At Last

For You Are Mine, At Last

"Tell me again why you have seahorse earrings?" I ask Lottie as I watch her change into her second wedding dress. I still didn't understand why she needed a second one but I wasn't about to argue. I still didn't get the earrings, though. 

Lottie grins as she walks towards me, turning so I could pull the zip up on her dress. "Because seahorses are monogamous and they mate for life. Just like you better be if you want more kids."

I quirk an eyebrow at her. We've already discussed this bun in the over being our last baby so it really doesn't make any difference if we have more or not but that said, I am Lottie's seahorse. I would never stray from her because she's perfection in every sense of the word, just like Mick said in his speech. When we were finally respectably dressed, we head back down to the party because we still have our first dance to go. 

The guests were all milling around, waiting for us to return so Mick could announce us as man and wife, we dance and then the party really starts. Noticing us, Mick picks up the microphone and introduces us, giving the DJ a nod and a thumbs up so that he could play the song we'd chosen for our first dance. 

Only the song that played wasn't Etta James' At Last. No, the song that played was miles off being the song we'd chosen. 

"Lottie, did you change the song without asking me?" I query, looking down at my very confused wife. She shook her head. "Then who the fu-"

"Martha?" Lottie suggests. We both look over at my eldest daughter who was giving her best friend a lecture while pointing at where Lottie and I were stood. My wife shakes her head in disapproval. "Keira."

Despite the ridiculous song, Lottie and I shared our first dance, getting more and more into it the longer the song played. When it came to an end, Al Last sounded out over the speakers and we invited everyone else onto the dancefloor. Looking around us, I could see so many happy couples: Lottie's parents, my parents, our siblings and their parents, friends with their wives or girlfriends... but two couples stood out to me more than any of the others. Bartley and Harlow Delaney and Arthur and Jacqueline Clément. 

Bartley and Harlow have been married for almost sixty years, have three children and countless grandchildren. Lottie once told me that they've never argued and neither has ever looked at another person ever since they laid eyes on each other when they were fourteen years old. Arthur and Jacqueline, on the other hand, have been married for almost seventy years, having tied the knot the day Jacqueline turned eighteen. Four children and countless grandchildren later, they both look at each other like it's the first time they're meeting and falling in love at first sight. 

"Do you think we'll be like that when we're their age?" I ask Lottie, signalling over at bother sets of her grandparents. "I want to be that happy and in love like that when we're old and wrinkly."

Lottie grins. "We're going to be happier than them. Trust me."

Separating so that we can circulate and dance with other people, I chat with as many of our guests as possible before nabbing Martha from Sam's clutches so we could have a father-daughter dance. As I twirl her, I spy a diamond tennis bracelet on her wrist and frown. I hate it when Sam lavishes expensive gifts like that on her and was about to remind Martha that men cannot buy her heart when she explains that it was actually Lottie who gifted the bracelet to her. Hearing the reason and the explanation Lottie gave Martha when she handed the gift over, I knew then that Lottie is the woman every man would be lucky to marry. It just so happens that I am the luckiest man who actually did marry her. 

"Excuse me, may I have this dance?" I asked, butting in on Mick and Lyanna's moment together. When Mick takes a step back and motions towards his girlfriend, I laugh. "No, idiot, I wanted to dance with you."

He eyes me suspiciously. "Are you for real?"

"I wasn't but now that I know how uncomfortable you are with the idea, I want to dance with you," I say, grabbing his hand and pulling him in close so we can sway. Lyanna laughs and announces she's off to get another drink, leaving my best mate and me alone together. "Did I tell you that you look very handsome today?"

"You're a married man, Isaac. Whatever would your wife say if she caught you flirting with another person?" Mick reminds me, his tone taking on a girlish lilt. He was totally playing along with this idiocy. Becoming serious, he looks at me. "What is it that you want to say, wankstain?"

I scoff. "Does Lyanna know how charming you are really? I swear, you're one person with her and another person with me and I mean, I just don't know, Mick, which person you really are." He can tell that I'm kidding and wisely chooses not to engage in that type of showdown. "I just wanted to say thank you for being my best man and for the speech you gave. And if you ever need the favour returned one day, I'm your guy."

Mick nods and tells me that he might just hold me to that. Watching as he walks over to the bar and wraps his arms around Lyanna's waist, I know that I have nothing more to worry about when it comes to any of the people I love. Martha's happy with Sam. Alice and Drew look loved up. May was here with her ex-fiancé, in a platonic sense, but she was happy and healthy and determined to continue working on her issues. All my friends were coupled up. My parents looked as if they were on a second honeymoon right about now, and Lottie was deliriously happy. 

Who knew that eating wedding cake could make my wife smile like that. 

"Hey, Mrs Fletcher," I say, taking the seat next to her and draping an arm over her shoulder. "How about you and I sneak out of here?"

"But, Isaac, there's cake here," Lottie tells me, eyeing up the second slice she has. Reaching out to take the plate, I pick it up and start walking towards the house. "Hey come back here with my cake!"

I shake my head. "If you want this cake, you're just going to have to lick it off my body."

"You promise?"