For our last night together, I cooked Grey's favorite meal, tagliatelle and lamb meatballs in a tomato and basil sauce.
We had a quiet evening, we watched a DVD, and then took a luxurious bubble bath together. We made love that night and it was magical. Sex with Grey was always out of this world but that night was beyond description.
The next day I packed my last minute things and put my bag in the back of my car.
Grey walked me to the car and kissed me goodbye. As of the previous week, my house was on the market and the majority of my stuff had been moved into the cottage. There were things left at my house so I could remain there before the wedding, but starting with the wedding night, we would both live together at the cottage.
I was excited about our new life. We had had our twelve week scan and had still not told anyone about it. We decided that it was something we would surprise people with on the day of the wedding. It was one time we would have all of our nearest and dearest friends and family with us-we could tell them all at once.
Jodie had set up a slideshow for the reception. It was pictures of me and Grey as teenagers, things we'd done together when we were young. The last picture was going to be our scan picture and that would be when we told everyone.
To say I was nervous was an understatement. I had butterflies doing somersaults in my stomach and my heart felt like it was racing in my ribcage, trying to get out.
Jodie poured herself a glass of wine and me a glass of orange juice as we sat and talked about the wedding. I had someone coming round to do my hair, nails, and makeup in the morning and my dress was hung on Jodie's spare bedroom door in a dress bag. Everything was ready and I had done all I could. The rest was up to fate now.
I had invited Saskia and Melyssa after all. They had RSVP'd yes, so I sat them at a table with my parents just down from the top table. I hadn't seen my father in years and he wasn't giving me away. I had asked Jim to give me away instead. Yes, he was my boss, but he had also been like a father to me since I started working for him. My father had been upset by this but he knew I wouldn't change my mind and had admitted when I spoke to him on the phone that he hadn't been a proper father to me and he wanted that to change.
My mother was as sickly sweet as she ever was. Her new husband Dean was a grade ‘A' prick. They were both staying at a local hotel the night before the wedding so that she could come and see me at Jodie and Matt's house. I wasn't looking forward to her arrival and wished now more than ever that I could have a drink or five to numb myself to her pathetic ways. I had distanced myself on purpose over the years and was glad when she had moved away. I hadn't attended her wedding to Dean. As pathetic as she had become of late, she used to be a wonderful woman when she was married to my father and Dean didn't deserve someone who could be as good as I knew she could be.
All too soon the doorbell rang, and when Jodie answered it, I heard her voice.
"Oh, Jodie darling, how are you?"
"I'm good, thank you, Mrs. Lewis. How are you?"
I heard the door shut and their footsteps travel further into the house.
I wasn't looking forward to seeing my mother. It had been years. But she insisted on being here, saying it was traditional for the mother of the bride to be present while the bride got ready. One thing I could say about her marriage to Dean was she had a tendency to see things through rose-tinted spectacles. She thought she was still the great mother I'd been so close to growing up. Truth was, I didn't get so much as a phone call from her over the years and whenever I had called her, Dean would limit the time we spent on the phone so eventually calls dried up completely.
I certainly hadn't wanted to invite Dean to the wedding, but I couldn't tell my blissfully unaware mother that I hated the sight of him.
"Darling," she said as she walked through my bedroom door.
"Mother," I nodded curtly in her direction while sipping my non-alcoholic champagne.
We'd known my mother would suggest bringing a bottle of champagne, so we told her that Grey's mother had already provided some-we just didn't tell her it was non-alcoholic stuff bought by Jodie at the local supermarket and decanted into an old bottle Jodie had procured via Matt.
Jodie offered her a glass of the champagne and she accepted gratefully as she came and sat next to me. No sooner had she sat down than her phone rang. The caller display said Dean.
"Sorry, darling, I must take this."
She walked out of the room to take her call.
"She's only been here two minutes and he's checking up on her. The Elise Summers I knew would never have let a man wear her down the way he has," I said to Jodie as the door closed behind my mother.
"I'm keeping out of it, as should you. This is your wedding day and you should be happy."
"I'm not going to row with her. Even Dean can't ruin this for me today. He might be a snake in the grass, but I have far too many other things to concern myself with."
I took a swig of my champagne, wanting to take away the vile taste his name had left on my lips.
"Sorry about that, darling." My mother came breezing back into the room.
"That's okay, mom."
"Dean wants us to arrive at the wedding together and wondered how we would do that if I was here."
"Well, you can arrive together, it's not like you're needed here." I bit my tongue, knowing I'd been too disrespectful.
"Of course I'm needed here, darling, it's not every day my eldest daughter gets married."
She obviously decided to brush anything I said under the carpet.
"No, but Dean doesn't know this town and he won't want to turn up alone."
"I know, darling. He's picking me up here just before the ceremony.
"Oh, good."
I knew that meant I'd have to put up with her longer, but she was my mother, after all. I should make the most of seeing her. I might not get to see her again until her funeral and by then it would be too late to talk to her.
It sounds a harsh thing to say maybe, but with the tight leash Dean keeps on her, it's probably going to end up being true.
"So, what's Greyston like these days? I always thought you two would end up being married."
"His name is Grey and he's much the same as ever, just older and wiser."
I decided not to bring up the years we'd had apart. I knew she knew but she obviously chose to ignore the fact.
"I bet he's still as handsome as he ever was. What does he do for a living now?"
"He's a freelance photographer."
"Oh."
The surprise and disdain were clear in her voice. She didn't think Grey's career was good enough. Good job she's not marrying him.
"He's been all over the world, traveling and taking photos of all sorts of things. He's been to Machu Picchu, the Great Wall of China. He's even seen the Christ the Redeemer statue. He's been really lucky." I tried to cover up the awkward silence with babbling.
"He's a great guy, Mrs. Lewis. Carly is very lucky to be marrying him. All the women round here are jealous of her and wish it was them. The men? Well, they want to be Grey because he's the total package."
"The total package, dear?"
"He's handsome, charming, caring. He'd do anything for Carly, just anything. He's got a good job and he loves Carly very much."
"That's good to know, dear. I remember his mother and father were always very well to do. A rich family background. But the boy I knew was nothing if not humble and genuine."
Well, slap me in the face with a wet kipper, coming from my mother that had almost been a compliment.
"His father died, just so you know," I said. I didn't want her asking questions at the wedding.
"I'm sorry to hear that, darling. Greyston must have been devastated. Katrina, too. They were a close knit family."
"They were and yes, everyone was devastated. But Katrina and Lizzie are still around. Remember how much you liked Lizzie, Mother?"
"Oh yes, what a wonderful lady she was. I'll look forward to seeing her at the wedding."
The doorbell rang again and Jodie went to answer it.
"Tasha, please, come on in."
I heard footsteps outside my door and then heard Tasha's voice.
"Oh, is this the dress? I can't wait for the grand unveiling."
"It's stunning, Tasha."
The girls came into the room and Tasha barrelled straight over to me and wrapped me in a hug.
We'd gone to school together and I always used her salon to get my hair and nails done.
"Mother, you remember Tasha?" I asked, looking round.
"Tasha Small? Is that really you? Oh my goodness, you're all grown up."
"It's me, Mrs. Lewis. I haven't seen you in years. How are you?"
Tasha knew my mother had ditched me and Saskia when she went off with Dean, but she went out of her way to be nice. It was my wedding day, after all.
Tasha started unpacking all her stuff. She was here to give me a mani-pedi, a facial, style my hair and do my makeup. She was also doing Jodie's nails and hair. Jodie never let anyone do her makeup, lord help anyone who tried.