately wanted to have as our first dance too.
So as Daniel’s choice begins to play, I let him pull me into his arms and move us to the beautiful Christmas song. With the Christmas lights twinkling and the spotlights surrounding us, I look up and into my husband’s eyes and feel so happy I feel like I could burst. It has taken a lot of patience on both our parts to get here, it has taken understanding and strength. It has taken one of us to have faith when the others has faltered. But we have made it and I am so very glad we have.
“I know I’ve told you already today, but you really are breathtaking. Your dress looks like it was made for you and you alone. I’m the luckiest man in the world.”
“Yes, you are. And I’m the luckiest woman in the world. No one has even a pinch of what we have, Daniel. Not a drop of the love we share. Not a grain of the trust. What we have, everyone dreams of, but it is so rarely found.”
“You’re my world.” he whispers, before he presses his lips to mine just as the song finishes and everything goes quiet.
“Okay ladies and gentlemen, are we ready for take two? This one is a little more upbeat and the Bride and Groom have asked that you join them on the dance floor for this one.”
My song choice begins and I grin at Daniel. When I found this song, it seemed to say everything I w
anted to, everything I felt. It was perfect to me, much like the man who I am so proud to call my husband. Lucky for me, Daniel can dance, but to make sure, we have practised. I don’t want to be that awkward couple who shuffles on the dance floor together.
“I love you so very much, Mr Lambert.” I tell him as he spins me out and back into his arms.
“I love you.” he grins, kissing me, “Today is just the beginning gorgeous, just the beginning.” he murmurs against my lips.
Epilogue
Eleven days. Eleven days and I still can’t stop watching them together. I’m not sure I will ever be able to stop watching them together. Have you ever felt so much love for someone that you could scream? Well, that’s how I feel every time I see them. Do you want to know who them is? Daniel and Hope. Our daughter. Our eleven day old little bundle of warmth, light and our love.