Cinderella Man

Cinderella Man Chapter 27

Another chapter here for all of you to enjoy!

There's a nice little surprise at the end for all of you to enjoy. I didn't plan it, it kind of just happened!

Well anyways, enjoy everybody and let me know what you think!

Enjoy

Sam’s POV

Today is Emily’s wedding day.

The excitement around London is crazy. The roads are either blocked off or blocked with traffic, there’s people gathered on every street, the noise surrounding London is deafening.

It’s all driving me crazy.

These people are drunk off the idea of a fairy tale romance, one that’s fake. James and Emily are not in love, today is not their fairy tale and yet the whole world is convinced that today is the most romantic day in history.

It should be me.

That idea will haunt me for the rest of my life.

I will forever be regretting the day that I stupidly walked away. The day that I decided that I was not good enough to stand by Emily as she faces that hardest job in the world will be a day I will never forget. I was so stupid to believe that I couldn’t face it, that I couldn’t be with her.

Because none of it matters now.

All of the fear I had about whether I was the right choice or not seem insignificant when faced with the idea that I will have to sit by and watch as Emily marries someone else.

I pull at the tie sitting around my neck, suddenly feeling like it’s suffocating me. The last time I was in this suit, I was walking through the doors of the palace ready to meet my fate. I was ready to meet this woman who I believed was not the one for me, and yet she was everything I have ever wanted in life.

How times have changed.

I couldn’t afford this suit at the time. I couldn’t afford the hotel that I stayed in that night. Hell, I couldn’t even afford my own food.

Now look at me. Sitting here at what feels like the top of the world, looking over London, its beauty and the park that I once called home.

None of this matters to me. I was never happier in my life than when I was sitting on that bench, smiling at the woman that I believed was my forever. I would trade all of this, the penthouse apartment, the record deal, the food in my fridge if I could just feel the way I did when I was with her.

I have made the biggest mistake of my life.

I haven’t seen Ashely in a while, she ran off with an important errand that she exclaimed “cannot wait!” Some part of me is glad that she’s not here to see me in this state. The other part of me wishes she was here to comfort me.

I don’t want to be alone right now; my thoughts are too suffocating like the tie hanging around my neck.

Grabbing my key off the table, I run through to the lift sitting in my apartment and press the down button.

I need some fresh air.

I take a seat on what was once my bed. It feels different somehow; uncomfortable compared with the king sized bed in my apartment. And yet, it feels familiar, like home.

How did I get so caught up in it, the idea that the materialistic was what I needed? My music was just as well received standing on a busy street corner than it is in the top of the charts. Having my music being broadcasted to a wider audience has not made me any happy than busking did. I’m still singing I’m still playing my guitar; the only difference is the money I receive for my performance.

“Sam?” I hear a voice call out to me.

I look around, recognising the sweet and soothing tone, yet not being able to remember exactly where from.

Standing at the foot of the path, stands a woman with greying hair, a soft smile, and a pair of eyes that match mine exactly.

“Mum?”

She only smiles in response.

How did she find me?

“My darling Sam,” she smiles, tears streaming from her eyes.

I’ve never felt so comforted in my whole life.

I stand, my eyes tearing up just like hers, and start to make my way towards her.

She has not changed much in the last five years, she still looks like me. Her hair has begun to grey and she has more wrinkles scattered around her eyes and mouth, but she still looks like the woman that used to tuck me into bed at night. She’s still my mum.

As I stand in front of her, she pulls me into a tight embrace.

I’ve never missed someone so much.

Her hugs always managed to comfort me as a child and this one has the same effect on me as it did when I was five and had scraped my knee.

I break down.

Clutching onto my mother, I cry with everything in me.

I cry for the amount of time I’ve missed her, for everything I’ve not seen or heard from her, for all the hugs I have not received over the years.

She only pulls me tighter, crying just as hard as I am.

“I’ve missed you so much mum,” I manage to choke into her shoulder.

“Oh, I’ve missed you too sweetie. So, so much.”

I don’t know how long we stand there for; wrapped up in our reunion, but when I pull away I have a wet patch on my suit matching the one I’ve made on her dress.

“What are you doing here?” I ask as we start to make our way back to the bench, hand in hand.

“Well, I got this letter through, inviting me to a wedding of a young woman I have never met. Attached, was a picture of you, guitar in hand and smiling, telling me exactly where you would be on a day like today. I’m assuming you know who this woman is?” she smiles softly at me.

Emily.

“Yes mother, I know her,” I smile.

“Well, in the letter she explained that today is the day that you would need me more than ever, so I got on the train and here I am.”

I will never be able to thank Emily for the gift she has given me.

“So, you want to tell me why I’m invited to the wedding of the future Queen?”

This is something I’ve missed, telling my mother everything. She’s always been understanding of every problem, and is always eager to give me her advice.

So I explain everything to her. That I met Emily when I was unaware of who she was, how when I found out I was riddled with insecurity and how she was forced into choosing someone else, leading us up to the events of today.

“Sam, I am so sorry. This is because of your father and I. if we hadn’t have forced you out of our home, if we hadn’t of sent you away…”

“Then I wouldn’t be the man I am today,” I finish for her, “I wouldn’t have met Emily and felt a love like I did with her. My song wouldn’t be number one in the charts because I wouldn’t have had inspiration like I did with her. I wouldn’t be the person I am today, and I’m pretty happy with him.”

“I’m pretty proud of him too.”