"Everyone's already at the chapel, all we have to do is..." Marie gasps, her hands clasping over her mouth.
"Maman?"
Marie smiles tearfully. "Mary, you look... I never thought I'd see the day you got married," Marie breathes out, coming over to take her daughter's hands. "You look so beautiful, I wish your father was here to give you away."
Mary smiles, blinking back tears herself. "I-I asked Jim."
"I know, he wouldn't stop blabbering on about it," Marie replies, laughing softly. "Just... let me drink this in, sweetheart."
She steps back, her daughter in her wedding dress. The same dress she married Mary's father in and it's a way of bringing him into her daughter's big day. It's eggshell white, having yellowed slightly at almost three decades worth of age. The sleeves fit Mary's sleek, long arms wonderfully, the lace detailing making her daughter more of a princess than a bride. And the tiara, gifted by the de Guises all the way in France as an apology for not being able to make the short-noticed event.
"Mum, I'm alive," Mary whispers when she sees her mother's eyes tear up once more. "This is real."
"I don't know what I'd do if you had died," Marie breathes out. "I had so much envisioned for you. Your graduation, your wedding, the birth of your first child... It feels surreal."
Mary nods shakily. "Far more for me than you," she whispers. "I can't believe I'd ever do that... I would have missed this. Missed being with Francis and finding love and a future. A family. I promise that I'll be better. From today on, you don't have to worry about me."
"What about... wh-when you get upset a-and socially tired-"
"Francis will be there for me," Mary says, hugging her mother. "I just want you there for the good moments, you've had enough shitty moments."
Marie nods. "Fine. I hope the first one would be you telling me you're pregnant," she whispers.
Mary giggles, squeezing her mother tighter. "I hope so too."
...
"Mary," Jim calls her.
She turns, smiling brightly but her smile disappears when she sees the apprehension in her brother's eyes. "J-Jim, what is it?"
"T-There's someone here to see you," he says cautiously. "But I'd strongly advise you not to see them."
"James," Mary starts, checking a clock. "I'm supposed to be walking down the aisle in three minutes."
"I know, but he was persistent and he said he needed a word and he'll leave. Otherwise, he'd force his way in and disturb the wedding," Jim says tightly.
Mary's heart sinks. "Harry," she realises softly. "Can you be there?"
"I was never going to let you see that prick, God, forgive my language, alone," Jim replies, leading her outside to where her ex-boyfriend leans against his car.
Henry Darnley chucks his cigarette onto the ground, stomping on it afterwards before saying, "Hello, Mary. It's been a while."
Mary swallows hard, straightening her back. "What do you want, Harry?"
"I just want to get something off my chest and I'll leave," he says, eyeing Jim.
Mary scoffs. "He's staying."
"Whatever you need to tell her, you can say in front of me," Jim snaps.
Henry sighs heavily and nods futilely. "I'm sorry."
"For?" Jim presses.
Henry bows his head, stuffing his hands in his pocket. "I'm not here for trouble. My mother is inside, invited so your family can show ours how much you've moved on and are happy. I'm sorry for everything. I was an arsehole, I didn't know what was wrong with me, why I was so angry... I could put it down to my father hating me or my mother drowning her sorrows in alcohol than invest in her children's lives..." He swallows hard. "I want you to be happy. I didn't deserve you so I brought you down so you could be..."
"Worthless?" Mary asks angrily. "Broken? Belittled?"
"I'm not worthy of love-"
"That's what you did to me! Do you have any idea? Any?!" She cries out, blinking hard so tears don't fall. She can't ruin Kenna and Renée's hard work on her makeup. They'll kill her. "Today, I am worthy of love. I am worthy of the man waiting for me at the end of the aisle. I am worthy of a great life, a great romance, a family."
Darnley nods shakily. "You are. I never did apologise for the day we last saw each other. When you-"
"Had a turning point," Mary says, sighing wistfully. "Harry, I wish you all the best. I am saying that from the bottom of my heart because I am not one for spite, malice or grudges. Do better, be better and I hope the next woman you get with, you treat her like a fucking queen. Goodbye."
She turns on her heel, a smile gracing her face as she heads inside, reaching out to take Kenna and Renée's hands, calming them down for her brief disappearance.
"I went to get some air," she explains softly. "I'm good."
Kenna sighs in relief, waving Jim over. "Then, let's get you married!"
Before she knows it, her hands are shaking in Francis's own shaking hands and they share teary smiles as Kenna's brother talks them through their vows.
"Do you, Francis Simon, take Mary Josephine, to be your lawfully wedded wife?"
Francis nods. "I do," he says, slipping the ring onto Mary's finger.
"Thank God," Kenna's brother breathes out lightly, making the couple laugh. "And do you, Mary Josephine, take Francis Simon, to be your lawfully wedded husband?"
Mary's eyes dart over to her mother and half-brother who smile at her happily, beside her godfamily and a tearful Kenna being consoled by Renée as Bash was on Francis's side of the chapel, next to a beaming Jean.
"I do," she says happily, a ring sliding onto Francis's ring finger.
"Then with the power vested in me, I pronounce you Man & Wife. Monsieur, you may kiss the-"
Mary pulls Francis to her, her lips meeting his as he laughs against hers. "Shut up and kiss me," she giggles back.
Her arms wind around his neck as he lifts her up a little, his arms tightly around her waist as they kiss, gaining cheers and whoops.
"I love you," she whispers against his lips.
"I love you too," he replies. "Now and forevermore."
...
"Jean, can we talk to you outside please?" Mary asks, gently taking him by his hand and leading him away from dancing relatives.
She smiles, mouthing 'thank yous' around as they pass guests, praising her for her nuptials. They head outside where Francis is pacing nervously and she laughs softly, gaining his attention. He stops and faces them, gesturing for Jean to come closer.
"What is it, Papa?" Jean asks, taking his father's hand as well.
"First off," Francis starts nervously. "Your birth mother and I have arranged a meeting tomorrow, at a bowling alley. I can't go, I have work to sort out but Mary will go with you. Is that okay?"
Jean nods, turning to Mary. "Yeah."
Francis sighs in relief. "Now, we have a very important question to ask you. This is your decision and Mary and I don't want to take that away from you."
"What is it?" Jean asks, looking between the couple.
Mary smiles fondly, brushing his cheek. "Would you, Jean-Philippe Valois, want me, Mary Valois to be your adoptive mother?" Her voice breaks when she says her new surname, the memory of writing her new flourish of a signature down fresh in her mind.
Jean gasps as his eyes widen and tears spring to his eyes. "You want me?"
Mary nods, a shaky breath escaping her lips. "Of, course I do! I have your dad, it's only right I have you too," she says, chuckling softly. "What do you say?"
"I say..." Jean trails off, meeting his father's eyes. "Oui."
"We understand and..." Mary stops herself, her smile widening as she stares at her new husband lovingly. "Did you just say 'yes'?"
"You said 'yes' to Papa when he asked you to be his wife so now, I say 'yes' when you ask me to be your son," he says simply.
Francis lets out a laugh, pressing a kiss on Jean's head. "You cheeky, little... I love you both, so much."
"We love you too," Mary says, reaching over Jean to wipe her husband's tears. "My husband and my son." My family.
"Thank you," he mouths to her, making her smile widely.
"Excuse me," Mary whispers, leaving them to head outside into the cold. She wraps her arms around herself for warmth and she turns at the sound of her name being called. "D-Daddy?"
"Well done, sweetheart."
"Mary, what are you doing? It's freezing cold!"
She turns and finds Kenna taking her heels off and laughs, turning back to her father but he's gone. "Are you crazy?" She retorts, turning to walk towards Kenna. "You're taking your shoes off in the snow and you're pregnant. You'll catch hypothermia."
Kenna scoffs lightly. "These heels are killing my feet and Bash won't carry me because he's too busy meeting cousin a billion for the first time," Kenna replies. "Are you okay?"
Mary turns to the empty space where she saw her father and smiles. "I am," she whispers, linking her arm with Kenna's as they head back inside.
...
"Congratulations on your marriage," Lola says, smiling a little. "John couldn't stop talking about it."
Mary glances over to where the boy is talking to a bunch of kids they bumped into at the bowling alley. "Jean was a big part of our day," Mary replies. She frowns now. "Why did you give him up only to come back with a petition for full custody?"
Lola sighs. "I only want shared-custody," Lola says. "He can live with his dad full-term and I can get him during the weekends or holidays..."
"You're not answering my question," Mary says firmly.
Lola bows her head, rolling her eyes a little. "So... My family weren't exactly happy to find out I was pregnant when we got home from our holiday in France," she says. "They threatened to disown me, said I brought shame onto the family and the only thing that would make them support me financially to go to university and make something of myself was if I gave my baby up. There was this couple who wanted a baby but I thought about Francis and I wanted to do the right thing. It was either him, a blood relative or somebody who'd probably never let me see him when I was ready to leave my family. My fiancé pushed for full-custody because he doesn't want any more kids. He has two already that are older than me so..."
"You had a ready-made baby," Mary finishes simply.
"He just wants to make me happy but I have seen how Francis raises our son," Lola says. "I don't want to take him away from Francis and you. You're like some ethereal being to John and he loves you. You're a better mother than I could ever be but I want to be a mother. I'm ready for that, I don't have my family pulling me back and making threats. If I can't have any more children, I'd like to get to know the one I have better."
Mary nods slowly, giving Jean a smile when he looks over at her, excitement in his eyes. "I see," she says. "Everything will be on Francis's terms but you do know he'll be acting on whatever Jean says, right?"
"I do," Lola says softly.
"I will always put Jean's interests first," Mary continues. "And you seem nice and honest."
"I know you're vetting me," Lola says lightly. "To report back to Francis of your covert mission to scope me."
Mary shrugs a little. "Again, we all want what's best for Jean."
"I just... I'll never hurt my son again. Those days of being stupid and scared are over," Lola says.
I know all too well of those days, trust me, Mary thinks. "Jean?"
"Oui, Maman?" Jean says, excusing himself from the other kids and coming over to the women.
"Why don't you, Lola and I stop by McDonald's and get to know each other better some more?" Mary asks, brushing his hair from his face.
Jean nods and smiles. "Okay," he says. Maybe two mothers aren't so bad.
And Mary knows that no matter what, the love Jean has for her will never disappear.
The next chapter is the last and I can't wait to show it to you guys. So, Francis and Mary are married. Mary gains closure from Darnley and their past and she gains her father's approval before she helps Jean get used to his mother.