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For a moment she thought she was going to faint but then she realised that this could not be what fainting felt like. It didn’t even feel remotely bad and neither was she worried by the guests suddenly becoming blurred, turning into grey dots on either side of her vision. She only faintly registered her father walking by her side and Emmy walking ahead of her as well as Emma and Benedict and the pastor standing at the far end of the aisle.
The only person who she could see razor sharp - whose eyes shimmering with tears seemed to see right into her soul, whose blue kilt was even bluer than the bright afternoon sky, and whose ginger-blonde curls were gleaming golden in the sunlight - was Tom.
As if on rails she walked down the length of the aisle, her slender fingers wrapped around the bouquet in her hand and her fingertips resting on the soft fabric of her father’s jacket.
Slowly, Joseph lifted her thin veil. His own blue eyes were filled with tears as he gave his only daughter away to the man who, at first, he did not approve of but whom he had grown to love like a son over the last years.
“You look so, so beautiful,” Tom whispered, quickly wiping a tear off his cheek ere his words were taken away by the slight autumn breeze, leaving a moment of silence behind. She relished this silence after the noise of the past weeks. Her head had been full with details regarding the organisation of the wedding and with worries about the twins, both sets of them.
Now, in this one special moment, all the fear, all the worries and thoughts, all the excitement was gone and she felt entirely at peace, knowing that she was finally coming home.
Tom, meanwhile, couldn’t help it; he had to look at her the entire time, enthralled by the smoothness of her skin, the twinkle in her eyes, the curve of her lips as she smiled. Slowly, his eyes wandered down to the gentle curve of her bump, that looked so very wonderful in the off-white lace dress. Only barely he could resist touching it right then and there but the voice of the pastor reminded him of where he was and he, therefore, decided to save the gentle caresses of her body for later that day and night.
***
Proudly, Ben walked around in between the tables, accepting compliment after compliment on his outfit, an exact, though smaller, copy of his father’s truly Scottish attire, while Emmy had gotten changed into a different dress. Earlier she had been wearing a white lace dress herself but for the party she wanted to wear something colourful so her Auntie Emma had helped her put on a bright, pink dress after the ceremony had been over.
With her brown, glowing curls bouncing up and down she paraded around the festive room, entirely unimpressed by the history attached to it and way more interested in all the pretty clothes everybody was wearing.
“Hello Emmy, you look very pretty,” Luke smiled at her as she passed his table and with one last twirl, she stopped and grinned up at him.
“Thank you Uncle Luke, you look really good yourself,” the young girl replied, showing off the newly acquired gap in between her front teeth as she climbed onto his lap, obviously intent on staying a bit longer.
“Oh that is very nice of you to say. Are you enjoying yourself? You did a great job earlier with the flowers, my love.”
Proud as a peacock, she accepted his compliments before they chatted a bit more, exchanging their thoughts on dresses and suits and kilts and, most of all, the beauty of the blushing bride.
Paula was standing at the far edge of the room, one hand cradling her small bump, her bright diamond wedding ring flashing in the sunlight falling in through the huge windows, while the other was intertwined with Tom’s. The first wave of excitement and nerves was gone and now that the first rounds of food had been served, she felt like she was able to relax a little.
The guests were mingling happily, a lively mixture of her family and friends and those of Tom, and even her normally shy brother had found a girl his age he could talk to. As she let her gaze wander through the room a couple at the far end attracted her attention and gently she squeezed Tom’s hand.
“What is it love?,” he smiled lovingly, interrupting his conversation with Chris for a moment.
“Richard and Susan are here,” she whispered a little nervously although, knowing of the pain this must awaken in them, she was glad they had accepted their invitation.
Tom excused himself from Chris, who nodded understandingly, ere he placed his arm around his wife’s waist and walked across the room towards his former parents-in-law.
“Susan, Richard! It’s so wonderful of you to come. Thank you ever so much, it means a lot to us,” he smiled, lovingly, kissing Susan on the cheek and greeting Richard with a firm yet gentle hug.
“Thank you so much for inviting us, Tom. And you Paula. We wish you all the very best for your future, I hope you know that. And what a lovely ceremony it was, so well conducted, wasn’t it, Richard?” Susan smiled warmly at the newlyweds and, once again, Paula felt herself relax.
She had gotten on with them so very well ever since they had met all those years ago when she was still the au-pair and not the official woman by Tom’s side. They still loved him dearly - how could they not - and they utterly adored Benjamin and Emiliana, both of whom had now spotted their grandparents and ran across the room to greet them. And yet, or even because of it, they had never shown any signs of disapproval when it came to his choice of girlfriend, now wife. On the contrary, they seemed happy that he had found someone else, someone he could love and who would love him, and his children, right back.
***
It was the quiet clinking of a spoon against a crystal glass that eventually got everyone’s attention and a silence heavy with expectations now hung over the room, replacing the previous lively after-dinner chatter.
“Ladies and Gentlemen, the bride and groom.”
Blushing, yet happy beyond belief, Paula looked up at Tom as they stepped into the middle of the room onto the empty dancefloor. The lights were dimmed by now but even though she could feel everyone’s eyes on them, once again the only one that mattered to her was Tom. His gentle, blue eyes rested on her as he placed his arm around her waist. Her other one lay firmly in his pressed against his chest, his heartbeat fast and strong underneath her touch.
Shattered dreams, worthless years,
Here am I encased inside a hollow shell,
Life began, then was done,
Now I stare into a cold and empty well
The many sounds that meet our ears
the sights our eyes behold,
Will open up our merging hearts,
And feed our empty souls
Closing his eyes, he focused on the feeling of her body pressed against his, her soft hair tickling his chin, and her hand encased by his. He thought of all the moments they had already shared and about all those yet to come, for once not feeling guilty at all any longer of the love he felt for her. Subconsciously, he had waited for this last and final seal of approval from Susan and Richard, the final gesture that would allow him to move on, to place the first volume of his life on the shelf to begin another with this new woman in his life and heart. By turning up today, by joining them in celebrating the new union of him and Paula, they had granted him just that. A new beginning.
I believe when I fall in love with you it will be forever,
I believe when I fall in love this time it will be forever
Without despair we will share,
And the joys of caring will not be replaced,
What has been must never end
And with the strength we have won’t be erased
When the truths of love are planted firm,
They won’t be hard to find,
And the words of love I speak to you
will echo in your mind
I believe when I fall in love with you it will be forever,
I believe when I fall in love this time it will be forever
I believe when I fall in love with you it will be forever,
I believe when I fall in love with you it will be forever
(Josh Groban - “I believe (when I fall in love))
Quietly, and with a smile on their faces, they both mumbled along to the last two lines ere the soft and enthralling voice of Josh Groban slowly faded out.
“I love you, Mrs Hiddleston,” he breathed against her temple and, smiling widely, Paula looked up at him.
“I love you, too, Mr Hiddleston,” she replied just as quietly ere their lips finally met under thunderous applause from all their guests, their friends and families, their colleagues and loved ones.
They only broke apart again when two 9-year-olds started clinging to their waists with beaming smiles and glowing eyes. The family was complete again at last.