Thehoodedsweatshirt: Thank you. Here's the last instalment for ya. Not much G/C I'm afraid but they do talk a little.
Leddy: Aww, cheers mate. I'm glad you've liked my story enough to stick with it throughout. Here's the epilogue for ya and I hope it doesn't disappoint.
Epilogue – Be Still My HeartEntering Cath's house, Gil spotted Cath and Sara along with Lindsey and Jade's friend Zoe sitting at the kitchen table. Cath was finishing Sara's hair while Zoe was checking her make-up. All three were wearing deep red satin dresses, while Cath was wearing a long, almost skin tight holter neck dress in a soft blue colour, her hair hanging delicately around her face. He stared at her for a moment before shaking himself mentally and turning to give another of his rare smiles to Lindsey before turning back to Cath who spoke first.
"Hey Gil."
Cath said to him as he entered the kitchen.
"Hey. Where's Jade?"
"She's upstairs. I think she's needs the 'father' talk?"
She told him. He looked slightly nervous at that, and not completely sure what she meant. Noticing his expression she carried on.
"You know, that talk a father would give his daughter before he walks her down the isle to give her away."
"Well, what do I say?"
"I'm sure the words will come to you, Gil. Now go."
Knowing Cath's commanding tone he nodded, his mind stumbling over a million different possibilities of what to say as he walked up the stairs.
He knocked on the bedroom door and waited until he heard Jade invite him in before he opened it. Her back was to him, staring into the full length mirror. Her dress was the traditional white and consisted of a simple off the shoulder corset style top half that filtered into a satin, flowing skirt section that trailed on the floor. The red roses she was holding stood out passionately against the pure white dress. She'd been growing her short hair and it was now roughly five inches long. It had been pulled back in small twists and bunched up at the back in a random way, strands of hair sticking out here and there, mixed with small white flowers. It contrasted with the red flowers the bridesmaids were wearing in their hair of the same style. She wore a small tiara which had strands of diamonds handing down from it, over her face, just far enough away not to be touching her if she kept her head straight.
He could only gape at her as she turned around and gave him a nervous smile that broke into an amused look at his expression.
"You're mouth's hanging open Gil."
"Huh? Oh, sorry."
"I guess from the look I must look okay."
"You look...amazing. So grown up...and beautiful."
He caught himself before he said anymore.
"Thank you."
He noticed her slightly shaky smile.
"You feeling okay?"
"Nervous. Really really nervous."
He could tell. He stood there for a moment, still not knowing what to say so he tried to stumble through it.
"Cath said I had to come up and talk...you know...no." He changed his mind about what he was going to say suddenly. "If your father was here he'd more than likely stutter some speech about being incredibly proud of you, happy that you'd found someone to spend the rest of your life with and let you know that if he ever hurt you that he'd kill him." He paused as she watched him. "I'm not great at these type of speeches so I'm just gonna say this. I know I'm not your father, never pretended to be...but if I ever had a daughter, I'd want her to be just like you."
He looked up to see tears in her eyes, before she smiled and moved closer for a hug. He hugged her back carefully and heard her barely whisper.
"Thank you. Thank you so much."
Taking a breath, he knew that what he couldn't say out loud, she knew anyway. And from that point on she was as close to him as any daughter could be to a father. His life was finally back on track.
"You ready?"
He asked her. She pulled back and nodded with a deep breath. Holding his arm out, she took it and he led her out the door and towards her future.
The End.