Dad looked as proud as can be, flanked by Miles and Locky, who were looking very irritated to be in suits and kept pinching one another. Dad was every bit the image of a man in love. Mum too watched Heather coming up the aisle with a smile. When she noticed Rachel watching her, she leaned over. ‘Doesn’t she look lovely?’
‘Yes,’ Rachel agreed. ‘She does.’
Heather arrived at the altar and the guests took their seats. Everyone except Mum. Rachel tugged on her hand. ‘Sit down, Mum.’
But Mum just stood there.
‘Mum,’ Rachel tried again quietly. She could feel a hundred sets of eyes boring into the back of her head. ‘Mum, can you please . . .’
But her mother shrugged her off and walked towards the altar. Towards Dad.
59
HEATHER
Heather felt unwell. Part of it was wedding day jitters, the other part, perhaps, the drinks she’d had last night to calm her nerves. Still, she’d managed to get herself dressed and ready this morning without having a breakdown. She’d practised her deep breathing in the car on the way over. She’d smiled at the happy faces of the guests （mostly strangers） on her way down the aisle. Then she’d seen Stephen . . . and all her nerves faded away.
Until Pam joined them at the altar.
‘Hello, Pam,’ she said uncertainly. She could feel the tension in the room. Stephen looked apologetic.
For a moment, Heather didn’t know quite what to do. Then she noticed Pam looking at her posy. ‘Would you like these?’ Heather said, holding them out to her. ‘They match your outfit beautifully.’
Pam beamed. ‘You think?’
‘Definitely.’
‘That’s very kind.’ Pam took the flowers and happily returned to her seat.
Crisis averted.
‘All right,’ the celebrant said, sounding relieved. ‘Let’s do this, shall we?’
The celebrant started by welcoming everyone. Then she went on to share some observations about love. As she talked, Heather felt Stephen’s eyes on her. Kind eyes. She was doing the right thing, she was sure of it. Almost one hundred per cent sure. This was her fairy tale. She was having her happy ending.
She’d had a call from her dad last night. It was the second call he’d made since her visit. ‘Nothing else to do,’ he said the first time, when she’d asked why he was ringing. ‘Pretty boring in here.’ They didn’t have long to chat; within a few minutes a recorded announcement informed them that the call would end in sixty seconds. In that first brief call she’d told her dad that she was an interior designer （and then she’d had to explain what that meant）。 Then, last night, she’d told him she was getting married. He’d been excited to hear that.
‘A doctor,’ he said, then whistled. ‘Good work, Heather.’
It was good work, she supposed. A girl like her, clawing her way from the bottom of society’s ladder to a higher rung. No thanks to him.
The celebrant began the vows with a call for the rings. Stephen produced them from his own pockets, after announcing that he hadn’t trusted his best men （Miles and Locky） with the honour. Everyone laughed.
As they continued with the proceedings, Heather noticed that Pam was starting to look a little restless. Rachel and Tully were doing their best to settle her, but eventually Stephen gestured at them to let her be. Immediately, Pam was out of her seat. She headed toward the altar determinedly. She looked like a woman on a mission, Heather thought . . .
60
TULLY
Tully liked to think she’d become pretty zen since she’d started therapy, but she had to admit this whole affair was pushing it. It was supposed to be a wedding, for heaven’s sake! Instead she felt like she was herding cats.
Dad had insisted on having Locky and Miles as his ‘best men’ – which was all glory and cuteness for him, all pain-in-the-arse for her. She was the one who’d had to strongarm them into tiny little dinner suits and then forbid them to play on the grass. She was the one who had their little fingers poking her in the butt during the service, accompanied by their constant asking to go outside and play and, also, were there any snacks? And, as if this circus wasn’t enough, now Mum was wandering around the altar while the entire congregation ignored Dad and Heather’s exchange of vows and watched her with bated breath, waiting for her to do something.
It wasn’t civilised, Tully thought. This was why people liked civilised things.
Mum was standing at the altar now, holding Heather’s posy. What are you thinking, Mum? Tully wondered. Do you know what is happening? Are you aware that you are being usurped before your very eyes? Tully wasn’t sure. Mum had seemed perfectly happy at first, but she was definitely getting a little restless now. She placed her posy on the altar table, and picked up a large candlestick. The celebrant looked a little nervous about it, but it appeared everyone had decided to pretend nothing unusual was happening. How very middle class of them.