❝ PICKET FENCE! ❞ → GRAY ✓

→ i.viii

Act One, Scene Eight

→ ❝ i do love a wedding! ❞

             Carol had been given a position on the prestigious front pew with the rest of the family, standing firmly between Michael and an uncle of the Shelby's that she couldn't remember the name of. Every so often, she poked her head over the barrier to look at Tommy who was stood with Arthur and had a bland expression on his face. Carol wondered if it was really his wedding day, or if they had gathered for a much more solemn, depressing event, because Tommy sure as hell didn't look very excited to be there. Or perhaps it was nerves, as it looked as though every single one of the Bride's family was ready to gut him there and then.

             Arthur, who she had grown particularly close to during her week with Michael, sent her a thumbs up and a cheeky grin when it seemed that Tommy was paying no attention to anyone. She smiled back before seeing Michael in the corner of her eye.

             "Oh, Henry," Carol groaned and turned to hit Michael playfully on the arm while he held Karl over the pew, swinging his legs, "Don't you drop him!"

             "Carol's right, Michael," Ada – the only Shelby sister and a growing friend of Carol's – smirked, "I don't want my son bashing his head in and getting the lack of smarts that all the Shelby men seem to have."

             "Thought you weren't a Shelby, Ada," Michael retorted with a grin. Carol watched him intently (her gaze being stolen for only a second while she took the hymn sheets from a passing choir boy) and admired how good he was with children. Karl reminded her of William, Michael's brother, and hoped that her husband one day would be as caring as he was.

             Ada hit him in the stomach with her handbag, "Oh, shut up."

             The bells had been ringing for a while (longer than Carol ever remembered them to at a wedding) and Carol wondered whether bad time keeping was a regular habit of the bride. She had only met Grace once (when she tried to persuade her to allow Isaiah on the front pew, to make her feel 'safe') and had yet to fully get to know the Irishwoman, but she hoped that she was a good influence on Tommy and would make a good addition to the family. Peering over at the Bride's side once again, Carol pictured her family sat on the pews and hoped they wouldn't be so disapproving if she ended up marrying Michael.

             There was a petite brunette across from Ada who kept sneaking glances at Michael with a smile on her face before turning to whisper to another woman beside her. Carol was beginning to become increasingly impatient with her, and wished that Polly was near enough to shoot her the glare that Carol was too scared to send herself.

             "Henry," she said softly, standing on her tiptoes to kiss him tenderly on the cheek, the feather on her cream hat brushing the side of his face gently. She was never one to be possessive, but something about the girl was making a pit of jealousy grow in her stomach.

             "What was that for?" he replied gently, pulling Karl back over the pew and setting him down beside Ada.

             "I love you, that's all." she smiled innocently, placing her white gloved hand over his larger, black one. The parallel was perfect, their gloves perfectly represented themselves; Carol was small and innocent, and Michael was much darker than she had ever remembered him to be.

             "Well," he replied, placing a kiss on her lips and pulling her closer into his side with his spare arm, "I love you too."

             "Eh, no funny business, you two." Isaiah joked from behind, earning a middle finger from Michael, who quickly put his profaning hand into his pocket as the priest, whom Carol vaguely remembered was Isaiah's father, entered the chapel.