‘borrowing’ a church.
‘I’ll just lean on one of my boys,’ he said conspiratorially.
His ‘boys’ turned out to be his two middle-aged sons, both of whom had followed their father into the church and had parishes locally.
Kelly had immediately warmed to the Reverend Dayton. Despite his age he had sparkling eyes, and seemed to regard it all as an adventure.
With the arrival of the licence everyone swung into action. Carl was giving the bride away and Marianne, his sister, got to work on Kelly’s appearance.
‘But what are you going to do about my bulk?’ Kelly said, indicating her enormous size.
‘This,’ Marianne said, producing a voluminous blue velvet opera cloak. It had slits for the arms, and when it was fastened at the front the effect was surprisingly elegant.
Kelly’s hair was a little longer now, and Marianne curled and teased it into a curving halo. Her eyes were delicately made up, but no make-up could improve on their true beauty, which was a glow of joy.
There was no veil, but Marianne fixed flowers in her hair, and there were matching flowers in the bouquets they both carried, for Marianne was also the bridesmaid.
There was a pleasant cosiness about the wedding, which was to take place in a small chapel just off the main church, where five people would be just the right number. The elderly clergyman would double as best man, while Carl and Marianne would also be witnesses.
As she began the short journey down the aisle, on Carl’s arm, Kelly had a clear view of Jake standing near the altar, his eyes fixed on her. At first she felt like a baby elephant, but as she neared Jake and saw the look on his face she forgot herself. This was the man she loved, and who loved her. They had almost lost each other but they’d come together again, because that was how they were meant to be.
There was a smile on his lips, but it was nothing to the smile in his eyes. On the night of their passion she’d seen his face glowing with an intense emotion, but it had been admiration for her slinky figure and sexual allure. Now she was heavy with their child and admiration had been replaced by adoration.
He reached out his hand to take hers and draw her forward. The Reverend Dayton coughed and began to read the service.
‘Dearly beloved…’
In no time at all, it seemed, Jake took Kelly’s hand in his while the priest asked him if he would have her for his wedded wife, forsaking all others as long as they both lived. His face was pale but determined as he said, ‘I will.’
Then the same question to Kelly, but instead of her answer there was only silence. They all stared at her, first in bewilderment, then aghast as they saw her face taut with pain.
‘I’m sorry,’ she said breathlessly. ‘Not-good-timing.’
‘You don’t mean-?’ Jake asked.
‘’Fraid so. And that’s the second one. They’re coming fast. Jake-’
‘My car’s outside,’ Carl said. ‘Quicker than an ambulance.’
Kelly gasped again and held onto Jake. ‘Our wedding-’
‘You leave that to me,’ the Reverend said. ‘Which hospital?’
Bewildered, they told him, and he raced off, gathering his skirts up and calling out, ‘Beat you to it.’
Jake and Marianne helped Kelly out of the church while Carl raced ahead to the car. By the time they reached him he had the engine running. Marianne joined him in the front while Jake sat in the rear, his arms about Kelly, his face full of apprehension.
‘I shouldn’t have insisted on this,’ he muttered. ‘It was too much for you.’
‘No, no, it was a lovely idea,’ she protested. ‘I wanted it too.’ She drew in her breath sharply as the next pain came.
‘Was that another one?’ Carl called over his shoulder.
‘Yes,’ Jake said tensely. ‘You’re the one who knows all about this. What does it mean?’
‘It means we’d better hurry.’
He slammed his foot down and the car speeded up. Even so they were easily overtaken by a motorcyclist, his head obscured by a dashing helmet, his vestments flapping in the wind.
‘Was that who I think it was?’ Marianne asked, thunderstruck.
‘Of course it was,’ Kelly said, breathing hard. ‘Oh, darling-’ her arm tightened around Jake’s neck ‘-we always said we were crazy, and it’s catching. Everyone around us gets crazy too.’
‘Kelly, I don’t believe you’re actually finding this funny!’ Jake growled.
‘But of course it’s funny-and happy, and glorious and wonderful-the most wonderful thing that ever happened.’
At the hospital everything was ready for them, the Reverend Dayton having arrived first and alerted the maternity unit. Now a nurse was preparing to take a firm line with him.
‘I’m afraid you really can’t-’ she started to say.
‘Yes, he can.’ Kelly clutched the old man’s hand. ‘I want him.’
‘So do I.’ Jake backed her up.
Another pain tore Kelly, but she waved away gas and air. She had something important to do first.
‘Quickly,’ she gasped.
While the nurses prepared her the elderly clergyman went into action. ‘Wilt thou have this man to thy wedded husband…?’
‘I will,’ she said firmly.
Then it was Jake’s turn. ‘I, Jake, take thee, Kelly, to my wedded wife…’
Her senses were swimming, and all she heard clearly was, ‘To love and to cherish till death do us part.’
That was how it would be now. Until death. They had tried leaving each other, and it didn’t work. For ever was the only option left.
Through mounting waves of pain and joy she claimed him as her husband and held out her hand to receive the ring. The Reverend guided them quickly through the final rites before pronouncing, ‘Forasmuch as Jake and Kelly have consented together in holy wedlock…I pronounce that they be man and wife…’
Man and wife. Kelly smiled her thanks at the old man as he waved and whisked himself out of the room, taking Carl and Marianne with him.
It was exactly nine months since the day of their divorce, and their son was urgently demanding to be born.
‘I’m so glad we did that first,’ she murmured. ‘Afterwards wouldn’t have been the same, somehow.’
Jake nodded and dropped a kiss on her forehead. An ache in his throat was making it impossible to speak. His whole world had turned upside down. The things that had seemed important before had become trivial. Only this mattered-this moment, this woman, this child that they had created together.
It was the birth Kelly had longed for, with Jake beside her, sharing the experience. Unlike most first babies this one came quickly, and in a few minutes her son was in her arms.
‘He’s like you already,’ she whispered. ‘Impatient, rushing to get to the action fast.’
‘That’s something I’ll have to warn him about. It’s too easy to miss the things that matter.’
‘He won’t take any notice of warnings, not your son.’
‘My son,’ he said in wonder. ‘Our son. Is it really possible?’
‘Anything’s possible, my love. Or we would never have found each other again.’
The Reverend Francis turned up, beaming, next day, to complete the paperwork and entertain her with the story of how he’d swept up to the hospital, yelling, ‘Where’s the maternity unit.’
‘They took one look and nearly arrested me,’ he said with deep satisfaction. ‘I got stopped by the police too. They thought I was a Hell’s Angel. I haven’t had so much fun in years. And you’re really going to call this little fellow Francis? Well, well! I’ll be off now. Here’s your husband.’
Jake had one more surprise for her. He’d arrived with his arms full of books.
‘What are all these?’ she asked when he’d kissed her.
‘You have all that coursework to finish before the term starts,’ he said, ‘and you should be working on them right now.’
‘Right now? Have you forgotten how I spent yesterday?’
