Chapter Nine

CHAPTER NINE

Present Day

I take a deep breath. The moment is finally here. My wedding day. It’s a bright and sunny February afternoon and I’m standing beside my father outside of the quaint church in the village of Lower Hadwell and the doors open. I had a mishap with my finger and a rose thorn, but the situation is contained – just about. Other than that, everything is perfect.

Every detail of my walk down the aisle is how I envisioned it, from the flowers to the hankies dabbing at eyes. Okay, there’s a minor page-boy wardrobe snafu, but it’s quickly rectified by a quick-thinking aunt. I’m so full of happiness I feel as if I’m gliding above the flagstone floor.

Simon doesn’t turn and look when I imagined he would, but I don’t worry about that either. There are two figures waiting to the side of the altar, just as they should be, and that is enough. Because I need to stop getting fixated on silly little details. I know Simon loves me. I’ve got a lifetime to see it shining from his eyes.

I feel as if I’m in a strange, hyper-aware bubble when I reach the end of the aisle. Everything appears misty through my veil, and it’s with a strange sense of unreality that I turn my head to look at my groom.

And there it is.

The look .

Everything I’ve been waiting for. Everything I’ve been hoping for.

Warmth, adoration, affection. Desire. He looks past the veil and the perfectly applied make-up, past my skin and bones, even, and deep into the core of who I am. And he loves every part of it. Every part of me .

I knew it. I knew Simon was the right choice. I …

My thought comes to a halt as my focus shifts from his eyes to the details of his face. The brows are heavier than I’m expecting to see, the nose a little sharper. And his lips, instead of meeting in a flat line, hold the gently curving arc of a Cupid’s bow.

What …?

I’m not staring into Simon’s face, but Gil’s.

Time stands still. I can’t move. I can’t even breathe. But then I spot who’s standing next to Gil and relief rushes through me. It’s Simon. But he’s standing where Gil should be and vice versa. I stare at him to catch his attention, and when he turns his head, I mouth, ‘Switch places!’

He frowns and shrugs.

Oh for all that is good and holy. We only had the rehearsal yesterday. I’ve done everything else to plan this wedding. All Simon had to do today was turn up and stand in the right spot, and he wasn’t even paying enough attention to get that right!

I’m about to turn to Gil, to see if I can get more joy from him, but I catch the sight of my parents and Emir sitting in the front pew. They don’t seem to have spotted the mistake. In fact, as I search the faces of the congregation, I realize no one else is batting an eyelid.

And then the music fades, and a hush falls on the church. Both men standing beside me turn and look as the vicar steps forward. ‘Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today to join Gil and Erin in holy matrimony …’