My head was light as I waited for Angie. Dad and Tessa and the girls stood around me, but I was almost oblivious to the fact. I had eyes for one person only… Angie. When she appeared, tears welled in my eyes and streamed down my face. I didn’t care. She was as beautiful as ever. When our gazes met, my knees weakened and I felt breathless. As she walked towards me, everything happened in slow motion, but within moments she was in my arms and I was kissing her, savouring every second of our much-waited-for reunion. I pulled her close and held her. I never wanted to let her go. She smiled at me through her tears and kissed my lips. “It’s so good to see you, Jayden.”
“And you, Angie.” I gazed into her eyes and thought how blessed I was. I could have stayed there forever gazing into her eyes, drinking her in, but behind her a familiar face hovered. Mum… I let go of Angie and reached out to her. She looked different, but she was still Mum. Her eyes glistened as I pulled her into a hug. “It’s great to see you, Mum.”
She returned my hug and then pulled back, holding me at arm’s length as her gaze moved slowly over me. “You’ve grown up so much, Jayden, I hardly recognise you.”
I laughed. “At least you didn’t call me Jay.”
“I made sure of it.” She smiled. “But I’m keeping you from your bride. We can catch up later.”
“Angie and I have the rest of our lives together. This week is about family.” I smiled at her and thanked God for the change that was so evident. Her facade was gone. This was my real mother. Sincere, genuine, caring. The past now was of no consequence. The present and the future were all that mattered. “Come and say hello to the others.”
The meeting between Dad, Tessa and Mum could have been awkward. It was strange even thinking about Mum and Dad together again. It had been so long. And they were both so different now.
Tessa stepped forward and held her hands, her smile warm and welcoming. “Kathryn. I’m Tessa. It’s lovely to meet you.”
Mum returned her smile. No malice or jealousy in her expression, only joy and happiness. Amazing. “And it’s lovely to meet you, too. Thank you for looking after my boy.” Her voice caught as she glanced at me.
Tessa could have taken offense. I was her boy too. She’d been there with Dad, picking up the pieces after Mum left. She’d offered love when it wasn’t deserved. She’d suffered my harsh words and looks. I knew her heart had ached with loss and despair when I chose to leave her and Dad and live with Mum. The way I treated them still grieves me whenever I recall that time. Yes, I was Tessa’s boy too. I had two mums. Both different, but they both loved me, and I loved them. I was blessed indeed.
“It’s been a pleasure. He’s a wonderful young man and we’re so proud of him.”
“I can’t believe how much he’s grown.”
Tessa chuckled. “Neither can we. And we still can’t believe he’s getting married.”
I glanced at Angie and winked. Yes, we were young, but we were so in love. And we had less than a week until we would become husband and wife.
After both our families greeted each other, we collected our luggage and were taken to our hotel in several vans. Angie and I had chosen the Sheraton Hotel for our pre-wedding vacation with our families. It was right on the beach and the view from our rooms on the tenth floor was amazing. We’d booked four rooms. I was sharing a family room with Dad and Tessa and my little sisters. Angie was sharing with her sister Jessica, and Jessica’s daughter Laura. Angie’s parents shared their room with Simon, who I’d hardly recognised. Angie’s younger brother had grown so much since the last time I’d seen him. And Mum shared a room with Simon’s girlfriend Phoebe. Tessa’s brother Elliott wasn’t able to make it until just before the wedding.
After unpacking and freshening up, we met in the hotel’s garden restaurant for lunch. I knew I wouldn’t be able to take my eyes off Angie all week. To have her sit beside me and hold my hand was like a dream come true. And to have both our families here with us was amazingly special. I slipped my arm around her shoulder and kissed her cheek. She turned her head and looked at me, her eyes brimming with tenderness and love. I could lose myself in her eyes, but we weren’t alone, so I flashed a smile that came from the very depths of my being. This was the start of our life together. A life of adventure, love and commitment with God at the head. We didn’t know where He would lead us or what adventures awaited us, but we were ready. We were more than ready.