Page 63 of One Moment in Time
Aiden’s ex-fiancée was here.
They were turning into the street that the chapel was on.
Aiden’s ex-fiancée was here.
Why the hell was Aiden’s ex-fiancée here?
‘Oh, there’s Aiden,’ Eileen blurted, as the limo began to slow.
Zara almost gave herself whiplash. Aiden was indeed there, standing in front of the white building, with someone who definitely wasn’t his ex-fiancée.
Of course he would come. He’d been in on the plan from the start. He was invested and he’d tried so hard to help, so it made sense that…
‘Wait.’ Her mum’s voice, and it didn’t sound the same as it had five minutes ago, when it was gushing over the spectacle of the revolving tower at the top of the Stratosphere Hotel as they drove past it. ‘I recognise this. Colin? Do you?’
‘I do.’ Bugger, he didn’t sound thrilled either. ‘This is where…’ he began.
‘I know exactly where it is,’ her mum interjected, before switching straight to Zara, who felt herself wilting under an accusatory glare that she didn’t understand. ‘Zara, what are we doing here?’
Jesus, where was Millie? She needed an ally here right now to help her handle this. Faced with panic, she did the natural thing and went with unbridled enthusiasm.
‘Mum, Dad, this is your anniversary gift from us. We’ve arranged for you to renew your vows in exactly the same place where you, erm, not quite technically, got married the first time. Isn’t that amazing?’
They’d finally got here. The whole purpose of the trip. The climax of the whole idea. The cherry on top of the thirtieth anniversary cake.
So why did her mum look like she wanted to kick off her shoes and run for the hills?
31
BRENDA
She’d almost pulled it off. Almost. It had taken every bit of determination she had, layered with huge gratitude and appreciation for her daughters’ efforts, and aided by a couple of unexpected surprises, but Brenda had almost managed to get into the swing of this trip and make the most of it.
After a rocky start, she’d thrown caution to the wind and just gone with the flow, vowing to leave all the complicated stuff – the problems with Colin, the decisions about her future, the conflicted but surprisingly amenable feelings for a former friend whom she would have to say goodbye to tomorrow – all of that, she’d just pushed to one side, suspended worry and negativity and decided that for once in her bloody life she was just going to think about nothing else but enjoying herself in the moment. And that’s exactly what she’d done. She’d sung her heart out with Celine Dion. She’d made a pact with Eileen to take tentative steps to rebuilding a friendship, and she was so glad she had, because she’d laughed more in the last day and a half than she’d done in years. She’d even begun to see Colin in a different light, one that respected his integrity, his decency and his decision to take a swing at a man twice his size because he’d been a dick to Brenda all those years ago. Not that she’d ever condone violence, but she’d be lying if she denied there was something attractive about a middle-aged husband in comfortable slacks who was prepared to risk humiliation and a bodily injury to right a wrong that had been done to the people he loved.
If she were honest, another shift to her perspective had come from hearing how awfully Gary had treated Eileen. Brenda had spent all her life wondering what if, and now she was entirely sure that she’d dodged a bullet. There was a freedom that had accompanied that conclusion.
And now?
She’d just walked right back into a gilded cage. Renewing her vows. In front of the girls. To their father. The man she’d been planning to leave until just a few days ago, and with whom she still had an uncertain future.
‘Mum!’ That came from Millie, who was already waiting outside the chapel and gleefully threw her arms wide and hugged her as soon as she got out of the car. ‘I’m soooooo excited! I may also still be slightly drunk. But if the Elvis bloke isn’t up to scratch, I can belt out a couple of Celine’s numbers from last night. By the way, this is Officer Chad. He’s here to make sure Dad doesn’t deck anyone.’
‘I don’t think that’s necessary,’ Brenda heard Colin reply, all full of embarrassment and indignation.
‘Dad, I’m kidding,’ Millie told him, wrapping Colin in a huge hug and squeezing him. ‘He’s here because he can’t bear to be parted from the new love of his life. That’s me. We met after the Celine Dion concert last night, after you, Dad and Eileen had gone off into the dusk singing “The Power Of Love”. We’ve had the most amazing night and I had to bring him because he’s besotted with me already. Chad, don’t deny it,’ she jested, nudging him with her shoulder.
Brenda closed her eyes for a second, begging her mind to accept the ludicrousness of this whole situation, then opened them when she heard Officer Chad say, ‘Pleased to meet you, sir, ma’am,’ and realised his hand was waiting for her to shake.
She and Colin both took turns to greet him, almost apologetically. ‘Good to meet you too, Chad.’ This polite, respectful man didn’t know what he’d let himself in for with their Millie.
At the moment, though, Brenda had other problems to deal with.
‘Right, if we can all go inside, please,’ she heard Zara say, ‘because Elvis hasn’t got all day and we’ve only got a half-hour slot before the next devoted couple does the happy ever after stuff.’
Everyone began to troop in, and Eileen gave her hand a squeeze on the way past. ‘Are you okay? Only…’ she didn’t need to finish. Thirty years may have passed but these two could read each other like a book. Only, much as she was enjoying the reconnection, this book was none of Eileen’s business.
Smile on. Happy voice on. Act one. ‘Of course. Yes. Thank you.’
