Chapter 25. The Day
Was it due to the sun that poked through the curtains or was it the alarm clock, he wasn't sure but he was all of a sudden wide awake . He looked at Kate who was still asleep next to him, at her belly, as usual.
Today, it's the day. The day that we were waiting for so many years. When we go to bed this evening, or maybe better said tomorrow morning we are Mr and Mrs Flynn.
Five weeks passed since we met each other again. Quite some time, but on the other hand it felt like hardly seconds that had passed awayl. It could have been earlier, but Nikki and the crew had to be on shore all together. Many things happened during these weeks. Organising our house and the wedding, I have my shore posting back, Kate leads now the logistics division of the base and Susan got promoted and is commander of Hammersley now.
He couldn't resist and started making little circles with his finger on her back.
Katie, you have a relaxed face, but it grew older, much more than these 7 months. I can only imagine what had happened to you and how much damage that has been caused in your head.
Every other couple will laugh at us when they hear we haven't made love since we were back together. But I don't want to force you. The French doctor said that you have to do it on your own pace. But most important is that we have each other back.
"Hmm?" Kate got awake softly and mumbled.
"Good morning Miss McGregor", he whispered to her and Kate turned on her back. He continued drawing figures on her chest. He chuckled because the thin, transparent night dress was just a formality.
"Hmm?"
"It's the last time that you will hear that."
"And then?", she murmured.
"It will be Mrs Flynn."
She giggled.
"I think I will go first to the bathroom because if you would go first then I can build in the meanwhile another one for me", he said giving her a kiss on her lips.
"Oh you rascal!
But on the other hand you're right. I want to take my time because I want to feel good today", she answered poking him.
Quite some time later they sat at the table for breakfast enjoying some toast, eggs and coffee.
"Funny, isn't it? We're sitting together like a married couple and within a couple of hours we're going to marry", he pouring coffee in her cup.
"Yeah, moreover we've been working and living almost together for more than five years. But it will be different now. No more hiding, no formalities. We can be ourselves when we see each other at the base", she answered dreamily.
It will be a big relieve. And, … I've got a little surprise."
"Again? " Kate answered while lifting her eyebrows.
"Yep, I fixed several days of leave for us and I booked a stay in a luxury resort at a nice bay not so far from here, but far enough to have the feeling to be away."
"That's what you can call a nice surprise! Thank you darling." She bent forward to give him a kiss.
By the way, how do you plan the morning?", he said sipping from his coffee.
"After breakfast I'm going to see the hair dresser. He will have to make an ultimate attempt to do something with my hair", Kate answered a bit annoyed.
"Honey, your hair is nice", he tried to comfort her.
"Mike! No. Don't say that, because it's not true. It looks just like a worn paint brush! And now I have to go otherwise I'm too late . Can you take care of emptying the table? When I'm back, I'll help you with your suit."
"Sure."
She stood up, brushed with her hand over his shoulder, slipped in a pair of sandals, took her handbag and left.
One hour later she was back. The hair dresser has made up her hair. It was curling.
"What do you think?", she asked him.
"Pretty nice! You look gorgeous ", Mike said with a huge smile.
Kate looked in the mirror in the corridor. "It's nice, ok, but I like my long hair."
"Honey, just be patient for a couple of weeks. It will come back."
"I know, but I wished it was already back! And you, did you unpack your suit already?"
"Uh, just started with it", he stammered.
"Come on, you don't have an eternity of time you know."
"You said 'you'. And you then?", he asked her with a questioning glance.
"Darling, it concerns you."
After a few minutes they were looking at him in the mirror of the bedroom.
"Nice, very nice. I'm proud of you", she said while she rubbed some imaginary dust particles from his shoulders. Kate sat down in the single club chair in their bedroom and crossed her legs. He looked at her doubtful.
"Honey, you seem to have lots of time. Don't you get dressed yourself? Or is the jeans skirt and the blouse your outfit?"
"Silly. I have time. Don't be nervous", she said with a smile.
"But…" His sentence was interrupted by the door bell.
"Fine. Just in time", Kate said looking at her watch.
"Uh? Why just in time?" He looked at her, but she didn't move.
"Ok, I'll get it. But just wondering who this can be. We see everyone in the church", he said nervous while walking to the door.
When he opened the door he was looking at the smiling face of Susan. Matthew stood behind her. She was wearing a long wine red halter neck dress in silk.
"Good morning groom!", she greeted him enthusiast.
"Hey Susan, what a surprise. You look beautiful!"
"Thank you. You know, I wanted to take bright red, but Matthew advised me to take a not too flashy colour. Otherwise I would have looked like a telephone cabin."
"Hmm, isn't that a bit exaggerated?", he asked prudent looking at Matthew.
"Nope!" Matthew shook convinced his head behind her.
"I've heard that pilot!", she said pretended angry.
"Come in, come in. But what brings you both here?", he ushered them inside.
"Ah! Quite easy. Your fiancée", Susan replied with a conspiracy smile.
"Hey, there you are!", Kate said while she came towards them.
"'Morning bride!.", Susan answered.
"All right, can you take him with you? Drink with him a coffee or give him a tour on the Hammersley. Whatever. I don't care", Kate said.
"Of course. As planned", Susan replied with a conspiracy tone.
Mike looked astonished from one to another.
"But? How? Do we come back to pick you up?", he asked unsure.
"Nope!"
"But, I thought we went together to the church", he said.
"Mike, darling. Remember that I said that I wanted a classic wedding. That means that you may not see the dress before the wedding, yes? And that you are waiting for me at the altar."
"Uh yes, but how do you get to the church and down the aisle then? You take our car?"
"Oh Mike, sometimes you can be really a nutcase. Do you see me driving a car with a wedding dress? Entire Cairns will roar with laughter."
.
"Darling, what's my nick name?", she asked him.
"Uh, Princess Perfect."
"Well, then you should know you don't have to worry about me."
Susan put her arm around his shoulder and said. "Come Mike, it's time for your coffee otherwise your fiancée is going to kick all three of us out."
One and a half hour later.
Mike stood in front of the alter waiting for Kate, wondering what she had figured out. He had already looked around. They had all followed Kate's instructions. There was not a single uniform. He saw his parents and the entire crew. He noticed Maxine and Ryan with Bird next to him. He saw also Nikki with her friend and wondered how Kate got to the church. He was persuaded that she would have come with Nikki because they didn't go together to the church.
Damn, I don't like this kind of situations!
Be calm. You're not on board. Just trust her. She knows what she's doing.
On the dot he heard a rumour behind him and turned uncontrolled his torso backwards to look. He could no longer do anything else except staring at the figure that entered through the doors of the church. Kate wore an ivory coloured long bustier dress with a hat with a large brim. She held a posy and walked towards him on the arm of Steve Marshall. Steve showed a huge grin, knowing Mike didn't know about him.
Kate gave him a huge smile from one ear to the other.
"Honey, you're stunning", he whispered her.
"Thank you!", she whispered back.
"But, I thought Steve didn't want to come?"
"I wanted to be first! Who else could I ask to bring me forward? RO perhaps?", she said with a smirk.
"Hmm. By the way, splendid hat! You've found the solution for your hair."
"Yep!"
"Ahum? Can we start?", the priest interrupted the couple.
"Uh? Oh yes, of course." Both seemed completely forgotten where they were.
The wedding service passed smoothly, but at the moment of the rings there was some enthusiast hilarity.
When the priest asked if Mike wanted to accept Kate as his wife he said 'yes' and when he asked her the same question her eyes became glassy and a lump formed in her throat and only with a big effort she could also bring out a 'yes' too. From the moment the second 'yes' fell, the crew started to yell, applaused and whistled so long that it took a couple of minutes before it became calm again.
That made Mike thinking that his former crew was up to some practical jokes.
When they left the church they saw that the crew made an arcade with the wooden name plate of the Hammersley through which they had to go. A torrent of rice was poured over them. Behind them, they heard Susan grumbling : "I guess we will have no rice in the galley for the coming two months when I see this."
"Not our problem anymore!", they said to each other laughing.
"Who has nicked the name plate of my ship? You 2Dad's?", Susan continued.
"Nope ma'am, it wasn't me this time. He did." And he pointed to Charge who stood behind him.
"God beware me, another one!", she sighed.
"Sorry ma'am, we were not allowed to come in uniform, thus we had to bring something that let them remind to the boat", Charge said disarmingly.
"Ok, ok, but, Don't loose it", she sizzled fierce between her teeth.
Meanwhile Matthew was ushering her by her arm. "Susy, come on, Kate is waiting for you for one reason or another."
Susan went to stand to Nikki who was already waiting. She was dressed in a long ochre yellow dress and had her hair up.
Kate looked at them with a twinkle in her eyes.
"The tradition says that the bride throws her posy in the public and the lady who catches it, will be the next one to marry. But the actual situation has changed the tradition a bit. So I've asked to make this posy of two parts."
She removed the rubber band.
"And these are for you both!", she said and threw each posy to Nikki and Susan.
Again there was an enthusiast yelling among the bystanders.
Susan poked Matthew with a huge smile. "You know what that means?"
"Sure I do, but you don't want to", he replied with a smirk.
"Oh you! It's a pity I don't command a missile frigate otherwise I would launch you instead of the missile", she said while poking him.
The couple, best men and their partners, family and invitees moved to a resort nearby where the barbecue and party was organised.
When all the guests had arrived and everyone had a drink, Mike asked for attention while Kate stood next to him.
"To all personal, listen up!"
He waited and saw that everyone turned towards them.
He chuckled. "You see, these magic words work always. So, dear guests I want to thank you for coming and joining us to celebrate our wedding. Finally we achieved what we've been waiting for so many years and this is the first success after the hard period of the last months that we left behind us. Whatever will come, it will always better than the past. And before you all made an assault on the barbecue, I want to give an attention to someone special. Someone who helped me during the dark months behind us and who succeeded in keeping me going."
He went to a table behind a bush and came back with a huge bouquet of roses.
"Susan. These are for you. Without you I wouldn't have made it and Hammersley would lay probably at the bottom of the Coral Sea."
Susan looked astonished and shook her head.
" You deserve them, really."
She went to Mike who gave her the huge bouquet and three kisses.
"Mike, stop. One single word more of you and I am crying", she whispered husky to him.
A laud applause completed the little ceremony.
"Ok, thank you and enjoy yourselves."
"Wait, wait! Before everyone disappears. I want to have a photo of our upcoming family and the best men", Kate said.
"Mother, Dad, Maxine, Ryan, Jessica, Nikki, Susan, come here."
They all stood on a row, Kate and Mike in the middle, Maxine, Ryan and Jessica on Mike's side and Mike's parents, Nikki and Susan on Kate's side.
The party went smoothly apart from one incident. It was already later and some of the crew members were already good in the mood. Charge, RO, 2Dads, Bomber and Harpie stood together joking and having fun. Then RO noticed that their glasses were empty. Unfortunately he was already good on his way to get drunk.
"Hey guys, it's empty. I'll get you some new ones", he stammered.
"RO, you're sure you'll do that? You could fall with it", Bomber said doubtfully.
"Yeah, yeah I'm sure", he said convinced while nodding.
He took a plate and loaded it full with glasses and waddled to the bar. When he came back he was so concentrated on the plate with glasses that he missed the small step,. stumbled over it and threw the entire plate on Susan who stood only a meter further chatting with Nikki, Maxine and their friends. She let a shriek and looked astonished to her smudged, leaking dress.
"Well goddamn! You clumsy bonehead. Can't you see where you walk? You ruined my dress", she yelled.
2Dads saw it and he pulled Charge's sleeve.
"Hurry up buddy, we have to get RO away to save his miserable life. The boss is up to kill him." He said and both rushed to RO.
RO who got upright again stammered with a thick tongue : "Sorry ma'am, but you stood in my way."
That was the last straw for her.
"Oh you idiot!", she screamed and swung her arm backwards to give RO a huge blow.
At that moment Charge and 2Dads grabbed him and dragged him away. Meanwhile Matthew had avoided that she hit RO by holding her arm and by whispering some nice words to her. She walked fierce away without looking at her friends who looked at each other not knowing what to say.
Dutchy touched Matthew's arm. "It seems you found the magic words to calm her down. Can't you come on board with us?"
Matthew looked at him doubtful. "Don't make yourself illusions mate. She's not calmed down at all. Her frustration will come out. I think I'll find her now in a lone corner of the garden."
He looked for her and found her, where he has thought she would be. She had her arms crossed and stared over the bay. When he came closer, he saw tears on her face.
"Here's my dancing queen. I've lost you." He pushed off tenderly.
He just heard a grumble as answer.
"You're back ok?", he asked softly.
"No. I'm not ok", she answered with a raw voice.
"Each time when I go to a party and I dress myself up, something happens. Always. Torn dresses, dirty, bruises. Always something. It looks like I'm only intended to run around in these bloody Navy uniforms", she said sadly.
"We're all almost from the same neighbourhood. Maybe you can borrow a dress from someone else?", he suggested tenderly.
"Mat, do you see here another woman of my size?", she answered softly wiping her tears away.
"Uh…" was the only thing he could say while looking around desperately.
Meanwhile Kate arrived. She had seen the incident and heard the last conversation.
"Susan, come, we'll see we can fix something in the ladies room." And she ushered her to there.
Dutchy followed them and gave Mat a glass. "Not easy huh. But apart from that she has a heart of gold."
Matthew accepted the glass, nipped from it and nodded.
"I know, I know."
To be continued