Silent Sea - An Alternative Ending

Part 2 - Last Goodbye.



Will and Terry got married on the last day of November, and I truly couldn't have been any happier for them. They walked down the aisle together, holding hands and grinning from ear to ear, and I'd never seen a couple more grateful and disbelieving that they were finally able to be together as Mr and Mr. They were getting married in a gorgeous stately home in Kent that had become a hotel specialising in events, the grounds were sprawling and beautiful, and everything was planned to perfection (even if I do say so myself), but I knew it didn't matter to them - they could have gotten married in a dingy office in the local registry office, and it would have still been just as special.

I cried as they exchanged vows, feeling an unexpected tinge of sadness watching my ex-husband (a man I'd once planned on spending my life with) marry the love of his life. But mostly, I was so happy that Will had stayed true to his word when it came to being a better person. He was wonderful - despite his interferences with my love life - and that had meant we could be in each other's lives.

When the registrar declared them husband and husband, the whole room erupted into cheers and applause. Nearly everyone who was there had been through the good and the bad times with them, and even if they hadn't, they at least knew what a long time the two men had waited to be together.

"Are you alright?" Dee chuckled, sniffing as I passed her a tissue so she could carefully dab at her eyes. "I never cry at weddings, but I feel really... emotional!"

I watched as she glanced at Rose, a small smile on her lips, and I predicted that I'd be planning another wedding soon, as well as my own.

-

The day was truly perfect, and everything I'd hoped Will and Terry to have. At the reception, their other business partner, Marcus, gave a joint best man speech which had everyone in fits of laughter, and after we'd all eaten, we all cheered as the grooms cut the cake. I'd never seen them so happy or so in love, and it made me hope I felt that way when I married Joel.

As evening rolled around, everybody crowded into the bar whilst the chairs and tables were cleared in the reception hall to make way for the dance floor. The second wave of guests began to arrive; bringing refreshed excitement for those starting to lag from the long day.

"Here you go, baby!" Handing me a fresh pink gin and lemonade, Joel then kissed my lips, face lingering close to mutter, "I love you" before stepping back to take a swig of beer from the bottle in his hand.

"Thank you, my love. I love you, too." I stroked the back of his neck with my free hand, glancing around the room at the groups of people chatting away and laughing.

"I think Dee is gearing up to propose to Rose."

I gasped, "That's what I was thinking, too!"

He slipped an arm around my lower back, pulling me to his side, and joking, "We could have a double wedding."

"Have you met Rose?" Chuckling, I shook my head, "She's going to want all the attention on her and Dee. Besides, I still think we should just do something smaller, more intimate. It's not like it's the first time for either of us."

Joel nodded but didn't respond, just gave me a long, lingering kiss that made my tummy do somersaults. We had differences of opinion on the kind of wedding we wanted, but, unlike when I'd married Will, we were at least trying to come to a compromise on those differences.

I could hear some quiet murmuring around us, and something caught my attention out of the corner of my eye. When I looked to see what it was - something in my subconscious turning my head to peer through the throng of guests -, I genuinely thought I was going to pass out in Joel's arms.