Wedding Woes

Chapter Five

Luke's mother was a pleasant surprise, quietly spoken and well mannered. She had imagined a crass, loud woman wearing some gaudy twinset. She obviously doted on Ellie, and they walked arm in arm around the aisles of flowers, deliberating on what would be most suitable. Luke disappeared to a bridal store to check on a few alterations for the groomsmen, and she felt she could breathe far easier without his juvenile comments. The three women decided that a spray of pink and white roses would be traditional, and compliment Ellie's dress yet, which she hadn't seen, but if she had to guess it would probably be Vera Wang and the most stunning dress ever created.

As if she could read Emily's mind, Ellie decided their next port of call would be to visit her mother in law, Laura's home. She kept her bridal gown there, and was staying in her home for the duration of the wedding planning. Ellie's own mother Penny was arriving the following Monday and would also stay with the ladies. As they left the flower shop, fizzing with excitement, Emily was glad that they would be travelling in Laura's car. Luke was preoccupied and that suited her just fine. As they drove past palatial homes, they pulled up in front of a beautiful two storey mansion, with a beautiful terracotta tiled roof, reminding Emily of Spanish summer holidays.

As they stepped out of the car, a middle aged man with dark hair and a kindly weather beaten face held out a tray, three glasses of iced tea ready for them.

'Thank you Miguel' Laura smiled, warmly.

He disappeared as quickly as he had appeared, and the two friends followed her into the house.

'Wow, this place is incredible, like something from a Hollywood movie!' Emily said in awe, as they stepped into a cool marble reception hallway. Stunning marble figures of mythical figures lined the walls, with a beautiful water feature in the very centre of the space, an exquisite aquamarine tiled mosaic, giving the water a serene, Caribbean blue colour. If a million pounds suddenly fell into her lap, Emily would most certainly replicate this stunning feature in her own home. She'd swap her pokey flat for this expansive mansion any day of the week. As they climbed the stairs, Laura talked fondly of how her two sons would often play by the water feature, and at the bottom there were some coins. They had often made wishes and dropped a quarter into the fountain, like a well. She spoke so warmly about her sons that she felt a little tug in her heart, she wasn't close to her parents. They weren't that kind of family. She didn't hate them, and they didn't abuse her or treat her unfairly, but they had always had a distance to their relationship. Laura was so animated in her tales, and as she pointed out photographs trailing the walls, leading up to the second floor, Ellie couldn't help but laugh at candid shots of her husband to be. In one he was wearing what appeared to be a dress. Emily chuckled as she spotted one where Luke wore some sort of robe at Church, his floppy brown hair unmistakably him.

As they reached the second floor, suddenly the photos were later on in their lives. She spotted one of Luke, wearing some kind of martial arts outfit, then one of him posing awkwardly next to a young girl wearing a peach meringue dress. His expression was devoid of emotion, and she snorted with laughter as she noticed another one. He was standing in front of a swimming pool wearing a speedo, and the image was so absurd that Ellie joined her, and Laura shook her head in amusement as they noticed how embarrassed he looked in this shot.