Chapter 9

'Did I tell you that I love you today?
Have I looked into your eyes?
Cause I've taken down that last remaining wall
And showed myself to you
As I am
All my faults
All my thoughts
And all my yearning

Oh I love you
always have and always will
and I wanna face this moment
hold it near
hold it deep
hold it still

Did you know how scared I used to be?
Scared for you, scared of me
But taking down this barrier
and touching you at last
had broken all that down
into dust
blown away
now there's us
and we're real

Oh I love you
always have and always will
and I wanna face this moment
hold it near
hold it deep
hold it still

Oh I love you
always have and always will
and I wanna face this moment
hold it near
hold it deep
hold it still

Did I tell you that I love you today…

A loud cheering filled up the place as Claire let her microphone fall, and it didn't stop. She had been planning to do this from the moment their wedding was planned, and she had prayed she wouldn't catch a cold or something. But she hadn't. She had always loved this song, and today she was finally having a person she could sing these words to.

She looked at Alex. The look on his face was priceless, filled up with love for her and surprising about her unexpected action. She pushed the microphone in the hands of a band member, jumped off the podium and threw herself in his arms. He lifted her, held her in his arms and kissed her like he would never let her go. And she didn't want to be let go.

Alex couldn't be happier as he carried his bride back to the others. He heard the excitement in their cheering and laughing. He put Claire down so she could be hugged and congratulated by everyone at one time, and was caught up in a group of men himself.

'Now you're really married, mate,' Nick said teasing. 'No way back now.'

He smiled. 'I won't need any way back.'

At first Claire hadn't wanted to go very far on their honeymoon, worried about Drover's, Tess, and the money they'd spend. But Alex hadn't wanted to tell her whatever he was planning, so she was still waiting to be surprised. She hadn't reminded him of the fact she hated surprises. After the wedding party she started helping Tess cleaning up the mess, but she wouldn't let her.

'Are you out of your mind, Claire, it's your wedding day!'

'It is,' Alex as confirmed, 'and actually you don't have time to do it.'

'And why not,' she asked him, unable to resist the temptation of putting her arms around him again.

'Because we're leaving.'

'Oh,' Claire responded, 'so I'm finally gonna know where we're going?'

'Not now,' he said, lifting her from the ground. 'But soon enough.' He turned around and carried her to his car, that was barely visible under confetti and balloons.

'And are you gonna let me walk on my own today?' she asked laughing.

'No,' he responded simply.

'Oh, and we've put all your wedding presents in the car,' Jodi said proudly. 'You won't have to do anything on your own.'

'I see,' she said, looking at Nick carrying Alex' suitcases. 'I hope you didn't take your grandfather's rusty old rifles, did you?'

He looked at her naughty. 'Actually I was planning to put them on the wall in our hotel. Any problems with that?'

She laughed and rubbed his head. 'No. Go ahead. For as long it's not my house…'

Their wedding night was spent in a very classy hotel in Melbourne. Tough it was including the most ridiculous service Claire had ever seen, Alex wouldn't let her do anything on her own. He didn't even want her to walk from the elevator to their room. He carried her from place to place until she started wondering if he never got tired. It was the most ridiculous, but the most beautiful day of her life.

'So where are we going?' she tried another ask. He smiled. If Claire even knew he had done the most ridiculous jobs for the most ridiculous people over the past weeks to pay her this honeymoon, she'd kill him. So he decided it'd be a shame to tell her too soon, after all the hard work.

'I told you, you'll see,' he said mysteriously. She sighted.

'Yeah. But when?'

'Tomorrow.'

She smiled and crawled up in his arms.

'I love you.'

He'd have given his life for her, and he realised life had been merciful to him.

'So, now we're really married,' she said dreamy. He nodded.

'Never known you could sing,' he said after a short silence. She smiled a very big smile.

'Only for you,' was her lovely answer.

That night the world was laying at their feet. They both realised they could take every direction without the risk of taking the wrong one, and that every breath they'd take would be for each other, from this day forward.