“Your dad’s single again, you know he always thinks it’s a good idea for us to try again when that happens.”
“Oh come on, darl, I think that’s a good idea when I’m married too, but you won’t have a bar of it.”
“So, what makes you think I’m gonna change my mind this time?” Lori laughed as she spoke, but Dan took both her hands in his and stood in front of her. Liam slid his hand around my hip and pulled me into his body. I wanted to look up at his face and attempt to gauge his feelings, but I didn’t want to miss a moment of the scene unfolding between his parents.
“The reason I’ve never stayed married to the others is because they’re not you. Just say the word, Lor, and I promise, I’ll be the man that I should’ve been all those years ago.”
Lori shook her head whilst staring down at their joined hands.
“You let me down, Dan. I had three young children, and you let me down. Work always came first to you. Above us. Always. Every time.”
“I know, and I’m so fucking sorry for that. I love you. Even when I knew I was ruining everything by constantly working, I never stopped loving you.”
Dan turned his head towards us.
“Don’t do what I did, son. There’s nothing more important in this life than family. Make sure that Sarah is always your priority. Don’t ever get it as monumentally wrong as I did.”
He nodded his head in our direction and then turned and headed to the bar.
Lori placed her spread palm over her chest and stared after him. I swallowed down the lump in my throat and blinked back the tears forming in my eyes. That was one of the most intense things I had ever witnessed. Liam and his dad were so much alike with the way they put everything out there.
“Don’t let him pressure you, Mum. If he’s not what you want, then don’t even consider giving things a go with him again.”
She turned and looked at both of us, shaking her head. “Oh, my sweet, young things. Promise me you’ll always love and respect each other the way you do today for the rest of your lives. Don’t get eaten up by the smaller things, always keep your eye on the bigger picture . . . that’s each other. It’s you and the family that you’ll have and the life that you’ll build and create together.”
My breath stuttered as a sob silently escaped, and I heard Liam sniff beside me.
“When the office doors close and you head home, never lose sight of what’s waiting for you. Never take for granted the person you’re heading home to, or expect them to sit and wait all night every night.”
She looked between us, but I knew she was aiming her words at Liam.
“Marriage and raising children are the hardest things you will ever do, but the rewards will make every raised voice, every slammed door, sleepless night, and shitty nappy, so very worth it.”
She stepped forward and kissed us both on our cheeks. “I love you both, now, go mingle with your guests and enjoy the night.”
***
The DJ started to play low and quiet background music, and the voices surrounding us began to hush as my grandad approached the DJ
I wasn’t sure what was about to happen. We had met and spoke to the DJ yesterday and told him what our first dance would be. We had also clued him in about the dance routine we were rehearsing.
Even though I’d walked down the aisle to “Chasing Cars” by Snow Patrol, I’d insisted that it get played again as it’s what I consider our song.
The plan was for our slow dance to end, and then DJ would cue in the next track and our dance routine would start.
The daughter of one of the women I worked with was a dance instructor, and we’d taken a couple of lessons with her—more for Liam’s sake than mine. I reassured him constantly these past weeks that his moves were great, but he didn’t seem to believe me. Even though this had all been his idea, the closer our wedding day got, the more nervous he seemed to get about our performance. It was so bad that he hadn’t even been able to talk about it yesterday.
My grandad took the mic from the DJ and simply said, “Ladies and gentleman, I give you Sarah and Liam Delaney.”
I didn’t move for a few seconds. The music was all wrong. This wasn’t our song. I was about to go complain, but Liam pulled me across the floor, and we started to move.
It took one, two, three more beats of the song before I recognised it. Slowly, my eyes rose to his, and I wanted to cry. Never in my life had I felt so loved. If I could direct this scene, this moment in my life . . . if I could have planned every single microscopic detail, this was exactly the way it would have gone.
“I can’t believe you remembered.”
“It was the night that changed my life, it’s not like I’m ever likely to forget.”
“My heart aches with how much I love you right now.”
“Oh fuck me, pretty girl, you have no idea. I feel like—”