The feeling of something wet touching my face brought me to my senses almost instantaneously. I pried my eyes open and was greeted with the face of Bart. His tongue had darted out and was just about to have another lick of my face when I pushed his snout away from me.
"Don't you dare!" I growled as I struggled to sit up with my growing baby bump. Bart backed away so I could swing my legs over the side of the bed.
Last night had all but hit me in the face again as an immediate headache started in my head and I sat with my eyes squeezed shut. I cursed Mum for starting a fight last night.
Why could I not just have had a normal hens night?
I opened my eyes and saw Bart eagerly waiting by the door, obviously wanting to go and relieve himself. I stood and opened the door while Bart had followed behind me eagerly. We made it outside and the cool morning breeze hit my face as I made my way down the porch following Bart eagerly to the beach.
The sun was slowly rising, warming the cool air ever so slowly. I walked gingerly along the sand while Bart ducked and weaved then disappeared behind a sand dune to relieve himself.
I sat down on the sand just as a cold breeze had hit my bare arms making me instantly regret leaving the house without a jacket. I placed my hands on my arms and continuously rubbed causing friction, warming my arms ever so slightly. The effort seemed futile.
This was a peaceful moment, one I had been desperately searching for in the lead up to this weekend. Everyone and everything was moving at such a fast pace that I never had a moment to sit down and reflect on the chaotic year that I had had. A year and half ago I was a broken hearted, sad, lonely and bitter woman trying to fit the pieces of my heart together. Nothing seemed to hold them in place. Industrial glue couldn't hold the shattered pieces together.
Then as fate would have it along came Lily and Jack, who were the final pieces to my broken heart. They had become the glue that I had been searching for.
For a long time I wondered how I got so lucky. Why had the fate of life suddenly swing in my favour?
Sometimes god has a funny sense of humor.
For a long time I had thought about Dylan and about what would have happened if he made his flight to Caz and Dan's wedding. Would Jack and I still have had the chance of getting together or would I have gotten stupidly drunk and hooked up with Dylan if he wasn't stuck in Tonga?
Its crazy how life turns out sometimes.
All at once I had come to the realization that I was going to be married tomorrow, but I wasn't scared and my flight senses didn't immediately go off. I wanted this as much as I wanted the ugly that came with marriage.
I wanted to be married to Jack because with every breath I took I loved him.
I loved him with every fiber of my being and the thought of a future without him seemed like one that wasn't worth living. I loved him and despite our trials and tribulations my future was with Jack, Lily, my unborn child and my dogs.
This was my future. This is my life.
I had decided to walk up to the top of the look out with Bart to catch the rest of the sunrise.
It had taken me a lot longer to get to the top than I was use to. This pregnancy was really taking a toll on me. Bart had run on without me and I assumed had made it to the top and came back to greet me. He obviously had no time for my slow pace cause he did this a couple more times becoming more and more impatient when he ran back to greet me and ended up barking at me incessantly.
What had felt like hours, I made it to the top. I was drenched in my own sweat and my lungs burned in agony. Bart barked excitedly when he saw my over the ridge of the top of the hill.
I sat on the bench that was obviously put there for people like me.
Within 30 minutes the sun had finally made its way to the top of the sky and my tummy had rumbled, signalling that I was yet to eat something. That was my cue to go home.
I looked down at my watch and saw that I had been away for two and half hours, it was definitely time to go home, remembering that I hadn't actually told anyone that I was leaving.
Bart had darted off down the hill after I instructed that it was time to leave and as I went to take a step down my foot slipped and I fell onto my bottom. I landed with a loud oomph and groaned at the sharp pain that flew up my back. Bart must have sensed something had happened and came sprinting towards me, barking like crazy. He licked my face and whimpered while a tried to stand up.
"Bart, I'm okay. I'm alright." I reassured him as I patted his head while rubbing my bum. He continued to check for any damage and then walked beside of me for the rest of the trip home.
We made our way inside the gate and Bart rushed into the house as I followed behind closely. When I entered the house, I could hear many voice coming from the kitchen and living room and everything was telling me to go to my room and sleep. The voices weren't exactly talking quietly and it was more arguing than it was talking.
I walked up the hall way and turned to walk around the corner and as soon as I came into everyone's line of site it became deadly quiet.
"Cameron." Jack whispered almost as if I was a figure of his imagination.
All eyes landed on me and I waited for someone to explain why everyone had become so tense.
"What's wrong?" I asked no one in particular.
My eyes jumped from person to person and they all gave me the same look of surprise and relief. My eyes landed on Lily and then went to look at Jack who looked so disheveled that I wanted to instantly wrap my arms around him to comfort him. But, I stood glued to the same spot I was in and waited impatiently for someone, anyone for that matter, to tell me what had happened.
"Cameron, where have you been?" Tilly asked in a quiet voice, who was tucked into the side of Ethan.
"Bart needed to go toilet so I took him outside, then we walked up to the look out." I explained still confused by tension in the room.
"Why didn't you tell anyone where you were going?" Ethan asked with an angry undertone.
"I didn't think I would be that long. The pregnancy caused me to take longer to get to the top." I explained feeling as though I was going to get in trouble.
"Mum, we thought you had run away." Lily piped up from the stool she was sitting on.
"What? Why would I run away?" I looked at Jack and it dawned on me that he thought I was his runaway bride. "Oh my god, you thought I ran away from marrying you?" I directed to Jack.
He looked away and when it was obvious he wasn't going to say anything I expressed my annoyance that such a thought would even enter his mind. "You think I would run away and leave my child and Lisa here with this crazy lot?"
"Rude." Caz mumbled.
"Jack, I promised you I was ready to be married to you." I moved around the counter and made my way over to Jack and stood right in front of him so he could look me right in the eyes. "Nothings changed and I always keep my promises. I loved you then and I love you now and I want to be married to you."
"Why do you love me?" Jack questioned.
"What?"
"Why do you love me?" Jack repeated as he became tense while he looked at everyone else in the room. I turned my head to see everyone looking at me expectantly, Lily gestured for me to hurry up and answer.
"I-I...um. Why do you need to know now?" I asked slightly uncomfortable that Jack wanted me to spill my heart out in front of everyone.
"Just answer the question Cameron." Edward urged. I turned my head to him and glared. I saw Sasha elbow him and then told him to be quiet.
I looked up into Jacks eyes and I saw the internal battle he was having, he needed to hear it. "I love you because you're you. I don't know. You're really going to make me do this right now?" I tried to evade the inevitable. Jack clenched his jaw and I saw desperation in his eyes.
I now understood he needed the reassurance.
"UGH! I don't know, I guess I love you because you're the first person who ever loved me for me. Everyone else who came before you said they loved me but they tried to change something about me. They would say I was too closed off, too opinionated, not passionate enough, too passionate; they would tell me I wasn't good enough. I didn't deserve their offering of love because no amount of Love can free me from my closed and cold heart. I was told numerous times that I wasn't worth the time or the effort to be shown what love can do to you. But you showed me that I was worth it. You were the first person who I tried to push away but didn't push back as to hurt me. You pushed back because you needed me to see that you love me and all the bullshit that comes with me. I love you because you made me see that I was someone who was capable of receiving love and giving love. I love you because you're an amazing father to Lily. I didn't think you would stick around but you did and I am so fucking happy you did. You're the most amazing father, fiancé and human being and I am so lucky to have found love with you. That's why I love you." A tear fell from each eye and before I knew it, Jack had gripped the back of my head and pulled me towards him and our lips met in a passionate kiss. Everyone had cheered but I was too lost in this moment to be embarrassed.
Jack pulled away and wiped the tears that had fallen. "You are always worthy. I love you more than you will ever understand." He had whispered just so I could hear it. I hugged him and a few tears had slipped out.
He pulled away and as though he only just realised it he gasped in shock. "What happened to your nose?" He touched it slightly and I flinched back as he touched a really sensitive part.
"OW!" I groaned as I stepped out of his embrace and protected my nose from the prying eyes of Jack and everyone else who had yet to find out about the whole incident last night.
"What happened to your nose?" Jack asked as he took a step towards me, reaching his hand out to touch it. I moved quickly in the direction of my father not wanting Jack to touch it again. My eyes started to water as the stinging sensation around my nose intensified.
"Jack, you brute, that hurt!" I grumbled as I stood in front of Dad so he could look at it.
"You're meant to say that on your wedding night not the day before the wedding." Walter said as he came around the corner with Joe, Helen and a man and woman I did not know. Walter swiftly got a smack around the head from Joe and the women who I had not met before. Jack and Walter had the same eyes as her; it was Jack and Walter's mother.
Everyone had become quiet and looked at the new people who had just walked in and then to Jack. I turned to walk over to them but was stopped when Jack grabbed my arm so I would face him.
"Cameron, what happen to your face?" Jack asked in a stern voice not caring that this was the first time I was going to be meeting his mother and his step-father.
I blinked at him for a moment too long and sighed heavily.
"It's my fault." I heard my mother say from behind me. I turned and gave her a look that told her she doesn't have to tell people. "It's alright Cameron, I will take responsibility for my actions. Sheila, Debbie and I decided that we should also be allowed to party as well. I was angry at Craig and Debbie was angry at Uncle Tom, Sheila just came along for a good night, and so we left to join the hen's night. We all got a little too drunk and well, a lady had bumped into my pregnant daughter and I was not going to take that lying down. So, I picked a fight when I should have left it alone. Cameron got an accidental elbow to the face and the three of us were arrested. I am not proud of what happened."
My mother stood with her hands together in front of her and she looked at Jack waiting for his reaction.
"You were arrested?" Jack asked with his brows furrowed.
My mother nodded her head and stood straighter. Everyone was unbearably quiet as we all waited for Jack to say something.
"Cameron Alexandria Henderson, you let your Mother get arrested? Oh my god I'm marrying a monster! Come here Martha, you must be traumatized!" Jack exclaimed as he walked passed me and gathered my Mum into his arms. I watched as my Mum began to sob.
"I was in there for an hour, I was denied water! You wait until I see Liam!" My Mother exclaimed. I looked at my siblings in disbelief as they started laughing. Everyone joined in and I looked at my Dad and we both rolled our eyes.
"Mother you were in there for 35 minutes, you drama queen. Anyhow, you had it coming, I told you not to fight." I said as Lily came over to embrace me. I hugged her to me and saw her smile at Jack and Mum.
"Did you tell Liam give her the 641?" Edward asked. I nodded my head as Edward, Caz, Daniel and Ethan erupted into loud laughter. This went on for a long while and before long I joined in.
"What does 641 mean?" Sasha asked from beside Edward.
"She wasn't actually arrested, she just went through the process of being arrested it's the code the police use when they want to scare kids from doing petty crime." Edward managed between fits of laughter. "I knew Liam wouldn't actually arrest her."
"You mean I wasn't actually arrested?" Mum asked as she pulled out of Jacks embrace. I shook my head and watched as she broke down again. "It was so traumatic!"
"Oh, Martha do shut up!" Grandma Ivy said as she rounded the corner. "We have guests and you lot are being completely rude."
"Here, here! I agree with grumpy Ivy." Nana Rose said as she came to stand next to Grandma Ivy.
I turned around quickly forgetting that Jack's family were here. Lily and I went forward and introduced ourselves to Jack's Mum, Liana and her husband Richard. She hugged onto me and whispered how grateful she was that I was able to convince Jack to invite her and Richard. I told her that I hope she accepts Lily to be her granddaughter. She was more than willing and was thankful that I had brought Jack back into her life.
For once, I had a great feeling about this weekend.