Final Score: Part Two (Game On 6)

“Leah.” He choked out my name, swallowing hard. Words seemed to fail him, and I walked towards him and fell into his arms. He kissed the top of my head, and as I glanced at my mum, she smiled.

“We have something for you,” she said.

I turned slightly, still keeping one arm firmly wrapped around my dad. I was having a hard time forming words too, so I just looked at her, waiting.

Mum fumbled in her clutch bag, and I thought how lovely she looked. While Deanna was the glamorous kind of beautiful, my mum was… well, mumsy, but still beautiful in a more prim and proper kind of way. She wore a dusky pink dress which was similar in style to Deanna’s, though the top had an embroidered rose pattern on instead of lace. After a moment or two, Mum pulled out yet another velvet box – this one black. I appeared to be stuck in some kind of jewellery-giving loop.

As Mum passed the box to me, she said, “I know you already have earrings on, and you really don’t have to wear these, it’s just, I wasn’t sure if you’ve got your something old, something new, something borrowed and something blue. I know your dress is new, but what’s in this box covers everything else.”

I glanced down at the box for a second before opening it up and gasping. “Mum…”

“You always loved these when you were a little girl. And I thought maybe you might like to wear them today.”

My eyes fixed on the tiny diamond earrings resting on a bed of white satin. They’d belonged to my grandma. Mum inherited them when my grandma died, and anytime Mum wore them, I always told her how pretty they were, and how I wanted a pair just like them when I was a grown up. They were a very pale blue, so pale you almost couldn’t tell there was a colour to them at all.

Mum was right. They were blue, borrowed, and certainly old.

“Thank you,” I breathed. “I want to wear them.”

“You’re welcome, sweetheart.”

Smiling, I headed back to the mirror, to swap my new diamond earrings for ones which meant so much more. When I was done, I turned back to my parents and let out a long breath. “So… I guess it’s almost time.”

Mum nodded, smiling. “I have to go downstairs and take my seat soon, but we just wanted a minute with you. Leah… the last few years have been… well, you know. There have been a lot of ups and downs. All we ever wanted for you was to find someone who loved you and would take care of you. And even though you live so far away from us now, you have that. Being here for the past week has showed us how happy you are. How settled you are. We’ve seen how right it is for you to be here, and you’re an amazing mother. We just… we want you to know… we’re proud of you, Leah.”

That did it. I’d tried so hard not to cry, but I’d waited my whole life to hear those words. Don’t get me wrong, I knew they were proud of the things I’d achieved, but most of the time, I felt like I was a disappointment for not doing what they wanted me to do. To hear those words out loud was the best gift I could have asked for.

Thank God for waterproof mascara.

My parents wrapped me into a hug, and we held each other for a long time. “I love you both so much,” I told them.

“We love you too,” Dad said, and I caught him brushing away a tear of his own as he straightened up. “Now. I think it’s about time your mum went to take her seat because…” he paused then smiled. “I’ve got to walk you down that aisle.”

Chapter Fourteen – Thank You

You know that tradition of the bride being late for her wedding? Well, first of all, I would never have pulled that off since the wedding was in my own house. But mostly, I couldn’t wait another second longer than I had to to see my man. Screw tradition; I didn’t want to be late.

My arm was linked through my dad’s, bridesmaids and page boys behind me as we stood just outside the marquee. I peered inside and gasped. I hadn’t had a chance to see it all set up as most of it had been done the day before, and once I’d arrived home I’d been marched up the stairs, but it was exactly as I’d envisioned it. High backed white chairs lined the inside, and each chair had a fancy bow tied around the back, in the same plum shade as my bridesmaids’ dresses. White roses were displayed on plinths along the aisle, and I could hear the gentle chatter of our guests as they waited. At the end of the long aisle, I could see Bryce, but my view of Radleigh was mostly obscured as he stood right in front of the guests, out of my line of sight.

“Are you ready?” Dad asked, and I nodded, even though all of a sudden I was having trouble breathing.

I turned to look at my stunning bridesmaids who all beamed back at me.

“Let’s do this,” Bree said, grinning.

Nodding again, I turned to face the entrance of the marquee, and as the music began, silence fell over the room, and everyone stood up. Radleigh and I had chosen a slowed down version of Still Into You by Paramore as the song I’d walk down the aisle to. The lyrics were so perfect – speaking of a couple who didn’t necessarily have an easy relationship, but still felt butterflies, still loved each other as much as they had when they first met.

I blinked away tears as we began the slow, long walk down the aisle. Friends and family smiled at me as I passed them, and I tried hard to smile back, but all I wanted to do was reach Radleigh. He didn’t turn around right away, and I knew he wouldn’t. However, Bryce did, and his eyes widened as they fell on me. He gave Radleigh a gentle nudge, and whispered something to him. A second later, he looked over his shoulder.

There are no words to describe how I felt when his eyes met mine. Talk about butterflies. They took flight inside my stomach, soaring around at the joy in his gaze. I wanted to drop my bouquet and run to him. He gave me the smile. The smile he reserved for me, and my breath caught. He’d never looked more perfect to me than he did in his tailored suit, silently willing me to hurry up and get to him.

Everyone else ceased to exist.

It seemed like years before I reached him, but when I did, as much as I wanted to fall into his arms, I remembered to hug my dad and kiss him on the cheek before he “handed me over?

? to Radleigh.

“I love you, Dad,” I whispered.