WENDY found herself standing very still once again, four weeks later, as she paused with her friends for a moment outside a small stone church.
‘I don’t think I’ve ever felt this happy in my entire life.’
Wendy reached up to adjust the veil over the orange blossom wreath nestled amongst Jessica’s auburn curls. ‘Me neither.’ She smiled.
Waiting inside that church, standing beside the best man, was her own fiancé. That he needed a walking stick for support to last the whole ceremony made no difference to her joy. The aid was temporary and if Ross kept up the rate of progress he had for the last four weeks, he would need no help at all when he walked down the aisle for his own wedding next February. Valentine’s Day. Only two months away. It felt far too long but they’d had to do the decent thing and allow Fletch and Kelly to have their turn next.
‘Ricky, leave some petals in the basket, sweetheart. They’re for throwing later.’ Kelly was grinning at the small boy wearing an oversized red bow-tie that matched the tiny red roses in his mother’s bouquet.
‘Are you ladies ready yet?’ Dave Stewart was standing by the foot of the steps, clearly eager to fulfil his part in the imminent ceremony and give the bride away. ‘We don’t want to keep Ross standing around too long.’
‘Oh, no. I forgot.’ Jessica gave Wendy an anxious glance. ‘Will he be all right? He totally refused to let Joe bring the crutches.’
‘He’ll be fine,’ Wendy assured her. ‘He won’t be dancing later but he reckons standing through the ceremony is the practice he really needs.’
‘I’m so happy,’ Jessica repeated. ‘For me and Joe and Kelly and Fletch…but especially for you and Ross.’
‘Who would have expected it to be Kyle that brought you two back together?’ Kelly snorted softly. ‘Who knows? Ross might never have discovered he had the strength to walk again if he hadn’t had to try and protect you. At least that’s one good thing that’s come out of the whole sorry story.’
‘I still haven’t heard the whole story,’ Dave complained, as he took Jessica’s arm to lead her into the church. ‘I never knew Wendy and Ross had broken up in the first place.’
‘We never did. Not really,’ Wendy murmured. She took her place beside Kelly in the small procession.
She had known that the moment she had returned to the cave that dreadful night. Moments before the police arrived on the scene and the search began for the mine-shaft that had claimed Kyle Dickson’s life. Only Wendy’s light weight and her physical strength had saved her from falling into that shaft. She had managed, somehow, to keep her forward momentum as her foot had broken through the surface layer of twigs and soil that had disguised most of the shaft’s entrance. Kyle, chasing blindly after her, deeper into the bush, had not been so lucky. His scream had still been echoing as Wendy had limped back to the cave to find Ross standing again.
Waiting for her. Waiting to take her into his arms and use their few remaining moments of solitude to make a declaration of love that, this time, Wendy knew could never be threatened.
‘How did you manage to do that?’ Wendy had asked in wonder. ‘To stand…and walk?’
‘I have no idea.’ Ross had smiled. ‘I did it because I had to. For you.’ He kissed her with lingering tenderness. ‘I suspect my love for you was what made it possible.’
‘And it’s only a beginning.’ Wendy had kissed him back. Gently. Almost reverently. ‘Who knows what else will be possible in the future?’
‘Only if you’re here with me,’ Ross had said softly. ‘Only if you’ll stay.’
‘I’m never going to be anywhere else,’ Wendy whispered. ‘You’re my love, Ross Turnball. My life.’
‘And you’re mine,’ he’d murmured back ‘I’m just sorry we both had to go through this for me to realise that.’
Wendy could see Ross now at the front of the church, standing next to Fletch and Joe. He was leaning just a little to one side as he used the support of his stick. His smile was a little lopsided as well but that couldn’t dampen the surge of joy and love that enfolded Wendy and her lips curved instantly in response.
Their first steps into a future together might seem outwardly halting but the footing was a lot firmer than many couples could aspire to. It was rock solid now. As strong as the love that would hold them together.
For ever.