Page 79 of The Day After Christmas
The day of the wedding dawned bright and sunny. The birds were singing outside her bedroom window as Felicity got dressed in her teal-coloured chiffon maid of honour dress, put a tiara in her hair, did her make-up with a shaking hand, and tried to get her thoughts into some kind of order. Teal had won out, in the end.
‘You ready, beautiful?’ said James, sticking his head round the bedroom door, his voice like balm against her agitated mind.
She turned and he inhaled sharply.
‘Wow, you really do look beautiful. Even, er, even more beautiful than usual I mean.’
‘Ha ha, sure. At least she didn’t go with rose, not the best colour to go with ginger hair. I swear she was just doing that on purpose to tease me.’
James laughed, then came towards her and pulled her into a hug. He didn’t need to ask who “she” was.
‘You’re a knockout,’ he whispered into her hair.
‘I can’t do this,’ she said into his chest.
‘There’s still time to back out. I can make some excuse. Say you’re ill. Say you’ve suddenly moved to Australia. Whatever you want.’
She breathed against him. In. Out. In. Out. The dress’s corset was tight against her skin and the fabric was itchy. She didn’t remember it being this itchy in the shop. Had it been this itchy in the shop?
‘No. It’s okay. Let’s just get it over with.’
He gave her a squeeze and then loosened his grip. She appraised him for a moment. Navy suit, cream shirt, navy tie. He always did scrub up well.
‘Damn, you look pretty good yourself,’ she said.
James gave her a lingering look, then shook his head. ‘No time for that now, Brooks, we’ve got to go. Plus I don’t want to muss up your hair.’
She giggled in spite of the butterflies swirling in her stomach.
‘You never stop, do you, Penguin Man?’
‘Not if I can help it.’
The plan was for Felicity to be dropped off at Bex’s house an hour before the ceremony. Which would have been fine except Felicity’s sudden attack of nerves meant they’d had to go back to their own house three times already to check the curling tongs were off and the cat flaps were open and the house had been locked, even though they had to unlock it anyway. You know, to check it was locked.
They arrived fifteen minutes late in the end, but fortunately Bex was too busy having a last-minute meltdown of her own. The other bridesmaids and Bex’s mother Petunia were circling her like she was some kind of caged beast, hands raised, voices soothing, while Bex screamed and hurled clothes around the lounge, ostensibly because she’d lost the bracelet Adam gave her. Although Felicity wondered if it just felt good, burningoff some nervous energy, letting it all go while she still could. Felicity could do with a bit of hurling herself.
When she saw Felicity, Bex’s face relaxed into relief.
‘You came,’ she breathed, coming forwards to take Felicity’s hands in hers. She really did look incredible. The creamy skirts beneath the red corset were made of pure silk, with tiny pearls sewed in swirls across the fabric, and it rustled extravagantly when she walked. The contrast with the teal of Felicity’s dress, it was even more perfect than she imagined.
‘Couldn’t miss the party of the century, now, could I?’ Felicity grinned with some effort, trying not to catch Sophie’s eye from across the room.
At this Bex’s forehead crinkled.
‘It would be the party of the century,’ she wailed, ‘if I could only find my damn bracelet.’
‘What, this one?’ said Sophie, holding up something sparkly.
‘Where did you find that?’ said Bex.
‘It was down the side of the sofa,’ said Sophie, coming forwards and bending to attach it to Bex’s arm.
‘What would I do without you two?’ said Bex.
Bex and Felicity looked at each other over Sophie’s hand, and for one special moment it felt absolutely right that Felicity was here. Just like old times. The three of them together, as they had always been.
For one moment, anyway.
