time since our reunion is a reminder of how much history we have.
I kiss them both and we all gush over how beautiful the other looks. Grace and Jen too, their dresses are lovely. I wonder if perhaps they met in LA to choose them together? It would explain how they seem to have got to know each other. While the living room is a flurry of compliments, Max reappears, having quickly put himself together. You’d never know it only took a few minutes, he looks devastatingly handsome and immaculate in his dark grey suit. The shirt is the faintest lavender and the tie is a few scant shades darker. He raises an eyebrow and looks down at his feet to draw my gaze. Black Converse.
“Don’t you look handsome!” purrs Connie.
It always makes me smile to see Max dressed up. Because formal wear covers almost all evidence of the fact that he is just like me. Max has gradually allowed tattoos to peep above his collar and under his cuffs to compensate. I show more of myself than usual when we dress up like this, so I never have that problem.
“He always looks amazing.” I grin and kiss his cheek.
There is a knock at the door and Mum lets Ali in, she’s dressed now too and is carrying a box full of flowers. My bouquet is a riot of orchids in every shade of purple and pinks. It’s stunning. The flowers for the bridesmaids are less riotous, but no less beautiful. My mum pins a buttonhole on Max and I scan the room.
“I can’t believe Danny did all this!” I exclaim,
Max grins and winks, telling me that he had a little help from the master.
‘Thank you,’ I mouth.
“Right, let’s get this show on the road,” says Max clapping his hands together.
Chapter Twenty-two
Liv
I promise not to go up any more ladders.
I laugh hysterically when we walk through the deserted diner and see the cars that are here to collect us. A traditional London black cab for the mums and a vintage yellow NYC chequered cab for Jen and Grace.
Ali locks up behind us and she and Carla jump in the car with Ali’s boyfriend.
Max and I wait on the curb as the cars pull away.
“Did you close the diner?” I ask with mock disapproval.
“Sack me.” Max shrugs. I laugh.
Just then a throaty roar can be heard and I look up to see a Mustang approach. I look at Max aghast.
“That’s not…?” I stutter.
“No,” confirms Max.” “Hired for the day, but he thought it would be a fitting tribute as she paid for the whole thing!”
I look up and down the car as it pulls up beside us. It’s unbelievable, the colour, every detail. It could be the same car.
“The whole day?” I ask just realising what Max said.
“It could have paid for it ten times Liv.”
I whistle.
Max offers me his elbow to help me into the car, this is when I realise that he is escorting me. I panic slightly, what about Dave? He gave Grace away, won’t he be upset? Before I get to articulate any of this, I shut it down. Danny will have it all covered.
While we’re driving along, I start to get twitchy about where we’re going. I haven’t ever thought about getting married it’s true, but I definitely know I would have a hard time settling for a hotel with a per head price, drab decor and mediocre food. I try not to let this play on my mind. I know from when Max and Charlie got married, there’s not much around to satisfy us, which is maybe why we run the type of place we do. If it was my choice, I know what I would do, but Danny is in charge of this. Whatever he has chosen, I’m sure I’ll love it.
Max shifts in his seat beside me and I see him pull an envelope from inside his suit jacket. “This is the last one,” he says, handing me Danny’s note. I start to shake inexplicably. I know it won’t be bad, but I can’t cry here, I can’t. My makeup can’t be redone again. “Don’t worry,” says Max, seeing my panic. I open the envelope cautiously.
Dear Liv,
I hope you like everything. I’ve had the most fun getting this day ready for you!
This wedding that I’ve planned for us is exactly how I’ve always seen us promising each other, in front of everyone, that we will love each other forever. But because I really wanted to surprise you, I'm afraid it isn’t going to be legal. I’ve really battled with this, but I really wanted to do this for you, so I decided to risk it. After we have done this today, you will be my wife and I will be your husband. But we will still need to go and get the paperwork done. Today is your birthday, but it will also be our anniversary for evermore, no matter which day we get the stamp on the certificate.
Everything about today will look and feel real and only you and I (Max, Charlie, Jen and Scott!) will ever know any different. I’m sorry it has to be this way, but they make you attend in person to apply to get married! Bastards!
We’ve come such a long way to get here, I can hardly believe it’s real. I can’t wait to see you and, just so that you know, because I know I’ll be too emotional to say it when you arrive…you look beautiful (I know this without even seeing you!) and I love you with all my heart…
D x
I take a shuddery breath and Max offers a tissue, but I hold my hand up and smile, shaking my head. “I’m good.” He has done an amazing thing. I wouldn’t care if we were never actually legally married. I never did. As long as we have each other, that’s all I want. Now I just can’t wait to get to wherever we’re going, I need to be with him.
When the car pulls into the park, I look questioningly at Max. He shakes his head and I don’t ask. The car stops and Max jumps out. He opens my door and helps me out. Then he offers me his elbow. “Shall we?”
I can’t think anything except ‘we’re at the park’ but I take his arm and follow him. We start down the shaded path and an arrow staked in the ground points the way. As we follow a trail of white petals along the edge of the footpath it suddenly dawns on me where we’re going, even though I’ve figured it out, I can’t help the gasp when our tree comes into view.
Everyone we know is seated in a semicircle around our beautiful tree and standing in front of them is Danny. He looks amazing! Scott is beside him and I see him squeeze Danny’s shoulder and tell him I’m here. Danny slowly looks up and his eyes meet mine. It’s like no one else is here. Like we are kids again, meeting at our place to hide from everyone else. Right from the moment I met him, he was all I ever needed and this place is the symbol of that. It was just ours. A secret forever. Now he’s chosen to share our secret with everyone, because it means so much to us.
“This is it,” Max whispers excitedly as he stops us at the top of the aisle in the middle of the seating. “Well done, you made it!”
I clasp his arm tightly. “I love you,” I whisper.
“I love you too.”
That’s when music starts, I couldn’t tell you what it was though. I’m more or less unable to process anything as, in slow motion, Max steps forward, leading me and then kissing my hand, he passes me to Dave who is waiting at the end of the aisle with a huge smile. I’m only vaguely aware of any of this, because at this precise moment all I can see is Danny. He stands at the front, watching me intently. His face full of emotion. We inch our way towards him. All else has faded from my consciousness. All I see is him.
Once I reach his side, Dave kisses my cheek and steps away to join my mum, Danny takes my hand and I breathe again. Although it has only been a few hours that we have been apart, it feels like forever, as if I’ve just completed the longest journey imaginable and finally reached my goal. Danny shuts his eyes tightly before returning them to me. He smiles.
“You're beautiful,” he whispers and I can tell that he has only just managed to get that out. I won’t be so successful holding it together if I try to speak, so I squeeze his hand and smile.
