Jo sat down on the edge of the bed, and looked around the beautiful little room that was all theirs. She had opened the window, and in the early evening light the sun reflected off the water that lapped at the shore of the loch, less than thirty feet from their window. It was so quiet and peaceful. No phones, no noise, no stress. Just perfect. She had to hand it to him, the craziest idea on the planet had worked out a treat.
From the moment he'd given the instruction to the taxi she had twigged that he had a plan in mind. They'd made it to the station with ten minutes to spare. He'd already bought and paid for the tickets, quite when he had arranged it all she had no idea, but he gave her no time to wonder, he'd dragged her into the pharmacy and bought a few essentials, then onto the train. The night train to Glasgow.
She lay back on the bed, picking up the piece of paper in her hand, she examined it, twisting the ring round her finger. She still couldn't quite believe that they had actually done the deed. Eloped to Gretna Green. That for better, worse, richer, poorer and so on they'd pledged themselves to each other. A piece of paper didn't change the fundamentals of who and what they were, it was more of a promise, to always be there for each other for the future. And although he was quite right, it was the cheesiest place she had ever seen, there was something quite romantic about it even so, and he promised that they would make it up to their friends who missed out later. Stilling her last protest. Slipping rings onto each other's fingers, she had never felt happier, in a bizarre sort of way.
She smiled as she read. She still couldn't believe that either... his middle name.
"What's funny?" He stretched out beside her, and she slid a companionable arm round his neck.
"You. I still can't get over your middle name."
"oh lord." he rolled his eyes, "what can I say, my dad was having a sixties flashback."
She laughed, and he swung himself up onto his elbow, his other hand moving to capture her and pull her close.
"I love you Joanne Louise Turner." he whispered as he leaned in for a kiss.
"And I love you Stuart Dylan Turner." her arms went round his neck, and she claimed his kiss as she pulled him down to her.