“It was lovely to see you both,” Peggy said. “I don’t get many visitors these days. My David is very busy, you see.”
“I promise I’ll be back soon,” Frank said. “Next time I’d love to see those postcards of Percy’s that you mentioned. And I wouldn’t say no to another trifle too!”
“And you must bring the little ’un up when it’s born,” Peggy said to Libby as she showed them to the front door. “And remember what I said...”
“You can’t control the birth, so don’t even try!” Libby said, and they both laughed.
Libby and Frank walked across Clapham Common and caught the 88 bus from outside the station. Libby had been a little concerned that riding the bus might upset Frank, but she was delighted to see how happy he was to be back on it, greeting the driver and saying hello to other passengers as they made their way north toward the river. Once they’d crossed over the Thames into Pimlico, they got off the bus near Tate Britain and walked up to the church where the wedding was being held.
By the time they arrived, it was almost five o’clock. The sun was starting to set, throwing its autumnal evening light through the huge stained glass window behind the altar. Dozens of candles in glass storm lanterns had been lit along the nave, and the air was filled with the heady scent of jasmine from the floral arrangements. A string quartet were performing musicat the back, and a low chatter of voices hung over the church as Libby and Frank found their seats. At the front, a young man in black tie, who Libby assumed must be the groom, Johnny, was waving at guests and high-fiving people as they walked past. Libby looked around the church, seeing if there was anyone she recognized.
“I’m sure he’ll be here somewhere,” Frank said in her ear.
“Who?”
“Dylan.”
“Oh... I wasn’t looking for him,” Libby mumbled.
The string quartet launched into a new piece of music, and a ripple of laughter went round the congregation as they recognized it as “Dancing Queen” by ABBA. The vicar signaled for them all to stand. At the back of the church, the heavy doors creaked open, and everyone turned around to get their first glimpse of the bride.
As soon as Libby saw Esme, tears sprang to her eyes. She was wearing a white fifties-style tea dress, covered in hundreds of tiny crystals so that her whole body sparkled in the light of the candles that clustered around the entrance. She had a lace veil over her face, and through it Libby could see a huge, radiant grin. Esme stopped in the doorway, giggling as she looked behind her, waiting for someone. Libby smiled at Frank next to her; his eyes were damp too. Then she looked back as a tall figure stepped into the church.
It took a second for Libby to realize who she was looking at. Dylan had swapped his usual leather jacket and jeans for a dark suit, although Esme had obviously been in charge of his styling, because the lapels of his suit were also decorated withsmall crystals, like the ones on her dress. Dylan’s hair still hadn’t grown back fully since his operation, but he’d managed to style a small Mohawk, the tips of which were dyed orange to match Esme’s flowers. His whole face was bursting with pride as he began to walk her down the aisle. Libby watched him as they passed, but Dylan had eyes only for the bride and didn’t glance up once.
The service began, and Libby sat back to enjoy it. The vicar was wonderful, making jokes and doing everything she could to put Esme and Johnny at ease. Esme’s mum read a passage fromWinnie-the-Pooh, and some of their friends performed an a cappella version of “Stand by Me,” which had the whole congregation in tears. When it came to the first hymn, “Give Me Joy in My Heart,” the church was filled with loud, boisterous singing.
Later, as Johnny and Esme were saying their vows, Libby heard a sniff to her left and looked over to see Frank’s cheeks glistening.
“Are you all right?” she whispered, and he smiled through the tears.
“I was thinking how beautiful their love is. I wish I’d been so lucky.”
“Me too, Frank.”
At the front, Esme and Johnny stepped forward to kiss each other, and the whole congregation erupted into cheers of approval. Behind the wedding couple, Libby could see Dylan wolf-whistling with glee. He must have felt Libby watching him, because he glanced over for the first time, catching her eye. For a moment they stared at each other across the church; then Libby looked away.
•••
AFTERthe service, everyone poured out of the church and down the road to a nearby hotel for the reception. When they reached the venue, Libby lost Frank in the excited crush of guests flowing into the room where drinks were being served. Someone handed her a soft drink, and Libby found herself standing with one of Esme’s friends, who introduced herself as Laura and squealed with excitement when she saw Libby’s heavily pregnant state.
“When’s the baby coming?” Laura asked.
“In a month.”
“Is it a boy or a girl?”
“I haven’t found out; it’s going to be a surprise.”
“It’s a girl,” the young woman said confidently. “Have you chosen a name yet?”
“Not yet, no. I’m struggling a bit with that.”
“Where’s the dad?”
“He’s not h—”
“Is that him?”
