Interrupted Journey

Chapter 2 - Proposal

I woke up the next morning with the slightly fuzzy feeling in my head that I always get when I've been drinking. Looking across I realised that I was in bed with Susan. She was watching me with a half smile.

"How's your head?" she asked.

"Full of feathers but not painful," I answered. I thought for a while. "Thank you for trusting me with Laura last night," I added at last. "You were right, I needed it."

"I'd like to postpone PTSD as long as possible. Besides, last night Laura wasn't a woman, she was a comrade who had been through this before."

I nodded. We were quiet for a while. "By the way," I managed at last." Last night, we didn't..." I trailed off too embarrassed to complete my question.

"Just a kiss and a cuddle," she answered. "You weren't in any fit state."

"Good," I answered." I promised Alice that we wouldn't before we were married."

"Before we were married?" Susan said with a smile. "That sounds like a proposal."

"It wasn't..." I answered then thought for a moment, "but it could be, if you like."

"I like," she answered, "and I accept."

She was helping to restore the slightly vague memories from the night before of what was meant by 'a kiss and a cuddle when we were interrupted by giggles from the mattress on the floor.

"Morning, you two," I said when I could get my mouth free. I propped myself up on one elbow and looked down on them. "I have a question for you two. Susan and I are thinking of getting married. Is that alright by you?"

They looked at each other and nodded. "Do we get to be bridesmaids?" Emily asked, bouncing up and down with excitement.

I looked at Susan and she said, "That would be lovely. We don't know exactly how the wedding thing is going to work but you two will be bridesmaids."

We managed to track down James before breakfast and, when we asked him for his blessing, he gave it happily but was uncertain about his part in the new family. "Do I have to call you mum?" he asked Susan hesitantly.

"You don't 'have' to do anything," she assured him. "I understand that I'll never replace your mother but I hope that, in time, you'll be comfortable enough to talk to me about anything you'd have liked to talk to her about."

He thought about this for a bit then gave her a tentative hug.

The two little girls were still bouncing up and down with excitement when we all gathered round the long wooden table for breakfast. When I shouted, "Hello," to get everyone's attention Emily asked, "Can I tell them?"

I nodded and she climbed to her feet and, with due formality announced, "Me and Lizzy are going to be bridesmaids!"

She looked hurt and confused when the table collapsed into laughter and Susan put an arm round her shoulders. "I know that's very special for you two," she whispered, "But you have to think about what is the most important thing for the other people round the room?"

"Oh yes..." Emily continued with her announcement. "And Daddy and Susan are going to get married."

I had an extra smile at that. It was the first time that she had called me 'Daddy'.

But, in spite of the happy news, breakfast was soon over and there was still a full day's work ahead of us.