Two months later...

Matthew, Molly and Sam arranged to stay with John and Gloria the weekend of Ella's christening. Matthew collected Molly and Sam from their place and they all drove up together. Molly was really looking forward to spending the weekend with Matthew, Sam and the rest of the family.

She and Matthew had been trying to get some time together but their work schedules hadn't been very cooperative in the last few weeks. If she had time off, he was stuck at work and if he was off, she had a shift or two.

But things had worked out perfectly this time, Matthew was especially looking forward to the weekend and being with the family. Molly and Matthew had been asked to be godparents to Ella. Molly hadn't been really sure she should say yes but everyone, including Sam, had told her that she had every right to be Ella's godmother. Chrissie had pulled out the big guns and cried when Molly had said that she didn't think she should be. Molly quickly agreed when that happened. No one argues with an emotional new mother, especially Molly.

After a rather loud and raucous dinner with everyone in fine form, Matthew pulled Molly out the back door for a little peace and quiet, not to mention actually being alone together for the first time in weeks. "Where are we going?"

"You'll see." Matthew took her hand and they went along the path until they were outside the garden room.

"Right missus! You need to close your eyes, no peeking and keep hold of my hand." Molly gave him a look. "Trust me." So Molly closed her eyes and held Matthew's hand tightly. Matthew led her through into the garden to the perfect spot.

"Can I open my eyes yet?"

"Wait..hang on..not perfect yet."

"I don't do perfect."

"Molly, you may not do perfect but you're perfect for me. Open your eyes."

Molly found Matthew in front of her, down on one knee in front of her. "I once said to you, Molly Dawes that I was your mother, father, boyfriend, Grandma and your bloody God all rolled into one. Well now I just want to be your husband. I said that you were mine and more importantly I was yours, and I am Molly, I'm completely yours. Marry me?"

Molly eyes glittered with tears, tears of happiness, joy, surprise but most importantly love. "Show us the ring then."

Matthew smiled "This was GG's ring." His hand diving into his jeans pocket.

"You're giving me some other girl's ring?"

"No! My grandmother's, Grandma Geddings, GG's ring. She wore it for just over 50 years and gave it to me, for my wife with the express wish that I was to be as happy as she was in her marriage." Matthew held out the oval cut emerald, set with two diamonds in a platinum band. It was a beautiful vintage ring. "If you don't like it, we can get something else."

"Oh Matthew, it's gorgeous. I love it, I really do."

"And?"

"And yes, yes! I'll marry you." Matthew slipped the ring onto her finger, a perfect fit and captured her lips with kiss to seal it.

When Molly and Matthew finally parted, Molly realised the whole garden was aglow with fairy lights. They were everywhere, making the garden look magical. It was the perfect setting she decided. "Matthew did you do all of this? For me?" She turned around to view the whole garden.

"Dad was planning on putting a few lights in, I just added a few and hurried up the timeline." Matthew answered playing down the fact that John had only planned to light the taller trees and the trellis. Matthew had done much, much more than that. He spent his time here in the garden getting all the lights put in over the last few weeks. All the times he'd told Molly he was working when she had time off he'd been working on the perfect setting.

Matthew pulled Molly over to the picnic blanket on the ground with a bottle of champagne cooling in a bucket with two glasses. "So does everyone know? That you were doing this?"

"No, not really. My Mum and Dad, obviously. I've been here putting the lights in on the weekends. They knew something was going on so in the end I told them to stop Mum from badgering me every time I set foot in the kitchen." Molly laughed softly knowing that Gloria would have been relentless.

"And your Mum and Dad. I asked your Dad when we were all together for the anniversary. He was a bit surprised I asked. He figured that you didn't need him to say it was ok for me to marry you."

"Well he got that right at least."

"Molly, you may not have needed it but I did. I'm sure Charles asked your father and I didn't want him to think that I thought any less of you, or them, than Charles did."

Molly looked at Matthew and reached out to him. "You have been planning this haven't you? Actually Charles didn't ask Dad at all. We just turned up home one day and announced that we were getting married. It was a bit of a shock for them really. Anyone else know?"

"Just Sam."

"Sam?"

"Yeah, of course I asked Sam for his blessing. He made me wait all of one second before he gave it. Otherwise I wouldn't have asked you." Molly smiled, it was obvious that Matthew would have asked Sam. He would think to do that, to include her son in all of this. It only made Molly love Matthew all that little bit more, for that and treating Sam as a mate and not trying to take Charles' place as a father.

As Matthew handed Molly a glass of champagne to toast their future lives together, Molly whispered "I love you, Matthew Geddings and I'm so lucky that you waited for me."

Matthew pulled her a little closer as he responded "No Molly! I'm the lucky one. I love you too. I have for the longest time.