Page 38 of Five Gold Rings

She goes over to her dressing table and retrieves her phone, putting the call on speaker.

‘Babe,’ he says. Wherever this man is, it also sounds like he’s been crying.

‘Babe,’ she replies, sobbing in reply.

They both cry at each other for at least thirty seconds.

‘Where are you? Are you still here? It’s all a mess. Lisa caught up with Sean and she’s taken out his tooth. The police have been called. There’s an ambulance here. Your sister has taken your mum home with the flower girls because they were crying. I just…’

‘I broke the hairdresser’s hairdryer. I might need to replace it,’ Abby explains.

‘How the hell did this all happen? Seriously, how long has your dad been shagging Lisa? That’s awful…’

Abby looks like she’s going to retch from having to relive that memory, so I take her glass from her.

‘It’s just all a mess, babe. This wedding… This stupid wedding. I never wanted it, I never wanted any of this. The sleigh, the stupid flowers, live flocks of doves – you hate birds. You can’t even sit on piers because you’re scared of seagulls,’ Abby cries down the phone.

‘Do you know they put initials on the mince pies? Who needs personalised mince pies?’ Mike adds, chuckling. ‘This is all my mum, she went overboard.’

‘It’s not like my family was any better. Two hundred and fifty of our closest friends… I’m sorry, I’m so sorry…’

There’s silence as we all sit there taking it in. I’m wondering how many doves constitute a flock. I picture them sat in a box, waiting for a wedding that will never be.

‘If I may?’ Eve pipes up.

‘Who’s that?’ Mike asks.

‘I’m Eve. I’m from Caspar & Sons, the jewellers. I believe we have your ring,’ she says politely.

‘Oh shit, I forgot you were delivering that. I’m sorry we wasted your time.’

‘Don’t be,’ I intervene. ‘I’m Joe. I’m with Eve.’

Eve puts her hand out to me, and I instinctively know to place the ring box in her hand. She opens it up to reveal a very stylish gold wedding band. You know the Caspars got the good polish out for that one. Abby starts crying as she looks at it, emotional to read the last-minute engraving to the centre.

‘Is there any reason you two can’t still get married? Today?’ Eve continues.

There’s a pause as they consider the proposal. I look over at Eve. I can see her eyes are lit up with hope. Even after all she’s been through, she still wants other people to be happy and to fix things, for that ring to find its rightful owner.

‘But our families…’ Abby starts.

‘From what I can see, your families have made this day more about them than you,’ Eve says.

‘This day should always have been about you two. What you want, right?’ I preach. Eve looks up at me and smiles. ‘Then get married. You still want to marry each other, right?’

‘It’s all I want to do,’ Mike says, still talking through his tears.

‘All I’ve ever wanted to do is marry you…’

‘Then let’s make this happen,’ I say. Abby reaches over to grab hold of me and hug me whilst I look at Eve from over her shoulder, beaming. I guess we’re doing this then. We’re organising a wedding. I just hope Eve knows how to fix make-up because I don’t know where to start with that.

TEN

Eve

‘Hi, Santa? SANTA!’ I ask, breathless, having chased this man down the road from the hotel. He may be dressed like Santa and carrying a substantial paunch on him, but he moves fast, and it’s no mean feat catching up with him when you’re in supermarket heels and it’s the middle of winter.

He looks to check that there are no children around and looks at me from over the tops of his glasses. ‘That’s not really my name, but yes. Who are you?’

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