Angels With Dirty Faces
XII
He lay in bed, eyes closed attempting to force sleep on himself, after her three months of admission the boat was starting to feel less and less like home, her print seemed to be disappearing from the place, he rolled on to his side hissing as his bare skin made contact with the cold sheet on the empty side of the bed, feeling lonely he stood quietly, making his way to the kitchen, he set about making himself a tea, a small quiet voice coming from behind him,
“Daddy?” he turned laying eyes on his daughter, rosy cheeked she stood rubbing her eyes “Is mummy home yet?”
“Not yet Roo” he whispered sweeping her in to his arms holding the toddler close to him “What’s the matter?” She didn’t reply, resting her head on his shoulder, he listened to her breathing slowly change as she drifted back to sleep.
He carried her back to her bedroom, covering her with the duvet and slipping her cuddly sheep under the covers next to her, he pushed her hair from her face he left her sleeping.
-
She took a deep breath as her mother fastened her necklace, she stood slowly, sweeping her hair from her shoulder, looking in the mirror her stomach flipped as a smile spread across her face,
“every inch a princess love”
Her mother gushed as she brushed down the delicate layers of tulle,
“Do you think Kevin will like it?”
“I don’t think he’s got much choice, but if he doesn’t your father can deal with him”
Her mother winked as she fixed her daughters veil in to place.
He sat quietly on the roof of the boat, the past year had boiled down to one day, all of the animosity and uncertainty banished as they focused on what was ahead of them, he watched as the water moved below him, almost sparkling in the morning sun, he took a long pull from the cigarette in his hand, sighing he watched the smoke dance away, a deep voice caught his attention
“You alright mate?”
George asked climbing to the roof and shuffling over to his friend
Kevin nodded
“Yeah just nerves”
“You’ll be alright mate, believe me you see that woman walking down the aisle and you’ll forget everything! You’ll wonder what you were worried about! Honestly, it’ll be like everything just melts, ya know you just forget about all the bad and you notice things about her that you’ve never noticed before”
He smiled as a stout glass of whiskey was passed to him, George sat smirking to himself
“What times the ceremony?”
Bayleaf asked,
“One got to be at the church for half twelve”
She stood outside the church, rolling her eyes as her mother fiddled with her dress and veil some more, she smiled at her daughter her eyes glazed with tears,
“Right” she said her voice crackling “I’ll see you inside!” she fiddled with her father’s tie “make sure she’s okay!”
“She’ll be fine Rita! Go and sit down!”
As her mother dashed off towards her seat, she slipped her arm through her fathers, her skin prickling with a cold sweat as nerves began to take hold, she heard the organ start as they began to move towards the crowd.
He bit his lip before glancing at George, he smiled towards him,
“She looks incredible mate!” He whispered, his words making the grooms body tremble “Go on have a look”
He stole a glance over his shoulder, his heart seeming to stop as his looked at her, almost gliding down the aisle with her arm through her fathers she smiled warmly at the guests around her, he felt his cheeks flush and a smile stretch across his lips.
She stood next to Kevin, blushing as he clamped a hand over his mouth, he took one of her hands in his unable to find the words to say to her, she smiled unable to control a small giggle,
“Look at you”
He whispered as the vicar began to speak, in front of friends and family they exchanged vows, laughing as they stumbled on words, George was right, as she stood in front of him he couldn’t focus on anything else, from each delicate curl in her hair to the tiny stones glittering on her dress he was enamoured, only breaking his thoughts as the odd sniffle came from the crowd behind them,
“I now pronounce you husband and wife, you may now kiss your bride”
He took her gently in his arms placing his lips on hers, all of his worries melted away, all of the anger and animosity form the past seemed a million miles away, he had never felt such a sense of peace before this point, even the cheers and applause from their guests sounded as though they had been muffled, they turned to leave hand in hand with his daughter in his arm and her flowers down by her side, they both began to relax, posing for photos she felt as though her feet hadn’t quite touched the ground just yet, she looked at the ring on her finger, they sat at the top table,
“Mrs Medhurst”
Kevin smiled warmly towards her, she felt her cheeks flush, as he placed his hand on top of hers.
-
“She’s had dinner, she’s had a shower”
His voice was monotonous as he handed his daughter to his mother in law, who looked at him with concerned eyes, his skin pale and the dark bags below his eyes had aged him almost overnight, he had almost certainly lost his sparkle, even she had fallen for his charm when Scarlet had first introduced him to the family, she busied herself making cups of tea,
“Kevin, love, are you sure you’re ready to go back?”
“I haven’t got much of a choice to be perfectly honest, money is getting tight and I can’t put it off forever”
“We can help you Kevin! She’s our daughter and Ruby is our granddaughter, you’re ours as well we wouldn’t see you struggle!”
“I know” he sighed “I can’t put it off forever, they’ve all asked about her and Roo, so I suppose I better go and tell them”
He swigged the last mouthful from the mug and placed it in the sink, he gave his daughter a kiss and squeezed her before he left,
“Be good Roo”
“Kevin?” she called after him, pulling her son in law in to a tight hug “be careful love, we’ll see you in the morning”
“Daddy?” he turned laying eyes on his daughter, rosy cheeked she stood rubbing her eyes “Is mummy home yet?”
“Not yet Roo” he whispered sweeping her in to his arms holding the toddler close to him “What’s the matter?” She didn’t reply, resting her head on his shoulder, he listened to her breathing slowly change as she drifted back to sleep.
He carried her back to her bedroom, covering her with the duvet and slipping her cuddly sheep under the covers next to her, he pushed her hair from her face he left her sleeping.
-
She took a deep breath as her mother fastened her necklace, she stood slowly, sweeping her hair from her shoulder, looking in the mirror her stomach flipped as a smile spread across her face,
“every inch a princess love”
Her mother gushed as she brushed down the delicate layers of tulle,
“Do you think Kevin will like it?”
“I don’t think he’s got much choice, but if he doesn’t your father can deal with him”
Her mother winked as she fixed her daughters veil in to place.
He sat quietly on the roof of the boat, the past year had boiled down to one day, all of the animosity and uncertainty banished as they focused on what was ahead of them, he watched as the water moved below him, almost sparkling in the morning sun, he took a long pull from the cigarette in his hand, sighing he watched the smoke dance away, a deep voice caught his attention
“You alright mate?”
George asked climbing to the roof and shuffling over to his friend
Kevin nodded
“Yeah just nerves”
“You’ll be alright mate, believe me you see that woman walking down the aisle and you’ll forget everything! You’ll wonder what you were worried about! Honestly, it’ll be like everything just melts, ya know you just forget about all the bad and you notice things about her that you’ve never noticed before”
He smiled as a stout glass of whiskey was passed to him, George sat smirking to himself
“What times the ceremony?”
Bayleaf asked,
“One got to be at the church for half twelve”
She stood outside the church, rolling her eyes as her mother fiddled with her dress and veil some more, she smiled at her daughter her eyes glazed with tears,
“Right” she said her voice crackling “I’ll see you inside!” she fiddled with her father’s tie “make sure she’s okay!”
“She’ll be fine Rita! Go and sit down!”
As her mother dashed off towards her seat, she slipped her arm through her fathers, her skin prickling with a cold sweat as nerves began to take hold, she heard the organ start as they began to move towards the crowd.
He bit his lip before glancing at George, he smiled towards him,
“She looks incredible mate!” He whispered, his words making the grooms body tremble “Go on have a look”
He stole a glance over his shoulder, his heart seeming to stop as his looked at her, almost gliding down the aisle with her arm through her fathers she smiled warmly at the guests around her, he felt his cheeks flush and a smile stretch across his lips.
She stood next to Kevin, blushing as he clamped a hand over his mouth, he took one of her hands in his unable to find the words to say to her, she smiled unable to control a small giggle,
“Look at you”
He whispered as the vicar began to speak, in front of friends and family they exchanged vows, laughing as they stumbled on words, George was right, as she stood in front of him he couldn’t focus on anything else, from each delicate curl in her hair to the tiny stones glittering on her dress he was enamoured, only breaking his thoughts as the odd sniffle came from the crowd behind them,
“I now pronounce you husband and wife, you may now kiss your bride”
He took her gently in his arms placing his lips on hers, all of his worries melted away, all of the anger and animosity form the past seemed a million miles away, he had never felt such a sense of peace before this point, even the cheers and applause from their guests sounded as though they had been muffled, they turned to leave hand in hand with his daughter in his arm and her flowers down by her side, they both began to relax, posing for photos she felt as though her feet hadn’t quite touched the ground just yet, she looked at the ring on her finger, they sat at the top table,
“Mrs Medhurst”
Kevin smiled warmly towards her, she felt her cheeks flush, as he placed his hand on top of hers.
-
“She’s had dinner, she’s had a shower”
His voice was monotonous as he handed his daughter to his mother in law, who looked at him with concerned eyes, his skin pale and the dark bags below his eyes had aged him almost overnight, he had almost certainly lost his sparkle, even she had fallen for his charm when Scarlet had first introduced him to the family, she busied herself making cups of tea,
“Kevin, love, are you sure you’re ready to go back?”
“I haven’t got much of a choice to be perfectly honest, money is getting tight and I can’t put it off forever”
“We can help you Kevin! She’s our daughter and Ruby is our granddaughter, you’re ours as well we wouldn’t see you struggle!”
“I know” he sighed “I can’t put it off forever, they’ve all asked about her and Roo, so I suppose I better go and tell them”
He swigged the last mouthful from the mug and placed it in the sink, he gave his daughter a kiss and squeezed her before he left,
“Be good Roo”
“Kevin?” she called after him, pulling her son in law in to a tight hug “be careful love, we’ll see you in the morning”