My Blossoming Redemption

FIFTY-SIX

The way Hannah dives toward her son and grabs me into a hug at the same time reminds me of that. Neil starts chuckling in his seat, and even Gabriel starts clapping his little hands from inside the wheelbarrow.

Hannah squeals and I can hear the thick cry of happiness as she does. Her hug is one of pure, unadulterated joy.

"When? When? Where? Why? I'm so excited!" she exclaims and lets us both go. Nick chuckles and grabs my hand as we sit back down. Gabriel stops clapping and starts giggling.

"It's in three months, December the twelfth. Christmas wedding, sort of. We... we discussed it after Sarah turned up like I told you and well... we decided we just wanted to do it," Nick explains. I give him the widest smile I can physically give when his eyes fall on mine.

"A Christmas wedding! I can't believe it!" Hannah exclaims. I don't think I've ever seen someone full of pure joy like this before.

"Why so quick?" Neil asks. I chuckle – I told Nick he would question it. "I remember you both saying you were going to take this slowly because of... well, you know. Not that I'm not happy... because I'm fucking ecstatic for you both."

Nick grins at me, that dimple coming back out. I can see the happiness glowing from him like the sunshine my angel has always represented.

"Well, there is a method to our madness. We both... don't believe in religion, and well, we just... we want to be married. We don't care about the church, obviously. We don't care about the pomp and circumstance of a white wedding. Marriage doesn't faze either of us after what happened with Joel, so... why wait?" Nick says.

"When we went to book it, we saw that was the closest date to Christmas they had left, so we decided it'd be nice. Georgina's favourite time of year, I love Christmas, and well... end what's been an... eventful year on a high note," I finish.

It falls silent for a beat. I watch the news settle on them like confetti, and the beam on Hannah's face surprises me by getting wider. Neil's laugh starts up again and we all leap out of our chairs and meet for a Knight family hug. Even Gabriel clambers out of his red wheelbarrow and grabs Hannah's leg. She scoops him up and he claps in the middle of us.

"This... you've no idea how happy you've made us," Hannah whispers to me.

"You don't think this will... impact...him?" I ask and gesture to Gabriel in her arms.

"Don't be silly. He'll adapt, we'll explain as he gets older. All that matters is that you and Nicholas are happy, everything else will slot in," she assures me.

"After the year I've had, I think... I saw the date and it felt like it was meant to be," I admit. "I'm just a little... I think now it's real, I'm a little worried about Gabriel."

Her free hand smooths down my hair. "Stop worrying, sweetheart. This is amazing; you and Nicholas belong together. Anyone with eyes can see it. You deserve this happiness, as does he. I couldn't be more excited to have you legally in our family! I'm so excited, Aspen!"

She grabs me in for a hug before I can think and I can just feel the love radiating from her, even as Gabriel grabs my hair and starts eating it.

Dinner in the Knight household is definitely an event. Neil's got the table laid out in the lounge, cutlery all aligned, wine glasses out. They even have yellow napkins out on the table.

Hannah lays out the plates, each stuffed with roast beef, Yorkshire puddings, crispy roast potatoes, and a whole host of vegetables. The gravy boat in the middle of the table makes me smile – it reminds me of Sundays gone by after church, Dad would drive us to his mum's house for Sunday dinner. She had the same gravy boat – white with a little black line on it. It always ended up dripping and making a puddle of black gravy in the holder by the end of the meal.