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“Who the hell decides to get married on Christmas day?” Francis muttered as he zipped up James’ jacket.
Mary snorted, fixing their daughter Anne’s hairpiece. “Someone whose favourite sister is Claude. You do realise that because of this wedding, she’s escaped hosting Christmas again?”
“That little…” Francis trailed off when he eyed his kid. “Naughty monkey.”
“You can swear, Papa. We hear you and Mama-”
“Anne,” Mary said warningly and the girl smiled cheekily.
Francis playfully rolled his eyes. “Mary, you gave birth to the devil incarnates.”
“Tell me about it,” she muttered, grabbing Rose’s hand before the toddler could run off. “We better hurry up, we do make fifty per cent of the bridal party.”
Francis snorted before nodding and opening their front door. “Let’s get a move on, then.”
He was the Best Man, she was the Matron of Honour and their children were the flower girls and ring bearer. If they were not there, the wedding would practically fall apart and the last thing either of them wanted was to be the reason why a Christmas day wedding did not go ahead.
The drive to the church was quick as traffic was little to none. Francis figured people would have wanted to remain home on such a cold and festive occasion.
“You made it!” They heard as they got out of the car and opened the back doors to let the children out. “Kenna’s losing her sh-”
“I’m on it!” Mary exclaimed, cutting Bash off as she patted his shoulder and hurried her and the girls inside.
She found the women waiting in one of the rooms reserved for waiting brides and she hugged Kenna tightly, handing her a gift box.
“What’s this?” Kenna asked as Mary greeted Lola, Greer, Aylee and Kenna’s mother with hugs and cheek kisses.
Mary smirked. “Open it up.”
Kenna did and she snorted at the sight of a blue garter. “Mary Valois,” she muttered, gesturing to Anne and Rose.
“They don’t know what it is,” Mary said, the women giggling and the girls confused. “You told me that you needed your ‘something blue’. Is that why you’re losing your mind?”
Kenna nodded, sighing in relief. “I was expecting a piece of jewellery, but this is better,” she said, chuckling. “Thanks, Mare. I knew I could count on you as my Matron of Honour.”
“Well, you owe me a lot now,” Mary replied. “After all I’ve seen.”
“Mary!” Kenna sang as Greer and Lola covered the girls’ ears.
“What happened?” Kenna’s mother asked, intrigued as she sipped on her flute of champagne.
Mary raised a coy brow. “I found her and your future son-in-law getting it on in my bedroom last Christmas,” she said. “I can only hope to see less of Kenna going forward.”
Kenna discreetly flipped her middle finger in Mary's way. “Trust me, you’ll see a lot of this gorgeous body if you keep complaining.”
“You won’t get out of hosting Christmas next year, you know?” Francis told his sister at the reception in the country club, later in the day. “Bash saved you.”
Claude smirked, fixing Francis’ tie. “No way in hell, will I let everyone ruin my precious apartment. I got new Persian rugs. Luc’s Christmas present for me.”
“You’re so spoilt,” Francis muttered, shaking his head and leaving her side to join Mary and his mother. “It’s a wedding, Mama. Could you look a bit happier?”
Catherine scowled, rolling her eyes. “It would have been better if a certain someone wasn’t invited.”
“He’s the father of the groom,” Francis deadpanned.
Catherine scoffed. “And so? Am I not important as the stepmother of the groom?”
“ Former stepmother,” Mary mumbled under her breath, receiving a glare.
“Mama, just behave,” Francis said firmly. “I want everything to be perfect for Bash and Kenna. It’s their wedding day-”
“Of all days,” Catherine cut her son off. “They chose the day I told your father I wanted to divorce him.”
Francis chuckled. “Mama, it’s Christmas day. If anything, they chose Jesus’ birthday to outshine.”
Catherine tutted and nodded. “That too,” she said flippantly. Her eyes then caught someone and she smiled widely. “Ah, someone who understands me. Charlotte!”
Before they knew it, Francis and Mary were alone and they gave each other warm, little smiles, their fingers entwining between them.
“The kids are enjoying playing with their cousins, as they haven’t seen them in ages,” Francis told her. “So, we could have a moment to ourselves?”
Leaning in, Mary hovered her lips over his ear. “I’d love to.”
Trying to be as inconspicuous as possible, the couple made their way out of the reception hall and went on a hunt for a spare, private room.
When they got to the first door, it was locked so they tried the one next to it and gasped when they saw Henry and one of the guests in the middle of something.
“Ah,” Francis breathed out, shutting the door and sharing a look with his wife. “We need to stop-”
“Walking in on every bloody member of your family,” Mary finished, disgruntled. “Now, I’ve cooled off.”
“Babe…” Francis whined.
“We literally just saw your father all over a woman and you’re still turned on?”
Francis grimaced. “I know, but I’ve already mentally blocked that image from my mind. It automatically happens after the third time you’ve caught a relative in the act, you see.”
Mary giggled and pressed a kiss on his lips. “Fine… Let’s try this again.”
“Do you think anyone would be looking for us?” Mary asked, drawing a circle on Francis’ bare chest.
They had decided on going down a safer route, booking a room away from their friends and family for a little bit of peace and the chance of running into more scandalous pairings the night was producing.
“My sisters have it handled,” he told her with a yawn as he closed his eyes. “And my brothers. And everyone who knows our devilish children.”
Mary chuckled and nodded before pressing a loving kiss on his breastbone. “This was a better Christmas than last year. Not perfect, but definitely better despite everything that happened this year…”
“It was,” her husband said tiredly. “My parents got divorced, my aunt got remarried and here we are… At Bash and Kenna’s wedding. I kind of saw it coming.”
Mary grinned. “I mean, screwing on our bed was a huge giveaway and the fact that he’s thirty-four and your father will have an aneurysm if he didn’t get married anytime soon.”
Francis snorted. “Yeah.”
“I haven’t given you your birthday gift, yet,” she said softly.
Francis’ eyes opened and he looked at her. “Is it a watch? I need a new one.”
“Too late,” Mary told him lightly, patting his chest before sitting up and gesturing for him to do the same which he did. “Remember what we said last year?”
“We said a lot last year,” he replied. “Mostly bemoaning Kenna screwing every male relative of mine. I am really glad she decided on one, finally. Even if it's my brother and we've unfortunately seen more than we need to of him. Especially me, since we were kids forced to bathe together.”
Mary laughed loudly, her eyes crinkling with mirth. “Well, yes, but not that!”
“Hmm, was it about not seeing my family for another five years? We can finally put that into motion now that the wedding has come around,” he said, making her giggle.
“No!”
Francis smiled fondly, brushing her hair from her eyes. “Then it must be about babies.”
Her face fell a little. “We had that miscarriage earlier this year, didn’t we?” She asked softly and he nodded sadly. Then she started to smile. “I’m pregnant, Francis.”
His eyes widened. “Wh-What?”
“I wanted to be sure, but you must have noticed that I’d been gaining weight. You called me heavy last month on our anniversary!” She said and his eyes blinked in realisation.
“H-How far along are you?”
She bit her lip nervously before replying, “I’m so sorry, but I’m twelve weeks gone.”
His eyes twinkled with unshed tears and he squeezed her tightly in a hug. “Don’t apologise, you must have been terrified.”
“I knew how much the miscarriage upset you, I didn’t want to see your heart broken like that again,” she said, sobbing on his shoulder.
Smiling widely, Francis shook his head. “We could have dealt with it together,” he assured her. “I don’t even care that you didn’t tell me sooner, I’m just happy that means we’re past the danger zone.”
Mary sniffled, nodding. “Yeah,” she breathed out, a smile gracing her features as he thumbed her tears away. “I’m sorry-”
“It’s fine,” he said, kissing her. “Now, we’ll have four demons to torment our families and us.”
Mary giggled and hugged him tightly. “One of these days, we’ll have to turn them into angels. I think I’m getting grey hairs and we’re barely over thirty!”
Francis closed his eyes happily, inhaling her scent. “They’re good kids and they’re good because you’re an amazing mother. This baby will be lucky to have you too.”
“Oh, Francis…” Mary cooed. “You’re an astonishing father too. You make all of my Christmases special, you’re the only Christmas gift I’ll never get tired of accepting.”
“I love you.”
“I love you more.”