Bonus Chapter

The Wedding

Even though I had just jolted in my sleep and woken myself up I was shockingly quite calm. Yes, the bride on her wedding day was calm. I smiled to myself knowing that in a few hours I wouldn’t be Madeline Joanne Abbot, I would be Madeline Joanne Abbot Christiansen. I would a wife not just a mother. Many people would say I was too young to be getting married at eighteen but I had already had a son at the age of sixteen, many people had said that I was too young. Ed’s mother was one of them. She, ever so surprisingly (cue sarcasm), refused to be at the wedding and was no doubt lolling around her house being her normal uppity snobbish self. At least she won’t do something stupid like stop the wedding and bring up highly embarrassing things about me. To be truthful I think Rob would rugby tackle her to the ground if she tried anything. I giggled at the mental image of Rob rugby tackling Ed’s mother to the ground, no Maddie don’t think ill of Mrs C, she was soon to be my mother-in-law, I shuddered at the thought either way. You don’t seem to realise just how scary she really is.

I reached over to my bed-side table for the glass of water that was sitting there. I’d had some sense to pour myself one before I went to bed knowing that I’d probably wake up in the middle of the night. Glancing at the small alarm clock next to the water I groaned, it was five in the morning and I doubted I’d be able to go back to sleep. Normally I’d slip into Will’s room watch him sleep but he wasn’t at home with me, he was staying at Ed’s house as he was determined to be classed as “one of the boys”. Half the time he acted like a two year old clone of my soon to be husband and it creased me. I had even stopped trying to not get him to call Ed “Daddy” because being frank would he ever know another father? I was scared of the day that I would tell Will the truth, I didn’t want to and everyone had agreed with me, apart from my own mother that is. She had sat me down six months ago and made me realise that if I wanted to have a family I had be truthful to my son. I wanted him to know that both Ed and I loved him more than anything in the world even though he had been born at a time in my life that wasn’t the most convenient.

I sighed and pulled back my bed covers, Sabrina who was sleeping on the camp on the floor stirred slightly. I grabbed my dressing gown off the end of my bed and quietly crept out of my room. The house was deathly silent and was quite creepy in the darkness. Even though I had a glass of perfectly chilled water sitting upstairs in my room I still walked into my kitchen and poured another glass. I glanced into the lounge which in a few hours would be the room everyone would be getting ready in. I saw my dress hanging up, pure white even through the darkness. It was a stunning dress and even I had cried when I’d tried it on in the store, it was a simple dress, I’d never really wanted anything too flashy but it still made me look like a bride. I sighed once again and walked back upstairs and into my bed, I could at least try to get back to sleep.

“Oh Maddie…” My Mum said four hours later. The hairdresser had finished braiding my hair into an intricate and sophisticated crown of plaits and my mother had just walked into the lounge and caught sight of me. “Maddie darling you look wonderful.” She said, her voice cracking slightly. I rolled my eyes at Sabrina then grinned at Mum.

“Don’t cry, please, save it until I say ‘I Do’” I laughed.

“Too late for some.” Harriett said motioning overt to Cassie who was dabbing her eyes with a tissue. I laughed quietly while I had my make done. I normally wore dramatic eyeliner and nothing else but today everything was very clean and glowing. I stared at myself in the mirror above the fireplace and could hardly believe that this was finally here. After a year of planning and worrying I would finally have my big and happy day. “Cass….Cassie…Would you like more Kleenex?” Harriett asked smirking. Cassie gave her the finger.

“I’m perfectly fine” She snapped sniffing.

“Su-re.” Harriett said sniggering. “Whoa…” she added as Sabrina happily skipped into the room. “Looking to impress your doctor boyfriend are we?” Harriett asked. Sabrina raised one perfectly plucked ere brow and looked down at her dove gray bridesmaids dress. The suited her pale skin and golden hair like a dream; I suddenly felt a small pang of panic. Would I like completely washed out next to the mini Goddess Sabrina? She noticed my watching her and rolled her eyes.

“Maddie, you look stunning, chill out.” Sabrina said snorting. I smiled slightly and relaxed a bit more. A knock on the lounge door made all of us jump. Harriett tottered over to the door and opened it. Rob stood there looking slightly uncomfortable in a suit. He’d scrubbed up rather well for the wedding, he’d brushed his hair and he’d even shaved. I’d asked him when Ed has proposed to walk me down the aisle and he’d promised me that he wouldn’t embarrass me. This meant don’t wear trainers, look clean shaven and for God’s sake actually wear a suit. He looked at us all and went red.

“Wow, you look amazing.” He said smiling. His eyes wandered towards Sabrina, some things never change, and then they landed on me. “Mads…you…you look awesome.” He stuttered. this was some compliemtn from Rob I can asure you.

“Thanks.” I said smiling.

“Learnt your vows?” Rob asked sniggering.

“You know I have!” I said glaring at him. “Learnt your speech?” I asked.

“Yeah, kind of….” Rob muttered, I rolled my eyes. Some things would never change.

“Maddie! The car is here!” Harriett called an hour later. Ok now I’ll admit that I was nervous, very nervous. I breathed in and out trying so hard to calm down. Sabrina, who was standing next to me, gave my hand a squeeze.

“I’m so happy for you.” She whispered, I saw tears well up in her eyes. I blinked away my own tears and smiled brightly at her. “I am so, so proud of you, you cannot believe it.” She added.

“Come on Miss Bride; let’s get you in the car.” Saskia said. Rob walked past her, he was bust talking on his phone.

“…Don’t worry Ed, she’s getting in the car now…” I heard him say.

“Is that Ed?” I asked, Rob nodded. “Let me speak to him!” I gasped, I hadn’t spoken to him for two days it was breaking my heart. “How’s Will, is he there? Is his suit ok? Rob let me speak to him!” I gabbled.

“Jesus! Ed how the hell you’re gonna live with her is beyond me!” Rob said, he turned to me. “Will’s fine, his suit is fine, he’s sitting with Ed colouring in, no you cannot talk to Ed or Will as you need to get in the car.” Rob said rolling his eyes. I stuck out my tongue.

“Fine, let’s go.” I said.

“Nervous?” Saskia asked as we drove towards the church. I shook my head; I was more numb than nervous now.

“Sask, just let her freak out in her own way.” Sabrina said laughing. I sighed and stared out the window, I had been waiting for this day ever since I was little and now that it was here I could barely believe it. I don’t know how long I sat just breathing slowly in and out but before I knew it Sabrina was shaking my arm. “We’re here Mads.” She said. I looked past at the church. This was it. Show time.

We stepped out the car while the photographer snapped away. We were almost at the doors, Harriett, Cassie and Saskia had run ahead so it was just Sabrina and I, when Sabrina nudged me. I saw her eyes were narrow slits and there was pure hatred and fury in them. I turned my head to see what she was looking at. It wasn’t what she was looking at, it was who.

“Maddie, Sabrina…” Reece said. Hatred boiled up inside me and I had to grip Sabrina’s arm to stop myself form throwing my bouquet in his face. Sabrina seemed to be struggling with the same desire. How dare he turn up here, of all the days he could make an appearance he chose my wedding. My wedding.

“What the hell are you doing here?” Sabrina spat. Her face was shockingly pale and she looked just as furious as I felt.

“I came to see you…” Reece mumbled.

“So you chose my wedding?” I hissed.

“Maddie, I wanted to see our son…” Reece said. I was suddenly taken aback, Reece had never acted like Will even existed now he wanted to meet him and act like his father. No…NO!

“Our son? You mean my son. The son I’ve raised for the past two years. The son I raised without your help. How dare you. How dare you!” I said, my voice rising until it was almost a scream. “Where were you when I went into labour? Where were you when he was born?? Where were you when he nearly died? You gave up the right to ever call Will your son when you refused to accept responsibly for what you did. The only good thing to ever come out of me knowing you is my son. If it weren’t for him I’d be sicken that I ever had feelings for you. Now get the hell out of my sight and let me get married to the person I love with all my heart.” I yelled, Sabrina was now holding me back physically, I knew I was so close to smacking Reece in the face. The only thing stopping me was the concern of getting blood on my dress.

“Maddie please…” Reece said.

“No. You’ve done enough damage. To the both of us.” Sabrina snapped. She was right. The two girls standing in front of Reece had been broken almost beyond repair by him. We’d both thought he’d loved us but we were wrong.

“Now, do the best thing you possibly do and get the hell out here and let me get married.” I hissed. “Now” I added. Reece sighed and walked away from us. I hoped that this would be the last time I’d never see him. My mother was wrong. I’d never tell will about Reece because to me he never existed.

“Do you Madeline Joanne Abbot take Edward Tomas Christiansen to be you’re lawfully wedded husband?” The minister said. I sniffed and blinked away the tears that were running down my face.

“I do.” I sobbed. Ed laughed; I’d promised him I wouldn’t cry….I’d started crying as soon as I walked down the aisle.

“And do you Edward Tomas Christiansen take Madeline Joanne Abbot to be you’re lawfully wedded wife?” the minister said turning to Ed.

“I do.” Ed said smiling. I could hear Cassie, Sabrina and my mother sobbing into tissues that Rob had expertly even out.

“I now pronounce you husband and wife.” The minister said, “You my now kiss the bride” he added as Ed kissed me full on the lips. The same weightless goofy happy sensation that I had during our very first kiss filled my body, the entire church started to clap but it was my son’s claps that rang out clearest. I turned to face everyone, a massive smile plastered onto my face.

“Mommy!” Will cried running up to me, his arms out stretched. I cried even harder as I hugged the brightest little star in the world that was my son. Will reached out for Ed and I knew that this was it. The start of my happy ever after with the people that I loved more even humanly possible.

I’d never believe in guardian angels until this point, I knew my father was watching down on me as I had never been this happy in all my life. I looked up at the ceiling and beyond. “Thank you.” I whispered and I knew my father could hear me…

This chapter was written because a lot of people wanted a small gilmpse of what happened after the final chapter so here is the wedding. This will be the very last that I write on this story I can asure you......