Hey! Thank you so much for your reviews, guys! There are a few little shoutouts to some of my reviewers in this chapter. Some are more subtle than others so if you read something and think "Oh, hey, is that... is that for me?" then it probably is. I'm sorry that I couldn't include everyone. There were some names I simply couldn't work into the story in a way that made any sense. I hope you enjoy your little mentions though! And if I haven't mentioned you, I'm sorry! I still love you all! Your reviews are like oxygen to me. I light up when I check my emails and see I have reviews.
Also, the ending half of this chapter is one of my favourite things I've ever written. Gabriel Romero is a gift that I never knew I was capable of creating. :)
Alex gasped as Norma descended the steps down to the beach, catching his eye and smiling nervously at him. Something about the golden light of the Florida sunset seemed to make everyone look good, but Norma was exceptional, her hair a halo of baby blonde waves, the slight tan she had picked up standing out against the pale lavender of her dress. It was a style he had never seen her wear before, not as classic as usual, but still somehow very Norma, with a high, halterneck top, gathered waist and pleated chiffon falling to just below the knee.
"You look beautiful." He whispered to her, his ghosting over her bare back as he led her to her seat on the front row of the little white pews that had been set up along the sand.
"Thank you." She murmured, letting herself lean into him a little as they sat down, just wanting to pretend that everything was normal, just for half an hour.
She studiously avoided his eye contact, as they sat there in a slightly awkward silence, listening to the soft cello music and occasionally smiling as people they didn't know waved over at them. Gabe turned round excitedly a couple of times, shooting them over-the-top thumbs up to cover up his own nerves as they waited for the big moment. She heard Alex take a breath to speak, and was ecstatic that Sarah chose that moment to make her appearance, strolling in like a little blonde angel, her long flowy cream dress billowing behind her as the early evening breeze caught it. A garland of dainty little wild flowers adorned her honey-coloured curls. She glowed, her face breaking into a beaming smile as her and Gabriel laid eyes on each other, the now tangle-free necklace catching the fading light perfectly.
Norma teared up during the vows, a single tear falling as Gabriel's voice cracked, telling Sarah he would love, honour and protect her for the rest of his life. She let Alex reach across and take her hand, not for show, but because she wanted him to, smiling tearfully as Gabe dipped Sarah to share a dramatic first kiss as man and wife. Alex's hand tightened around hers, and she squeezed in return, keeping her smiling, tearful face trained on the deliriously happy couple in front of them, pretending not to notice him glancing at her unsurely. He wondered if she was thinking of their first kiss, the one she had leaned into without realising, giving her feelings away before she even knew she had them.
He took a gamble.
"Are you thinking about our-" He whispered, nervously, surprised when she tightened her grip almost painfully on his hand, interrupting him.
"Yes." She said simply, her expression almost entirely neutral, never taking her eyes off Gabe and Sarah, whose kiss had been going on for an entirely inappropriate amount of time now. There was a long pause, while he stared at the side of her face, and Gabe and Sarah finally broke apart, grinning giddily at each other. Norma let go of his hand abruptly to join with the rest of the guests who were clapping and beginning to rise to their feet. Finally, after what felt like years to Alex, she let her gaze flit to him and she smiled, a barely noticeable quirk of the lips that would have looked like nothing to anyone else. But Alex could see the warmth in her eyes, even as she turned away from him again, rising to her feet with the rest of the crowd to grin at the happy couple as they passed. It wasn't much, that little smile, but to Alex, it was everything. It was hope.
That hope didn't last long though, as the second the ceremony was over, Norma murmured something about Sarah needing her and disappeared through the crowds. He had nodded for a moment, before realising that Sarah got married about 6 minutes ago - What could she possibly need her for?
Alex milled around the terraced reception area, chit-chatting with people he pretended to know, slyly searching for his missing wife. He eventually spotted her talking to an older, heavy set man, who looked a little like an ageing oil tycoon. He watched her for a moment, watching her light up as the man leaned in close, whispering something that made them both laugh. If there hadn't been for the presence of a smiling, older blonde woman on the man's arm, Alex would have hated him for making his wife laugh like that.
"There you are." He said as he made his way over to her, noticing her tense up a little as he approached, flashing a tight smile at the couple.
"Alex!" She said brightly, almost too brightly. "This is Ray, Sarah's step dad. Ray, this is Alex, Gabriel's brother."
"Pleasure to meet you, son!" Ray said in a strong southern lilt, beaming at him as he stepped forward to shake his hand warmly. Alex always thought you could tell alot from a man's handshake, and, by the way Ray encompassed Alex's hand in both of his, fixing him with a genuine smile, he could already tell he liked the man. "This is Kate." He didn't offer any more explanation for the woman, but slipped an arm round her shoulder, which told them enough. They nodded politely at each other.
"Good to meet you, Ray." Alex said, before turning to hand Norma a glass of the fresh squeezed orange juice he knew she'd come to love. Her eyes lit up and she reached for the glass. "Here. I got you this. Didn't think you'd want alcohol after last night..."
She tensed up, freezing halfway through taking the glass, and he realised what he'd said. He'd only meant that, after drinking too much, he doubted she'd want to overindulge today. He had meant it as a playful barb, but instead, he had reminded her of her terrible night without thinking.
Ray and Kate glanced uncertainly between them, apparently sensing the tension.
"Don't worry about it, kiddo." Ray started, in a conspiratorial whisper. "We all overdo it sometimes. Kate's in the wine industry so we've got an excuse to be complete winos half the time."
Kate slapped him on the arm playfully, frowning at him.
"Shush..." She whispered, shyly biting her lip, and Alex briefly wondered how the softly-spoken Kate and the brash Ray had become a couple, before glancing back at Norma, who was staring at the floor. If Ray thought she was just embarrassed at drinking too much, she was perfectly willing to let him, shifting awkwardly on the spot, grinning at her shoes.
"What were you guys talking about before I rudely interrupted?" Alex piped up suddenly, trying to change the subject, to try and rid the haunted look from Norma's eyes.
"Food!" Ray answered immediately, patting his ample stomach and beaming at Alex. "I was sharing some of my secret recipes with Norma."
"He wants me to fatten you up." She added, a small smile pulling at her lips, making him sigh in relief.
"And I want you let you." He joked and they all shared a polite, lukewarm laugh. He didn't quite mean it, since he'd been eating Norma's meals for weeks, and had had to double his time at the gym to combat the homely, high-carb comfort food she seemed insistent on piling on his plate, even during the weeks when they had been barely speaking. He loved her cooking for him though. It was absurd, but he could taste how much she cared about him in every bite, even when they'd fallen out after she pushed him away. And now his eyes glinted with excitement at having a few traditional southern dishes added to the mix.
"So, as I was saying, the trick to the perfect peach cobbler is..." He trailed off, wrapping an arm around Norma's shoulders and whispering the end of his sentence, and Alex rolled his eyes as he watched Norma's face light up. He couldn't quite relate to how excited she could get about a new recipe, but as he watched her smile at Ray's apparently controversial peach cobbler technique, he felt a matching smile tug at his lips. Glancing over at Kate, he noticed her doing the same, and he grinned even more.
"I think we've lost them to cobbler talk." He said in a stage whisper, and Norma and Ray turned back to them, rolling their eyes.
"Ok, ok. You wont be complaining when you're eating the best dessert you've ever tasted."
"I'm sure." Alex agreed, noticing the hotel staff beginning to usher them in through the wide open doors.
"We better take our seats." He let his hand skim over the exposed skin of her back again, pleased when she didn't shy away from his touch.
Dinner was pleasant enough, though he noticed that Norma seemed to have alot of time for anyone but him. He tried to speak to her as they sat down, only to be shut down again.
"Listen, I wanted to say-" He started, under his breath as they took their seats at the table.
"Hanna!" She interrupted him to grab the attention of the brunette who had just sat down across the circular table. "How are you feeling now, hun? Did the seltzer help?" The girl seemed mildly surprised that Norma was giving her so much attention, when she'd barely spoken to her aside from giving her a few hangover tips that only come from age and wisdom, but she replied graciously, falling into an easy chat with Norma from across the table.
She'd then struck up a conversation with the woman sat next to Alex, talking across him like he wasn't there.
"So how do you know the happy couple?" The smiling woman said, as Norma took a bite of her food. Alex took the opportunity to finally speak, while Norma's mouth was full.
"I'm the groom's brother." He said hastily, and the woman glanced at him like she wasn't sure she knew he could speak before that moment. "This is my wife, Norma."
The woman reached over to shake his hand.
"Ashley. Sarah used to work for me."
They all nodded at each other politely, before Alex took another bite of his meal and Norma jumped at the chance to take the woman's attention again. He wanted to be angry at being cut out of the conversation once more, but he couldn't bring himself to feel anger at Norma, not right now. He let the conversation wash over him, silently thankful to not be drawn into what turned out to be a very dull talk where Ashley mostly boasted about how successful her catering company was.
"And if you're ever having a party, I hope you'll consider CRH Catering for your next event-" She chirped breezily, like she was working on a shopping channel, not making small talk at a wedding.
"Actually Ashley," Alex piped up, surprising even himself. "We don't live locally. We're just here for the wedding. And Norma runs her own motel, so that keeps us pretty busy most of the time." The pride in his voice was unmistakable.
Ashley blinked steadily a few times, clearly slightly put out at having being taken down a peg by this man who had barely spoken for their entire meal. She returned her face to the fake smile that strangers reserved for each other at weddings.
"Oh. A motel. How lovely!" She trilled at Norma, her tone only mildly patronising. They slipped back into a slightly tense, mundane chat again, and Alex went back to pretending to listen, thinking about how far away he felt from his polite, smiling wife next to him.
Eventually, the plates had been cleared and Norma and Ashley's conversation had petered out, with Ashley moving on to try and convince little Hanna to use her catering services for her next event. Alex didn't think Hanna looked like she threw all that many catered parties, but he was just glad to have the overbearing woman no longer leaning across him, loudly chatting in his ear. He was aware of Norma's eyes darting to his face, and caught her eye uneasily a few times, before they both cast their gazes around the room.
"It was a beautiful ceremony." She said sweetly, after accidentally catching his eye one too many times to not say something.
He chuckled mirthlessly, casting an awkward glance around the circular table. No-one was paying them any attention, all consumed with their own mindless small talk, but he knew this wasn't the place to talk about everything that had happened between them now. Still, he was almost surprised at how safe she had decided to keep their topic.
"Yes, yes it was." He agreed mildly, nodding casually to buy himself a moment. Casting another uneasy glance around the table, he sucked in a breath, drawing her attention to him.
"Can we talk?" He blurted out impulsively, keeping his tone low, watching as her mouth dropped open, her eyes darting wildly around the room.
"Alex." She muttered quietly, a warning hanging in her voice.
"I know, I know. Not now." He nodded, holding a hand up. "But later. Can we talk?"
She stared at the table for a long time, her fingers tapping a frantic pattern, before she looked up at him, nodding tightly.
Her cerulean eyes blinked back at him innocently, and for a second, he was lost, he didn't care where they were, or how inappropriate it was to do this, he just wanted to tell her how he felt right there and then.
"I..." He started, reaching for her hand. He was interrupted by the clinking of spoons against glasses, and he let his hand pause, resting millimetres away from hers, close enough to feel the nervous tapping of her fingers slow to a halt as they all turned their attention to the top table where Ray was standing patiently, glass in hand.
"Thank you everyone. Apparently I have to say a few words at this point. Erm..." Ray's previously brash demeanour seemed to have disappeared as he faltered, his words trailing off.
"I've never been very good at this sort of thing, so I'll keep it short and sweet. Oh, erm.. I'm Ray." He cleared his throat and gave an awkward half-wave. "I'm Sarah's step-dad, but I... never felt like that to her. She may not be my own flesh and blood, but I've always loved her like she was my own." Sarah gazed up at him adoringly, and he smiled down at her, before clearing his throat again, taking a deep breath before continuing.
"And Gabriel here. Well, I've never had a son, but if I did, I'd want him to be like this young man here." He reached to clap Gabriel on the shoulder, nodding down at him with approval.
"I'm happy that my little girl has finally found someone like you, Gabriel. You're a good man." His voice was a little thicker now than when he had started, and Alex heard Norma sniffle quietly from where she was turned away from him. Without thinking, his fingers closed the tiny gap between their hands, simply sliding across the back of her hand to cup it. She didn't return the gesture, but she didn't stop him either, holding still while his large hand covered her own.
"I know you will have a lifetime of happiness together. I'm so happy for you both. If you'd all like to join me in raising a glass..." The crowd shuffled to their feet, glasses in hand. "to Gabriel and Sarah."
Sarah jumped to her feet, pulling Ray in for a fierce hug, and from their table, both Alex and Norma could make out the "I love you, darlin'" he whispered in his daughter's ear. Norma's hand drifted from where it had remained brushing against Alex's to wipe a errant single tear from her cheek, and he immediately missed the grounding contact of her hand.
Taking their seats again, he noticed she placed her hand back on the table in the same place it had been before, this time her palm facing upwards. He glanced at her, found her staring intently at where Gabe was rising to his feet, her face turned away from him again. The invitation was unmistakable though, and he slid his hand hesitantly across hers, pleased when he felt her fingers twitch against his, the tiniest response to his touch.
"Thank you Ray. That was lovely." Gabe sounded a little choked up himself, and took a moment to readjust his tie before continuing. "Uh, I'd like to thank you all for coming. Though really, what else would you be doing than be at the wedding of the year?" There was a mild chuckle for a mild joke. "I'd like to thank Ray for allowing me to marry his daughter. I mean, she would have done it anyway, cause she's a rebel, but, it means alot to have your blessing, and I know it means alot to Sarah too." He shuffled his note cards, fumbling for a second. "When I first met Sarah, I couldn't believe how sweet and wonderful and caring one person could be. And then I met you, Ray, and it all made sense."
Ray smiled at him and then looked down, suddenly very interested in his napkin. Alex heard Norma sniffle softly again and her fingers curled, entwining with his.
"Also, I'm told I have to thank the bridesmaids. You all look very pretty today in the dresses I paid for." They rolled their eyes at him, and it was clear they were all friendly enough to laugh at his comments. "All jokes aside, I know you've been a great source of support and comfort to Sarah in the trying times of wedding planning, and, to be honest, you were probably more help with alot of it than I was, so, Caitlin... Hanna... Iris, thank you."
The trio all bowed their heads graciously at him, before he turned his attention to Sarah, his gaze filled with tender adoration.
"And, of course, I'd like to thank my beautiful wife- Man, how weird does that sound? "Wife"? Wow, we're like real grown ups now, babe!"
She giggled, her curls bouncing wildly around her shoulders.
"I'd like to thank my beautiful wife for marrying me. I mean, look at her, she could have done alot better." She rolled her eyes at him. "I mean I am punching well above my weight here! But I am forever thankful that she decided to settle and slum it with me. Because she is my world, my light, and I will devote every second of my future to making her the happiest woman in the world." His voice broke, and both Sarah and Ray surreptitiously wiped fresh tears away.
He heard Norma gasp slightly, and rubbed his thumb gently across the back of her hand, tracing soothing circles.
Gabe chuckled slightly, clearing his throat before continuing.
"But you know all that! We covered all this in the vows! Silly me."
There was a polite murmur of laughter from across the room, as he shuffled his cards again, finding his place.
"As you know, I didn't have a best man. Partly because I have little to no faith in any of my friends - Sorry boys - but mostly because we're very modern and hipster and untraditional. I mean, have you seen these flowers in my wife's hair?" He gestured to Sarah's delicate little wild flower garland and she raised her hands, tilting her head angelically to model them. "I mean, we're obviously very bohemian. But, I'm very pleased that my brother, Alex could make it, as a sort of unofficial best man. And he got the best of both worlds. None of the responsibility of the job, with all of the drinking. Nice deal for you, bro."
Alex's grip tightened on Norma's hand and she glanced over her shoulder at him, shooting him a small smile. A few people around them glanced at him as Gabriel pointed, and he resisted the urge to shrink down in his seat, instead fixing a tense smile on his face. He was thinking about last night again, and now was not the time to rehash the events of their troubling night.
"He actually got married himself recently, and I was so glad that he and his delightful wife could join us for the wedding. It meant alot to us both."
Norma's fingers twitched nervously in his hand. It was her turn to shuffle in her seat now, trying to smile sweetly under the scrutiny of a room full of people.
"My only wish is that mom could have been here today." Gabriel carried on, in a small voice. Alex took a deep, steadying breath. He hadn't been expecting that. "She would have adored you." Gabriel continued, turning his attention to Sarah, whose hand drifted to brush against the necklace she was wearing.
"In fact, she would have loved both of you." He jerked his head at Norma and Alex heard her sniff very distinctly this time, lowering her head to stare at her knee intently.
"Me and Sarah don't have a huge amount of family between us-" He said, his tone neutral, and they all heard the unspoken sentiment there. He didn't mention his incarcerated father, or Sarah's real parents, the father she'd never known, and the mother who'd abandoned her. He didn't need to. The family that mattered were there. "But I really feel like my family grew so much over the last few days. I gained a wife, a father-in-law who doesn't hate me, which is a nice feeling. I got my brother back, and gained a sister in law."
Norma's hand tightened around Alex's, her nails digging into his palm. He could see just enough of the side of her face to see her cheek shining with tears, and wasn't too proud to say he felt his own eyes begin to prickle at his brother's words.
"I feel so incredibly lucky to be surrounded by such a wonderful people. I feel so blessed to call you all family now."
Her grip tightened again, her nails now digging painfully hard into Alex's skin. He said nothing though. Just let her squeeze the life out of his hand like she was in physical pain. Her blonde curls shook slightly as she cried, the kind of trembling that came from trying to silently repress your broken sobs. Their hands slid from where they were resting on the table to drop to her leg, their fingers still entwined.
"So, I would like you all to raise a glass, not only to my beautiful new wife, Sarah, but to my brother, Alex and his own beautiful wife Norma. To family." He finished, and everyone toasted and took a sip of their drinks, except Norma, who seemed to be frozen in place, her shoulders still silently shaking.
"Right, now all that pesky tradition is out of the way, you can all go and get a proper drink and enjoy yourselves!"
There was a pause, and then a buzz of chatter rose steadily, filling the room as everyone settled back in their seats, chatting amongst themselves. Only Alex and Norma remained frozen, her gaze now blankly staring at the wall, her clammy hand still squeezing the life out of his.
He took a sharp intake of breath to speak. He didn't know what he was going to say, but he needed to say something, anything.
Before he could verbalise anything though, she rose suddenly, standing on shaky legs for a second like a baby deer. Her hand dropped his abruptly and she was gone without another word, swerving between tables towards the exit, her head tilted down, her hand covering her face.
He was still for a second, too dumbstruck to move, glancing down at the crescent shaped dents in his palm where her nails had dug into his flesh, before glancing up, watching her retreat out of the double doors to the patio. She didn't want him to follow her, he could tell, but he did anyway. There was no way he couldn't.
Ignoring the curious stares of the guests at his table, he rose to his feet slowly, winding between the tables, resisting the urge to sprint after her which would only draw more attention than they were already getting. Gabe shot him a worried, curious look from the top table, and Alex simply nodded back at him, trying to keep his expression neutral.
Slipping out into the cool night air, he relished the feel of it against his heated face, taking a deep breath before allowing himself to look around, finally spotting Norma leaning against a wall a few feet away. She spotted him at the same time and she pushed herself off the wall, trying to bolt, before he shot forward, his hands grasping the tops of her arms stopping her.
"Alex, stop!" She yelled, wriggling in his arms. "Let me go." He released her, because she wanted him to, and he would never have considered holding her there against her will, but he ducked his head down, meeting her eyes, silently imploring her not to run from him.
"Norma, stop! It's ok!" He said, uselessly, frowning when she turned away from him, fresh tears rolling down her cheeks, her hand reaching to push her hair away from her face.
"No! No, it's not ok!" She screamed at him, whirling back to face him. "Nothing about this is ok. I can't do this, Alex." Her voice lowered as she dissolved into tears. "That speech..." She whispered out brokenly, shaking her head.
"We're lying!" She sobbed, wiping uselessly at the tears that showed no signs of stopping. "We're lying to everyone!"
He reached for her again, and this time she let him, because she felt too tired and overwhelmed to stop him. He held her very gently, not wrapping her up in a full hug, just pulling her against his chest, feeling her hands fist in his shirt, his hands resting lightly against her shoulders. He glanced up at the stars, feeling his insignificance in the universe for a moment, as he held this perfect, trembling woman in his arms. Listening to the soothing chirping of the cicadas and her quiet sobs, he took a deep, slow, steadying breath before he spoke.
"I'm not lying." He said quietly, and she froze for a second, before pulling back, glancing up at him uncertainly. "I'm not lying." He repeated, his voice a little surer this time. "Not anymore."
Her breath hitched in her throat as her eyes darted from his sincere eyes, to his lips, down to where her hands were resting against his chest and then back up again. He leaned in, just an inch or so, and she did the same, and he felt ready - Now was the moment.
"Norma, I-"
"Don't." She cut him off, her voice still so small and broken that it made his heart ache. "Just... don't." She started, because she knew what he was going to say, and he couldn't mean it, he couldn't possibly mean it.
She took a shaky step back, and he let her, because he had no clue what she was thinking and it seemed safer to let her go.
"I'm... I'm sorry..." She breathed out, and she looked so incredibly lost that he almost wished he hadn't said anything. "I-" She stuttered, before turning suddenly, stalking away from him at a pace that was almost a jog.
"Norma!" He called out, but he didn't follow her, because, at this point, he had no idea what he would say.
Hope y'all liked this chapter. Quick unrelated question - Slight spoiler alert, but at some point, this fic is going to have like, 6 straight chapters of shagging. Is that... alright? I feel like there's alot of plot happening now, so we've earned just an absolute shitload of Normero-shagging, right? Lemme know if you disagree and I'll change absolutely nothing. :P
Also, there's been some fears expressed to me about a previous note where I threatened to kill of Norma at the end. Don't worry guys - I mean, I wouldn't possibly do that... would I?
As always, LOVE you guys. Thanks for your reviews! x
