‘So now you’re finally here, you do still want to do it?’ I ask nervously.
Poppy gives me a nudge. ‘Of course they want to, Maeve.’
Daniella laughs. ‘Despite us trying to blow our guests out to sea, we really do.’
Lando sees that I’m struggling and steps forwards. ‘As this is all new, we don’t have any precedents. How about we bring the guests back out to the beach to welcome you, and then you can lead in and they can follow and take their seats behind you?’
Kai gives Lando a thumbs-up. ‘Sounds good to me.’
While Lando heads for the verandah, one assistant is touching up Daniella’s lippy, another is spraying her hair, a third passes her her flowers, and the photographers are capturing every moment.
The guests file back down onto the sand, and Daniella and Kai turn to walk towards them, but just before they set off Daniella turns to me. ‘Next time you see us, he’ll be Mr McCrystal.’ Then she laughs. ‘The best part of getting married on the beach is I’ve had no wedding nerves at all.’
Kai laughs too. ‘Don’t forget the pale blue water and the sound of the waves. And that afterwards we can sit in deck chairs and paddle.’
The first notes of music float down from the verandah on the wind, and Daniella laughs again. ‘And with only my closest besties here, no one will make fun of me for walking down the aisle to Shania Twain’s “You’re Still the One”.’ She waves to me as she sets off. ‘Good luck with your first wedding, guys!’
I wave back at her. ‘Good luck with yours!’
While the ceremony is going on the ukulele players play Shania songs quietly from the verandah and we hover out of sight on the sand in case we’re needed. There’s a moment when none of the registrars’ pens work and Lando produces one from his jacket pocket and saves the day. Then the music starts again, and while the musicians play a medley of Sabrina Carpenter’s songs we distribute confetti cones to the guests so that Daniella and Kai can walk down the steps onto the beach under a shower of biodegradable rose petals. After, everyone goes down onto the sand and lounges on rugs and in deckchairs. An ice cream van comes along the lane at the back, and even though it’s not part of the wedding everyone breaks off and has a ninety-nine. And then Betsy from Milo and Betsy’s on the harbourside comes along with her orange pony, and everyone buys some of her flaky pastries. As the beach becomes busier and Saturday visitors spread out along the bay, Poppy looks at her watch.
‘Not wanting to hurry you,’ she says to Daniella and Kai, ‘but if you’re changing before the next party this might be a good time to make a move.’
Just before they go Lando gets his phone out along with his most winning smile and says, ‘One for the Windflowers photo album?’
Daniella nods. ‘Of course. We’re posting in real time so our followers can share the day, so post whenever you’re ready.’
And then we’re standing on the verandah waving, and they’re walking off along the beach to meet the fleet of camper vans that are taking them on to the next part of their day.
31
Windflowers, St Aidan, Cornwall
Letting go and kicking back
Saturday
‘If we’re talking see-through dresses, I much preferred you in yours.’
It’s ten o’clock at night, so when Angel and I came out to check the hut was still in one piece after the helpers had cleared things away, I definitely wasn’t expecting Lando and Martha to appear out of the shadows and join us. And I certainly wasn’t prepared for his opening line to be about brides and on-show underwear.
‘When did you become an expert on wedding dress design?’ I glance over my shoulder at the dogs who have already flopped down on the deck, and try to ignore that Lando’s standing so close there’s a kind of electrical force field sparking across from his arm to mine.
He rubs his thumb along his jaw. ‘I’ve always known what I liked. Seeing you wear the dresses so often, it’s hard not to take an interest.’
I move the conversation on. ‘Giving compliments where they’re due, for a wedding novice you did a very professional job today.’
He gives an ironic smile in the half light. ‘Back at you. Daniella and Kai were certainly very happy as they left. When I offered to take the glasses back to Huntley and Handsome, they gave me a bottle of fizz.’ He pulls a bottle out of his pocket. ‘It’s been in the fridge. I thought you might like to crack it open.’
‘What, now?’
He gives a shrug. ‘It’s not that absurd, Maeve. It’s the start of your new venture, it’s Sunday tomorrow… Why not let go and kick back just this once?’
There were a lot of things about today to make me open my mind about Lando: the hat chasing, the pen, the fearless way he ran out towards that helicopter, the easy way he dealt with the guests… and the photo at the end was a coup. He had my back the whole time, and he was attentive and caring. But he’s completely missing that parents like me don’t go out to walk the dog and not come home.
He stares at the sky. ‘There aren’t many evenings as clear as this. We could make a night of it?’
And then it hits me. He’s out on his walk and he’s brought me the bottle, but the rest is him joking around.
